Staci Shuck

Just the Beginning

Changes are coming....Still working and still sooooo much more to come.  Insert sqeal here!  I'm just a little excited!  What do you think????? 

Embracing the change!!!!

Stay tuned!

Happy Friday!

Staci

INSPIRED

I think I do a pretty good job of living in the present.  Once in a while it's difficult though.  This time of year is one of those times!  While I am feverishly working my creative little fingers to the bone (and loving it!) for my next adventure here...
My internal clock is telling me I should be somewhere else!  No, not a work, not a school ....at INSPIRED silly!   With the most fan tabulous group of people EVER gathered ANYWHERE!!!! I AM trying to "EMBRACE" the change but who would not want to spend 5 glorious days with this bunch of people????? See for your self with these pics from 2011....


Yes! I am partial to this group so don't ask if I'm being objective! Tis' where I've been fortunate to gather every early May, for the last 3 years, with other like minded creative souls, for days of unending laughter, creativity, inspiration, friendship and oh so much more!  To My Inspired Family(which happens to include my own family)...THANK YOU and MISS YOU!  You provide Inspiration like none other!  I am fortunate to have experienced Inspired with you!  Inspired Hugs to all you Crazy, Happy, Creative People!  Keep Inspiring and Keep doing what you love to do!  I look forward to us being gathered all in the same place again soon!  There are so many, many more you!  The blog just isn't big enough to list everyone's photo!  Thank you Donna and Bill Downey for bringing us all together!!

Woohooo Craftiness, Classes and Crops!!!

The last 2 weeks have been a blurrrr but a reeeeeeallly fun blurrrrr with lots of craftiness, creativity, classes and crops!  Did I mention they've been filled with wonderful people, old friends and new!!!  Wonderfully lucky to be a part of it all!  Very thankful and excited and my little brain is whirling with ideas!!!!!  Woohooo!!!!!!   Let's start with the craftiness...


Some classes at Grove's....Don't Miss them....Register HERE NOW!!!!   Stephanie arrives in a few short weeks and we'll be doing a little of this....
and a little of this....
YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS IT!  SPREAD THE WORD TOOO!!!!!!!!

Finally some crop goodness!  I finished my "whirlwind tour" at Mahaffey Camp  a wonderful church camp nestled in the northern mountains of Pennsylvania.  I am so fortunate to get to attend this crop twice a year.  Love the people, the place and the comraderie!  Not to mention all the creativity!  This trip was no exception...Thank you Mahaffey Campers!!!!  See you in the Fall!!!!

Have a great week!  More progress on the "Spring Clean-Up" to share in the coming days!  Yep!  I AM finishing projects and cleaning out!

Happy Scrappin'!

Staci

Spring Cleaning {Monday} Madness!!!

It's mid March and the weather is unbelieveable.  I'm not sure what that means for us but I want to enjoy it a bit.  Only problem is that I promised myself that before Spring arrived I would have control over my Vintage, Stitchy, Artsy, Crafty, Scrappi-ness (mess)!  Sooo...today is the day (actually yesterday was the day) for the Spring Cleaning Craft Room Madness to begin!   

With that I got to work and you will be happy to know that I emptied this...
yes, that is the inside of an EMPTY bag...and a rather large bag at that!  One down....MANY to go!  In that bag were many  things, one of them was a mini album kit that was from a Creating Keepsakes Convention Class....maybe 8 years ago???? Surely, it hasn't been that long!  It looked like this...
when I pulled it out of the bag.  I got to work quickly and this is what I ended up with! 

Very happy to be Spring Cleaning and getting things done!  More goodness on the way! Stay tuned and Happy Cleaning!  There are great things in store for Monday Madness!

Have a great week!

Hugs,

Staci

Happy "Inky" Monday Madness!

Inks, Inks and more Inks!  There are so many and I am enjoying them all - so wanted to share! Thanks to a class rescheduling this past weekend (silly Ranger didn't get all my ink goodness delivered in time) I had some free time on my hands!  Friends were attending a nearby event and it was going to be "inky" so I decided to give it a try!  Let's just say I was NOT disappointed! 

Stampendous and Tsukineko were in town!  Great fun to learn from Tammie Wilson at Stampendous who showed us how versatile the Tsukineko VersaCraft inks and re-inkers are to use with here Stampendous Stamps. These stamps are only Stampendous...they are Stupendous!!! We PAINTED with these inks and they are AWESOME!!!! We started with this...
to color these....
and they turned into this... I'm pretty excited!  I loved learning how to use these inks and stamps to create this project.  Completely different from ink techniques I've used before!  And...all of you who were to be in my Inky Crop class on Saturday...you WILL be seeing this in the rescheduled class!!!  Just sayin'!!!!

So how are you going to use your Inks?  Which are your favorite?  Don't be afraid to share!!!!

Have a few more projects that I'll share later this week!  Tsukineko is awesome!!!!

Hugs and Happy Monday Madness!

Staci

March Monday Madness...Die Cutting!!!!

Happy Ides of March!!!  Doesn't seem like it should be March yet...haven't had enough snow, ice or even a good old fashion deep freeze!  You know...the kind where you nostrils stick together!!!  Haven't had much of it and I'm afraid to say that I'm kinda missing it!  There's still plenty of time though so I'll not get to dramatic about it!  The plus side of the calm weather is that we've been able to hold more classes and gatherings at Grove's!  That means loads of fun and lots of playing with all kinds of goodies!  I had great plans for the crop this weekend but a migraine brought a change in creative plans and the hubby had to step in for a few hours while I napped in dark solitude!  I really, really, really don't like when this happens and I know it's a sign that I'm doing to much, not watching what I'm eating and so on and so forth...(I haven't had as many since I retired...so that's a good thing at least) but at least when it happens I know I have to step back before it's gets worse!  That I did and I am glad to say that I am on the mend and felt well enough to play a little bit today.  I had a neat little project (which I'm not going to disclose)planned for Monday Madness and it involved Die Cutting Machines.  I can't say to much or it will give it away so let's just say that in planning for the project I had a difficult time deciding "which" diecut machine to use!

I was working at the store so heaven knows I had enough to choose from...the vintage Sizzix, a Quickutz Squeeze, Quickutz Revolution, AccuCut Go Machine, an old Silhouette, small Cricuts, Cricut Expression and so on!  I'm pretty sure there are a few others in there too!  Hard to believe that over the years we've had so many options in diecut machines to choose from.  I think I bought my first Sizzix machine 10 years ago???  Along with a few alphabet and shape dies.  I moved to the Silhouette when I finally acquired a laptop and I really enjoyed it.  Then I switched from a PC to a MAC before there was MAC version and that was the last I used it.

So that brings me to Monday Madness...which diecut machine is your "Go To" machine for projects?  Do you use one at all?  If so what do you use them for?  Traditionally, at our crops and classes, croppers use them for cutting papers for cards, embellishments and titles for scrapbooking layouts.  Is that your use? 

Lately,  I've been learning and teaching with the Cricut Expression 2...
an upgraded verion of the long standing Cricut Expression Die Cut Machine!  I enjoy using it and do enjoy the upgrades on this machine. It comes loaded with a few cartridges and all your tools are on an LCD touch screen.  That is nice, until someone taps the touch screen a bit to hard and then, well, it's a little more time consuming!  It's safe to say that I am not a"Cricut-holic"!  I enjoy using them, love to learn how to use them, have great fun creating projects and teaching Cricut classes at the store and at crops with them and I have used them to cut metal (a favorite of mine...just in case you didn't already know that!), vinyl, fabric, magnet material, canvas, chipboard and a few other things when there is not a line waiting to use one of the 3 we have at the store...but....that usually only happens if I don't have a letter sticker or embellishment already for the project I'm working on.  Still, I enjoy them for certain projects like cutting multiples of objects and even basic shapes that are difficult to cut by hand or that require a larger size than I can cut on this machine...the Sizzix BIGKick manual die cut machine!  The BIGKick has been my "Go To" machine for years!  I'm not even sure they make this white and red version anymore.  Notice I have Spellbinders cutting pads in it...to emboss my Ten Seconds Studio's metals of course!!!  I do cut things with this machine but the embossing of metal is the primary use!  (I can emboss with the cricut...even a full 12 x 12 sheet thanks to some new tools) but...this is my favorite!  So much so that I decided...deep breath...to go for my very own personal 12 x 24 version!!!  Introducing...the Big Shot Pro...

the big daddy to the original Sizzix and hubby to my BIGKick!!!  It's awesome and I'm having lots of fun cutting out bunches of these....with great ease!!!! (Pardon the rhyming!!!!!)  I do love the machine and I'm embracing the many used it has for the projects I'm working on.  It doesn't talk back to me and my biceps are getting work out with each cut I make!  More on the fun things I'm cutting later!  For now...let me know how you reeeeally feel about diecut machines!

Happy Monday Madness and Happy March!!!!

Hugs!

Staci

A Distress-Full Monday Madness!

Happy Monday, Happy President's Day, happy vacation day and HAPPY MONDAY MADNESS!!!  Yep, I'm yelling it at the top of my lungs!  Just a little tired from a great weekend full of lots of creativity, great fellowship, new friends, old friends and some Distress!!!

The weekend was spent here....
Greene Hills church camp, just "over the river and through the woods" a bit from home.  A place I haven't visited since my childhood with my great (who was great...I just didn't know back then) Aunt Myrtie who drove us over hill and dale in her yellow cadillac(the old 1956 model with the torpedo style headlights on each side-I'll have to dig up a photo!) introducing us to neighbors, places, people, yummy foods and things that at the time were of no importance to me.  Oh how things have changed!  Now...they are very fond memories.  Coming back to this place was wonderful.  Lots of history in this land, a building filled with memories and the people working there...friends of my family who knew Aunt Myrtie.  Great to be there with them.  Greene Hills is definitely one of those "if these walls could talk" places!  Oh the stories they could tell.  

This weekend, Greene Hills was home to an amazing group of woman gathered to create, craft, scrapbook and share fellowship. 
They asked me to represent Grove's and be the "official" store for the event.  It was great to be there with these wonderful woman and the caretakers of Greene Hills.  I  will share more pictures of them on another post.

During the course of the weekend, I was fortunate to be able to get some playtime to myself.  The creativity of these ladies motivated me to pull out the supplies I had with me and put some pages together.   This is when the weekend turned into a distress-FULL weekend!!!  I didn't have my usual stash with me so I needed to improvise to blend colors and make things flow.  Somehow that stark white (although I do use it alot too) just wasn't cutting it with the papers and pictures I had chosen.  Then that old light bulb came on.... which brings me to Monday Madness -DISTRESS INKS!!!  I always have my inks with me!  And I do have a few... stored in a handy dandy make up bag....
very nicely, although when the inks are being used the case doesn't look so nice!  At any rate, I LOVE these inks (and the matching markers, stains, paints etc.) and find myself using them on almost everything.  I love the aged and slight bit of color they add to the pieces I use in crafting.  Today I used the Faded Jeans with some Van Dyke Brown to age and add color to the letter tiles for my page layout title.  I was pleased with the results and decided to do the same to the journal tag which was a bright white originally.  At first I did the edges by running them right against the pad and then I smoothed them out with the blending tool.  Love the result.  I should have done a "before pic" to show the big difference in the coloring of the letters.  I'll remember to do that next time!
 I am very pleased with the finished layout and end result.  It was an "antique-y" kind of page showing flea market shopping so the DISTRESS look and feel is perfect.  Even though I would have used them even if the pictures weren't "antique-y"!  LOL! 

Hope you have a great day that is FULL of Distress...INKS that is! Get them out, add some color and age to your pieces!!!

Happy Monday!

Staci

Monday Madness...on Tuesday is Puzzling!!!!

I've loved playing with puzzles since I was little.  Remember those wooden puzzles in elementary school?  Or the cartoon chipboard puzzles from McCrory's or Murphy's 5 and Dime?  Don't forget about those colorful Ravensburger puzzles too!  As a family, we enjoy a good puzzle now and then. We always stop at the puzzle tables at Bedford Springs when visiting there. A stop on the way in....to get a feel for the puzzle, (don't laugh...this is serious puzzling{the art of putting 1000+puzzle together} business!) the theme, colors and pieces, (It takes skill and concentration to conquer these!) and a stop on the way out, to hopefully get at least ONE section (usually 2 pieces) together! That, if accomplished, is mentally draining and exhausting-but great family fun!  Most often it requires a replenishing and nourishing meal in the tavern before heading back home!   If we can't get our own 2 piece section together first, we try to add a piece or 2 to what has already been started!  We have been known to hover over these tables, focused on matching pieces for 20 minutes or more, or until someone yells "I got one"!  Nothing wrong with a little friendly, family, puzzle competition once in a while! Not just any puzzle creates such a stir.  It has to be a Wentworth, real wood puzzle, with the most awesome shapes, coloring and 1000+ pieces to spark our interest!
Just look at that turkey!!!  And the fox at the top left too...Seeing these got me thinking!  Dangerous, I know!  I have had Chipboard puzzle pieces at my disposal for a few years.  We sell them at Grove's (in store only) and they are used primarily by teachers for preschool and elementary projects, I knew, sooner or later, that I NEEDED to use them creatively!  I was puzzled though, as the pieces are all the same shape, no smooth border for them to "lock into a snug fitting" shape like all the other puzzles I've put together.  Silly me....why did I think they needed a smooth border!  Why do they have to fit together!  Who knew it would take a turkey, a fox and some other Wentworth shapes to give me a wakeup call!  Soooo, for sketch class this weekend..we played with a 12 x 12 puzzle piece (among other things)!!!  I think everyone was as relieved as I that it could be used alone...no border!  This is what I came up with....not very puzzling at all...very simple actually and 

it was a perfect fit for one of the sketches we used....and I used my stash to complete it!!!!  I have lots of ideas now!  I can't wait to play with the 2 smaller sizes and I just might have a few of those large alphabet floor puzzles around that would be great to repurpose!  Why didn't I do this earlier!  No more thinking inside the "smooth border" for me...back to thinking out of the box! 

NOTE:  Don't be puzzled by those puzzle pieces...instead create a puzzling piece of art!!!!  (insert chuckle here!)   That's all for now!  Happy Monday Madness on Tuesday!

Hugs!

Staci

One last post for Joe...

It's been a few weeks and things are starting to slowly get back to "normal?"  That's not completely correct,  but I think you get the idea.  Still lots of emotion around here and THEEEEE flag
IS (and WILL CONTINUE to fly) to fill the void, show pride and honor PSU and Joe and family.  We still and will always have PSU in our hearts!  We wear it on our cars....

See it in the Scrapbooking and Papercrafting Aisle at Grove's....
in our jewelry....
and it's on our candy wrappers, paper plates and yes, sometimes we eat blue and white pasta!!!!!  Obsessed?  Nah, proud, appreciative, thankful, devoted and very glad to have experienced this during the time Joe was here!  We attended the processional for Joe in our best blue and white out of respect for him, his family, our family and because it was the right thing to do.  We received word that the service was over and cars were beginning to move.  As we looked in that direction to confirm, Jeff noticed this very faint, but very awesome rainbow.  
It is faint, just above and to the right of the trees, but it IS there and we, already emotional, shed a few more tears!  A sign for sure that Heaven was Happy...Joe smiling down on us! (Insert tears here!) Then we saw the cars, those awesome blue buses carrying family members with Sue in the seat that Joe rode in for the last 60 years and Jay and family waving to us as they passed. We have NEVER experienced such quiet in this place.  The hum of the media helicopters, noise from flashing vehicle lights and the snaps of cameras were all that could be heard.  Such respect for a man and his family who have done so much.  Listen for yourself.

The day after this processional was a public memorial service at Bryce Jordan Center next to the stadium.  We did not attend but did watch it live on our local station.  It was amazing.  Such a tribute from sooooo many lives Joe had touched.  This video of Nike CEO, Phil Knight, who also spoke at the service, said what we all have been feeling. We visited Joe's Statue...
so quiet and yes, I cried...Jeff told me to "Buck UP"...that didnt' work at all!  We had our Peach Paterno ice cream....delicious, delicious, delicious...made at the Campus Creamery!
We paid our respects and left messages at the Sports Museum & just one more photo!

Yep!  We're Penn State, Nittany Lion, Joe Paterno, Paterno Family fans!  I will close with that and say that there will be more pictures from this day and days to come but...we'll be sharing some creativity too.  Monday Madness will be here this week too...just a little late!

This is CHANGE....I am working to EMBRACE it!  I may have to borrow some "FOCUS" to continue to move ahead! 

Thanks for allowing me to share!  Have an impact in all you do!

Staci

Hard to let go...

Much, much harder than I thought to "get away from & let go of" the story of the weekend.  The University and the town are very much a part of our daily lives.  Yes, we attend athletic events and functions on campus, including football games, but we also have surgery at Mt. Nittany Medical Center, go to Drs. appts, shop at Wegman's, eat at The Waffle Shop, make deliveries on and off campus, attend the Arts Festival, shop downtown, pick up out of town guests at the airport, visit lifelong friends and family and so on and so on.

Penn State (the University) IS State College (the town) and State College IS Penn State.  Some beg to differ and some try to change and there are some separations and differences but for the most part they are ONE!  Thousands share this same feeling.  One can't visit campus or town without feeling a touch of the Blue and White pride and seeing Joe Pa (in real life or photos) somewhere around town.  We've never taken that for granted and appreciate it even more now.

Today was to be a regular Monday for my Mom and Dad.  (They frequent State College more than we do...that is saying something too!)   A normal, Monday trip to Mt. Nittany, for check-ups with Drs. they've had for years, through many surgeries and health issues.  These Drs.  happen to be the same Drs. who cared for Joe.  (Kinda neat to know that you are no different than Joe and can have the same high level of care that he had at no extra charge!) Visits have been heartwrenching since Nov. when news of the scandal broke.  The staff showed concern in quiet conversation, all the while supporting Joe and his actions.  Today's visit, according to Mom and Dad, was far more than heartwrenching.  An entire hospital and staff, solemn, quiet, sad, grieving, mourning and sharing in disbelief, the loss of a person they have cared for, admired and loved for so long.  Definitely not something you would expect in a larger hospital that cares for thousands of patients daily in numerous ways.  I mentioned to mom and dad that they may want to plan an alternate route to the hospital just in case the normal route past Beaver Stadium and Joe's statue was blocked off.  They agreed, but I KNEW they would attempt the normal route anyway.  You just don't go to Mt. Nittany and NOT go past Beaver Stadium to check on Joe! (Change{of a 25 year habit}...is HARD!)  So, of course they went the normal route.... and OF COURSE, they stopped to pay respect to Joe and share in the widespread out pouring of love for him....and I am so glad they did!!!!!  My parents remind me alot of Joe and his family.  Strong morals and values, sound ethics, hard working, humble, sincere, honest, faithful, considerate, appreciative, quiet samaritans who do good because it's right & not to get attention, teachers, coaches, parents and leaders.  Thankful they are my mom and dad.
So many good family memories at this field and all over campus.  We've adapted to changes at the stadium and on campus over the years without much question.  This change makes things different though  and that word "change" keeps cropping up.  Although I am trying to "embrace" the change...this one is VERY difficult.  So glad my Mom and Dad introduced Penn State to our family at an early age and that we experienced the Joe Pa years on campus.  He has taught so much, to so many, in life and now even in death.  The IMPACT of his life will live forever...THAT is his LEGEND.  It will only be tarnished if we allow it to be.   HIS LEGEND is inspiring and THAT gives faith and hope to us.  He taught us even through his tragedy.  Presidents don't do that...or at least they haven't for a while! What a lesson of integrity, honor, humanity and loyalty. 

Our local paper caught Jeff early this morning while seeking public response to Joe's death.  I'll remind you this is LOCAL news, close to home and Joe.  His response is synomous with thousandsof others all over Pennsylvania.  The National Media has not published these responses though and we find that very sad.  To be "used" (as a person, university, town, community and state) by the media is a disgrace. To publish misleading, misguided, false information and accusations for the purpose of gaining readers and increasing cash flow at the expense of such an outstanding person and family is ridiculous and shameful.   But that is a political discussion that I won't get into in this post.

For now, we'll make our regular visits to State and campus and appreciate the fact that we have experienced and shared in something great.  Something that has molded us and made us better people.  Something that will hopefully help us work for the greater good and impact others lives.

I'll have more to share later and hope to move forward with a few of those video's and projects I had planned to share this past weekend.  Thank you for allowing me to post these thoughts.

Hugs to you all!

Staci