Digital images for altered arts, mixed media, collage and crafts
Newsletter 2 Dec 22, 2008
Hello Everyone,
Seasons Greetings,
Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year to you and your Families
Here I am writing Newsletter # 2 in December 2008, wow! How the time flies by…..
So grab your eggnog, a big plate of Christmas goodies and a handful of hard candy canes, cuz this is a much winded newsletter!
I am going to give you a little recap as well as tease you with a ton of new things coming up.
The Photo Upload Game.
If you haven’t played it yet, my one question is Why?
The rules are very easy to follow, it helps you to learn how to navigate on the site, how to upload photos, and you win just for playing. This is an on going game so that all members can learn and win. If you haven’t played, you can play now and win up to 7 digital collage sheets of your choice just for playing the game. Each month, the players for the month get entered into a draw for a box of ephemera.
So far we have had 3 monthly winners of the upload game
Donna, Femmy, and Lydia
Each of them received an ephemera pack in the mail.
And if you haven’t read it before, if Lydia wins anything, then there are 2 draws!
Rusty nail Art Challenge
After and including the distressed paper workshop and then a very intense challenge, using recycled items.
Our first challenge winner is Pat Upton with her version: In my world, if I rest, I rust…..
Each participant in the challenge received 2 digital collage sheets to work with and the winner; Pat, receives the ephemera and art piece.
Voting for the challenge was up to you, your friends and families and voting took place on our new PDA Blog on Blogspot. If you haven’t stopped by yet, do check it out and book mark it for future browsing, we are going to use it for hosting a variety of different art projects.
Christmas Challenges and swaps
I really would have loved to have done some fun things for Christmas but there really wasn’t enough time from site creation, uploading images, getting members and getting to know you.
It’s a hectic time of year and Christmas challenges should be done way ahead of time so as not to interfere with the real thing.
I promise that 2009 Christmas will be filled with spirit, images, fun and many swaps and challenges.
Valentine Swap
A fun way to collect art from other members one piece at a time with a commitment
of creating only one piece at a time. No pressure for large quantities of art, just sign up as often as you like. There is still time to sign up until January 24th.
I have teamed up with Lydia to give you a couple of fun Paisley collage sheets to play with for your Valentine art.
If time permits, I will create a few more sheets but please don’t hold your breath LOL
Logo challenge.
Some of you are reading this here first, that’s right it’s a logo challenge.
I want to have a fun art logo for the site and why not let the members create it!
Deadline is April 25 with a one week vote. Read all about it in the Logo Challenge forum. In Challenges and Swaps
Winner gets bragging rights for a year as well as 50% of all net profits of the products created with the logo from both Zazzle and Café Press.
Non winners will also see their art on products for sale in the two PDA shops and receive 25% of the net profits from the sale of their items.
This challenge is to get us to open our free Zazzle and Café Press shops as well as have the PDA stores on both sites.
Donations and Advertising
To those of you that have helped the site with your donations and advertising, a great big Thank-you!!! This site is now costing me a monthly fee to run it and so I am very appreciative of all donations and advertising received.
Donations give you 1 for 1 in free digital collage sheets from my very private and special stash and if you have been there choosing from my collection, you already know that the collection is huge and only going to get bigger.
Advertising prices are outlined on the forum and as a special bonus, if you advertise on PDA ning, you will receive free advertising on the PDA blog for the same duration.
PDA Membership
Nearly 200 members already, who knew? This is absolutely fabulous, and I am so excited to have this many members in such a short time. I hope I can continue to keep you interested with projects, challenges and fun sharing experiences. Please feel free to come forward with any ideas you have for future projects.
Membership for current members is free and will always be free and I had originally thought I would cap the free memberships at 200 members.
But I am not ready to close off just yet so the free memberships will be extended to 300 free members and weeded down to 200.
After that, any new members will be required to pay an annual fee for membership but as soon as there is an opening in the free memberships, paying members will move into those spaces for the future years.
So the general rule is Use it or Lose it.
When I created this site it was with the intention to share free images, share experiences and have fun with other artists and make new friends.
If you are just one sided, and here only for a “grab fest” of free images, then that will stop eventually.
Only the real participators will remain here as part of the 200 free Members, and it’s not that hard to be on the “Favoured Free List” just participate.
I don’t expect you to be here every day, or participate in every challenge and swap that comes along, or be my newest BFF, but I do need something back from you once in a while.
On the forum facts, I have stated that after 90 days, if you are not participating, you will be removed from the site.
90 days? Sheesh that’s nearly 2 years in a Dog’s life, you should be able to think of something that shows us you are here.
Participating, means sharing your art creations, commenting to others, participating in swaps and challenges, posting on the forums, groups, workshops etc. and showing us in some way that you want to be a part of this group.
The first members to be eliminated will be any Grey Avatars still displayed after 90 days.
I had thought about creating a better looking avatar for the new members so that I wouldn’t have to look at that ugly grey thing.
But at PDA this is an Art and Image site, ummm….Hello? LOL
Gee, umm….there are tons of images on this site for you to download, and then turn around and upload for your avatar. It’s not that hard. If you are signed in here, you certainly have a clue how to do this. If you are not sure, check the photo upload game and learn how to upload images to this site.
So…as a recap of membership:
If you download an image, upload the same image as your avatar, you are playing the upload game, saving your membership for another 90 days and winning your first point for a free collage sheet and a chance to win an ephemera pack at the end of the month?
Need help?
Yes, this site can be very over whelming, but please feel free to ask any question anytime over and over again. You can send me a private message if you are too shy to post on the forum about certain things or if you are not certain how the whatchamacallit works or you can’t find that thingamajiggy, I am always happy to help you and I really want to help you learn. If you need my attention right away, be sure to put urgent in the message subject line and I will try to help you as quickly as I can.
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t actually live inside your monitor, but I am usually very close by and very addicted to my internet so I check my mail often.
Free Images including Lydia’s
I have been a little bit behind in getting new images uploaded to the site. Please bear with me for a few more weeks and I should be on a roll again. There are so many images and not enough hours in the day.
Lydia had created and sent to me a lovely set of paisley motifs for you to use in your art creations and I have been manipulating them and creating a variety of lace and paisley single motifs as well as some digital background papers. They are yummy and would be fun for a variety of projects. I have uploaded 2 print sheets with more to come soon.
Thank-you Lydia!
Lydia offers some free images on one of her blogs, just follow the links from her profile to find some more creative goodies!
Oh…be prepared to stay awhile at Lydia’s Kenning Stone blog. She writes a weekly episode of With Roba’s Help as well as her first story about Roba and the Magical Red Hat. You will be hooked and need to know more all the time.
Changes for 2009 (Changes for Kim)
I have made a huge commitment for myself.
I am headed back to College Full Time Days Monday to Friday.
Computer Analyst Programmer course
I start in January and my first term ends May 1st, then I go back again in September full time for another 2 years.
It's a little crazy, (no not a midlife crisis LOL) but something I have really wanted to do for a very long time and it all ties into the art and internet in a small round about way anyway.
It took a waiting list and several extensive computer battery tests and assessments to get accepted but I am in! It’s my time and it feels right!
I will be extremely busy, yuk, you should see my text books, I have 9 of them all about 3 inches thick just for this first term.
What does this mean on PDA? Well hopefully by next year here at PDA we members will have a smokin, kick butt website with all the bells and whistles. LOL
I have an apartment in the City so I don’t have to commute and I can stay focused and still have time for my art and PDA.
Lydia will help with some stuff and I should be able to spend at least an hour each day catching up with things.
Right now I have what I call roller coaster moments when I think I am just a crazy woman and wonder why I am doing this, and then 5 minutes later I am so excited and silly I could just burst and piddle on the floor.
I will keep you posted!
Selling on the internet
There are a few ideas I will throw at you this spring/summer to help you to sell your arts and crafts on the internet. As well, I will be having a workshop on both Café Press and Zazzle sites so we can learn and/or share our experiences. These are free sites and a great way to sell and promote fun products without having inventory, and the best part is that you use your own art creations for the images.
Lucky Charms Swap march 2009
Not necessarily just for the Irish and the Lucky
Sign up is until February 21, and mailed by march 1st.
Create charms in lots of 10 and receive 10 back.
Posted on the swap forum here: Lucky Charms Swap
Archived Newsletters
Newsletters are archived on the Newsletter forum. If you are new to PDA, please have a read through the other newsletters to give you an idea of what is going on. So far this is only our second newsletter with many others to follow.
Ideally only every other month. LOL and depending on time, the next may not be until the end of April.
So are you still with me?
Or did I lose you to Christmas wrapping, baking or last minute shopping?
If I lost you, don’t worry, you can come back and read this again in January not a problem.
If you stayed to the end, those candies must be gone, you are a die hard and
Whew!!! do you ever deserve a Christmas Present!
Send me a personal message that you would like your Christmas present and I will send it to you by email. :)
Have fun creating over the holidays!
(((((Hugs for all of you)))))) and I wish you a Merry Christmas!
That's all!!!!
Kim
Seasons Greetings,
Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year to you and your Families
Here I am writing Newsletter # 2 in December 2008, wow! How the time flies by…..
So grab your eggnog, a big plate of Christmas goodies and a handful of hard candy canes, cuz this is a much winded newsletter!
I am going to give you a little recap as well as tease you with a ton of new things coming up.
The Photo Upload Game.
If you haven’t played it yet, my one question is Why?
The rules are very easy to follow, it helps you to learn how to navigate on the site, how to upload photos, and you win just for playing. This is an on going game so that all members can learn and win. If you haven’t played, you can play now and win up to 7 digital collage sheets of your choice just for playing the game. Each month, the players for the month get entered into a draw for a box of ephemera.
So far we have had 3 monthly winners of the upload game
Donna, Femmy, and Lydia
Each of them received an ephemera pack in the mail.
And if you haven’t read it before, if Lydia wins anything, then there are 2 draws!
Rusty nail Art Challenge
After and including the distressed paper workshop and then a very intense challenge, using recycled items.
Our first challenge winner is Pat Upton with her version: In my world, if I rest, I rust…..
Each participant in the challenge received 2 digital collage sheets to work with and the winner; Pat, receives the ephemera and art piece.
Voting for the challenge was up to you, your friends and families and voting took place on our new PDA Blog on Blogspot. If you haven’t stopped by yet, do check it out and book mark it for future browsing, we are going to use it for hosting a variety of different art projects.
Christmas Challenges and swaps
I really would have loved to have done some fun things for Christmas but there really wasn’t enough time from site creation, uploading images, getting members and getting to know you.
It’s a hectic time of year and Christmas challenges should be done way ahead of time so as not to interfere with the real thing.
I promise that 2009 Christmas will be filled with spirit, images, fun and many swaps and challenges.
Valentine Swap
A fun way to collect art from other members one piece at a time with a commitment
of creating only one piece at a time. No pressure for large quantities of art, just sign up as often as you like. There is still time to sign up until January 24th.
I have teamed up with Lydia to give you a couple of fun Paisley collage sheets to play with for your Valentine art.
If time permits, I will create a few more sheets but please don’t hold your breath LOL
Logo challenge.
Some of you are reading this here first, that’s right it’s a logo challenge.
I want to have a fun art logo for the site and why not let the members create it!
Deadline is April 25 with a one week vote. Read all about it in the Logo Challenge forum. In Challenges and Swaps
Winner gets bragging rights for a year as well as 50% of all net profits of the products created with the logo from both Zazzle and Café Press.
Non winners will also see their art on products for sale in the two PDA shops and receive 25% of the net profits from the sale of their items.
This challenge is to get us to open our free Zazzle and Café Press shops as well as have the PDA stores on both sites.
Donations and Advertising
To those of you that have helped the site with your donations and advertising, a great big Thank-you!!! This site is now costing me a monthly fee to run it and so I am very appreciative of all donations and advertising received.
Donations give you 1 for 1 in free digital collage sheets from my very private and special stash and if you have been there choosing from my collection, you already know that the collection is huge and only going to get bigger.
Advertising prices are outlined on the forum and as a special bonus, if you advertise on PDA ning, you will receive free advertising on the PDA blog for the same duration.
PDA Membership
Nearly 200 members already, who knew? This is absolutely fabulous, and I am so excited to have this many members in such a short time. I hope I can continue to keep you interested with projects, challenges and fun sharing experiences. Please feel free to come forward with any ideas you have for future projects.
Membership for current members is free and will always be free and I had originally thought I would cap the free memberships at 200 members.
But I am not ready to close off just yet so the free memberships will be extended to 300 free members and weeded down to 200.
After that, any new members will be required to pay an annual fee for membership but as soon as there is an opening in the free memberships, paying members will move into those spaces for the future years.
So the general rule is Use it or Lose it.
When I created this site it was with the intention to share free images, share experiences and have fun with other artists and make new friends.
If you are just one sided, and here only for a “grab fest” of free images, then that will stop eventually.
Only the real participators will remain here as part of the 200 free Members, and it’s not that hard to be on the “Favoured Free List” just participate.
I don’t expect you to be here every day, or participate in every challenge and swap that comes along, or be my newest BFF, but I do need something back from you once in a while.
On the forum facts, I have stated that after 90 days, if you are not participating, you will be removed from the site.
90 days? Sheesh that’s nearly 2 years in a Dog’s life, you should be able to think of something that shows us you are here.
Participating, means sharing your art creations, commenting to others, participating in swaps and challenges, posting on the forums, groups, workshops etc. and showing us in some way that you want to be a part of this group.
The first members to be eliminated will be any Grey Avatars still displayed after 90 days.
I had thought about creating a better looking avatar for the new members so that I wouldn’t have to look at that ugly grey thing.
But at PDA this is an Art and Image site, ummm….Hello? LOL
Gee, umm….there are tons of images on this site for you to download, and then turn around and upload for your avatar. It’s not that hard. If you are signed in here, you certainly have a clue how to do this. If you are not sure, check the photo upload game and learn how to upload images to this site.
So…as a recap of membership:
If you download an image, upload the same image as your avatar, you are playing the upload game, saving your membership for another 90 days and winning your first point for a free collage sheet and a chance to win an ephemera pack at the end of the month?
Need help?
Yes, this site can be very over whelming, but please feel free to ask any question anytime over and over again. You can send me a private message if you are too shy to post on the forum about certain things or if you are not certain how the whatchamacallit works or you can’t find that thingamajiggy, I am always happy to help you and I really want to help you learn. If you need my attention right away, be sure to put urgent in the message subject line and I will try to help you as quickly as I can.
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t actually live inside your monitor, but I am usually very close by and very addicted to my internet so I check my mail often.
Free Images including Lydia’s
I have been a little bit behind in getting new images uploaded to the site. Please bear with me for a few more weeks and I should be on a roll again. There are so many images and not enough hours in the day.
Lydia had created and sent to me a lovely set of paisley motifs for you to use in your art creations and I have been manipulating them and creating a variety of lace and paisley single motifs as well as some digital background papers. They are yummy and would be fun for a variety of projects. I have uploaded 2 print sheets with more to come soon.
Thank-you Lydia!
Lydia offers some free images on one of her blogs, just follow the links from her profile to find some more creative goodies!
Oh…be prepared to stay awhile at Lydia’s Kenning Stone blog. She writes a weekly episode of With Roba’s Help as well as her first story about Roba and the Magical Red Hat. You will be hooked and need to know more all the time.
Changes for 2009 (Changes for Kim)
I have made a huge commitment for myself.
I am headed back to College Full Time Days Monday to Friday.
Computer Analyst Programmer course
I start in January and my first term ends May 1st, then I go back again in September full time for another 2 years.
It's a little crazy, (no not a midlife crisis LOL) but something I have really wanted to do for a very long time and it all ties into the art and internet in a small round about way anyway.
It took a waiting list and several extensive computer battery tests and assessments to get accepted but I am in! It’s my time and it feels right!
I will be extremely busy, yuk, you should see my text books, I have 9 of them all about 3 inches thick just for this first term.
What does this mean on PDA? Well hopefully by next year here at PDA we members will have a smokin, kick butt website with all the bells and whistles. LOL
I have an apartment in the City so I don’t have to commute and I can stay focused and still have time for my art and PDA.
Lydia will help with some stuff and I should be able to spend at least an hour each day catching up with things.
Right now I have what I call roller coaster moments when I think I am just a crazy woman and wonder why I am doing this, and then 5 minutes later I am so excited and silly I could just burst and piddle on the floor.
I will keep you posted!
Selling on the internet
There are a few ideas I will throw at you this spring/summer to help you to sell your arts and crafts on the internet. As well, I will be having a workshop on both Café Press and Zazzle sites so we can learn and/or share our experiences. These are free sites and a great way to sell and promote fun products without having inventory, and the best part is that you use your own art creations for the images.
Lucky Charms Swap march 2009
Not necessarily just for the Irish and the Lucky
Sign up is until February 21, and mailed by march 1st.
Create charms in lots of 10 and receive 10 back.
Posted on the swap forum here: Lucky Charms Swap
Archived Newsletters
Newsletters are archived on the Newsletter forum. If you are new to PDA, please have a read through the other newsletters to give you an idea of what is going on. So far this is only our second newsletter with many others to follow.
Ideally only every other month. LOL and depending on time, the next may not be until the end of April.
So are you still with me?
Or did I lose you to Christmas wrapping, baking or last minute shopping?
If I lost you, don’t worry, you can come back and read this again in January not a problem.
If you stayed to the end, those candies must be gone, you are a die hard and
Whew!!! do you ever deserve a Christmas Present!
Send me a personal message that you would like your Christmas present and I will send it to you by email. :)
Have fun creating over the holidays!
(((((Hugs for all of you)))))) and I wish you a Merry Christmas!
That's all!!!!
Kim
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Donna on -
Thanks Kim! Again I feel so very blessed to be here and be a part of such a wonderful group. They say " when the student is ready the teacher appears" and this is how I feel about htis site. My work has all ready grown, changed and been enhanced by being a part of all the wonderful things you and the other members have to offer. So thank you for your vision and your willings to follow through. And if you know me by now, you know I'll be messaging you for a christmas present( I'm such a kid).
With much love,
Donna
Wishing you and your families a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a BLESSED NEW YEAR!
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Permalink Reply by Nelly on -
Hi Kim -- You do such a great job of maintaining this group and I know its a ton of time to do. Congratulations to you on your studies and on the best group leader. I've loved being part of it and learning so much and love your images too. I'd love my Christmas present. I can't believe you even have time for that! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the best to you in the new year!
Nelly
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Permalink Reply by Vintage Art on -
Merry Christmas Kim,
Oh, how exciting you are going to back College to get all you can become...I am a great-granny and now-a-days it is so important to get as much education as you can...I started learning on my own about the web this year 2008....I do like art so much and enjoy the blogs....That how I learn about this site.....I thank you for all you do in sharing your IamgesbyKim and many other goodies...I will try to join in more in 2009!
Happy New Year too!
From the heart of Texas,
afriendtoyou and a BIG Texas ((((HUG))))
Judy
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Permalink Reply by Pat Upton on -
Thank you Kim for all you do! It blows my mind that you decided to take on this site knowing you would be a full time student and whatever else you have on your plate! God bless you! I appreciate your personal help with my art infancy. I really have learned a lot from you and the others on this site! It is a blast that will continue. We have already come to rely on Lydia for encouragement, you are both good group moms, taking care of the 'wee ones'. I hope that you are getting as much out of this experience as I am! Many thanks and have a happy holiday!
Pat
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Permalink Reply by Lydia Hildebrandt aka Kenning Stone on -
Kim, we could not have a better role model for as our leader. I know 2009 will be a rough year for you, but you have so much drive, hutspah and ambition I'm sure you'll plough through just fine. You've given us so much to play with here that I think we should be able to keep ourselves busy while you focus on your studies. Of course you'll need a break every now and then, so hopefully we will have been good little do-bees and made lots of art and pictures for you to come and look at and chat about - just to take your mind off of school for a bit.
Everything you've layed out above sounds wonderful and exciting - sounds like winter is going to be fun after all. I've already started by working on my Valentine.
I know you don't need it but, BEST OF LUCK with your course.
If I don't see you by Wednesday, 'Brightest Blessings to you and your hubby' and Merry Christmas.
Gotta go now to send you a personal message..
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Permalink Reply by Lee W. on -
Merry Christmas, and good luck in school. Nursing is my second career and second college degree!! And I love very minute of it. If you need any help with the site, I'm volunteering. (I wouldn't be much help in the computer department!)
HUGS- Lee
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Permalink Reply by Ronda on -
Merry Christmas Kim!! I'm a newbie here, but I love your site!!!!! Congrats on starting school in January. I also start college on Jan. 20 -- I'm taking Computer Technology with a major in Web Design. I haven't been to school in 22 years but am extremely excited to get started. Most of my classes will be offered online, so I won't always have to be the oldest student in the classroom - lol!!! Good luck & enjoy the holidays!!!
Take care,
rondaK
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Permalink Reply by Kim Newberg aka imagesbykim on -
Thank-you everyone!
I am happy and excited to have such wonderful response to this newsletter.
I may have missed sending out some email Christmas presents. If I missed you please send me a message to my personal inbox or post a message reply here and I will send out right away.
Don't be shy, there's one with your name on it, I just gotta know who I have and have not sent too.
Remeber, it's Santa that has the list.....I am just kinda winging it!
kim
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Permalink Reply by Kim Newberg aka imagesbykim on
-
Hey Ronda,
That's exciting about starting similar courses together, we will be able to compare some notes and maybe trade some secrets. Web designer, okay no pressure for you on this site in the future LOL
Oh yeah and I hear you about being one of the oldest in the class, and I think I may be one of only 2 women in the class too.
But I may not be able to get help and attention as a cutey pututie anymore but I can sure bake cookies!!!
So I know what to do when I need help with my projects LOL
Good luck for you too!
kim
Ronda said:Merry Christmas Kim!! I'm a newbie here, but I love your site!!!!! Congrats on starting school in January. I also start college on Jan. 20 -- I'm taking Computer Technology with a major in Web Design. I haven't been to school in 22 years but am extremely excited to get started. Most of my classes will be offered online, so I won't always have to be the oldest student in the classroom - lol!!! Good luck & enjoy the holidays!!!
Take care,
rondaK
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Permalink Reply by Kim Newberg aka imagesbykim on
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Ohh Lee, your art is so beautiful, feel free to create a swap or a workshop anytime. Let me know what you would like to do and if you need anything to get started. Maybe some wonderful project for Spring?
no pressure!
kim
Lee W. said:Merry Christmas, and good luck in school. Nursing is my second career and second college degree!! And I love very minute of it. If you need any help with the site, I'm volunteering. (I wouldn't be much help in the computer department!)
HUGS- Lee
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Permalink Reply by John Dyhouse on -
Wow, and I thought my life was busy. I am now partly retired but find that I have so much more to do these days that I still need more time in the day. This is due to two things:- 1) art, I have always dabbled but now find I am trying to do so much more and 2) my PC, with it I have found friendship and encouragement to grow as an artist. This site seems to offer so much in the way of encouragement and opportunity, I really must join in the chorus of thanks above. I sincerely hope that you will be successful in your endeavours.
I am looking forward to new challenges in this coming year.
Thanks again - John
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Permalink Reply by Aunt Jill on -
Kim, Thank you so much for giving us this place to play and meet people.
I haven't had an email from you recently, I guess I'm supposed to tell you, but I've gotten tons of ideas and enjoyment from here and from your other sites.
The merriest of Christmases and the happiest of winter holidays to everybody here!
—Jill
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