Open-Minded Crafting Fun Challenge #7 - Patriotic / Use Your Country Colors .. Ausmerican

Good morning and Happy 10th of the month! Today is our new challenge at Open-Minded Crafting Fun!! Today we are on Challenge #7, which has a theme of Patriotic and/or Use Your Countries Colors. Our wonderful Sponsors for Challenge #7 are:




Our sponsors are so wonderful!! Please be sure to visit them and show the love! We really appreciate you so much!! Thank you for sponsoring with Open-Minded Crafting Fun!

I have created a couple of items for this challenge. Here is my second creation ... choosing to go Ausmerican with this one.. a mix of Aussie and American :)  For my hubby and I:











I went with the Australian Sporting colors of Yellow and Green and the American Red, White and Blue. I have used Sea Serpent and Mermaid from Keyesays Visual Art. I colored the image with Copic Markers. The card and all the die cuts inside where all cut using the Silhouette Cameo. The card is an Accordian Fold Card. The background behind the image.. the water.. was done using watercolors. I have used chalk on the Sand Dollar, the shell, the seaweed and the bubbles to add a bit of detailing to it. I've also added Diamond Glaze to the bubbles so they really appear to be water drops. I've added some gems around the image on the inside. The papers are from a stack. I love how this turned out. Thanks for looking!

Copic Markers Used:

• Blue: B21, B24, B29
• Red: R22, R24, R46
• Yellow: Y00, Y11, Y15, Y19, YR23
• Green: YG03, YG05, YG09, G29

Challenges:

• .

Busy With Christmas Gifts

Hi Everyone!!! I have not been doing a ton lately! I've been busy shopping and trying to make Christmas gifts. Today is my three (3) year anniversary!! I can't believe I've been married to Kevin for three (3) years! It just seems like yesterday! So... we went to the Field of the Woods in North Carolina yesterday. We did that for our Anniversary. We left out early in the morning and we got back early evening. We had a really wonderful day. We always do though. It is fun to hang out and travel with him :)  We have a great time always. So, today we did some Christmas shopping and had a really nice lunch. That was it for us :)  I thought I would start sharing some Christmas gifts that I have made. I can't share them on Facebook or they will see them LOL So, I'll post them on here now and then Facebook after Christmas :)

This is my first share. This is a Christmas gift for my sister. She collects Lizards, so I took this candle holder that we bought at Goodwill. It is made of steel and it was painted black at the start. I forgot to take photos before!








This was all iron and it was black. I've painted the whole thing orange. I had Kevin add the screw at the top so that it would hold a candle without the worry of it tipping over.  There was bamboo in the middle of these when I got them. I took all the bamboo out and I added the two thin canvases. I painted the lizards with my Copic markers. I wasn't sure how well they would do on a canvas, but with wanting to dot them I think it turned out okay. The outline was done with Copic liners. I did the background in watercolors. I added two velum sayings and a bit of other vellum. Kevin added some Acrylic to cover the vellum and canvases. I took two of the bamboo slats and I've added them to the sides. I added some sequins, a lizard charm and a bunch of flowers. I wanted it to be colorful and for her to be able to use it in her outside covered area near her pool. That is where she has a ton of lizards hanging. I also added a bit of wire at the top and bottom. So, that's it... my altered candle holder for my sister.

Copic Markers Used:

• Green Lizard: YG00, YG01, YG05, YG07, YG17, YG67
• Green Lizard Spots: B37, B69
• Red Lizard: R20, R22, R24, R27, R29
• Red Lizard Spots: Y15, Y19
• Purple Lizard: V15, V17, BV08
• Purple Lizard Spots: RV13, RV14, RV66
• Lizard Mouths: R39, R59, R89
• Lizard Tongues: R20, R22, R24

Challenges:

• Challenge #5: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Craft Rocket Challenges.
• Challenge #99: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Creative Fingers Challenge Blog
• Challenge #132: Something Made Of Metal @ Fairytale Challenge.
• FFC #118: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Jo's Scrap Shack.
• Challenge #53: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Creative Craft Cottage.
• Challenge #323: Sequins @ Just Us Girls Challenge.
• Challenge #23: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Lil Patch of Crafty Friends.
• Challenge #292: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Craft Your Passion Challenges.
• Anything Goes w/Stash of Anything Goes (1/3) @ Clear It Out Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #4: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Lemon Shortbread Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #47: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Art By Miran Challenge Blog.
• December: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Crafting By Designs.
• December: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog.
• December: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Your Scrapbook Place.
• December Showcase #5: Anything Goes @ 2 Creative Chicks.
• December: Challenge #10: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Crafting With An Attitude.
• December: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Crafty Time Challenges.
• December: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Great Impressions.
• December: Anything Goes Link Up @ Just Keep On Creating.
• December: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Sister of Craft.
• December Challenge #5: Anything Goes (1/3) @ The Crafty Addicts.
• December Challenge #12: Anything Goes (1/2) @ The Paper Nest Dolls Challenges.
• December Challenge #27: Anything Goes @ Not Just Cards Challenge Blog.
• December/January: Anything Goes Altered @ Altered Eclectics

Autumn Splendor.

Hi Everyone!  It has been a nice day. I don't think I've left the house today. I got two cards completed. My oldest daughter came for a visit. She hung out with her sister and brother. That is always nice. I love when she comes and hangs out with them. It was a good, happy, crafty day :)  I'm hoping for another of pretty much the same tomorrow :)

Here is my card:









This is Autumn Fantasy from Ching-Chou Kuik. I just love this image! I colored her with Copic Markers. I decided to try something new and I used watercolors for the background. That was kind of fun! What else... I did a small bit of layering. I added some Wink of Stella clear to her eyes, the cats's eyes and wings and the leaves at the top. I did some distressing on the patterned paper. I inked all of the edges. I used an embossing folder on kraft and then inked those leaves a bit with Sepia. I also added some stitching around that layer. I added some ribbon and some dew drops. The You're Special stamp is Paper Smooches. On the inside I used a My Favorite Things rectangle die on the patterned paper and inked all the papers.

Copic Markers Used:

• Skin: E000, E00, E01, E11, E13
• Hair: Y11, Y18, YR04, YR07, R24, R29, R59
• Red Leaf: R24, R29, R59
• Orange Leaf: Y18, YR04, YR07
• Yellow Leaf: Y00, Y11, Y18
• Green Leaves, Girls Eyes and Wines on Robe: YG21, YG23, YG25, YG67
• Cat Wings and Eyes: Y00, Y11, Y15, YR24
• Cat: C00, C3, R20

Challenges:

• Challenge #4: Anything Goes @ A Bit More Time To Craft.
• Try Something New (watercolors)(1/2) @ Melonheadz Friends.
• Challenge #189: Ribbons and Bows @ Ooh La La Creations Challenges.
• October: Anything Goes w/Ribbon @ 3 Girl JAM.
• Challenge #96: Fall (3/3) @ Creative Card Crew.
• September Challenge #14: Anything Goes (3/3) @ Cute As A Button Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #104: Anything Goes w/Twist of Colour Me Autumn (1/4) @ Fan-Tastic Tuesday Hip To Be Square.
• Sketch #319 @ Tuesday Morning Sketches.
• Challenge #52: Anything Goes @ Inspiration Destination.
• Challenge #308: Happy Fall Y'all @ Little Red Wagon.
• Challenge #126: 'Orange' You Glad It's Autumn (1/6) @ Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings.
• September Showcase #2: Anything Goes @ 2 Creative Chicks.
• September: Anything Goes w/a Handmade Bow @ Craft-Dee BowZ.
• September: Anything w/Patterned Paper @ Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge.
• Challenge #392: Things With Wings @ Cute Card Thursday.
• September DSC #142: Anything With Wings (3/3) @ Digitally Sweet Challenges.
• September: Stitch It Up! @ House Of Cards Challenge.
• September: Sew Special (2/3) @ Stamping Sensations.
• FFC #107: Anything Goes (3/3) @ Jo's Scrap Shack.
• Time For A Color Challenge (1/3) @ Catch The Bug Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #99: Anything Goes w/Twist of Stitching @ Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge Blog.
• Use A Non White Base (kraft)(1/2) @ Sweet Stampin'.
• Texture, Texture Everywhere (1/1) @ The Outlawz Paper Ala Mode.
• September Challenge #24: Anything Goes @ Not Just Cards Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #113: Autumn @ Deep Ocean Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #8: Ribbons (1/3) @ Morgan's Art World.
• Challenge #95: Autumn Splendor (2/3) @ Simply Create Too.
• Challenge #145: Autumn @ A Gem Of A Challenge.