McMullin & co. Journal | The company we keep: Sydney based Artist Phoebe Stone

Sydney Artist Phoebe Stone has become well-known for her ability to capture the simplistic beauty of objects around the home and the charm of table scenes. To her, drawing is therapeutic, something she does to unwind – and once she starts, she feels a sense of urgency to finish what she started.

She tells a story through the objects that remind her of a moment in time and it is her ability to evoke feelings of joy and nostalgia that allows us to be transported to places and scenes we may have been before or perhaps one day desire to travel to. Her use of oil pastels is warm and playful, honing in on colour and texture to further make us feel we are right there with her – sipping a glass of limoncello.

Read on as Phoebe shares how she started as an artist, her creative process and the concept behind her collaboration with us.

What is your first creative memory?

Creativity and doing art is something that's always really been encouraged in my household. My parents had a gallery and a small framing business in the middle of the Northern beaches when I was very little. They were quite creative people and art was something that I was always encouraged to do as a child. Anytime I would go anywhere, I usually had a pad and pencils with me. I would just sit and draw. So I think drawing interiors and objects at home is something I have always done.

You have spent the past decade as an interior designer, what inspired you to become an artist?

Honestly, I started in earnest. Last September/October I began and it has grown from there. Drawing is always something I have done in my downtime, and a little bit of painting here and there but largely, drawing. At the end of last year, I went on stress leave – there was just so much going on in my life. Working from home and having our little girl home from daycare, I just needed to step back for a moment.

It was while I was on leave, I wanted to draw some art for my daughter's room, and that’s where it began. I wanted something nice and colourful for my daughter’s room, so I just walked into a local art store, and the oil pastels seemed kind of fun and a little childlike. I bought them, and I did her one little drawing. I thought, "Oh, I quite like this. I've never used these before." I had always used pencils and I just started drawing, and really enjoyed it.

From there I ended up leaving my job. I decided I just wanted to give it a go. I started freelancing as an interior designer so I could give a bit more time to my art. COVID put a lot of things in perspective for a lot of people including myself. I didn't need to live my life a certain way anymore, and I could do more things that I enjoyed and brought me pleasure and didn't leave me stressed out, and struggling to get back to my baby by bedtime.

Has isolation at home been a protagonist in your work?

The more time we're spending at home, the more this is where all my inspiration is coming from. Pretty much everything I draw is objects around my home. So it's very much informed it. So yeah, it's been a big instigator. It’s directed my lens to what’s right in front of me.

Art can be quite an exclusive world to break into, how did you make a start?

There was always a sort of dream or fantasy of becoming an artist, but the more pragmatic side of me ensured I got a career first. There are very few people who can make a living off art alone, and at the beginning, I was not confident that would ever be something I could do.

I posted one or two pictures on my personal Instagram. And it was Alexandra Ponting from AP Design House who contacted me and asked about one particular drawing and if it was for sale. From there she wanted to see some of my other pieces and she ended up purchasing about seven or so. She was encouraging and told me I had something – a good style and a good stroke. It was news to me really that anyone could enjoy what I was doing.

I started posting a few more pictures just on my personal Instagram again and I had a lot of encouragement from people. I must have also been encouraged to start a separate page, which I did, and it just kind of snowballed from there. Every day I was getting people contacting me about pieces and when I'd have more available. I guess that's one of the great things about social as well. Just one person seems to find you, and then it can just snowball from there.

How would you describe your artistic style?

I suppose my style, which isn't so much a contrived style, but I'm very impatient. My work isn’t particularly neat or perfect or precise. There is a sense of urgency in my work, which is why I don't paint. I'm not patient enough for painting. Once I have an idea of what I want to get out. I can't labour over any detail. I just, I don't. I just want to see it and get that sort of satisfaction from seeing it complete quite quickly.

Is that sense of urgency the reason why you were drawn to oil pastels?

Yes, I like to see the composition takes shape quickly, and you have to wait too long with paint, wait for things to dry and layout. Whereas with oil pastel, in particular, you don't. It's immediate. So, it's a lot of texture and artistic stroke, it's quite quick and rough and textured because I'm trying to get something out there quickly. It's like, I so desperately want to see it. I want to see that beautiful thing there in front of me, complete and done.

A lot of your pieces capture the beauty and sheer delight of ordinary domestic scenes. When did your fascination with objects around the home first resonate with you?

I think my work shows my love of the home and the domestic, and the feelings you get when you create a home of your own. It's a special place, and it should be. I like to fill my home with beautiful things.

Apart from memories of travel, a lot of what I do is drawing objects from around my home that has all of those beautiful memories and feelings embedded within them. Quite often it was really about the composition and just drawing pattern, colour, texture, and seeing that all take shape. I think this is what led me to become an interior designer in the first place – my love of all those things. And now that is something I'm also exploring differently through my art.

What do you enjoy most about creating?

To me, it is a very grounding and meditative thing. I just like to sit and give in to the practice and see what I am drawing, take form. In a way, it’s kind of selfish. I draw because I enjoy doing it. It is a therapeutic thing for me, and I started to do it as a way to unwind. I love that you can travel through my art and go back to the moments and places that are stress-free and really enjoyable.

Your work has a Mediterranean theme weaved throughout it, what memories do your pieces evoke within you?

In the beginning, I was quite drawn into referring back to the memories and photos from more recent, big overseas trips we had done, like our honeymoon in Italy and France. I think with COVID hitting, it gave everyone the feeling of the walls closing in on you, and I was dreaming of slightly more open borders again. So I started drawing a little series that was based around travel – the beautiful food and table settings we had on that trip.

For me, it is the desire to experience broader and far-reaching horizons and wanting to escape a little bit, which is what originally led me to go back through all my old travel photos. Looking at a beautiful photo of a table that was in Tuscany with nice linens and a glass of limoncello. I just wanted to be there. And so I drew it, and that's how I was transported there.

Your collection with us captures the collective memory of sharing meals and those beautiful table scenes– what was your intention when creating this particular collection?

Visually it focuses on the beauty of fresh food on a plate. It has tables with that beautiful fare on it that you would find in a Sydney summer – which is something, I think we're all craving right now. It's the idea that people are coming together for a meal or sharing food around that table. It’s a sense of familiarity. We can all remember meeting our friends and family and sitting around a table, sharing a beautiful meal, with wine and drinks, and just really enjoying this gorgeous food, together.

Your process seems very intuitive, can you tell us a bit more about this?

My process is a bit of a mix. I don't insist on drawing from a still life set up in front of me. I will draw from bits of photos. I'll sort of augment them with imagination or memory. Sometimes I like to arrange a still life. In fact, I was just doing that before with a rockmelon. Also, I sometimes add things that aren't there. So a lot of the pattern or the textile, that's not there, I just add it in. Or I might add an object from a memory. Other times I draw purely from imagination, and it might start with an object that's in my house or one I've drawn many times before, and I might place it in there.

When we use to go out for meals, I would take lots of photos. If we were out having oysters I’d take a photo then turn them over and take a photo of the other side – I like to capture the light or the composition of things like glass in front of a wine bottle. Sometimes, at home, I might see something as simple as an orange sitting on the table and think it’s nice and I’ll take a picture and come back to it later.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS (Updated 26 April, 2023)

Welcome to McMullin & co. To assist with your purchase we have outlined our terms and conditions below.

If you have any questions that we can help with, please email our customer care team at hello@mcmullinandco.com

CURRENCY

All amounts listed on the website are in Australian Dollars (AUD)

PRODUCT VARIATIONS

Many of our products are handmade, natural and organic and may feature slight variations due to this nature.

Antiques Our Antique items are unique, pre-loved pieces and as such will show signs of use. Some pieces are imperfect and will have individual variations and characteristics that are not considered a fault to the product. Items are sold as is and while we endeavour to provide accurate descriptions regarding the wear and recommended use for each product, variations may occur and should be expected. We will not be liable to you for any such variations or inconsistencies and encourage you to view the items prior to purchase at our Botany warehouse should you have any concerns.

Ceramics are traditionally handmade and placed in a woodfire kiln, every effort is made to ensure there is minimal colour variations to our ceramic pieces, however, it is something that we love and can be expected. Please note our natural terracotta ceramics are not watertight. We love styling dried flowers in ours, but for fresh flowers please place a watertight container inside the vessel or select one of our glazed vessels.

Teak & Cane are long-lasting materials which feature natural colour and grain variations. We suggest keeping these materials out of direct sunlight as it will cause fading overtime. Applying a natural oil or beeswax every 6 months will help maintain the materials over time. See our Product Care guide for more information.

ORDER PROCESS

Please consider your order carefully as once an order is submitted, we are unable to provide a refund.

Quotes are valid for 7 days from the issued date. After 7 days, your quote will become invalid and will be cancelled if confirmation has not been received or we haven’t received further contact from you. We are unable to hold stock for quotes.

New orders are valid for 7 days from the issued date. After 7 days your order will become invalid and cancelled if payment or remittance has not been received to confirm the order. Unfortunately, we are unable to hold stock for unpaid orders. Please note we allocate stock to orders based on date paid, not the date the order was placed.

DISPATCH & LEAD TIME

Arrival dates for pre-order products listed on our website are estimated only and can vary due to global supply chain, and the nature and production time of our goods.

If any of the items on your order are on pre-order your order may be split so the in-stock item/s can be sent to you. If an item is missing it is likely your package has been separated into two shipments. If this is the case, you will receive two tracking numbers from us. Once your order has been dispatched you will receive an email with your tracking number.

In Stock items

This means your item is currently in stock in our Sydney warehouse and will be dispatched by our warehouse team within 10 business days of the date your order is placed, excluding lamps. If your order includes pre-order items arriving within the same month, your order will be held until they arrive so that all items can be sent together.
Ceramic Lamps advertised as In Stock will be wired and dispatched within 15 business days of the date your order is placed. This is to ensure compliance with Australian Standards.
Once dispatched, your item will be collected by our third-party courier service. As such, delivery times may vary depending on location and the courier service selected.

Pre-order items

For pre-ordered items we are only able to notify the expected arrival date into our Australian warehouse
Your items will be dispatched from our warehouse by the end of the month listed on the product page at the time of placing your order. For example, if you the website starts "Pre order arrival - June " than you can expect your goods to be dispatched to you by the 30th June.
The date the goods arrive at our warehouse is subject to change due to its reliance on many factors, sometimes resulting in unexpected delays
As much as possible we will update you by email on any changes to the arrival date. Should you have any concerns or need to change your delivery address please email us at hello@mcmullinandco.com

DELIVERY

A street address for delivery must be provided at the time of placing the order, we are unable to deliver to a PO Box.

Should your delivery address change, it is your responsibility to let us know prior to dispatch by emailing hello@mcmullinandco.com. If your order is sent to the incorrect address and returned to McMullin & co, a redelivery fee may apply.

McMullin & co reserves the right to request extra freight contributions for remote/rural areas or for large/heavy orders.

For items delivered by courier, delivery is deemed to be effective when the delivery company receives a signed receipt or delivery docket confirming that the goods were received. If the delivery is attempted to your address and no one is able to sign for it, then the delivery company will transfer it to a nearby depot and leave a card with a number to call to arrange a re-delivery.

DOMESTIC DELIVERY OPTIONS

We are pleased to offer a range of delivery options. The size of your order or fragility of items purchased will determine the delivery options which are available to you in your area. McMullin & co reserves the right to request extra freight contributions for remote/rural areas or for large/heavy orders.

Our courier services are below:

Sendle and Couriers Please

We work with Sendle and Couriers Please as delivery partners for our smaller items up to 5kg. They offer parcel tracking and service a wide range of delivery locations.

Deliveries are only available Monday to Friday and delivery time is estimated below:

Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane Metro areas | 1-10 business days from time of dispatch

All other areas | up to 14 business days from time of dispatch

Standard Delivery – Direct Freight |1 man, delivery to ground floor

Our Standard Delivery Service is offered for most of our furniture and homewares. Our couriers will deliver direct to the ground floor of your building, but not inside your home.

Deliveries are only available Monday to Friday and delivery time is estimated below:

Delivery to Sydney Metro areas within 1-3 business days of dispatch

Delivery to Melbourne Metro areas within 1-3 business days of dispatch

Delivery to Brisbane Metro areas within 2-4 business days of dispatch

Delivery to all other areas within 7 business days of dispatch

If you think you may have trouble moving your goods inside your home alone, we recommend that you have someone available to help you carry the items into your home, unpack and install your furniture. If this isn't an option, we recommend using one of our alternative 2 man services for heavy/bulky items.

We are currently unable to offer selection of specific delivery date or time, weekend deliveries or holding stock.

Sydney Metro Hand Delivery | 1 man, delivery to door

Our Sydney Metro Hand Delivery is offered for most furniture items and homewares. Our couriers will deliver direct to the door of your home, but not inside your home.

Once your order is ready, our warehouse team will contact you to arrange a delivery date of your choosing between Monday to Friday with a delivery window of 9-5pm. The delivery time is not able to be specified.

We are currently unable to offer selection of specific delivery date or time, weekend deliveries or holding stock.

Premium Delivery* | Sensitive Freight 2 Man Service – Metro Areas Only

We use a dedicated sensitive freight service that covers most metro areas in ACT, NSW, QLD & VIC. This is a 2 man premium service that will place the item into the room of your choice and it is the nominated service for delivery of our larger or more fragile items. Once your order has been dispatched our couriers will be in contact with you within 3 business days to provide a selection of three delivery time and date options. Delivery will take up to 10 business days once your order has been dispatched.

Please take note of the following courier guidelines:

White Glove Delivery* | Sensitive Freight 2 Man Service, Assembly & Rubbish Removal – Metro Areas Only

Our White Glove Delivery is available for most metro areas in ACT, NSW, QLD & VIC. This deluxe service includes a 2 man delivery into your home, plus also the assembly of products and rubbish removal. Once your order has been dispatched our couriers will be in contact with you within 3 business days to provide a selection of three delivery time and date options.Delivery will take up to 10 business days once your order has been dispatched.

Please take note of the following courier guidelines:

Couriers will not collect or relocate the receiver’s household items to accommodate new products or unpack or remove any waste from the delivery residence.The access to that room must be clear and without hazards or obstacles. This is the responsibility of the receiver.Couriers will avoid using handling devices within the house/residence such as e.g. hand trolleys. However, they may be necessary in some instances.

Sydney Warehouse Pick up

We offer pick up from our warehouse in Botany, NSW 2019 during our opening hours. Our team will contact you by email once your order is ready to collect, and you must be available to pick up with item within 10 business from that date. We require 24 hours notice of your intended collection day and you will need to ensure that your or your courier have suitable size vehicle for your order.

McMullin & co Warehouse
15 Salisbury Street
Botany, NSW 2019

Opening Hours
Monday to Thursday | 9.00am to 4.00pm
Friday | 9.30am to 3.30pm

Please note, if you are unable to collect your item within 10 business days we will not be able to hold the stock and your order will be placed on backorder.

Pallet Shipping
Our pallet shipping service is available for trade or wholesale customers. We use this service for large orders which require delivery on a pallet. Please contact trade@mcmullinandco.com to enquire about this service.

*Exclusions may apply to some regional or remote areas. Please contact our team if this applies to you.

INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY

Standard Delivery | DHL Express | 1 man, delivery to ground floor

We work with DHL Express for International shipping and our website will calculate a quote for this through the checkout process for most smaller products. Due to the fragile nature of our mirrors and other selected products we are unable to ship these internationally. For oversize items such as bedheads please contact us at hello@mcmullinandco.com for a shipping quote.

DHL Express couriers will deliver Monday to Friday, direct to the ground floor of your building but not inside your home.

Delivery time is estimated at 7-10 business days from the date of dispatch.

We are currently unable to offer selection of specific delivery date or time, weekend deliveries or holding stock.

Freight Forwarder

You are welcome to arrange your own freight carrier and our team will prepare your order for collection. Please contact us at hello@mcmullinandco.com to arrange this.

DAMAGED OR FAULTY GOODS

To advise of damaged or faulty goods, please contact us at hello@mcmullinandco.com with your invoice number, name, contact details and photos on the day (within 24 hours) of receiving your order.

Photos required: You must send us four photos including a full shot of the product, two close-up images of the defect and a full shot of the packaging showing any damage.

Due to the delicate nature of our goods, sometimes breakages can happen through the delivery process. If in the unfortunate event a product is delivered damaged, we will happily arrange a replacement for you. If a replacement is not available within a reasonable timeframe, we will work with you to organise an appropriate course of action.

If a product has been delivered and is faulty, we will arrange replacement for you. If a replacement Is not available within a reasonable timeframe, we will work with you to organise an appropriate course of action. Please refer to our warranty for faults occuring outside of the 24 hour window.

Health & safety regulations restrict our couriers from handling damaged items with broken glass, sharp edges or open boxes. Please be aware of this when making your purchase as we may be unable to have the damaged item collected from you.

RETURNS & EXCHANGE POLICY (excludes Custom Made orders)

Change of mind | Returns*^

We want you to love your purchase, so if you're not completely happy, you may return your product within 14 days of purchase in exchange for a store credit for the value of the product only.

The product must be provided in unused condition with all the original packaging. We will not accept any returns without it's original packaging.

Change of mind | Order Cancellations*^

If you have placed an order and would like to cancel, we can provide a full store credit or exchange to another item. We cannot cancel or amend an order that has already been dispatched from our warehouse.

* We will not accept any returns for orders shipped internationally

^ Items purchased during a promotion or warehouse sale are a final sale. No exchanges or returns of sale items are accepted at any time.

PRICING & PROMOTIONAL PERIODS

All prices listed on our website are subject to change

If your order was placed within 24 hours of a reduction to the retail price, and you contact us within 24 hours, we will honour the discounted price and apply the difference as a store credit to your account.

If your order was placed within 24 hours of the start of a promotional period, and you contact us within 24 hours, we will honour the promotional price and apply the difference as a store credit to your account.

We are unable to make any price adjustments for orders made outside of the 24 hour period.

We cannot amend the prices of products that have already been dispatched from our warehouse.

*25.12.22 - 08.01.23 | Free Standard AU Shipping for orders over $150

Free shipping within Australia applies to retail orders placed between 25.12.22 to 08.01.23 with a product value of over $150.00 AUD. Exclusions apply to orders containing the following items: Florence Chrome Floor Mirror, Solomon Table Desk and Dora Console Table with Free Shipping not applicable for these items. The shipping service for orders eligible for free standard shipping will vary between Couriers Please, Sendle and Direct Freight at the discretion of McMullin & co. Orders will be dispatched from 09.01.23. No further discounts apply.

*28.02.23 - 26.03.23 | Online Warehouse Sale

Items purchased in our online warehouse sale between 28.02.23 to 26.03.23 (or while stocks last) are final sale with no refunds, credits or exchanges available for change of mind. No further discounts apply.

*18.04.23 - 19.04.23 | Vogue Online Shopping Night

Items purchased between 18.04.23 to 19.04.23 with discounted rates as part of the Vogue Online Shopping Night (VOSN) are final sale with no refunds, credits or exchanges available for change of mind. Offer not applicable in conjunction with other offers. Offer excludes gift vouchers, artworks, antiques, collaborations and cushion infills. No further discounts apply.

*27.04.23 - 30.04.23 | Free Standard AU Shipping for in stock items

Free shipping within Australia applies to retail orders placed between 27.04.23 to 30.04.23 for in stock items only. The shipping service for orders eligible for free standard shipping will vary between Couriers Please, Sendle and Direct Freight at the discretion of McMullin & co. Orders will be dispatched from 01.05.23. No further discounts apply.

*05.06.23 - 18.06.23 | EOFY Sale

*26.06.23 - 31.07.23 | Final Sale

Items listed in sale are end of line furniture, homewares and ceramics.Sale available until 31.07.23 (or while stocks last). Items purchased are final sale with no refunds, credits or exchanges accepted at any time for change of mind. No further discounts apply.

*13.08.23 - 20.03.23 | Free Standard AU Shipping for orders over $150

Free shipping within Australia applies to retail orders placed between13.08.23 to 20.08.23 with a product value of over $150.00 AUD. Exclusions apply to orders containing the following items: Florence Chrome Floor Mirror, Linea Floor Mirror, Earl Dining Table, Solomon Table Desk, Doug TV Unit, Dora Console Table, Uma Sofa & Etta Sofa due to the bulky nature of these items. The shipping service for orders eligible for free standard shipping will vary between Couriers Please, Sendle and Direct Freight at the discretion of McMullin & co. Orders will be dispatched from 14.08.23 for in stock items. No further discounts apply.

PRODUCT LOANS
We are happy to provide products for photoshoots and events to our Trade customers. There is a 10% charge for the value of the goods to cover our handling and packaging. Should any of the products break or get damaged during a loan, the wholesale value or a repair fee is chargeable.

CUSTOM MADE

Please choose carefully, as Custom Made orders cannot be cancelled if you change your mind or make a wrong decision.

Payment

Written confirmation with a 100% pre-payment is required to secure the order and commence production.

Changes

Please contact us within 1 business day of confirmation if your order requires any changes. Any requests for changes after this time will not be possible.

Lead time & Delivery

The lead time on Custom Made items can vary per product. We will send an email confirming your order with specific detail around any made to order lead times.

All custom items must be sent with Sydney Metro Hand Delivery or White Glove Delivery which will be quoted for you at the time of placing your order. Alternatively you can arrange your own courier to collect from our warehouse with 48 hours notice once your order is ready.

Delivery fees are dependent on location, size of package and weight. Once your item has dispatched from our warehouse, our transport company will contact you 10 days prior to delivery of your made to order furniture.

If the goods are ready by the original requested date and the buyer is not ready to receive the goods, storage fees of $125.00 per week will apply. This fee is the minimal fee for storage and is dependent on number of pieces.

Variations

There may be slight differences in grain / colour from what you see in our showroom for both timber and fabric. McMullin & co is not responsible for any dye lot variations in fabrics nor buyers not liking the fabric choice once delivery has occurred. For technical reasons, while we strive for minimal variation, it is impossible to guarantee a perfect colour match between samples and stocked items.

Cancellation

Please choose carefully as any cancellations of Custom Made orders shall result in a 100% cancellation fee. Orders are non-refundable and exchange for store credit is not available.

Return Policy

No returns will be accepted on Custom Made items.

MARKETING COMMUNICATION & PRIVACY

McMullin & co only collects personal information when you knowingly provide it. Personal information is collected in a number of ways, including directly from you over the phone or via email, within marketing activities and invitations responses, and when you submit information to us through or website (eg. email chat or cookies).
Your contact details may be used by us for the purpose of sending marketing correspondence or invitations to you. We acknowledge and respect an individuals choice to opt-out of our direct marketing communications and activities.

OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Unless otherwise indicated, we own the copyright and other intellectual property rights (“IP”) in the content on this website. Some of the IP in the content may be owned by someone else and is included on our website under a license or agreement. All copying, downloading, reproduction, distribution adaptation, modification or communication of the site or any content is prohibited except with our prior written permission. The site contains trademarks which are registered or otherwise protected by law. You are not permitted to use these trademarks except with our prior written permission.

WARRANTY

Our products are natural and handmade and are therefore unable to have an unconditional warranty. However, we will replace any product if it is defective within six months from the date of receiving provided the product was used for normal purposes and maintained in accordance with the care instructions. This excludes all items purchased during a warehouse, sample or seconds sale.

Any improper or negligent use or neglect will void this warranty. The warranty applies to household residential use only and not to any commercial, contract, rental, trade, institutional or other non-residential use. If you wish to make a claim under this warranty, you must provide photographic evidence to support your claim.

For the avoidance of doubt, a product is not defective if there is a manufacturing variation referred to above.

Subject to the above and subject to any condition, warranty or right implied by, or any statutory consumer guarantee contained in, any law (including the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) which cannot by law be excluded by agreement:

We give no warranties if any expressly set out in these terms and conditions; and All implied conditions, warranties and rights are excluded.

The following only applies if you are located in Australia and deemed a “consumer” under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and may not apply in your particular case. Our products come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the ACL. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure. You are also entitled to have the products repaired or replaced if the products fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure. By stating these rights, we do not vary or extend the remedies otherwise available to you. The name, business address, telephone number and email address of the person giving this warranty are:

McMullin & co.
ABN 20864510070
13 Thompson Street
Marrickville, 2204, NSW
Ph. 0423 114 882
Email: hello@mcmullinandco.com

THE COMPANY WE KEEP | PHOEBE STONE

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THE COMPANY WE KEEP | PHOEBE STONE

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