Sneak Peek #1: "Mugs and Kisses" and "Block Greetings"

Welcome to Day 1 of our previews! I am so excited to share my newest set from Gina K Designs: "Mugs and Kisses"! It's one of my favorite sets EVER! I have a collection of mugs which started when I was a kid and just love how much personality each one has, how sipping something hot and special out of a beautiful or funny mug can totally lift your mood! You will love having these large mugs to color or paper piece, as well as decorate with the images and greetings included or your other favorite stamps and images to really personalize them (like "Little Tees", but with cups!) And not just for coffee or tea, I've included words like cider, chai etc, which expand all the gift giving possibilities, all your beverage basics are covered here!

Below I've adapted the card above into a small gift bag. You can add some store bought or homemade cocoa and marshmallows (or any other kind of drink or soup mix, even a real mug, I can never have to many, LOL!) inside the clear party bag, labelled and tied with stitched ribbon. Let me show you how I added the marshmallows and pieced the mug. First, I stamped the mug in black on white, then stamped two clumps of marshmallows. No need to mask here because I will cover up the front of the mug with patterned paper! I added a C-1 and C-3 Copic to shade under the cup, saucer and handle, then a little E57 Light Walnut around the marshmallows for the cocoa. TIP: Be sure to make whatever color you are using for the liquid go in a curve, parallel to the top rim of the cup, just follow the line, easy peasy! Stamp some "lovey" steam in gray. :)
Now stamp the mug again onto Basic Grey Jovial DP. I love two toned cup and saucer sets where you have a reveal of a different pattern or color in the inside, so I just trimmed out the cup around the handle, and the bottom of the dish. TIP: To cut out the space inside, don't worry about trying to poke through with your scissors, just make a small snip and cut out the oval, when you glue it down, you won't see that cut, I've left it slightly open here so you can see before adhering it. Now you can stick the little candy cane (stamped in cranberry on glossy CS) or spoon image down into this slot!

And here is a peek using the more "masculine" mug. This is great for funny images and greetings! Here I just used the catch all "caffeine" option to the "Happiness is..." greeting and "Care to join me?" on the tag. I stamped the little beans to make my background on Kraft CS (sponged and a little colored and popped up pile for an embellishment.

Here I shaded the left and undersides of the mug and handle with W-1. To cut out the portion inside the handle, just cut around the bottom of the handle onto the side, again this fits right back together when you adhere, I ran the 5/8" gingham through it and added some jute and a button.

Mat is Black Onyx and card base is Chocolate Brown.

Last one with this set for today, I also couldn't stop without throwing in some more sweets to the set! I love this little chocolate stamp!! I colored, cut and popped out three of them and then stamped the tab with "Start each day with" (where you could then add "a smile", etc for another project) ...

and then stamped "Chocolate" below in this fancy little oval image. This oval fits into the Fancy Tag dies, the Petite Classic and Scalloped Ovals, as well as your other oval punches. It is a really versatile stamp and frames all the single words and small greetings in the set, I love that!

DP is Basic Grey Nook and Pantry, these are so many great prints in this paper pack, perfect for pairing with or piecing these drinks and treats!

Our next peek is from Tami Mayberry, a set called "Block Greetings" designed to fit your Square Nestabilities. Today I used the Labels 15 die, since it's not just for classic or scalloped squares, any 4 sided Nestie die will do, so this is a fun way to make it even more fancy!

I stamped the block in cranberry ink on Ivory Pure Luxury and embossed a greeting in the center with gold embossing powder. The larger Labels 15 die cut mat is Basic Grey Jovial DP. I layered these over some gold lined organdy ivory ribbon and the Ivory card base is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.

I added a strip of 3 mm pearls below it and used the Bow Easy to create the double bow. This card looks so detailed but really assembled pretty quickly, I really like this design for Christmas cards!

Check out more samples of "Mugs and Kisses" and "Block Greetings" from the rest of our talented (and newly improved and expanded!) design team!

And, this month, we are giving away more prizes than usual too! We are giving away two of each of these sets being previewed tonight.

Here's how to play along:


Leave a comment on each of the participating designer's blogs and Gina will randomly choose FOUR winners from ALL of the comments! That means you have LOTS more chances to win free stamps! Gina will announce the winners tomorrow night, right here at the top of her preview entry just before preview day 2. (And you can leave a comment here too because all the comments will count. One comment per blog please.)

Gina K Senior Designers and Illustrators

• AJ Otto


• Asela Hopkins


• Carolina Buchting


• Carolyn King


• Cathy Tidwell


• Colleen Schaan


• Deb Felts


• Donna Baker


• Emily Giovanni


• Gina K


• Giovana Smith


• Janice Whiting


• Jennie Harper


• Lee Murphy

• Melanie Muenchinger (you are here, thanks for visiting!)


• Michelle Woerner


• Tami Mayberry


• Theresa Momber


• Tina Gilliland


• Valerie Stangle


• Vicki Dutcher

See you tomorrow!