last day to join this quarters qmc... Caught Red "Pawed"

So I am working away today and look over and see the little thief again. Lately I have been trying to get my son to clean out his basket. This is my system of.. here are your items, put them away in one swoop, instead of lots of banter about please do it. do it. please put your things away. The top one is my hubbies with all the tools he brings in to work on the house and then migrates them out again. The next my sons and the bottom is mine. Well now I know why I feel like I am picking up the same item over and over and over. Look at all the items on the floor I just picked up .... the stinker...

I am off to the Rodeo and to dance today! Don't forget to visit the store and get in on the sale. or get in on the QMC for this quarter while you can!

Enjoy!

Chris

Friday yeah! Last day for Challenge Requests!

Well there is lots going on here in Tucson and also at Visual Designs by Chris.
1st lets get the business out of the way. Then I'll show you some pictures.

Important Dates you Should Know

The Cutter File Challenge


I wll be taking the last requests for the files on Saturday. Sunday I will send them out and then they are all due in by March 7th. So email me with Challenge in the subject line and I will send them to you. If you want more info it is on the right hand side of my blog.





The Quarterly Membership Club


I will be closing this current quarters to new members on Sunday morning when I get up. You will have until March 31st to download. If you want to see some of the files that are included you can view them on the left hand side of my blog. There will be 29 files for $10 as I have done in the past. There are not all 29 files shown on the left hand side. Just some. If you are interested in joining. Here is the Link to the store where you can purchase. please join the forum after your purchase so I can add you.





Also, I will be sending out the new password for the QMC for the 4shared site. Someone found it prudent to pass the information on. So I have shut it down. and wil be resending those today. If you don't get the password email me direct I will send it to you. I know there are only about 30 people who use 4shared and not the forum. So don't hesitate to email me. We have had a long run where the password has not been passed on. I appreciate those who haven't done so and understand this is how I support my family. I especially appreciate your honesty and your patronage.

********

And now that the business end is over... Here are the Tucson Rodeo Parade pictures. The 84th annual! Woohoo!As always this event was awesome the longest non-mechanized parade. And can I tell you it is a delight to see next to folks who have never been to it and are visiting Tucson. I sat with them and chatted about horses, Tucson and being proud of your heritage and those things that make Tucson different and original. here are just a few teeny tiny pics of the 100's I could have taken.

The beginning banner walked by some girls from the local school! There were lots of bands that played. It was awesome hear them keep the beat and the rhythm from Nogales, Tucson, Sahuarita there were lots of them there. The flags.


A silent moment for those who have passed this past year from the Rodeo Committee

Then we had itty bitty entries


Pretty in Pink entries. WOW! This is the color horse my friend Lori would want.

Our friend Jorge on the Sheriff's Mounted Posse. He volunteers to help those who need it. Especially hikers that get lost in the mountains that surround or city or anything they ask him for help with.

And this was the Tucson City Council Wagon. Really I had to look at it twice and read the fine print to know it was. Unfortunately, it seems there were not to many representatives present to acknowledge Tucson's History in our 84th annual parade. Seeing this was a bummer to me.

And this is our friend George who I found out is now a Tucson Parade Museum docent. How awesome! His wife Julie was on the sidelines parolling the edges to make sure no one stuck their little toes out to get stomped on.

And saving the best for last.... This is my Uncle Chris. Love him dearly! He has been on the Tucson parade committee for a long time and continues on. The parade committee members have to volunteer for a long period of time before they can actually be on the committee. It takes a lot of work and dedication.

And then that is it for now...

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

I will be out at the rodeo most of the weekend and

then swinging around the dance floor with the hubby in the evening.

Thanks for joining me for my show and tell.

Enjoy!

Chris

Digi-Cut and Digi-Scrap the best of both worlds!!

So have you seen Caz floating around posting awesome files both digital and hybrid. Well if you have you probably have figured out that she has joined my Creative Team Crew. Wooohoo!! And some of her work is awesome. Adding her digital scrapbooking touches and also cutting files on here KNK she has provent that when it comes to hybrid you can have the best of both worlds. Here is a little about Caz. and you can see her awesome files at the Creative Teams blog.

Welcome to the Team!!

Hi, I’m Caroline.

I am really excited about working for Visual Designs By Chris, my first foray into the dizzy world of hybrid scrapping. I hail from the Central Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia, although am originally from England (a long time ago). I am a SAHM of five. I have four beautiful girls ranging in age from 25 to 19. I have only one child left at home though, my gorgeous son 13yo Nicholas. Gary and I have been together for a long time but only tied the knot in 2006 whilst on holidays in Tasmania.
I have been scrapping since I was a kid, but recently discovered Digital Scrapbooking about 2 years ago. I love that this area of creativity joins together all the things I love, Scrapping, my KNK Maxx, Photography and my Computer (without which I am lost). I use PSCS3 and am learning about KNK Studio.
I am looking forward to meeting all of you soon.

Caroline Stedman

... You can chat with Aussie_Caz at the forum. So jump on over there!! Great looks and fun for digi-scrap and digi-cut.

Enjoy!
Chris Durnan, designer
The designer of the original QMC - aka Chris's Cutter File Club. Files available in SCUT GSD KNK WPC & AI. Multi-layered, Test Cut files. 20 plus files, but every membership so far has had 29 files for $10. Join today and get that icing on the cake of 9 extra files over 20 for $10.00
Don't miss out before it closes!

Flashing her Baby Blue... Patches

So our puppies Patches looks all sweet and innocent. Well today the Nascar race is on. So we have it on in the background and watch some of it here and there. Do the laundry. Play Nascar with my son. Play with puppy. watch a little Nascar. Make dinner that kinda thing. Well my Son is playing Nascar and starts looking around and realizes...hmm.. he is missing a few... and we caught her in the act. We watched for her hiding place and Voila! There are 3 other cars. Of course you can see from our photo investigation she was very good at feigning her innocence or flashing her baby blue at us.

Hmm keep the car in eye sight but act like you don't see it.

Ignoring the car. Total Distraction.

Picking off the cars from our carpet race track.

hahaa.. Well as most would have figured out. I have been creating new files with lots of Puppy breath included! I have great inspiration.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Enjoy!

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

Confessions of a Mother

I must confess I didn't clarify the point today. I didn't want to hurt my little ones feelings or just plain freak him out. And now for my story... You knew there was a story didn't you??

So my son cleaned a bird's nest out of his fort yesterday. He gets so frustrated when they build in there. He has convinced his Dad that he needs bird boards and screen on his door windows this summer. haha. Always a project. But either way in moving the birds nest out my little one realized there is a bird egg in the nest. So he picked it up with his fingers and put it in his now destroyed bird nest that is laying on the ground outside the fort. He walks and shows it to me and I grimace and smile knowing Mamma bird won't be back after he has touched it, but he puts it in the nest and is confident that although he didn't want the birds in his fort they could definitely thrive on the ground in the now mangle nest. So I let it be. Sometimes just let it be is my motto. So this morning he gets dressed and heads out the door. I ask where are you going? He looks at me with the usual "what a stupid question Mom" and he says. Well I am going to check on my birds egg. So out he goes... And about 5 minutes later he walks in and Says MOM THAT WASN'T a BIRDS EGG. It was a scrambled egg DUH!! and walks out the door with pure indignation that for once his MOM didn't know everything. As he shuts the door my eyes are watering, my air has evaporated as I try not to giggle. Then I hear him step off the porch and I just giggle. Later in life he will look at me and realize his Mom didn't correct him and let him believe that eggs come scrambled, but for now I don't have to deal with a 4 year olds heart break in realizing he may have shorted the bird population by 1. For now I shall just let it be... and with that... I love my life.

*****

So now for this weekend.. I don't have a dirt cheap deal this weekend my apologies. I am steadily working on adding the last files to the QMC. If you aren't a QMC member, now is the time to join as I will be shutting the doors for this quarter shortly. And also, I am working on the Early Bird Files for next quarter. I am having so much fun. I, also, uploaded some files to the store today so you may get a chance to peruse there. So along the side of this post you will see some of the files I have uploaded to the store or the QMC. Thank you!

Have a wonderful day and weekend!

Enjoy!

Chris

I have one word for you... and then many more of course in explanation...

EXHAUSTION

I am so tired. Wow. A new puppy can wear you out. Here is a picture of the late night tormentor and her new favorite partner in crime.

Isn't she cute?? Yeah not so much at 2 a.m. in the cold wind outside looking at you like. Yeah .. now you and I know I am gonna pee as soon as we walk back in the house could we just speed up the cycle a bit and not come outside for so long. ha!

Oh and have you ever given a puppy pepto bismol? We have a small case of Puppy Diarhea because I didn't have puppy chow on hand the first night and just stress from leaving a litter of 7. So she really should get minimal minimal amount of it because she is tiny. So I thought well lets try it the easy way first. Put a teeny bit on my finger. Bright Pink stuff. So Bright you almost gotta wonder about radiation who comes up with a color that pink. Anyways. She isn't gonna lick it off my finger like my other dog who is now 15 and watching this process and rolling her eyes. So I open her mouth and rub the stuff off my finger on her tongue, roof of her mouth anywhere I can get it in the mouth. Now she pulls back I look at my finger and those little teeny marks of deadly puppy teeth and look at her snout and realize... I shoulda brought my camera we coulda done a Got Strawberry Milk commercial. Well at least it isn't everywhere and she is doing better and seems to be past the puppy tummy issues. thank goodness.

However, my older more mature pound puppy. A spry 15 is not so happy with me. I wouldn't be either if my favorite blanket just walked itself down the hallway. I heard a snip and looked up and couldn't see the puppy, just a blanket being triumphantly carried down the hallway and taken and dropped in front of her kennel. Ha! However, this gave me a thought maybe I will switch the two blankets so she has one that smells like a dog in her kennel... hmm have to think on that further..

However, the positive of this whole experience. My son is just soo thrilled. He has been outside running around so the puppy can chase him. He has been playing with his cars on the carpet with the puppy. (Apparently the puppy's favorite is the race car she keeps stealing and putting in her kennel). Just to see his grin makes it all worth it.

Our two outside dogs are not thrilled, but when she gets a little older they will be fine. Another dog to bark at the coyotes and keep them off the property. Can always use that help around here.

And as for me Iwill keep an eye on the things walking down the hallway... Like the Metal coffee can we use to feed dog food. Apparently for the puppy, she found out this morning it is a little large for a hat and in fact fits almost your whole body. And barking in it because you can't figure out how to back out can be quite frightening. So frightening you walk into the wall with a large clang and then quickly figure out how to back out, but for good measure just bark your little heart out at it because your person is laughing so hard she is sitting on the floor and can't help out. Just bark at her to for good measure too.

Ahhhhhh loving life!!

Enjoy!

Chris

AND YES I AM CLOSING THIS QUARTERS QMC SHORTLY!

If you want to get in Now is the time.
The designer of the original QMC - aka Chris's Cutter File Club. Files available in SCUT GSD KNK WPC & AI. Multi-layered, Test Cut files. 20 plus files, but every membership so far has had 29 files for $10. Join today and get that icing on the cake of 9 extra files over 20 for $10.00
Don't miss out before it closes!

Cutter File Challenge Entries

Here are some of those awesome Cutter Files Challenge Entries! I will post more later or tomorrow. I am tidying up a bunch of new files for the QMC. If you haven't joined, you'll be missing out on quite a collection of files.

AWESOME Entries! Thank you to everything. If you want to participate there is still time. you can scroll down and read the details on the right hand side of my blog. Just let me know if you'd like to join in!

Have a wonderful day!

Enjoy!

Chris

Happy Sunday.. Puppy.. Daytona.. Dirt Cheap Deal.. QMC Poll... wew...

Hey Hey.. hope your having a great weekend.
Thought I would scoot in before we go to pick up our puppy and say there is a poll running in the forum for the QMC. Today is the last day for the dirt cheap deal for the Halloween collection (scroll down for more info). And then I am off to watch Daytons and celebrate my brother-in-laws birthday. Should be a busy and fun day! So for now have tons of fun!!
Enjoy!
Chris

Dirt Cheap Deal for this week... Halloween Collection

Hey Folks!


How are ya? Ready for the weekend?? I almost am.... ALMOST... not quite but almost.

I have a few things to do. Like get some new QMC files up and also our Dirt Cheap Deal!

Some of you may think the Dirt Cheap Deal looks familiar if you have been with me for a while. It is. It is one of my older collections I got together for the store and added SCUT files to the other types AI GSD KNK & WPC.


But I thought why not offer it one more time Dirt Cheap for the set of 10 and one of those in the set have 7 titles in them! Wow. A few jumbles (mesh) a few card fronts and more. Lots to choose from. For more details on the dirt cheap deal visit here.

And tomorrow I hope to post some of those awesome pictures others have created with this set of files... woohoo!!

Okay I am on the final tweaks for a few more QMC files. Yeah Yeah!! We are at 15 that means I have 5 more to go to hit the promised 20 and of course 9 more for the icing on the cake!! Want to join the QMC and get those files? Get in while you can. We will be closing the doors for this quarter soon. We close them one month prior to the end in order to give everyone time to download. Oh yes you can buy them afterwards in the store, but not for a couple of dimes a piece!

And I am off to find a recipe for swordfish for dinner and then on to more files. Everyone have a wonderful evening!


Chris Durnan, designer
The designer of the original QMC - aka Chris's Cutter File Club. Files available in SCUT GSD KNK WPC & AI. Multi-layered, Test Cut files. 20 plus files, but every membership so far has had 29 files for $10. Join today and get that icing on the cake of 9 extra files over 20 for $10.00
Don't miss out before it closes!

Tuesday ... It is chilly here

Hey folks.
I am around just dealing with this nagging headache. Will be working on things at a bit slower pace. Wanted to say Have a great Tuesday! And thank you to the many folks who visited my store this past weekend. I appreciate your support greatly.
Enjoy!
Chris

Sunday evening wew... he's almost home.

Well most would think I am a big 'ol wimp, but I miss my hubby. I feel for those who spend gobs of time apart from their loved ones. My hubby and I work together in both of our businesses and we spend the weekend playing on horses. We really enjoy eachothers company. I have dinner in the oven baking. So when he gets home there will be something to munch on if he is hungry. And I am excited. I have those little butterflies flitting around. Silly it was only a few days. but it doesn't matter to me.

My hubbies time spent at my Dad's the last few days has been fun for my little one and I as well because we kept getting emails from Dad's blackberry of pictures of them ice fishing and riding snow mobiles. My little one realized that there were only boys there! And he was a boy! And next year he is going! ha! He is good at stating the obvious and making you go DUH!! and observing the obvious. :-) ( I will post those pics sometime this week)

But he and I had fun to. We went to my sister's house and played with my cutey patutey niece and when she went to bed I spent time with my sister working with her Craft Robo. It was crammed in the back of her desk with a towel over it to keep out the dust. (Desert dust is murder on wheels and parts) So we got it out. Piled off her table. She was frustrated because her desk was so buried with papers and random things, but alas we put the art of piling to work and piled everything up so we could have work space. And got to working on her Craft Robo and playing with files and she was super happy. My sister and I did the same thing when I first got my Craft Robo we downloaded files after files after files and cut and cut and we kept showing them to my hubby and saying loooook. He would said what is it? we looked at him in unison and said a paper purse. My husband smiled and said Very Nice and went back to what he was doing. Little did he know those first files would become my obsession. Some cut like a dream others made the machine groan and groan to the point where it was like Fingernails dragging down a chalkboard. I quickly realized in downloading files there is a difference in files. And so I ventured into creating my own. Well I digress. It was so much fun to work on the CR with my sister and play with papers and cut things and just be girls and giggle. This picture below is myself, my niece and my son. Love it when the kiddos sit on your lap and cover up your dirty shirt and excess weight. ... Ahh but I looked at this picture compared to the ones on my blog and my weight loss may be showing in my face a little.

And for another ramble.. My friend Lori is challenging people to get on the weightloss bandwagon. Well I may have to join her on the bandwagon. Walking. I need to walk every morning. It makes me feel and live better. So I need to get this routine into my head. My Aunt says that once you do it ten times it becomes habit. I had been doing it every day. So apparently missing it 10 times in a row can also become habit. So I am not sure I am going to take a pictureof the scale as Ms. Lori does because I have Barney Rubble toes. But will have to think on accountability and what it means. I find when I curtail myself so much I screw it up because I am irritated. So I might continue on and shoot for 1-2 lbs a week.

It won't be today that I lose those lbs and I have to blame it on cutter files. ... Seriously.... are you rolling your eyes at me?... well. ha! Here is why.... I have had many requests for some fancy cupcake wrappers. I have seen these talked about and just never jumped on it because I seldom eat a cupcake. Well in the effort of getting the correct type of cutter files I made some cupcakes. Totally for cutter file research purposes of course {grin} sometimes you just have to do it. I think I will take some to my Mom and Sister for Vday and our neighbor. I made the homemade cream cheese frosting to go on them. Again just for cutter file research.

Well if you need me Monday I will be running around to doc appts and other things. So I may be slow to respond. I feel like I am getting a cold, however, and hope it doesn't hit me at all or hard. I have been fighting a head ache all weekend. I can usually maintain with caffeine, drinking more water, using the heating pad on my neck, taking hot baths, upping my protein or iron.. those little things etc. But I can feel it just nagging at the back of my head still. wew ! Needs to go away. I have better things to do.

Thanks to everyone who visited the store this weekend. I really appreciate your support.
Enjoy!

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

Dirt Cheap Deal - Baroque Collection and some others.. Stick Figures etc..

Hello Folks,
Hope you are ready for the weekend. I am definitely ready for Sunday when my hubby gets home. In the meantime, I have a dirt cheap deal for you. These are ornate square cuts. That were test cut at 8x8, but would fit a 12x12 page. and could be shrunk to be used as you'd like. I am offering this as a dirt cheap deal now until Sunday when I wake up. The price is $2.99. So if you like one of these files it is like getting 10 for the price of 1 file. The collection price is 8.99 and the indivdual price will be from $2.79-$2.99. So get in on the dirt cheap deal while you can!

Also, I have added a few other files to the store. A packet of random stick figure characters for vinyl cutting, and some others. And check out the Baroque Collection which will be offered individually next week, but why pay for just one when you can get 10 on Saturday!!

And Karen has started up BINGO again.. So jump on in to the forum and sign up. As always lots of fun.

Enjoy!

Chris Durnan, designer
The designer of the original QMC - aka Chris's Cutter File Club. Files available in SCUT GSD KNK WPC & AI. 20 plus files, but every membership so far has had 29 files for $10. Join today and get that icing on the cake of 9 extra files over 20 for $10.00
Don't miss out before it closes!

Hello hello.. beautiful skies and cute puppies....

So Hello to everyone. It is Thursday. I love Thursdays. I downloaded some pictures from my camera so I thought I would share today.

The first picture is that of a sky we recently saw at our house. The colors were so different then you normally see. It reminded me of one of those black and white paintings where the roses are painted red. Love it. What a great show in the heavens above.

And then here is our new puppy. We picked one out of the litter and she hopefully will come home in two weeks. She is sooooo cute! My little one was super thrilled. She looks huge in the solo picture until you look back at the fencing and realize who close she is to the ground.

Well I am back to work. If you want to know about challenges, scroll down, and see yesterdays post. Lots and lots going on. Thanks for stopping by!

Enjoy!

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

Met the goal and on I go

Woohoo!! So I sent out all the challenge links yesterday! lots of new faces and i will keep sending them out for a few weeks and then leave it for everyone to get their projects done. So glad I met that goal.

Then next the QMC File Challenge running in the forum by Dana is wrapping up! Dana chose the Music Jumbles offered in the QMC and there were lots of folks who jumped on the opportunity to cut it and play. You don't have to be a QMC Member and could buy the file, but those in the QMC already had it. So it gave lots of opportunity to play. So many awesome projects. Did you see them?? There in the forum pretty cool.

*************************

And then next Rosalie already posted the February Sketch Challenge which includes the Die cut files to make it easier for you. I included some files that could be used with the pen. Lots of discussion in the forum about which pen and how to do. Which is awesome to see the Creative process.

This is the next Sketch Challenge layout in the forum.

And if you want to join my Cutter File Challenge scroll down on the right hand side of my blog and check out the file and the details.

On to life... So my hubby is headed to Wisconsin right now. He is getting on a plane in 80 degree weather and headed to weather which for a high has been 11 below 0. And by the time he arrives it will probably 20 below because it will be late tonight. THAT IS A 100 DEGREES difference! Holy Cow! I forgot to send the camera with him, but my sister sent the camera with her hubby. I can't imagine how cold it will be on the ice for fishing. But I do know. They will have an awesome time. my little one is already missing him, but told Dad he would take care of Mom. So he keeps saying it's okay Mom. He'll be home soon. It's cute. My 4 year old has become protective of Mom. It is awesome.

So my plans are to hang out and work on files (fix the piano one) and catch up some of my many ideas I have and get them into cutter format and the ones that are already in format to the test cut and store. Wew!! And then will spend an evening with my sister. We will probably make homemade potato salad (ADDICTED) and then she wants some help setting up her Craft Robo. Just hang out for the evening. We haven't done that in a while.

Well my little one calls... I better run!!

Have a wonderful rest of the day.

Enjoy!

Chris

GOALS!

My biggest goal today is to get those Challenge links out. So I am going to make this short and sweet. The other reason being I am home today with a stomach flu kiddo. Poor thing. Can't decide if he has the stomach flu or to much sugar over the weekend. He seems to have a very sensitive tummy like his Mom. I am off to keep converting!! Have a wonderful day!!
Enjoy!
Chris

weekends over

Well the Super Bowl was fun to watch so I didn't get to finish the challenge files like I thought I would so. On that note I am still working on them and will be sending out the emails as soon as I get it together. I have saved them all in a folder to send to. Just a heads up.



Thank you to everyone who hit the sale this weekend...

I have a ton of emails to catch up on...

so off I go.

Have a wonderful day!

Enjoy!

Chris

Last Day for the Sale!!

Today is the last day of my weekend sale. Whatever you are interested in it's for sale.

Have a wonderful day today I hope you enjoy the Super Bowl no matter what you do. My local scrapbook store is having a Super Bowl Scrap. My Mother-in-Law is having us all over. I am just looking forward to the time spent with family. So whatever you do whether it be watch football or ignore football or just a Super Bowl Football watcher enjoy your afternoon.

Don't forget to check the Sale and the new files and Collections.

And if you haven't upped for the QMC yet. It is still in the store for a bit for this quarter.


Enjoy!
Chris