Friendship

Suite Sentiments

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Mornings don’t always go as planned, and that is okay.  This set of cards was ready to go, but I had to choose to be on time for my carpool, or blog.  Blogging in the afternoon can be good too, just not my favorite.

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I wanted to use the cupcakes and carousel dsp stack for the focus on these cards.  The colors are so great.  They make me feel like having sherbet or frozen yogurt.  Yummy.  So I used two pieces of paper, trimmed them to size and used the extra pieces to accent the other.  Great way to use up the paper and get two cards done at once.

Suite Sentiments is an awesome stamp set.  So many great sentiments ready to be used, and all occasions covered too.  I went with a little more groovy ones to go with these odd colors and liked it.  I simply stamped with black stazon on velum cardstock and layered everything together.  All good and pretty darn easy.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

You Are a Fabulous Work of Art

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This project is actually an invitation, but could easily be a lovely card to share.  In a moment of forgetfulness we found ourselves needing to pump out 25 invitations in an hour.  It took a bit longer than that, but it was managed.  That is how easy this card it.

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I used wisteria wonder stamped four times at an angle, slightly tilting it as I went.  That gave me the simple background I needed for the sentiment.  That was then stamped in elegant eggplant and I loved the look.  I was in a great hurry, but wanted a bit more diversity, so I brought in this variegated crochet thread with colors that would coordinate. This gave me a green to go with, so in came the old olive.  I stamped three hearts and called the front finished.

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My husband and daughter worked to get the inside information card while I did the fronts. I wanted to connect them a bit, so I added one more stamp there.  I used the long stripe to stamp under the title of the event.  It was super quick, but worked out wonderfully.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Thank You, Friend

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Simple and sweet, just like any true friendship worth having.  Sometimes we get so caught up in the day to day demands of life that we set aside those we really care about.  But, since they don’t judge us, and they truly understand, we can get away with it for a time.  That doesn’t mean they don’t hold a special place all of the time.  Good friends are the best!

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This little number was painted with the new water color pencils and an aqua painter.  The hedgehogs I should say.  The bit of background was done using classic inks with the aqua painter as well.  I stamped the guys in the center with the sentiments to the top left and bottom right.  I colored in the hedgehogs first, left them alone and painted the background, and dried the card well before continuing.

They were pretty easy to finish, I didn’t have too many problems.  I did several of these cards for gifts so I got a bit careless.  Good thing water color can be more loose.  They turned out adorable though.  I mounted the card front on a base of crumb cake and layered those on top of a crumb cake card base.  The inside was given two panels, one on the top and bottom of the inside for extra writing space.  Can’t wait to send it!

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Lift Me Up

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Sometimes when there are too many choices it is best to keep it simple.  While this card may not look simple, it still gives that feeling with just two colors used.  The background paper comes from a set that is full of vibrant color.  I couldn’t decide, so I chose a more subdued pattern and I love it.

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This little set is going to go to my sweet daughter tucked away in a frozen university town in southeast Idaho, poor little ice cube.  Paper crafting is something we share a great love of, and I know she will be over the moon for this.

The balloon was die cut from night of navy and backed in whisper white.  The balloon can actually be backed in several colors with the framlits available.  There are five sections laid in order across the back, mine being all white.  But if I had chosen, each section could have been a different color and they would match up perfectly, looking amazing.  Next time.

I wanted a bit of separation in tone, so I layered a bit of velum cardstock over the background paper to soften the color a bit.  It totally went along with the cloud kind of feel. I thought it was perfect.  My sentiment also came from the same set and was die cut with the layering oval framelits.  It may be a bit crooked, but I let it stay that way.

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I couldn’t resist stamping more from that wonderful set.  It is full of so many wonderful images.  Two hot air balloons, four clouds, a few decorative elements and six sentiments. How great is that!  I had to sneak a little treat bag in to match.  I knew I was sending it in a box with other gifts, so I could make a simple 3-D sour cream container.  I think chocolate for sure.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Blooms & Wishes

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This stamp set sat in the annual catalog and teased me often.  I would try to pass by it saying that I surely did not need yet another floral stamp set.  Well, I broke down and bought it.  So very glad I did.  What a beautiful watercolor piece, right?  Great stamps make all of the difference.

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I chose a few spring colors to work with, focusing on daffodil delight.  With all of the rainy, cloudy days we have had I wanted something bright and cheery. Mission accomplished for sure!  I stamped the large flowers from the set in different colors, stamping off as I went along.  The centers were all daffodil delight and more of an idea than a detailed center.  I sponged more yellow ink all around the flowers filling in most of the white areas before moving on to spritzing with water.  It was just a matter of managing the water spritzing to allow some ink movement, but not blurring too much.  It didn’t take long before I was satisfied.  A quick drying moment or two with my heat tool and it was ready for the sentiment.

That was stamped on a strip of velum cardstock and then wrapped around the bottom of the card front.  I used a lovely mint macaron satin ribbon to accent the bottom and layered it up with dimensionals.  Such a lovely spring card.  Of course I had to stamp a bit inside with a few yellow daisy images and one for the back too.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Fear Not My Friend…

~ moanaj ~ 2 Comments

When I am wanting to convey more emotion in a card, I go directly to water coloring.  The softness it creates is perfect.  And with this card, I literally poured my heart into it.

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I wanted more space to work with so I created a larger card than normal.  This one measures 5″ x 6.5″.  Big, but not too big.  I also created my inside writing panel at the same time.  This card wasn’t going to just get a blank insert, or even a nicely stamped one. Besides, I love writing on water color paper, so very satisfying.

I stamped my floral image and sentiment first so I could control the strength of color where they were.  Then I brushed the papers with clean water to allow plenty of color movement. I kept the background light and tried to keep mixing to a minimum.  The colors I choose don’t always blend nicely, but that doesn’t stop me.  I dried, distressed a bit, and dried until I was happy.

I painted the flowers with strong color, allowed them to dry clean.  Then worked them over properly.  This included adding, dobbing, and adding color on the flower petals for a bit.  I centered the flowers with a strong yellow, but kept the color from the edge of the flower center.  Then I hit that area with a water spritzer and watched the flower bloom all over again.  The color moved nicely and then was dobbed some more.  Gold wink of stella was brushed into the petals and blended with water again.  The overall effect was lovely.

A special card for a very special friend.  She is far more brave than I can imagine.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

We Age Not by Years, but by Stories

~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

Well, I survived the first couple of days back to school.  Time to get other things back into place as well.  Seems like there isn’t enough time for the fun things.  I will just have to sneak it in when I can.  Like this little project.

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I opened a new dsp stack and found a bunch of great paper.  One side is a variety of printed photo images and the other is designer paper.  I intended on using a distressed wood pattern, but looked on the other side and found this one.  It reminded me of a stamp in my new Fresh Fruit set and the project was on its way.

I created a coordinating piece of white card stock double stamping the swirly circles in pool party.  I thought that was pretty cool.  Then I stamped two sentiment parts and layered the lot of them.  A simple arrangement stuck together and then raised up all together on dimensionals.  With a little bit of stamping inside as well, of course.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

You’re in My Thoughts

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This is me getting more comfortable with this sassy paper stack.  I have to admit though, the colors are what make it work.  Aren’t they beautiful together?  I don’t think I would have paired them myself, but I will be now.

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Sometimes a simple card works for me.  This one just has a few layers focusing on the patterns of the paper and a simple sentiment.  I left a bit of a gap at the top of the sentiment so I could wrap a bit of ribbon around it.  This ribbon, I love it.  It looked kind of funky in the catalog, but I went for it anyway to share it with my class.  Glad I did.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Love You More

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Smudges and all, I love this card.  Leave it to me to use a stamp set that is filled with two step fruit images to use the flowers instead.  Like I said, I love flowers.  The fruits are great though, and I do plan on making fun projects with them too.  I actually used an old kit from nearly a year ago.  I love putting old kits to use.

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The prior kit had patterned paper in these colors, but has been retired, so I thought I would make my own.  Making background images is so much fun to me.  It takes me back to the roots of my stamping, using quality tools for endless creativity.  This stamp set is made for just that thing.  You will be seeing it a lot I think.

The flowers were stamped first in calypso coral and then outlined with the coordinating stamp.  They match, but don’t have to be exact.  It goes with the artsy look it is designed with.  Works even better for me.  And the sentiment, how perfect is that.  I opted to center the flowers with large basic rhinestones instead of the stamped center.  Either would have been nice, but I wanted sparkle.  A finishing touch of solid bakers twine with a sweet bow. It actually came together pretty quick, it helps to have leftover kits to work with.  That makes me fuss less when I have last minute class cancellations because I know I will put the pre-cut kits to good use eventually.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

I’m Here For You

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Don’t you just love these two?  I am not one to fall for whimsy stamps, especially cutsie animal ones.  But these guys got me.  The whole set is that way and I have used it so much. It is only a host set, so you can’t just buy it, but need to host a workshop to get to it. Totally worth it though.  Who doesn’t love a fun creative workshop though, right?

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I was actually able to put to use an old workshop kit for this project.  It was a sympathy card with a totally different look, but it worked great for this one too.  I sometimes put leftover workshop kits back into my supplies, but sometimes I just keep those kits separate.  They have come in handy more than once, so I keep a small stash on hand.

Simple stamping and light sponging across the embossed folders was really all there was here.  I did run the linen thread across a bone folder to help get the kinks out and give the ends a curl as well.  I didn’t paint or sponge these two, amazing for me really, but I managed.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Wishing You Brighter Days…

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Some days can be filled more struggles than others and it can be difficult to find the bright spots.  Being creative each day certainly does bring a lovely balance into my life.  It allows me to grow, share kindness and even teach a few people along the way.  Very nice indeed.

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I tried a different product.  If I am honest, I have had it on my shelf for some time, but hesitated to use it.  I typically am Stampin’Up! exclusive, but was given a gift from my oldest daughter.  Some Ranger distress inks.  So, they are very lovely to water color with. Luckily I have a few to play with, otherwise I might be tempted to get into those.  They react differently than the inks I work with.

These umbrellas though, how adorable!  I have seen images like these for so long, often with the one umbrella being red.  Flirty flamingo works nicely here as a nice contrast to the black.  I created six black umbrellas and a fancy one for the front.  The basic rhinestones come in a few sizes as well as three strings that are connected by adhesive.  One string was just long enough to travel along the bottom of the umbrella leaving two left over that I placed on the top.  The umbrella framelits have so many fun options to make one creative look after another.  It was kind of tricky to choose, but I managed.

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I layered these guys around for a while before I committed to their positioning.  The back ones were adhered directly to the water color paper with the front umbrellas being raised up on dimensionals.  What a lovely card to share with someone needing a little lift.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Hang In There

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Sometimes I am just so this little frog.  Good intentions, high goals and all kinds of good things seem just out of reach.  So, push on and hang in there.

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I am absolutely in love with these jars.  The stamps and the framelits really are quite fun to create with.  I wish I had more time to sit and play, but the time I get is enough to keep me balanced.  I like stamping the jar in some blue tone, cutting it out and then cutting out another jar in velum to lay over the top.  It gives an opaque look and softens the stamping. I think I would like to use window sheets too, but for now I am all about the velum.

I painted this little frog with emerald envy and touched his eyes up with soft sky.  The fireflies were stamped in black stazon with the wings painted in soft sky and the body in gold wink of stella.  I love the sparkle.  You can’t see it, but trust me, it is so there. Adorable, just adorable.

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I stamped a little of the frog in emerald envy just inside the card insert.  Kind of like he was peeking out a bit.  So there you have it!

Have a creative day!

Moana

I am Much More Me When I’m With You

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

What do you do with a huge pineapple stamp?  Well, just about anything you want I guess.  I loved it, but probably had more questions than answers.  This is definitely one of those answers.  I asked my daughter to pick out a stamp from my stash of new product and give me a color.  She chose light green and this stamp.  Sometimes you just need a nudge in the right direction to get moving.

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Yesterday, and well into the evening, I spent my time helping a good friend with a wedding photo shoot.  You never know how much you are needed, but judging how tired I am today, it would have been so hard for her without me.  And of course we had an absolute blast.  We work nearly seamlessly together, another plus.  I thought this would suit us nicely.

I went with light water color washing using only two colors.  I wasn’t sure how they would blend in the middle, hoping it wouldn’t make some kind of brown.  It turned out great.  I opted for minimal distressing and one single stamping.  The leaves needed a bit, so I used my aqua painter to blend them a bit, but left the pineapple pattern alone.  I stamped it again on the inside, but more in the corner for more interest.  Good stuff there!

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The tags & labels framelit set fit perfectly around the sentiment and provided the perfect place for my favorite ribbon.  A few of the new enamel dots found there way as well.  The card front and inside panels were both layered with an additional piece of pear pizzazz card stock and the front was popped up with dimensionals.  There you go!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Your Generosity and Fabulosity

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This is another one of last weekends workshop projects.  A very simple but lovely card. There are so many things that I love about it, but especially how they all work together.

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The layering design is all about showing off the designer series paper.  The embossing folder draws attention to it and the sentiment accents it.  In this pack of paper there are several two sided patterned pieces, but two sheets of gold foil designer series paper.  This pattern is one of the two and I love it!

I accented the sentiment with the layered square framelits and some of the awesome new mini striped ribbon.  It might have been a bit over sized, but it is what I wanted so I did it. A touch of echo stamping on the inside to tie it to the designer paper and I was good.  Another great project that will find its way to another fabulous person.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

We’ll Weather This Together

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A project can go through several phases, and some can be unexpected.  The original vision kind of got lost somewhere along the way, had some confusion, but ended up reasonably pleasing.  These ladybugs though, too much love there.

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My daughters have a canvas in their bedroom that inspired this little card.  I was looking at it recently and thought of the new stamp and framelit set that could help me create my own version.  I pulled some of my favorite pastel colors for the background and started the process.  The more colors I use the longer it takes me to become satisfied with how they blend and flow together.  I went through this one three different times and then once more when I added in the yellow around my little bugs.

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I water colored on a scrap piece a mix of pool party and blushing bride.  The umbrella was then cut out and hit again with more blushing bride.  The clouds and raindrops were cut from areas that just had pool party.  And yes, I did glue all of those parts down, even those little drops.  I love the dimension the thick water color paper gives to them. Before I stamped my sentiment I added a touch of wink of stella to the clouds and raindrops.  All the pieces were layered together and put in place.  And before the blog had even been finished I was able to use it to brighten someones day.  Wonderful.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Thank You, Friend

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Did I take a few days off?  Well, not really.  My son recently got married and just last weekend we had a reception in our backyard to celebrate.  I thought I could keep things going, but I just had to get a bit more focused. Family always comes first.  Then you have the lovely friends that support and make everything come together.  I have several such friends and I couldn’t be more grateful.

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Could these two adorable friends be any more wonderful?  They come on one stamp and make the perfect pair.  I decided to put several of the new in-colors to work to show them off.  The elephant is painted in sweet sugarplum, the mouse in peekaboo peach and the ground painted in emerald envy.  The sky background needed something different, so I went with soft sky.  Yup, just what the card needed.  Nothing else was needed, no ribbon, no distressing or anything else.

I mounted the water color on a separate piece of sweet sugarplum cut to provide a narrow 1/8th inch border and then raised up on dimensionals.  This is just the type of card I would love to get, but even more, love to give.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Layering Love with Dapper Denim

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When I got done complaining that they were changing out the square framelit set with another one I was pleasantly surprised.  Coordinating scalloped squares, how very thoughtful!  This also helped me not be so sassy about the wonderful scallop circle punches being retired.  There are always adjustments when it comes to new catalogs, products and plenty of favorites retiring.

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The card front was stamped with the Brushstrokes background stamp using the new dapper denim in-color.  I then spritzed it with water until the ink started to move around, let it sit for a bit, dabbed it with a paper towel and then dried it with my heat tool.  All done!

A quick stamp, but a lovely one, cut out with a new framelit, echoed with some more dapper denim in a scalloped framelit and layered up on dimensionals.  Of course I had to use more of that new wonderful ruched ribbon.  Dangerous stuff there.  I can usually control my ribbon purchasing for me and my club ladies, but I don’t know about this time.

The inside was stamped with a bunch of tiny little anchors to fill opposing corners.  It is also part of the same stamp set, which has several fabulous sentiments to be enjoyed.  I think today is a wonderful stamping day.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Love You

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Love, love and love.  It is in the air like crazy and I can’t seem to get enough of looking at it, feeling it, and most of all, sharing it.  What a great thing in life to experience.  Less than two weeks now and my oldest will be married!  How exciting!!!

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Simple layered card today.  I stamped the background paper with the floral heart from the Bloomin’ Love stamp set.  Real quick work there.  I did a tiny love you stamp on a scrap of whisper white and punched it out with the soon to be retired large oval punch.  Sad days there.  I matched it with the scalloped oval punch in bermuda bay.  That was sponged along with the card front and the card inside.  The inside also got a bit of stamping, my favorite. Then the ever so lovely, and larger than life, striped ribbon got to be used once more.  What a fun and huge bow.  Yes, this will need a custom envelope and extra postage, but it is worth it!  What a great project for today!

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Have a creative day!

Moana

 

Bohemian Work of Art

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Rich colors and exciting patterns, that is the theme for today.  In between wedding reception planning I have managed to create this lovely due.  Now I get to add this to the collection of card sets and greeting cards I am donating for a cub scout fundraising event tonight.  I get to share my work and clean out my stash at the same time!  I call that a win.

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The card began with the chevron stamp from the Work of Art set.  I didn’t really pay too close attention, just stamped it four times down a piece of water color paper.  The color pallet came from the bohemian designer series paper set, only leaving out the yellow tone. The focus was on bermuda bay and I started there.  Color was layered, sponged off, added, and distressed a ton until I was satisfied.  Then I did something that was new for me.  I hi-lighted some of the distress areas with my gold wink of stella brush pen.  That was super fun and I had a hard time stopping.

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The gift bag was made from a whole sheet of designer series paper.  I went for a wide stocky bag instead of my usual tall slender ones.  It is nice to change things up a little bit here and there, don’t you think?  The ribbon I had in rich razzleberry was just long enough to go around the bag top.  I do love using up product that is retiring before it actually retires.  I am not often that lucky.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

“Suite” Treats

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People are placed in our lives for a reason.  It is so wonderful to realize those precious moments as they occur.  A simple, sweet thank you speaks volumes.  As does the kindness shown to me time and time again.

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In my desk scrap file I looked for something pretty to make a gift bag for a friend.  I came across this wonderful foil velum.  I scored the long sides 1″ in, on both sides.  The bottom of the bag was scored at 5 1/2″ and 6 1/2″ to give a 1″ margin all around.  Folding, adhering, and then adding a bow all went very easy.  Deciding on a phrase took a moment, but as I have often enough, I turned to the Suite Sayings set and found just what I wanted.  The stamping was done in the soon to be retired blackberry bliss, I sure will miss that color, and then punched with the 1 3/4″ circle punch.  A layer of silver foil was punched with the 2″ circle punch and then layered in place.  The tag is stuck to the bag so the ribbon can be removed easily.  That is important for getting to those treats and even re-gifting the bag.

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Have a creative day!

Moana