Staci Shuck

Back in the groove...

Things are coming together.  Suddenly all those "changes" (there's that 2011 word with lots of ups and downs) are starting to make sense and come together.  Perhaps i am "embracing" them, their ideas, purposes and direction and focusing on the goals(thanks again to SLJ2012).  Just perhaps!  Embracing... all that wonderful wool, felted and unfelted and creating some goodness.  From "things to come".... shared yesterday and otherwise known as a....stack of wool...came this....wonderfully fun, creative warm, knittable, swarny, swelty, (swoozie - dh's word) goodness..... Stay tuned as I embrace the possibilities of creating with this wonderful stuff!  Tutorials, tips, tricks and fun stuff on the horizon.

Happy Wednesday!

Staci

Monday Madness-Knitting!

It's Monday Madness time!  This week I'm highlighting  one of my all time favorite craft passions!  Knitting and yarn...I think there's another connection with my "home ec" background and the entire felt and sewing thing too!  I've been knitting since I was about 7 years old.  Thanks again to my Mom and my "Nan" (my grandmother) and growing up in a time when learning those home arts was the cool thing to do!  I'm sooooo thankful for it too!  Needless to say I have a stash of yarn amongst my hoard of goodness and it was time to pull it out and start using it.  I taught a beginning knitting class at Grove's this weekend so the timing was perfect to play with the yarn.   I love working with wool yarn... hmmm...wool felt, wool sweaters ...why not wool yarn...LOVE IT.  I purchased some Manos wool yarn at KnitWitts Yarn Shop in Brookfield, MA this summer and knit a few fair isle sweaters.  I had a few skeins left and decided to do some Skinny scarves and flowers. Still working on the flowers but here are a few of the scarves...
and one I'm still working on...love these colors...they remind me of Inspired (register now...hint...hint)... Can't wait to finish this scarf and those flowers!  You'll see them coming up on a few projects!  Stay tuned and Happy Knitting up all your stash!!!!

Monday Madness!!!!!

Another "CHANGE" - there's that word again!!!!  I'm going to "try" (she says hesitantly) really hard to have a Monday Madness....weekly!  Monday Madness will showcase "something" I've played with, worked with, just found, found again, completed...well, you get the idea!  Another part of that "change" and focus to do so!  (Hope this helps me clear out my stash and hoard too)

So Monday Madness today focuses on....My Mind's Eye and a revelation I had!  During my craft room cleanup process I ran across packs and packs of entire lines of paper, diecuts, stickers and such from many companies.  One of those companies was My Mind's Eye!  I LOVE and have LOVED this company and their products since the beginning!  (Surpries...they have "changed" quite a bit since their beginning...remember those FrameUps and fun little people?)  Why then would I be surprised to find pages of project samples tucked away in these packs of papers?!?!?!?  I couldn't believe it!  I had tucked these things away months (maybe a year) ago and planned to do them for samples at the store...just forgot, got to busy, didin't take the time...not sure but that is "changing"  NOW!!!  The revelation...Empty those paper packs and make the projects!!!!  DUH!!!!!  Did 3 layouts yesterday and hope to do a few more tonight.....they'll be displayed at the store soon!  If you'd like the directions let me know!  I'll email the layout and can pull the product too!  Product kits will be featured as part of future "Monday Madness" projects! 
Hope you had a great Monday!

 

Peaches and Posies!

Amid prepping for back to school and setting up my classroom as well as prepping things at Grove's for the Fall class and crop season I took some time to finish these posies! 

Nope they are NOT from the garden but they are from my stash of yarns that I just can't stand throwing away!  There's a mix of wools and cottons and all were from tiny balls leftover from projects. Next on the list is to finish some projects USING some of these posies! 

And  PEACHES...yummmy!  We used to can them but now we freeze!  Fresh from the Valley and the seeds came out so easily!  We'll be eating these this winter...if they last this long!

Happy Friday!

I've been a reeeeally bad blogger!!!!

and summer is almost over!  Yikes!  Enough of that though...there's alot of news and I don't want to waste any more time!  Sit back and relax...but I promise I won't take to much time!

First up on the creativity side...working on MANY projects for our upcoming county fair.  I'll post them after they are entered.  This is a tradition for me...it's about my mom and grandmother and doing what they encouraged us to do.  I participate and don't worry about winning anything...it's a great surprise if there's a ribbon but again it's about keeping up the tradition!  Here are some sneak peaks...

 

 

Really excited for Lisa Patterson to come this weekend and teach us some cool creative things using Cheryl and Megan's Momma's, Daddy's and Metals to create some cool canvases and pennants.  Love the Ten Seconds Studio's goodness and it will be good to take some time to create and play!  Cheryl was kind enough to rush the brand new molds to us too!  Can't wait to use them and PROMISE to post pictures!

Lots of changes and growth at Grove's too.  Building the online store, scheduling classes with Donna and Stephanie to come teach at the store this fall and cleaning and rearranging for new product from CHA as well as some new lines in general.  Donna D's Demdaco line will be added soon and will fit right in with Kelly Rae's and the Embellish Your Story products and...drumroll please... we now have Chamilia jewelry!  Gorgeous stuff that compliments our Vera Bradley things and is like scrapbooking in jewelry!  Some pics of this goodness...

 

 

Lots more to come but for now...that will be my secret!  Gotta get back to finishing those fair projects!  Thanks for checking in!  Stay tuned and have a great day!

Feb. 16th photo....Day 46

A New project....my hand knit...FELTED BOWL!!!!!  I REALY loves this and will definitely be making more.  Spending time knitting and completing some other project has prevented me from staying caught up with my Project 365!