Adrieeeeeeeeeeene!

Sorry, I always hear Sylvester Stalone screaming that in my head whenever I see the name Rocky! Showing my age now lol. Anyhoo, Rocky is one of the fab new images this month over at the Digi Stamp Boutique. Isn't he fun? I made this collection of Christmas cards with him:

I've shaded Rocky and family using Copics, but to get the red really bright I always add a little Lipstick red ProMarker - works for me!! Here's Rocky and family:

Here's Rocky Robin himself:

And here's Rocky with Christmas pud:

I'm not a fan of Christmas pud, I always have something else on the Big Day but this one looks scrummy. The patterned card strips and red card are from Stampin' Up! Christmas Jingle kit and the brads and ribbon are Stampin' Up! too. I think these images look fab combined with these goodies and I think I'll be seeing a few more Christmas cards with this little fella on! I'm joining in with a few challenges:

• A Spoon Full of Sugar - Christmas in August
• Stampavie - Christmas in Summer
• Stamp Something - Digi something
• Winter Wonderland - Walking in a winter wonderland

Hugs
Victoria
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Use your die cuts

It's challenge time at Creative Card Crew and this fortnight we want to see die cuts in your creations. I've gone a bit Christmas:

I've used this cute fella Francis and he's new at the Digi Stamp Boutique. I've used the rounded corner square cookie cutter dies by Quickutz and then rounded the corners off on the two larger squares. The patterned paper is by Pink Petticoat and I've punched a border strip and added some gems. I'm joining in with:

• The Pink Elephant - Three layers, two die cuts, ribbon
• Fab n Funky - Sew n sew
• Fussy and Fancy - Christmas in July
• Create 4 Fun - Sketch
• Winter Wonderland - Punch it out
• Corrosive Challenge - Christmas

Sorry this is a bit of a quickie post from me. Oh before I forget, we have a DT call on too over at Creative Card Crew so hop over and take a look what you need to do if you'd like to join our team!

Hugs
Victoria
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Girlie Christmas

Hurray - finally I made my first Christmas card after promising myself I'd start in January and make at least one a week! Thanks for the pressure Susie and Vikki!!

 

It's soooooo sunny today - can you tell by my photo? It's a bit bright so here's a not so bright close up

 

I'm joining in with these challenges:

• Our Creative Corner - Sketch
• ABC - Paper piecing
• Papertake - Buttons, brads, bows and bling (I did 'em all!)
• Charisma Cardz - Fairies (I made the top 3 last week - yey!)
• Flutter By Wednesday - Fairy
• LOTV - Easel card
• Susie and Vikki's Christmas Challenge - Girlie Christmas
• Winter Wonderland - Monochromatic Christmas

I found a gorgeous glittery button in my stash and used that on her hat, along with a huge blue sparkly brad on the bow. I added glitter to her wings but I'm not sure you can see it in the photo. Got to dash as Zac's due home from his grandparents any minute now.
Hugs
Victoria
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Christmas Cards and Candy Winner!!!

Righto, today I'm not entering any challenges I'm just showcasing some of the Christmas cards I made at the weekend and then announcing the winner of my charity candy at the end of this post!

All these cards have been made using the Christmas Jingle scrap kit by Stampin' Up. These were some I made for my mum in law to give to her friends:

These are using the red border strips and snowflake medallion sticker

 

Gorgeous papers and more stickers and strips

 

More gorgeous papers, used the scallop circle punch here too

And finally a spot of stamping!



Now for the bit you've carried on reading for! Firstly thank you so much for everyone who sent in their handmade cards and gifts for my charity candy. I received:

• 425 cards
• A gorgeous scrapbook
• Wall Hangers, plaques and door hangers
  
• Decorations
• Treat bags, gift bags and boxes

Thank you too, to the kind people who sent their goodies and declined to enter the candy draw. I also received so many kind words about Flynn and was touched that so many of you felt you could share your precious babies with me too.

I will be contacting SANDs over the festive period to arrange to drop off all these goodies for them to sell - 100% of the proceeds will go towards setting up new SANDs groups to offer support and understanding to parents and families affected by the loss of a baby. You can read more about SANDs here.Thank you so very much for your support.

I went through all the entries on Mr Linky and deleted any names if cards hadn't been donated. I appreciate there may still be some parcels on their way, I will pass these on to SANDs but regret I coudn't put your names forward for the draw. I also added some names for those of you who entered and don't have blogs. All names were allocated numbers on an excel spreadsheet and the winner has been selected using Random Interger Generator.

So without further ado, the winner of all these lovely goodies :

And a voucher for Silly Monkey Crafts is ...............................

That's you Patti - congratulations! Patti please can you email me your full address so I can send your parcel off to you in the States? You'll also get an email from Sally-Ann with details about your voucher for Silly Monkey Crafts too. Enjoy your candy.

Once again thank you - I am blown away by your kind support.

Victoria
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Hidden snowflake

Have you ever made a card you loved so much yourself you didn't want to give it away? Well I hadn't until now! This is my creation for this weeks challenge at Die Cut Dreams which is 'a hidden snowflake'.



I've never used white Stazon on acetate before and was nervous about making this as the medallion stamp is huge! Here's a close up:



I'm joining in with these challenges:

• Stamp with fun - Sketch (flipped on it's side)
• Crafty Angels - Use a technique you've never tried (stamping with Stazon on acetate)
• Tuesday Morning sketches - A tag, lots of glitter and a hidden message (gutted as I'm too late to enter this now)
• Stamp Something - Holiday somethings
• Fun with shapes - White and a little bit of colour
• Totally gorjuss - A tag (my card has a tag on it!)
• Our Creative Corner - Let it snow
• One Stop Crafts - Recycled (my acetate is an old box lid!)
• Sweet Stampin - Use at least 2 punches
• Stamp with us - Christmas
• The Chorrosive Challenge - Blingy
  

You can see above my hidden message and snowflake on the back of the medallion stamp. I made the card base out of an old acetate box lid as I didn't have any myself and had this idea for the card in my head. I've had this medallion Stampin' Up stamp for a while and not inked it up and boy am I pleased with the result. I was so worried I'd slip with the ink and it'd be ruined!

Once it dried I went around the edges of the image with a glue pen and sprinkled with glitter - very time consuming! I punched a hole through the centre and attached a gorgeous SU brad through the centre for decoration and to secure the card on the reverse.

The ribbon is from my stash and looped through a Hodge Podge ribbon slider with a little tag hanging off, I used a snowflake stamp and some circle punched to layer up and hung if with some silver elastic thread.

Can't tell you who I've sent it to as I know you read my blog!

Please scroll down to see my DT creation for Cupcake Crafts this week and if you want to stay in the Christmas mood all year round, visit Susie or Vikki's blog!!

Remember to visit to tomorrow to see if you're the lucky winner of my charity candy!

Victoria
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Stampin' Up Project Recipe:
Medallion stamp, white Stazon, filigree brad, bordering blue card, Season of Joy stamp set & circle punches.

Snow fun

Usually I love snow but not today as it's stopped us from travelling to a Christening. So I'm crafting instead which is lovely but it's not the same!

I made my first three step card:



And I'm joining these challenges:

• Kaboodle - Winter
• Project Tuesday - 3 step card (woo-hoo I'm featured this week!)
• Sassy Designs by Susie - A touch of gold
• Crafty Catz - Fairytale of New York (the song makes me think of Christmas)
• Hand Full of Stamps - All about red

Not usually a fan of gold but I know someone who is and I hope this hits the mark for them. I used the tree from Season of Joy and a sentiment from Punches Three. A spot of gold heat embossing over Versamark stamping, followed by some cutting out, layering on to real red and more cutting out and almost there. Added some real red ribbon and a button and I'm done.

Brrrr. Charity Candy winner will be announced on Tuesday!! Good Luck.

Victoria
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Nativity an award and a candy update!

I made this card for my friends little boy, Isaac. I thought this cute nativity image by Sally-Ann was perfect for a card for a little boy.



I'm joining these challenges:

• The Pink Elephant - Winter or Christmas
• Sophisticat - Christmas
• My Time To Craft - Yuletide wishes
• Simon Says - Merry Christmas
• Unscripted - Sketch
• Winter Wonderland - Nativity
  

I also got this fab award off Sara. Thanks Sara. The award comes with a few rules:

1. Copy this award to your blog

2. Link to the person who gave you this award
3. Identify 7 interesting facts about yourself

4. Choose 7 other bloggers to pass this award on to

5. Link to their blogs

6. Leave them a comment to let them know about this award

So seven things about me.....

1. I'm so cold today I have my little slippers on with a big fluffy pom pom on the toes - another example of me acting my shoe size not my age
   
2. I went to the film premiere and party for Monsters inc and had a very big cuddle with James P Sullivan - he stank of garlic, quite apt for a monster! (see photo below). I sat next to Brian who was well known for being in Big Brother at the time.
3. I can't stand celery - urgh
4. My first ever job was working in a souvenir shop in Buxton when I was probably too young to be working
5. I get down on the carpet and do 'yogo' with Zac every morning whilst we watch Waybuloo on CBEEBIES!
6. I haven't made my Christmas cards yet - eeek!
   
7. I love rainbows - they always make me smile
   

And I'm passing this on to: Lynn, Louise, Katie, Penni, Jo, Chrissie and Steph.




Finally an update on my charity candy. Hopefully I have now received all the cards and gifts to be passed on to SANDs. I will be checking them off against Mr Linky over the weekend and will be announcing the winner early next week - watch this space!

Victoria
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My first SU Workshop

OK - you might want to grab a cuppa or something stronger before you continue - this is a long one with loads of photos!

I did my first ever Stampin' Up class today and absolutely loved it so had to share most of it with you! Eleven lovely ladies turned up and it was so nice to put faces to names and to meet some of the friends I've met through blogging as well as to find out some of the people I know already are actually really into paper craft! Thanks to everyone who took part- can't wait to see you again in January.

These are the projects we made. We made some smaller cards too but I forgot to take photos of them.



I'm popping these projects in for these challenges:

• The Pink Elephant - Favourite Christmas colour combo
• Double Dutch - All about the wrapping
• My Graphico - Recipes (I made snowman soup in a bag!)
  
• Project Tuesday - Gift bag
• Charisma Cardz - Red, green and white or silver
• Hand Full of Stamps - Something green
• Stamp Something - Winter Wonderland
• Frosted Designs - Happy Holiday
• Our Creative Corner - Christmas

Here's the gift bag we made. I have to credit Carole C for this as I saw her design and asked her if I could case it for my class and she kindly said yes! Thanks loads Carole - the bag was real success and was something everyone could carry their projects home in too!



We made a treat bag of snowman soup:



a 6x6 card



another 6x6 card



Here's me showing how not to do it. Trust me - that's the truth, a few errors, but they were funny!!



Louise, Lynn and Sandra



Ellis, Jeanette, Hayley, Teresa and Zoe



All using the punches, inks and stamps and a spot of mingling too



Table with a few project ideas and sample file



If you'd like to join my next workshop in January , the theme will be 'Cupcakes and love' and we've picked 'pink and chocolate' as the colour theme. The workshop will be in Nottingham and will cost £15 which needs to be paid in advance. Please email me if you're interested for details and to reserve your place.

Thanks
Victoria
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Inspired by the movies

This week at Paperplay our theme is to 'be inspired by the movies or a book'. I chose Cocktail!



I'm joining in with these challenges:

• Stampin' for the weekend - Mistletoe and wine
• Stamp with us - Sketch

I've been using my Stampin' Up stash again! This time Kraft card, with papers from Christmas Jingle scrap kit and stamps from Cheers to you and Circle of friendship. I stamped in Versamark and embossed with gold embossing powders.

I love a cocktail at Christmas. Off to a bad start today, my paper trimmer is cutting all fuzzy and it doesn't seem to matter how many times I try to realign the blade, it ain't happening for me...grrrrrr.

Victoria
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My GDT spot and candy update

I won a challenge at Doodle Palace and my prize is a GDT spot and setting the challenge! So this week the challenge is 'jingle all the way' and you have my sketch to follow too and it's nice and simple - a bit like me!



I'm entering it to these challenges:

• Everybody Art - Red and green
• Simon Says - Let it snow
• Stampavie - Red and green
• Cafe Mojo - Wishes for the holidays
  

I made my card using Kraft for the base and elements from the Stampin' Up Christmas Jingle scrap kit along with Season of Joy stamp set and Real Red ink. Can't tell you how quick and easy this card was to put together other than it took me less than 2 minutes! The most complicated bit was stamping the image twice and punching out the snowflake to raise on 3-D foam!

My friend Sue had her works Christmas do yesterday so she came over when she'd finished work to get herself ready as it's a long drive for her to go home and back again! Was fab to see her and to get her opinion of the projects I've designed for my first Stampin' Up workshop this Saturday. You'll have to wait until then to see what they are!

My charity candy has now officially closed, you have until next Wednesday to get your cards and goodies to me. Any that I receive without names on Mr Linky will still get entered in to the draw and obviously anyone who' s entered Mr Linky and not sent a card or gift will be removed from the draw. I can't wait to announce the winner so keep visiting to see who the lucky crafter is.

Victoria
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Creative Card Crew - Silver or Gold

This week at Creative Card Crew our challenge is 'use silver or gold'. Up to you so a nice open theme there. Have a look at the other DT creations - they're a bit fab.



I'm also entering my card for these challenges:

• My Time to Craft - Christmas foliage
• Truly Scrumptious - Sketch
• Cute Card Thursday - Swirly girly
• Colour Create - Lilac, aqua, black and white
• Our Creative Corner - 12 days of Christmas (hope this can pass as a turtle dove!!)
• Allsorts - Purple
• Saturday Spotlight - Christmas flowers
• Sweet Stampin' - Feathered friends
  

I've used all Stampin' Up products again - because they're all new to me and fun to play with! I used Whimsical Wings Hostess set and did some embossing with silver powder and versamark. I made the card Christmas by adding a Christmas sentiment which I also embossed in silver. Had to stamp the envelope to match!

Had lots of parcels arrive this morning for my charity candy - not long to go now but still time to enter and post your cards to me. Look at the top of my blog for details.

Victoria
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Project recipe:

• Stamps - Whimsical Wings, Season of joy, Circle of friendship
• Papers and card - basic black, orchid opulence, whisper white, Pink Flamingo
  
• Accessories - Hodge Podge hardware, circle punch, eyelet border punch, silver embossing powder
• Inks - Basic Black, Versamark
  

A card, a candle and a tag!

This is my DT project for Die Cut Dreams Challenge this week. Our challenge is 'Sage and Onion Stuffing Colour Combo' and the prize this week is a two week Guest Design Team spot and I'm the judge this time!! So get your entries in and check out the fab creations by the rest of the Design Team here.



I'm entering this for these challenges:

• Cupcake Crafts - Christmas Carol / Song (We wish you a Merry Christmas)
• Creative Inspirations - Christmas card and tag set (I added a candle too!)
• Three Clovers - Make a gift
• Secret Crafter - Matching set
• Pile it on - Tinsel town / use glitter (glitter ribbon)
• Stamptacular - Let is shine (can't win as entered more than one challenge)
  

I used all Stampin' Up products for the card and a few extras on the candle. The candle was so easy to make, cut out a piece of white tissue paper, stamp your images and then heat set onto a candle using a piece of greaseproof paper. The ribbon is from my stash and has so much sparkle and glitter on it - goes so well with the Old Olive colour from SU. I thought stamping the envelope to match was a cute touch.

And now for my news.....after being Guest Designer at Cupcake Crafts Challenge for November, I've been invited to join the team permanently. I said yes!! So I'll be there from next week.

Victoria
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Project Recipe:

• Christmas Jingle Scrap Kit
• Inks - Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Craft White
• Stamps - Season of Joy, Tags for All
• Linen thread
• Scallop border punch
• Eyelets - metallics
  

Buttons and bows

oooh I didn't think I'd get time to pop a blog entry on today! But here I go with a bit of an unusual Christmas colour combo:



I'm entering this for these challenges:

• Papertake - Sketch
• ATS - Christmas
• Sassy Designs by Susie - Buttons and bows (yey I made the top 3 last challenge!)
• Cuttlebug Challenge - Glitter
• Dutch Dare - Colour combo
• Stamp Something - Glitzy somethings
• Winter Wonderland - Ho! Ho! Ho!
• Anyone for Anya - Anything goes
• Crafty Calendar - Winter Sparkle
• Royal Challenge - Celebrate holidays
• Ildi Co's - Black and bright
• Crafty Card Makers - Alternative Christmas
  

I've used oodles of glitter, I love it on her eye shadow and bow. I cut the hat from a different stamp and shaded them both with alcohol markers. Then mounted the sentiment on 3 different punches and finished with a few buttons.

I'll be back tomorrow with some exciting news (no Dad - I'm not!!)

Victoria
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Penguin Bauble

This week at Bee Crafty our challenge is 'Christmas Extras'. We want to see you make something other than a Christmas card. See what the Design Team have made for inspiration here. I've made a bauble using the penguin images. Remember your entry needs to contain a digi image.



This is for these challenges:

• Passion for ProMarkers - Anything but a card with a Christmas theme
• Quixotic - Be charming
• Simon Says - So charming
• Saturday Surprise - Winter Wonderland
• Lots to D0 - Snow
• Die Cuts R Us - Christmas gift
• Paper Cutz - Project with hand stamped or digi Christmas image
  

I bought the bauble ages ago, it was filled with ribbons. I printed the penguin image out and shaded with alcohol markers and then ran a piece of patterned paper through the printer with the same image to paper piece the snowy base. The beads are sprinkled in for fake snow and I hung a silver charm on a bit of silver thread before tying a polka dot bow.

This is a gift for a friend as our tree will be decorated in red and silver and white this year - if Zac doesn't destroy it within minutes of us putting it up that is!

There's STILL time to enter my Charity Candy - please send your handmade cards and gifts for this worthwhile cause and enter my candy at the same time. Details here.

Victoria
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Christmas without red or green

This week at Paperplay our challenge is to create a Christmas project 'without using red or green'. Now I've bodged this up spectacularly haven't I? I read it as don't use red and green together! I should have gone to Spec-Savers lol!!



So here's my pink and green creation. I'm entering these challenges:

• La-La Land - Buttons (sorry for my 'moment' yesterday Irena!)
• Secret Crafter - Christmas trees
• Unscripted - Sketch - flipped on it's side
• Frosted Designs - Same shape - different sizes
  

Recipe:
Green Galore, Whisper White and Pixie Pink card stock and inks, Tag and Eyelet punches, Linen thread, Bold Brights buttons, Perfect Presents and Season of Joy stamp sets.

So this is made entirely with Stampin' Up products and I got messy making it too - great fun. I stamped the white trees with Versamark on white card and heat embossed with white powder before sponging over green ink. The third tree was stamped with Craft white ink on pink card. I love this little tag stamp and it matches perfectly with the two sized tag punches which are on offer at the moment. Spend £45 or more on products from the Christmas Extravaganza and get one or both for free! Contact me for details.

I finished it off using a border punch, some buttons and linen thread and some swirls stamped in green. It looks brighter than this but it was a bit dull when I took the photo.

CHARITY CANDY****

Don't forget there's still time to enter my Charity Candy, the draw closes on 9th December but you have until 16th December to get your handmade cards and gifts to me. I have nearly 300 entries so far - would be fantastic to get that to 400 for a very worthy charity. You can see all the details here.

Thanks
Victoria
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Ginger bread boys and girls

These are both my DT cards for Lily-Boo challenge this month where our theme is 'paper piecing'. You have a whole month to enter! The only rule is you must use a digi image somewhere.



I'm entering one or both of these cards to these challenges:

• A Spoon Full of Sugar - None traditional Christmas colours
• My Time To Craft - Winter pals
• La-La Land - Feature a gift
• Stampavie - Christmas
• Card Patterns - Sketch
• Saturday Surprise - Christmas in unconventional colours
• Rosie-D's - Red and green and a bit of bling
  

I paper pieced the gingerbread friends with kraft to match the card base and decorated them up with glitter gems and opaque ink pens. Got a mammoth task of sorting out my craft room today - things everywhere - oh I'll take a photo first for WOYWD Wednesday and post a pic later!

Victoria
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Baby it's cold outside and January workshop

Everything's flippin' frozen out there...brrrrr. So glad I can stay inside today, it'll be nice and warm in a bit as I'm about to start cooking lunch as my Dad and Step Mum are coming to visit. Nothing like a warm and cosy kitchen!

Anyway, here's my DT card for this weeks Creative Card Crew Challenge. Nicola set the theme this week which is simply 'Christmas' so the possibilities are endless! Check out the rest of the Design Team creations, they're a bit fab.



I have to say I've had this stamp set for as long as I can remember and never used it so I gave it it's first trip out of the drawer! The sketch is an old one of Dawny P's that I love to use.



I'm entering these challenges:

• Sophisticat - Snowflakes and sparkle
• Kaboodle - Snowflakes
  
• Fun with shapes - Monochrome blue
• Creatalicious - Snowflakes and sparkle

My sparkly ribbon was left over from last Christmas and it seemed a shame not to use it with this little fella! The white snowflake is so glittery but it hasn't shown up on the photo - grrrr.

My Stampin' Up December workshop is now fully booked (Louise I have sent you a message!) and so I'm now taking bookings for my January workshop in Nottingham which will have a bit of a lurve theme going on! If you'd like to take part, please email me for details.

Thanks
Victoria
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Hot Chocolate and Stampin' Up Workshop Nottingham

No not the band that sung ' you sexy thing' it's the theme this week over at Die Cut Dreams Challenge! You can interpret 'Hot Chocolate' however you like, use chocolate, wrap chocolate or go for a chocolate coloured them - it's up to you. Have a go and have a look to see what the rest of the DT have created - they're all yummy!



I made a card featuring a mug of hot chocolate with chocolate papers too. Mmmmm!



I'm popping this in for these challenges:

• Stamp with fun - Christmas
• Doodle Palace - Pink Christmas (I won last week - yey!)
• Cuttlebug Challenge - Glitter
• Creative Inspirations - Sketch

I love this Emma stamp, she's so cute. She's got lots of glitter on her coat and boots and the patterned paper is sprinkled with glitter too, although I'm not sure it shows up very well.

As some of you know, I'm now a Stampin' Up demonstrator and I'm holding my first workshop on Saturday 12th December and I have a couple of places spare, if you'd like them please drop me an email (contact me details on my side bar), places are limited as I only have enough kits for 10 people and the first workshop is free! So first come first served!

Thanks
Victoria
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Cupcake Crafts Challenge

This is my last card as GDT member for Cupcake Crafts Challenges - I've really enjoyed myself so thanks for having me ladies!

Our challenge this week is 'red and green' - shouts Christmas to me!



I made this card using everything digi! Except for the ProMarkers which are my favourite colouring tool this week - next week who knows???

I followed these challenges to make my card:

• The Pink Elephant - Favourite colouring medium
• Friday sketchers - Sketch
• Sunflowers and Dragonflies - Polka dots
• The Corrosive Challenge - Red and green

Pop and see what the rest of the DT have created - they're fab.

Sorry I haven't yet mailed everyone who I've received cards off for my blog candy, I'm on the case, time just ran away with me this morning. I received a box with 51 cards in today off two very lovely ladies - thank you :)

Victoria
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