Welcome to Issue 6 of Year 15 of Woodcarver Online Magazine.

Our Front Page photo this issue is:

Dean Paulsen's

Star, The Christmas Pony

Basswood, 12” tall, Acrylic washes and Krylon matte finish

Santa is original design; pony from a Floyd Rhadigan pattern

Hello carving friends -

What better front page photo for this issue then one of the carvings in the 2011 Santa Gallery . See more photos of Star plus lots of other great Santas in the Gallery.

The Christmas holiday is rushing toward us. Like most of you, I have been trying to find time to get some additional carvings done in between holiday events. The Kelley Family Christmas party is always the Saturday before Christmas, and with your humble editor being the eldest of six, we need a small hall to hold all of the siblings, children and grandchildren.

One of the enduring traditions at that celebration is a Christmas ornament swap in the form of a Dirty Santa exchange. All the wrapped ornaments go on a table and everyone gets a number. We then draw random numbers, and when your number is drawn, you can pick a wrapped ornament from the table, or steal one from someone who picked previously. It can get very interesting, particularly when one of Uncle Matt's carvings is in play. The fighting is not quite hand-to-hand (but darn close sometimes.) This year, just to add to the fun, there will be two of my carvings in the mix.

If you are a Facebook member, take time to visit the Carvers' Companion/Woodcarver List Facebook group. This provides a place on FB for carvers to post carving photos and to chat about carving; it also serves as a companion to the Woodcarver Listserv. Come on by for a visit! Click HERE or on Facebook search for "Woodcarver List"

In this issue:

2011 Santa Gallery

A revisit to A Month Before Christmas by "Ol' Don" Biurgdorf

36 Important Things I Learned As A Full Time Carver Of Fish by Dan Blair

"Ol' Don's" Drawing Table - "Santa Looks Like Daddy "

Pete LeClair's Santa

Events, Happenin's and Going's-on updated

Coming up in the January/February issue of WOM: A multi-part series on cottonwood bark collecting by Alex Bisso

Carvers' Companion and WOM Redesign: A recent computer and software upgrade here in the world headquarters of WOM presents the opportunity for an upgrade of the design of WOM and the Carvers' Companion pages. If there is anything you'd like to see changed or added to either, I'd love to hear from you. Please email your suggestions, likes or rants to me at womeditorATcomcast.net.

What is the next WOM Carving Contest? We're apondering the next WOM carving contest. One carver has suggested the carving of knickerchief slides, like those worn by Cub and Boy Scouts. Any reasonable suggests are welcome. Remember, we're looking for carvings small enough to be easily mailed to the WOM world headquarters. Why mail in, you ask? Primarily so that all the photos are of the same background and quality. WomeditorATcomcast.net is the place to send suggestions.

Call For Front Page Carving Photos We're always looking for great photos of great carvings for the front page of WOM. If you'd like your photo to be considered, send it on in. Please include the back story, material and finish info, size, etc. Same email address as noted above.

Articles and suggestions for articles are always welcome. Feel free to send suggestions and request. For information on submitting articles for publication, click HERE.

Finally, from the sponsors and staff of WOM, our best wishes for a Merry Christmas, joyous holiday season, and a happy and producdtive New Year!

As always -

Matt Kelley, Editor

Pumpkin Carvin' at the Flint Childrens Museum, October 2011. That's NFTN editor Doug Evans in the background.