DD: FEB 14

https://bit.ly/4beErHi

Alternative link : DD_Feb_2026_Day_14_ihgwfnuq.zip

Join Sheri in her Facebook Group.

Follow Jen on her Facebook Fan Page and join 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 February 20th, 2026

DD: FEB 13

https://bit.ly/4bTbRLL

Alternative link : DD_Feb_2026_Day_13_ebkowugt.zip

Join Sheri in her Facebook Group.

Follow Jen on her Facebook Fan Page and join 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 Thursday February 19th, 2026

DD: FEB 12

https://bit.ly/4k2yO1p

Alternative link : DD_Feb_2026_Day_12_buqxxiry.zip

Join Sheri in her Facebook Group.

Follow Jen on her Facebook Fan Page and join 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 Wednesday February 18th, 2026

DD: FEB 11

https://bit.ly/46dsZYZ

Alternative link : DD_Feb_2026_Day_11_dijymshq.zip

Join Sheri in her Facebook Group.

Follow Jen on her Facebook Fan Page and join 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 Tuesday February 17th, 2026

DD: FEB 10

https://bit.ly/4t0dMV6

Alternative link : DD_Feb_2026_Day_10_cknhtaui.zip

Join Sheri in her Facebook Group.

Follow Jen on her Facebook Fan Page and join 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 Monday February 16th, 2026

DD: FEB 9

https://bit.ly/4jZVEqk

Alternative link : DD_Feb_2026_Day_9_wjkfxrho.zip

Join Sheri in her Facebook Group.

Follow Jen on her Facebook Fan Page and join 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 February 15th, 2026

Designer Spotlight (February 2026)

Jumpstart Designs

This month’s Designer Spotlight is shining on Jen from J Conlon and Sons, and Sheri, also known as Jumpstart Designs. Jen hasn’t been in touch so I’m not sure if I’ll have a post highlighting her – but she IS hosting some Challenges and such, so I’ll drop that info at the end.

As you may remember, Sheri and I have known each other a long time. But she can still surprise me! We started out with the formalities, chatting about designing. What follows is a transcript of our conversation.

J: I think I know the answer to to this, but I’ll ask you anyway. What lights your design fire most?

S: Color! And sometimes I’ll get inspired by reviewing all the PINS I’ve saved on Pinterest over the years.

J: I KNEW you were going to say colour!! That’s one thing that’s always obvious when looking at your designs. There’s an indefinable quality to the way you use colour that’s very appealing. This one might take a little thought on your part. If you could only use THREE design tools for the rest of your career, what would they be?

S: CTRL-Z (undo) is my favorite Photoshop “tool” for sure! As for the other two…. CTRL-Z and CTRL-Z! LOL

J: <snort-laughs> My sister!! If you’ve read any of my tutorials, I mention CTRL/CMD>Z ALL the time! (I don’t discriminate – Mac commands are always included too.) I’ve found a bunch of other places it works, and use it with gusto. What does your design process look like?

S:    Remember, you asked!

  • I look around for inspiring ideas
  • Think of a kit name
  • Create my preview packaging with pretty title-work. Create files for every product (elements, add-ons, papers, wordart, etc.) so they are all ready to go.
  • Start on elements (usually florals first. I love them).
  • Add to previews as I go along.
  • After about a dozen elements, I change my mind and decide the preview packaging should be a different color, so I change them all.
  • Create more elements then tweak the colors more.
  • Go back and change the preview packaging again.
  • Work on more elements. Stare at them a bunch. Tweak them more.
  • Decide maybe I should go with a different style. Re-do everything.
  • Stare at them a bunch. Tweak them more. Change previews again.
  • Eventually work on papers and other elements.
  • Go back and tweak some more.
  • Tweak the previews more….
  • And on… and on… and on… LOL
  • And about the time I FINALLY get everything done and uploaded to the shop, I noticed I messed SOMETHING up and must go back and fix everything. LOL

J: That’s very… detailed. Almost like I wrote it! 😉 It’s interesting that you use the previews as your foundation. But it works, so don’t change anything!! So, knowing all that, what’s the most challenging part of digital designing? I mean, after all the false starts. ;D

S: The amount of time it takes me to complete a kit or collection. I’ve been told I’m too picky about little details, including how I do my previews. It’s shocking how much time I spend changing and tweaking things. I often wonder how other designers manage to put new designs out so frequently.

J: See above! Your attention to detail is a huge benefit for your fans, though. But yeah, it’s a mystery to me how some Designers are SO prolific. They have to have some kind of secret sauce or something! Wow, those noodles I ate for lunch are making me thirsty. But boy were they good! If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

S: Anything Mexican and cheesy!

J: So, are nachos your go-to comfort food, or is there some other yummy thing you love?

S: Funeral potatoes. WHAT????? (you say)? Yes, funeral potatoes are a thing here in Utah. If you ever want to know what they are, or get the recipe, let me know.

J: I know funeral potatoes! They don’t show up much at the funerals I attend – we lean on perogies… similar principle. My cousin always brings a big tub of soup. She’s half Ukrainian and she says, “Soup makes you strong like bull!” in a heavily accented, gruff voice that sounds just like my uncle. Yeah, we’re a little odd. What’s the funniest thing you believed when you were a kid?

S: As a young child around ten years old, I had heard of “carpools” but really had no idea what “carpooling” was. One day when riding with my mom in the car, we pulled up next to an El Camino and I pointed to it and said, “Look Mom! A Carpool!” (It made sense to me at the time.)

J: It makes perfect sense to me! What else would you do with that? It would be hilarious to see one filled with water and pool floaties, inflatable palm trees  and flamingos around the edges. I can see it now! 😀 Are you a prankster? Have you ever pulled off the perfect prank?

S: Several years ago, I worked for an aerospace company and one of the Engineers that worked there was a huge fan of Twinkies. He always had several boxes of them in his office, and everyone was always teasing him about it. One day me and another co-worker “kidnapped” all of them and held them for ransom. Not a monetary ransom, but just for silly things. He didn’t know which of the several people in the office did it, and it was hilarious watching him try to find out. Nearly every day we would leave him another “ransom note” with different clues or silly demands. It provided daily entertainment and laughter for almost two months before we gave in.

J: OMG! That would have been priceless! I used to work with a very… um… particular… doctor who NEVER had a pen with him. (I mean, come on! How do you write orders in a paper chart without a pen, Laurance?) One day, I waited patiently for him to ask if he could borrow my pen – then handed him a hot pink one with a gigantic blinking eyeball, complete with lashes, on the end. The silence from all the others on rounds was deafening, but I could tell everybody was trying so hard not to laugh. I’d like to say that was the last time he borrowed a pen from me, but no. I can’t. I kinda miss that chaos. Wish I could just pop in once in awhile, just to see my team. Oh well. If you could teleport anywhere in the world, where would it be?

S: WEIRD ANSWER ALERT! I’d teleport to Bali, and here’s why:

I was watching a Netflix series called THE WORLD’S MOST AMAZING VACATION RENTALS. Season 1, Episode 1 is called “The Best of Bali”. The first half of the episode shows the most adorable authentic bamboo hut, surrounded by tropical gardens. It is the coolest thing ever! If I could be anywhere right now… it would be there.

J: I can just see you examining the walls to make sure they used real bamboo. A lot of your designs have a distinct tropical flavour, so I don’t think this is a weird answer at all. Now I think I need to get down to business. Have a fabulous Spotlight month, Sheri!

You’re here on the GingerScraps Blog, so I know you’re aware of the Daily Downloads. This is Sheri‘s sneak peek.

Isn’t that cute?! She’s host of one Designer Spotlight Challenge this month, and her regular Jumpstart Your Layouts Challenge, which includes this free (not exactly) mini-kit:

Jen‘s Designer Spotlight Challenge joins her regular Template Challenge and there’s a sneak peek for her Daily Download in her Designer Spotlight thread. Be sure to check them out!

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

Hello February and hello scrappy friends! A brand new month is here, and you know what that means at GingerScraps. Fresh inspiration, beautiful new goodies, and so many fun reasons to play with your photos and tell your stories.
This month is packed with everything you love. A brand new Free With Purchase collab, a gorgeous new Monthly Mix, and a colorful new Buffet filled with kits ready to spark your creativity. We also have a whole new batch of AMAZING challenges waiting for you in the forum, along with a brand new reward you can earn by completing just 10 challenges this month.
And that’s not all. Please help us give a big GingerScraps welcome to our two new Feature Designers, Jumpstart Designs and J. Conlon and Sons. They will be filling the blog with freebies EVERY day, giving you even more reasons to stop by, get inspired, and scrap along with us all month long.
February is officially open and we cannot wait to see what you create!

*A brand new Free With Purchase collab
*A gorgeous new Monthly Mix
*A colorful new Buffet that has a great mix of kits
…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 colors for February definitely scream Valentine’s Day and I love it. So many gorgeous kits for those special photos.
Remember any $10 spent in the store gets you this great collab.

Love Stories is a romantic collaboration inspired by vintage love letters and timeless connections. With a rich palette ranging from deep red to soft pink and lush greens from dark to light, this kit is filled with old fashioned charm and heartfelt emotion. Perfect for telling stories of romance, anniversaries, memories, and cherished relationships, Love Stories brings elegance and nostalgia to your pages. Each element evokes the beauty of handwritten notes, lasting love, and stories meant to be remembered forever.

This collab includes: 2 Alphas {Uppercase}, 61 Papers, and 94 Elements.

This Free With Purchase was created by Angelle Designs, Aprilisa Designs, CathyK Designs, J. Conlon and Sons, and JB Studio.

The Blooming Creative is a joyful collaboration celebrating art, imagination, and growing into your creativity. Inspired by the fresh energy of spring and the excitement of new ideas, this kit is filled with art supplies, creative projects, whimsical florals, and expressive details. A bright and playful palette of pink, green, teal, orange, and blue is grounded with bold black and white accents that make every page pop. Perfect for documenting creative journeys, artistic moments, and the beauty of self expression, The Blooming Creative invites you to let your ideas bloom.

This kit includes: 4 Alphas {Uppercase, Lowercase, Numbers & Punctuation}, 56 Papers, 92 Elements, and 4 12×12 Template {png, psd, tif file formats}.

This Monthly Mix was created by Jumpstart Designs, Kristmess, Lisa Rosa Designs, and Miss Fish Templates.

January’s Daily Download is provided by Jumpstart Designs and J. Conlong and Sons. 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!

Just for You captures the sweetness of love made personal. The handwritten note, the thoughtful surprise, the everyday affection that feels like a warm hug. This playful and heartfelt collaboration celebrates joy, sincerity, and giving love simply because it feels good to make someone smile. Designed in a cheerful palette of pinks, purples, peach, and teal, this kit is perfect for documenting meaningful moments, thoughtful gestures, friendships, and love in all its forms. Every element reflects warmth, connection, and the beauty of making someone feel truly special.

This kit includes: 1 Alpha {Uppercase & Numbers}, 55 Papers, and 91 Elements.

This Challenge Reward was created by Neia Scraps, Twin Mom Scraps, WM[squared] Designs, and Wetfish Designs.

Take a look at these gorgeous layouts from our site creative team. These were made using the February Monthly Mix.

Designer Spotlight (January 2026)

Neia Scraps

Welcome to the first Designer Spotlight of 2026! Up first this year is the Über-productive and highly-sought-after Edneia aka Neia Scraps. Now, Neia and I have had a number of chats, and this time we’ve come up with some great new schtick… she has a great sense of humour and we get along like a house on fire. Wanna know what I’ve learned about her lately? Read on!

J: I’m so happy you’re here again! We must be doing something right, you keep coming back for more. I told you last time we talked how much I love the small changes you’ve made to the spirit of your designs. Bet you didn’t know I bought about a dozen of your collections not long after that chat. 😉 Before we really get into it, let’s remind everybody how you got into digital design in the first place.

N: It started very naturally. I was drawn to the creative freedom — being able to tell stories visually without strict rules. Over time, it became my main creative language.

J: Ah, creative freedom! That’s something we all enjoy. What’s the main source of your inspiration when designing a new collection?

N: Usually a feeling first, not an object. I like starting with a mood and letting the elements grow from there.

J: That explains the subtle shift in your work. It’s definitely more sensitive and passionate. How would you describe your work?

N: Artistic, emotional, and organic.

J: Totally! I’ve noticed that your collections have expanded and become very inclusive. Do you prefer designing papers or elements?

N: Elements. They feel more organic to me — like little characters that can live in many different stories.

J: That’s a great way to describe them. I love elements that are truly versatile. Because, well… my credit lists are the stuff of legend. 😀 I often take one element from each of a dozen kits and bring them all together into one layout. It’s fun! What do you enjoy most about seeing others use your designs?

N: Seeing how personal their pages become. The designs are mine, but the stories are theirs — and that’s the best part.

J: It must be so satisfying! Now, since colour is a huge part of designing, if you could BE a colour, which one would you choose?

N: A soft neutral. Calm on the surface, but very flexible and expressive when combined with other colors.

J: I love it! Colour Ninja! So how do you unwind after a long design-superhero day?

N: A quiet moment with coffee or tea. I like letting my mind wander — that’s usually when new ideas show up.

J: I like a nice snuggle with one of my dogs. (Lately, not the one that keeps peeing on the hallway runner. She’s on the bad-dog list. :D) If you could have any animal, real or imaginary, as a pet, what would you have?

N: A dragon. I’d love to fly on its back. And if that sounds a little Fourth Wing–inspired… that’s definitely not a coincidence.

J: Nothing wrong with a little flight-of-fancy! Would you teleport if you could?

N: I’d go somewhere cold and calm. Snow, trees, a cozy place… the kind of place where ideas slow down and settle.

J: Canada fits that bill! Right now, where I live, we don’t actually have any snow – which is NOT usual, but it’s making a lot of people happy. What one thing always makes you smile?

N: When someone uses my designs in a way I never imagined. That’s always a nice surprise.

J: Aha! You’ve thrown down a gauntlet there. Hear that everybody? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find a completely unique and unexpected way to use Neia Scraps designs for a layout. Even better? She’s hosting TWO Challenges this month!! Of course, she’d hosting the Designer Spotlight Challenge, as well as her usual My Memories Challenge. (They’re linked up for you, just click on them.) And if that’s not enough for you… This month, everything in her store is 45% off—or even more on bundles! And here’s a little bonus: spend $20 or more and get an extra 10% off at checkout. Use the coupon: NEIA-SL202610

Aaaaaand… the Daily Download, here on the Blog is yours, free, for the taking.

Well, what are you waiting for? GO!

 

 

 

Designer Spotlight (December 2025)

Its The Scrappy Kat!

Seriously? Only 29 days left in 2025… don’t blink! Our final Designer Spotlight for the year is on Katina, aka The Scrappy Kat. She and I haven’t actually chatted before, so it was lovely learning more about her. We talked a bit about her design process and then had a few chuckles. Check it out!

J: Thanks for putting yourself out there for me to grill, Katina. Tell me how you got into digital scrapbook design.

K: As with most designers, I venture to guess that they started out the same way, as a layout artist on another designer’s creative team. After a while, I started to dabble in designing for blog trains and other freebies. I finally worked up the nerve to make my first kit that I submitted to an on-line store and I got the position. My digital scrapbooking design career was born.

J: It seems like there are basically two paths to digital scrapbooking design… belonging to a creative team, as you say, or not being able to find the style/theme of product you like so you create your own. 😉 Whatever the path, you’re all awesome! Is there a story behind your brand?

K: My name is Katina, Kat for short, then just add a cool cat on my logo, and voila, that’s where The Scrappy Kat comes from!

J: Of course, the simplest explanation is usually the best one. What does your design process look like?

K: I always start out with the palette, then makes my cardstocks for the kit. After the cardstocks, I create the pattern papers for the kit. After all the papers are made, I start on the elements. When working on the elements, I try to include both themed elements, but also all the basics for creating a wonderful layout. This includes ribbons, flowers, greenery, fasteners, frames, tags, confetti, banners, and more.

J: The palette appears to be the initial spark for every Designer I talk to. The Buffet always has a specific palette, and most of you create collections for those, so it’s a bit of a no-brainer. I love a Designer who includes fasteners and tags. They’re very necessary for my particular design style, and make me that much more likely to buy a product. Good job! What stimulates your imagination most, especially when you’re lacking inspiration?

K: My number one inspiration is my creative team. When I am feeling stuck or have lost my design mojo, I turn to them for inspiration and kit ideas. They never let me down.

J: That’s fantastic! True teamwork always means back-and-forth-give-and-take. Do you have one kit you’re most proud of? I know… it’s like being asked who your favourite child is, right? 😀

K: My kit called, “My Boy” is my favorite by far. I sometimes struggle to find kits that are boy friendly. I like to have elements that are great for clustering and creating a masculine layout without having to use tons of flowers. That is what inspired me to create this kit, to scrap all the photos of my son, Logan.

J: YES!! This! I won’t say I don’t put flowers on my boy layouts, but if I have more options, that’s great! Browsing your Shop, I see a lot of masculine kits and more androgenous colour palettes. So, all you moms-of-boys, check it out… My grandsons have two very different personalities; the older one is very intellectual, science-y and introverted – but goofy. The younger one is a drama llama, literally – he’s already acted in local theatre – he’s 9 – and he’s a bit of a trickster. Are you the prankster, or the prankee?

K: In high school I was voted class clown. I was the queen of practical jokes. However, one day, my two best friends decided to get me back for years of pranks. They took my jar of Carmex and squirted super glue inside. I didn’t notice until I had smeared it all over my lips. Luckily, I smelt the glue and didn’t put my lips together, or I would have really been in trouble. This was before super glue remover, so I had to wait for it to rub off on its own. It was a mean prank, but in hindsight, I deserved it.

J: Oh dear heaven! That could have been a very bad scene!! Thankfully, the skin on our lips and in our mouths turns over really fast. I’ve glued my fingers together more times than I should mention, and have used skin glue on surgical patients. You were lucky. Oy. My tale of woe? I was catfished before catfishing had a name, and generations before social media. I was 12 and had a huge crush on the boy next door. Looking back, I’m not sure what the attraction was, but it was what it was. I found a note in my desk at school that seemed to be from him, asking me to meet him at the library after dinner. I stayed until the librarian kicked me out into the dark and he didn’t show. Later I found out that the note was written by one of the girls in the next grade who apparently “hated my guts.” She laughed and laughed at how gullible I was. The next year, she was suspended from school for 3 days after she attacked me physically on the ball diamond. Of course, she blamed me, in that abuser look-what-you-made-me-do way. They say living well is the best revenge, and I wound up much more successful than she did. 😉 Anyway… Let’s talk about pets. If you could have any pet, real or imaginary, what would it be?

K: Poodles, poodles, poodles! I have three miniature poodles (Gizmo, Rigby, and Ziggy) and I’ll always have poodles. They all have their own personalities, but they are all loving and live to please me. They are my buddies!

J: We have a white standard poodle somewhere in our neighbourhood. She’s beautiful. Dog people are the best, aren’t we? I’ve met more people just by walking my dogs. They love everybody and can totally drag my up the side of the mountain when they see someone they know. Or someone they don’t know. And then they want to jump up on them so I throw myself in the way. What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever done in public?

K: When we are grocery shopping, I love to dance along to the music they are playing when a good song comes on while I go down each aisle. The whole time embarrassing my husband and son that are with me, as they beg me to stop.

J: I just did that!! I was with my sister and started dancing in the shoe department. She must be used to being out with our brother – she didn’t seem embarrassed at all. Is there one song above all that will get you going?

K: That’s easy. It has to be YMCA by the Village People. If you don’t know how to spell out the letters and sing along to it, we can’t be friends. Just kidding.

J: No worries there! I was barely out of my teens when it came out and can totally sing and dance along! What I lack in talent I make up for with enthusiasm. Oh my, look at the time! My son will be home any minute. I just want to ask one more question. If I was starting out as a new digital Designer, what wise words would you tell me?

K: Find a designer willing to mentor you. The advice they can give you is invaluable and it will make starting out so much easier. It is great to have someone to bounce things off of and answer all your questions.

J: Wise words indeed! Thank you so much for letting us peek into your world. We all hope your Spotlight month is a smashing success! <takes deep breath before launching into the requisite spiel…?

At risk of sounding like a broken record, don’t forget that our Spotlight Designer provides all of us with the Daily Download. For those unfamiliar, the DD is a complete kit, portioned out in bite-sized packets the links for which are posted each day of the month, here on the GingerScraps Blog. The links are good for 5 days, so don’t panic if you miss a day. Want a sneak peek?

There are often add-on packets posted to the GingerScraps Facebook page too. Katina is also hosting the Designer Spotlight Challenge this month in addition to her monthly Journaling Challenge. Make sure you take a look. And as if all that wasn’t enough… she has a sale!

… if your budget hasn’t been blown on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday sales. 😀

Now I must get back to trying to make our security cameras work again…