I made a couple of these cutting boards as Christmas presents after reading a great article by Scott Lewis in Fine Woodworking Magazine. What intrigued me was the way that the wavy inlays go all the way through the piece, and the ingenious methods he came up with for accomplishing it. He also produced a very polished video providing an overview of his methods.
I selected the materials from species I had on hand. The main body is Red Alder. Alder is apparently ideal for cutting boards and food implements because of its high tannin content which is considered antibacterial. The laminated strips are black walnut, yellow cedar, and arbutus.
Thanks Scott for the inspiration!