Monday 1 January 2018

Smile. sparkle and shine into 2018

Happy new year everyone!
I do love the start of a brand new year. I am never one to make resolutions, I just look forward to what the year might have in store for me. Both challenges and pleasures will be there, life is certainly a journey along many different roads.
I am missing my garden...it always looks so lifeless at this time of the year and all I can do is look out to it from the kitchen window.
 Down at the ponds the trees are very bare
 and the ducks find the sunbeams to warm up in when the sun comes out.
As it also the first of the month it is time for the very first challenge for Country View for 2018. 
We have lots of fun themes in store but Susan thought we could ease everyone in with a nice and easy "anything goes" theme for January.
You can enter our challenge as many times as you like and combine with any other challenges. Your make can be anything creative! You may even be the lucky random winner of the £20 CVC voucher.

All the details can be found here.

I decided to make a new year card using a great quote to kick off the year. It is one of the brilliant Visible Image stamps and Susan has it in stock on the Country View website here and as always she posts for free within the UK.

I made 2 very different cards, the first one I am sharing today has a very inky background.  I chose to make this one look like the fireworks which went off last night to herald in the new year.
This is what I got up to.
I made an inky background using some very bright distress oxides
 and then added some stencilling using Tim Holtz stars.



I then stamped and embossed the quote and added my "fireworks" which are also Visible Image stamps. To add some extra sparkle I added sequins to their centres.
Here is my new year card

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Sweet stampin 1/3 anything new mine is my New Year card
Fashionable stamping 2/3 celebrate
That's Crafty 3/3 anything goes
Simon Says stamp Monday party
The Artistic stamper 1/3 anything goes
Happy little stampers water colour challenge anything goes/optional glitter


I will be back on 21 Jan to share my 2nd DT piece for Country View  where I have gone for the complete opposite to this mixed media card.....a CAS (clean and simple) one using the same sentiment.

I hope you enjoy a very restful New Year's day and that you are getting back into the swing of normality after all the Christmas festivities and that you will be able to smile, sparkle and shine in 2018. Have a great year ahead.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

24 comments:

  1. Happy New Year Jane,

    To you and yours! It will not be long until your garden starts blooming, it is Pre-Spring by GreenRabbitGalendar and she knows her stuff! Wishing you an another wonderful crafting year - you sure started it with some perfect sparks, love your new year card!

    Yours,
    Mia

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  2. This is fabulous Jane, I love the sparkle! Have a wonderful 2018, Sue xx

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  3. Happy New Year Jane ! Great card; that lovely sentiment stands out beautifully !
    Corrie xx

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  4. Great card. I love the colorful bacground a lot. Thank you for joining Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Wishing you a Happy New Year!

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  5. Great background Jane (Distress Oxide I presume?!), perfect backdrop for the bold sentiment.
    Wishing you a Happy New Year! xx

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  6. Wow Jane, what a wonderful new year card! Great background and design.
    I wish you a Happy New Year 2018.
    Greetings Carola

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  7. ... and of course thank you for sharing with us at Fashionable Stamping Challenges.
    Greetings Carola

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  8. Fabulous card, Jane!!! I love your oxide colours and the positive text!!! The sequins look great in the centre of the fireworks!!! Happy New Year and big hugs!!!

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  9. Wishing you a happy a new year. I love your firework card. Just like the real thing. Hugs Mrs A.

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  10. Happy New Year Jane. What a lovely card - perfect to start the New Year.

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  11. A wonderful card Jane - great layering and beautifully bright! Wishing you a wonderful New Year lovely lady!!! Big hugs Rachel xx

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  12. May this New Year be special in every way… bringing you the gift of love and excitement.
    (01/01)From Japan to friends all over the world; Happy New Year! ! https://ryoma2sakamoto.wordpress.com/2018/01/01/01-01from-japan-to-friends-all-over-the-world-happy-new-year/ @Sakamoto2Ryouma

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  13. I see many colours in your backyard from the browns to the blue skies and the green grass with a hint of red, green and yellow. I love the second photo with the branches going out everywhere..almost gothic. Love your card because of that background and then adding the stars and the fireworks...wow, just works so well.

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  14. Wow.. what a fun and inspiring card.. the colors and the encouraging words. Good job!!
    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*
      *H*A*P*P*Y* *N*E*W* *Y*E*A*R*!*
    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*

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  15. Even in winter I love your garden jane, it is beautiful. Ahhh distress oxides... love em.. and just adore what you have done with them, a gorgeous card. So glad you joined the artistic stamper challenge. X

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  16. What a lovely card to herald the new year, bright and sparkly just like a shiny new year!
    As our lovely friend Mia has already mentioned it is now Pre spring, so time to get out and find all those new shoots and buds in your garden!
    To you and yours my lovely friend...a very happy new year!
    V x

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  17. Hi Jane. Such a beautiful card and amazing photos as always! Just wanted to say Happy New Year!! I hope you and yours had a wonderful holiday! Thank you so much for all of your support and inspiration in 2017. May 2018 be a year of crafting, friendship and good health!! sending hugs :)

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  18. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones, Jane! May it continue to smile on you with an abundance of blessings, creativity and endless inspiration! You're already bringing the sunshine, so the flowers will be on their way, soon. x Hugs from "way out west." x :o)

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  19. Beautiful card Jane! Just wanted to pop on over and wish you a very Happy New Year and apologise for my lack of visits too Karen x

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  20. Fabulous card! The bright and sparkly background matches the sentiment perfectly 😁. Wishing you a happy and creative New Year! J 😊

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  21. A beautiful impression made upon you Oxide background using those fabulous Visible Image stamps. Thank you for sharing and joining in with the anything goes challenge over at That's Crafty. All the best for the New Year card Jane.
    Tracey DT

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  22. Lots of sparkle and shine here Jane. Simply fabulous with all the different elements added. Thanks for sharing at HLS Watercolour Challenge.

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  23. Wow, I love all the colours in the background. Thank you for joining in the challenge at The Artistic Stamper.

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  24. Very cheerful card, the colourful oxide background is fantastic! Thank you for sharing your card at Happy Little Stampers Watercolour Challenge.

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Jane x