Ray Wilckens
When Robert asked if we wanted to help write
an editorial, Dan and I were very excited. It
was then that I realized that we have been
contributors to Creative Woodworks & Crafts
for almost ten years! Those ten years have
been some of the most fun for both of us.
I think back on all the projects we have
designed for the magazine, and we have
enjoyed them all. I also realized that
without you, the scrollers, none of this
would have been possible.The high point
for us is when we get to meet and talk
to you at the various shows around the
country, see some of your projects,
and your willingness to share your feedback
and thoughts. Our goal for the magazine is
to produce more projects you’ll enjoy making,
along with even a few trick projects from time
to time! We hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine, and happy scrolling!

Dan Wilckens
When I think back to the very first time I
spoke with Robert on the phone after he had
met my Dad at the Pennsylvania picnic
several years ago, I have to smile. We were
just starting out and had a couple of small
clocks he was interested in featuring in the
magazine. I never dreamt then that it was
only the beginning of such a wonderful
relationship with the incredible family at
Creative Woodworks and Crafts. The magazine
has featured the work of many talented
designers over the years, of which I am
proud to be a part. The early exposure and
encouragement was monumental in
starting usdown the path of developing
patterns foreveryone to enjoy. This has
opened up manyopportunities that otherwise
we may never havehad, including our regular
correspondence withyou, the scrollers.
We enjoy your letters and proud photos of
all the gorgeous projects you create and
the many cherished friendships we have
found over the years. We look forward to
the various shows we attend where we get
to talk face to face with many of you,
sharing stories, tips, techniques, and
often a good laugh or two. Scrolling has
become a big family, and Creative Woodworks
& Crafts has allowed us the regular
opportunity to pass along to you patterns
that I hope you have enjoyed over the years.
I have enjoyed my part in the process and
hope that the years ahead see many more
new,fun, and exciting patterns. Thank you
for your friendship, support, encouragement,
and feedback. We look forward to seeing
you soon at a nearby show or seeing photos
of your projects. In the meantime, keep the
blade on the line and the sawdust in the air!

Annja Starrett
Puzzles have always fascinated me. I could
spend hours sorting through hundreds of
pieces, separating them into different groups
of colors or patterns. When I was eight years
old, we had a 5000-piece picture that was
supposed to be a family project, but nobody
had as much patience as me. It seems like
I finished it by myself! Another memory I
have from my childhood about puzzles has
to do with my father's profession. He was a master for wooden parquet flooring. Every
once in a while he would bring home sample
pieces that were held together on the back by
some sort of mesh. To cover the floor of one
room, hundreds of those pieces were needed.
Depending on how they were arranged,
countless numbers of different layouts were
possible. A huge wooden puzzle! Even just
playing with the sample pieces meant hours
of fun. Today I still enjoy making puzzles, but instead of the picture-cardboard type, they
are Intarsia. Every once in a while I meet
somebody who looks at my Intarsia and says,
"Oh, I love to do things on the scrollsaw
myself. Your projects are all so beautiful,
but I could never do this..."

Well, "I can't" never achieved anything!
Even though some people have more
talent than others and things will come
to them easier, practice can go a long way.
I guess I have talent, but I still practice with every Intarsia I make. Countless times I got frustrated when pieces wouldn't fit, a cut
wasn't straight, or I sanded too much off of a piece. Rome wasn't built in a day, so practice,
practice, practice! The challenge I
encounter now is creating my own patterns
and transforming them into a finished
Intarsia. I don't restrict myself to
3/4"-thick wood and utilize a lot of different
sizes. Sometimes the patterns look
good on paper, but the hard part is to
envision how the pieces relate to each other depthwise and how they need to be shaped.

I am very excited about having my projects featured in Creative Woodworks & Crafts.
For one, of course, it is very nice to get lots
of compliments. Second, the fact that people
all over the country can see my work is
thrilling. And I'm getting fan-mail—yeah!
The most satisfying part of all this is getting
proof once more that moving to the States
was the right decision. It was not an easy
one at first. Had I stayed in Germany, who
knows what my scrollsawing skills would
be like now? Maybe close to none...?

Thanks to you readers for your feedback, and pattern requests are always welcome!

Sue Mey
Hello from sunny South Africa. On this side
of the big blue pond, scroll sawing represents
a very small percentage of the woodworking industry. No official scrolling associations are
in existence and two out of every three
people I meet have no idea what a scrollsaw
is. I acquired my first scroll saw some 11
years ago. As I did not have a workshop at
the time, it was promptly set up on a kitchen
counter. I had bought some 25mm pine and
Patrick Spielman’s Scroll Saw Basics in
preparation. Ten minutes later I had cut
my first stand-up animal puzzle and although
it was far from perfect, I was thoroughly
hooked on a hobby which was to become my
passion and finally, my occupation. Since
then it has been a process of constant
learning, with the infinite highs of new
discoveries and the despondency when
projects did not quite work out as projected
in the instructions. But I persisted
enthusiastically to learn all there was to
know and tried my hand at all the various
scroll saw techniques.

Like many other scrollers, I hardly ever
follow a pattern to the letter and it was
a natural progression to eventually start
designing my own patterns for projects.
I also discovered that by studying different disciplines of working with wood and
borrowing from these, I could combine
the knowledge to make scroll sawing
not only interesting, but diverse and
colourful as well. Never be shy to
experiment. You are not a true scroller
until you have made your fair contribution
to the “chic firewood” clan.

I draw inspiration from nature and am never
without my digital camera when I travel.
Wild animals and pets are my favourite
subjects (cats in particular, as I am a
committed ailurophile). Sometimes an
attractive piece of wood with interesting
grain patterns will inspire a special project,
and ideas for new designs often come to
me just before I fall asleep. For that reason
I always keep a notebook and pencil on my
bedside table.

Nowadays, I thrive on the challenge of
turning an intricate company logo or a
client’s vague idea into a custom project,
scrolled from beautiful hardwood. I receive
many e-mails suggesting specific types of
projects and requesting particular pattern subjects.

Others mail me to exchange ideas or
just to chat about cats, motorcycling,
or Africa. These posts are always welcome,
as are the photos of your finished projects.
I truly love being part of this dust-making
community dedicated to the most rewarding
wood craft on earth.