Copic Coloring Tips for Layered Die Sets | Easter Bunny Card Tutorial
- Rick Adkins
- Mar 11
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 17
Layered die sets are one of my favorite ways to build quick focal points for handmade cards. They give you that polished, dimensional look without having to do a lot of complicated stamping or coloring. But sometimes those layered pieces can feel a little… flat. The shapes are great, but they can look a bit one-dimensional if you leave them exactly as they come off the die.
That’s exactly the idea I wanted to explore with today’s card. I used the Chocolate Easter Bunny Die Set from Pixi Dust Designs and added a little Copic marker shading to the die-cut layers to give the bunnies more life and personality. The card has a fun, slightly humorous Easter theme, and the shading helps those sweet little characters feel more expressive.
I walk through the process in the video so you can see how the shading comes together on the die cuts. If you’re someone who likes to watch techniques in action, the video will be a helpful visual companion.
Why Add Copic Shading to Layered Die Cuts?
Layered dies already do a lot of the design work for you. The shapes and stacking pieces create built-in dimension, which is one of the reasons they’re so popular for cardmaking.
But adding a small amount of alcohol marker shading can take them a step further.
Instead of relying only on the layers themselves, the shading creates subtle depth that helps define:
edges
curves
facial features
areas where one layer overlaps another
For this card, I used Copic markers to gently shade the brown bunny layers. It’s not heavy coloring at all—just a little shadowing along the edges and around areas that would naturally fall into shadow. That tiny bit of shading helps the die cuts feel more dimensional while still keeping the card clean and graphic.
This technique works especially well when you want the focal point to feel polished without spending a lot of time coloring an entire stamped image.
Choosing Patterned Paper for Balance
Since the focal point includes multiple layered die cuts, I kept the rest of the design simple but interesting by adding patterned paper.
The background, the bow on the girl bunny, the boy bunny's bow tie, and the inside of the card both use paper from the Happy Easter 6 x 6 Pattern Paper collection from Pixi Dust Designs. Using patterned paper in a few places helps the design feel cohesive, and it also saves time compared to building a more complex background.
One design tip I often keep in mind is contrast between the focal point and the background. The bunny die cuts are detailed and dimensional, so the patterned paper adds color and personality without competing with the main elements.
The soft pink layer behind the bunnies also helps frame them and keeps the eye focused right where it should be.
A Simple Way to Add Personality
One of the things I enjoy about character dies is how easy it is to add a little storytelling to a card. The speech bubbles on this card create a playful moment between the two bunnies—one wishing a happy Easter and the other reacting with a surprised “What?!”
That small interaction instantly makes the card feel more memorable and gives it a lighthearted, funny Easter theme. It’s a great reminder that card design doesn’t always have to be complicated. Sometimes a simple sentiment arrangement can create the entire mood of the card.
Common Mistakes When Shading Die Cuts
If you’re new to adding marker shading to die cuts, there are a couple of things that can make the process easier.
Using too many colors.
You really only need one or two shades darker than the base color of your cardstock. The goal is soft shadows, not full coloring.
Shading every edge.
Not every piece needs shading all the way around. Focus on areas where layers overlap or where shadows would naturally fall.
Over-blending.
Because die cuts already have crisp edges, keeping the shading light and slightly defined often looks more natural than heavy blending.
The beauty of this technique is that it’s quick and forgiving. Even a little bit of shading makes a big difference.
Making This Idea Work with Your Supplies
You definitely don’t need the exact products I used to try this technique.
If you don’t have the bunny die set, you can use the same idea with:
animal die sets
flower layering dies
seasonal character dies
even basic shape dies
The key concept is adding marker shading to cardstock die cuts before assembling them.
You can also adapt the background idea with whatever patterned paper you already have in your stash. Spring florals, polka dots, or soft pastels would all work beautifully for an Easter card like this.
And if you prefer a different holiday, this same design approach would work for:
Christmas character dies
fall animal cards
birthday cards with layered critters
Valentine’s Day designs
Once you get comfortable adding shading to die cuts, you’ll start seeing opportunities to use it everywhere.
Give It a Try
If you’ve never added marker shading to your layered dies before, this is a great technique to experiment with. It’s simple, quick, and adds a surprising amount of dimension to your card designs.
Don’t worry about getting it perfect. A little bit of shading goes a long way, and each time you try it you’ll get a better feel for where shadows naturally belong.
And if you’re more of a visual learner, you can watch the full process in the video below where I walk through how I created this funny Easter bunny card.
Watch the Video Tutorial
If you’d like to see how the shading comes together on the die cuts, you can watch the full video here:
If you have problems watching the video here on my blog you can always watch it on my YouTube Channel by Clicking Here!
(Wondering what I used in this video? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible). As always I appreciate your support of my videos!
Materials Used:
Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.
Happy Crafting,
Rick Adkins
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