wood carving

i recently got interested in wood carving. besides airsoft, its one of many ways i release stress. i started out shaving sticks; then i actually started wanting to carve a design into the wood. i talked to my grandad,who is awesome at woodworking, and he gave some tips and a block of wood. as it turns out, i need type of soft wood called tupelo. the best part is that this type of wood grows in this area. but i have been practicing with the block of wood i have, and have carved two things. the first is a flower, however not everyone could tell what it was. but, oh well. the second is a cross, but i couldnt put a cool design in it. i am just gonna have to keep practicing.
here are some neat designs that i want to try:

these are just a few. there are tons of things you can do