A Pink Halloween

Today we celebrate Halloween and the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month...which makes complete sense, because cancer is extremely scary (but it is definitely not a trick or a treat). I'm going to spend my Halloween afternoon training (indoors at the gym because it's raining again) and prepare for the Komen 3-Day which will be here in less than a week. Now that I have kicked my head cold to the curb and finished a GIGANTIC deadline, I have been able to get back to training and I am feeling ready for the 60-miles in Dallas. Before writing this post, I was reflecting on my journey thus far and my last minute preparations...and I am  excited to share that I am just shy of reaching an astounding $5,000...and although I am probably not going to reach my fundraising goal this year, I am beyond touched by the incredible support I continue to receive year after year - I am tremendously blessed and grateful! Seriously - I am close to being speechless and touched beyond belief - a HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged both me and my fellow teammates - I am so very thankful - this wouldn't be possible without you. I am feeling so very blessed to have so much love and support! I can't believe I leave for Texas in a few short days - I have been gathering all the needed gear and getting it ready to pack - it will be here SOON...

To read more about the Komen 3-Day, my reasons for walking, and/or support me and my fellow teammates on this incredible journey, visit: http://www.the3day.org/goto/Belinda - thank you for helping me make a difference!

Okay, so after all the "pink" talk, I haven't forgotten about Halloween or my fellow needleworkers/quilters...here is a little Halloween collage featuring many of your favorite spooky Blue Ribbon Designs...

Happy Halloween to all my friends, family, and followers - I heart you!

On My Way To Dallas...

Well friends, today is the day - I am actually leaving for Dallas for the Komen 3-Day walk in less than two hours and I think I am just about ready to go...that is, if my suitcase will zip up! Note to self - next year, ship all the gear to walking destination ahead of time - much, much easier...

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported my Komen 3-Day walk with a donation, love, encouragement, and support - I am overwhelmed by your generosity! Together we have raised over $5,000 for breast cancer awareness, education, and funding...which is simply INCREDIBLE!...and our mighty team Twinkle Toes (four walkers) have raised almost $20,000 for this important cause...and donations are still coming in!! I just can't thank each and every one of you enough...there are not words to express my gratitude. The Komen walk starts tomorrow (Friday) and over the course of three days we will each walk 60-miles for this worthy fundraiser...we will sleep in pink tents and shower in tractor trailers...we will laugh and we will cheer. If you would like to follow my journey, please make sure you send me a friend request on Facebook, as posts will be made on my personal Facebook account...then I will post here when I return from my trip.

You can follow my journey (and the entire Twinkle Toes Team) by checking out my social media accounts and the Team Twinkle Toes Facebook page....I'll do my best to post photos and updates, so you can track our progress...

Belinda on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BRDgirl
Belinda on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BlueRibbonXS
Belinda on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/BRDgirl
Belinda fundraising page: http://www.the3day.org/goto/Belinda
Team Twinkle Toes on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/teamtwinkletoes

I will be out of my studio/office from November 6th - November 10th, with very limited communication; therefore, I will respond to all correspondence (e-mails, orders, Etsy inquiries, FB messages, comments, etc.) in the order received upon my return - I appreciate your patience!  Thank you for your encouragement, support, and love! The next time you hear from me on my blog, I will have accomplished another 60-miles...

Something Extra Special

Today I received a lovely, heartfelt message from Lisa Y. - she sent me a photo of her "Red Rosies and Pink Posies" framed finish that won her a first place ribbon at the Juniata County Fair in Pennsylvania - isn't it gorgeous?! - I absolutely LOVE it matted and framed. What makes this prize winning piece even more special - she stitched this BRD design while going through chemotherapy last year for breast cancer. Lisa has shared with me that she struggled to stitch when she was going through chemo, but her framed finish reminds her where she has been and gives her strength (GREAT NEWS - she is now doing good). I was so very touched that Lisa shared some of her story and a photo of her blue ribbon winning entry with me (and allowed me to share it with you!) - it truly makes my heart smile I hope this post will encourage and inspire you, as it did me! Lisa - you are just one of the MANY reasons I walk - you will be in my heart as I make the the 60-mile journey again this fall...

Most of you know I walk in Susan G. Komen 3-Day events and I designed this exclusive "pink" piece as a fundraiser in 2013 with ALL proceeds benefiting the Komen 3-Day. This November, I am walking the 3-days 60-miles in Dallas and I have created another exclusive design for fundraising - I hope you will consider making a donation to help me reach my goal - every little bit helps - and I have quite a bit of work to do to meet my hefty goal this year!

To see my fundraising page and read a little bit about my journey, visit: http://www.the3day.org/goto/Belinda

To read about my fundraising design for 2014 ("Five Houses of Hope") and find out how you can obtain a copy of this exclusive design, visit: http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com/2014/08/five-houses-of-hope-my-2014-komen-3-day.html

Five Houses of Hope - 2014 Komen 3-Day Fundraising Design

If you are interested in my exclusive 2013 fundraising design, the same rules apply - follow the instructions for the 2014 design, just put "Red Rosies and Pink Posies" in the subject line of your e-mail. For more information on "Red Rosies and Pink Posies", visit: http://blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com/2013/07/red-rosies-and-pink-posies.html

Red Rosies and Pink Posies - 2013 Komen 3-Day Fundraising Design

Thanks to everyone who has been following me on my 3-Day journey of training and fundraising - your support, donations, and encouraging messages/comments mean the world to me!

Feeling Blessed

It has been a couple weeks of steady work since we returned from our mini vacation - I feel blessed to be keeping busy and I am so grateful for the creative opportunities that have been coming my way! I have been completing multiple quilting projects for customers - a huge pile of needlework finishing for another client - and several AccuQuilt projects are ready to start this weekend. I also have been working on some quilting designs for a major quilt magazine and several cross stitch submissions for another publication. I have been steadily looking for employment outside of Blue Ribbon Designs to supplement my income, but this last month gave me some hope.

Five House of Hope

I have also been getting in tons of training for the Komen 3-Day in Dallas in less than two months. Schatzi and I have been walking 6-7 miles every morning...and then I get in a couple additional walks later in the day. My fit bit is currently showing an average of 22,000 steps per day (over 10 miles) - I feel healthy and ready for November (which will be here quickly). I still need tons of help with my fundraising if I am to reach my goal...so please help me spread the word about my exclusive fundraising design "Five Houses of Hope". All proceeds from this very special design benefit the Komen 3-Day - and your donations are tax deductible. You can find all the details by reading my blog post from August 20th...or by clicking on the photo to the right. I also still have the exclusive design from last year available ("Red Rosies and Pink Posies"), should you prefer to receive that design chart instead. I hope you will consider making a donation and help me reach my goal this year...

Here are a few photos from the last week or two...I hope these will make you smile or inspire you...

First of all - we recently entered a photo of Simba and Schatzi in an Instagram PetSmart grooming contest - we absolutely adore our groomer and have been visiting her for almost 10 years. We were hoping to win her some prizes and win some grooming funds for us as well, but alas, we never received a winning message; however, I thought you would enjoy seeing our kids with their bandanas posing on the deck. This was hard work - you should see all the outtakes - it was quite comical getting them to photograph well together!

...and here are several photos I snapped on my training walks this last week...

..and here are some of the fun machine appliqué quilting projects I have been working on for a customer...these are “Garden Patch Cats” by Helene Knott from StoryQuilts.com....these adorable wall hangings each measure 18" square...

"Catus Romanus"

"Podcats"

"Purrsimmon"

"Pepper Puss"

....and here is a little peek at some of the needlework finishing I have been completing for a very special customer/friend....

On a final note...the software for my website had a large update recently and I have noticed a few small glitches - if you have difficulty placing an order, please e-mail me and I will get you taken care of promptly...and to make things more convenient, I am currently adding all my website items to my Etsy shop, so you will have another option for your shopping needs...please be patient, it takes quite a bit of time to add all the information....I am adding 20 - 30 items per day. Yes, both my website and my Etsy shop will stock all of my items. Thank you all for your patience and understanding while the new website is in the development stages - it will be running perfectly soon!

I'm off to run errands and take Simba to the groomer...then I will be back working in my studio later today... Wishing you a creative and productive weekend!

"Five Houses of Hope" My 2014 Komen 3-Day Fundraising Design

"Five Houses of Hope"

As many of you know, I am participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day this November – I'll walk 60-miles in Dallas, TX over the course of three days with my fabulous "Twinkle Toes" team members and hundreds, possibly thousands of other women and men....all of us with a common goal to raise funds for breast cancer research, scientific programs and community-based breast health and education programs. I started my journey last November, fundraising and training before the 2013 3-Day event in San Diego was even complete. I have already logged almost 1,000 training miles to prepare for the event this year...and I plan to take every single step of the 60-miles in 3 days this fall! All walkers are required to raise at least $2300.00 to participate...but my goal is actually a bit higher...and I know it seems outrageous, but I believe it is totally doable...

So, here is where my new "pink" Cross Stitch design "Five Houses of Hope" comes into play...it is an exclusive Blue Ribbon Design, available only to those who donate a minimum of $15.00 (USD) to my fundraising page (all proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen 3-Day)...my gift to you for supporting me and this incredibly worthwhile cause.

First I will tell you how to get this very special design...please read the instructions carefully:

1. Visit my fundraising page: http://www.the3day.org/goto/Belinda.
2. Make a minimum donation of $15.00 or more - yes, it is tax deductible.
3. Send me an e-mail (designer @ blueribbondesigns.com) with "Five Houses of Hope" in the subject line. The body of the message can be as simple as "I made a donation".
4. I will verify your donation and reply to your message with a PDF attachment of the design. It's that easy!
   
   NOTE: If you are overseas and have difficulty with the Komen website or making your donation, you may send your donation to me via PayPal (same e-mail address as above) and note in the comments it is a Komen donation for "Five houses of Hope" and anything special you would like noted on the Fundraising Honor Roll - I will make the donation on your behalf (in your name) and send you the chart as a thank you. E-mail me for more details or with questions.

If you made a donation before I posted this information, I have already sent the design to you (to the e-mail you listed when you made a donation) - you are not required to make an additional donation. If you have not received it, please check your spam and/or trash folder - if it is not there, just send me a message and I will get you taken care of promptly.

Please note, it is not feasible for me to sit at the computer all day and respond immediately - please give me 24-hours to reply to your message - I promise to respond to your e-mail as soon as possible. If you haven't heard from me within a couple days, please check your spam/junk folder (remember, this is a large quality file), then, if still needed, follow up with me. Also, this gift is only available as a PDF file via e-mail, following the instructions above - I will not be mailing printed charts.

About this exclusive design:
"Five Houses of Hope" is a needlework sampler, that was finished into a quilted wall hanging. The PDF chartpack is set-up like all my printed Blue Ribbon Designs and includes: a color photo, charting for the entire sampler, stitching instructions, stitch diagrams, basic finishing instructions, and an alphabet/numbers for personalization - it is a high quality file. You will need Adobe Reader to view/print the e-mailed chart and contents.

I chose an autumn theme because the 60-mile walk is in November...and because November is the month of Thanksgiving - and I am so very grateful for your encouragement and support. Last year I did a more traditional "pink" design, so this year, I wanted to do something a little different - I hope you are pleased!

The entire design is worked in Cross Stitch over-two linen threads (or one Aida fabric square) and Back Stitch. The model was stitched on 40-count hand-dyed fabric (Cocoa by Weeks Dye Works) with Weeks Dye Works cotton floss...and a DMC conversion is provided. Floss colors include: Bubble Gum (minimal, for HOPE banner only - choose your favorite pink or alternate color), Cayenne, Chestnut, Curry, Day Lily, Hazelnut, Molasses, Monkey Grass, and Sweet Potato.

One more thing, please remember: "Five Houses of Hope" is protected by copyright law and is meant for personal stitching only by the donating recipient. I kindly ask, please do not share, email, or post the PDF file on the Internet; if your friend(s) would like to stitch this design, please encourage them to visit my fundraising page (http://www.the3day.org/goto/Belinda) and make a donation to the cause...after-all, ALL proceeds are benefiting the Susan G. Komen 3-Day. Thank you for respecting my copyright.

Finally - please help me spread the word...if you like the design or think your friend(s) would like it, please share a link to this post on your blog, Facebook, message boards, or other social media...I would really appreciate it!

You can read some of the reasons I decided to take this journey on my fundraising page. I'll be keeping all of my donors in mind, and in my heart, as I walk 60-miles in Dallas in November....in fact, I plan to have a complete list of all donors with me for motivation - if you are making a donation honoring a loved-one or you are a fighter or survivor, please note that in your e-mail - I would be proud and honored to walk for you! Thank you so much for your love and support...