Staci Shuck

Adventures!

In between all the preparations and changes and more preparations for the BIG change...I managed to squeeze in a adventure with the girls...for some distressing, assembling, cardmaking, felting, stitching and knitting goodness.  The Tim Holtz classes and walking through Boston weren't to bad either!  I really had way to much to do to take a weekend off but just couldn't resist.  It was a super nice Spring getaway...shared with not only the girls but  Duke...
He was so excited to see us but definitely more excited about his rawhide bone!!!  Duke can most certainly communicate his feelings, expecially when he hears a camera turn on and he sees the red eye light flashing.  I'm pretty sure if he could speak, is exact words would have been something like this......."Put that camera away!  I do NOT want my picture taken right now, it's rawhide time!"  It was way to funny.  At least I got a picture though, the minute Kim grabbed her camera Duke gave her the evil eye!!!  What a pup!   He did finally pose and pause for this pic on the porch...
as we were getting ready to leave.  as if to say..."ah, okay, since you're leaving, go ahead..I'm ready now, take the picture"!  Such personality!   Enjoyed it immensely!  More on this adventure to come!  Thanks girls...can't wait for the next one! 

Stay tuned!  It's getting exciting around here!

Have a Creative weekend!

Staci

The Bandit Strikes Again!

It is the season of EGGS!!!!  (It's really the season for much more important things but...at the moment it's all about the EGGS!)  We do eat eggs at our house...some of us that is...others of us just make eggs or cook with them.  On occasion we color them, hide them and fill them.  No matter what we do with them we always seem to attract bandits!  You know...those ghosts who dip into the eggs, no matter what kind, snatch'em while we're not looking and then say..."where did all the eggs go????"  I thought this year might be different, or I should say I had HOPE that it would be different,  but alas, the "Pickled Egg Bandit" is among us.  He (we know who it is) has struck multiple times!  He's slowing down in his old age though as this year he's been caught in the act!  That hasn't stopped him though....The trail begins at the refrigerator and looks something like this...

It, (the drippage), continues across 5 feet of kitchen floor until it reaches the salt shaker on the countertop...then the drops disappear!!!  Down the hatch they must go in a big old purple gulp!  The drippage picks up on the bandits chin(not sharing that picture) and then "he" disappears!!!!
Who knew that these little purple eggs and beets could cause such a mess and a speckled floor!
And yes, there are only 5 eggs left of the original 30.  The bandit has been pretty busy in the last 24 hours!  Here's hoping the "bandit" doesn't strike at your house and that you have plenty of Pickled Eggs with your Easter Dinner!  It's a good think we are going OUT for dinner!!!!!

Happy Easter!

Staci

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

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

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

 

 

Quick, Brisk and 8 degrees=Monday Madness!

This weekend was a QUICK one that began with a trip north! for a "mother/daughter" visit with friends, who are more like family, and the chance to witness our favorite Living History Village in a different season...enter Old Sturbridge Village in January! Even though the sky was blue, the village was gray, calm, quiet and still.  Visitors were indoors to avoid the "Briskness" in the air!  Wonderful to see the different activities taking place in the village at this season!  Village interpreters were dawning their winter costumes  (okay, a little eerie too)...but we don't see these on our Spring/Summer visits!  Doc and Blue, the village oxen, were in their full winter coats and the "flock of white" (the village gobblers) and the Village rooster were gobbling and clucking to each other like I have never heard before!  They were not minding the frigid 8 degree's!
It was a "Monday Madness"of a different kind!  One that started with frigid temps, a 7 hour trip, a napping navigator and time to appreciate all we experienced in such a short time!  Thankful to be home safely to a slightly warmer climate but looking forward to our next trip! 

Hustling and Bustling....Monday Madness

Hope you are enjoying the hustle and bustle of the season.  There is always so much to do.  I have vowed to keep calm, do what can be done and ENJOY the season.  We've got exactly 6 days to go!  It's starting to look a bit like Christmas and we even had a bit of snow covering the ground this weekend! Hmmm...might we have a white Christmas?  

The lights are up in our downtown, Christmas music plays and the air is very crisp to say the least.  It is winter in Central Pennsylvania!  Our dear Nori is even huddling under a lamp for some extra heat... Oh the life of leisure she leads!  She is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Christmas Tree so she can shimmy up the branches and lounge amongst the ornaments and lights!  She gets very protective of her Holiday Tree Fort!  I'm sure there will be a post or 2 on that subject.

Moving on...It's official...I have retired....from ONE of my jobs that is!  I am enjoying VERY MUCH being at Grove's full-time now.  It has truly been a year of change and there are still changes to come...they may have to rollover to 2012 but they are coming.  Stay tuned. 

Today is Monday, so I'll share a bit of Monday Madness...CARDS!!!!  This whole retirement thing has messed with my creative time a bit.  Adjusting to the new schedule and such has been challenging to say the least! Slowly it's all falling into place.  I took some time in between customers at the store to create this week!  This is what I came up with.  Again using my scraps and working with what was in front of me.  Here are a few Christmas cards...

using some My Mind's Eye Christmas from the Lost and Found collection and a touch of Tim Holtz holiday bling!  All placed on a Hero Arts card base with white interior.  Love those cards from Hero Arts!  I also really love using up these scraps!

I also created a few other cards, only one of which I'll show...the others are a surprise and I'd hate for them to hear about it before it's time!  December is a big birthday month for us...in addition to Christmas gifts...we wrap birthday gifts!!!!  This year we did a few special birthday cards for another special person...

Hope you have some cards making in your future!  They are quick, easy and it's a great way to use up those scraps!

Back to the hustle and bustle!  

Merry Christmas!

Staci

Wow...has it really been that long????

No matter how hard I try...something always gets in the way!!!  Anyone know who to talk to about adding few hours to the day???? (I think that's a "be careful what you wish for" thought so I'll not say it again) All I can do is keep trying to get caught up so...with that...here goes!!!!

First up....a big shout out ( and a bigger apology) to my good friend Melanie Kiser!  Click on her name to visit her blog and be sure to leave a note and tell her that I sent you!  Mel has an offer for $10 off software at My Memories .  If you are in to Digital scrapbooking this is the place to be.  Insert this code STMMMS59154 at time of purchase to get your savings!  Sorry this took so long Mel!!!!  Mel has a link on her blog as well.

Next up...another shout out to another good friend Ms. Lauri Hunt (or Mrs. Lauri...mom to two of the cutest little pups I have ever seen!)!  Great to see you at Art on a Limb and great to have you in Pennsylvania!  Loads of fun creating art, chatting and discussing Facebook right in the heart of Shenksville, PA during the Sept. 11th celebration.  Quite a weekend!!!  So as promised Lauri...that pic of us.... and a few others as well!  Can't wait for the next event!!!  Encauticamp?!?!?!?!?!
And a few others of the wonderful people of Art on a Limb...can't wait for next year!!!!  Love the one on one time with Cheryl Darrow  of Ten Seconds Studios....LOVE that METAL, Lisa Patterson (thanks for organizing such a great event Lisa) and of course...Jen Starr...loved mixing the mists, inks, stains and metals!  Great combination, with great people equals an equally great event!!! 

 
Can't say enough about this weekend...thanks, thanks and more thanks to Lisa, Cheryl and Jen and to Lauri and everyone who attended...I loved spending the weekend with you creating and learning!

Before I go...Monday is just around the corner sooo....here you go...a Monday Madness...just a little different but important none the less.  This week it's MUSIC...Music and art and creating!  There's something about having the tunes playing while creating that makes it all work.  Well...at Art on a Limb...for the 2nd year in a row, we're been serenaded with some fabulous tunes.  This year by the Pitt Glee Club....listen and enjoy...then go get the music on and get creating!!!!   

And...as for that big change...stay tuned....it's almost ready!!!!

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!