A site for my handmade cards, accompanied by my photos and written meanderings which are occasionally witty, often tongue-in-cheek, and rarely profound. Beginning in June 2013, you'll also see lots of NBUS, which is an acronym I coined for Never-Before-Used-Schtuff. Note: my Privacy Policy can be found at a tab below and you can find my NBUS Challenge online. I hope you'll join in the fun there! Thanks for coming by! Have a beverage and enjoy!

July 25, 2024

Guest Designing at Rudolph Days Challenge!

Hello Stamplings!

Surprise! You didn't expect to open your screen and see me here on a Thursday, but I'm happy and honored to be here today as a Guest Designer for the Rudolph Days Challenge

Onefer. I went with traditional colors for this design:
The holly and pine frame in green are NBUS from PTI. I let the guys blow their little gold-filled whistles onto a small red panel to insert in the center of the frame. Over that I added a heavily gold-embossed Red and Greens brooch, er, branch from Penny Black and a chipboard sediment from Memory Box.

We'd love to have you join in with your Christmas in July design this week ~ and hereafter! You might not want to look, or you might just be peeking through your fingers, but the truth is, that 'mail date' for your cards is fast approaching! 

🎄 Challenges will run monthly starting on the 25th of the month at 9am UK time and running until the last day of the month. 🎄
There will be a Top 3 chosen each month and published at the start of the following month.  Everyone who is chosen as part of the Top 3 will be invited to join a future challenge as a Guest Designer. 🎄The challenge theme is always anything goes as long as it's a Christmas project - you can link up anything you want as long as it's been hand made by you - this includes digital cards that have been made by you. 🎄More guidelines on the Rudolph Days site.

Twofer
Hammy and I took this opportunity to teach Stanley about "non-traditional" Christmas colors with our second design. This was very QACAS because it only involved die-cutting gold mirror cardstock, some beautiful pp that I'm delighted to find a perfect use for, and a sediment from Memory Box! Shazam, Stan!

~~~

You're welcome for the cold Christmas makes to cool you off if, like us, you are still sweltering. And now a quick punctuation to my post from Monday as a little icy refreshment ... one more fruit cake! No, no, I mean fruit make!

Pink Fresh, "Pears and Pomegranates" and NBUS "Stitched Whirl Background" from Simon Says. Stitched circle from MFT and sediment from PTI.

~~~

Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!*

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower! 

*Life is too short!
Challenges
Christmas Kickstart: Festive Frames
Color Hues: Red and Green
Cut It Up: Christmas in July
Snippets Playground: A/G Scraps (gold mirror, pink and gold card for sediment, pp)
            


45 comments:

Helen said...

Fabulous collection of cards!

Thanks so much for being a Guest Designer at the Rudolph Days Challenge.

Helen x

Pauline C said...

Gorgeous selection of Christmas cards Darnell .. all beautiful in different ways. I love the gorgeous die cuts on the Rudolph Days card.
Pauline xx

Jeanne said...

Thanks for sharing these beautiful Christmas in July delights, Darnell. The Joy one really stands out to me. That pp is just beautiful. Have a happy day!

designbydonna said...

That holly frame is so pretty. Maybe some shopping in my future. This one might be an easy multi-produce card. But, shazamm! That pink card is spectacular.Just love the center paper.

Aquarius said...

Congratulations on being chosen as guest designer for Rudolph Days - great cards for inspiration. It seems Christmas is on the way 😊

Donna said...

Fabulous collection of cards and congrats on your GD spot, that card is stunning with the die and your gold elegance in the center, I can't believe the second card is patterned paper, I was trying to figure out how you did the background, the third is a great design with that stitched background and beautiful coloring!

Birgit said...

Great cards! I love the background of the first one. Great marble effect.

Gail said...

You have been busy! They are all great! Did cool me off for a minute!
Congratulations on your GD spot!

Linda W. (ScrappinBari) said...

You've been busy, Darnell - just love all three cards!! That frame looks amazing with the gold branch on card one and the non-traditional colors are gorgeous with those fancy papers!! Another lovely fruit card too - did you see your pear card as a fave at JUGS? Thanks for the inspiration & congrats on your GD spot - I'll try to play!

Sandra H said...

Congratulations Darnell on your Guest designer fir Rudolph’s day challenge and nice to see the traditional colours used always like green & reds together and the gold just finished it off perfectly all of your cards are inspiring love them all x

Carol L said...

That's a gorgeous collection of cards and BTW, congrats on being a guest designer for Rudolph Days! I really like that middle card with the beautiful colors and simple JOY sentiment, but they're all fantastic! Stay cool and have a great week ahead!

Bunny said...

Hey, Darnell. So glad to see I'm keeping good company today at the Rudolph Days Challenge. I love the gold embossing on the Penny Black die. I have this die, one of the first few dies I think about a gazillion years ago. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Love all the cards. So glad you skipped the fruit cake. We are frying in Florida. Not flying.........frying. It's so HOT! [Bunny]

Sarn said...

A lovely trio of cards and thank you for entering the luscious pink and gold middle one to the Snippets Playground as your homework. See you up in the treehouse shortly. xxx

Karen said...

Three very impressive cards! All beautiful, but so diverse. Can't decide on a favorite, but I do love that pink and gold! The patterned paper looked like an alcohol ink creation so I was surprised to find out otherwise.

Susan said...

Three fabulous Christmas cards! Love that holly frame in the first one and the great contrast of the vibrant red and gold centre with the cool green! Beautiful pinks and golds for the non-traditional Christmas colour lovers. And beautifully shaded pomegranates for finish - terrific against the stitched circle and background.

I Card Everyone said...

Pink at Christmas? VERY traditional around here, D - but WOW do I love your hot pink! Three wonderful Christmas cards to cool us off - congratulations on your well-deserved GD gig!
=] M x

HilaryJane said...

Congrats on your GD spot and what a great collection of Christmas cards. I simply can't bring myself to even think about them at the moment, but I think I am being forced to by all the amazing inspiration I am finding in blogland right now. Thanks for helping with that xx

brandco2450@gmail.com said...

You have been a busy little bee! All three cards are gorgeous
and quite different! Congrats on your design spot!

Cat Craig said...

Stunning collection of cards, Darnell. Hard to pick a fave so I will just have to Love them all~

Karen P said...

As usual with your cards all are stunning. Glad to be blogging more frequently again and thank you for following x

Pat said...

Firstly so lovely to see you as a guest over at the Rudolph Days Challenge and such fabulous cards Darnell, and the holly frame is spectacular especially with the red with gold splatters and added thickly embossed holly and berries branch, and the second is so vibrant in mainly shades of pink with the bit of gold and green in the corner of the pink dp, and interspersed with the gold and that beautiful pink card. Lastly a wonderful get well card with that really pretty Stitched Whirl Background die and the added red fruits and green leaves around the circle with the sentiment within look great. x

lichazul said...

Lovely colors, congrats 💐☺️ Nice cards
Happy weekend

Cheryl W. said...

I love all your cards, but the nontraditional Christmas card really knocked my socks off! It's too warm to wear them, anyway, so that was a very good thing. You've inspired me to make a couple of nontraditional Christmas cards myself, using some similar DSP.

TK said...

All three are wonderful, Darnell! Two lovely Christmas cards for the stash and your fruitsk card is delightful and delicious!

Kathyk said...

Three GORGEOUS cards in your post today - I just popped across from NBUS to admire your entry and found the others fascinating too

Happy Friday

Kathyk

kiwimeskreations said...

What a wonderful trio of cards Darnell -
Loving the first holly card, and didn't the boys do well with the gold paint!! Did Stanley cope with the non-traditional Christmas colours? That is an amazing piece of paper you used.
Loving the fruity one - that's gorgeous
Blessings
MAxine

Dotty Jo said...

Gorgeous cards once again, Darnell! Love the different styles and range of techniques on display. Thanks for joining Leslie and me at Christmas kickstart - it's great to have you play along, Jo x

Nancy said...

Such a gorgeous array of cards Darnell! I love the gorgeous die cuts on the Rudolph Days card and you just shared with me a new challenge blog, so thank you! Your Joy card is so striking too. Happy to have you in the gallery at Color Hues. Take care!

Gerrina said...

Beautiful cards! But I am totally in love with the 2nd card! Hugs, Gerrina

Linby said...

Congrats on your GD spot. Love the first card so much but as you always have me running to buy what you used I am not going to look this time lol! Great use of the paper on the joy card and a lovely get well card too.

JoAnn said...

Beautiful cards Darnell. The holly frame is lovely with the gold flecked red center. The pink card really shines with all the gold in it, I love pink Christmas cards. Your fruit card is very pretty also. Thanks for sharing all these lovely cards. Hugs, JoAnn

Lynette said...

Oh my - three super lovely cards, Darnell! And yes - what a surprise to find a new post from you and it's not even Monday!! I especially love the dies for the first card, but I can't even choose a favorite since they are all fabulous.

Lynne said...

A lovely selection of cards Darnell. Thank you for your lovely comment on my card. I have popped it onto the NBUS challenge. I should slap myself for not entering more often as i have lots of NBUS as I'm sure we all have! xx

Darlene said...

WOWZA! These are all just gorgeous my friend! Hope you're doing well! Thanks so much for joining in the fun at our new Love Those Pretty Papers challenge! Good Luck and we hope you’ll come back often.

Darlene
DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS

Co-Owner … Can You Handle the Pressure, Double D, Four Seasons, Peace On Earth, Stencil Fun, Simply Clean & Simple, Two Old Bats, Triple B, Word Power, Love Those Pretty Papers

Bobby said...

Terrific times three, Darnell. That pp is fabulous and worked beautifully for a Christmas card. Love your NBUS die cut and swirly background.

Bonnie said...

What a treat to see three more cards made by you, Dolly! Love the green and gold holly and that wonderful frame! Congratulations on your Guest Design spot! Stanley is learning fast and this is a fantastic way to use non-traditional Christmas colors and patterned paper! I'm loving the pomegranates on that textured white!

Faith A at Daffodil Cards said...

WOW! Amazing cards Darnell, love the colours and everything about them. x

Lisa Elton said...

This is a trio of prettiness, Darnell! Love the final card. Congrats on your guesting gig!

Cindy Beach said...

Wonderfully festive and pretty Christmas cards, Darnell!
The pine frame and gold accents are beautiful! We're so glad that you joined us at Color Hues!

Em Louise Fairley said...

All 3 cards are beautiful, Darnell xoxo

Di said...

What a fabulous collection of cards Darnell. Needless to say I adore your pink Christmas card - it looks absolutely glorious!

Hugs
Di xx

Hannelie said...

Beautiful use of the challenge colors! Thanks for playing at Color Hues!

Tracey McNeely said...

Gosh Darnell your Color Hue card is so beautiful, I love all the texture and shine. Pink is perfectly traditional for Christmas is it not? Lololol it is in my world, beautiful. I don't have that OF set but it sure is pretty, I might be shopping! Thank you so much for sharing with us at the Color Hues!

Julia Aston said...

Three beautiful designs sis - each so different and creative! A wonderful Holly die cut framing the golden sprig - congrats on your guest DT honor! The marbled pink/gold DP is so pretty with the gold framings and pretty die cut joy. Your wreath is so pretty with all the white and the beautiful pomegranates and greenery adorning it! Julia xx

Sue - said...

Congrats on your guest DT spot. Three gorgeous cards and each one so very different.