I reckon you can still do it. Buying lumps of sawn hardwood is expensive, but if you start looking for what people throw away you can do it. You can find hardwood that is completely illegal to cut and sell these days if you look for mid century furniture that’s getting thrown out. Or softwoods. You’re not stupid, and you can carve if you want to.
‘Oranges and lemons say the bells of St Clements’ but like it’s from the minaret of a mosque run by the hard of hearing. It’s aggressive.