I created this page to welcome the New Year with fireworks lighting up the sky and a row of very pretty houses (grin!). I hope that 2021 is a better year for everyone and as the words say “may love and laughter light your days and warm your heart”.

I started by painting the background with purple and silver acrylic paints to create my night sky, making sure the brush strokes were pulled from the edges to the centre of the page so it looked like explosions of light.

Next I stencilled the fireworks using a Creative Expressions stencil and Ranger Texture Paste. The wording was from a Kaisercraft sticker sheet and I die cut the “2021” using a Folk Alphabet die set from Docrafts.

To finish, I fussy cut the houses from an old Christmas card and arranged them onto the page using double-sided tape.

These houses are so beautifully drawn and wonderfully detailed. The front doors reminded me of my family’s tradition of welcoming the New Year; on New Year’s Eve at the stroke of midnight one of us knocks on the front door and when invited in, enters the house carrying a piece of coal which is said to bring good luck for the coming year (grin!).
This tradition stems from when, on the stroke of midnight people opened the back door (to let the old year out) and asked the first dark haired man to be seen, to come through the front door carrying salt, coal and bread. This meant that the following year everyone in the house will have enough to eat (bread), enough money (salt) and be warm enough (coal).
Do you have any New Year traditions?

Wishing you all the very best for 2021 – Happy New Year!
Stay safe! x
Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.
Here is a list of the materials that were used to create this art journal page:
- Liquitex Basics Acrylic (Dioxazine Purple)
- Poundland Metallic Acrylic (Silver)
- Creative Expressions Mini Stencil (Fireworks)
- Ranger Texture Paste
- Old Christmas Card
- White Cardstock
- Docrafts X-Cut A5 Die Set (Folk Alphabet XCU 503286)
- Kaisercraft Sticker Sheet (Pen & Ink SS360)
- Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199)
- Stix2 double-sided tape
Challenges I’m glad I found out about Challenge Blogs, as they provide me with inspiration and are a wonderful way to meet like-minded arty people. So here are the challenges I’m joining today: I’m pleased to join the lovely Erika from BioArtGal over at Art Journal Journey and her Favourite Things challenge this month as I love to celebrate the New Year and recycled one of my favourite Christmas cards to create this page. I’m joining the Celebrate challenge over at Simon Say Stamp Monday Challenge Blog as I’m celebrating the New Year with my page. I’m joining in the fun over at Country View Challenges and their Squares challenge with all the squares detailed on the houses especially the windows. I’m pleased to be able to join Paperbabe Stamps too and their #134 – Anything Goes challenge with my 2021 page. I’m pleased to join the Sparkle and Shine challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge too with all the shine from the silver metallic paint in the background and sparkle from the glittery snow on the houses. |
Happy New Year.
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Thank you Kath! Wishing you a Happy New Year too ❤️. Hugs, Jo x
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Lovely work! Happy New Year. 🙂
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Thanks so much! Happy New Year 😀. Hugs, Jo x
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Beautiful tradition! We had fondue and I was always afraid that sets the house on fire, yours is MUCH BETTER! 🙂
Very cute pic, too!
To a great 2021! Happy New year, cheers!
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Thanks very much! Wishing you all the best for 2021 – Happy New Year! Hugs, Jo x
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Happy New Year. I love your page. May 2021 be a good year.
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Thank you 😀. All the best for 2021 – Happy New Year! Hugs, Jo x
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A fabulous page Jo, great use of the christmas card houses, and a lovely message. We usually have our friends around for a meal on new year’s eve, but that couldn’t happen last night of course. Hopefully next time will be different.
Wishing you both a happy and healthy new year.
Alison xx
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Thanks so much, we usually spend time with friends too 😁. Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy New Year too! Hugs, Jo x
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Beautiful beautiful work, the processes and materials are wonderful!
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Thanks so much and Happy New Year! Hugs, Jo x
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This is such a wonderful page to welcome the New Year Jo. I like the fireworks and those houses do have great details. And I really loved the tradition of the coal, salt and bread. I had never heard of that but it makes so much sense. I am going to start opening my backdoor at midnight and let the old year out. Of course I will have to make it to midnight, which I did not do last night, even though I planned to. Smile. Thanks so much for joining us at AJJ with this fantastic page! Happy 2021. I hope yours is a good one. Hugs-Erika
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Thanks very much 😁. Happy 2021 too! Hugs, Jo x
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Happy New Year!
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Thank you, wishing you a happy New Year too! Hugs, Jo x
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Oh my stars this is awe inspiring. Now I want to create a night sky with purple and silver. Thanks so much for all your inspiration.
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Thanks so much and wishing you a happy New Year! Hugs, Jo x
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The little row houses look so cute under the sparkly fireworks sky. You look very fetching in your hat. Here’s to a Happy, Healthy, Safe, and Creative New Year!
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Thanks very much and have a happy, healthy, safe and creative New Year too! Hugs, Jo x
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Beautiful page, as always! Happy New Year!
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Thanks so much 😁. Wishing you a very happy New Year too! Hugs, Jo x
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Beautiful page! Love those houses and your pretty sky. Great story too – I have never heard it but it very fun. TFS! Hugz and Happy New Years, Jo.
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Thank you Nancy! Happy New Year to you too – thinking of you and sending you hugs, Jo x
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I just love the purple sky and the way you made it.
You are right, the houses are really pretty and even prettier with the purple sky and white fireworks.
We always open the window shortly before midnight to let the old year have time to get out, and then it is left open for a few minutes after to let the New Year in. If we visit anyone on New Year’s Day or soon after we might take a lump of coal just for fun, but this was a real tradition when everyone had coal fires.
I was just gazing at your painting when your comment on Orange E. pinged in, so thanks for that.
Happy New Year to you both.
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Thanks so much Sheila 😀. Wishing you a Happy New Year to you both too! Hugs, Jo x
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That’s a gorgeous midnight sky Jo with those stencils fireworks, the strokes on the page add that little extra texture to your page. Those houses really are delightful, i’d have had to save them too. The bonus of not working with preschool children now is that I get to keep the cards instead of them using them for sticking activities hee hee.. A lovely tradition with the coal, its been a while since anyone round here has done the same. Hope your new year celebrations were cosy?
I just about managed to keep my eyes open till the clock struck 12 :))
Happy 2021 Hugs Tracey xx
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I had planned to be here earlier, but my electricity went off early in the day. We got SLAMMED with ice and snow, making 2021’s first day seem more like 2020 than the start of a new year.
Your journal page is fabulous. I really like how you colored and treated the background. Your choice of background colors made the “fireworks” POP off the page. This is a genuine beauty and the houses are so well placed, too. I like the idea of the coal, but here in the states, coal in your stocking means you are on Santa’s naughty list. Thank you also for sharing this first entry with us at Art Journal Journey using Erika’s theme.
You look so happy in your hat. I hope your new year was perfect and you have a safe, healthy, joyous 2021, dear friend.
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Gorgeous page Jo! I love the background with the embossed fireworks and the little houses are so cute, awesome way to repurpose a card! Wishing you a happy & healthy New Year!
Hugs, Tammy
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I love your city row houses and those celebratory fireworks. I hope the new year brings us some change for the better 🙂
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What a fabulous page to start the year!!!
Thank you Jo, I love it, it’s very cleverly done and beautiful. I also love all your words about the houses!
And how beautiful you are, your smile is fantastic teehee!! 😀 Thanks for sharing.
I wish you a fantastic New Year, full of Joy, love, health, and creativity of course!!! 🙂
Hugs, Coco xx
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Isn’t this a Scottish tradition (the coal)… does it mean you hail from the land of Brave Heart? Very fond of the region, although not how cold it gets in the winter!
Wishing you a very happy, healthy and creative year Jo! x
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Wow! Such an amazing AJ page! I love the lighted up sky with the houses below! The colors are perfect and a great way to start the year too!! Happy New Year!!
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What a fabulous page Jo! I am eyeing up some Christmas cards that may well find their way not a journal or two! The firework sky looks amazing! Here’s to a better year in 2021! Hugs, Chrisx
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Lovely page, Jo!
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I love those little houses!
I was always told, that if you were naughty, father Christmas wouldn’t bring any toys but would leave you a lump of coal!
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Hi Jo, I’m having a catch-up here. I do love this journal page and the pretty purple sky. I agree, what wonderful houses and very interesting traditions. As for our NY’s, we always have a special dinner steak and baked potato and a toast with something old and favored on NY Eve (usually wine), watch the fireworks people aren’t supposed to pop but do anyway lol, and then on NY Day we have another special meal for the blessings (ham, greens, black-eyed peas, cornbread) and a toast to the new year that is always something new tried. This year it was Malibu Rum and fresh-squeezed fruit juices. Honey used to watch football on TV all afternoon but that was before COVID. I think he watched the golf channel and Friends reruns while I crafted. Happy New Year!
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Lovely page, I like the way you used the two colours to bring light into the centre of the sky and those town houses remind me of when I go to Preston town centre. We park in Winckley Square and on the way down it is full of old houses that are now used by solicitors etc. Lovely houses bringing back memories of a time gone by.
Hugs, Neet xx
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Lovely spread! Thank you for contribution to our January ‘square(s)’ challenge at Country View Challenges. Corrie xx
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Happy New Year, Jo!!! You created a fabulous journal page for welcoming the new year!
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