Have you heard of the NBUS Challenge?

I hadn't heard of it until I became a happy follower of Darnell Knauss' super fun blog at www.djkardkreations.com. She is hosting her third NBUS (never-before-used-schtuff) on her blog here.

I decided to take up this challenge and use some things I've had for WAY TOO LONG and never used.

This is one of several embossed card blanks that my older sister gave me. Two or three years ago, she decided she really wouldn't be making cards much anymore--other than by printing them off from some of the online card creator programs. She divided her card-making goodies between my younger sister and me. We both really enjoy making cards and were VERY happy to take her "schtuff" off her hands.

Well, these blanks have been sitting in my supplies since I received them. Every once in a while, I would take them out and look at them and think, "How can I turn this into a card that's more...me?"

Finally (after learning about Darnell's NBUS Challenge), I had an idea and created this:

How did I do it, you ask?  Well, I took out my chalks, grabbed a few cotton swabs and started chalking up all the different flowers and leaves around the frame. When some of the chalk went outside the embossed image, I simply erased it! After I had all the flowers chalked to my liking, I added a little more shading to the roses and leaves with my colored pencils. Once I was happy with the result, I used a finishing spray to set the colors so they couldn't rub off. I also added some white "pearls" to the centers of the smaller flowers using a Viva Décor Pearl Pen.

Then, to fill in the space in the center of the frame, but not steal any thunder from the pretty border, I grabbed another item from my NBUS - a fairly large wood-mounted sentiment stamp that I had purchased at my local used craft supply store many months ago. This was a gently used stamp, but still in great condition--and I got it for mere pennies!

I stamped the sentiment in the center of the card with pink chalk ink, sprinkled it with clear embossing powder and melted that with my heat gun.

On the inside of the card, I added a computer-generated sentiment on some white cardstock, which I adhered to a pink mat.

I was so pleased with how this card turned out. I will definitely be trying this again on a few more of those card blanks!  Should I try some purple roses next?

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl