Visual Designs by Chris

Chris Durnan

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Archives for January 2008

Angie – Creative Team Member

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Hello to everyone.. Today is a great day for another Creative Team Member Announcement. You can read more about Angie at her Creative Page. One of her recent submissions is a file that is on sale individually and in a bundle this starting Feb 1st. I love the colors and the style

and also here are a few more items she has sent to me in the past using my files.

Welcome to the group Angie!!
Gotta run. Lots to finish up today!
Enjoy!
Chris
Links

The Monday post a little early

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Well I think we are feeling better…. Dad and Son decided to work on the fort. I have a feeling this fort might say NO GIRLS ALLOWED on it. 🙂

So here is my ATC Card for the Challenge. Of course I can’t partipate, but wanted to make one. Once I had a thought in my head it took me all of 35 minutes to cut and put this card together. Everything I have read says the Artist Trading Card should be your style and this is part of my style… So if you had the words… A PART OF ME. what would your “part of me” be? Something to ponder. Well, It was fun. My hubby gave me the nod when he saw this. So he actually liked something that wasy scrappy-ish. I hope you have had chance to think about what you might do and can get one entered in the challenge. Here are more details at the forum.

I couldn’t get the colors right when taking the picture but the horse is a solid brown color.

The border is one from the Simple Frames file recently added to the store and Western Skies.
So this weekend wasn’t alot of activity, but more resting. Next weekend is the Super Bowl and the Pack isn’t playing so unless we get a really tasty offer. I think I will watch the game at home on my little tv. We shall see how it plays out.
I have a poll for the next file for the QMC. So let me know which you’d like. I was thinking about New Year’s resolutions and came up with these for those who need the umph or something to decorate those journals everyone says you should have to help you stay Focused. If you have an exercise journal started for the New Year and decide to use one of these files to decorate it. I would love to see it. Here are the two file choices. One will hit the store and one the QMC. Which one would you like?


On that I better run finish the laundry and get ready for school and work tomorrow. Enjoy!
Chris

A Saturday post…

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It’s Saturday. We are being so lazy. I went and got a few groceries and am now playing with files. A few of the new ones I have been working on have hit the store. I have shown them on the left here. Links for them is below.
I posted to the QMC membership and will have another couple next week. I think for this first membership we will be way over the 20 file mark. 20 plus files for $10.00 and because I have 15 emails asking about when we can sign up for next quarter and few people have had to be refunded because they purchased 1st quarter thinking it was 2nd quarter. Well I uploaded the 2nd quarter to the store. The 2nd quarter area will not open until April 1st. but for those asking me when they can get the membership you can find it at the store HERE. The 1st quarter is still in the store until January 31st and then it is closed. You can find it at the top of my bestsellers list. My blog visitors are just awesome. Thank you to everyone for supporting me in this endeavor.
So I am still working away on my main webpage. Updating a page a day as I go. I have found this is much better then slamming through it all. It has been an interesting learning experience. I need the new Dreamweaver I am working with MX a very old version it seems. Or so I have been told.
So how did I get my Minnesota Vikings Fan to cheer for the Greenbay Packers??? How you ask? How? I told him if the Packers won we could buy the flat screen tv he wants. So I could have a superbowl party. Well sad to say the Pack didn’t win, butttt my husband gained something…. He knows I am ready to crack on the purchase of a flat screen tv. 6 months of wearing me down. Truth be told Iam finally getting sick of stomping my foot on the ground to make the tv pop back on. Why not jump out to get it?? Because I am a software addict and have my eye on the new dreamweaver and photoshop and acrobat. hmm.. so I am saving a little each month to get those. I give it a month and we will have a new flat screen in our living room. But the positive I got to see my husband root on my team! without complaint! It was awesome. haha.
I think we are getting better. I actually slept for a full night without waking up to a coughing child, but he still sounds wheezy and just icky, but sleep. Sleep definitely improves my attitude!
Well I better get back to the files I have in the works.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Enjoy!
Chris
Links

Welcome to Friday….

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Friday means my hubby can come home and sleep all weekend and we can all try to recoup some more. My goal is school on Monday for the little one. Work for me. and Work for Dad. Woohoo! Unfortunately, Saturday is my son’s first soccer game, but I don’t think we will attend just because he is still coughing so hard and won’t be through all the meds the doc gave him. I would love to attend to support the team, but he would never understand why he can’t play. So he will miss his first soccer game, but hopefully be healthy for the rest of them.

So today another Creative Team Member. … Rosalie. You have seen many of Rosalie’s pieces on my blog. She has worked with my Number Jumble, Father’s Day Mini Album & Autumn Beauty Jumble.

I love the color change in the pictures in this bottom one and highlighting the number 5. Fantastic!

Welcome to the group Rosalie! For more on Rosalie visit her at her Creative Page HERE.

Snap shots… yep I added it to my blog to see how it works out. I always get emails asking where the links are and I am hoping they will be obvious. I narrowed the area for the pop to show to just above the little bubble. So you should have to be right above it to make it pop. Trying to make things user friendly, but easy to read.

And next. … The ATC Challenge.. I have sketched what I am going to do. It would be a quick project for me, but I started sketching and came up with an idea for a file so went and did that. Then went back and did something and something else. and then forgot about my sketch. I should keep a notebook with ideas. So I got a rolling cart for my supplies so when not in the craft room I can sit out here in the living room with the boys and still have easy access to my supplies and not leave them piled on the table etc. So I am curious as to what are your have to haves in your rolling cart. It looks like a milk crate with a canvas tool organizer around the outside of it. So which scrapbook tools would you use? Also, the middle is just an empty hole. Your thoughts on best things to use to organize in the middle. Or if you have a picture of your rolling cart stuffed to the gills I would love to see it. Just email it to me. I want to get it together this weekend. So my hubby doesn’t think it is an unorganized catchall which is what it is right now. I appreciate your ideas.

This is the last few days you can sign up for the QMC for the first quarter. Alot of people are asking about where they can sign up for the next quarter. It will be loaded the Paperthreads store after January 31st.

The Artist Trading Card Challenge information can be found at the forum. The prize is $15.00 in the store for anything your heart desires. So check out the details and consider the teeny tiny project. We already have a few entrants from our Creative Team by Karen and Vicki. Thanks for participating!

So I am off to try and catch up on my projects and try to figure out why my little one is complaining about his ear when he is already on antibiotics. and Laundry. ugh. why does Laundry build so much. wew!

My friend Lori had a wonderful hybrid project posted on her blog yesterday for those interested. I thought it was cute. And a great use of the two scrapbooking techniques.

Off I go and have a wonderful day!!!

Enjoy!

Chris

Did I miss yesterday?

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I went to do a post today and realized I missed yesterday. Wow. How did that happen? I know how it happened. Doctor’s visits, hubby is now getting sick, accounting for the office and in the middle of it all…. File insipration .. woohoo!! I was just working away on it like crazy. Then my hubby said I am going to bed and I realized it was 830 and my son is a hacking away. So I spent the rest of the night snuggled on the couch with my little one so he sleeps upright and doesn’t cough and cough. So I watched trash tv and thought about files and files and files. So this is a good thing. But for right now…. I have to get back to them. So more tomorrow. Have a wonderful day!!
Enjoy!
Chris

Artist Trading Card Challenge… and just ponderings.. wanderings of my mind

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So I have to ask because this happens to me. I get into this tiny tiny slump over crafting. Scrapbooking and all my crafts included. I have crafts in various stages in my craft room. I could sit down and finish ome but I just havent gotten there. I have been really looking at the ATC challenge I have been participating in with Jan and Carrie. It is a tiny 2.5×3.5 size and I have a few files in mind that I think if I sat down with all the things I need I could just make a few and see how they turn out. My next thought which file do I choose? Really? Anyone? I am very equine motivated and I love the horse in my Western Skies file. But there are alot of other files that are just me to.. hmm I will have to think on this. For more details you can hit the forum, but there are two weekends you can work on this and get something in, but think if you had an idea it would probably only take an hour or two to put one together. And it would be that finished project. Artist Trading Cards. Who would I trade them with? Truthfully I would probably poke them up on my bulletin board to ponder when trying to finish my other projects I have started.

This thought process brings me to my craft room. I have such a ton of things from different crafts and I wonder do I need them? I would like to upload to ebay, but the whole waiting thing and uploading and then paying paypal/ebay fees ugh. Maybe I will create a page on my mainwebsite that is my little yard sale of sorts. hmm another thing to ponder further. Either way it has to be cleaned out. So I will be trying to do that in the next few months.

I am full of ponder because I feel like I have been in a fog for three days with this cold and my little one being sick. Having such a hard time keeping my little ones fever in control today. So I am hoping we will get through this cold soon. And for now I am off to hold him upright for a while so he can take a little nap.

There are quite a few challenges over at Paperthreads still running. A few have entered, but here is a list of those you can possibly still take part in. Have fun!

Enjoy!
Chris

Hello for now… Download a little later.. Creative Team Member

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So are you trying to catch up on all the scrapbook pages you need?
Customer Appreciation day is in full swing at the forum with lots of challenges and games. Some ending today and some ending in a few days.
I am participating in one and that is the ATC Challenge. Artist Trading Cards. They kind of remind me of the Valentine’s we used to give out in grade school. Do they still do that I wonder? hmm… For more details you can visit our section in the forum for the challenge. Jan, Carrie & I are excited to see what everyone comes up with. If you havent’ done one before this would be your opportunity to give it a try!
I will be uploading the link for “Cupid Found My Heart” later today as a download. I just need to take care of the little one for a bit and when he gets in a nap I will set it all up. So I shall see you back here later with a little more info! And for those in the QMC no worries. The file will be posted there soon so join us at your leisure!
Ger Carruthers, one of my new creative team members sent me these images below of two of my more recent files. The Damask Inspired card was posted to the store just a few days ago. These are beautiful. Excited to have Ger on the creative team.

A litle more about Ger….
Well what can I say I am a thirty something Mum of two and wife to a wonderful man in the Armed Forces and I live in a little seaside village in Scotland. From an early age I had family around me who crafted and I liked to dabbled in it myself but as I got older I grew out of it, thankfully some years later when I had given birth to my second child I found a whole new love for it again.I first started card making and then was introduced to scrapbooking from a friend who had lived for some years in the U.S, I also like to dabble in altered art and since having my Craft Robo my work has taken on a whole new exciting direction.I am at a really exciting time with my crafting as I am currently setting up my own craft store so being asked to be part of the team as well is fantastic, I can’t wait to get creative with Chris’s wonderful files and working with the rest of the team.

Damask Inspired 1

Welcome to the team Ger!!

Enjoy!
Chris

A Challenge it is…

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I am nursing a sickie child (I guess it is that time of year), so my post will have to be quick.
That’s right! We’re hosting an Artist Trading Card Challenge at Paperthreads! The prizes will be awesome! The Grand Prize really equates to cash! Carrie and Chris and I have pitched in on a Gift Certificate to Paperthreads, that means you can buy anything you want with it! You could even use it to get a discount off that new KNK you’ve been eyeing for a while! Or try out some materials you’ve been dreaming of like iron on transfer or Grungeboard! And 2nd and 3rd prizes are not far behind in value with some cool files from some cool designers… um… US!
The rules are pretty simple and here they are:
1. Your finished ATC card must be the standard ATC card size of 3.5″x2.5″ (can be either portrait or landscape). The card can unfold or have interactive elements that come out from the card, but when “at rest” or closed it must be the standard size.
2. Your ATC card must contain at least one file from one of our hosting designers: Jan Bryson (Sam & Hailey Designs), Chris Durnan (Visual Designs by Chris), and/or Carrie Schwartz (Carrie’s Creations). The one file you use from the hosts cannot include the free files being given away on our blogs tomorrow.
3. That’s it! Anything else goes! The more unique materials and techniques you use, the more votes you will get!
4. Post your work in the Paperthreads Gallery on February 2nd or 3rd.
5. Voting will be conducted on February 4th and 5th.
You can use any of the three designers files for the challenge.
There are a few weekends to work on them.
My Simple Borders file might be a great file to use, but
you can use any of my files. No Specifics. Make it your own.
I can’t wait to see everyones creativity.
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This one is from Karen using the

This one is also from Karen and it is You Should See the Other Guy

Okay I have to go….

Have a wonderful Sunday!
Watch for fun and downloads tomorrow!!

Enjoy!
Chris

Friday Friday…. woohoo!!

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Yep we made it to Friday. I have a few new files in the store and bundled up my valentine’s ones as well in wait for the sale on the 21st. I won’t have a presale on the Valentine’s Bundle. So make sure to get it at 50% if you can use it. For those of us on the West coast the sale starts at about 9 pm. on Sunday night. Wohooo! So we get a jump on the ball.

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I will have an announcement of a challenge on Monday and the prize is a money prize and I threw in with two other designers at Paperthreads to do it. Sooo WOOHOO. I am wondering if anyone can guess what the theme will be?? Anyone??

And my next announcement is Joni Damico as a creative member.

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I have known Joni for quite a while and she even entered my wordbook challenge with a book about Ace! And also sent me some other pieces. Here are a few of her projects she has shared with me and I look forward to her happy smile on the team.

About Joni…
I started scrapbooking in 2001 and really love all aspects of it ~ from shopping, creating, socializing, organizing, and collecting! I haven’t learned yet how to create files on my Wishblade so Chris’s blog has always been one of the first I check everyday to see what is new. I was very honored when she asked me to be part of her Creative Team! I’ve been using her files on my projects since my Wishblade arrived last year. I look forward to getting a lot of scrappin’ done and sharing it with you.
I live near Tampa, Florida but originally we are from Pittsburgh. (GO STEELERS!) I’ve been happily married to my high school sweetheart John for 33 years and we have two grown children Jeremy 32 and Jessica 30.
And her future files can be found on this page…. HERE.
Welcome to the team Joni!

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Also, I am working on some files for the QMC so there should be uploads next week and here are some of the files that hit the store in the last few days. Thank you to those who are a part of my membership and purchase my files. In supporting me, you support my family and I really can’t thank you enough for that.

I better run.. my little one is waiting patiently for me to find the Peter Pan movie. And I think I might put on my running shoes and see if I can’t walk for twenty minutes while he watches the movie. I have to do something. We are definitely on a healthier lifestyle trend. So I better get with it.

Enjoy!
Chris
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