Hey Bob, I always use a light colored wood for the overlay such as Maple, and a dark wood for the backer such as Walnut, Mahogany or Sapelee.
I always cut the inside cuts first, starting with the smallest and most delicut cuts, then the out side.
To make cutting easier, I will stack two or three layers of 1/4" material. This is called stack cutting. It makes the cutting more stable and you get multiple cuttings.