Creative Squad

Little Wonder – Marsha Valk

Hello from the Creative Squad and today we have another farewell post – this one from the super talented Marsha Valk! Marsha has been a joy to have on the squad and we will miss her but of course we will still be watching what she’s up to online :) Today Marsha brings us a lovely little trio of mixed media canvases and a how-to video. She’s using my Actually I Can and Fanfare rubber stamp sets and my Central Ave stencil. This month’s theme is: Little Wonder – We’re thinking small this month and focusing in on a tiny scale, exploring the delicate details, and creating something that is petite and precious.

 

“Wie wat bewaard, die heeft wat” is a saying in Dutch. It translates into: Someone who saves things has something.

On the lookout for ideas for this month’s prompt, I found a pack of four mini canvases while rummaging in my studio cabinet. I have no recollection of buying them, or why. I’m sure I thought they would come in handy one day. And they did!

Our mission this month is to use a small rubber stamp that we haven’t used before and a stencil.

There is no chance of me not having used a stamp in my n*Studio collection. However, I’ve been dying to do a project with the ladies from the Actually I Can Cling Rubber Stamp Set. And, for this special occasion, they will be joined by the Fashion Dame, an old friend from one of Nat’s earliest stamp releases.

Watch the step-by-step video to see how I combined the Millie Cling Rubber stamp with the tiniest set of stamps in n*Studio collection and one of Nat’s 4”x4” stencils.

Wishing you lots of little wonders!

Marsha.

Thank you Marsha! These little canvases just make us smile :) And what a great way to end your time with us here – it has been so much fun sharing your unique creative vision with our readers!

Want to try some mini canvases like Marsha has here? You can find all my Rubber Stamps and Stencils in my Online Shop and here are some of the other products she used:

Feel inspired? Working on something yourself that you’d like to share?  I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

Nat

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Layers of Love – Maura Hibbitts

  

Hello and welcome to a post from my Creative Squad! Today we have a gorgeous art journal page from Maura Hibbitts, layering up my Fashion Dame stamp set, my  Art Deco Wallpaper, Amsterdam, and New Orleans stencils and totally rocking this month’s theme: Layers of Love – We love layers and all the juicy yummy goodness they bring to mixed media. This month we’re layering it up and letting viewers discover all the different strata of our artistic mark making.

I headed to my Dina Wakley Media Journal and started by brushing on a layer of Turquoise paint in a rather imperfect way so some white would still show. While the first layer dried, I worked on creating the “fabric” for the outfit. I used Prima watercolors and painted a couple of different designs on watercolor paper.

I stamped the Fashion Dame onto watercolor paper with black archival ink, then used a water brush and watercolors to color in the skin tones. I stamped the clothing onto the “fabric” designs I created earlier, then put her outfit on, and added some gold highlights.

Back to the art journal page for a stenciled layer. I used the Art Deco Wallpaper stencil and Green Gold paint and a cosmetic sponge to stencil in the design. Once that dried, I turned the stencil upside down and added another sponged layer, this time with Ultramarine Blue paint.

With the cool colors laid down and completely dry, next up are the warm colors to layer on top. I used the Amsterdam stencil from the Fashion Dame, and dabbed in yellow and orange with a sponge. I only stenciled parts of the background in each color.

While I loved the layers I had created in the background, I knew my Dame would be lost, and anything I wrote would be hard to read, so I whitewashed the page. I used a translucent white and painted a thin layer over the page. I went in with a baby wipe and scrubbed back some areas since I still wanted color to show through.

Time for a little gold. I really like adding a bit of metallic, and the gold adds a subtle layer to the page. I used the New Orleans stencil and a pale gold and randomly sponged gold onto the page.

I adhered the Dame with foam tape, then scribbled around her with a Stabilo graphite pencil. Next, I softened it with a water brush. This is a great way to create more depth on your page. I also added in some scribbly lines underneath her to ground her.

I hand-lettered a great quote on beauty by Hedda Sterne – “For the sublime and beautiful and the interesting, you don’t have to look far away.” It is always interesting to me how my mind can work in the background when I am creating. The Fashion Dame has an Asian look to her, and the Art Deco Wallpaper has the appearance of fans. I really was not thinking about this while working, but when I stepped back I saw that connection.

Thank you Maura! I love all those layers and what a great quote – I definitely think if you look, the sublime and beautiful are all around us :) Here are some of the supplies Maura used:



Feel inspired? Working on something yourself that you’d like to share?  I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

Nat

Comments (2)

  • Sue Clarke

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    Gorgeous layers and colors Maura!

    Reply

    • Maura

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      Thanks Sue!!

      Reply

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Inspiration From Around the Globe! January 2017

This Tuesday we’re taking a short break from our Creative Squad (they will be back next week with a new February theme to play with!) to bring you some amazing projects from around the globe. My stamps and stencil designs are available for purchase online and maybe even in your local craft store, so crafters and mixed media artists and art journalers from around the world are using them. I am always excited to see how YOU use my products in your own projects. I am even more excited to share some of the beautiful and creative examples of these projects with you today. Enjoy this inspiration from around the globe!

Mary Beth Shaw had some fun with my NEW Lady Liberty Cling Rubber stamp in her art journal in Missouri, USA.

From Virginia, USA, Dana Tatar created this fun mixed media board using my Bird Foam Stamp set and she cleverly used the trouser stamp from my Fashion Dame Stamp set to create the purple stripes in the background.

Gunvor Andersson Storck in Sweden brings us a really cool Happy New Year card using my Urban Scribble Foam Stamp set.

From the USA, Cindy Gilstrap has created a cute pencil case using my Typewriter stencil.

Mary Thoma from Oklahoma, USA has used my Art Deco Wallpaper stencil to create a background in this beautiful mixed media piece.

From the Netherlands, Jacqueline van Zuiden created this uplifting mixed media piece using my Bird Foam Stamp set and my Urban Scribble Foam Stamp set.


Finally, Kristie Taylor shares this amazing underwater shrine with us and in the video above she shows how she used my Crackle stencil to create such gorgeous texture.

Join us again next Tuesday for another great project from one of our Creative Squad members! They will be working with a new theme for February. And in the meantime, share with me what you’ve been working on with my stamps and stencils. I would love to feature your project in an upcoming post!

Try some of the above techniques for yourself with these n*Studio supplies:


Nat

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Always Believe or… In My Art Journal Today

alwaysbelieveaj01

“Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen”

Word!

always-believe-steps

For this spread I had painted some happy colors onto the art journal pages and then used a pencil to scratch in some journaling. Next I colored in circles and before the paint dried, I layered the stencil which his included in the Fashion Dame Stamp Set over the wet paint. I took off the wet paint through the stencil with a baby wipe. I used the rubber attached to my pencil and dipped it in paint to add little circles throughout the spread.

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I stamped the Fashion Dame and layered the skirt and jacket on top and colored it in with acrylic paint.

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As you can see, lot’s of layers and it was fun to create.

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Here are the supplies I used for this art journal spread – some links are affiliate links:

SuppliesCJS

Have a gorgeous day and …always believe!!!

Nat

Comments (2)

  • Sue Clarke

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    Attitude is everything!
    Thanks for spreading some joy with your art and blog Nat!!!

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      Thank you Sue for your support and making me believe :)

      Reply

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Say Yes to New Adventures – Michelle Rydell

CS August Say Yes

It’s Tuesday and time for my Creative Squad to share a project with you with this month’s theme: “Say Yes to New Adventures”. Throughout the month of August, the team has been using any of my n*Studio Stamps and Stencils they would like to use to interpret the theme. Here in the northern hemisphere, summer is coming to a close and it’s about time to seize the days and go on a little adventure before hibernation! With this in mind, the team has created something that celebrates the spirit of adventure.

This week we bring you Michelle Rydell and an art journal page all about her adventures with love!

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Michelle August Headshot

As soon as I heard that the theme for this month was “Say Yes to New Adventures,” I knew I wanted to do a colorful, many-layered page, to represent the many adventures I’ve had with my hubby Michael! I also thought it would be a great opportunity to make the creation of the page an adventure in itself, by letting it develop organically, instead of having a set plan before beginning…

Here’s how it went…  I opened to a page in my journal that already had the background painted, and a few random collage elements pasted on. I set up my table with a bunch of Dylusions acrylic paints, and foam tools, and got to work…

Rydell Adventure 1

The first stencil I used was the one from the Fashion Dame set, which I applied randomly around the page with turquoise paint…

Rydell Adventure 2

And then added some white doodling with a paint pen.

Rydell Adventure 3

Next I used the Batik Stencil, with Pomegranate paint for contrast. I applied random bits of it in the “empty” spaces…

Rydell Adventure 4

I kept up the same process, adding the stencils from the following foam stamp sets: Bird (in pink), Elephant (in yellow) and then Urban Scribble (in orange), adding doodling here and there along the way…

Rydell Adventure 5

Rydell Adventure 6

At this point, I printed out a 5 x 7” photo from our wedding, and gently set it where I thought I wanted it to go, outlining with a Stabilo all pencil.

Rydell Adventure 7

I removed the photo (so as to not get it dirty) and activated the water-soluble pencil with matte medium to make a nice black frame for contrast. After that I realized the page was needing some drippage! Over to the spray station it went, and high flow paint was added along the top edge, spraying with water to increase the dripping effect.

Rydell Adventure 8

Looking at the page without the photo gave me an idea – that frame would be a perfect place to put the quote I had in mind! Busting out the stabilo pencil again, I created the journaling lines, and then used a paint pen to create the background and lettering. I stepped back and took a look… I felt like it was complete! No photo needed! Here’s how the final page turned out…

Rydell Adventure 9

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Michelle’s art journal page was an adventure in creation and I love the outcome with all those layers and that quote.

She used the supplies listed below (some are affiliate links):

SuppliesCJS


Maybe you will even play along with us -I would love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

See you next Tuesday for another project from the Creative Squad with a brand new theme for September!

Nat

Comments (4)

  • Marit

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    That photo is so cute but I too love the page with the quote… just ‘knowing’ that it represents that particular photo makes it complete. Great page Michelle!

    Reply

  • Joi @RR

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    Well, Michelle – I just have to say that I adored your page before you added the drippings. However… I like the end result because it is unique and it makes you happy too! Love how you added the sentiment. FUN and FUNKY!!! j.

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    Lovely page Michelle.
    Thanks for sharing your techniques.

    Reply

  • Julie Tucker

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    This is gorgeous! LOVING the colors and that quote!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply

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Inspiration from Around the Globe… August!

nspiration from around

This Tuesday we’re taking a short break from our Creative Squad (they will be back next week with one last “Say Yes to New Adventures” project) to bring you some amazing projects from around the globe. As you know, my stamps and stencil designs are available for purchase online and maybe even in your local craft store, so crafters and mixed media artists and art journalers from around the world are using them. I am always excited to see how YOU use my products in your own projects. I am even more excited to share some of the beautiful and creative examples of these projects with you today. Enjoy this inspiration from around the globe!

Global Kathy Adams South Carolina

First we have a whole flock of feathered friends (yes, that’s my Bird Foam Stamp set in action) from Kathy Adams in South Carolina. Her four mini canvases are inspired by the four seasons and are super fun!

Global Andrea Braun Germany

From Andrea Braun in Germany we have a beautifully textured art journal page using my Urban Scribble Foam Stamp set.  I love how she incorporates the alphabet in low relief in this one.

Vicky Papaioannou from Greece brings us this happy and colorful art journal page featuring my Elephant Foam Stamp set.  Watch how she creates this vibrant spread and how she masters the use of my stamp set too!
Global Tina Walker Pennsylvania

Global Tina Walker PA 2

From Pennsylvania, our newest Creative Squad member Tina Walker demonstrates 2 really cool ways to use my Fashion Dame stamp set. First she casts adorable little resin jackets to use on some really sweet tags and then she puts together a fresh looking art journal page.

Global Judi Kauffman 1 Global Judi Kauffman 2

Here are a couple of envelopes by Judi Kauffman in Maryland using my Bird Foam Stamp set.  I just love how she used all the pieces in the set, including the stencil, to create these charming envelopes. Wouldn’t you love to find one of these in your mailbox?

Global Riikka Kovasin Finland

Finally is this nifty printed canvas pencil case from one of my former students, Riikka Kovasin from Finland.  She layered a bunch of designs including my Marks stamp set on this little case and the results are awesome.

Join us again next Tuesday for another great project from one of our Creative Squad members!  And in the meantime, share with me what you’ve been working on with my stamps and stencils.  I would love to feature your project in an upcoming post!

Try some of the above techniques for yourself with these n*Studio supplies:


Nat

Comments (2)

  • Joi @RR

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    What fun to see your FAB stamps and stencils in so many creations from around the world. Smiling big! Xj.

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    Love love love the canvas pencil case!!!

    Reply

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My Own Drum – Michelle Rydell

CS June My Own Drum

It’s Tuesday again and time for my Creative Squad to share a project with you with this month’s theme: “My Own Drum”. Throughout the month of June, the team will use my new Fashion Dame Rubber Stamp Set to interpret the theme. This theme is all about inspiration, creativity, and personal expression. I asked my squad to create something that celebrates the power of individuality. March to the beat of your own Mixed Media drum this month!

This week we bring you an art journal spread by Michelle Rydell . Michelle created a super fun outfit for her Fashion Dame and she colorfully marches to her own drum !

 

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Michelle June Headshot

When I saw Nat’s Fashion Dame stamp and stencil set, it reminded me of the happy hours I spent making paper dolls when I was a kid. I used to love to cut women out of the Penneys catalog, and make outfits for them. Did any of you do that, or was it just me?

Anyhoo, the theme for this month – “Marching to my own Drum,” gave me a chance to do that again! Here’s what I did…

  1. My goal was to create an outfit for the fashion dame that was a style that fits my personality. I stamped her onto white cardstock. Then I got out my lightbox, placed typing paper over the top, and started drawing outfits to fit. I drew three so I would have options. (I used my pinterest style board for inspiration). I sketched with pencil first, and then went over the designs with a superfine pitt pen. This could get addicting! You can see two of the three designs in the first two pictures…

RydellMarching1

RydellMarching2

2. Then I started on the background. I first painted a quick layer of blue and green (ceramcoat craft acrylics), then stenciled a darker turquoise (dylusions) over the top, with the stencil that comes with the fashion dame kit.

RydellMarching3

3. At that point, I wanted to bring the background and dame together. First step was to create a ground for her to stand on, so I tore some text paper and pasted it on.

4. Then I wrote out the title with paint pens in a variety of colors.

RydellMarching4

5. To finish it up, I added a quote by Brene Brown, and a bunch of doodles. Her outfit is colored with Prismacolor Pencils, and I made her blonde (since I’m blonde) with a paint marker. Here’s the finished page…

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Michelle’s page makes me so happy- the awesome outfit and the colors- and my oh my her lettering- yum!

Michelle used the supplies listed below (some are affiliate links):

SuppliesCJS


Maybe you will even play along with us -I would love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

See you next Tuesday for another project from the Creative Squad!

 

Nat

Comments (4)

  • Tracy Welham

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    Fabulous! Love the colours. Creative Blessings, Tracy x

    Reply

  • Stampendous Stamps

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    WOW!! Oh, my, Michelle! This is absolutely fantastic!! And what a great idea! Love how your page came out and the super creative solution you came up with! This has to be one of the most versatile stamp sets ever! Gorgeous page!

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    LOVE the way you did the BEAT!!!
    What a fun and colorful page.

    Reply

  • Julie Tucker

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    Love love love this! LOVING the colors and her outfit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply

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My Own Drum – Marsha Valk

CS June My Own Drum

It’s Tuesday again and time for my Creative Squad to share a project with you with this month’s theme: “My Own Drum”. Throughout the month of June, the team will use my new Fashion Dame Rubber Stamp Set to interpret the theme. This theme is all about inspiration, creativity, and personal expression. I asked my squad to create something that celebrates the power of individuality. March to the beat of your own Mixed Media drum this month!

This week we bring you TWO projects from Marsha Valk. Marsha gives us two super fun and colorful answers to the theme to inspire us today.

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Marsha June Headshot

At first I thought this would be easy. That I could do whatever I wanted. But then I read the theme again and… I started overthinking: My Own Drum… What is my own drum? Do I have one? How does it beat? Is this the right beat? Is this the right drum?! Who do I think I am, claiming a drum for myself!

The best thing would be to just shut off my thoughts… But not before I had decided that my project had to involve a couple of things: it had to have a recycled element (preferably cardboard), colours are important to me so I wanted to choose a colour palette and of course I had to use the Fashion Dame.

Long story short, this is what I created:

MarshaValk_nSCS_MyOwnDrum_FashionDame-1

(If you want to find out more about how I created it, check my blog post for last weeks Stampendous Summer Blog Hop!)

But then I turned my thoughts back on. And I thought: this drum is fine, I can definitely march to it, but… I think my own beat is messier and free-er than this!

So I tried again, using all the messy stuff that was already there on my table. I had been mixing paint, cleaning brushes and dabbing paint off onto a sheet of grey board… And I decided to use this sheet as a base.

MarshaValk_nSCS_MyOwnDrum_FashionDame-1-4

I cut the sheet into 4″ x 6” cards. I added more (leftover) paint and gesso to the cards, using a brayer, using stencils and a cosmetic sponge or an old plastic gift card and of course using my fingers.

MarshaValk_nSCS_MyOwnDrum_FashionDame-4

I had also spilled some embossing powder and I decided to use this on the cards, applying VersaMark through stencils, sprinkling the (mixed up) powders on top, tapping off the excess powder and then heat setting it.

MarshaValk_nSCS_MyOwnDrum_FashionDame-3

This time I stamped the Fashion Dames on vellum with Archival Ink. I didn’t want to wait for it to dry, so I heat set it.

MarshaValk_nSCS_MyOwnDrum_FashionDame-5

I wanted to machine stitch the Dames to the cards, because that’s something that I used to do a lot, but hadn’t in a while.

MarshaValk_nSCS_MyOwnDrum_FashionDame-1-2

Once the Dames were stitched, I coloured them in with acrylic paint, Posca markers, Pearl Pen, Neocolor II’s and I finished the cards off with some paint marker splatters.

MarshaValk_nSCS_MyOwnDrum_FashionDame-2

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I love Marsha’s super juicy backgrounds and that she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty in the process!

In addition to Talens Acrylic Paints in Deep Gold, Lamp Black, Phthalo Blue, Turquoise Green, and Quinacridone Rose, a sewing machine and thread, and an old plastic card, Marsha used the supplies listed below (some are affiliate links):

SuppliesCJS

Maybe you will even play along with us -I would love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

See you next Tuesday for another project from the Creative Squad!

Nat

Comments (4)

  • Sue Clarke

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    Love the stitching Marsha!

    Reply

    • Marsha.

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      Thank you Sue! So glad you like it!

      Reply

  • Michelle Rydell

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    Marsha I LOVE all of your projects! It’s so interesting the huge leap between your first project and the other three! They are all beautiful, but the last three really have your own drum in them! I love all the splatters and the stitching, and the colorful outfits!

    Reply

    • Marsha.

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      Thanks Michelle! Yes, I agree: the leap was interesting! I might have to do something like that again!

      Reply

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Creative Ice Breaker – Morning Art Journal Play Video #2

In the mornings I play in my art journal to get myself into the creative groove and break the ice – so to speak- and get ready to paint. I recorded and fast forwarded my morning ritual – and hope you enjoy it. Take it as what it is – a morning art journal play- not a tutorial ?

Creative Ice Breaker June 2016 from Nathalie Kalbach on Vimeo.

Here are the supplies I have used in my Creative Ice Breaker video above – some links are affiliate links.

SuppliesCJS

I hope you enjoyed the video ? Have a wonderful and creative day

Nat

Comments (30)

  • Teresa Godines

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    Love all of your great colors. TFS

    Reply

  • Deborah S

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    Wow what a great way to start your day kind of like stretching before your morning run. I really enjoyed your video it was very inspiring. I can’t seem to find my way into mix media. My style is to controlled and stay in the lines. I guess I just need to be brave and jump in. What do I have to lose right. OBTW you ARE the best, best colorer lol tfs!

    Reply

  • Christine Dring

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    Gorgeous journal page! Love your sentiment – very empowering!

    Reply

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