Monday, January 8, 2018

My Complicated Relationship With the Trash Panda + Giveaway

Before we talk about trash pandas, let's talk about Valentine's Day.

While I'm not into Valentine's Day at all, the STAMPS for Valentine's Day are often my favorite of the year. There are always cute animals, and sweet sentiments that can be used all year. I just don't do schmoopy.

I also don't do pink and red a lot.  The color of candy hearts are gross, I think (as are candy hearts), because I don't do pastels well, and if you'll notice, they're very similar to the most vile trick ever perpetrated on American children - Necco Wafers. I feel like Necco must be an acronym involving Satan, but I haven't cracked the code yet. I actually remember where I was standing when I first had a Necco wafer - it was a dock in Maine on a camping trip, and an old man - yes, a stranger - gave me and my sister those little wafers of death. Looking back, I view it as a terrorist act.

Anyway - I like non-traditional colors to go with my Valentine imagery, so I'm so excited to show you this month's Hero Arts kit in a bright and happy green and black combo. The layering script in this set is completely amazing - and so is the big layering ampersand. You can combine the smaller sentiments with these two larger images for a billion combinations. That's right - that's scientific. Picture of the full kit below.
January My Monthly Hero Kit by Understand Blue
January My Monthly Hero Kit
[ HA ]
Green Apple Bold Ink | Hero Arts
[ HA ]
Hero Arts Intense Black Ink
[ HA ]
Foliage Mix Layering Papers (12) |...
[ HA ]
Ombre Green Sequins Hero Arts
[ HA ]
Marvy Uchida JEWEL PICKER Tool 91GRC
[ SSS ]
Mini Multi Medium Matte Glue (3820)
[ MFT | ELH | SBC ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSW | SBC | ELH | SSS ]
Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth
[ AMZUS ]
Whisper White Cardstock - Thick
[ SUP ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding...
[ AMZUS ]
Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675
[ SSS | ART | AMZUS ]
Bone Folder by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
DIY Calendar Kit
[ HA ]


So here is the full kit, in all it's glory - and you should probably hurry, because it will go fast. But before you go, peek at my cards below with the add-on sets before you shop! The kit itself is $62 worth of product for $34.99. If you are a winner of the blog hop giveaway, and have already purchased the kit to be on the safe side, you will be refunded! Here's what's in the kit:
  • 4" x 6" Layered on Love Clear Stamp Set
  • Four Coordinating dies
  • 4 ink cubes (Passion Flower, Navy, Red Royal and Mulled Wine)
  • 2 5"x7" Shizen decorative paper
  • 1 5.5"x8.5" Stardream Coral Cardstock 
  • 1 5.5"x8.5" Stardream Rose Quartz Cardstock
  • 1 5.5"x8.5" Stardream Kunzite Cardstock 
  • Heart Sequins Mix 1.5 oz
  • Pink Prisma Embossing Powder 0.5 oz
January My Monthly Hero Kit by Understand Blue


But now - let's get back to my complicated relationship with trash pandas. While they are completely adorable, they are also wily, as you can read about here. Our trashcan is a frequent target of their shenanigans, especially when we've had brisket, which indicates to me that the little furries have excellent taste. Their favorite thing to do is to raid our trashcan, and then hop over our fence into our neighbor's yard for the feast, leaving their litter there. Sometimes they are still shenaniganing when I get up - and the area where our trashcan is is right next to my office, so I can hear them crashing around out there. But any frustration with them dissolves when you see them and their little masked babies from time to time. The problem with trash pandas is that they are SO. DARN. CUTE.

So we live in peace. I was THRILLED to see a trash panda add-on set this month - it was calling my name! I decided to re-enact some of their escapades in our trash with this card. I stamped the image from Stealing My Heart (matching dies here)and Love Bandit (matching dies here) in Memento. Then I carefully masked the beam of light with this masking paper, and used stencil brushes to add the Soft Granite and Butter Bar ink for the light and shadow. I colored the images with Copics (C3, C5, C9, W7, Y18, RV02, B41, B34, B45, R29), adding yellow to the illuminated side of the trash panda, and added white gel pen accents to the hearts. The sentiment perfectly captures my conflicted feelings about the raccoons in our trash.

I matted the panel with Real Red and then put it on a Whisper White card base.
Trash Panda card by Understand Blue
Love Bandit
[ HA ]
Love Bandit Frame Cuts
[ HA ]
Stealing My Heart
[ HA ]
Stealing My Heart Frame Cuts
[ HA ]
Hero Arts Butter Bar Shadow Ink
[ HA ]
Soft Granite Shadow Ink - Hero Arts
[ HA ]
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad by...
[ SUP ]
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Refill (133456)
[ SUP ]
Copic Markers
[ SSS ]
Sakura CLASSIC WHITE Fine Line 05...
[ SSS | MFT ]
Clarity Stencil Brushes – 4 Pack (3825)
[ MFT | ART ]
Avery Self-Adhesive Removable Laser...
[ AMZUS ]
Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock by...
[ SUP ]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSW | SBC | ELH | SSS ]
Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth
[ AMZUS ]
Whisper White Cardstock - Thick
[ SUP ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding...
[ AMZUS ]
Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675
[ SSS | ART | AMZUS ]
Bone Folder by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]

I started a new podcast when I got this beautiful Window on Love die (an add-on, not part of the kit), and it's very good (you can see a list of all of my favorites here) for binge listening, so I decided to try something ambitious with this gorgeous die that I knew would take a little longer than my average card. I cut it seven times from black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red cardstock and then pieced it for a beautiful rainbow Valentine. I toyed with the idea of putting a small sentiment in the center opening, but I thought that a general love sentiment was conveyed so well with just the die. I adore this card. Tip when paper piecing like this - after it's been run through the Big Shot, carefully remove the top plate (my tip for foolproof die cutting here), replacing any pieces that came out when you lifted the plate, and cover the whole thing with Press 'n Seal. Flip the stack over so your bottom plate is on top, and then carefully remove the die - use a pin and the release holes if there are some stuck to the die and not the Press 'n Seal. Then the entire die cut will be stuck to the Press 'n Seal exactly where it goes and you can easily piece them back into the negative space. It goes really fast this way!
Window On Love card by Understand Blue

Here's another idea using the outline that the die cuts. Since I had cut all those colors I had lots of the outlines. I decided to offset the red and turquoise ones for a fun layered drop shadow look. Again - no sentiment necessary. Isn't that fun and modern looking?

Window On Love card by Understand Blue
Window On Love Confetti Fancy Die
[ HA ]
Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock by...
[ SUP ]
Tangerine Tango 8-1/2" X 11"...
[ SUP ]
Lemon Lime Twist 8-1/2" X 11"...
[ SUP ]
Tempting Turquoise 8-1/2" X 11"...
[ SUP ]
Elegant Eggplant 8-1/2" X 11"...
[ SUP ]
Daffodil Delight 8-1/2" X 11"...
[ SUP ]
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock by...
[ SUP ]
Whisper White Cardstock - Thick
[ SUP ]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
Marvy Uchida JEWEL PICKER Tool 91GRC
[ SSS ]
Glad PRESS'N SEAL Multipupose Sealing...
[ SSS ]
Sizzix BIG SHOT EXPRESS Gray and...
[ SSS | SBC | ART | BMS ]


They also have a super fun DIY Calendar stamp set out this month - this is an add-on, so it won't sell out. The most common thread started on Splitcoast is "Where do you buy little calendar pages to make gifts with?" I start seeing that question pop up every December, and I long wished I could just refer people to a stamp instead. Well now I can! The calendar is the perfect size for those little gift calendars, with the frame stamp for it measuring 3" x 4". The months come in two fonts and there are cute little planner type images that go with it.  
And then there's this beautiful color-layering rose set. (Matching dies here) Be still my heart!
Color Layering Rose Stamp set by Hero Arts
I know it will be stunning in traditional colors, but because of the woodblock/etched look of the second step of the rose, I wanted to see it in grey and black, so I made a simple sympathy card. What's cool about this stamp is the way there are openings on the stems that the leaf stamps seamlessly fit into. And the omitted areas of the stamps that add natural white highlights is genius. I masked the flower before I stamped the right hand leaf so that those look like they're behind the rose. 
Color Layering Rose
[ HA ]
Color Layering Rose Frame Cuts
[ HA ]
Prayers - Stamp and Die bundle
[ HA ]
Soft Granite Shadow Ink - Hero Arts
[ HA | ELH | SBC | SSS ]
Hero Arts Intense Black Ink
[ HA | ELH | SBC | SSS ]
Whisper White Cardstock - Thick
[ SUP ]
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock by...
[ SUP ]
Silver Glimmer Paper by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
Avery Self-Adhesive Removable Laser...
[ AMZUS ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ HA | MSW ]
Sizzix BIG SHOT EXPRESS Gray and...
[ SSS | SBC | ART ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth
[ AMZUS ]
Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding...
[ AMZUS ]
Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675
[ SSS | ART | AMZUS ]
Bone Folder by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
Sizzix Big Shot Express Machine
[ BMS ]

They're letting me hop with the big girls today, so leave a comment for all these beautiful humans for your chance to win the kit (or a refund for it if you buy it because you're worried it will sell out)! 


So glad you stopped by today! Good luck in the giveaway!

Loveyameanitbye.

106 comments:

  1. These cards are fabulous! I love the one with the raccoon!

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  2. Love the raccoon. Are especially. Very creative, beautiful cards.

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  3. Your trash can panda card is the best! Saying that, it is hard to even pick one as the best because all of your cards here were fabulous!

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  4. wow your cards are so sweet - really love the 'love bandit' card - s fun:)

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  5. Clever cute and colorful cards. Love your ideas and the rose card is beautiful.

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  6. I just love all your cards!! The raccoon caught in the spotlight is just adorable!! The modern heart background in full color is just gorgeous!! And that beautiful word "LOVE" is stupendous!! Thanks for sharing! You inspire me!!

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  7. Really fantastic cards! You combined the sets so well - creative and unique!

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  8. love the rainbow colored heart die card. so cute

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  9. Oh my goodness! Your second card made me laugh! What a creative thought to make the spotlight shine on him! Stunning! All your cards are lovely :)

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  10. NONE of these are typical Lydia style but ALL are SO YOU!!!!! Gorgeous cards Lydia! PS: I LOVE NECCOS AND CONVERSATION HEARTS

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  11. Oh for cute - and I agree about those wafers!!! :)

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  12. Awh for cute - and I agree about those wafers!!! :)

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  13. Your cards are awesome and that "trash panda" is the cutest!

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  14. "Trash bandit"! That is such a cute card. I love all the add-ons that come with this month's kit.

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  15. Yip....the bandit stole a heart!....really sweet cards....

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  16. I love your unique color combinations! The cards are all so adorable.

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  17. Your "trash panda" card is adorable! And your rainbow paper piecing card has convinced me I need that die!

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  18. Oh my , that trash panda really made my day !
    [margessw(at)icloud(dot)com]

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  19. These cards are stunning. I love the green and black together. You feel as I do about candy hearts/Necco. I laughed out loud. Thank you for sharing.

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  20. I love your rainbow heart card! It was well worth the effort! I'm not a fan of candy hearts either - (think Pepto Bismol?) The only kind of candy heart I need is chocolate!

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  21. Love these cards. THanks for the tip with the die. I have cut some things and really wanted to use the parts leftover and did not know how to keep them in place and move them to the a new card. Will use press and seal alot. Thanks again.

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  22. Fantastic cards! That word sentiment stamp is gorgeous and your "trash panda" card is too cute! Thanks for sharing your creations!

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  23. Ok, I am totally cracking UP now (even though you are wrong about the Necco wafers-- for a nickel, I could make a roll last all afternoon, especially the purple ones--I remember feeling so gypped when somebody made the conversation hearts with grape for the purple. Now that's hateful! The hearts are best eaten the following year, when they are hard enough to break teeth, and only Necco brand are worth buying. All that and some great cards, too! Loving the flashlight beam and the bright rainbow of hearts!! Thanks for some great ideas and controversial prose!

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  24. Three wonderful but so different cards! Love the "trash panda" card -- what a great design! I was delighted to see the green Love card - I am also not a big user of red and pink.!

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  25. Great cards! I love your use of the unexpected color -green! I cannot wait to get my kit! 😍

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  26. I like your unique cards with these new products. Love the raccoon.

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  27. I love what you did with paper piecing using the Window on Love die. Thanks for the tip using the Press 'n Seal.

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  28. You have really done great examples of what you can do with this release! So cute.

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  29. Really enjoyed this post! Love the Thief card!

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  30. I share your complicated relationship with "trash pandas". They can be mean little guys, but then be so cute. That's my fav of your cards although they're all terrific.

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  31. SO much to love! My top two... that amazing rainbow of hearts and the 'coon bandit!! That coon reminds me of Oscar the Grouch and I LOVE your light shining on him!! Those 'trash pandas' are SO onery, aren't they?!!

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  32. Love the kit! Cannot wait to start making cards with these beautiful stamps.

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  33. Love the kit! Cannot wait to start making cards with these beautiful stamps.

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  34. Love the way you used those outlines! NIce valentines!

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  35. Love, love, love the trash panda/bandit card! Very fun!

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  36. Such clever designs using the beautiful kit!! Thanks for the inspirations!

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  37. Ya know what? You did yourself proud. I love all of these. Love the green black white card, thought we were done but you kept topping it with card after card. Very cool. A real highlight so -- thanks.

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  38. Wow, really beautiful cards, my absolute fave is the trash panda, awesome design and coloring!

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  39. Fantastic cards. The raccoon is so adorable. Thanks for sharing...

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  40. Your cards are both beautiful and fun!!

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  41. Fabulous and special cards all! ♥ love the green and black combo ~ you're absolutely right, why always with the pink and red when there is so much color options :)

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  42. Your raccoon card is going to sell a lot of kits! it's adorable!

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  43. This kit looks LOVEly. I like how you chose very different color thems too!

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  44. So great to see these non traditional colors; they really give the cards a fresh, updated look. The racoons and heart card front are some of the best parts of this release.

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  45. Great cards. Colourful Window on love one is my favourite.

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  46. The racoon in the trash can with the flashlight is ingenious! The Rainbow heart and the gray rose with Prayers and all of your work is just stunning!! I learn so much!!

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  47. What you don’t like Necco wafers? They are like my favorite childhood candy and I still LOVE them today except the nasty black ones 🤮. Anywho I LOVE your cards and I can’t wait to get my HA kit so I can play too.

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  48. lol trash pandas (necco are good!)

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  49. Great cards and I love your trash panda story, lol!

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  50. Wow!!! Awesome set of cards!!! Love your colouring so much!!!

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  51. As always, your cards are clever and beautiful in the details. Thanks for the inspiration for the new kit and its add ons!

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  52. great cards, Lydia - love that new heart confetti die!

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  53. Love all of these and totally agree about the Necco wafers. You've inspired me to pull out my intricate dies and play.

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  54. I really like how you used the heart background die. The flashlight beam was genius on the adorable raccoon. All your cards are beautiful.TFS

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  55. Nice cards. Thank you for the opportunity to win!

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  56. Lydia, love the trash panda card! (I've never heard that name before, LOL!) The flashlight is awesome!! Thanks for the tips and tricks for the die cut. I have a similar die cut that I recently purchased and was looking for some ideas so, that was perfect!

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  57. Wonderful set of cards....I'm swept away with the LOVE stamp set!!!!
    Paper Hugs,
    Jan

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  58. Such great projects! I couldn't love the racoon more! <3

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  59. You do you Boo! I nearly died laughing at your Satan Candy story! As for the non traditional colors - again, you do you Boo! This is one of my favorite kit releases and your Green Love card Rocks!

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  60. Beautiful cards. Thank you SO much for the Press 'N Seal tip. I really struggle with piecing parts from intricate dies. This should be a great time saver!

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  61. Awesome cards! I'm not into the mushy stuff either so I feel you on that, although I do have to disagree on the necco wafers LOL!

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  62. Love that panda, awesome post:-)

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  63. It's always great to see unique interpretations of any theme, and we can count on you to produce amazing work. Fab projects.

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  64. Agggghhh! Such a cute idea putting the Raccoon under the spotlight, too cute! Thanks for sharing xx Mary Wright xx

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  65. Wow - your cards are fabulous! Really love the heart die!

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  66. Super fun cards! Love your raccoon in the trash can and the great colors on the heart cover plate die!

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  67. Never Eat Chalk Covered Objects (Necco)

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  68. Your projects are so cute. I love the raccoon.

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  69. So love your stories! We have raccoons too, but they stay away...and since we have bears, the trash has to be inside. ONCE the bear got our can while we were loading the car up.. So, lesson learned. Adorable card.. Love catching him in the act :)

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  70. Wow! These are absolutely amazing!!! Love the coloring of the flashlight!

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  71. Such good stuff here! Love the love in the neon green and the raccoon in the spotlight? That rainbow heart card reminds me of an album cover!

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  72. Trash Panda's OMG, still LOL!!! LOVE it, and know exactly how you feel about them!

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  73. Great cards - that little raccoon is the cutest thing ever.

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  74. Love your cards with that cool heart die!!

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  75. Fantastic cards!! I love the rainbow heart card a lot!

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  76. LOVE your trash panda card---love the flashlight detail!

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  77. Wow. This is my first time here and now I am a fan! With every explanation anticipation built to see the final card because your work is unexpected and smart! I appreciate the way you design out of the box! Thank you for sharing what you do well and I will be back!

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  78. The heart die is definitely my favorite!

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  79. Great cards! Love the lime Love card so pretty and I love the color! The racoon is so fun too!

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  80. Awesome cards! Love the scene with the raccoon!

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  81. Wow what awesome cards! I love the raccoon one!!!!

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  82. These are wonderful! I love the colors and the variations with the themes.

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  83. Fantastic, awesome cards. I can not pick a favourite as I like them all for different reasons, I'm glad you did an alternative colour love card as not everyone is into pink.
    Although I do not know what the wafer's are, you defiantly don't like them do you !

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  84. Fantastic cards! I love the non-traditional colours! I'm not a huge pink fan myself, so love seeing the non-traditional from others. Your raccoon card is simply adorable too!

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  85. Love your colors and the adorable cards you have made

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  86. Love your cards!! The trash-can panda is too cute and I Love what you did for the effect of the flashlight. The rainbow inlaid confetti hearts is a beautiful card, and the blue one following it is so simple yet just as beautiful! I agree that neither of them really need a sentiment as it would only distract. I will say, though, that your last card is my fave. It is just gorgeous!! The black and grey give it a dramatic effect. And I have to agree that it's a very well designed stamp set wit the openings on the stem and the little white highlights in several places on the solid stamps. So ingenius!!

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  87. Your trash raccoon is amazing. I also adore the Love Die (already sold out). I will definitely try your technique once I get the die and with some other cover dies I have. Thanks for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you!!! That die will come back in stock, since it's an add-on. Glad you enjoyed it!

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  88. Great release! AWESOME cards! I love your cute trash panda card, too funny!

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  89. I really like all the traditional Valentines Day Cards in this hop. I really like your nontraditional colors. The greens would be great for a man that doesn't like all the girly stuff.
    My favorite is definitely the card that looks like a stain glass window. I love bright and strong colors.

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  90. Love the 'trash panda' story and your super cards. Fantastic New release!

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  91. Such wonderful inspiration! This kit looks wonderful!

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  92. Love the trash can panda story and your creations are spectacular!

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  93. Love your non-traditional colors and the raccoon is adorable!

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  94. Trash? Pandas?? I had no idea to what u referred, so I read on.
    You soooooooooooo crack me up!
    LOVE ur stories!
    Me thinks though hast a second carreer as a writer.
    Definitely.
    Thank you for sharing ur many talents ;->

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  95. The raccoon card is everything! Love it! So darn cute. Thanks for sharing!

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