Gina K Designs July Inspiration Blog Hop | Day 1

Hello friends and welcome to Day 1 of the Gina K Designs Inspiration Blog Hop! I'm sharing how to use a circle die cut as a base to frame the beautiful flowers, leaves and butterfly images that are a part of the Boho Flowers Mini Kit

During today's hop, the Cast and Crew of Gina K Designs will be sharing tons of amazing samples to inspire and delight you using the Boho Flowers Mini Stamp Kit.  You'll also have the chance to win a fabulous prize from Gina K Designs. You can check out all the details for the blog hop below.

Circle Die Cut As A Base - Boho Flowers Stamp Set


When I first started playing with the Boho Flowers Stamp Set I just stamped, colored and die cut a bunch of the images. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to create, but I knew they would be fun to layer. After pushing them around a little, I had the idea to layer them onto a circle die cut which I cut out using the Gina K Designs Double Stitched Circle Wafer Thin Die. The circle then became the base to frame the sentiment and stamped images.

You Are So Kind Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Gina K Designs BoHo Flowers Stamp Set and You Die

For the sentiment, I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder onto black cardstock. Then, I used the new You Die to die cut the rest of the sentiment. I cut the word out of black cardstock 4 times and glued them together to give it a bit of dimension.

You Are So Kind Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Gina K Designs BoHo Flowers Stamp Set and You Die

For my second card, I used another circle die cut as the focal point. This time I added the butterfly and swirl images from the Boho Flowers stamp set.

Thank You Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Gina K Designs BoHo Flowers Stamp Set and You Die

I love how the circle die cut helps the stamped and die cut images as well as the sentiment pop against the card base. Do you have a favorite shape that you like to use to frame your stamped images?

Thank You Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Gina K Designs BoHo Flowers Stamp Set and You Die

Blog Hop + Giveaway


Would you like to win a $50 gift certificate to Gina K Designs? If your answer is yes, then all you have to do is visit each blog along the hop (listed below) and leave a comment. One lucky winner will receive a $50 Gina K Designs gift certificate.

Gina K
Beth Silaika
Cathy Tidwell
Chris Dayton
Claire Brennan
Donna Idlet
Juliana Michaels
Karen Hightower
Laurie Schmidlin
Melanie Muenchinger
Rema DeLeeuw
Sean Fetterman
Sheri Gilson
Silke Ledlow
Susie Moore
Theresa Momber


Supplies


Are you interested in the Gina K Designs supplies I used to create these cards? To make them easy for you to find, I have listed them below. Affiliate links are used at no additional cost to you and I've linked to them because I use them and love them!

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Stenciled Backgrounds 3 Ways

Hello friends! Today, I'm sharing 3 different ways to create stenciled backgrounds for added texture, depth and dimension. I'm using some of the new stencils from Newton's Nook Designs that were part of their recent release.

Stenciled Backgrounds 3 Way by Juliana Michaels. Includes foiling with stencils, embossing with stencils and inking with stencils.

Foiled Background - Foiling with Stencils


For my first card, I added a touch of foil to the background using Therm O Web Transfer Gel, Deco Foil and Newton's Nook Designs Starfield Stencil.

Foiled Background using Therm O Web Deco Foil Transfer Gel and Newton's Nook Designs Starfield Stencil. Card by Juliana Michaels

To created a foil stenciled background, position a piece white cardstock onto your craft mat. Lay the stencil over the paper and tack it down using removable tape. Allow the gel to dry for at least 30 minutes or until it becomes clear. Next, cover the stenciled cardstock with a piece of Deco Foil. Position it inside a folded piece of parchment paper and run it through a preheated laminator.

A little trick for working with foil: Take note of the direction the grain or lines are running on the backside (silver side) of the foil. Place the foil into the laminator so that the lines are running horizontal to the opening of the laminator. This will eliminate the wrinkling.

Foiled background tutorial using Therm O Web Deco Foil Transfer Gel and Newton's Nook Designs Starfield Stencil by Juliana Michaels

I just love the shimmer and shine that the foil adds to the background!

Foiled Background using Therm O Web Deco Foil Transfer Gel and Newton's Nook Designs Starfield Stencil. Card by Juliana Michaels

Embossed Background - Embossing with Stencils


This second card uses the Newton's Nook Designs Pawprints Stencil. For this technique you will need a silicone mat and a manual die cut machine.

Embossed Stencil background using Therm O Web Deco Foil Transfer Gel and Newton's Nook Designs Pawprints Stencil. Card by Juliana Michaels

I happened to have a Sizzix, but I have a Spellbinders silicone mat. I had to play around with which platforms to use for this combination. Make sure that you play around with what you have until you get the right combination or you could also just purchase the one that works with your machine. I just used what I had on hand to make this work.

The main things you need to do to emboss with a stencil are to first place the stencil on top of the cutting plate, then place the cardstock on top of the stencil.

Embossed Stencil background tutorial using Therm O Web Deco Foil Transfer Gel and Newton's Nook Designs Pawprints Stencil by Juliana Michaels

Next, place the silicone mat on top of the paper and then place the other cutting plate on top of the mat. From there you will need to figure out the rest of the layers so you have enough pressure to achieve the embossing. I actually removed Layer 1 and only used Layer 2 along with the cutting plates.

Embossed Stencil background tutorial using Therm O Web Deco Foil Transfer Gel and Newton's Nook Designs Pawprints Stencil by Juliana Michaels

To help the embossed design stand out even more, I lightly inked over it using some Distress Ink and and ink blending tool. Use a light hand when applying the ink and make sure to stamp off the excess ink before you begin applying the ink to your paper.

Embossed Stencil background using Therm O Web Deco Foil Transfer Gel and Newton's Nook Designs Pawprints Stencil. Card by Juliana Michaels

Inked Background - Rotating the Stencil


This third and final card uses a technique that many of you are familiar with...applying Distress Ink to your stencil using an ink blending tool. However, to step it up a bit, I added in rotating the stencil to achieve a more covered background design.

Rotated Stencil background using Distress Ink and Newton's Nook Designs Tropical Leaves Stencil. Card by Juliana Michaels

On this card, I used the Newton's Nook Designs Tropical Leaves Stencil. I applied a small bit of adhesive to the back side of a piece of watercolor paper and adhered it to my craft mat. This trick keeps the paper from moving around when you apply the ink. Next, tape down the stencil using removable tape.

Select 3 colors of Distress Ink from the same color family. Here I used Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn and Shabby Shutters for a green background.

Rotated Stencil background tutorial using Distress Ink and Newton's Nook Designs Tropical Leaves Stencil by Juliana Michaels

Apply the lightest color first using an ink blending tool. Remember to tap off the excess onto your craft mat before you begin applying ink to the stencil.

Rotated Stencil background tutorial using Distress Ink and Newton's Nook Designs Tropical Leaves Stencil by Juliana Michaels

Next, lift up the stencil and rotate it 90 degrees and stick it back down.

Rotated Stencil background tutorial using Distress Ink and Newton's Nook Designs Tropical Leaves Stencil by Juliana Michaels

Ink the stencil using the next darkest color.

Rotated Stencil background tutorial using Distress Ink and Newton's Nook Designs Tropical Leaves Stencil by Juliana Michaels

Rotate the stencil another 90 degrees.

Rotated Stencil background tutorial using Distress Ink and Newton's Nook Designs Tropical Leaves Stencil by Juliana Michaels

Ink the stencil one last time with the darkest color of ink.

Rotated Stencil background tutorial using Distress Ink and Newton's Nook Designs Tropical Leaves Stencil by Juliana Michaels

After I had applied all of the ink layers, I didn't like how "white" the paper was behind the stenciled design. To fix this, I went back over the entire piece using the ink blender from the first color layer. I did not add more ink to it. I just added a light layer of color to blend all of the layers together. I love how it makes the background look like a jungle forest!

Rotated Stencil background using Distress Ink and Newton's Nook Designs Tropical Leaves Stencil. Card by Juliana Michaels

I hope you enjoyed learning some new ways to use your stencils. Any of these techniques will work with just about any stencil. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

Supplies


Are you interested in the supplies I used to create these cards? To make them easy for you to find, I've listed them below. Affiliate links are used at no additional cost to you and I've linked to them because I use them and love them! Click on the image below each picture to go to your favorite store.



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Newton's Nook Designs 4 Year Celebration Blog Hop

Welcome to Newton's Nook Designs 4 Year Celebration Blog Hop! Newton's Nook has been celebrating all week long with the release of their new stamps, dies and stencils. However, today we're finishing off this fun filled week with an extra special blog hop featuring the Newton's Nook Design Team AND some very special guests! Check out all of the hop details and how you can get one of their new stencils for free below!


Happy Hour Shaker Card - Cocktail Mixers Stamp Set


To help celebrate this special 4 year milestone, I created a festive shaker card featuring the newly released Cocktail Mixers Stamp Set.

Happy Hour Shaker Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Cocktail Mixers Stamp Set by Newton's Nook Designs

I colored all of the fun cocktails with my Chameleon Pens and then die cut them with the coordinating Cocktail Mixers Die Set.

Happy Hour Shaker Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Cocktail Mixers Stamp Set by Newton's Nook Designs

To create the shaker frame, I taped two stitched rectangle dies together. I then cut it out 5 times from white cardstock and glued 4 of them together to create the frame. Next, I cut a piece of acetate and glued that to the top and then covered it all with another of the die cut frames. The shaker is filled with a mix of seed beads and the Summer Fusion Sequin Mix from Studio Katia. I then stamped the sentiment onto a piece of white cardstock cut to the size of the frame and glued that to the backside of the filled shaker.

You've got to love a festive shaker card! And don't the colorful and yummy looking drinks makes it even more fun?!

Happy Hour Shaker Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Cocktail Mixers Stamp Set by Newton's Nook Designs

Newton's Nook Designs July Release


Just a reminder...all of the July Release stamp sets, dies and stencils are now available in the Newton's Nook Designs Shop! And as part of the 4 Year Celebration, Newton's Nook is giving away a free Pawprints Stencil with every $75 order.



Blog Hop + Giveaway

To celebrate 4 years Newton's Nook Designs is giving away a $25 store credit to spend in their online shop to 4 lucky winners! If you'd love to win one, all you have to do is comment on each of the Newton's Nook Designs Design Team and Special Guest blogs. You have until Sunday, July 16th at 9pm CDT to comment. Winners will be announced on NND blog post on Monday, July 17th.

Special Guests:
Taheerah Atchia
Crafty Math-Chick
Danielle Paneline
Stephanie Muzulin
Nina-Marie Trapani
Kimberly Rendino

Newton's Nook Design Team:
Newton's Nook Designs
Amanda Bodine
Holly Endress
Ellen Haxelmans
Larissa Heskett
Samantha Mann
Juliana Michaels
Naki Rager
Jennifer Timko
Tatiana Trafimovich

Supplies


Are you interested in the supplies I used to create these cards? To make them easy for you to find, I've listed them below. Affiliate links are used at no additional cost to you and I've linked to them because I use them and love them! Click on the image below each picture to go to your favorite store.


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Newton's Nook Designs 4 Year Celebration | Day 4

Hello Friends! It's Day 4 of the Newton's Nook Designs 4 Year Celebration! Today we're sharing the final stamp set from this release called Cosmic Newton. In this set, Newton explores outer space with a telescope, as an astronaut and in a space ship! Seriously, is there anything cuter than that?! 

As the releases come to a close, I want to remind you that all of the new stamps, dies and stencils will be available in the Newton's Nook Designs Shop tomorrow July 14. I also want to invite you to stop back by the blog tomorrow for another fun day as we have a special blog hop to further celebrate 4 Years of Newton's Nook Designs!

Reach For The Stars Card - Cosmic Newton


At first glance, this card looks pretty simple, however in real life it is far from simple. Newton in his space ship is on an Action Wobble so he wiggles when you move him! Action Wobbles are like little springs that add dimension and movement to your images. Also not easy to see in a photo is the background. Yes, it looks like a plan white background, but it's actually embossed using the new Starfield Stencil! Yes, you can emboss with stencils! Stay tuned for an upcoming post where I'll teach you several fun new ways to use stencils!

Reach For The Stars by Juliana Michaels featuring Cosmic Newton Stamp Set by Newton's Nook Designs

After creating the background, I added some clouds using the Cloud die from the Sky Borders Die Set and stamped the sentiment onto this piece. I then stamped and colored Newton in the space ship and a bunch of stars and created the little scened. I just love that it looks like he's blasting off into space and reaching for the stars!

Reach For The Stars by Juliana Michaels featuring Cosmic Newton Stamp Set by Newton's Nook Designs

It was so hard to photograph the embossed background. You can see it a bit better at this angle and of course it looks amazing in real life!

Reach For The Stars by Juliana Michaels featuring Cosmic Newton Stamp Set by Newton's Nook Designs

Blog Hop + Giveaway


Are you ready for the fun stuff? Here are all the blog hop and giveaway details. How would you like to win a $20 store credit to Newton’s Nook Designs? If so, all you have to do is leave a comment on the Newton's Nook Design Blog and each of the Design team Members blogs. The winner will be chosen at random from the collective reveal posts. You won't know which blog has been chosen so the more comments you leave, the better your chances are of winning! You have until Thursday July 14th at 9pm CST to comment and the winners will be announced on the Newton's Nook blog on Friday, July 15th.


Supplies

Are you interested in the supplies I used to create these cards? To make them easy for you to find, I've listed them below. Affiliate links are used at no additional cost to you and I've linked to them because I use them and love them! Click on the image below each picture to go to your favorite store.

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Newton's Nook Designs 4 Year Celebration | Day 3

Hello friends and welcome to Day 3 of Newton's Nook Designs 4 Year Celebration! Today we continue the party by sharing the new stamp and die set called Toucan Party. 


Toucan Do It Card - Toucan Party Stamp Set


I love the adorable toucans and sentiments in the the new Toucan Party stamp set! They are perfect for wide range of card giving and I had a dear friend in mind when I created this card. As I started to put this card together, I decided to stuck with a clean and simple design. I colored the Toucan and tree branch with Chameleon Pens and then die cut them using the coordinating dies. I then created a frame for him using a scalloped hexagon die and mounted it to the card front.

Toucan Do It Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Toucan Party Stamp Set by Newton's Nook Designs

For a touch of interest, I added a strip of bold black and white striped patterned paper.


Blog Hop + Giveaway


Are you ready for the fun stuff? Here are all the blog hop and giveaway details. How would you like to win a $20 store credit to Newton’s Nook Designs? If so, all you have to do is leave a comment on the Newton's Nook Design Blog and each of the Design team Members blogs. The winner will be chosen at random from the collective reveal posts. You won't know which blog has been chosen so the more comments you leave, the better your chances are of winning! You have until Thursday July 15th at 9pm CST to comment and the winners will be announced on the Newton's Nook blog on Friday, July 16th.


Supplies


Are you interested in the supplies I used to create these cards? To make them easy for you to find, I've listed them below. Affiliate links are used at no additional cost to you and I've linked to them because I use them and love them! Click on the image below each picture to go to your favorite store.

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Gina K Designs Inspiration Blog Hop | Day 3

Hello friends and welcome to Day 2 of the Gina K Designs Inspiration Blog Hop! Today we're featuring two new stamp sets: Sentimental Calla Lily illustrated by Chris Dayton and Happy Mail the June incentive stamp set.

As with all Gina K blog hops the Cast and Crew of Gina K Designs will be sharing loads of gorgeous inspiration samples to inspire you and you'll have the chance to win a fabulous prize from Gina K Designs. You can check out all the details for the blog hop below.

Congratulation and Best Wishes Wedding Card - Sentimental Calla Lily Stamp


Sentimental Calla Lily is a sentimental set indeed! The beautiful calla lilies reminded me of the flowers from my wedding, and inspired me to create a wedding themed card. I stamped the image and then colored it using Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. I added just a bit of color and then blended it using a water brush. When working with watercolor, remember to allow each application of color to dry before adding the next layer of color.

Congratulation and Best Wishes Wedding Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Sentimental Calla Lily Stamp Set by Gina K Designs

I then added a few splatters of color. To achieve the splatters, I colored with a green marker onto my craft mat and added water to the ink with a paint brush. I then flicked the paint brush to get the splatters.

Congratulation and Best Wishes Wedding Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Sentimental Calla Lily Stamp Set by Gina K Designs

Happy Hello Card - Happy Mail Stamp Set


The final stamp set from this release is the new Happy Mail incentive stamp set. If you aren't familiar with the Incentive Stamps, they are stamp sets that you can get for free when you order $75 or more of product from Gina K Designs.

Happy Hello Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Happy Mail Stamp Set by Gina K Designs

For this card, I stamped the envelope image in various colors onto a piece of white cardstock to create a fun background design. I then stamped the sentiment and die cut it using the smallest die from the Gina K Designs Double Stitched Circle Die.

Happy Hello Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Happy Mail Stamp Set by Gina K Designs

Blog Hop + Giveaway


Would you like to win a $50 gift certificate to Gina K Designs? If your answer is yes, then all you have to do is visit each blog along the hop and leave a comment. One lucky winner will receive a $50 Gina K Designs gift certificate. Now it's time to head on over and check out more amazing inspiration from the Gina K Design Team! and don't forget to leave a comment on each blog for your chance to win!

Gina K
Chris Dayton - Today’s featured illustrator
Beth Silaika
Cathy Tidwell
Claire Brennan
Donna Idlet
Juliana Michaels
Karen Hightower
Laurie Schmidlin
Melanie Muenchinger
Rema DeLeeuw
Sean Fetterman
Sheri Gilson
Silke Ledlow
Susie Moore
Theresa Momber

Supplies


Are you interested in the Gina K Designs supplies I used to create these cards? To make them easy for you to find, I have listed them below. Affiliate links are used at no additional cost to you and I've linked to them because I use them and love them!


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Newton's Nook Designs 4 Year Celebration | Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of Newton's Nook Designs 4 Year Celebration Blog Hop. As I mentioned in the Day 1 post, we're celebrating all week long with a great giveaway and some fabulous new products!


Cheers To You Card - Cocktail Mixers Stamp Set


The first set I'm featuring for you today is the Cocktail Mixers Stamp and Die Set. I couldn't resist stamping and coloring some of the more fruity looking drinks in a rainbow of colors using my new Chameleon Pens. I love how bright the colors are when coloring with them!

Cheers To You Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Cocktail Mixers Stamp Set by Newton's Nook Designs

To add to the rainbow effect, I created a watercolor background using Distress Oxide Inks in Worn Lipstick, Fossilized Amber, Peeled Paint, and Broken China. To achieve this look, I stamped the ink pads onto my craft mat and added some water with a paint brush. I then dabbed the ink onto the cardstock. I used a heat gun to dry the ink and then repeated the painting process to build up the layers of color for added interest. The final touch was to splatter some of the ink using a bit more water and a thinner.

Cheers To You Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Cocktail Mixers Stamp Set by Newton's Nook Designs

Oh The Places You'll Go Card - Stowaway Newton


This next set features the ever adorable Newton and this time he's ready to travel the world with you in the Stowaway Newton Stamp and Die Set. I stamped Newton and then colored him with Chameleon Pens. As you can see, I'm kind of loving coloring with them!

Oh The Places You'll Go Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Stowaway Newton Stamp Set by Newton's Nook Designs

The background was created using one of my favorite techniques right now, the Loosey Goosey Watercolor Background technique inspired by the talented Laura Bassen. I also used this technique on my Forever Dog Sympathy Card from the June Newton's Nook Release. To create my background I used Distress Ink in the following colors: Festive Berries, Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade, Mowed Grass, Salty Ocean and Wilted Violet.

Oh The Places You'll Go Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Stowaway Newton Stamp Set by Newton's Nook Designs

Blog Hop + Giveaway


Are you ready for the fun stuff? Here are all the blog hop and giveaway details. How would you like to win a $20 store credit to Newton’s Nook Designs? If so, all you have to do is leave a comment on the Newton's Nook Design Blog and each of the Design team Members blogs. The winner will be chosen at random from the collective reveal posts. You won't know which blog has been chosen so the more comments you leave, the better your chances are of winning! You have until Thursday July 15th at 9pm CST to comment and the winners will be announced on the Newton's Nook blog on Friday, July 16th.


Supplies


Are you interested in the supplies I used to create these cards? To make them easy for you to find, I've listed them below. Affiliate links are used at no additional cost to you and I've linked to them because I use them and love them! Click on the image below each picture to go to your favorite store.

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Gina K Designs Inspiration Blog Hop | Day 2

Hello friends and welcome to Day 2 of the Gina K Designs Inspiration Blog Hop! Today we're featuring two new stamp sets: Karen Dolphin illustrated by Beth Silaika and Lovely Lilies illustrated by Claire Brennan.

As with all Gina K blog hops the Cast and Crew of Gina K Designs will be sharing loads of gorgeous inspiration samples to inspire you and you'll have the chance to win a fabulous prize from Gina K Designs. You can check out all the details for the blog hop below.

Dophinitely Amazing Card - Karen Dolphin Stamp Set


How adorable is the Karen Dolphin Stamp Set?! I love how it coordinates with the Vicky Mermaid set and I can't wait to create a card using them both together. I created a Foiled Background for this card using the Water Droplets Stencil and Fancy Foils in Silver Sequins. I thought they were the perfect match for the cute little dolphin!

Dolpinitely Amazing Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Karen Dolphin Stamp Set by Gina K Designs

Foiled Background with Stencils


To create a foiled background, begin by placing a stencil on top of a piece of cardstock and use low tack tape to help hold the stencil in place. Apply Therm O Web Deco Foil Transfer Gel over the stencil using a palette knife. Remove the stencil and clean it immediately with a little soap and water. Set the stenciled design to the side and allow it to dry until the gel turns shiny and clear. Next place a piece of foil on top of the design, place this inside a piece of folded parchment paper and run it through a preheated laminator. Once it's through the laminator, you can peel off the transfer sheet to reveal the foiled design.

Foiled Background created with Therm O Web Deco Foil Transfer Gel and Gina K Designs Water Droplet Stencil

After the background foiling was complete, I adhered a Double Stitched Die Cut Circle and then popped up the dolphin with double sided foam adhesive to make it look like it was jumping out of the shimmery water.

Dolpinitely Amazing Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Karen Dolphin Stamp Set by Gina K Designs

Hugs Card - Lovely Lilies Stamp Set


If you enjoy layering stamps, you are going to fall head over heads with Lovely Lilies! It has six layers you can use to create a gorgeous, realistic looking design. The great thing about layered stamping is you don't have to use all of the layers to get a beautiful look.

Hugs Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Lovely Lilies Stamp Set by Gina K Designs

For the card I created, I used five of the layers. The only layer I didn't use was the more detailed outline of the main flower. To achieve the design I created, stamp with yellow first using the most solid image. Next, stamp the next layer in a light pink and then the final layer in a darker pink. I then stamped the speckle with the same darker pink and then the stamen in brown. I stamped the leaves using all the layers, but you can also only use two of them to get a lovely layered look.

Hugs Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Lovely Lilies Stamp Set by Gina K Designs

Blog Hop + Giveaway


Would you like to win a $50 gift certificate to Gina K Designs? If your answer is yes, then all you have to do is visit each blog along the hop and leave a comment. One lucky winner will receive a $50 Gina K Designs gift certificate. Now it's time to head on over and check out more amazing inspiration from the Gina K Design Team! and don't forget to leave a comment on each blog for your chance to win!

Supplies


Are you interested in the Gina K Designs supplies I used to create these cards? To make them easy for you to find, I have listed them below. Affiliate links are used at no additional cost to you and I've linked to them because I use them and love them!
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