In this photo the carving has received a base coat of sanding sealer. It was allowed to dry overnight. The next day I rubbed the carving with "washed" "000" steel-wool. I vacuumed the carving, and made sure all traces of the steel-wool were removed.The next step was to apply a coat of hardwood floor paste was to every smooth surface. This means that the stamped areas did not receive a coating of wax. The carving was brushed and buffed to a smooth and delightful satin finish.
Notice how the stamped areas appear darker after the finish has been applied. I really like this effect :-)