Dance & Twirl, Birthday Girl–MFT August Tips & Tricks

Hello and welcome to Tips & Tricks for August! With today’s card I’m going to show you how to make this layered tutu that PI is wearing and cover up a mistake at the same time! Well, not exactly a mistake, but I colored the tutu and was not AT ALL happy with it—it wasn’t horrible but I was not happy so I got the idea to paper piece it and it grew from there.

This view shows the dimension a little better—you can see the layers of ruffles that make it 3-D.




I already had this one done when I got the idea to show you all how I did it so I’m using a new copy for that--I can go back and color the rest of the image when I’m ready to use it. So to begin, stamp and die cut the image like always. Then stamp the area to be paper pieced on patterned paper (for this I’m using the smallest print I have, Itsy Bitsy Polka Dots Pastels Paper Pack for the tutu). Normally for paper piecing you would be done stamping now, but since I was going to layer the ruffles, I stamped it twice more on a darker shade of paper.




Next, cut the patterned paper out with detail scissors in the CENTER of the ink line. This is so when you adhere it to the main image the ink lines will merge and be one.




Next, I usually go around the patterned paper with a water-based marker to cover the white edge of paper that will invariably show. Do NOT use Copic markers or alcohol markers. This paper is very porous and alcohol inks will bleed badly. Ask me how I know. I use Stampin’ Up markers that I’ve had for forever, but Distress markers would work fine, I’d think.




Next, adhere the bottom ruffle to the main image completely. See how cutting the piece out in the center of the ink line makes it blend perfectly?

Now let’s adhere the middle layer, but only the top edge—you want the bottom edge of the ruffle to be free so you can curl it up a little to add dimension.

And, finally, adhere the top layer of the tutu, adhering everything except, again, the ruffle edge. When you curl that layer up you have lots of dimension.

Here are the two versions side-by-side, one ready to go on a card, the other waiting until I decide to color and use it.




Once I had my little girl done, I built her a stage using Take the Stage Die-namics and In the Spotlight Stencil. The floor was made by stamping Wood Plank Background with Kraft dye ink on Safety Orange Card Stock, making it look a lot like oak flooring.



I used Sweet Tooth pigment ink for the spotlight and heat embossed the sentiment. The background was made from After Midnight Card Stock and the curtains cut from Cornflower card stock with Silver Sparkle card stock tie backs.

And that’s it from me today! I hope my tips & tricks will help you give your tutu some dimension and show you how to cover up a problem area should it occur :)

Thanks for stopping by! See you soon!

All products from My Favorite Things unless otherwise noted.

Stamps: PI Tu-tu Sweet, Wood Plank Background
Die-namics: PI Tu-tu Sweet, Take the Stage, Essential Fishtail Sentiment Strips
Stencils: In the Spotlight
Dye Ink: Kraft
Hybrid Ink: Extreme Black
Specialty Inks: Sweet Tooth Pigment, Versamark
Patterned Paper: Itsy Bitsy Polka Dots Pastels
MFT Card Stock: Sweet Tooth, Black Licorice, After Midnight, Cornflower, Safety Orange, No Line Coloring
Specialty Papers: Silver Sparkle card stock
Supplies: foam mounting tape, E-Z Runner, white detail embossing powder, Multi Medium Matte Glue
Tools: Smart Grid Paper Pad, Mini MISTI, Mini MISTI Grid Paper Pad, MISTI Bar Magnets, Square Bone Folder, Scor-Buddy, QuickStik Pick-up Tool, Precision Tip Glue Applicator Bottle, Embossing Magic, Copics, Sakura White Gelly Roll Pen, craft tweezers, plastic eraser, sponge daubers, Precision Scissors
Other: Die-cutting machine, paper cutter, heat tool