NBUS is back!

Yes, once again the delicious Darnell is hosting her NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff)  challenge and has invited us all to dig out that uninked stamp, that untouched (save for stroking, of course) paper and those dies that have never seen the light of day. And then - shock, horror - to USE them!

Oddly enough since Darnell announced, a few days ago, that it was almost time for the latest NBUS challenge, I've been using quite a bit of NBUS in my makes. Simply thinking about it reminded me of just how much schtuff I have loitering around in dark recesses! But today has rolled around and I still have PLENTY to play with.

The stamp I chose for this card was bought at the Make It Show back in February, so it isn't very old. It is Buddha Gautama from Inkylicious and I fell in love with it and came home bursting with ideas for using it. By next day I'd forgotten them all. So there it has sat, still in its cello bag, waiting for me to get a Round Tuit. And a prod in the back from Darnell has finally got me inking it.

I stamped it on gold mirri card using black Stazon - I had to discard all the photos that picked up the lovely shine of the mirri because they also had the ugly reflection of the photographer in them and you might be eating your breakfast as you read this, you wouldn't want to see me in my "trying to concentrate while I take a photo" pose. (It's all in the way you hold your mouth - not pretty)

The background is made by blending yellow, orange and red distress inks then stamping and heat embossing leaves in gold around the edge.

I'm tempted to make the same card all over again but this time using silver mirri and shades of blue for a much calmer effect, whaddya think? The hot, spicy colours remind me of Thai temples but the calming blues might better represent the tranquility of the pose.