"Fur Crazy" Our Newest Affiliate!

Take a scenic drive through the enchanting, wooded roads to Spring Lake, Michigan along West Michigan's coastline and pop into the adorable Fur Crazy Pet Salon.  This quaint pet destination is owned by Deb Casemier, an outgoing business woman with a lovely personality that keeps her shop warm and inviting.

Fur Crazy Pet Salon is the newest member of our Affiliate Program.  Deb can help you order a Custom Pet Portrait by Funamals right in her shop.  She has a printed portfolio to help guide you in your quest to find the perfect piece of unique artwork for you or someone special.  Order your portrait through Deb and she will take care of all of the details for you.  You can pick up your painting from Fur Crazy as soon as it arrives.

I am so pleased to have Deb and her  cute grooming salon be a part of this new business venture.  She is passionate for animals, art and supporting small business.  We have a lot in common!

How to Order a Custom Pet Portrait

Check out this Video to learn how to order your custom pet portrait online through etsy.   

**PLEASE NOTE A CHANGE IN POLICY since this video was created. PLEASE AVOID photos taken with cell phones INCLUDING SMART PHONES**

This is the Blog post for all Questions Related to Custom Pet Portraits.  Finally...some clarity!

Frequently Asked Questions...

How long does it take until I get my pet portrait?
7-10 business days to complete before the portrait is shipped.  If you need it quicker than that just message me and let me know.  I take holiday orders through much of December.  If you have any concerns about receiving your order in time for holiday gifting, just contact me. 

How do I send my photo?
In my etsy shop you can click on the "Contact" button and a conversation box will pop up.  You can attach your digital photo file there.  Alternatively, you can email your photo to funamals@gmail.com.  Make sure that you leave the name that correlates with the etsy account in the text.  Digital files are preferred, but you can also send your photo via "snail mail" and it will be shipped back to you with your pet portrait.  (Note that this method takes longer for the finished product).
 
How do I pick a good photo?
A nice quality photo with good lighting is best.  I prefer "head shots" of pets so I can get the details in their face and capture their personality.  If a pet's photo has red-eye I take it out when I paint it.
 

Can I use a picture from my cell phone?
Please no cell phone photos of any kind.  They will not have a high enough quality for me to work with.  The better the photo the better the painting.  300 dpi is great!  (dots per inch) The higher the resolution the better.

I have more than one pet.  Do they need to be in the same photo in order to be in the painting together?
No.  It is better to have a nice, quality photo of each pet.  I can compose them together in the painting.  It helps if they are taken in the same kind of light.

Can you ignore all the stuff in the background of my photo?
Yes!  I usually do unless a client has a special request to keep something in the photo.

Here are some examples of good photos vs. bad photos....

 

 

if this guide didn't answer your questions you can contact me at funamals@gmail.com.

Appreciating Fan Appreciation

Touching the lives of clients through paint...

I do a lot of custom paintings and ship them out to places all over the world.  Although I don't usually hear much back from my clients, I enjoy what I do and get a lot of satisfaction from it.  With each order there is always a story behind it.  People get the paintings done as gifts, for loved ones, friends or themselves.  The pets are always very special and close to their heart.  I've painted a rescued pet baboon, a pet frog, birds, as well as countless dogs and plenty of cats.  Often the pets have passed away.  People love to have a painting done to memorialize their dear family member.  I can relate as my pups are very important to me as well.  

Here is a story about a client who ordered a custom pet portrait with a really unique composition.  In the chosen photo the dog is sleeping next to the client's husband.  The choice of composition carries a lot of meaning to the family as he had just had surgery and, amid a project needed to lay down in the back of the van.  The dog, always his loyal companion joined his master in the car.  She placed her order and sent the photo, but before the painting was finished and shipped the dog passed away.  

The client decided to keep her order and was very happy to receive it.  On Thanksgiving, a few weeks later I received an email telling me how happy they were to have the painting and how much it meant to them.  She sent me this photo of the painting matted and framed.  This is a story that really touches my heart and encourages me to continue to do what I do.

Directionally Challenged....but going somewhere....

There is so much going on around here it is hard to keep up with the blog posts! Funamals is doing well, but there are so many directions to go in, it can be overwhelming trying to decipher which way to go! I get too much going on in my head and then I just want to take a nap.

CUSTOM Pet Portraits are the new hot item around here. I've been busy doing those. I finally stopped to work on making a promotional for them to get professionally printed. Here is a preview of the design. I really love how it turned out and can't wait for it to get printed!

I'm also introducing CUSTOM Wedding Bouquet Paintings and Digital Stamps for Scrapbooking.

January is video month for Funamals so keep your eyes peeled for some fun videos and animations to pop up. I'm planning to do a promo for Minty Keen.

One of my biggest challenges has been trying to become and stay organized. I have not completely conquered this yet. I would love to hear your words of advice either here in the comments section or on my facebook page...(which tends to be more active than my blog).

Well that is today's update. Happy 2011. One of my New Year's resolutions is to be more active on my blog. I can feel that coming on for sure, but it is always easier when you know people are actually reading, so invite your friends!