# another undying passion of mine...



## Dusti (Jan 23, 2012)

I think you all know me and about the things I do or did. I am sure I have posted my stuff here before, but I don't think you've seen a lot of the pictures I am putting up here as they show the actual building process of the horse drawn carriage that I built back in 1999. And so I thought you might enjoy to see them now. 

It was my habit back then to keep a diary of the things I built and the pictures posted here are from the diary that I kept on the carriage. You will see the notes I wrote as well in the diary. 

The carriage/or coach was built to actual size and was built working from a single drawing I got from a library book. That drawing will be the first picture you see. The last picture you will see will be that of the coach after it has been completed. There are a lot of pictures so they will be added in a few at a time till all are in so you will see more and more of them as they are being posted.


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## SallyAnn (Apr 21, 2011)

WOW, what a work of art! Was this for Halloween since you mentioned Dracula...Things like this certainly make you feel accomplished! Wonderful job you're doing!!  BTW, your kittens are gorgeous! Are they a special breed?


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## minniemo (Apr 23, 2011)

What amazing talent you have Dusti, you must be so proud !!! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## Dreamweaver (Feb 1, 2011)

What an undertaking and is sure turned out well... Even the horse. Great accomplishment.


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## Montana Gramma (Dec 19, 2012)

Stupendous!!!


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## no1girl (Sep 4, 2012)

mindboggling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Country Bumpkins (Feb 18, 2011)

Agree with cakes! Wow!


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## Airy Fairy (Aug 2, 2011)

Unbelievably Brilliant!...Can't imagine starting let alone finishing such a huge project. Looking at the time frame makes it even more unbelievable. Not enough superlatives to congratulate you.


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## Dusti (Jan 23, 2012)

SallyAnn said:


> WOW, what a work of art! Was this for Halloween since you mentioned Dracula...Things like this certainly make you feel accomplished! Wonderful job you're doing!!  BTW, your kittens are gorgeous! Are they a special breed?


No they are not a special breed but they ARE "special" to me. They are grown now nearly 3 years old. Lulu is the one who is being headlocked and Belle is doing the headlocking! LOL!

...oh and yes, the coach was used in that year's Halloween display. Since I love building and I love Halloween, I put the two together. I had built four horses the year before for my "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" display for that year and had used one for the carriage.


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## Dusti (Jan 23, 2012)

whackydo said:


> Unbelievably Brilliant!...Can't imagine starting let alone finishing such a huge project. Looking at the time frame makes it even more unbelievable. Not enough superlatives to congratulate you.


Thanks for the kind words. Yes I would start building the bigger things as soon as the frost broke and I would work on it all thru the summer. I worked full time nights back then and didn't have to be in work till 5pm so I would work on the pieces up to 4pm, then jump in the shower and zoom off to work. I'd get up extra early on my days off (about 5 am) just to pack in as much building time as I could. I would build certain things ahead of time in my shop in the winter because I had a kerosene heater in there.


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## kiwiannie (Jul 30, 2011)

Wow the coach is absolutely beautiful,you did a magnificent and brilliant job,what a wonderful talent you have. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## Pamick (Dec 31, 2012)

Fantastic !!!!!!


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## amudaus (Nov 8, 2011)

Such fabulous work,i just would,nt have a clue how to start.


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## Kaye3514 (Feb 17, 2013)

Fantastic work obviously a lot of love and patience went into it. Do you have pics of others items that you have built? Do you have a display area to keep these?


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## Katsch (Mar 15, 2011)

Amazing, fantastic work! Your talent is spectacular.


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## Dusti (Jan 23, 2012)

I honestly would give anything to be able to build again. I just sigh a hundred times a day thinking about all the things I already built in my head that can never materialize now. I am still certainly physically strong enough to build but every chain has its weak link and mine is my back. I can't lift heavy things or there will be hell to pay. And I can't bend over things either. I took the two air conditioners out of my windows at the end of this summer like I always do so I could store them for the winter but this year when I did it, it KILLED me...it put me in the most horrible pain I'd ever experienced in my life for MONTHS on end!!! The pain was relentless! I could barely walk without holding on to the walls and hardly slept thru a single night for months on end because the pain kept me awake. I do NOT want to go thru THAT again. 

...and the building I love doing requires heavy lifting, doesn't it? So...no more building. I keep racking my brains trying to come up with some other way to do what I love. I keep coming up with one idea after another,trying to come with ways to build things full scale and yet keep them light. Even considered working with burlap. But then there's the bending thing, too, that needs solving. bending over things also kills me!!!
Which is why I don't use my sewing machine anymore either...had big plans for that but now even that is shot down. I am pretty annoyed about all this. You KNOW how it is...the heart wants what the heart wants, and I WANT to build! Everything else is...settling.


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## run4fittness (May 22, 2011)

absolutely amazing!


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## vershi (Nov 25, 2012)

Wow, I am speechless, that is amazing, :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## fibernut (Jun 5, 2011)

So glad the Admin. added this part to this site, we have just seen something wonderful. Thanks so much for showing this priceless work!


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## amberdragon (Dec 12, 2011)

yes..the heart wants what the heart wants!! even if it out of reach


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## amberdragon (Dec 12, 2011)

working with wood is so cosmic...as the wood takes on a life of its own....sometime the wood knows what it wants to be,and you just have to go along with it. sometime the artists hands become the hands of the wood...


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## Alto53 (Jan 26, 2012)

fibernut said:


> So glad the Admin. added this part to this site, we have just seen something wonderful. Thanks so much for showing this priceless work!


I love this new section that gave you the opportunity to share this wonderful creation with the rest of us (and the opportunity for the rest of us to ooh and ahh. Beautiful, beautiful work of creativity!)


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## jonibee (Nov 3, 2011)

What an accomplishment..it's beautiful along with its horse and people..I bet you get a lot of lookers and comments..you are an Artist a very creative one...


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## Regg (Nov 9, 2012)

WOW!


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## yarnbomb (Mar 1, 2012)

Oh what a wonderful endeavor!! Thanks for sharing ...I had a great time reading about it!!


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## Nana Doreen (Sep 16, 2013)

Absolutely brilliant.......what a talent!! :thumbup:


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## SQM (Jun 22, 2012)

Pure Genius. A woman who can use tools is a dream come true. See a back doctor and then you can go back to making these remarkable items. Glad you are from NYC. We are the best!


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## ptober (Mar 24, 2011)

Nice job- cannot imagine doing that without plans!


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## kittykatzmom (Mar 1, 2011)

Dusti you are so talented and you must have nerves of steel. Thank you so much for sharing with everyone. This would be great if you could enter it into a parade. Do you just keep it in your driveway or where do you store it? Please share more of your talent.


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## gmarie (Feb 8, 2012)

Oh my gosh. You have great talent. Your coach is beautiful. :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## moherlyle (May 14, 2011)

Wow! wow.........


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## Linuxgirl (May 25, 2013)

Wow, you sure are gifted to produce such a great cart. It looks perfect. And the horse is the absolute top of the cake. Outstanding.


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## Dusti (Jan 23, 2012)

kittykatzmom said:


> Dusti you are so talented and you must have nerves of steel. Thank you so much for sharing with everyone. This would be great if you could enter it into a parade. Do you just keep it in your driveway or where do you store it? Please share more of your talent.


Thank YOU for enjoying the work I do! No, I rarely keep the things I make. The coach was dismantled and cut to pieces and fed into my outdoor fire pit until all that was left was her ashes. Of course before hand, I had removed all the parts that were still serviceable: screws, hinges, other hardware, etc., and stored them in bins for recycling into another future project. My girlfriend was annoyed with me when she found out and didn't talk to me for days after that! LOL! But you know inspiration is like a river, you just never step in the same place twice and as far as the carriage was concerned, her waters had passed. I think for ANY artist, it's the "doing" that matters because it's the "doing" that feeds the insatiable creative appetite of any artist.


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## Cassews (Apr 10, 2013)

Absolutely AMAZING !!!!!!!!!! wow .. is all I can say ..


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## cevers (Jul 8, 2011)

Amazing, fantastic! That's all there is to say!


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## Knitnutty (Feb 9, 2011)

My goodness that is just remarkable. You have done a fantastic job and you should certainly be proud of yourself. Keep up the good work and keep posting pictures so we can see your work.


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## Dusti (Jan 23, 2012)

jonibee said:


> What an accomplishment..it's beautiful along with its horse and people..I bet you get a lot of lookers and comments..you are an Artist a very creative one...


Yes, people did enjoy watching me work. I use to do all this building at my old house, the first one I bought a millions years ago. The building stopped when I sold that house. Before I left and as I was packing stuff into the truck, my neighbor from diagonally across the street came running over to me calling out to me, "Noooooh, you're not moving are you?" When I told him I was indeed moving I thought he was going to fall to his knees and beg me to stay because he looked so horrified at the thought of it.

He said, "But you were the BEST! I really enjoyed watching you work!!

I did notice he would appear about 10 seconds after I came out of my house to start work on the coach. He would just sit there at his yard table, drinking from a cup, coffee I imagine. He would be there ALL day for as long as I was working in the driveway. It got so I would sort've give him a "good morning" nod before I started each days work on the coach.

Once (lol) I saw this guy sitting on his porch roof with a pair of binoculars watching me work from his backyard. So yes, people did watch me. I was sort've known as "weird" on my block. Forget about when I started building my T-Rex. That one was 45 feet long...couldn't miss it no matter where you viewed it!!


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## Poor Purl (Apr 14, 2011)

Do you do _anything_ ordinary? What an unusual body of work! Thanks for giving us a peek into your work.


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## Strickliese (Jan 6, 2012)

Incredible!!!


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## kyterp (Mar 3, 2011)

I am at a loss for words. Wonderful is just not enough. Thanks for sharing.


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## izzy (Jan 30, 2011)

this is amazing !! thank you, for sharing it with us !!


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## JeanneHolmes (May 4, 2011)

Amazing!


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## Gmfur (Oct 29, 2011)

Fascinating! :thumbup:


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## krankymax (Mar 5, 2012)

Nice hobby working with wood. Looks good.


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## Joycie48 (May 17, 2011)

Amazing!!


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## izzy (Jan 30, 2011)

You really didn't burn your lovely coach, did you ? Oh my !
No wonder your girlfriend was upset with you !! ....... Have you considered selling your work ? .... If the pieces you've shared with us, are anything like other projects you have completed, you should sell them ... you would undoubtedly, make a fortune !! (O)


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## Gundi2 (May 25, 2012)

wow,realy nice,lots a work.


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## SwampCatNana (Dec 27, 2012)

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## jaml (Feb 4, 2011)

That must be so nice to do. Your work is super!


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## Winnie9901 (Oct 6, 2013)

WOW!!! This has to be one of the most amazing projects I have ever seen. You are defineately part carpenter but bigger part artist for this is a work of art. Bravo!!


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## Jaymacphe (Jan 24, 2013)

That is just marvellous. I could no more make something like that (let alone freehand in Parts) than l could fly. You are very talented.........Jay


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## kneonknitter (Feb 10, 2011)

Dusti said:


> I think you all know me and about the things I do or did. I am sure I have posted my stuff here before, but I don't think you've seen a lot of the pictures I am putting up here as they show the actual building process of the horse drawn carriage that I built back in 1999. And so I thought you might enjoy to see them now.
> 
> It was my habit back then to keep a diary of the things I built and the pictures posted here are from the diary that I kept on the carriage. You will see the notes I wrote as well in the diary.
> 
> The carriage/or coach was built to actual size and was built working from a single drawing I got from a library book. That drawing will be the first picture you see. The last picture you will see will be that of the coach after it has been completed. There are a lot of pictures so they will be added in a few at a time till all are in so you will see more and more of them as they are being posted.


WOW!! If I still lived in Flushing I would want to drive to your house & see this for myself! It's GORGEOUS!!


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## ramram0003 (Nov 7, 2011)

WOW!!!! Very talented! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: 

I can't say anything more than just plain WOW!


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## kittykatzmom (Mar 1, 2011)

I don't think after all the labor of love I could have burn it. No wonder she was upset with you. Wish you had sold it, so others could have continued to enjoy your hard work.


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## Dusti (Jan 23, 2012)

kittykatzmom said:


> I don't think after all the labor of love I could have burn it. No wonder she was upset with you. Wish you had sold it, so others could have continued to enjoy your hard work.


Who's to say why it is we artist types do the things we do? I don't even know the answer to that one. Sometimes I think we do it because once the idea pops into our heads the creative soul within us locks in on it and that is that and so it must be done, period! I never think of the work involved when I do something. I DO however think more about the "time" it took for me to do it, because for me"time" is my most precious commodity. There is simply not enough life times for me to make all the things I want to make.


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## kittykatzmom (Mar 1, 2011)

Dusti you don't let any grass grow under your feet and that is good.


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## Valandra (Mar 23, 2011)

Breathtaking, well done.


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## kacey66 (Sep 9, 2013)

Spectacular piece of art! Love everything about it! Thank you for sharing.


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## bonniebb (Jul 1, 2011)

you are very talented, great job


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## aussieHC (Oct 21, 2013)

That's amazing ! What an achievement - and the glass - did you have to order that ?


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## PAJulian (Aug 27, 2012)

Dusti said:


> Who's to say why it is we artist types do the things we do? I don't even know the answer to that one. Sometimes I think we do it because once the idea pops into our heads the creative soul within us locks in on it and that is that and so it must be done, period! I never think of the work involved when I do something. I DO however think more about the "time" it took for me to do it, because for me"time" is my most precious commodity. There is simply not enough life times for me to make all the things I want to make.


Oh! Dusti what you did was beautiful and should have been kept for others to enjoy. Your work was what I call real art for me personally. I know art is in the eye of the beholder and I am confused when I see some art, say. But your carriage was amazing. I feel like your friend that it should have been kept I fully understand her pain at it being shall we say dismantled. Someone out there would have wanted to have been a keeper of it for you to share and enjoy. You really are a talented lady and you are not weird. you must share some of your other works for us to see.


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## EliseH63 (Nov 5, 2019)

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