Hi there. Hope you've found some time lately to be creative and enjoy some 'me time'. As I mentioned in my last newsletter… it's soooo important. I know I feel really stretched if I've been running around doing a million-and-one jobs, and sometimes I just need a couple of hours of quiet relaxation by stamping a card or scrapbooking a happy occasion.

If you're a regular to my blog you'll know that I have another hobby: patchworking and quilting (although it definitely takes second place to my love of paper!). After finishing my last big quilt I've only made a couple of small projects, so decided to spend the past week getting my next project organised. It's an applique quilt with lots of texture, and I'm using the Big Shot on it… so fun! I love how you can use so many different materials with the Big Shot, like vinyl, balsawood, felt, acetate, sponge, and plenty more. NO, I'm not putting those on the quilt! LOL

I think the hardest thing with quilting is getting everything set up, the blocks measured and cut, fabrics chosen, etc. Oh cardmaking is so much easier!

Anyway, I did have a great day on Saturday visiting the Craft and Quilt Show in Melbourne. It was my first craft show in ages where I wasn't working on a stand, so I took the chance to have a good look around. So many inspiring projects, and I couldn't help but notice the fresh use of colour. I recognised many of the new colours we'll be getting in September with Stampin' Up!'s Colour Renovation… they appeared everywhere in different fabrics and textiles, wool, stitcheries and clothes. It has made me more excited than ever about the freshening of our available colours.

Now, if you have a 'passion for papercraft' then you'll want to mark August 27 – 29 in your diary. Melbourne Paperific is on that weekend and I'll be there with other demonstrators sharing new techniques AND you'll get a chance to do Make & Takes. It will be a great time to visit being the end of one catalogue and the start of a new one. It's at the Melbourne Showgrounds (so it's very handy for those of us in regional areas). 

Today I thought I'd share one of our recent Stamp Club projects. Usually the afternoon and evening groups do the same projects, but not this past month. One group had done Waterfall Cards before, and the other group hadn't but I didn't want them to miss out. Our topic for both groups was Two-Step Stamping, of course, so everyone learned how to use the stamps that are 20% off this month, such as this one, "A Rose Is A Rose".

There are lots of great online tutorials if you want to learn how to make these cards (just look up "Waterfall Cards"). I learned how to do these from Keryn, one of the talented girls in my downline, at our last Team Day. I can't believe I hadn't made them before, because I thought they were too hard! Not at all, give them a try!

And here's the page all stamp club members made for their Technique Journal.

Happy stamping! I'm off to finish preparing for the arrival of a new family member. More details tomorrow!

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