Saturday Samplings...

My design studio has been overwhelmingly busy this past week...and unfortunately, I can't really show you much just yet...I finished a Christmas ornament for the 2014 Just CrossStitch Ornament Issue and a Halloween ornament for the 2014 JCS Halloween Issue...and super exciting - I am finishing up an original quilt block submission for a very fun quilting magazine...I'm also just finishing up the stitching on a few small items I designed for the Elegant Stitch annual breast cancer kit...plus there are new designs that I need to prepare for release...and I am slowly, but surely, rebuilding the entire Blue Ribbon Designs website...yep, I've been burning the candle at both ends.

Another thing that is keeping me busy, is training for the Komen 3-Day in Dallas this coming November. I have received questions from several of you wanting to know if I am walking again...and the answer is ABSOLUTELY, 100% "YES" - in fact, my airline travel was booked this week! Team Twinkle Toes will be meeting up in Dallas to walk the 60-miles for breast cancer awareness/fundraising and I can't wait to get together with my teammates and lace up my shoes again...and yes, I will be asking for your help with my fundraising again this year. I have continued to train throughout the winter months, even with the bitter cold and snow/ice/wind...and with a little help from my treadmill...I just have to get back in the habit of logging each of my walks, so I can keep track of my mileage....having two dogs that need daily walks also gets me outside every single day. There will definitely be an exclusive design again this year for those who make a donation on my fundraising page - I am in the charting process now and there will be more information and photos in the coming months.

Mama Twinkle Toes has also been SUPER busy working on fundraising ideas/projects for our team expenses (which add up extremely quickly)...and the first one has been released and is a HUGE success! See the beautiful scissor holder in the upper photograph? - isn't it GORGEOUS?! It is made from an antique wooden weaving spool, polished from years of service and a lot of thread running over it....the bottom is wrapped with a black strip of 100% wool and then a little black and white gingham ribbon tied in a bow with 2 keys attached...and the bottom of the spool is covered with a circle of brown wool to protect your furniture...and little black scissors are the perfect accessory. This very unique scissor holder is the first fundraiser for our expenses - it is called "Key to Everything" - and is in very limited supply - I know the first scissor holders have sold out, but Mama Twinkle was able to get a few more of the antique spools and is now waiting for more scissors to arrive. If you would like to purchase one (or more) to help support our team, visit: http://www.elegantstitch.com/what%27s%20new.htm for all the details. The price is a very reasonable $20 + postage (and this includes a pair of those cute black scissors)...I am not sure exactly how many are still available, so if you are interested, be sure to promptly visit the link and follow the instructions for ordering. Team Twinkle Toes is so very grateful for your support - we truly are!

...and with permission (my blog readers are seeing this first!)...here is a little peek at the next fundraiser...an antique wooden domino pincube - seriously, how cute is this?!...

It is just the sweetest pincube, with needle felt sandwiched between two antique wooden dominoes, tied with a black ribbon bow, and adorned with pearlized pins...so fun!! I don't have all the details or pricing for these just yet...they are still in the works...but I will post more details when they are ready...this is just a little teaser of things to come...

I'm off to finish up my quilt block project and possibly get in a little more quilting before heading back to my stitching nest for more model work...I hope you are having an enjoyable weekend!