Workshops
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Encaustic Collage (4/17 & 4/18)
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Introduction to Tapestry Weaving (4/24) ​
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Kudzu Basket (5/1) —FULL
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Watercolor Snacks: Spring Meadow (5/2) —FULL
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Tissue Paper Luminarias (5/9)
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Handmade Journal with Removable Pages (5/15) —FULL
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Mosaic Stepping Stone (5/29 & 5/30) —FULL
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Knitting for Beginners: Market Bag (6/1, 6/8, 6/22 & 6/29)
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Mixed Media Collage Grab Bag (6/12)
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Pressed Flower Art (6/20)
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Mosaic Pothead (6/26-6/27)
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You do NOT need a PayPal account to purchase workshops. You can check out as a PayPal guest. If you have any issues registering, please contact us.
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When you successfully register for a workshop, a receipt for your purchase will be emailed to you. If you do not receive a receipt, your registration is NOT confirmed. Please contact us.
Encaustic Collage
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Date: Fri, 4/17 & Sat, 4/18
Time: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM Friday (includes hour break for lunch); 1:00-5:00 PM Saturday
Workshop Fee: $180.00 (Members), $200.00 (Non-Members)
Supplies Fee: $60 (To be collected day of workshop; cash, check, or Venmo)
Instructor: Denby Dale
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Supplies Provided by Instructor: Practice panels, 1, 8” x 8” and 1, 9" x 12” cradled wooden panel pre-coated with encaustic, water-soluble artist crayons, colored and graphite pencils, chalk pastel, graphite, India inks, collage papers, fibers, color and black-and-white toner-based photocopies, small heat gun, burnishing tool, X-acto knife, lightweight carving tools, stencils
Supplies Students Should Bring: An apron or clothes that can be stained. All other supplies provided, though students are encouraged to bring their own lightweight carving and cutting tools/mat, collage papers, fibers, color and/or black-and-white TONER-BASED/LASER photocopies (photocopies made from ink jet printers will not transfer properly), pencil or charcoal drawings, and stencils.
Want to take your collage skills to another level, quite literally? In addition to having archival qualities, encaustic (a wax-based “paint”) acts as both an adhesive and a medium, enabling you to reposition or remove collage elements easily, as well as add depth, translucency, and unique textural elements to your work.
In this playful, two-day workshop, mixed media artist Denby Dale will introduce you to some of the basic properties of encaustic (and collage) without any intimidation or fussy studio set-up!
Through demos and experimentation, you’ll learn how to:
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Prep flat wood panels with clear encaustic wax
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Create encaustic collage by:
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Adding color to encaustic panels using water-soluble artist crayons, colored pencils, chalk pastel, graphite, and India inks
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Adding texture to encaustic panels using an X-acto knife, lightweight carving tools, stencils and various imprinting materials
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Adding collage papers and fibers to encaustic panels
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Transferring toner-based images onto encaustic panels
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Layer clear wax over your collage elements to produce “floating” and textured effects
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Fuse layers of wax to seal your marks and imagery into the wax and create cohesive layers
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Remove wax to reveal underlying elements
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Reposition or remove unwanted elements
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Play with color and composition to create visually pleasing collages
In addition to several small sample panels, students will leave the workshop with two original encaustic collages that incorporate various mark making techniques, collage papers, fibers, and/or transferred images.
This workshop is perfect for complete beginners, as well as those looking to refresh their skills.
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Introduction to Tapestry Weaving
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Date: Friday, 4/24
Time: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM (includes 1 hour break for lunch)
Workshop Fee: $108 (Members), $120 (Non-Members)
Supplies Fee: $30 (To be collected day of workshop; cash, check, or Venmo only)
Instructor: Jeannie Thomma
Skill Level: Beginner
Supplies Provided by Instructor: Loom, pickup stick, shuttles, tapestry needle, comb, dowel, cotton yarn for warp, various weft materials (e.g., yarn, raffia, fabric strips, wool roving)
Supplies Students Should Bring: Scissors, a tape measure, and a pen or pencil. Students are also encouraged to bring favorite yarn, fabric, and/or other materials they’d like to incorporate into their piece, as well as inspirational images or color palettes that they’d like to use as a reference for their design.
Do you have a hard time throwing out scraps of yarn, fabric, paper, and other leftover crafting materials? If so, tapestry weaving might be the perfect solution! Not only does it produce beautiful 2D and 3D artworks, but pretty much anyone can do it, and the process is meditative and fun!
In this one-day workshop, local fiber artist Jeannie Thomma will teach you everything you need to get started with this enjoyable and practical artform. You’ll learn how to:
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Warp (set up) your loom
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Do basic tapestry stitches, such as plain weave, rya knots, and soumak
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Plan a simple design
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Shape, shade, and add textural effects to your piece
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Finish and display your work
This workshop is perfect for complete beginners, as well as those looking to refresh their skills.
By the end of the day, you’ll complete one or more small woven tapestries that will be ready to hang on your wall—or gifted to a friend! You’ll also have all the tools and know how you need to continue exploring this wondrous medium!
No prior weaving experience necessary; just a curious mind and a willingness to play!
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Kudzu Basket (FULL)
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Date: Friday, 5/1
Time: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM (includes an hour break for lunch)
Workshop Fee: $90 (Members), $100 (Non-Members)
Supplies Fee: $20 (To be collected day of workshop; cash or check only)
Instructor: Carleigh Fairchild
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Supplies Provided by Instructor: Kudzu vines, basketry tools, and example baskets
Supplies Students Should Bring: All supplies provided; however, students are encouraged to bring their own hand pruners if they have them.
Note: This workshop is full. Please contact us to be added to waitlist.
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Kudzu, often thought of as an invasive plant, offers a surprising gift: its strong, flexible vines make for beautiful, functional baskets!
In this fun, full-day workshop, wilderness expert and accomplished basket maker Carleigh Fairchild will show you how to identify, harvest, and prepare kudzu responsibly. Then, you’ll learn how to make a round base, add a pattern to the sides of your basket, and shape kudzu in different ways to create a basket that reflects your unique creativity.
You’ll leave the workshop with a beautiful 4"x4"x5" (approximately) handmade basket, practical knowledge for future projects, and a new appreciation for this wild, wonderful vine!
No previous basket weaving experience necessary; however, students should have strong hands and a fair amount of dexterity.
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Watercolor Snacks: Spring Meadow (FULL)
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Date: Saturday, 5/2
Time: 1:30-4:30 PM
Workshop Fee: $54 (Members); $60 (Non-Members)
Supplies Fee: $15 (To be collected day of workshop; cash, check or Venmo only)
Instructor: Kelly Reese
Skill Level: Beginner
Supplies Provided by Instructor: Watercolor pan set, watercolor brush, cold press watercolor paper, white acrylic gouache, colored pencils
Supplies Students Should Bring: An apron or clothes that can be stained. All other materials supplied.
Note: This workshop is full. Please contact us to be added to waitlist.
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Have you been wondering if watercolor is for you, but you don’t want to spend weeks trying to find out? Or perhaps it’s been a while since you pulled out your watercolor paints, and you need a little “taste” of the medium before jumping back in. Either way, this half-day workshop is for you!
Local artist Kelly Reese is passionate about demystifying watercolor supplies and techniques and helping students unlock the creative potential of this popular medium.
In this fun, introductory workshop, Kelly will teach you how to break down the process of painting a spring meadow. You’ll begin by learning how to sketch the composition and value. Then, you’ll practice some basic watercolor techniques. Finally, you’ll use your new understanding of composition, value, and techniques to complete a beautiful, frame-worthy picture.
No previous drawing or painting experience necessary!
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Tissue Paper Luminarias
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Date: Saturday, 5/9
Time: 10:00 AM–4:00 PM (includes an hour break for lunch)
Workshop Fee: $90 (Members), $100 (Non-Members)
Supplies Fee: $15 (To be collected day of workshop; cash or check only)
Instructor: Cheri Epstein
Skill Level: All
Supplies Provided by Instructor: Plastic form, oil, plastic wrap, brushes, tissue paper, glue, embellishments, lights
Supplies Students Should Bring: An apron or clothes that can be stained. All other materials supplied.
Did you know that tissue paper can be formed into three dimensional vessels? In this messy, but fun, full-day workshop, you’ll learn how to turn this surprisingly versatile material into two beautiful luminarias—just in time for spring garden parties!
Local art therapist, artist, and teacher Cheri Epstein will give you a 6” plastic form (which is yours to keep!), a rainbow of tissue paper colors and patterns to play with, and a variety of embellishments, like gold leaf and colored gems, to make your pieces sparkle. Then, she’ll take you through the process.
Although the technique is relatively simple, you’ll be amazed at the results. Each of your pieces will reflect your unique color preferences and personality. The luminarias can light a dark walkway, dinner table, or meditative space and will make lovely additions to your home or delightful gifts.
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Handmade Journal with Removable Pages (FULL)
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Date: Fri, 5/15
Time: 10:00AM–5:00 PM (includes an hour break for lunch)
Workshop Fee: $108 (Members), $120 (Non-Members)
Supply Fee: $20 (To be collected day of workshop; cash or check only)
Instructor: Joyce Tromba
Skill Level: Beginner
Supplies Provided by Instructor: Decorative papers, text-weight paper, fabric, book board, linen thread, glue, and bookmaking kit with all equipment needed for bookbinding
Supplies Students Should Bring: An apron or clothes that can be stained. All other materials supplied, though students are welcome to bring their own decorative papers and/or fabric to use for their journal cover or pages. Cover material should be at least 14” x 9”. Full-size pages will be 8-1/2” by 11”, but you can use smaller papers as well.
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Note: This workshop is full. Please contact us to be added to waitlist.
Spring is the season for new beginnings—making it the perfect time to start keeping a journal or create a new one. Whether you plan to collect and store daily memories, mementos, photos, collages, inspiring quotes, or anything else you want to remember, a beautiful cover will inspire you to actually use your journal, and removable pages will allow you to reuse that cover over and over again. Learn how to make both with local book artist Joyce Tromba in this fun, practical, eco-friendly workshop.
Joyce will begin by showing you how to create a cover for your journal using handmade or commercial book cloth, Kraft Tex, or medium- to heavy-weight paper. You can either use her supplies or bring your own if you have something special. Then, you’ll learn how to create “signatures” for your book using either blank, text-weight paper that Joyce will supply or your own mixed media or other handmade or commercial papers. Finally, Joyce will show you how to make a closure for your book using tabs and a pencil or an elastic button wrap.
You’ll leave the workshop with a useful, one-of-a-kind, refillable journal that you can appreciate as-is or change up over time.
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Mosaic Stepping Stone (FULL)
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Date: Fri, 5/29 & Sat, 5/30
Time: 1:00-4:00 PM Friday; 1:00-3:30 PM Saturday
Workshop Fee: $99 (Members), $110 (Non-Members)
Supplies Fee: $45 (To be collected day of workshop; cash, check, or Venmo only)
Instructor: Linda Pannullo
Skill Level: All
Supplies Provided by Instructor: Various tesserae (glass, tiles, and other high-fired embellishments), 12” concrete round, adhesive, grout, tools
Supplies Students Should Bring: An apron or clothes that can be stained, a face mask, rubber gloves, and closed-toed shoes. All other supplies provided.
Note: This workshop is full. Please contact us to be added to waitlist.
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Zhuzh up your garden this spring by adding a beautiful, 12” round mosaic stepping stone! Mosaic artist Linda Pannullo will teach you the basics for creating a one-of-a-kind piece.
On Day 1, Linda will show you how to adhere glass, tiles, and other high-fired embellishments to a concrete substrate. Then, she’ll discuss how to design a stepping stone and show you simple glass cutting techniques should you decide to modify the pre-cut glass provided. Finally, you’ll spend the rest of the afternoon creating your unique lawn sculpture.
On Day 2, Linda will demonstrate how to grout your piece and guide you through the process.
You’ll leave the class with a stunning addition to your garden or any outside area that could use a little pizzazz!
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Knitting for Beginners: Market Bag
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Date: Mondays, 6/1, 6/8, 6/22 & 6/29*
Time: 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Workshop Fee: $144 (Members), $160 (Non-Members)
Supplies Fee: None
Instructor: Jeannie Thomma
Skill Level: Beginner
Supplies Provided by Instructor: Yarn and knitting needle samples
Supplies Students Should Bring: Yarn, knitting needles, scissors, and optional leather strap handles (Students are strongly encouraged to wait until after the first class to purchase their supplies.)
*Class will NOT meet on 6/15.
If you think knitting is primarily a winter craft, think again! Unless you’re working with super warm yarn, every month is a great month to stitch, and June is no exception!
In this fun, four-week course, fiber artist Jeannie Thomma will teach you how to knit an adorable market bag. You’ll discover beginner-friendly tools—including yarn and needle selection considerations—techniques, tips, and tricks to ensure your process is beginner-friendly, and your results are fabulous!
Each week, you’ll learn something new, and, step-by-step, your bag will grow! Sessions will build upon one another and will include time for you to practice your new skills, as well as troubleshoot any hiccups you may encounter as you go.
This course is designed for complete beginners who want to develop strong foundational knitting skills. However, knitters with prior experience who want to get re-acquainted with their craft are also welcome.
No previous knitting experience necessary!
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Students will likely have to do some independent knitting on their market bag between classes if they want to complete their project by the end of the month.
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Students will be responsible for purchasing their own yarn and knitting needles but are encouraged to wait until after the first class to select their project materials.
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Introduction to Fused Glass: Sea Life
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Date: Saturday, 6/6
Time: 1:00 PM-4:00 PM
Workshop Fee: $54 (Members), $60 (Non-Members)
Supplies Fee: $35 (To be collected day of workshop; cash, check, or Venmo only)
Instructor: Linda Girardi
Skill Level: Beginner
Supplies Provided by Instructor: Fused glass bases, stringers, frit, murrini, glass sheets, glue, and glass cutting tools.
Supplies Students Should Bring: All supplies provided; however, students are encouraged to bring their own glass cutters, running pliers, breaking pliers, and tile nippers if they have them.
Fused glass is a beautiful and versatile art form that involves layering and melting pieces of glass to create intricate, colorful designs. In this beginner-friendly workshop, glass artist Linda Girardi will teach you all the basics of this exciting medium!
Over the course of an afternoon, you’ll learn the different types of fusible glass and how fusing works. You’ll also gain experience cutting, layering, and gluing glass to prepare a piece for the kiln.
In addition to instruction and demos, Linda will provide a pre-fused glass base and lots of fun fused glass materials (stringers, frit, murrini, and more!) so you can create your own beautiful sea life tile that can be displayed in your home or given as a gift.
At the end of the workshop, Linda will take your piece home and fire it in her kiln. You’ll return to Purple Crayon a few days later to pick up your work.
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Mixed Media Collage Grab Bag
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Date: Friday, 6/12
Time: 1:00-5:00 PM
Workshop Fee: $72 (Members), $80 (Non-Members)
Supplies Fee: $30 (To be collected day of workshop; cash, check or Venmo)
Instructor: Denby Dale
Skill Level: All
Supplies Provided by Instructor: 9” x 12” cradled wooden panel, “grab bag” of collage materials, various glues and applicators, paper punches, cutters, x-acto knives, cutting mats, and drawing media (e.g., pencils, artist crayons, inks)
Supplies Students Should Bring: An apron or clothes that can be stained. All other materials provided; however, students are encouraged to bring scissors, cutting tools, and a cutting mat, if they have them.
Is your work getting a little ho-hum? Could you use a little creativity boost? No matter what your medium is, your art will benefit from this stimulating workshop that explores the concept of creative limitation.
After arriving for this fun, exploratory workshop, you’ll receive a bag of carefully curated collage-building materials that will include various papers, fibers, woods, metals, ephemera, and other mixed media. All of the bags will have mostly the same contents, with one unique element of surprise!
While you ponder what to do with your goodies, mixed media artist Denby Dale will teach you different ways to consider, layer, and incorporate the items in your bag. She will also review some simple elements of design and composition, as well as demo ways to alter, anchor, glue, and attach materials as you plan and work your piece. Part of the fun of this workshop is seeing how each of us explores and interprets [mostly] the same art materials. Through the process of creative limitation and discovery, you’ll give and receive inspiration from your fellow students, while putting your own spin on your art.
You’ll be surprised at how freeing—and fun—having a lack of materials can be when you’re making art! Whether you’re building on existing collage skills or jumping into something new, you’ll walk away with a unique abstract collage, a renewed sense of wonder, and an appreciation of how less can truly be more!
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Pressed Flower Art
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Date: Saturday, 6/20
Time: 1:00 PM-5:00 PM
Workshop Fee: $72 (Members), $80 (Non-Members)
Supplies Fee: $20 (To be collected day of workshop; cash or check only)
Instructor: Susan McChesney
Skill Level: Beginner
Supplies Provided by Instructor: Pressed flowers, paper, cardboard, wood, gel medium, lamination sheets, mat, sleeves for presentation and storage, resource sheet, take-home package including pressing packet
Supplies Students Should Bring: All materials provided.
Summer is finally here! Although the last of the spring flowers have begun to fade, in this fun, half-day workshop, you’ll learn how to preserve their (and other flowers’) beauty by transforming their petals into a stunning artistic arrangement that you can enjoy year-round!
Join local artist Susan McChesney as she demonstrates—and then you’ll practice—how to select, press, unpress, and store a variety of botanical materials and then arrange them into a beautiful, laminate-sealed, matted, and sleeved 5”x7” 2D collage. Susan will also show you how to seal pieces using gel medium on cardboard and wood.
Pressed flower art is perfect for gift giving, and you’ll leave the workshop with all the techniques and resources you need to continue working with this medium on your own!
No prior experience necessary; just an enthusiasm to explore this gentle art form!
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Mosaic Pothead
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Date: Friday, 6/26, and Saturday, 6/27
Time: 10:00–5:00 on 6/26 (includes hour break for lunch); 1:00-5:00 PM on 6/27
Workshop Fee: $180 (Members); $200 (Non-Members)
Supply Fee: $50 (To be collected day of workshop; cash or check only)
Instructor: Linda Pannullo
Skill Level: All
Supplies Provided by Instructor: 8” terracotta planter, various tesserae (e.g., plates, cups, china, glass, and other found objects), grout, tools
Supplies Students Should Bring: An apron or clothes that can be stained, closed-toed shoes, black sharpie marker, rubber gloves, dust mask, safety glasses (optional)
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as giving new life to old treasures—especially when the end result is a unique piece of FUNctional art! In this lively, two-day workshop, mosaic artist Linda Pannullo will show you how to tap into your whimsical side to make an adorable, 8” picassiette (broken plate) mosaic “pothead.”
On Day 1, Linda will show you how to use nippers to cut pottery, china, and glass safely, explain how to properly adhere tesserae to your pot, and suggest ideas for designing a one-of-a-kind piece. Then, you’ll spend the rest of the day creating your pothead.
On Day 2, Linda will demonstrate how to grout your piece and guide you through the process.
Although Linda will provide everything you need to make your pothead, you’re welcome to bring pottery, glass, and found objects from your personal stash to incorporate into your design. Whether you use Linda’s broken dishes or your own, your creation is sure to bring a smile to your face every time you see it!
Note: Moderate hand strength required.
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