The SweetGeorgia Show

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087: Exploring Norwegian Colourwork Knitting with Eli of Skeindeer Knits Jul 30, 2019

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On this week's episode, Felicia is chatting with Eli: a London-based Norwegian knitting pattern designer highly influenced by traditional Norwegian knitting. She is also the hostess of the Skeindeer Knits podcast and has published over 100 episodes! Join Felicia and Eli as they chat about colourwork knitting!

"...me personally I think you can change things that have been a certain way and it will still be that thing and ok but even if it's not that thing anymore... that's how things take on new forms and become interesting and new things... either way I think that's cool" - Eli on wether a design is truly considered a traditional Selbu mitten or not

In this episode, we talk about:

0:49 Felicia and Eli chat about Vlogmas and when Eli visited the SweetGeorgia studios for a knit night
3:30 Eli discusses how she first got into knitting and knitwear design
9:37 Felicia and Eli chat about Selbu mittens and why Eli is hesitant to accept her nickname "The Queen of Selbu Mittens"
14:30 Discussing the thumb of the Selbu mitten
15:43 Eli discusses the unique features of Norwegian stranded colourwork knitting
20:05 Felicia asks Eli if she feels any pressure as a Norwegian knitwear designer to uphold the traditions of Norwegian knitting styles
21:24 Felicia asks Eli about how she started her YouTube podcast
27:04 Eli gives advice to anyone wanting to start their own YouTube channel
30:50 Eli chats about being a PHD student and knitwear designer at the same time
33:10 Felicia asks Eli about her plans for after she gets her PHD
34:47 Where to find Eli online
36:12 Felicia's Final Notes

Here's Where You Can Find Eli:

Website: www.skeindeer.com

YouTube Podcast: www.youtube.com/skeindeerknits

Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/designers/skeindeer-knits

Ravelry Group: www.ravelry.com/groups/skeindeer-knits

Instagram: @skeindeer

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we're doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, so we welcome your comments.

Thank you all so much for your continued support of our show! Until next time, enjoy colour!

Music Credits:

Playbook of Happiness – by RimskyMusic

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086: Benjamin Krudwig on the Millenial Myth Jul 16, 2019

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This week Felicia welcomes Benjamin Krudwig: a textile and fashion designer from Lafayette, Colorado. Benjamin teaches tapestry and rigid heddle weaving in shops along the Colorado front range. When he isn't designing, he's spending time with his wife and two cats!

Join Felicia and Benjamin as they discuss how to welcome more people into the fibre arts world!

"What I've figured out that works best for me is scheduling it into my life... from this time to this time I'm going to be in my studio. And whatever the means it could be weaving, could be sewing, could be sketching... I've carved out that time for me... there isn't really a magic wand except for try to make it a priority... if we don't put that into our schedule then it's never going to happen... I think... allowing yourself to have that is important. " - Benjamin Krudwig on finding the time for fibre arts projects

In this episode, we talk about:

2:00 Benjamin chats about how he got into the fibre arts industry
4:45 Benjamin shares what he is most passionate about at the moment in the fibre arts
5:31 Felicia asks Benjamin about his fashion line and sewing with handwoven fabrics
8:23 How does Benjamin find time to do so many different projects?
12:33 Bejamin's perspective on how to bring people to the fibre arts and possible challenges Millenials face trying to get into the fibre arts world
20:00 What does Benjamin have planned for 2019?
21:27 Benjamin's advice for those who want to get into the fibre arts but don't have a lot of extra income to play with
24:29 Felicia asks Benjamin about his project for the spin along Schacht held as part of their 50th anniversary celebration
26:09 Where you can find Benjamin and his many projects online
28:08 Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway!

Here's Where You Can Find Benjamin:

Website: www.benjaminkrudwig.com

Fashion Website: www.benjamincollyn.com

Fibre Arts Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/BenjaminKrudwig

Fibre Arts Instagram: @benjamin_krudwig

Fashion Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/BenjaminCollyn

Fashion Instagram: @benjamin_collyn

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/benjaminkrudwig

Enter the Giveaway for a Free Custom Made T-shirt from Benjamin's Fashion Line:

Benjamin is generously offering a custom made t-shirt from his fashion line in his printed branch or mountain fabric!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thanks for Listening!

085: Weaving with Meaning with Sarah Resnick of GIST Yarn & Fibre Jul 02, 2019

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This week, Felicia is talking with Sarah Resnick, the founder of GIST Yarn & Fibre: a little shop dedicated to providing beautiful and unusual yarn and weaving supplies to inspire the community of weavers.

Join Felicia and Sarah as they discuss the resurgence of weaving within the crafting community!

"I... like the process of... making it but... one thing I love about weaving is that it's so tangible... and it's so great for making things that people will have for a long time... the Jewish prayer shawls that I have woven... stay in their lives for a long time and I like the fact that... through a process that comes with a lot of love... there is a finished project that really... can have a meaning in someone's life or in my own " - Sarah Resnick on wether she is process-driven or project-driven

In this episode, we talk about:

1:23 Felicia asks Sarah how she discovered yarn and the fibre arts
8:14 What equipment Sarah is currently weaving on
9:02 Is Sarah project-driven or process-driven?
10:58 Sarah's favourite things to weave
12:04 Felicia and Sarah chat about baby wraps
17:56 Other than her Etsy shop and baby wrap business, what other textile and fibre projects has Sarah pursued?
20:50 Sarah's advice for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the weaving world and how GISTis helping to spread weaving education
24:28 The recent resurgence of weaving and what draws people to the craft
26:31 How Sarah finds time for her own personal weaving projects
27:41 Sarah's future plans for GIST
29:56 Where to find Sarah online
30:48 Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway

Here's Where You Can Find Sarah and GIST Yarn & Fibre:

Website: www.gistyarn.com

Podcast: www.gistyarn.com/podcast

Instagram: @gistyarn

Facebook: www.facebook.com/gistyarn

Enter to win 3 cones of Gist Yarn & Fibre's Duet Weaving Yarn:

Sarah is giving one of our lucky winners a chance to win 3 cones of Gist Yarn & Fibre's newest weaving yarn: Duet! Duet is a beautiful cotton linen blend yarn that is perfect for your next weaving project!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you all so much for your continued support of our show! Until next time, enjoy colour!

084: Slow Fibre in a Fast World with Katrina Stewart Jun 18, 2019

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This week, Felicia has a special in-studio guest: Katrina Stewart of Crafty Jak's. Crafty Jak's was founded by the mother-daughter team of Judi and Katrina as a way to share the things that they love about crafts and the fibre arts such as hand-dyed yarns, as well as hand-dyed and hand-carded spinning fibre. Katrina also teaches various spinning classes at our SweetGeorgia studios as well as other yarn shops in town. We have also recently released a video-based online workshop called Carding for Colourwhere Katrina teaches fibre preparation techniques.

Join Felicia and Katrina as they chat about fibre, spinning, colour, and everything in between!

"...When you've put so much time and energy into something... it feels like you can't just throw it away. But I think too if you can look at it from 'What did I learn from that experience?' and take that knowledge away, then it really hasn't been wasted in the same way... It's one of those things where if we look at it as a learning experience then it's not wasted." - Katrina Stewart on felted fibre and learning

In this episode, we talk about:

1:52 Katrina chats about how she got started with fibre arts
6:29 Felicia asks Katrina what end results she is looking for when making her carded fibre and preparing fibre
8:52 Katrina talks about her steep learning curve she encountered on her spinning and dyeing journey and all the felted fibre along the way
12:29 How did Katrina make the transition form having a photography business to a fibre business?
17:06 What Katrina brings from her career as a photographer to her fibre arts business and competition in the hand-dyed industry
25:39 Felicia asks Katrina how she balances the slow nature of carding fibre with the business requirements for efficiency
30:50 Katrina chats about her new book she published with Rachel Smith - Unbraided: The Art and Science of Spinning Colour
34:07 How Katrina and Rachel met and became friends and collaborators
38:05 The difficulties of managing a business and raising a family
46:53 Katrina's plans for 2019
51:42 Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway

Here's Where You Can Find Katrina:

Website: www.craftyjaks.ca

Instagram: @craftyjaks

Order a copy of Unbraided here: www.craftyjaks.ca/ourstore/books/unbraided-the-art-and-science-of-spinning-colour/

Order an e-copy of Unbraided here: www.blurb.ca/b/9456971-unbraided-the-art-science-of-spinning-colour?ebook=695655

Enter the Giveaway for a free copy of Unbraided: The Art and Science of Spinning Colour:

Katrina and Rachel are giving away a copy of their new book: Unbraided: The Art and Science of Spinning Colour! If you'd like a chance to win an e-book copy, click the link below and enter this

083: Sustainable and Slow Yarns with Nomad Noos Jun 04, 2019

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This week Felicia welcomes Coty Jeronimus to The SweetGeorgia Show. Coty is one of the co-founders of Nomad Noos: a new mission-driven luxury yarn company that is dedicated to the concept of slow cloth and slow fashion. Coty and her co-founder Alessandra work to bring handspun, sustainably sourced yarn from Mongolia and Nepal to the hand knitting community. At the core of their mission is this question: What if your favourite knitted project not only gives you a good feeling but also has a positive impact on the world too?

Please join Felicia and Coty as they discuss the process of making beautiful and sustainable yarn!

"...I was like wow you know I like to knit and I like yarns and I... really want to do something and to show that even with a small brand you can be transparent and you can be traceable and doing good... as a knitter you take time to knit and then have a supply chain where also this is valued.. that was in fact the seed to start Nomad Noos" - Coty on the reason behind the creation of Nomad Noos

In this episode, we talk about:

2:14 Coty explains what the Nomad Noos business entails
3:30 Coty chats about the kinds of animal fibre Nomand Noos uses in their yarns and how it's collected
8:28 Felicia and Coty chat about how the fibre is processed after being collected
10:36 Felicia asks Coty about the team of spinners Nomad Noos employs and their kickstarter campaign
17:24 Discussing what happens to the yarns after they are spun
21:49 How Nomad Noos got started
26:30 Discussing the value of slow cloth and slow fashion
28:21 What does the name "Nomad Noos" mean?
29:28 Where to find Nomad Noos online
31:27 Felicia's Final Notes

Here's Where You Can Find Nomad Noos:

Website: www.nomadnoos.com

Kickstarter Campaign (ends June 14th 2019): www.kickstarter.com/projects/nomadnoos/luxurious-yarns-with-a-mission-by-nomadnoos

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nomadnoos

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nomadnoos

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you all so much for your continued support of our show! Until next time, enjoy colour!

Music Credits:

Playbook of Happiness – by RimskyMusic

Click to subscribe on iTunes

Subscribe on Stitcher Radio

082: Crafting a Creative Business with Hanna Lisa Haferkamp May 21, 2019

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This week Felicia is chatting with Hanna Lisa Haferkamp who runs HLH Designs: a project bag and knitting tool company. Alongside HLH, Hanna Lisa also runs a successful coaching practice for creative business owners and co-founded and currently runs Making Stories: an independent knitwear design publishing company.

Join Felicia and Hanna Lisa as they discuss how to start, run, and sustain a creative business.

“Starting off a production based business, starting off small and really focusing on making products that are really really good that you’re proud of… even if that’s in just really small batch numbers… that’s key and that will allow you to then gradually… make more sales and then reinvest the money… into more raw materials and then figuring out what kind of business model really works for you… wether it’s a shop update based… wether you’re doing wholesale or not… I think that can all gradually come as long as you’re really focused on making a really good product and figuring out what your unique story… your niche is. ” – Hanna Lisa Haferkamp on production based businesses

In this episode, we talk about:

1:12 Felicia reminisces about how she first found out about Hanna Lisa and her work
2:17 Felicia asks Hanna Lisa to introduce herself to the audience and how she got started in the creative world
10:06 Hanna Lisa discusses what kind of clients she supports through her coaching practice and the financial problems experienced when trying to be a knitwear designer or small creative business owner
15:15 What is Hanna Lisa’s advice when it comes to becoming a top knitwear designer?
18:05 Felicia and Hanna Lisa discuss pattern pricing: What’s a fair price to charge?
20:27 Hanna Lisa chats about what it’s like to start a manufacturing business like HLH Designs
23:44 Hanna Lisa describes her main product: her project bags
26:32 Hanna Lisa and Felicia chat about the “Slow Business Experiment”
35:15 How Hanna Lisa splits her time between 3 businesses
39:00 Hanna Lisa’s advice to those that want to start a creative business
42:55 Felicia asks Hanna Lisa what her plans for 2019 are
49:19 Felicia’s Final Notes

Here’s Where You Can Find Hanna Lisa:

Website: www.hlh-designs.com

Business Coaching Website: www.hannalisahaferkamp.com

Making Stories: www.making-stories.com

Business Instagram: @hlh.design

Personal Instagram: @hannalisahaferkamp

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we’re doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or

081: Finding Your Colour Courage with Tien Chiu May 07, 2019

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Our guest this week is Tien Chiu: a master weaver and (in Tien’s own words) a “certified colour nut”. Tien’s work has been exhibited in museums and featured on the cover of Handwoven magazine. She’s the author of Master Your Craft: Strategies for Designing, Making, and Selling Artisan Work; a book about creative process in craft. She has woven hundred of handwoven fabric swatches and dyed over 2,500 yarn samples in her quest to understand colour. Tien now teaches about colour in weaving at warpandweave.com.

Please join Felicia and Tien as they chat about weaving, colour, and the courage to make mistakes.

“You can do so many things with weaving… There’s this thing that I think of as the ratio between head and hands… it’s the amount of design time versus the amount of time that you spend making something. So I like solving puzzles… and with knitting there’s not as much to think about… I can design something in knitting that will take a lot longer to knit than it will to design in general… with weaving I find that 80% of my time is spent in design and that’s the part that I really enjoy… It will take me months to design something that will take me about a week and a half to weave. ” – Tien Chiu on explaining her love of weaving

In this episode, we talk about:

1:18 Felicia asks Tien how she got started with the fibre arts
4:36 Tien describes how she became a textile artist full-time
7:55 Tien chats about how she discovered one of her main passions in life: weaving
12:22 Felicia asks Tien about her weaving equipment
14:48 Tien offers words of encouragement to those who are curious about weaving but don’t know where to start
16:44 Tien discusses her time with studying with master weaver Laura Fry
21:52 Felicia asks Tien how she furthers her weaving education on her own after spending time with Laura
27:05 Tien chats about her online school Warp & Weave that teaches classes about colour and weaving and her phenomenal library of Procion MX fibre-reactive dye samples on her website
33:27 Felicia asks Tien what her goal is in creating this school to teach about colour
38:38 Where you can find Tien and her work online
39:32 Felicia’s Final Notes and Giveaway!

Here’s Where You Can Find Tien:

Warp & Weave: www.warpandweave.com

Warp & Weave Courses Page: www.classes.warpandweave.com

Tien’s Blog: www.tienchiu.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/warpandweavecolor

Enter the Giveaway for a free online course from Warp & Weave:

Tien is giving away a free pass to her online course: Colour Courage for Weavers -Basic! If you’d like a chance to win one of this amazing course, click the link below and enter this episode’s secret word. Thank you so much to Tien for donating this prize to our listeners!

080: Cakes, Colourwork, and Vikings with Dianna Walla Apr 23, 2019

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This week, Felicia is chatting with Dianna Walla, a knitwear designer currently based in Montreal, Canada. Originally from the United States, Dianna has also lived in Northern Norway for 2 years. The nordic region continues to have a strong influence on her work and she is especially inspired by stranded colourwork in Norwegian knitting. She’s created many colourwork patterns for magazines, yarn companies, yarn stores, and her own brand: Paper Tiger. She also creates videos dealing with colourwork and related topics on the Paper Tiger YouTube channel.

Please join Felicia and Dianna as they discuss revitalizing colourwork knitting in modern aesthetics.

“The hardest thing is figuring out what to relinquish control of, because sometimes when you end up working for yourself it’s because you like to… have control over what you’re doing and as soon as you hand it off to somebody else you’re… trusting them with this piece of your work which matters a lot to you… But it makes a big difference… ” – Dianna Walla on the pros and cons of outsourcing aspects of knitwear design

In this episode, we talk about:

1:57 Dianna discusses how she came to love knitting
3:23 How did Dianna expand her knitting skills?
5:30 How did Dianna get into knitwear design
7:00 Digital or analog designing: which does Dianna prefer?
8:33 Discussing the balance between Dianna’s creative world and academic world and the complications of translating knitting patterns
13:05 How to go about becoming a knitwear designer
16:00 How does Dianna find balance between photography, creating tutorial videos, marketing, and all the other aspects of being a self-published knitwear designer
18:42 The differences between Dianna’s two blogs: Cake and Vikings and Paper Tiger
23:19 What trends are currently being seen on social media in regards to knitwear design
25:52 Dianna describes Norwegian style colourwork knitting, why she loves it, and how she uses it in her designs
29:29 Felicia and Dianna discuss yarn selection regarding colourwork knitting
33:33 How do you help customers find colours that work for them and work well together?
38:04 What Dianna is exploring right now
40:08 Is there anything Dianna knows now that she wishes she had known when she started?
41:42 Where to find Dianna online
42:33 Felicia’s Final Notes

Here’s Where You Can Find Dianna:

Instagram: @cakeandvikings

Website: www.paper-tiger.net

YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PaperTiger

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you all so much for y

079: Street Fashion and Modern Colour in Knitwear Design with Caitlin Hunter Apr 09, 2019

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This week, Felicia is chatting with Caitlin Hunter. Caitlin runs her own knitwear design company called Boyland Knitworks and lives in Oregon with her husband and three boys. Caitlin has a degree in apparel design and manufacturing and worked as a designer in the traditional fashion manufacturing industry before leaving her career to care for her children before becoming the successful knitwear designer she is today. Caitlin’s garments feature fantastic stranded colourwork and are designed to be fashionable, comfortable, and fun!

Please join Felicia and Caitlin for their discussion on fashion, colour, and designing!

” In fashion for so long we women have been… stuffed into uncomfortable garments. So there’s nothing really less flattering than seeing somebody who they might look great standing still but they can’t walk in their outfit… or they’re pulling on their hem, adjusting things… it’s not fun to be that person… To try to find that happy balance between looking good and feeling good… that’s my sweet spot. ” – Caitlin Hunter on designing knitwear that’s fun to make and wear

In this episode, we talk about:

1:18 Caitlin chats about how she got interested in knitting
8:15 Felicia asks Caitlin what inspires her knitwear designs
10:53 Talking about comfort in knitwear patterns
11:53 Felicia asks Caitlin what she thinks makes a knitwear pattern go viral
14:17 Does Caitlin get nervous before launching a new design?
17:12 Chatting about the price of knitwear patterns. What is the value of a pattern and how much work goes into being a knitwear designer?
21:08 Caitlin and Felicia talk about trying to find balance between work and family
27:15 Caitlin discusses her passion for stranded colourwork knitting
30:13 Colour dominance in stranded colourwork knitting
32:14 How Caitlin chooses colours for her projects
33:10 Is there anything Caitlin wishes she had known before becoming a knitwear designer?
34:30 What is currently inspiring Caitlin and what plans she has for 2019
37:10 Where you can find Caitlin online
38:32 Felicia’s Final Notes

Here’s Where You Can Find Caitlin:

Instagram: @boylandknitworks

Website: www.boylandknitworks.com

Ravelry: Boyland Knitworks

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you all so much for your continued support of our show! Until next time, enjoy colour!

Music Credits:

Playbook of Happiness – by RimskyMusic

Click to subscribe on iTunes

Subscribe on Stitcher Radio

078: Creating Colour Systems with Alanna Wilcox Mar 26, 2019

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This week’s guest is Alanna Wilcox: a Master Spinner, art educator, weaver, knitter, artist, author, and teacher! Alanna has also written an incredible book on spinning, A New Spin On Colour and a dyeing guide, Dyeing To Get The Colours You Want.

Please join Felicia and Alanna as they discuss spinning and Alanna’s massive dye formula project she is undertaking!

In this episode, we talk about:

1:45 Alanna chats about how she got into the fibre arts
4:01 Alanna shares her journey of becoming a Master Spinner
7:44 Felicia asks Alanna to share more details of the intensive Master Spinner course
10:10 Alanna discusses her personal goals with spinning
12:15 Alanna shares with us the massive dyeing project she is currently undertaking: colour matching dye formulas
17:55 Felicia and Alanna discuss the number of primary colours one can use while dyeing
21:36 When Alanna’s project will be available to the public (Note: as of this episode publication, her colour formulas are now available for purchase on her website!)
23:32 Felicia asks Alanna how she keeps track of all her swatches and samples while completing this project
25:20 Is colour sense and colour theory something anyone can learn?
27:17 Alanna chats about what it takes to teach fibre arts
30:56 Felicia asks Alanna how she manages to balance teaching, dyeing experiments, and having a family
32:52 Alanna chats about her 100 Day Project
35:04 Felicia and Alanna chat about electric spinners
37:43 Where you can find Alanna online
38:46 Felicia’s Final Notes

Here’s Where You Can Find Alanna:

Instagram: @spinnybuns

Website: www.alannawilcox.com

Colour Matching Dye Formulas: www.alannawilcox.com/colormatchingdyeformulas

Facebook: Alanna Rothschild Wilcox

Enter the Giveaway for a copy of A New Spin on Colour and 5 Free Dye Formulas:

Alanna is giving our listeners a chance to win an e-copy of her book A New Spin on Colour and 5 free dye formulas! If you’d like a chance to win this awesome prize pack, click the link below and enter this episode’s secret word. Thank you so much Alanna!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

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In this episode, we talk about:

Here's Where You Can Find Eli:

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In this episode, we talk about:

Here's Where You Can Find Benjamin:

Enter the Giveaway for a Free Custom Made T-shirt from Benjamin's Fashion Line:

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In this episode, we talk about:

Here's Where You Can Find Sarah and GIST Yarn & Fibre:

Enter to win 3 cones of Gist Yarn & Fibre's Duet Weaving Yarn:

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In this episode, we talk about:

Here's Where You Can Find Katrina:

Enter the Giveaway for a free copy of Unbraided: The Art and Science of Spinning Colour:

In this episode, we talk about:

Here's Where You Can Find Nomad Noos:

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In this episode, we talk about:

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Enter the Giveaway for a copy of A New Spin on Colour and 5 Free Dye Formulas:

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