Visual Designs by Chris

Chris Durnan

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Archives for November 2007

Files, Files everywhere…

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It’s Monday. Wew! I am swamped. Checking this real quick and then back to doing some other items. I just wanted to share… These files will be posted to the QMC this week!

I hope they can be used and you like! And I will be working on more holiday ones without the snow for those of us with Snow Envy locations. 🙂

Enjoy!
Chris
Next week I will have my dirt cheap presales and
will email out all the presale codes.
A different bundle will be offered for dirt cheap price.
So keep an eye out for the email with the codes from my yahoo group.
The items below were added to the store in the last week.

Thanksgiving Traditions Bundle

Giving Thanks Titles

Santa’s Bottoms Up.. Needs a few titles..

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So It’s Sunday. I thought I would post here because I know my Monday will be swamped. Lots to do. I have had a great time this weekend. Mostly things around the house. I, also, had a chance to cut some metal on my cutter and use the punch tool. I wrote an article for the newsletter at Paperthreads and as usual it is in my normal rambling style. So if you like it let me know. The newsletter comes out on the 15th for all those who have signed up. All I can say is Freebies and great tips and tutorials for different programs and machines.

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The Bottom’s Up Santa needs a few titles to go with him. I am plumb out of creative title thinking. So if you have one, please send it my way. I would love to hear what you think it should be.
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Thank you to the new members of the QMC. I know there are a few and I need to get the chance to sit down and add them. I am have just been playing around this weekend and am almost ready to get back to business.
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My hubby is on the way to the hardware store right now. He and my son are working full fledged on the “fort”. Love to see them working together on all the little things. The wood has a lot of hammer marks because my son has been pounding away on it. But then it looks authentic and my son can show what he “did” for the fort build. I am quietly watching the Packers vs Vikings game. My hubby wasn’t interested. I guess he didn’t want to see my Cheesehead Green Go Pack dance. That’s okay we all have our moments. ha!

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I hope everyone else had wonderful weekends and got time to be creative. I am trying hard to figure out all the different holiday gifts I need to get. And figure out how many I can make in a timely manner. The weather is nice here so I can actually sit in my craft room and not be cooking internally.

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Oh yeah and I got a perm yesterday.. we’ll have to save that curly crazy story for later.

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Enjoy!
Chris

Bursts of Creativity…

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It’s Friday… So it is late in the afternoon and I am uploading files to the QMC, to the store and creating like mad. I have a burst of creativity right now and want to ride it. Woohoo!!
Okay so took my son to see his new cousin today. He was finally healthy enough to go visit her. He smiled and giggled and grinned. He decided he should tickle her toes. And every time he did she just smiled in her sleep and would open one eye and look his way. Soooo Cute. So then he started giggling. We went to leave and he was pretty upset. He really thought he would get to stay at his Aunties. She usually watches him when the hubby and I get to go dancing. We had a long conversation on the way home about why the new baby gets to stay with Aunty and he doesn’t. He sure loves my sister and her husband which is pretty cool. Family can be a fantastic thing.
So the newsletter at Paperthreads is coming out next week. Now is the time to sign up. There will be freebies and tutorials and articles galore. My first blinkie will be there. Took me a bit to figure them out, but now I think I have it down. So to sign up Click Here. You won’t want to miss out. Freebies Freebies!! woohoo love those.
So if all goes welll this weekend should be full, but time spent also just hanging out. I think a weekend has to have all elements. Something to do and sometime to do nothing. Of course during this nothing time we watch NASCAR or Football. Go Packers. I have to say that here as much as I can because my hubby gets kinda temperamental when the Vikings are not doing so well. So I try to be kind to his sensitivities and not Do the Happy Cheesehead Green Dance. haha. So this weeked… I am going to get my hair done after years and years of just trimming the back (one time 6 inches) I am going in to get a “Body Wave” and add some kinda movement to this stick straight mop. I am soooo excited. We shall see how it goes. Other then that we gotta get hay for the horses, wood for the fort, visit my Nan, go to church and do work on some of the Honey Dos for the house. So not to bad. Looks like sometime to hang out together and just be. Athough my little one does not like to hang out. He likes to get moving, build stuff, go places or play play play. Always fun. You know why he likes to Play Play Play because as I type this I have realized he decided to crash and take a nap on the couch! The secret energy boosts… Maybe we’ll have a fire tonight and roast marshmallows. that sounds like fun.
Okay a quick note because I am getting this question alot about the QMC. Yes I can get caught on a topic with files and create create create in that same topic. I will be trying to limit a few to a topic and move on to the next topic. I will throw the extras up in the store. I hope to cover as many peoples needs in a quarter as posible. I will try very hard to vary the files. There is a running list of files on the left of my blog as to what has been added to the QMC. This is a long membership period. So the files may seem slow, but they are coming and since I am already close to ten there should be more then 20 files in this membership quarter. If you are interested in details there are also links for details on the left hand side of my blog. Hope this helps answer some questions.
So off I go. Going to ride the wave of creativity and get back to it.
Thank you to everyone for the book ideas and the recipes for burgers.
Have a wonderful weekend and if you email I will be a bit slow to reply cause it is family time.
Enjoy!
Chris

Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas

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So here I am today with a very sore arm. I went to the docs yesterday a.m. to get the a-ok on life and she offered up a flu shot. Wow. I have never had one and got one because my kiddo is in pre-school. My arm is so sore I have alot of cutting of test files and uploading to the store to do. So I am going to work on that today and hang out with the kiddo.
Our burgers were yum last night. I finely diced some red onion, added egg whites, mushed it together and then added Chicago Steak seasoning to the outside. My son helped me crack the eggs. This little boy lovesss to crack eggs and was perplexed when we weren’t going to use them to make scrambled eggs. He was going to pull apart the burger and look for the scrambled eggs. Super cute! Then after Hubby grilled the burgers I pulled out the sun dried tomato paste we had and put a little dab on the plates. My hubby liked that to. And I noticed as I sat there and ate. No buns all the way around. I am definitely rubbing off on those in my family! haha. Of course if there had been some french roll fancy bun it would have been eaten, but plain old bread is not worth the calories.
I also bought the Dancing with the Stars Cardio workout yesterday after the docs. I need to find 20 minutes a day to exercise. I love to dance so I thought I will try this one. I was really looking for a country line dance video. I have never line danced and don’t even know where to begin accept with the song Boot Scoot Boogie. I thought this might be a good thing to figure out so I can do it in the evenings when the hubby hasn’t made it home yet. Otherwise I will ask him to twirl me around the room instead. 🙂
What are ya reading??? I have a few books here, but am looking for a new light hearted quick read. I am afraid to start a book and have it be heavy and people upset in it. I am just not over that bridge of emotion yet. I love Janet Evanovich books. That Stephanie Plum character has me giggling so much I have to stop reading to breathe. Any recommendations?
One of the blessings sent to me… Thank you to the sender for sharing it with me. What a wonderful reflection on children..
When my first son was born (he’s now 4), I looked right at him and knew, he is my heart. When I was pregnant with my second son (now 22 months), I thought..how could I love another child like I do my first? He is my heart. Then my youngest was born, and I looked at him and knew he was my soul. My boys, my blessings, are my heart and soul. And that’s what I’m sharing with you. Heart and Soul.
I am still accumulating Blessings words. If you have one to send over to me. Please email me.
Well I should get dressed, feed horses, start laundry, play games with my punkin, do some laundry and work on files. So I better get off an running.
Have a wonderful day!
Enjoy!
Chris
Oh yes the Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas has been added to the Quarterly membership and all the files will be up for it today! Hope you like. … to get to the QMC click here.

Gabbing Gabbing with not much to say!

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So we have had lots and lots of people email me their blessings. Some pretty inspirational stories with most of them. Thank you for sharing them with me. I am running a tad behind in things right now. So not alot to post. I am workng on about ten things at once it seems. One of those things was to learn how to make Blinkies. So I am working on that. I also have some new ideas sketched out for designs and have a few I am working on from my request list. Wow. Busy Busy. But that is good. I cannot believe it is Wednesday already. This week has just flown by. Luckily everyone’s well wishes and some serious meds and my son is starting to sound somewhat normal again. Whatever normal can be for a three year old.

We got the movie Ratatouille (however you spell it) and so maybe tonight we will sit together as family and watch it. That would be nice and calm. I have some hamburger meat to whip up into some concoction and some french fries in the freezer. Burgers is what it sounds like. So I have seen so many recipes for Burgers. My grandmother used to make two thin patties and in between them put a dab of bbq sauce and finely sliced onions. And my sister in law made burgers for us once with the tomato and the onion baked inside. She wasn’t please with the outcome but I thought it was good. I love to have a burger with lots of fixings. Because of course I don’t touch the bun.I love swiss cheese and onions and mushrooms on them. yum. okay my mouth is watering. My brother in law puts bread crumbs in his. I don’t partake in those, but they smell good. Anybody else have the twist on their burger.

Well I better run. Just out of it today. Hope you like my gabcast. I just couldn’t resist trying it. Hopefully my blinkie will come out alright and I will add it to my blog. I think I will see if I can get my son to say the pledge of allegiance into it. I love it when he says that.

Enjoy!!!!
Chris

Share Your Blessings File

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So we made it. Today there is a download. For this in the QMC it is already been added. For those at the yahoo group the password was emailed yesterday. If you didn’t get it, please check the group at yahoo and read the past posts. Thanks mucho. This file is no longer available for download. Please do not share or alter and claim as your own. Entering the pasword shows you are in agreement of my terms and having purchase a membership also shows such.
So this file is part of a larger set. I offer this to you and hope that today you can share one or two words for what you are blessed. I am going to create a jumble with all the words put together and maybe a picture frame or border. Whatever I can do with them. I will share this jumble with anyone who emails me their one word blessings and/or posts a comment here and I can capture their email address. So if you have them you can post a comment here or Email me. I will take as many as I can fit. Also, I wanted to share one awesome inspirational story that came my way from the QMC already with their blessings.
“Well since I am a cancer survior one word is LIFE or HOPE
the second word is FAMILY

I know we were only suppose to give two words but for me three. When you have cancer you have your Family who HOPE and Pray you will live and make it thru this ordeal….and god spared my Life so I can enjoy every day.. and believe me I do!!”

This sharing really made me file awesome. I am very worried about my loved ones making it through this holiday without those we lost this year and I thought this would be a great way to see everyone else’s blessings. One or two words is all I ask. Thank you so much to everyone in advance who sends them.
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On to life…
So we went out on Friday night and Saturday night this weekend. Went to a gala for a chamber on Friday. Did really well with the silent auction pieces and then Saturday night went to the T.R.O.T. fundraiser. TROT stands for Therapeutic Riding of Tucson. Phenomenal organization. I so support charities that are making a difference with kids and of the equine nature even better. I spent some time with my Uncle and his fiance and friends of ours went with. We filled the table with merriment and fun. No time for dancing at these functions, but super nice to chat with the friends and hubby and mingle. I didn’t get to shop cause we ran out of time. but the classic black pants and flats and shirt for one event and then jeans and boots for the second I was covered.
My son is on the road to recovery I am thinking and so is my hubby. He crashed all day Sunday because he fought off the cold all week and just was exhausted come Sunday. He slept, watched football & Nascar. I even pulled out the air mattress and set it on the living room floor. My son thinks the air mattress is the best. He got to lay with Dad while he slept. See some football and hang out. I am thinking about signing up the kiddo for 3-4 Soccer. Sign up is next week for January – March. He loves soccer. So I think it is on my list of things to do . Maybe I can walk around the team practicing and get some exercise in to. This appeals to me. We shall see how it goes. … probably would end up taking my computer and creating files while he is busy busy. But would seriously think about the walking. haha.
Okay folks. Time is short. I must run. Lots more to ramble on, but it will have to wait til tomorrow. Enjoy!
Chris
PS. My Dad just called. He is snowed in at his house in Wisconsin. It is 90 degrees here today. Holy Smokes! What a difference in climate. My Dad called but then had to go so he could go stand out in it. hahah. love my Dad.
great.. just heard the uh oh from the kitchen… off I run..

Friday here comes the weekend

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So here we are at Friday again…

Here is my tip of the day… If you feel like you haven’t accomplished much for the day, Don’t visit Lori’s Blog! Wow. I will no longer be allowing my hubby to visit her blog. She listed everything she did yesterday and I feel quite unorganized. So seriously just teasing Lori. I hope she learns to pace herself or the hubby will expect more and more and then on one of those days you just want to play on her cutter and eat bon-bons she’ll feel guilty .hahaha. Just teasing.

Okay and another movin and shakin designer at Paperthreads. Shirley. Here is her new blog. She is listing all her activities on her barndominium. Wow. Busy Busy Woman. But so awesome. She has this cute cute picture of her new puppy on her page. Sooooo cute!

Also, It is the weekend. Most know this, but I am out for the weekends usually. If I can post I do, but I like to spend that time with the family. If you order a QMC it may be Sunday night or Monday morning before your added. I really believe in time with my husband and kids and extended family. Most know this and understand it, but some don’t so I am throwing it out there. Thank you to everyone who has joined. Already 8 files up and it hasn’t officially even started for the December 1st date, but everyone has the availability to access the files already. The link is on the left of my blog. I also put together this little flyer to explain where the membership section at the Paperthreads Forum shows up and what a Forum Name is. Missing Forum Logins are the longest delay for adds. You can download it here. It is called WhereQMC.pdf?

Thanks for all the postive feedback on yesterdays goofy download. I am glad everyone liked it!

I don’t have alot to add today because I am headed to a gala this evening with my hubby. It is a more casual one so I have to iron pants, wash some clothes for the kiddo etc. I am trying hard not to chat to to much because otherwise with my sore throat I will be able to take up another job with a 1-900 number. Scratchy and Trashy. hahaha. And on Saturday night we are going to an event for a local place that helps kids by riding horses. Fantastic organization and they are helping vets now to. So I support them whenever I can. Luckily I can wear my jeans and boots to that. So no fancy wear there. My hubby wants to shop shop for an outfit for tonight. So love this man, but he sure does love to shoppppp. See I can shop. I like to shop online at Paperthreads within a few minutes I can wrack up quite a bill. In fact I have my file folder with catalogs that are coming in the mail for xmas gifts I can just buy on the internet. My hubby will hit the mall the week and even the day before xmas to get his final purchases. Yowser. One time I went with him and it was fun because I knew I was done. and I could people watch. There is definitely a different tension in the air when people have to get things. For me it was nice because I could just wander. and not have to have anything. As usual I am rambling. I am off to see about the bambinos medicines. Everyone have a wonderful weeekend!!!!!

Enjoy!
Chris

PS Don’t forget to sign up for BINGO. Rumor is there won’t be a December one. CLICK HERE
I have seen some of the prizes they are awesome!
PSS
Sorry no pictures today.. what a boring post, but I am off to figure out what the heck I am doing with today and how much else I can get done. Lori has set the bar. toooodleroooosss

So lots to post.. Bingo, halloween, treats

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Okay… First off the new Bingo game is starting up at Paperthreads. Jan is hosting it and it promises to be lots and lots of fun. Lots of great family ideas going on over there. So here is the flyer for it. To join… visit here.
So yesterday was interesting. My little boy got dressed up as Darth Vader and went to school for long enough to be a part of the Costume Parade and then I scooped him up to go the docs and got a cart full of meds for ear infections, chest crackling etc. So now I am sick and so is my hubby and my son is on the road to recovery. Pretty much he couldn’t go Trick or Treating last night, but I gave him meds as soon as I got them and he was running circles around us. I myself took some cold medicine that made just crazy and insane for some reason. So when I finally crashed from that we tried to put the kiddo to bed and went to bed ourselves. So about 2 hours into sleep and boom we wake up to my son. Chatting and Chatting about reading a book, watching star wards etc etc. Wow. My hubby and I were trying to keep up with his conversation. Walked him back to bed, gave him some books only to hear him whispering to us in the monitor. mommy daddy. Wew it was along night. Today he is obviously on the road to recovery while his parents are contemplating long nights of sleep. haha
So on Tuesday night, my awesome hubby knew I wasn’t feeling well so he made sugar cookies with my son and carved pumpkins here are a few pictures from the adventures I thought I would share. Was lots of fun.


Gross

Lets be serious so mom doesn’t notice all the icing on my face.

Oh wait let’s just smile cause I am bouncing on sugar.

Also, for those who made it this far… Here is my Treat for Trickers. It isn’t Halloween related, but I wanted to offer it up yesterday and didn’t get a chance. The password is visualdesigns. I also posted this to the QMC for download. So if you are a member there. here is the link to the section. You can get it there to or maybe already have. I posted it there this morning. This is my resolution this year to the need for help after holiday dinner. I hope you like and would love to hear any additional thoughts you may have.
Enjoy!
Chris
PS sorry to those again I emailed last night when I was just out of it. warning label should read.
Stay away from email when intoxicated with cough syrup.