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Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year!!!!

 Aliyah draped over Janis:  One reason I don't get more crafting done!!
"I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult.  It's not.  Mine had me trained in two days."
                                                                           -------------Bill Dana

Happy New Year, Friends!!!

I am here to share a New Year's card with you to get the year started off right.  I actually was able to get it made without Aliyah needing to be held, unlike in the above photo!  If it's not a cat, it's my granddaughter keeping me from crafting!  :)

A while back I won a $50 gift card to Dollar Tree and I was able to go craft shopping there recently.  (Fun, Fun, Fun!!  Do you have any idea how much crafty stuff you can buy there for $50????  I only spent $20 this time and came home with a haul!!)  One of the things I bought was a set of these lovely metallic silver butterfly stickers.  LOVE!!!!  I like the butterfly symbol for new life and thought it would work well for the New Year, too.

I am editing this post to add in Darnell's NBUS #3 (Never Before Used Schtuff) challenge.  She is encouraging us to use our schtuff, brand-new or old, that we haven't ever used before.  My butterfly from "Santa Dollar Tree" is my NBUS item.  THANKS, Darnell, for another super-fun challenge and opportunity to meet other bloggers!!!


I didn't think I had any Happy New Year stamps at all to use.  But I had my Mark's Finest Papers Oriental stamps out yesterday and noticed my Year of the Horse set had two Happy New Year sentiments.  The one I wanted was attached to some Chinese characters, so I did stamp surgery to separate them and ended up with exactly what I needed.

The swirly pattern is my own, but inspired by the awesome crystal swirls made by Zva.  LOVE!!  I drew it on the cardstock with a light pencil after applying the sticker.  Then I curved the Happy New Year stamp on the acrylic block to fit the contours and stamped over my pencil lines with Memento London Fog ink.  I filled in the gaps and finished off the flourishes with dots from a Sakura silver glitter gel pen.  After everything was thoroughly dry, I erased the faint pencil marks. (Don't even ask why I emphasized the word "thoroughly"...Ha!)

You can see the delicious gleam in the photo below.
 
I finished the card by putting the focal panel on an ice blue piece of cardstock and mounting it all on a premade DCWV silver glitter card base.  I love how it turned out!

I hope you have a great beginning of the New Year!!  January is a good month to catch up on things.  I like to call it my "quiet" month.....although around here, it won't be quiet!!  Ha.  Thanks, everyone, for all your support and lovely comments.  You encourage me more than I can say!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. MFP Friends of Speedy TV Challenge #147 - Blue and Silver
2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge #11 - Anything Goes
3. Darnell's NBUS #3 Challenge - Never Before Used Schtuff!!
4. Double-Click Connections - "New" challenge
5. Monday Morning Challenge #2 - New Somethings
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26 comments:

  1. JanineJanuary 1, 2015 at 2:08 AM

    Good use of the MFP sentiment and a pretty resulting card. Happy New Year

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    1. JanisJanuary 1, 2015 at 8:12 AM

      Thanks, Janine!! I hadn't ever tried curving a sentiment like that before, but it was surprisingly easy to do with one that narrow. A wider one wouldn't have worked too well for me. Happy New Year!!

      <3
      Janis

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  2. Donna EllisJanuary 1, 2015 at 5:40 AM

    GREAT photos, Janis, to show all the details. Like you, I love that Happy New Year sentiment! (by the way, happy new year, Janis!). Love the photo of you and Allyah! They are too loving to ignore, aren't they? hugs, de

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    1. JanisJanuary 1, 2015 at 8:14 AM

      Thank you, dear Donna!!! Yes, when kitties are affectionate, there is nothing else that can be done!! :) My daughter snapped that with her phone while she and I were visiting and I was *trying* to work on a card. Ha. Happy New Year!!

      <3
      Janis

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  3. DarnellJanuary 1, 2015 at 8:24 PM

    What a great photo, Janis! I've only had dogs and always hear about how detached cats are, but your baby is certainly a love bug!! I think I'd have to teach Allyah to sit on my head so my arms and hands were free to make cards, lol! Speaking of cards, your butterfly with the trail of silver gel pen dots and happy new year words is so creative!! Good for you for a) cutting a stamp and b) shaping a stamp to fit your design!! And thank you so much for joining in my NBUS Challenge #3! Happy New Year!! Hugs, Darnell

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    1. JanisJanuary 1, 2015 at 10:09 PM

      Thank you, Darnell!! We have a dog, too, but she stays outside and she knows her place in the pecking order. People on top. Cats are next. Chickens below the cats. And the dog is last. lol.... I had a lot of fun making my card for your challenge.....then I had to wait for you to put your challenge post up! Ha. Happy New Year!!

      <3
      Janis

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  4. Holly AKA KopyKatJanuary 1, 2015 at 10:10 PM

    This is so pretty, Happy New Year!!!

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    1. JanisJanuary 2, 2015 at 11:26 AM

      Thank you, Holly!! It was so nice of you to stop in and leave a sweet comment!!

      <3
      Janis

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  5. Stampsnob.January 2, 2015 at 3:00 AM

    Sweet card Janis
    Thank you for being such a good friend
    Baby Oil Technique..........they may make me take that down it was scheduled before they made the changes and may use it later However it is simple oil pastels are applied to card stock and then rubbed with baby oil dampened cotton ball........shhhh .............Lis

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    1. JanisJanuary 2, 2015 at 11:29 AM

      Thanks for the info abt the baby oil technique! You know how I love to play with backgrounds. :) Now I am wondering abt the oil pastels.....would Gelatos work??? Worth a try, right?
      Thanks for hopping over, my friend!!

      <3
      Janis

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  6. My Card Attic: HazelJanuary 2, 2015 at 9:00 AM

    So pretty! I love how that butterfly just gleams in the close-up view! Very clever the way the butterfly 'trails' contain the sentiment! Hazel x

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    1. JanisJanuary 2, 2015 at 11:42 AM

      Thank you, Hazel, for your lovely comment!! I enjoyed your gorgeous card, too! I am your newest follower.

      <3
      Janis

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  7. Blue6366January 3, 2015 at 5:49 AM

    This is so beautiful. I love it. Thanks for playing along with us at Double Click Skittles.

    ~DT Barbara

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    1. JanisJanuary 6, 2015 at 3:01 PM

      Thanks so much, Barbara! I appreciate your kind words!!

      <3
      Janis

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  8. Creations by ShirlJanuary 3, 2015 at 7:57 AM

    How pretty~ Thanks for joining DoubleClick Skittles Challenge.
    DT-Shirl

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    1. JanisJanuary 6, 2015 at 3:02 PM

      Thank you, Shirl!! Your visit and sweet comment means a lot to me!!

      <3
      Janis

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  9. JingleJanuary 5, 2015 at 7:55 AM

    Very pretty and such a creative way to stamp the sentiment! Thank you so much for joining the Anything Goes Challenge on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

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    1. JanisJanuary 6, 2015 at 3:03 PM

      Thanks so much, Jingle!! I appreciate you stopping by on your rounds and leaving such a sweet comment!!

      <3
      Janis

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  10. abusybee - DoubleClick ConnectionsJanuary 6, 2015 at 12:03 PM

    So pretty! Love how you stamped the sentiment! Thanks for joining us over at the DoubleClick Skittles Challenge! DT Member Carri~Abusybee

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    1. JanisJanuary 6, 2015 at 3:04 PM

      Thank you, Carri!! Your sweet words are very much appreciated!!!

      <3
      Janis

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  11. KarenladdJanuary 6, 2015 at 11:44 PM

    Finally catching up on all your cards...and love seeing you and sweet Aliyah! What better way to welcome in the New Year than with a cat draped over your shoulder?! Those silvery stickers are a wonderful buy and wow are you ever the creative one, doing stamp surgery and then curving them to make the swirly design! So pretty and great energy! You must have quite the stash of DCWV glitter paper...and I love it!

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    1. JanisJanuary 9, 2015 at 8:50 PM

      That's exactly what I call her....my "Sweet Aliyah". :) She has nestled herself on my shoulder like that ever since we brought her home from the foster mama cat who nursed her after we snatched her from her feral mommy's nest. When she needs to snuggle, there's no getting around it. She picks her way around the room and across my heaps till I finally pluck her up in desperation so things won't go crashing to the floor. She knows I will do this. It is all part of the feline master plan. As in, felines are the masters! Ha.

      I have two boxes of those DCWV glittered premade cards in different colors....and several other boxes in various finishes, colors, and embossed patterns. I get them super-cheap and find they are really nice to have on hand....when I remember to use them!! Ha.

      <3
      Janis

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  12. EllibelleJanuary 7, 2015 at 3:49 PM

    A beautiful card Janis. Loving the design! And such a sweet kitty too! I love it when mine cuddle up like that. (I have two.)

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    1. JanisJanuary 9, 2015 at 8:53 PM

      Awwww.....thanks for your sweet comment. I love hearing about other people's kitties!!!

      <3
      Janis

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  13. UnknownJanuary 7, 2015 at 4:05 PM

    This is so unique. I never thought of changing the shape of a stamp! But now, it seems like something I could easily do. Thanks for the inspiration. Thanks for joining DoubleClick Skittles Challenge~ DT Faith

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    1. JanisJanuary 9, 2015 at 8:54 PM

      Thanks so much, Faith. Your comment made my day!

      <3
      Janis

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THANK YOU so much for taking the time to leave a comment. Your kind words encourage me so very much!!!

Have a lovely day!
<3
Janis