Sunday 1 January 2017

2017

Happy New Year!

Wow here we are at the start of a brand new year. Welcome to 2017 and I hope you enjoyed all your Christmas and New Year Celebrations. We went down to see in the New year with Daisy and Co and had such fun.

The weather turned so chilly for the end of December but Mother Nature as always looked so beautiful. We managed a walk in the woods which I will share soon but here is one of the photos.

Not only is it the start of the new year but it is also our very first challenge of the year over at Country View. It's a really simple theme for January an "Anything goes" challenge this time. 
You can share any handmade craft, it doesn't have to be cards or tags it could even be a knitted item.  There are no limitations to the number of other challenges or the number times you can enter. You can win a £20 voucher too so it's win win in my books! All the details can be seen here. 

I wanted to make a New Year card with an inked and stencilled background. I wanted some spirals and "whizzes" (you might not know what I mean but it will all make sense) but I have no stencils like that. Soooo I decided to make my own and rather that cut them out I decided to make them with my glue gun! I rarely use a glue gun and whilst looking at projects on the Internet I found that lots of people make their own stencils with them so this is what I got up to.

Mine is a real cheapie gun purchased from Tiger for £4.
I just drew my spirals and "whizzes" by hand onto a craft mat
when then had cooled I peeled them off



 and arranged them on a sheet of mixed media paper to make a master board




Out came my sprays 










first red 



then I washed and dried the stencils and moved them over so that I could spray gold







I loved this effect. 







I wanted to add some fireworks but the only thing I could find in my stash was this tree...no I'm not mad...............
















I just masked off the trunk, inked it up
















and hey presto, fireworks were now going off in the background. 
I wanted some final bling so I added some glittery stars through my star stencil, which I forgot to take a photo of but you can see in my final card photos.


I cut a piece of card from my master board and put on my creative hat  and this is my New Year's card.

The image is a sweet Nicecrane digi. It was sooo hard to show the background but here is a close up. IRL the gold shimmer and the paste really sparkle and you can see the fireworks exploding! If you want to see what I made with the remainder of my masterboard stop by again on this Thursday. I will give a clue that it has a rather "loving" feel to it 😉

I would like to enter my first card of the new year into the following challenges;

Time Out 2/3  with each sun rise we are given the chance for a new beginning I am certainly looking forward to 2017 and all that it brings.
That's crafty 3/3anything goes
Winter Wonderland someone special or happy new year mine is for new year
Pile It on 3/3 any holiday/celebration
Simon says stamp Wednesday anything goes
Cute card Thursday 3/3 anything goes
                Creative Inspirations 3/3 anything goes with optional sketch
                     Allsorts 1/3 something new mine is the New Year!
             Dutch card lovers new year card

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a fabulous New Year everyone....

I found this great poem by Helen Hunt Jackson written in the 1892. It's a great way to start 2017.....and worth remembering,as Helen wrote, that we don't need a new year to make any resolutions or changes...each day starts anew as it is only a night from old to new!

Only a night from old to new!
Only a night, and so much wrought!
The Old Year’s heart all weary grew,
But said: “The New Year rest has brought.”
The Old Year’s hopes its heart laid down,
“The blossoms of the New Year’s crown
As in a grave; but, trusting, said:
Bloom from the ashes of the dead.”
And cried: “I have not half I need.
The Old Year’s heart was full of greed;
With selfishness it longed and ached,
True love it shall understand;
My thirst is bitter and unslaked.
But to the New Year’s generous hand
All gifts in plenty shall return;
I was a slave; it shall go free,
By all my failures it shall learn.
I have been reckless; it shall be
 The Old Year had its work to do;
Quiet and calm and pure of life.
And find sweet peace where I leave strife.”
Never a night such changes brought.

Only a night from old to new!
No New Year miracles are wrought.
All nights are sacred nights to make
Always a night from old to new!
Night and the healing balm of sleep!
Each morn is New Year’s morn come true,
Morn of a festival to keep.
    Each sunrise sees a new year born.
Confession and resolve and prayer;
All days are sacred days to wake
Only a night from old to new;
New gladness in the sunny air.
Only a sleep from night to morn.
The new is but the old come true;


Have a happy and healthy 2017 everyone. I hope that it brings you all your hearts' desire. 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

24 comments:

  1. And a Happy New Year to you as well Jane and a great card to kick start the year, thanks so much for sharing with us at Allsorts challenge.

    Here's to a very crafty 2017.

    B x

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  2. Happy New Year Jane,

    Let's make a great 2017! Wishing you a year of creativity, happiness&joy, and an arrival of that precious little bundle! ❤❤❤ Thank you for your friendship on 2016 - here's to an another wonderful year. And oh yes: gorgeous makes again!!!

    Yours,
    Mia

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  3. Full marks for your lateral thinking with the palm tree stamp! I am curious to see the Masterboard and how you made it, it looks interesting... and perfect as a background to the sweet image!
    Happy New Year!

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  4. Awe clever fireworks Jane...what a good idea and a wonderful card to start the new year!
    Wishing you health, happiness and fun times in 2017 and of course its going to be a very exciting year for your family.
    Happy new year my lovely friend,
    V xxx

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  5. I like this effect too. I trust you had a perfectly wonderful Christmas and wish you a spectacular New Year!

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  6. Fantastic New Year card, Jane! How you created the background with heat gun, it's just brilliant! And I loved the idea to use a palm tree as a firework! Happy New Year!!! xx

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  7. Amazing new year make jane and i adore your fireworks....who would have thought! Happy new year to you lovely lady! Big huggles rachel x

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  8. Love to see how you made this card! Happy new year and thank you for joining the Dutch Card Lovers.

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  9. Beautiful card, and what a fabulous technique. Never seen that idea for a glue gun. Must pull mine out and have a go. Thanks so much for playing along at Time Out. Happy New Year.

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  10. Great card ! Happy new Year !
    Corrie x

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  11. I adore the vintage image in your card.. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*
      *H*A*P*P*Y* *N*E*W* *Y*E*A*R*!*
    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*

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  12. Happy new year, dear Jane! Beautiful card, I love your masterboard.
    xx Evelyn

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  13. Great effect with the glue gun Jane. Fab card! Happy New Year. Xx

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  14. Love the fireworks! Very inventive and I love that old card you found. This poem is beautiful..and true. Happy New Year!

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  15. What a lovely card and so nice to make a tutorial of it. :) thanks for joining the DCL Challenge.

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  16. Happy New Year to you and your lovely family dear Jane! Lovely card and very interesting effects. Looking forward to visiting you in 2017!
    Helen xox

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  17. Gorgeous card Jane! I love how you made the background, very clever and awesome!! I am going to have to give this a go! the colours and whole design of this is fabulous :-)

    Thanks for joining us on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
    Happy New Year! 🍾
    Luv
    Lols x x x

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  18. A fantastic creation! Thanks for joining us at Creative Inspirations this fortnight! xxx

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  19. A fun ard with so many fun techniques! Thank you for joining us at TIME OUT!

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  20. Lovely card and a great idea to use glue to make your stencils and l could even see fireworks in the tree - perfect.
    Happy New Year.
    Thank you for sharing at Allsorts 'Something New' challenge this week and good luck x Susan x

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  21. The card turned out wonderfully. How creative to use the palm tree! Thank you so much for sharing with us at Allsorts this week!

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  22. Love this and your glue stencils are fabulous Jane. Now that is one clever idea for making the fireworks, must remember that the next time I need to have fireworks on my projects, tfs x

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  23. Great card! thanks for joining us at Dutch Card Lovers!
    Ellen

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  24. Fantastic! What a wonderful idea with the hot glue -- you clever lady!!
    Sandy xx

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Jane x