Designer Spotlight: July 2025

Designs by Lisa Minor

How is it even July already?? This month’s Designer in the Spotlight is Lisa Minor. Today, I’m going to share the tea Lisa and I spilt earlier. She’s recovering from a total knee replacement right now, so let’s make sure she feels the love!

J: Lisa, you must be so uncomfortable with that big surgery you just had. I hope you have someone who’s taking care of you, and a comfy chair to sit in between therapy appointments. Do you have a favorite comfort food that always makes you feel better?

L: Chicken and Dumplings. I have so many fond memories of eating it.

J: Ooh, I love that too! Last night I caught a few minutes of a cooking show where the guy was making chicken and dumplings noodles… without the dumplings. So of course I had to go online and find a recipe! I’d serve it with apple pie for dessert, unless it’s too hot, then I might go with ice cream. If you could BE ice cream, what flavour would you be?

L: Vanilla of course! Plain, simple and delicious!

J: Oh, and versatile too! Don’t tell anybody but I have a pint of Chapman’s Butter Tart ice cream hiding deep in the bottom of the freezer. If the guys don’t know about it, I don’t have to share. 😉 Like our Prime Minister, I like a good wink. 😉 What’s your most used emoji?

L: Anything with a “thumbs up”, LOL. I’m just not that “text” savvy.

J: Let’s talk business for a minute. What’s your favourite part of seeing others use your designs for their layouts?

L: I think it’s how they put it all together. It’s such a personal thing to share photos of yourself and your family and the love shows through.

J: That’s something that always appeals to me, the individual style that Scrappers have and how they can take an identical collection of papers and elements then turn them into something beautiful, unique and intensely personal. Can you share any sneak peeks of coming attractions?

L: Yep! Arriving mid-July, Enjoy the Waves.

J: That’s going to sell like hotcakes! We’re a long way from the ocean but our lake gets some pretty decent waves on windy days. I always snicker a little when I see someone asking on Reddit about how choppy it is. Interesting way of staying informed, I guess. The teasing is usually gentle, especially for Reddit, if you know what I mean. Have you ever done anything embarrassing in public?

L: When I was 8 months pregnant with our first, it was the “year of the cicada” in Ohio. One flew down my shirt and I just literally ripped the shirt off in the parking lot. Those things are “buggly ugly”.

J: Oof!! We don’t have cicadas this far north, but we do have junebugs. When my husband and I were dating we were zipping down the highway on his motorcycle when a junebug flew into him. He said it felt like he’d been shot. And there were guts everywhere. It was gross. Another time, again on his bike, a wasp ended up flying into my bra. Stings in that area really hurt! I’m actually having phantom pain there right now… Good thing I wasn’t allergic, but it could have been kinda funny. What’s the funniest thing you believed when you were a kid?

L: I believed I had an “extra” front tooth because my teeth were so crooked. Hey, my cousin told me so, and I totally fell for it.

J: That’s kids for you. I was catfished, before catfishing was a thing. I still hate that girl with the heat of a thousand suns. And she knows it. Same girl who bit me on my thirteenth birthday. The school principal came into the girls’ bathroom to check it out and disinfect the bite before he suspended her for the rest of the week. Oy. I wanted to be anywhere but there. If you could teleport to anywhere in the world, where would you go?

L: Ireland! It’s on my bucket list.

J: Great choice! I’ve been there twice and hope to get back one more time before I get too old to travel by myself. It’s truly a magical place. Last time I was there, the strap on my purse broke and wasn’t fixable, so I went to a discount store near my hotel and bought a new one. I bet the hotel cleaning crew wondered about all the weird things I threw away when I switched them out. What’s the most unusual thing you carry in your bag or pocket?

L: I actually carry a small bag full of things like single use toothbrushes, Tylenol, antibacterial wipes, band aids, eyeglass wipes, etc. You can NEVER be too prepared.

J: I like the way you think! I do the same. Well, maybe not the toothbrushes, but I have some flossers! And a screwdriver. Like you say, be prepared for ANYTHING. One last question, then I’ll let you get some rest. Do you have a guilty pleasure? I mean, one that you can share with our readers? 😉

L: True Crime. I’m obsessed.

J: ME TOO!! Particularly the ones that use forensic genetic genealogy. The things real people do are so much more twisted than any fiction writer could dream up. So fascinating! Well, I promised to keep this short so you’re not wiped out. Go put your feet up and have a nice cup of tea while I finish up here.

In addition to her usual monthly Pinterest Challenge, Lisa is also hosting the Designer Spotlight Challenge. And she’s providing our July Daily Download kit here on the Blog. It’s called Listen to the Music and I can’t wait to see the whole collection. But that’s not all… she has a coupon code 7sdlm20off …ON TOP of the already 50% off discount this month you can take an ADDITIONAL 20% off a single purchase of $5 or more. What a deal!! (It’s a single-use code, so make sure you fill your cart with ALL the goodies before you use it.) See you all next week for another Tutorial Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

DD: JUL 3

https://bit.ly/3I0nwf9

Follow Lisa on her Facebook Fan Page and her blog.

Remember, the download is kept up for 5 days, and then it is taken down. If you miss pieces, the kit will be available for purchase on the first day of the following month.

Post expires at 10:00am on Wednesday July 9th, 2025

DD: JUL 2

https://bit.ly/4laHJ0r

Follow Lisa on her Facebook Fan Page and her blog.

Remember, the download is kept up for 5 days, and then it is taken down. If you miss pieces, the kit will be available for purchase on the first day of the following month.

Post expires at 10:00am on Tuesday July 8th, 2025

Tutorial Tuesday (CANADA DAY!)

Happy Canada Day Eh!

Okay, so technically, this isn’t a tutorial. But it does show the power of using a search bar when you’re in the Shop… I just typed “Canada” into the box and got 9 pages of results.

Today is the 158th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, and we Canucks are very proud of our country. But we don’t typically express it with over-the-top celebrations and rah-rah patriotism. That doesn’t mean we’re not patriotic, we’re just quieter and more intentional about it. The events of the last 6 months have brought out a fierce, determined pride in us and we’re growing into our love of country in a way we’re starting to become very comfortable with. We still won’t be throwing monster family picnics or parading down every small-town main street on July 1st, but we’ll definitely celebrating. If you’re a Canadian and you’re celebrating today, here are some GingerScraps collections to help you commemorate us.

What I love about this kit from Kristmess is that it recognizes our First Nations history and culture, which has never been more intrinsic to Canada’s identity. You can find it here.

Adrienne Skelton has included word art all the provinces, but I don’t see the three Territories, Nunavut, Yukon and Northwest Territories. (Sometimes I think they’re like Puerto Rico, Guam and USVI, out of sight and mind.) Anyway, she’s also named some of our major cities, got the hockey skates, stick and puck in there and lots of maple leaves. It’s here.

My son-in-law is a Mountie so I love that Scrappy Kat has them and their Stetson in her kit. I spy some maple syrup too. For a closer look: here.

Well, it definitely looks like Canada has a colour palette… Robyn‘s got the cutest moose so far! Find it here.

Heather Z has a bunch of little Canucks in her kit.

Magical Scraps Galore has also given a little nod to our Indigenous peoples with the snowshoes and totem pole in her kit. I think this is the first one with a snowflake in it. 🙂

Wetfish Designs has some lovely frame clusters that you can see here.

Connie Prince is the first to mention fireworks… Yes, Canadians celebrate their birthday with fireworks; the display over Parliament Hill in Ottawa is usually televised and is quite spectacular. Here in Kelowna, our fireworks are launched out over the lake to minimize our ever-present fire risk. We can see them from our deck, so we can avoid those crowds that I hate so much. 😉 Find it here.

Connie additionally has this older kit, part of her Travelogue series. I like the flairs she created with some map sections; they make the kit truly Canadian. Her Travelogue series also includes kits for three of the ten provinces, Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.

Most of the collections I’ve shown you here have add-on packs of papers, word art or clusters too. If you want to see them, just do the “Canada” search. 😉 Elbows up!!

GingerScraps: New FREE with Purchase Collab, New Monthly Mix, New Buffet & More!!

Hello scrapping friends — welcome to July and the second half 0f 2026!
We’re kicking off the month with all the fresh goodies you love at GingerScraps:
*A brand new Free With Purchase collab
*A gorgeous new Monthly Mix
*A colorful new Buffet that has all the summer vibes
…and so much more!

Don’t forget to check out the Buffet Bundles. One easy click to add bundles of Buffet goodies to your cart.

The buffet this month has a fun mid-summer mix of colors!

Remember any $10 spent in the store gets you this great collab. I love those blues and yellows!

Let your memories sparkle with Shine Bright, a sunny and serene collection by The GingerBread Ladies. Bursting with cheerful blues and yellows, this beachy collab features sunshine, lemons, sailboats, seashells, and starfish—everything you need to scrap joyful summer days and radiant seaside moments. Whether you’re capturing a stroll on the sand, a splash in the waves, or just a bright day filled with smiles, this kit will help your creativity shine!

This collab includes: 1 Alpha {Uppercase, Lowercase, Numbers & Punctuation}, 71 Papers, and 87 Elements.

This Free With Purchase was created by Cindy Ritter Designs, Ilonkas Designs, LDragDesigns, and Let Me Scrapbook.

Escape to a paradise of color and calm with Tropical Love Land, a vibrant, tropical-inspired collab by The GingerBread Ladies. Bursting with bright summer hues and lush tropical vibes, this kit features exotic birds, flamingos, seashells, sunset skies, and flowers galore. Perfect for beach getaways, hammock lounging, or scrapping your own island daydreams, Tropical Love Land brings the magic of summer love to every layout.

This kit includes: 3 Alphas {Uppercase, Lowercase, Numbers & Punctuation}, 48 Papers, and 84 Elements.

This Monthly Mix was created by Aimee Harrison, CarolW Designs, Connie Prince, and Scrapbookcrazy Creations by Robyn.

July’s Daily Download is provided by Designs by Lisa Minor. Collect new pieces daily on the GingerScraps Blog.

Take a look at the new challenge reward kit. If you complete any 10 challenges this month, you get this gorgeous collab (or a variety of other choices from previous challenge collabs) as a reward!

Step up to the plate with Baseball Fever — a sporty and spirited digital scrapbooking collab by The GingerBread Ladies! Whether you’re documenting little league triumphs, cheering from the stands, or celebrating a grand slam moment, this kit has all the bases covered. Packed with classic baseball elements like bats, balls, gloves, scorecards, and caps, along with bold reds, blues, and neutral tones, it’s a must-have for any baseball fan. Batter up and play ball!

This kit includes: 1 Alpha {Uppercase, Lowercase, Numbers & Punctuation}, 71 Papers, 96 Elements, and 4 12×12 Template {png, psd file formats}.

This Challenge Reward was created by Craft-tastrophic, Cutie Pie Scraps, Designs by Lisa Minor, and Moore Blessings Digital Design.

Here are a few layouts from our store creative team. These were made using the Daily Download.

DD: JUL 1

It’s a new month and time for a new Daily Download. Before we get to the new sneak peeks, let’s look at the full kits from June.

You’re a Peach by Aimee Harrison Designs

Cleaning Day by Twin Mom Scraps

Now to the July Sneak Peek. We only have one kit for July. This month’s kit is from Designs by Lisa Minos.

https://bit.ly/3I4tThn

Follow Lisa on her Facebook Fan Page and her blog.

Remember, the download is kept up for 5 days, and then it is taken down. If you miss pieces, the kit will be available for purchase on the first day of the following month.

Post expires at 10:00am on Monday July 7th, 2025

DD: JUN 30

https://bit.ly/43zxP0v

Follow Aimee on her Facebook Fan Page.

Follow Rebecca on her Facebook Fan Page and her Facebook Group.

Remember, the download is kept up for 5 days, and then it is taken down. If you miss pieces, the kit will be available for purchase on the first day of the following month.

Post expires at 10:00am on Sunday July 6th, 2025

DD: JUN 29

https://bit.ly/43wpue3

Follow Aimee on her Facebook Fan Page.

Follow Rebecca on her Facebook Fan Page and her Facebook Group.

Remember, the download is kept up for 5 days, and then it is taken down. If you miss pieces, the kit will be available for purchase on the first day of the following month.

Post expires at 10:00am on Saturday July 5th, 2025

DD: JUN 28

https://bit.ly/43CmAEU

Follow Aimee on her Facebook Fan Page.

Follow Rebecca on her Facebook Fan Page and her Facebook Group.

Remember, the download is kept up for 5 days, and then it is taken down. If you miss pieces, the kit will be available for purchase on the first day of the following month.

Post expires at 10:00am on Friday July 4th, 2025

Fresh Baked: June 27

Hey everyone. Welcome to another Friday and almost the end of June. I can’t believe we are already halfway through 2025. Time to get to work on that list it items I wanted to get done this year.

Remember if you spend $10 in the store, you get this great collab as a gift.

Let’s see what is new in the shop this week.

Just a few more days to get those challenges finished and logged. If you complete any 10 challenges this month, you get this gorgeous collab (or a variety of other choices from previous challenge collabs) as a reward!