NBUS Challenge #1 Celebration!

Hello, my friends!

Here we are, whooshed around to another Friday, the first Friday in another new month!

And here I am, pickled tink to note that I have reached 500 followers, which just astounds and even confounds me! But whoopie!! I am so grateful for your encouragement, support, and friendship. I think this milestone event gives me the perfect opportunity to show you just how grateful I am!

I have never offered blog candy in the traditional sense, preferring to do so behind the scenes on an individual random basis with you. I wanted to do something different, so I put on my thinking cap, noting that it hardly fits now that my head is swollen from all the love you give me in your comments! I decided it would be fun to host a first-ever NBUS challenge and award prizes!

What the heck is NBUS? Most of you know coz you're followers, but it's an aaackronym I coined about a year ago that stands for "never-before-used schtuff." That means virginal. I wanted something that would motivate me to use product that I buy (or win or receive as a gift), put away, and forget about. The idea behind it is not new. Susan Raihala of Simplicity created a "Use Your Stamps" challenge, specifically for stamps. There is also Kirsten of Crash Your Stash, Traci of Depleting My Stash - My Journey, and there's Shopping Our Stash. I'm sure there are others, as well.

Counting and posting when I use NBUS on a card has worked for me as I have used NBUS 134 times since last June and I don't even count paper or small items. And even if I use three NBUS on a card, I only count it once for that post. Of course, the whole time I'm using NBUS, I'm buying more NBUS! Hey, what can I say? I'm a product pig and you guys are all enablers with your fantastic creations!

I've been delighted to see a lot of you picking up the NBUS moniker and playing along on your blogs. Now you can do it and win a prize! I even had my new friend and follower Nikki of Graphix and Designs design a challenge button for me! 

Here we go!

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NBUS Challenge #1 

"Anything Goes" 

(Friendship Theme)

Rules

• You MUST use a NBUS item on your creation and tell us what it is. It doesn't matter if it's old or new (although that old virginal schtuff would really  like some attention!). 
• The theme is "anything goes" with an emphasis on "friendship." You are an eclectic group of followers with a wide range of styles. I want you to be cozy and inside your comfort zone. Show me what crafty project or style of card art brings you the most creative joy and makes you think of friendship.
• Cut and paste the NBUS button above into your post and include a link back to here. 
• Please enter only four other challenges, in addition to this one, for a total of five.
• You may enter up to three times. New work only, please.
• Link up your creation using the InLinkz button below in the usual way.
• This challenge will close on Friday, June 27, 2014 at noon PDT.

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PRIZES

FIVE TEN $25 gift certificates will be

awarded from the following (your choice):

• Country View Crafts (UK)

  
  

• Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store
  
  

• Online Card Classes
  
  
  
• Papertrey Ink

  
  
• Simon Says Stamp

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June 13, 2014 Edited to add:

After just one week, the entries are over 100! I am overwhelmed by your support and enthusiasm for my NBUS Challenge. In appreciation, I am adding these prizes!

• FIVE Winner's Choice Gift Certificates! $25 each, to the company of your choice!

MWAH!

If you would like to play just for fun, please say "playing for fun" in your comment after you link.

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Miss Elaine E. Uss

Commenting

I'm not going to police you, so this isn't a "rule," but I would appreciate it if you would comment on at least three other entries, preferably names that you don't recognize. When you go to their blog to comment, click to follow them while you're at it. It's a free random act of kindness that will make someone's day! And if someone follows you, follow them back, like your mama taught you.

Who Can Play?

I know a lot of you follow me through reader subscriptions and may not have clicked to follow where I can see you on the thumbnails on the side bar, so my actual followers number more than 500. I would like my subscribers to participate in the challenge, too.

(The advantage of also clicking the blue "Join This Site" button is that once I see you there, I introduce you and your blog to my other readers. It is okay to both follow and subscribe to a blog.)

There are also a lot of you who don't have blogs, but you are faithful readers and some of you leave comments or email me. I would like you to participate in the challenge, too, if you like. If you don't have a blog, you can create a free Flickr account and upload your photo there, or through Splitcoaststampers. Once you follow their easy directions to upload your card, you copy the URL and then enter it through the InLinkz button below. I understand that it will not be possible for participants who use Flickr or SCS to post my button.

If you don't want to do either of those things and you just want to email me a picture of your card, that works, too! I want to include everyone! If you feel left out, or have alternative suggestions, or questions, please email me and let me know. (darnell dot knauss at gmail dot com.)

I'm grateful to you for being there, no matter how you access my blog!

Prize Selection

Because you are all my friends, I could never select one of you over another, so I will use Dr. Random and Mrs. Dot Org, Mr. Hammy Hamster, Mr. Mister, or Mr. Random Stranger off the street to pick the winners. I will announce the winners on Sunday, June 29, 2014.

If this is successful, I will hold another challenge when I reach 600 followers and so on! Sorry this first one is so wordy. If this catches on, I'll do a tab at the top of my blog that contains all the small print crap information to shorten future challenge posts so they don't blah blah bore you to death.

Here is the card I made for you! I hope you'll join in and link up. I can't wait to see what you make!

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

Thank you, again! Mwah!!

 

*Life Is Too Short!

An InLinkz Link-up