Went to the Merry Go Round Museum in Sandusky Ohio as part of our Spring Break vacation. Lots of information as well as old and new carousel animals. The building was a Post Office originally - the only round Post Office that was built.

Did you know there is still a place in the US that hand carves wooden carousel animals? Carousel Works is about 45 minutes south of Sandusky. Saw some of their new ones that are slated for a carousel in New York after being displayed at the museum.

These Cows are actually the same shape - The one in the back has it's original paint. The one in the front has been refinished. Not sure if the camera shows it, but the saddle blanket is material - looks like velvet to me?

Can you tell what is different with this carousel animal?

At the same time I was designing the Carousel horse fretwork, I also drew up a design of a full Carousel horse to cut using the intarsia method. I’ve had the pattern for months, got copies made of the pattern, and am ready to go! Have been ready to go for months! I just can’t seem to make that first cut and I’m not sure why.
Fear of failure? It would be the largest intarsia I’ve done, but I’ve done some difficult ones already.
Has anyone else run into this? Afraid to start a project that they want to do? What have you done to actually start?

Carousel Ride

We had the opportunity last weekend to go to the Gand Rapids museum where they also have a Carousel Ride. Their carousel has hand-carved horses along with other animals including a giraffe, a lion, and a tiger. I've always loved riding merry-go-rounds ~ as long as I got to ride on an animal that actually went up and down rather than just spinning in a circle!