Fur-ever Friends

You will always remain Fur-ever friends with you dog loving pal. 

So why not just send them a thinking of your birthday card with a cute doggie image? Because I have a ton of those types of friends, I made this one.  It's the perfect card for any dog loving owner.

This image is Cece & Sadie from the Digi Doodles Studios Cutie Paws March release.   There are quiet a few images that are simply gorgeous form this set.  I think my next image will be Violet & Shadow.  I love the husky in this image.  For this pack I also used the digital background paper called Cutie Paws Background Paper.  You can enlarge the images below to see the available images as well as the patters for the digi paper pack.  

The other items that I used was my Cricut cutting machine.  I will list the Image I used for those of you that have Access.
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This is what you will need to make this card:

• Card base 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"
• Light Pink cardstock
• Black cardstock
• White cardstock
• Mid Tone Pink cardstock
• Dark Tone Grey cardstock
• Image:  Cece & Sadie
• Digi Paper: Cutie Paws
• Copic Markers (colors listed below)
• Prismacolor Color Pencils (colors listed below)
• Liquid Glue
• Foam Tape
• 3D foam dimensionals
• 1/8" hole punch
• Cricut: SVG files: 
  • Square Shape (free) 
  • Wild Thing (Life's a Party Cartridge)
  • 1 (Zoo Day)
  • Dog Bone (Create A Critter)
  • Bow (Home Oranization)
  • Heart Shape (free)
  • Lace Edge Boarder (Elegant Edges)

I think we will first start out with our Cricut cut outs.  In the video below I will show you how to move about in Cricut, find the shapes and files to make the cuts, as well as how to upload images and patterns.

So here you you will begin with putting your card together.   Below you should have all the items depicted.

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Step 1: Coloring

I always like to begin with the skin tones and work my way outward.  Colors used are E000, E21, E11, E13 (E02 for the cheeks)

For the coloring of the skin you can see how I layout the colors and the blending in this tutorial:  https://youtu.be/yKdv4EB9ZYc
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Using R81 we will color in the Lips and ad a bit of color to the eyelids as a shadow.  No detail is to small.

Using RV000 and RV00 I will color in the top and the tights.  Your base color is RV000.  Add shadowing with RV00.  It is very subtle, but when I think of Ballerinas it reminds me of my time in ballet class and wearing those light pink tights and my slippers. 

Yes imagine that...me in a tu-tu.

Now we will work on the puppy!  Everyone loves to hug and squeeze puppies. 

We will start with the spots.  First off the image does not have spots on the rest of the dog.  I obtained this by first laying down C2 as my base on different areas on the pup.  I did not use circles, but odd shaped blobs.  Nest I came in with C4 in the spot area closest to the center of the dog.  After i added in C6 on the outer edge of the spot and finally with C10.  I then blended everything with C2.  I used my colorless blender to lighten the whole thing a bit with a light layer.

For the fur on the puppy, I went with a cream color fur.  to obtain this I used E40 as the base all over and E41 to create shading and shadows. 

Moving right along, we are going to work on the Tutu for the puppy.  This will take four colors.  for the base: RV000.  Mid light tone R81 will start the lightest par of our shadows for the folds in the tutu.  R83 is the mid dard tone and R85 our dark tone.

Again you can see how to fill in this tutu in this video tutorial:   https://youtu.be/yKdv4EB9ZYc
For the tongue use R83​.

Lets work on the tutu of our little ballerina.

For this i started with an overall base of C1.  For the folds in the tutu I used C4 to start off my shading.  C6 will fill in a smaller area of my shading and C10 will be small lines along the inside of the folds.  C6 was also used for the under tutu.

The slippers don't require much.  Our base color will be RV000.  R81 will provide shading and R83 will be our shadows. 

If you will also find this in the coloring tutorial:
https://youtu.be/yKdv4EB9ZYc
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Almost done!  the flowers in the hair consis of RV00 as the base.  Shading towards the center of the flower is RV85.

The head band was a simple base of C4 and shadowing along the folds with C8.

The bows in our little ballerina's hair is simple.  R000 will provide the base color.  we will add shading with R30.  Shadows will be completed with R83.  

Enlarge the picture for a closer look.

For more dhair coloring detals: https://youtu.be/yKdv4EB9ZYc
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This is the last of our coloring. 

The hair is something that I like to use my PrismaColor Color pencils for the hair strand details. Make sure your pencils are sharp.

The base for the whole hair will be Y000.

For our Light tone PrismaColor we will use PC942 which is a kind of yellow orange.  This will add some depth to our Y000.  Using short strokes drag your pencil in the way the hair will fall, if curved then in a curved line.  Allow for a patch of the Y000 to show in the center of the hair or where light would hit the hair.

The mid tone is PC1034.  Again using the same type of stroke but shorter you will use this orange color.

The dark tone is PC941.  This will provide shading and some hair strands, but not much.

Step 2: Lets prepare our base pieces.

First glue down you pink printed cut out to the black base.  This will be the frame for your image.

Next glue down your image.  Be mindful to center it on your pink print cut out. 

Using the 1/8" hole punch you will punch in a random pattern along the top and right side of the pink zigzag cut out.

We did not use the paws that were in the original file due to the fact that the paw prints were too small for this piece and would ruin our cardstock during the cutting process.
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Now you will adhere your Pink zigzag cut out to Black zigzag cut out.  

* use glue and not double sided tape.  This will allow you to have some time to adjust this so that the zigzags all align.

** use the glue on the back of the pink cut out so that you can avoid getting clue coming out of your whole punches. 

No you can pull out your foam tape!

Use enough foam tape across the back of your zigzag piece so that it will have stability, especially if you plan to post this.

**post processing will machine process unless otherwise requested by the sender.  I tend to forget this and it is better to be safe than sorry.

Center before you set it down on your printed paper.  Once it's where you like it, set it down and then press.

**once you set it down it becomes very difficult to pull up off of your work.  

Add double sided tape to the back of your base.  Once you are ready adhere it to your card base.

**Lift and fold back the the tape on opposite corners.  do not fully remove the tape covering.  This will allow you to center your card before adhering it down.  Once you have it where you want it press down on the exposed tape then pull on the taps and press down on the backing. 

It's time to prepare all of our smaller pieces. 

1. I started with the bow by adding on foam tape to the back of my Pink bow bits and adhered them to the Black bow baking.
2. Glue down Pink lace bit onto my Black lace backing.
3. Next is the Doggy Bone.  Glue down the white bit to the black backing.
4. Glue down you sentiment in the center of your grey heart backing.
5. Finally for the paws.  I used foam tape to adhere my Black paw print to the Pink backing on both.

Figure out your position for you image. About 1" to 1 1/4" from the edge of the Pink zigzag backing.  Enough so that it does not cover up much of your whole punches. 

I used tacky glue for this, but you can also use double sided tape if that makes it easier for you. 

As you can see below, I used 3D foam dimensionals.  While the Foam tape is about 1/8" in thickness these are about 1/4" in thickness and adds more depth.  Placement for this is in the upper right hand corner of my image.  Make sure not to cover your image with the bow, just place it as close to the image as necessary.  Next I adhered my lace bit with tacky glue on the bottom portion of my image.

Next we will blue down our Bone to the right of my image and angled to the left.   

The bone is placed about 1/2" from the top of our Pink zigzag backing.  I tried not to cover up many of my whole punches with this item either.  

I really wanted that whole spot theme working its way through in this piece.

We are on the last leg of our journey of this card creation.  

The paws should be glued down with tacky glue in in slightly turned from each other.  One just above the other. Please note that I tried not to cover up my mage. 

Moving right along, we are ready to place our sentiment.  I decided to put 3D Dimensionals so that it pops up from the rest of the page.  I placed on the lower right hand corner of my image trying not to cover any part of it up.

Tada!!!! Finished.

I do hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and that it was informational for you.  

Join me next time! XOXOXO