Staci Shuck

Happy Monday!!!! Monday Madness is back!!!!

With a few changes that is!  I am resolving to work extra hard to make it every Monday but...it may end up being every other Monday or the first Monday of the month or the last Monday of the month...you get the idea right!!!!  So for today, which happens to be the next to last Monday of the month (LOL!)  we have Monday Madness back!  (and I know I have alot to catch up on these too...paint rings a bell...Sandra...I haven't forgotten!)

Anyway...today's Monday Madness is MARKERS and Doodling!  Most of you know I love COPIC markers, am a certified Copic teacher and use them for just about everything.  Truth be told I LOVE their At You SPica's and I use their multiliners as regular pens...so glad they are refillable!!!  I guess you can say I'm a Copic Addict...not as bad mind you as other but...I do use the airbrush system too.  That might put me over the edge of addiction.  That all said...I'm taking Stephanie's Random Creative ScrappleDoodle online class.  I'm pretty sure you can still register for the class...just click her name above and info should be right there.  Stephanie used Prismacolor markers
and had introduced me to them way back last spring.  I purchased a few and played.  Liked them and used them in my journaling last spring and even through the summer but...."never fear, when Copic's are near" I will turn to them first.  For my Scrapple Doodling I thought I would try the Prisma's and break away from my addiction.  I was pleasantly surprised how nicely they worked on canvas and how easily they blended from one color to the next.  I did not use the Prisma blender but did use the lighter colors to blend.  Here are a few pics of my first project assignment.
I also used some Sharpies on these. I'm working on one with ALL Copics too...that will come later.

SO my challenge for today, this next to last Monday of August...USE YOUR MARKERS and DOODLE...anywhere you like!!!!!

Have fun!

Internal Clocks....

This time of year my internal (seasonal) clock (or calendar maybe) starts clicking away at the things that have to be done.  Because of that "big change" (don't worry...we'll talk about it soon) going on right now...the internal clock is focusing on other things...like "putting up".  Even though the schedule is still jam packed, there is a bit of freedom to do the things that haven't been done for a while.  One of those things is the refolding and changing of some family heirlooms (there's that word Stephanie) in storage.  Soooo...the internal clock said it was time to go get those things from storage and get to work preserving them!  Sooo...I changed the archival tissue layered in these heirlooms

and refolded, repacked and RE-stored them.  The tissue(it's that buffered, lignin, acid free tissue) does a great job preventing yellowing and the transfer of faded colors.  It does need changed every so often in order for this to happen so it's good that the "change" is happening now.  The family became interested too and it turned into a great time to remember people and events from our past.  Hopefully their internal clocks will click in the future and they'll carry on these same events with their families.

Managed to get some creative time in as well by placing pictures on pre-done layouts.  I am way behind my goal of doing a page a day but...I AM still working toward that goal and will hope to get as close to 365 completed pages as possible.  We'll see...lots of catching up to do!  It felt great to be back

in the creative seat again and now I am ready to get started on Random Creative Scrapple Doodle with Miss Stephanie!!!  Can't wait to get rolling on that.  If you haven't signed up yet...it's a MUST DO!  So click this Link (<that word link) and read all about it and register!  It promises to not only be creative but also inspiring with a great group of people too!

Happy Creating!

 

Just like my Nan used to make!

I'm actually starting to worry myself a bit with all I'm doing!  But I think it's a good worry and I know the things I'm doing, like "putting up", making Ham n' Green Beans and making Nan's (she was the bestest-and she liked the bestest wool store in the valley too) homemade vegetable soup... are being enjoyed and appreciated by the family!  So if cooking up some homemade vegetable soup...
just like Nan's, can conjure up comments from the family like "hmmm...that's the good kind too mom" and "mom that soup is great" it is all worth it!   The "big change" (which we'll talk about at a later date) has triggered and enabled me to actually enjoy this season! With that said...4 quart of soup is frozen with a little leftover for lunch tomorrow and there are enough veggies left to make another batch before the weekend is over!  It's pretty good stuff if I do say so myself!!!! 

No peaches today or tomatoes but I'm hoping the weekend will bring a few our way!  I can see that creative time light at the end of the tunnel!!!  Looking forward to attending Art On A Limb with Lisa Patterson, Cheryl Darrow and my good friend Laurie Hunt in a few weeks.  Check it out and join us!!!  You WON'T be dissappointed!!!  Miss Lisa was just named to the Authentique Design team too ...yeah Lisa!!!

That's all for now!  Hope to be back tomorrow!!!!  Happy Friday!

Things are changin'

and it's not just the season!!!!  Things are changin' around here and I am lovin' it!  There's lots going on but for now I'll start with today and a trip to the "valley"!  The BIG Valley that is!  Not sure how it became Big Valley but it's a wonderful valley.  I enjoy weekly trips during summer for dry goods, fresh produce and shopping at the flea markets!  It's full of farms, amish and mennonite families and businesses, antique shops, flea markets, livestock and fresh produce auctions and the bestest(I don't think that's a word but it really describes my feelings about this shop!) place to buy wool and felt for use in my felting machine... thank you dear friend Stephanie Ackerman for your encouragement and guidance (enabling me) in the purchase of this wonderful machine!!!!  My mind continues to spin with ideas for my felt and wool stash!  It IS THE BOMB!!!!  More on that in future posts though!

Back to the Valley...today's trip was a bit later in the day...around Noon (usually it's 6AM or so) so we missed the prime goodies but we managed to do pretty well.  It is the time, here in rural Pennsylvania anyway, for "putting up" for the winter!  You know...harvesting all the goodies from the garden that are plentiful and canning and freezing for meals through out the coming year????    It's something I've done since I was a small child helping my mom and grandmother.  Trust me when I say that I really DID NOT enjoy prepping for canning while I was doing it but now...I cherish those memories!  What a skill I learned at an early age.  I am thankful!  Tending garden was part of the tradition as well and even though we've had gardens in years past, we completely miss planting season this year.  We have NOTHING to harvest!  Thank goodness for neighbors, the local farmer's market and "the valley"!   Today's trip was about finding large quantities of these....
and some potatoes, onions and ham for what else....Ham and Green Beans!!! 4-Half Gallons frozen!  Yippee! There was even enough for dinner and to share with some special neighbors!  It was lots of snapping, washing, scrubbing, crying(silly onions), peeling and cooking but it tasted great and we've got food for winter!!!!  Next up...some sweet stuff!  Peaches...regular and WHITE PEACHES!!!!
The traditional orange colored(inside flesh) were not quite ripe but the white peaches(they're actually white flesh) were deeeee-licious! Outside coloring is the same just a little lighter.  The kids agreed...those were the favorite.  Next week...a bushel or so of those to freeze for fresh fruit in the coming year!  Picked up some red ripe tomatoes as well...and hope to try freezing them for marinara, taco, chili sauces and soups.  Local farmer's market tomorrow...will be checking it out for some celery, carrots, onions and peas for veggie soup!  Things are changin'(oops! there's my word of the year again!) around here and I'm liking it!  Hope you're enjoying some fresh market fair this season and are changin' things up a bit!

Secret...I figure if I "put some things up"  I'll have more time for some creativity!!!!  Keep the fingers crossed!

Happy rest of the week!