Marcy’s Musings

St. Valentine’s Day is only fourteen days away! But  you still have time to make some cute and easy projects.

 Download the pattern for these Cupid Cups for free!

This Stuck on You pattern is from the same website. I love the heart. It looks so old-fashioned and sentimental.

For those of you who prefer needlepoint, you might want to give this Rose Romance pattern a try:

 Or how about this Here’s My Heart pattern:

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Welcome!

Since lots of people get married around St. Valentine’s Day, I wanted to provide blog readers with some inspiration for winter wedding cakes. In addition, be sure and check out this article from The Knot on Winter Weddings.

Check out this cake from Perfect Wedding Day:

And, finally, check out this one from Wedding Wire:

Marcy’s Musings

Hi! It’s pretty cold and icky here on the coast of Oregon. If it’s that way where you are, I thought you might want to cheer up a friend (and yourself) by making an easy snowman greeting card to brighten up her day.

Take a washable fabric pen and trace a snowman design from a greeting card or other illustration. Or use two or three graduated sizes of circles (a glass, a soda can, and a bottle lid, for example) to trace the design onto your white fabric. Use either red or black embroidery floss to go over your design and to make your snowman’s facial features, scarf, or buttons.

When you’ve finished, take a damp sponge and “erase” the fabric pen markings. Allow the fabric to dry. Then place it in a card with a cut-out for your design. Voila! You’ve made a card for your friend, you’ve relaxed and gotten rid of some stress, and you’re happy imagining how pleased your friend will be when she gets your card.

For more stitching ideas, please see my Embroidery Patterns.

Marcy’s Musings

First of all, Amanda Lee would like to thank readers for the fact that THREAD RECKONING is still (after nearly two months on the market) #38 on Amazon’s4-for-3 books/Mystery  best seller list! So, thank you so much!!!

We also have cover art for THE LONG STITCH GOODNIGHT, which releases on April 3, 2012. What do you think?

Project Spotlight: Thanksgiving Napkins

Halloween has just passed, and many stores have some of their orange napkins and hand towels on sale. If you can find plain orange napkins or placemats, here is a link to an acorn embroidery pattern you can use to make a border. I’m thinking the border in all brown or in brown and kelly green would be especially pretty. I’m off to look for orange napkins!

Welcome!

First of all, thanks to all of you for making Killer Cakes such a success! I appreciate all of your support and encouragement. But since Halloween is only a week away, you might need some inspiration for decorating some cakes for the occasion. Below are a list of links to Halloween cake designs and instructions. Good luck! Let me know what you come  up with!

Black Cat Cupcakes

Wilton’s Halloween Dessert Ideas

Country Living Halloween Cake and Cupcake Recipes - This site taught me that clean rubber stamps can be used with food color to create images on fondant!

Celebrations Halloween Cake Ideas

Delish Easy Halloween Cakes and Cupcakes

Have fun!

Marcy’s Musings

Week before last, I posted a jack-o-lantern pattern for you. If you’ll recall, my printer was acting weird, so my pumpkin came out looking rather varigated. Well, I made the pumpkin using a varigated orange thread, and here it is as part of a greeting card. What do you think? I haven’t written anything on the card yet because I’m not sure whether I’ll send it out or simply use the card as a decoration. I think having the card in front of the black cat letter holder is a nice touch, don’t you?

I made ribbon roses on this tote bag to the right to give you an idea of how I went about making Vera’s and my evening bags for the masquerade ball in THREAD RECKONING. The satin ribbon I used was on the large side, making it a little tough to work with, but I think the tote turned out okay. With the purses for the masquerade ball, the entire front of the fabric was covered with ribbon spider-web roses with a few leaves added here and there.

So have you started or completed any embroidery projects lately? If so, share them with me!

Site Spotlight: Halloween Candy Poll

What’s your favorite Halloween candy to either give or receive?

O  Hershey bars

O Reese’s cups

O Three Muskateers

O Snickers

O Starburst

O York Peppermint Patty

O Candy corn

O Milky Way

O Popcorn ball

O Other

Tell me your faves! I pretty much love all of the above! :p

Won’t you please join me for the Killer Sweet Tooth virtual launch party? The party takes place on Chatzy (in our own private chat room -http://us3.chatzy.com/75364142784498).  There will be two opportunities to chat: one from 12-1 p.m. ET and one from 6-7 p.m. ET in order to give more people the chance to win.

Prizes include:

* A Flirty Apron that totally matches the cover for Killer Sweet Tooth! Click on the link for a better photo and more information on the apron. See my comparison right.

* $25 gift cards from Restaurant.com

* $10 gift cards from Amazon.com

*Signed copies of Killer Sweet Tooth

Please join me, and we’ll have a blast!!!

Welcome!

Hi, there!

Today’s newsletter features a sneak peek of the upcoming Killer Sweet Tooth. I hope you enjoy it!

Sneak Peek:

When we got there, I was relieved to see lights blazing in the back of the office. Dr. Bainsworth was already there and, presumably, had everything ready to fix Myra’s tooth.

Myra pulled her scarf up over the lower portion of her face before stepping out into the cold air. I walked ahead so I could hold the heavy door open.

We stepped inside and looked around the empty office. Empty offices always look creepy at night, don’t you think? There was only one light on in the entryway,; and in the waiting area, the long, skinny windows allowed muted light from streetlamps to filter in, casting shadows throughout the room.

“Dr. Bainsworth? It’s Daphne Martin and Myra Jenkins. Would you like us to come on back?”

He didn’t answer, and I supposed maybe he couldn’t hear us.

“Let’s go on back,” I said to Myra.

She nodded slightly, and we walked toward the examining rooms.

“Dr. Bainsworth?” I called again. “Are you back here?”

I looked inside the first room. My eyes widened, and my hand flew to my throat. I turned to Myra in shocked silence.

“Wha?” She followed my gaze to where Dr. Bainsworth was lying facedown on the floor. A trickle of blood emanated from his head. “No!”

“It’s okay,” I said, putting my arms around her. “I’ll call 9-1-1. I’m sure he’ll be all right.”

“My toot! Who’ll fiss my toot!” she cried.

I heard a thud in the lobby as if someone had tripped over a piece of furniture. I froze, and Myra did too.

“Whoever did this to Dr. Bainsworth is still here,” I whispered.

She nodded.

“We have to find something to defend ourselves with.” I stepped into the examining room and grabbed a huge plastic toothbrush.

Myra armed herself with a model of a molar so big she could barely hold it. She raised it up to eye level so she’d be ready to strike someone with it if need be.

It was at that moment that we heard the sirens. Which was odd because I hadn’t called 9-1-1 yet.

I looked from my giant toothbrush to Myra’s giant molar to the dentist bleeding on the floor. “This is not good.”

I had no more than gotten those four words out of my mouth than when two policemanpolicemen, neither of whom I knew—which is also odd, given my past experiences here in Brea Ridge—came around the corner with their guns drawn. Had we wanted to, Myra and I could not have escaped. We’d brought a toothbrush and a molar to a gunfight.

Killer Sweet Tooth is scheduled to be released October 11, 2011.

Congratulations to Sherry H., who won Marcy’s giveaway. The Random Number Generator at http://www.random.org chose number six, and that was the number of Sherry’s comment. Whoo-hoo, Sherry! Marcy, Angus, and Amanda sincerely hope you enjoy your prize pack!

Marcy’s Musings

Hi, guys! Today it’s all about YOU. To celebrate Thread Reckoning’s release on September 6 and the success the book is enjoying, Amanda Lee is giving readers a chance to win:

* A signed copy of Thread Reckoning

* A Marilyn Monroe magnet featuring the subway grate scene in The Seven-Year Itch

* A Thread Reckoning key ring featuring the cover of Thread Reckoning and the caption “I’m a character!”

* A $10 Starbucks eGift card

All you have to do to enter is to comment on this post. Be sure and include your e-mail address: i.e., Marcy (at) ThreadReckoning (dot) com so Amanda can contact you if you’re the winner. Entries will be taken today (Wednesday 9/14) and tomorrow (Thursday 9/15), and the winner will be chosen on Friday (9/16) morning. The winner will be contacted by e-mail, and the winner will also be announced on Facebook.

Good luck!

All you have to do to enter the drawing is to