Visual Designs by Chris

Chris Durnan

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Fun Summer Ideas – Diorama

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Recently my son created this Diorama built with the landscape of the “Warriors” series. To include, caves for them, a barrier wall, cats out of pipecleaners, and fallen tree in the back corner.

My son came up with this idea on his own. he showed up with a pile of rocks, the toothpicks from one of my other projects, and some pipecleaner. He asked me how to make cats. Well we cut and twisted the pipe cleaner. He twisted some more to make a fallen tree. Really he just kept at it. And it made me smile.

Basically I think the diorama is a miniature 3 dimensional scene. I think typical it is supposed to have a backdrop so maybe we will add that. I think we will save this little scene and keep adding to it and enter it in the Fair next year. See how it does.

Here are some other diorama’s I saw on Pinterest. If you make something, we’d love to see it.

  My Son and I spent some time looking through ideas and coming up with things we have loved to do recently to post for you to see. So we will be checking out all the comments and posts to see what everyone is coming up with. My son will be super excited to see everyone’s ideas with his. So please share if you get the chance.
 
Enjoy!
Chris

This is a popular character. You can find the link to it HERE. 

If you are going to participate in the creating, which I think is an awesome idea. This might be your style. Very pretty and puffy made from different materials. you can find the link HERE. 

This one below is a habitat diorama so you can do some research and is made from paper mostly. A good backdrop may also be a pizza box which opens flat.
You can find it here.

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My files in the store can be located here. Thank you for stopping by!

Fun Summer Series : Dice Games

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Learn a new game. One that is easily done while waiting for a summer activity. I love Dice. I hate that you have to throw them across the table to get a “good read”

Traveling while playing a dice game. Especially in an airplane could be so nerve wracking.
I saw this idea and actually said. YES out to the computer monitor. I probably would have done a fist pump of woohoo if I hadn’t been typing.

Small clear dice container. I found this on pinterest here.

And here is a list of family dice games and instructions. Have fun!

Let me know which one is your favorite dice game. 

And my son was not enthused about this idea because he likes to throw the dice across the room. So I am not sure he will be checking in for a picture on this post or comment, but I will. 🙂
Enjoy!
Chris

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My files in the store can be located here. Thank you for stopping by!

Friday giggle – Barr Rock

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Here is Friday Giggle.
My Dad sent me this picture after I sent him photos of my chickens. He said look he got one to.
I replied with. “Yeah!! I have a Barr Rock Also.  Maybe you’ll get plastic easter eggs!”
Ha! There was no response. Maybe I am not as funny as I think I am .
Love that my Dad sends photos all the time on his phone.

If you think it was cute, or funny.. please comment, like something. I am losing my audience here. Maybe Friday Giggle is not a good idea and more of a groan idea. hmmm.. maybe. But I will keep trying. Cause I love to giggle. I better go tickle that kid of mine for some instant giggles. Yeah!Love My Life.

Enjoy!
Chris

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My files in the store can be located here. Thank you for stopping by!

Summer fun idea – Out of the food rut..

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Kids are so awesome at knowing what they want for dinner.
Pizza, mac and cheese, PB & J
I call these rut foods. Just the usuals.

 Encourage them to think of something they’ve never tried before.

How about making your own pizza with something they have never had a pizza. My son tried a Hawaiin Pizza the other day and the pineapple made him uber happy. A total step away from the usual cheese. We also like to make our own at home often. 
Instead of pasta with cheese, how about toppings out in little bowls. And let them put some toppings on their noodles that are a little less processed.. Some ideas are halved cherry tomatoes, fresh peas, red peppers, chopped up left over grilled chicken. Toss it all with a little bit of olive oil.
And of course freshly grated parmesan and not parmesan dust on the shelf. The little bit of fresh can make all the difference. 
Berries Frozen and whirled in the food processor with a little whip cream on top yum. Forget the ice cream. all that flavor goodness without the additives. Yum!
I have to ask how many of you have this book, Betty Crocker New Cook Book,  on your shelf? or how about your Mom did? I found it at a book sale for 50 cents. my copy is all torn and beat to pieces. So I grabbed this one. My son was thumbing through it. We will see what we can come up with. I’d love if you shared what you come up with!
Enjoy and Bon Apetit!
Chris

Fun Summer Ideas – Flip Books

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This project was my idea and not my kiddos. I didn’t show it to him yet because I didn’t want him to use up all my little post-it note pads before we traveled. If you create one with your sweets, I’d love to see it so I can show him. 🙂

So Flip books… Do you remember these? There are times when we are waiting in line, making those pesky doc appts during summer to get them out of the way, or taking a travel trip.

A flip book is a great way fill some time. And requires minimal supplies and just a creative idea. And they can be quite addictive. This is on my list of put in the bag for a long airplane flight we have coming up.

Still don’t know what I am talking about? Here is a youtube video that might show you what I mean. They don’t have to be animated works of crazy art and they can be a cheap to do if you look at a few resources.


And things you could use for flip books….

I saw little post it note pads at the dollar store. 3 for $1.00. Remember little is better because you just need a pencil in your bag and a little post it note.

Or if you visit conventions, community events where they have those freebie pads of paper, post its, with their business name on it. great resource. also  for a teeny tiny adventure on the flip note those little flag it post it notes work to. I like the post it notes because you can pull it apart and pull out the “bad flip” and stick it back together.

Plus I think that only about 2 brands of the “post it notes” only seem to work for me. The rest stick for two seconds fall off.

Or you could cut up that random funky green paper in your collection of scrap paper. The one with all the dust on it and you can’t seem to find the right project for it.

If you need better instructions.. I found this.. http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/do/flipbook.html on PBS kids.

If you or your child create one or both. I’d love to see what you come up with. Please share with me here a link so I can see or tag me on pinterest. Something. 🙂

Enjoy your Summer!
Chris

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My files in the store can be located here. Thank you for stopping by!

Fun Summer Idea – Friendship Card – CAD

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This weeks Card a Day blog topic has been friendship. I have found some awesome friends through my creativity at VDBC. so I tend to peruse that gallery like crazy to see what everyone is doing.

This card just popped out. Thank you Caz for posting such a beautiful and friendship filled card.
Very nice indeed.

Don’t forget to come back the rest of the month for some Summer Fun Ideas. We have already started with some.

So today’s Summer Fun Idea. Find one friend. Create something and mail them a card. This is great for kids to be creative and also to address an envelope and mail it. I wonder how long the post office will be running sometimes with the world of text and email. I definitely love to get mail myself. So I hope you take the time to help a child, grandchild crafting something to drop in the mail. 

Don’t forget to get a picture first and post it somewhere I will see! And so I can show my son who has helped me come up with some of these ideas. 
Thank you again Caz for the awesome inspiration!

Enjoy!
Chris

To get quick fun updates of things going on, you can join my facebook page.

My files in the store can be located here. Thank you for stopping by!

Summer Fun Ideas – Fun lunches

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We get burnt out over summer on lunches.
We end up eating the same thing over and over because it is easy. I think it would be fun to be creative here are some ideas for silly character lunches. If you come up with any, please share. Would love to see them.

This is from the Little Nummies site. I encourage you to head over and see this Chicky Quesadilla and get the recipe. 
This is from the “Meet the Dubies” website. Man I just smiled when I saw this. 
And this Pinterest page is just full of ideas. pretty Cool. 
Enjoy!
Chris

To get quick fun updates of things going on, you can join my facebook page.

My files in the store can be located here. Thank you for stopping by!

Fun Summer Ideas – Book Spine Poetry

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This is the beginning of the Fun Summer Ideas throughout June and maybe into July. My Son and I spent some time looking through ideas and coming up with things we have loved to do recently to post for you to see. So we will be checking out all the comments and posts to see what everyone is coming up with. My son will be super excited to see everyone’s ideas with his. So please share. 

Here is our Poetry spine idea. 

So we love to read read read here. And this really spiked my interest. We continuously weed out books from my son’s book shelf. He is an avid reader. Almost a clepto book collector. He will go to the public library with me grab two books, he school library and grab a book or two on his or my number, and then also walk through the grocery store magazine book aisle and talk his Dad into buying him a book he just has to have.

So here is an idea to enjoy over summer break and I would love to see what you come up with. Please share your pictures in the gallery, on facebook wherever. Just tag me somehow or post to me so I see. I would love to see what you come up with… Here are some of the photos from @ the library facebook page. 

This was the winner Elizabeth’s photo. This photo is from the @the library facebook page. A great like to have in your news feed.

Here is another from Chicopee Library. Here is the photo link. 
These are not my photos. So please visit the sites I saw them on. 
And I’d love to see yours. 
What can you come up with… 
My recommendation tho’ if you do this at the library. 
Tag spot you got the book from so you can put it back. 
Enjoy!
Chris

To get quick fun updates of things going on, you can join my facebook page.

My files in the store can be located here. Thank you for stopping by!

Thinking of you card using Chris Durnan’s cutter file

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How cute is this owl?! This is part of a cutter file that was included in Chris Durnan’s Quarterly Membership Club. I cut him out, pin-stitched and chalked the edges. I layered him on a torn and inked piece of patterned paper. I stamped the Thinkin’ of you! sentiment on a torn, inked piece of cardstock and pop-dotted it on the card. Be sure to check out all of Chris’s great files here!

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

If you get up… you might lose your…

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If you get up, you might lose your spot.

One of my fav spots in the evening to sit and relax for a bit and also one of the barn cats as he views our “chicken aquarium”. My son got up for two seconds and the cat named Penzoil jumped in to keep the seat warm. 🙂 love our lives.
Enjoy!
Chris
Ps… yep I still haven’t painted those chairs red yet. On my to do list.