Mug Friends Christmas Card Tutorial with Penguin Mug and Snowman Dies

Hello crafty friends! It’s Lisa Tilson here with you today to share a card using the Mugs and Kisses Collection. I am going to be doing a step-by-step photo tutorial showing you how to create a sweet and fun Christmas card using the Mug Friends Etched Dies.

Also included in this lovely collection is the Decorate the Season Registration Press & Foil Plate, the Snow Joy Stencil, and a set of clear stamps called Mugs and Kisses Sentiments Clear Stamp Set. It’s a small but perfectly formed collection!

Let’s get started with today’s card.

Make It Merry

For all the die cutting, use the Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine with the die cutting sandwich as follows (from bottom to top):

• Plate A – Platform Base
• Plate B – Platform Top
• Plate C – Cutting Plate
• Plate C – Cutting Plate

The cardstock/die will be inserted between the two cutting plates with the die sitting on top of the cardstock, cutting edge down.

Die Cutting the Penguin Mug and Snowman

The dies in the photo are placed on their respective cardstocks, cutting side up, to enable them to be more easily referenced. When die cutting, these will be turned over so that the cutting edge is directly on the cardstock, and they will be taped in place.

1. Take the Mug Friends Etched Dies and line up the dies. Use Raven ColorWheel Cardstock for the mug and handle.
2. Use Fawn ColorWheel Cardstock for the cocoa.
3. Use Alabaster ColorWheel Cardstock for the cream.
4. Use Carrot for the nose (this die will also die cut the nose for the snowman).
5. Use Poppy and Classic White for the straw.
6. Use Classic White for the penguin’s face.
7. Use Peridot for the scarf.

TIP: After die cutting, place your die cuts into a Craft Stax Medium Tray for safekeeping.

8. Tape the dies in place using Best Ever Craft Tape and run them through the Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine.

9. Die cut the snowman’s body and hat base from Classic White. The body and head die cuts are designed so that they look like mini marshmallows!
10. Die cut the arms and legs from Fawn and Raven.
11. Die cut the hat trims from Cranberry.
12. Die cut the snowflake twice from Classic White.

Die Cutting the Background Panel, Leaves, Berries and Garlands

1. Take the Perfect Touch Rectangles and Tag Etched Dies and die cut the largest die from an A2 panel of Seaside ColorWheel Cardstock.

NOTE: Although the largest die from this set is sized for an A2 panel (4.25” x 5.5”), you may find it easier to die cut it from a slightly larger panel.

(Pic 5)

2. Take the Christmas Cracker Etched Dies and die cut the leaf die from Rainforest ColorWheel Cardstock.
3. Die cut the leaf spray from Waterfall.
4. Die cut the berries from Poppy.
5. Die cut the berry bases from Classic White.
6. Die cut the garland from Teal Topaz and Waterfall.

Assembling the Penguin and Snowman

TIP: Pop out all the little sections in the penguin’s face/body using the precision tool from Handy Craft Tool Set.

1. Start assembling the penguin mug by using Bearly Art Glue to adhere the face/body to the mug.

2. Using liquid glue, adhere the nose and lower section of the scarf. (To help line up this part of the scarf, temporarily position the larger scarf piece onto the mug and work out where you need to position the smaller piece.)

3. Now glue the larger scarf die cut on top.

4. Adhere the red straw die cut onto its white base. There are guidelines on the white base to help line this up.

5. Glue the straw onto the top of the mug.

6. Adhere the cocoa die cut on top.

7. Adhere the cream on top of the cocoa.

8. Adhere the mug handle to the back of the mug using thin lines of glue on the two edges of the handle. The penguin mug is now finished!

9. Adhere the snowman’s head to his body.

10. Turn the snowman over and add tiny dabs of liquid glue around the eyes and tummy. Then adhere the two black die cuts in place.

NOTE: You could just add scraps of black cardstock behind the body and head, but the head/arms die-cut pieces that fit perfectly.

11. Adhere his nose.

12. Take two of the Fawn die cuts and add a tiny dab of glue onto the top of each. Adhere the snowman down on top.

NOTE: As liquid glue is being used here, you have time to wiggle the legs around to make sure they are in the correct position.

13. Repeat for the arms.

14. Adhere the two hat trims onto the white hat base.

15. Glue the hat onto the snowman’s head. The snowman is now finished!

Assembling the Leaves/Berries

1. Adhere the white berry bases onto the foliage die cut. Use the Pick Up Tool from the Handy Craft Tool Set to help you place these.

TIP: Use the precision tool from the Handy Craft Tool Set to pop out the little sections in the berries.

2. Adhere the berries on top of their white bases.

Die Cut and Assemble the Sentiment

1. Take the Make It Merry Sentiments Etched Dies and die cut the Make It Merry die and the outline die from Poppy and Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock.

NOTE: The outline die will be cut from Classic White, and the outline banner die/sentiment die are die-cut from Poppy.

2. Use a precision tool to pop out the inner sections of the letters.

NOTE: This isn’t essential. Even if you don’t pop them out the sentiment is still visible.

3. Adhere the two die cuts together. The letters now become more visible as the sentiment is being adhered onto a white background.

Assemble the Card

1. Temporarily place the mug and sentiment onto the background panel so that it is easier to see where the garlands need to be positioned. Glue the Teal Topaz garland in place.

2. Now adhere the Waterfall garland.

3. Add Black Foam Squares onto the back of the mug. Use 4” Detail Scissors to cut small sections of foam tape where required.

Note: Don’t add foam squares over the entire back of the mug. Focus mostly on adding them down the central section and where indicated in the photo. This will make it easier to adhere things behind the mug when you come to it!

4. Remove the backings from the foam squares. Temporarily place the snowman and sentiment onto the panel before adhering the mug in place.

5. Pop some White Foam Squares onto the back of the snowman and remove the backings.

NOTE: It is easier to add one of your snowflakes to the left of the mug before putting your snowman in place. It becomes a little bit trickier once the snowman has been adhered.

6. Adhere the snowman to the left of the mug.

7. Adhere the green leaves behind the mug. You will need to cut off most of the stem for this part. Ideally, you just want the two leaves showing, not the stem.

8. Adhere the leaf/berry sprig in place. Again, you will need to cut off most of the stem before popping it in place.

9. Adhere the first snowflake on top of the leaf/berry sprig.

10. Adhere the second snowflake in place.

NOTE: As mentioned in steps 5/6 above, you could have glued your snowflake to the left of the mug before adhering the snowman in place, and it would have been simpler. However, mistakes happen when cardmaking and hindsight is a wonderful thing! It was still possible to slot the snowflake in behind the mug just by slightly lifting the snowman.

11. Adhere the sentiment using liquid glue.

12. Add a Spectrum AB Color Essentials Gem to the centre of each snowflake.

13. Glue the finished panel onto an A2 top-folding white notecard created from Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock (11” x 4.25”, scored and folded at 5.5”).

That finishes the card for today. I hope you have enjoyed seeing this sweet festive scene come to life. This die set is very cute, and the mug and snowman make a perfect pair! You could also have the marshmallow snowman popping out of the cocoa at the top of the mug!

If you would like to see more of my cards, I would love to have you join me over on my blog, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube. In the meantime, thank you so much for being with me here on the Spellbinders blog today. I hope that you have a great day!

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