I used the boy and girl hugging image from “So This is Love” and just used the little boy facing toward the left to represent Mr. CraftyPaws. I altered him a bit more by doodling on short sleeves with a 0.05 pt Copic Multi-liner Pen since Mr. CraftyPaws would never wear a sleeveless shirt (lol). Then I stamped out just the little pup being held up by the girl with a braid from “The Snuggle Is Real” set to represent our little Havanese, Bandito, and tucked him in Mr. CraftyPaws’ arms.

For the girl representing me, I thought the girl with the glasses from The Snuggle Is Real would be the closest match. However, our Lhasapoo, Babaloo, does not look anything like the bulldog in that stamp. So I masked off the bulldog and doodled on the rest of the skirt of the little girl, adding details like the collar and long cuffed sleeves, with a 0.05 pt Copic Multi-liner Pen. For the dog representing Babaloo, I used the little dog with the bow from the same stamp set, but masked off the bow and doodled on a top-knot and shortened the ears and tail.

Then it was a matter of coloring up all the images to make them look like a family portrait!
Boy (Mr. CraftyPaws): Hair: E55, E57 and E59; Hat, Shirt and Shorts: B52, B93, B97; Skin: E50, E51, R30; Vest: B000 and B52
Brown and White Dog (Bandito): W0, E11 and E13
Black and White Dog (Babaloo): W0, W3, W5, W7 with B97 collar
Girl (Me): Hair: B01, C3, C5 and C7; Skin: E50, E51, E53. R30; Collar and Skirt: G05 and G09; Sweater: Y02 and Y08; Bone W0 and B01
To add a little shine, I added some glass streak marks on the glasses with a Signo Uniball White Gel Pen and topped the glasses with Ranger Glossy Accents. I fussy cut all the images with my favorite Fiskars Spring Loaded Scissors, inked all the edges for a finished look with a Memento Tuxedo Black Marker, and layered them together.

For the card front design, I decided to pull out one of my heart dies, the Diemond Dies Je T’Adore Heart, to “frame” the family portrait. I coated the frame with a coating of Clear Wink of Stella for some added shimmer. For the background papers, I used my much hoarded (and one of my FAVORITE) Doodlebug Designs “Puppy Love” 6 x 6 Paper Pad and picked out a heart patterned paper and used the reverse pale blue polka dot paper for a little strip of added interest. I backed that strip with white cardstock to match the width of the white border of the card front, and place that strip, toward the left side, following the design rule of thirds.

Lastly, for the sentiments I used the phrases from the cut apart pages of the Puppy Love paper pad that I thought would suit a Valentine’s Day card for Mr. CraftyPaws: “Great News…”, “I {heart} You” (with dabs of Glossy Accents on the hear), and “We Belong Together” are staggered along the left bottom third of the card front. On the inside card liner, I used, “Good Times!”, “Pawsitively Perfect!” and “You’re a Treat!” It was so fun designing and crafting this totally personal card for Mr. CraftyPaws. He’ll never know the extra steps I took to make this customized family portrait card, but I know he’ll love it all the same.

CLICK on the following picture to watch the process video and enter the GIVEAWAY from the YouTube video for a chance to win a set of The Greeting Farm “The Snuggle Is Real” stamp set!

Disclosure: Many of the supplies I’ve used for today’s project are linked. Some may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support toward the costs of running this blog! All giveaway rules are listed in the description box of the YouTube video. The giveaway is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with YouTube, Instagram, or The Greeting Farm.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with optional use of craft
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Crafts Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Stamping Sensations Favorite Stamps Challenge

I first stamped out The Greeting Farm girl and boy as well as the Lawn Fawn “Happy Howlidays” (retired) pups using Momento Tuxedo Black Ink (my go-to for alcohol ink coloring since it never bleeds) and created masks for the kids and the puppy hats with post-it note paper so that I could build up the scenes to look 3D. TIP: Masking stamped scenes is easy if you first start with the images that you want forward, mask them off, and lastly stamp the images that go behind the first images.

I used the following Copic colors to color up just the boy, girl and puppies for some spotlight coloring (the rest of the scene will stay black and white):
Skin: E000, E00, E21, R20 with W5 for inside girl’s mouth
Red costumes: R24, R27, R29 and N4
Faux fur on costumes: C00 and C1 with Uniball Signo white gel pen squiggles
Belt buckles: Y17 with Glossy Accent shiny coating
Deer antlers: W1 with Glossy Accent shiny coating
Dog with Santa hat: E11, E13 and E37
Dog with deer antlers: E55, E57, W1 with Uniball Signo white gel pen fur texture
Black hair: B01, C5, C7 and C9
Brown hair: E55, E57 and E59

I created the living room scene with two stamp sets from Joy Crafts, both called “Home Sweet Home.”  I doodled some extra book shelves and continued the checker board floor from the fireplace hearth to ground the entire scene using a Copic Multiliner Pen in 0.1 pt.

The following is a process video of creating this single layer scene card:

Disclosure: Many of the supplies I’ve used for today’s project are linked. Some may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support toward the costs of running this blog!

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Stamping Sensations One Layer Christmas Card Challenge
The Greeting Farm Farm Fresh 1 Layer Card Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes with Optional Thanks Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional 3D Challenge
Not Just Cards Anything Goes Challenge

I stamped out six layer cake using The Greeting Farm Layer Cake stamp set with a variety of inks. I experimented with a variety of colors and inks in my stash and ultimately I ended up with a kind of patriotic color scheme that I thought made a hearty masculine cake (one my FIL would appreciate).

From the top down, I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Blueprint Sketch, then one layer I fussy cut out with an X-Acto knife to make a shaker window, next came a Tsukineko Artnic Baby Blue, followed by an Adirondack Brights pigment ink in Sale Boat Blue. Then I cut out another layer to create a larger shaker window and lastly I added an Adirondack Brights pigment ink in Watermelon. For the cake stand, I used a Lawn Fawn Premium Dye Ink in Hippo. For the two shaker windows, I filled the top one with tiny silver metal hearts and the bottom one with chunky silver glitter and red seed beads.

To frame out the card front, I used more of the Adirondack Brights pigment ink in Watermelon on a die cut frame cut from the larger of the Pretty Pink Posh Scalloped Frame Die Set. I liked how repeating that red carried more of the red through the card to balance out all the blue cake layers.

To add a little more interest and dimension, I re-stamped the dark blue, medium blue and red cake layers and fussy cut them out to pop them up a bit with foam dots. Then to add a little whimsy, I painstakingly fussy cut out three tiny dogs from a Doodlebug Designs “Puppy Love” paper collection and added them to three of the cake layers.

For the inside card liner, I simply stamped out “Happy Birthday DAD!” from The Greeting Farm “I Love Dad” stamp set. I added a little scrap of puppy paw print paper from my scrap box to carry through the puppy love theme of the card and the red from the card front.

The following is a process video of making this card:

This card is being entered into the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
The Greeting Farm Shaker Cards Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes with Optional Red White and Blue Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Red White and Blue Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Crafts Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Penny Black and More For the Boys Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional Twist Monochrome
Not Just Cards Anything Goes Challenge
MFT Color Challenge #72

Well, of course I wanted to make a special card so I decided to create patriotic and summer beach-y scene card with a cutie representing my friend who lives in the U.S. on one side a senior cutie representing her grandmother on the other side.

I printed out U.S. and South Korean flags from my computer and fussy cut them out so the ladies could each hold a flag showing where they are. I glued down the staffs and popped up the ends of the flags with double side foam dots for a bit of dimension (I don’t want too much dimension since this will have to be mailed to South Korea).

While an ocean separates them, they are joined in love. The sentiment is stamped out with Hangul alpha stamps, and says “Congratulations!” and “I love you!” in Korean. I doodled some wonky hearts with a Black Copic Multiliner Pen in 0.03 and 0.1 pt to fill out the off-kilter sentiments (the Hangul alpha stamps are very blocky and had a childish crooked look so I thought these hearts added to that free spirit).

I Copic colored the ladies, who are from The Greeting Farm’s “Sunny Kit”, and I paper pieced their hats and outfits with papers from American Crafts “Spring” collection and the Doodlebug Designs “Puppy Love” collection. For the puppy paper, I also added some white Gel Pen dots to brighten up the patterned paper a bit. I used the following Copic colors:

Young girl: Hair: B01, C7 and C9; Skin: E51, E21, E53, E11 and R20; Bows and jacket: R14 and R27; Shading on paper pieced hat and dress: W1, W3 and W5
Senior lady: Hair: Y00, W1, W3 and Warm Gray Copic Multiliner Pen for detailed strands; Skin: E00, E50, E51, and R30; Shading for Hat and top: B45, C3, and C5
As you may have noticed, I slightly altered the stamped images to remove the bare midriff of the younger girl and eliminate the stripes and adding short sleeves for the older lady. Since this is a birthday card for a 99 year old, I thought making the outfits a bit more modest would be the way to go. 🙂

For the scene, I used lots of Copic colors to create two coasts for the ladies to stand on, an ocean to separate them, and a sky that connects them all together. These are the colors I used:

Coasts: E31, E33, E41, E43, E55, E25 and Stabilo Uni-ball White Gel Pen for extra highlight dots for sandy texture
Ocean: B93, B06, B95, B97, B99 with the bare white card stock and added Stabilo Uni-ball White Gel Pen highlights for the foaming waves
Sky: Bare white card stock left for clouds and B000, B00 and B01

The following is a video sharing the card and includes a tutorial on how to paper piece stamped images with patterned paper:

This special birthday card is being entered into the following challenges:
The Greeting Farm Farm Fresh Summer Fun Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Summer Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Red White and Blue
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Crafty Gals Corner Anything Goes Challenge
MarkerPOP Summer Fun Challenge

This image from my Copic coloring tutorial series this week, episode 7 was actually adding some grays to an image I colored up last week. I think adding the W7 and W9 really added a lot of visual pop to her hair:

The next image for episode 8 I started out coloring aqua or teal hair but then changed my mind after a blob of ink came out. I actually think this brunette with teal highlights came out cuter, and I believe mistakes can sometimes help us get to better than planned results! Basically I think this video reinforces the idea that we should be enjoying the process of coloring and go with the flow:

I used the following Copic colors to color up the above cutie: E50, E51, E21, E11, BV00, R20, B18, BG11, BG13, Y15 and Y17. Her hair is colored with BG11, BG13, BG15, C8 and C9. I used a Distress Ink Marker (the fine tip side) in Salty Ocean for the pupils of her eyes.

The above auburn haired cutie I colored up with the following Copic colors, but there sorry to say there is no video for this one (suffering from a flu, I just couldn’t get to videotaping and editing): Skin: E50, E51, E21, E11, R20, BV00; Clothes: YG63, G29 and Y17; and Hair: E97, E39, E29 and E79.

For the latest coloring video in the series, I veered from hair coloring to focus on the much-requested skin and eyes. I used the following Copic colors for the skin – E51, E53, E21, E11, R20, BV00 – and then used a Tim Holtz Distress Marker in Salty Ocean again for the pupils of her eyes.

The finished fairy image from the above video has wild colored hair and outfit (it was my reaction to a very gray and gloomy day) using the following Copic colors: V04, V06, V09, RV04, Y11, Y13, YR04

I hope you are enjoying these Copic coloring series. Next week, I’ll be trying to share how I color fur!

I want to surprise her with a little happy mail so I made up this card with one of The Greeting Farm images that I colored up recently as part of my Copic coloring series (you can see how the hair on this cute is colored up HERE).  The Greeting Farm image is called Fairy Queen Anya, and I used the following Copic colors, concentrating on how to shade braided hair: E51, E53, E21, BV00, R20, G02, G16, Y13 and Y19. Her hair is colored with Y21, YR24, E37 with fine details added in with a Warm Gray Copic Multi-liner Pen in 0.3 pt. I also added dot details and little line lash details with a black Copic Multi-liner Pen in 0.1pt. Lastly, I fussy cut her out and then inked the edges with a Momento Tuxedo Black Marker.

For the card base I used a bright yellow card stock and then I used some fun floral glittered paper scraps in my stash and followed a great sketch from the MFT Sketch Challenge #232 HERE. The banner was hand cut after I pieced together a “sky” and “grass” with stripey scrap blue and green papers that I cut with an MFT Die-namics Grassy Hills Die (one of my all time favorite go-to dies). For the punny sentiment, I printed out, “Thank you fairy much!” on my computer using a free scripty font, Magnolia Sky.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Green Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday For a Special Lady Challenge
Crafty Purple Frog Lovely Ladies Challenge – WINNER
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Crafty Gals Corner Polka Dots or Stripes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Use Lots of Green
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional No Digis
Cards Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge

MFT Sketch Challenge #232

The fourth through sixth images I colored were all from The Greeting Farm stamp set called Magical. I colored up the fourth cutie to have peacock colored hair using the following Copic skin colors: E51, E21, E11, and R20. Her hair and outfit are colored with Y11, Y15, BG32, G14, G17, B24, B28 and V09.

For episode five, I colored up another cutie to have ombre hair. I LOVE this color combination! I used the following Copic colors to color her up:  E50, E51, E53, R20, BG23, BG49, and Y17. Her blue-black to blue-violet to red violet hair is colored (from bottom to top) with V12, V06, RV66, BV02, BV04, BV08, C6, C9 and B39.

For the sixth episode I colored up a girl with bright pink hair using the following Copic colors: E00, E21, E11, E13, R20, G99, B00, and BG15. Her hair is colored with RV02, RV04 and RV09.

Next in this Copic coloring series, I plan to demonstrate coloring any color hair with dark gray shadows, how to color fur two ways, easy skin coloring, and coloring finishing details. I hope you are enjoying this series, and if you have any suggestions or questions about any Copic coloring you’d like to see me try, please let me know in the comments.

I used the following Copic colors for the girl (Krystal from the Super Secret Stamp Club Collection) and boy (Sunday from the Creeper Crew Collection):
Krystal: Hair: B02, C6, C9; Skin: C51, E53, E21, E11 and R20; Boots: C4, C6, C9; Scarf: RV52, R83, RV55; Eyes: E79 with white highlights added with a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen
Sunday: Hair: E55, E57, E59, E79; Skin: E000, E00, E21 and R20; Jeans: RV52, R83, RV55; T-Shirt: C4, C6, and C9; Long undershirt: C1, C2, C6, and C9; Eyes: E59 white highlights added with a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen
I also did a bit of paper piecing with some pale teal tiny polka dot paper that I shaded with B000 and B02 for the girl’s bow and dress and the boy’s scarf.

I used papers from the Doodlebug Designs “Lovebirds” collection that had lots of pink and bits of red and teal. I also inked up the edges of each die cut heart with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Picked Raspberry, and I layered the die cut hearts with fun foam to give the hearts extra dimension. I also added tiny white pom pom trim around each of the hearts (although I ran out before I was finished and had to do some tricky MacGyvering to make all the hearts look complete–check out the video for the secret) to add a bit of whimsy. Lastly, to create the hanger I used white, pale pink and medium pink seam binding to create a soft triple loop bow and hanger.

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The following is a process video sharing how I made this Valentines wreath:

This wreath is being entered into the following challenges:
The Greeting Farm Farm Fresh 3D Projects Challenge
MarkerPOP Color Challenge #113
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Something New Challenge
CAS-ual Fridays Color Challenge – Red, Pink and White
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Addicted to Stamps and More Holidays Challenge – WINNER
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Add Some Hearts
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Penny Black and More Use Your Favorite Stamps Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge

I decided to try no line coloring to give a softer warm look to the Cuddles Anya and practice the dot Copic coloring technique to give the impression of fuzzy texture for the hat and teddy bear. I stamped the image with Momento Desert Sand ink, and these are the Copic colors I used:

Skin: E50, 51, 53, 11 and R20
Hair: E55, 57 and 59
Hat: E21, 11, 13, and 15 with 0 for highlight texture
Teddy: E53, 30, 31, and 33 with 0 for highlight texture”
Bubble skirt, jacket, tights and scarf: YR31, 61, 12, 04 and 07 with E13, R24 and R27 for shadow and depth

I used a Copic multiliner pen in 0.03 pt to draw back in the eyes, eye brows, noses and mouths of the hat, Anya and teddy bear since the pale Desert Sand ink would become invisible after the Copic coloring. 🙂

For the background, I rummaged through my paper scrap box and found some scraps in dark brown, a mustard stripe, and plain white card stock (onto which I blended on Delicata Golden Glitz ink) that I layered all off-kilter for some interest. The leaves, cut out with Alterations Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves dies, are sprayed, dry embossed and burnished with burgundy, red-orange, orange, brown and a hint of gold shimmers and inks. I love all the shine and sparkle of these leaves, and I even have a few clear Glossy Accents drops on a few leaves to mimic shiny dew drops. However, to mute the bold colors of the leaves where Cuddles Anya would be, I die cut a piece of vellum with an MFT Cross Stitched Rectangles die and layered that over the center area. This still revealed the beauty and detail of those leaves all along the edges beyond the vellum without detracting from the main focal point Anya with her teddy.

All of this was put on a simple kraft card stock card base to keep with the earthy theme. For the inside, I inked the edges of a white card stock liner with more Delicata Golden Glitz ink and used a tiny remnant scrap of a textured and inked die cut leave for a little accent.  The simple “thinking of you” sentiment is die cut out from another dark brown scrap with the Tim Holtz Sizzix Celebration Words die set.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
The Greeting Farm Farm Fresh Autumn Colors Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Shine Bright Like a Diamond Challenge
CAS-ual Friday Orange, Brown and Kraft Color Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Thinking of You Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes Challenge
Crafts Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge
Just Keep on Creating Anything Goes Challenge

For the focal image, I colored up The Greeting Farm Creeper Crew’s Thursday (she’s retired, but there are similar Creeper Crew images available HERE) in the following autumn/Halloween Copic colors:
Skin: E000, 00, 21, 04 and R20 for blush
Red hair streaks and jeans: R22, 35, 37 and 39
Yellow hair streaks: Y11, Y15, Y38 and E33
Blue 3/4 sleeve shirt and button eyes of cat hat: B000, 00 and 01
Sneakers, cat hat, and black T-shirt: N1, 3, 5, 7, 9 with 0 for dotting texture in lighter area of cat hat
Pink of cat hat ears and nose: R20 and 22
Canvas belt and eyes: G43, 85 and 99
Black shine of eyes, eye brows and lips are with Sakura black Glaze pen
White shine of button eyes and white part of sneakers are with Sakura white Gelly Roll pen
I fussy cut her out with my favorite Fiskars Easy Action Micro Tip spring loaded reverse scissors and an X-Acto blade (for the inside cut away areas). Then I took the time to ink the cut edges with a Faber-Castell Pitt SB point pen so that the white edges would be covered and the image would look finished. I had stamped out and colored the button eyes of the cat hat, fussy cut those out, popped those up on foam adhesive to add a little extra dimension, and coated them with Glossy Accents for some extra shine too.  The whole image is popped up on double sided foam adhesive to add a little dimension and interest.

Then to express the attitude of this little girl (whom I imagine as a teenager with lots of sass) I printed from my computer with a free spooky font called Chiller, a sentiment that reads, “Hand over the candy and nobody gets hurt.” I die cut it out with a speech bubble die from the Sizzix I Heart This die set and inked the edges with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Antique Linen before popping it on the card with double sided foam adhesive.

The following is a tutorial for how to create the candy corn shaped card base, including the inking up of each segment with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Antique Linen:

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
The Greeting Farm Farm Fresh Spooky Fun Challenge
MarkerPOP Color Challenge #105

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Halloween Inspiration Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Crafts Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge
Penny Black and More Autumn Color Challenge