got back to it again today. took it out and sanded it flush, then recut the strips and glued back in the pattern for the illusion. back to it again next weekend.
there turned out to be one heck of a bow in it, but i managed to pretty much salvage it. lesson learned about cauls and clamping pressures. i gave it a quick coat of oil, and when the wife saw it, she had to have it. in both pics you can see quite clearly the optical illusion, wasn't sure it would show up while it was dry.
leaving them staggered as it is part of the illusion. the parts that stick out look that much larger than the ones that don't, even though they are the same thickness.