Visual Designs by Chris

Chris Durnan

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Archives for May 2009

Ready to do some trades….

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Hello to all! Alot going on in the BINGO game at the forum so I am trying to keep up with the folks over there. Yeahoo!! So I thought what could I put on my blog today??… How about my Mother’s Day pic. I always squat down so my kiddo and I are cheek to cheek in the pics. We were one our way to the horse auction. Lots and Lots of fun. And I blurred the background out of the pic because wow Messy House. Anyone know how to put a better background in? I do, but haven’t had the chance yet. Well here is my kiddo on my 5th Mother’s Day. Pretty soon he will be squatting down to take pictures with me. Love him! Thanks to the hubby for taking the picture.


And… I am ready to do some trade.. I need some Blinkies for a few different projects. If you are interested in and have experience in creating animated gifs let me know. I keep trying to get to it and run out of time. Well really I want to create cutter files. I’d be happy to trade out some files or a membership for a quarter for the help. Really want someone with some experience. Thank you so much!!

Off I go….
Enjoy!
Chris

Chris Durnan, designer
GSD KNK WPC AI SCUT files for your personal digital cutters for use with scrapbooking, cardmaking and other hobbies. Whatever your creative mind can come up with!
www.visualdesignsbychris.com

May09 Sketch Challenge

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This is a layout created for the May09 Sketch Challenge currently being run in the Forum. This layout features a card created for me for Mother’s Day this year by my 13yo son. Although I have included the front of the card in the layout, the focus is on the journaling inside, this was beautiful and from his heart, and I love him for that!

I have used the files supplied for the Sketch Challenge and also Chris’s CD00439 – Strength Love file which can be found in the Store.

Thanks for looking,

cheers, caz

Digi-Cutter Files offered in SCUT, GSD, KNK, WPC & AI (SVG) at www.visualdesignsbychris.com

Mother’s Day card 2009

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Here is a card I created for my ma using #CD00395 Vinyard Card front. This was such a simple card to make but I loved how it turned out. I simply cut Chris’ file then added some swirly bling purchased from Hobby Lobby, a paper flower with a punched circle and a pretty jewel. Super simple!

Digi-Cutter Files offered in SCUT, GSD, KNK, WPC & AI (SVG) at www.visualdesignsbychris.com

FROG projects using #CD00442

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Sorry, I have been MIA. My dad has been ill and had some serious health concerns and recenlty I have had to have several doctor appointments so no time to play. Hate when life gets in the way. *smile* Throw a Project Prom volunteer (time-consuming) job in there and things get crazy. *wink* But life is good! Here are a few projects I completed in April. Loved this froggy file Chris made! The first one is a birthday card I created for my neice who collects frogs. She loved it!
The second project, I used this same adorable little frog and created a saying “Fully Rely On God” to go with it. This was a prayer journal that I gave away as a prize at a lady’s function at our church. May have to make me one now!
Digi-Cutter Files offered in SCUT, GSD, KNK, WPC & AI (SVG) at www.visualdesignsbychris.com

The world you see as a designer of cutter files.

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when I look out in the world I “see” cutter files. and my hubby… he knows when I am “seeing” one.. he will smile and says.. Cutter File? I will just nod in silence as I process it in my head. The corners, the nodules, how to make it less cuts for ease of use. Oh I love it. (thank goodness he is such a wonderful man he understands) to cut that first test cut and have it pull up off the mat without any hickies or issues. I can almost hear the angels sing.. then I realize it is my little one’s voice.. mom.. MOM>>> MOM>> MOM.. and off I go to my other addictions and loves in life.. my family … my hubby. . my kiddo .. our home… etc… . So this is what I saw this morning that made me think Cutter File. How about you? what makes you “see” cutter files?

I can’t drink soda anymore because of the bubbles. But these are the summer cans for Coca Cola (this is where I say.. Coca-cola is a trademark and I have nothing to do with it and am not affiliated with the company, but just wanted to show their cool new can designs) Anyways. I saw them and thought wow those are cool. wonder if you couldn’t make a cutter file along some of the same principles. I like the simple clean designs.

That is it for my ramblings today. I am off to work on some files. setup the dollar deals for next weekend and do some accounting. Have a wonderful day!!

enjoy!

Chris

Chris Durnan, designer
GSD KNK WPC AI SCUT files for your personal digital cutters for use with scrapbooking, cardmaking and other hobbies. Whatever your creative mind can come up with!
www.visualdesignsbychris.com

Relaxing Weekend…. wonderfulll

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What a wonderful weekend? Did you have a great time? I spent most of it hanging out. We went to the auction on Saturday and my hubby took some things to sell. We have a room ful off horse tack. some of which we never use. So in the vain of spring cleaning. Out the door to the auction it went. My son took half a dozen boots that were to small for him. The guys who run the auction let him come up and chat on the mic before they sold them. They mentioned he was saving money for vacation this summer and asked him what he had to say about his boots. He got on the mix and said “I hardly wore them” And he carried them around the arena and held them up in the air. He made about 67.00. He was a pretty happy camper. We pretty much came up with a wash because of course we bid on a few things. I think there will be more next month as we are definitely in clean out mode. It was fun and relaxing. Oddball and some cute things we saw at the auction: A taxidermy armadillo, stretch rattlesnake skin, some weird tack items for horses, a rifle from the 1800s, a lamp, just random things. It is always interesting and you never know what you will find. Me .. I find some relaxation. we took Freckles with us and she just hung out with us. So this is good. She was very relaxed and slept a good portion of it. My niece went with us to. sooo much fun. She was checking out a few horses. They even had a mini stud. He was full of attitude. A lady next to me said… Wow he is a mean little attitudy horse. I smiled and said. You would be to if the top of your head barely reached everyone else’s butts. She looked at me like I was crazy. She had been complaing most of the day and I didn’t hear her much after she said that. He wasn’t attitudy per se. He was just in the pen where the most activity is going on and he wanted to run around and smell all the different smells. So he was constantly on the move. Early in the morning when we got there. he was very friendly and calm. who knows maybe he was Mr. Attitude, but he sure was cute! I am a sucker for cute.

Then Sunday we spent the afternoon floating in the pool at my in-laws and bbqing. A very relaxing afternoon. So this morning I got up and started working on all the files and was ready to go. Nothing like some sleep and relaxing to help you get in gear.

I am also excited because my friend Lori is coming to Phoenix and I am meeting her there. If anyone has any recommendations for an easy lunch choice and additional must see scrapbook stores. I will take this recommendations. hoping to get together a lunch stop for those who are in Phoenix that we could all meet up. Working on the details. You have any ideas. let me know.

Well that is it for now for me… I am off to get converting.
have a wonderful day!
Enjoy!
Chris

Chris Durnan, designer
GSD KNK WPC AI SCUT files for your personal digital cutters for use with scrapbooking, cardmaking and other hobbies. Whatever your creative mind can come up with!
www.visualdesignsbychris.com

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Have you check out the May sketch challenge? Here’s my version:

The sketch made it super easy to whip up a great looking scrapbook page. If I do say so myself! The file’s from Chris made it even easier.
My supply list is here:
Here’s my supply list:
Pagemaps sketch
Imaginisce and cloud 9 paper
Visual designs by chris tag and corner
Snowflakes and frame Diana’s Designs
Carrie’s creations Dec. 25 seal
Deja View Rub-ons.

Come and play along. Rosalie

Digi-Cutter Files offered in SCUT, GSD, KNK, WPC & AI (SVG) at www.visualdesignsbychris.com

https://www.visualdesignsbychris.com/3197/

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Sandra from NC here – decided to say who I was first because I always forget at the end :).
Here’s my May challenge layout! I loved how Chris’ file cut for this! I really like the hearts :-). I stayed monochromatic with the colors and love how it turned out. I combined this challenge with a theme challenge at PT “One moment in Time”- the title of my page is from the file provided by I Scrap Designs for that challenge. I used an Angel charm from http://www.acharmingplace.com/ on the tag by the picture.
I had several oppsies on this page **rolling my eyes here**. First I applied glue to the back page so I wouldn’t accidentially move my top patterned paper once I had it placed. I went too far on the left of the paper therefore the solid strip is not in the middle – lol. Second, I don’t sew often and I’ve recently had my machine maintained because it wasn’t working. Well, I didn’t sew on anything else first to get all the oil off – grrrr. So I have oil splatters on the paper. Oh well, I thought. Part of the theme challenge was to use distressing too so that will just be part of my distressing – lol.
In case you can’t read it, here is my journaling – and be warned, it could produce tears…

“If I had one more moment with you, I would tell you

• how much I love you
• how proud I am of you
• what a handsome young man you became
• what a wonderful Christian you are
• how much I miss you
• how your short life touched mine & others
• I would ask you to tell Peter, Mike & your Great-Grandparents… I love them.

Then, I would hug you long and hard and say goodbye.”

Jason is my nephew. He died 10 days after he turned 17 in a weather related car accident along with his best friend. It has been 11 years and I still miss him terribly and can only imagine how much my brother’s family misses him.

Thanks for looking!
Digi-Cutter Files offered in SCUT, GSD, KNK, WPC & AI (SVG) at www.visualdesignsbychris.com

https://www.visualdesignsbychris.com/3198/

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Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! If you find the time to craft, there is alot going on in the forum and sign-ups. So please take a visit.

We will be running Chris’s Cutter File Challenge through the forum in June. So if you are interested in participating, please join the forum ahead of time. It does take approval to get into the forums and I don’t want anyone to be delayed because we check every email against a spammer database to try to avoid any problems. . I have some great hostesses that are going to help me this time.
I am so excited!

Well I am gonna make this short and head to spend some time with my guys!

I have dollar deals on the my front page of the store which include

A star jumble set. great for Fourth of July with 5 different types.

A Garden Nameplate: for those who tend their own gardens whether they be in the ground or the flowers/friends in their lives.

Roasting Marshmallows. Yum

Essentials for cutting extras on your pages.

A couple mini albums and word books

And a few others!!

The QMC will be closing soon. so if you are interested in joining please do before it closes it’s doors for the rest of the quarter.

Have a Wonderful weekend!!

Enjoy!

Chris

https://www.visualdesignsbychris.com/1063/

Mother’s Day is coming.. this Saturday

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This Saturday is Mother’s Day! Woohoo! Do you think I am wrong? Not for this family. We celebrate Mother’s Day in this house on Saturday and then Sunday is “Our Mother’s Day” on Sunday.So this Saturday. I am headed to the auction to relax and watch a few items go on sale and hang out. No house cleaning. no tv. just a lot of hanging out, socializing, enjoying my son and husband and this time my niece will be with us for the day to. Should be very nice! My son has a pile of boots that are to small and he is gonna sell them for spending money for vacation. He has been working on his sales pitch all week. If I can get my phone out quick enough. Think I might record it and play it here. I am sure he can negotiate some higher bidding with his spiel. haha.

And then Sunday is Mother’s Day which will be spent at my In laws. We plan to hit the bbq, the pool and relax and celebrate my god daugher’s and other nieces birthday. And I am blessed because my Nan (grandmother) is gonna come with us. Most of my family is out of town. So taking her with will be alot of fun and she can enjoy the family get together as well.

I must say as a Mom I am all right at times, frustrated at others, fun at others, and demanding at others, loving at others. But I wouldn’t be the Mom I would be without my son. And definitely without my husband. He seems to know when I need to just take a moment or a break without interruption. He knows when he needs to step in and be the “heavy” because I have had it for the day. Or he knows when it is time to chase Mom with the “tickle fingers” with my son and we all end up on the couch or the floor in a pile of laughs. I didn’t get handed a manual when we left the hospital. And everyone has had advice to share or opinions, but to have someone that is your best friend to help you figure out what is the best choice you can make and standing next to you as you make those choices. Well Wow. How would I do it without him. And because of all that. We have one Phenomenal little boy. he has his moments and even I as an adult do to. But his moments are always followed with a hug and lots of love. Well I am done being mush. I just had to say. Love my Life.

Happy Mother’s Day to you all this weekend!!
And here are some pictures of my life right now….

So do you notice the dog looking at me and blocking my kiddo… But do you more notice the hose?? I have been called out to “help him” And then in the picture below there is a swift run for the faucet…


and then an evil grin as he turns on the water and the dog really takes off. hahahahAnd then my son comes over to ” show me” how it won’t reach to me
and then when that doesn’t work… lets just “show” Mom how much fun it is to run around and get wet. Well after a change of my clothes. I am here posting the pictures! ha! Tons of fun. Especially when it is so hot already. Love the dancing in the water picture below.


This is my cherry tomato plant. It is huge!! My hubby has the watering system running like a well oiled machine and he got the garden running. It has just been awesome! I have had to work alot lately and take care of some other things and his thumb has just turned Green it has been wonderful. And in the picture below. Do you see the pink flowers?? my hubby brought that home one day. I was just having a really rough day and so he showed up with those. Yep my hubby is a keeper… not because he spent money and gave me something but because he thought about it. That always impresses me. the surprises the hugs the love! Love it.

More tomorrow… Have a wonderful evening!
Enjoy!
Chris

Chris Durnan, designer
GSD KNK WPC AI SCUT files for your personal digital cutters for use with scrapbooking, cardmaking and other hobbies. Whatever your creative mind can come up with!
www.visualdesignsbychris.com