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RARE Science works directly with patient families and foundations to find more immediate therapeutic solutions for children with rare diseases. 

This year RARE Science is partnering with TQS (and a number of other great organizations) to bring you... the FIRST Ever Celebrity RARE Bear Auction!  This is your opportunity to own a signed bear made by the quilt world's most talented artists while helping a great cause.

Meet "The Huerfano Bear" by Ricky Tims

Huerfano county of Colorado is home to the reclusive and RARE White Canvas Bear.  This uniquely pure white bear has unusually furry ears and two different footpads. Sightings are very rare, but legend has it that he lives in the mountains just outside of La Veta, CO. Local residents know that due to his poor eyesight, this bear only comes out at night to forage for food. Occasionally there will be paw prints found in the mud after a heavy rainstorm, or large clumps of white fur found on patio garden furniture.

Recently, lured by the scent of something that smelled appealing, the bear apparently made his way into Ricky’s dye studio and accidentally fell into a large dye filled pot. As it was very late in the evening and raining heavily, no one happened to be in the studio to hear the disturbance.  The next day as Ricky and Justin arrived, they found large muddy footprints leading from a back window (which had accidentally been left open) to the dye studio. Upon entering the studio, they discovered a very hungry and distressed bear wedged inside the dye pot and unable to get out. He was covered in a rainbow of colors and had several major injuries to his arms and legs.  Everyone knows that Ricky and Justin have a soft spot for animals in need. So Ricky, who just happens to be a wiz at hand sewing, stitched up the cuts and added a few patches to larger areas where the fur had been torn away, while Justin found something to eat in the kitchen to calm the bear down.  Once he had been fed and patched up, the bear scampered off out of town. No one has seen him since, but there were a few rainbow colored hairs found at a picnic area just outside of town.

Star Members can watch Ricky in Show 803: Create Your Own Rhapsody Quilt: Part 1.

Click here for links to see more Celebrity RARE Bears.

Ricky Tims has successfully blended two diverse passions into one very unique and interesting career. His skills as a pianist, composer and producer have been evidenced by the thousands who have heard his music. His success as a quilter is equally significant. His quilts have been displayed worldwide and are highly regarded as excellent examples of contemporary quilts with traditional appeal.

He is known in the international world of quilting as a best-selling author, enthusiastic and encouraging teacher, an award-winning quilter, fabric designer, and a talented and spellbinding speaker. His innovative and entertaining concert presentations feature live music and humor combined with scholarly insights and
wisdom.

Ricky has made quilts that have won numerous international awards. In 2005 he was named as one of The Thirty Most Distinguished Quilters in the World. In 2008 he was profiled and featured on the popular national television news show, CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. In 2009 he was selected, (in a three-way tie) by the readers of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, as The Most Influential Person in the Quilting Industry.

He is co-founder and co-host of the online TV show, The Quilt Show, along with Alex Anderson. He holds week-long La Veta Quilt Retreats at his art quilt studio in the tiny mountain town of La Veta, CO. His newest venture is LetsQuiltTogether.com – a website where he teaches online classes.

Ricky is passionate about quilting, and is delighted to share his experience and enthusiasm with quilters of every level of expertise. He is challenged by creativity in all forms, and encourages individuals to cultivate self-expression, reach for the unreachable, and believe in the impossible.

Quilting is a relatively new interest compared to Ricky's lifelong passion for music. He began formal music lessons at the age of three. He is a pianist, conductor, composer, arranger, music producer, and performing artist. His music is neither classical, new age, pop, nor world, yet it could fall under any of those classifications. He has also produced several solo piano recordings. His blend of music and quilting is unique and remarkable.