Carousel-Part 30- Beginning the Roof

I've been working on the roof this week.  It is far from finished, but I have made a good start on it.  The first photo is just the basic frame work.  The quarter inch square poplar sticks are glued down to a base of poster board.  It will have additional pieces of bracing and layers of paper mache' before it is finished.  I will have to experiment to see whether the roof will be all one level or whether it will be stepped higher as it moves towards the center.  I won't be able to hit the hardware store this afternoon or tomorrow.

The photos show the top as it exists right now and how it looks on top of the carousel housing.  None of the pieces are attached to each other at this time.  I need to finish the decorations before I attach the housing to the base.


I did make it to the craft store earlier this week.  I purchased some mirror tiles.  I want part of the housing to be mirrored in order to reflect the hidden side of the menagerie animals.  When I was a child, I rode on a carousel that had mirrors.  I was always impressed by the way the mirrors reflected the horses and made the carousel seem so much bigger.  The mirrors also reflected the onlookers,  carnival booths and vendors, in a dizzying flash as the carousel spun.  I want to recreate that on this carousel.  The mirrors will not extend up the entire housing.  I plan to have further embellishments above the mirrors.

Some older carousels had carved caricatures of faces on them.  Years ago, my mother purchased a round carved face of a Johnny Cake that was from a carousel.  It hung in our home for many years when I was growing up.  My parents moved a couple of times, and I finally realized that I had not seen it in a long time.  When I asked about it my mother said it had been sold; as they upgraded houses, it no longer fit their decor.   I can barely remember what it looked like.  I'm pretty sure one eye was winking.  It may have been sticking out its tongue.  It was just too long ago to remember accurately.  Anyway, I want to make some of those faces that are reminiscent of old carousels and carnival floats.  One face will be hanging above the mirror on each side of the housing.

I plan to make the faces out of paper mache'.  If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will have seen some of my dolls.  (If you would like to see them, check the archives for "art doll").  I'll post more on the face medallions as they are being made.  (Help, I'm starting to embellish and can't stop!  I guess as long as I am making a once in a lifetime piece I might as well do it in a once in a lifetime way.)

Note:  The weather service is forecasting a string of strong thunderstorms perhaps evena Derecho (straight line thunder storms that run 240 miles or more)  from the Mid-west to the Mid-Atlantic.  If you don't see me post for a couple of days, we may be without power.