A little show and tell today. I made this coaster album for a friend of mine. I asked her to grab some coasters when she went out to eat and she keeps giving them to me everytime I see her. SWEET!! So I made her a coaster album. There is room for more pages. I punched the hole with my new big bite cropadile and first time I officially used Stickles. Wow. Just wow. Okay and Wow. love it.

Many ask me what I do for pictures. I used to take them on the kitchen table. Then I looked into lightboxes and I have a few issues. I don’t want to give up anymore space in my craft room for a light box. I didn’t like some of the sizes for the lightboxes and I am a cheapo. So I came up with this. I purchased a white project board. Those ones that have two sides stand up on their own and can be used for science fairs. I cut the side and creased the back. So when I want to take it out. It takes me just a few seconds to fold it and put little paperclips overlapping the edges so it stays in place and I already had the lights under my cupboards. So I talked to my Aunt In Law and she showed me the settings on my little digi camera to change the white balance. I must confess I never really went past the point and click. There are a lot of buttons that thing.

So that is my easy peasy cheapo lightbox and when it gets dirty I will just buy a new board. It isn’t the high tech photography photos but it met most of my needs and requirements. I have been told by a friend I should get a small light to point up from the front of it. but I am okay with the results for now.

Here is a card I made with Chris’s files – a freebie, thanks, and the border, Fancy Borders 2, which can be found here. I squished it slightly so it would fit on my rectangle card. I added two paper flowers with brads for a little fun.

Sussann

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

Business first… I am taking the QMC with early bird files for July-Sept out of the store this weekend and putting up the straight QMC for the remainder. If you want to join and get more files for the dollars then now is the time to join and quickly!

And now on to life…

Our view from the hotel balcony in CA. Very nice

Lots of fun for sure.

Things I realize and remembered on vacation…

-You should always put sunblock on your lips. If you don’t yowser you will have a swollen lip. Apparently I won’t need lip injections. My lip felt huge. my hubby said WOW (with an evil grin) when I woke up when morning and could feel my lip was swollen. So I chased him around the suite with my scary lip and a pillow. I’ll Pow him with the pillow for that wow.
-I love my family! My in laws include me so much they feel like my family and are my family it is wonderful!
– I may have been thinking about getting cable again, but after one weekend of it and watching my son watch. I still don’t want cable tv.
– I really love my home. We were so happy to get home!
– It is hard not to check email every day. Thank goodness for my blackberry. (Yes Lori I am addicted)
– I miss those I chat with in the forum regularly.
– I am digging the fruity martinis.
– I forgot to take the QMC down with the early bird files before I left So I will be taking it down the weekend I get back.
– I love to hang out with my hubby and my son. We just have fun together.
– I love to only hit one theme park on vacation and take it easy for the rest.
– Love to watch my hubby and son interact with new experiences. Like feeding Sea Otters and Stingrays. So fun.
– I love my digital camera. I panicked because I thought mine got wet and wasn’t going to work. Ended up being a dead battery. So I snagged an “old school” disposable for half of the sea world day. I let my son use up the rest of the pics. So I am interested to see what he came up with in shots.
– I am bummed I didn’t sketch out my ideas and am trying to get them down in thoughts today before I forget them all.
– I for the first time ever loved the bed at the place we stayed. My hubby and I decided we might call and ask them what brand mattress was in the room because it was the first ever we both loved. Can you tell we need a new mattress.
– I love my nieces. Their giggles and smiles just make my day. To hear them giggle in a fit of exhaustion at the end of the day was the best!!!
– My hubby is fun to share a nice dinner with. And my son is the best for dealing with it by being good and hanging out with us when he’d rather run like mad and play.
– Life is awesome! Love my life.

And now I am off to get the horses ready and loaded for the evening and meet my hubby at the Team Sorting with trailer, child and horses in tow.

Have a great weekend!!
Enjoy!
Chris

Chris Durnan, designer at www.visualdesignsbychris.com
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!

My files work on many machines. Some of them are: Klik-n-kut, Pazzle, Wishblade, Silhouette, Cricut, Craft Robo. Some of the software involved with these machines are: Funtime, Scrapbooking, WinPC/Signlab, Inkscape, Create & Cut, Illustrator, KNK Studio, Robomaster, DesignMaster and the list goes on….. Enjoy!

And our cutter file “freebies” are kept in the forum. We add to them as we can.

I am going to upload some here and there this week while I try to catch up on emails and reports. I hope you Enjoy! Chris

Balboa park
Rose Garden at Balboa park



Chris Durnan, designer at www.visualdesignsbychris.com 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! My files work on many machines. Some of them are: Klik-n-kut, Pazzle, Wishblade, Silhouette, Cricut, Craft Robo. Some of the software involved with these machines are: Funtime, Scrapbooking, WinPC/Signlab, Inkscape, Create & Cut, Illustrator, KNK Studio, Robomaster, DesignMaster and the list goes on….. Enjoy! And our cutter file “freebies” are kept in the forum. We add to them as we can.

OK, so I had the other half of that funky border from the challenge file to use and this is where it wound up. “A Little Bird Told Me” is a file by Beloved Keepsakes a good friend of Chris. My next door neighbors have blue bird houses in their back yard and every year they have several families use the houses. I found the feather on the card this year in my driveway and picked it up to give to them. When I saw Lori’s file I knew I had to use it for a card for my neighbors. And when I made the envelope the same pink as my funky border, well, it was destiny – lol. I just love that funky border!!!

Oh, on the inside I wrote “What great neighbors I have.” 🙂

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

I incorporated 3 of Chris’s files for this card. And yes it is Father’s Day and I’m just making the card – lol. I called my Dad today and told him his card was coming late and that I didn’t have time to make him one this year. I actually bought one yesterday. I’m going to send it too since I love the sentiment in it. Any hooo back to this one. I used the June Challenge file funky border but cut a piece off of it. I also used “Hay Happy Father’s Day (CD00548) with some modifications and “You’re Gonna What? (CD00513). My Dad raises cows so I like to use them on his cards and I love how this one looks – lol. And of course I had to use the “Hay” because I’m from the south and that’s how we say “hello” to everyone – lol. The inside has the “Happy Father’s Day frame from the “Hay” file. I cut the Horse head off (forgive me Chris – lol). I love how it turned out. The funky border looks like confetti to me. Thanks for looking.

Sandra from NC