Overview: W3E is a voluntary "secret pal" gift exchange for members of the Woodc@rver List, the Woodcarver Porch, the ASA List, the Knotholes List, or the Fishcarver2 List, with four opportunities to participate per year.
Official Name: World Wide Woodc@rvers Exchange (W3E)
To Join: You must be a currently subscribed member of one of these woodcarver lists to participate:
Note: Previous participants who do not currently belong to a mail list may request an exemption by contacting the W3E Corrdinator at the email address below.
Frequency: Four session per year. You may participate as little or as often as your time and interest permit. You may enroll up to two times for the same exchange.
Carving Guidelines: Within the bounds of good taste, whatever style and topic you wish to carve. Carvings may reflect the season, but that is not required. For example, someone who carves Santas can carve Santas at any time. (Santa on water skis might be kind of neat.) Chip carvers can chip, woodburners can burn.
Size and Time Investment: This too, is up to the individual carver, but it is suggested that projects be small enough to finish in 2 to 8 hours. (This should not be your life's work!) If you have lots of time on your hands and want to do more than one carving, to swap with more than one person, that's fine. Sign your work with pride, and date/number as desired.
A Word on Skill Level:
W3E is intended for carvers of all skill levels - it is not about how good you happen to be; it's about sharing your gifts with other carvers. Beginners should not be reluctant to participate because their work "might not measure up" to the work of others in the list.
As participant John Jellies said:
"Novice carvers should be encouraged, since they can be assured that each and every carver participating in the exchange will be thrilled by the act of exchange, and the carvings."
"A carving from one who shares from love or kindness is more precious than that from a master - which may be a trinket disposed of. "
'Nuff said!
Process:
Commitment Announcement: The W3E Coordinator will send a message to the various woodcarving lists announcing the opening of the commitment period for participation in the next exchange cycle. Committing to a cycle means that you have (or will have) a COMPLETED piece in hand and ready to go within seven (7) days of the end of the commitment period.
ALL responses MUST be through the Commitment Registration form, which will be available on this web site for one month.
Shipping Notice: Within about 10 days of the close of the registration period, shipping notices will be sent individually to each person who has committed to participate in a cycle. Notices will contain the complete shipping address and email address of the randomly selected gift recipient. Package up your carving, drop in a note with your name & email address (and other comments if you desire), ship it off and you are done!
An Important Caveat: This is a voluntary program and no fees are charged. By the same token, no guarantee is expressed or implied regarding the quality, size or timeliness of delivery of a exchange piece.
Upcoming:
Year 11 Begins:
41) Spring '08 - Interest Registration begins on the Vernal Equinox, March 20. Commitment registration begins Friday April 18 and ends Friday May 2. Shipping information sent by May 16
42) Summer '08 - Interest Registration begins on the Summer Solstice, June 20. Commitment registration begins Friday July 18 and end Friday August 1. Shipping information sent by August 15.
43) Fall '07 - Commitment Registration begins on the Autumnal Equinox, September 22 and ends at noon October 21. Shipping information sent by November 1.
44) Winter '07 - Commitment Registration begins on the
Winter Solstice, December 21 and ends at noon January 20. Shipping information sent
by January 31.
Questions, queries, posers?
Email the W3E coordinator, Matt Kelley, at womeditorATcomcastDOTnet. Please be sure to include "W3E" in the Subject field.
Go to the W3E
Registration form
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Last updated 8/08