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.

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!

Fresh Baked: June 20

Hey there scrappy friends. I hope you have had a wonderful week and made some memories to scrap. We’ve got a few things for you today.

June Free with Purchase collab – {summer party}

New Fresh Baked releases

June Monthly Mix collab – {summer reflections}

June Challege Reward collab – {summer time}

All of the GingerBread Ladies collabs this month are about summer.

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

Let’s see the new items available in the shop this week.

Have you picked up the June Montly Mix? It’s beautiful.

How are your challenges going? 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!

GingerScraps Fresh Baked Friday and Summer Dreamin’ Sale – June 6, 2025

Hey there fellow scrappers. We’re at the first Friday in June and we have a few things going on this week.

Summer Dreamin’ Flash Sale (June 6-9)

• new Fresh Baked items

• Fun challenges in the forum

Remember if you spend $10 in the store, you will get this great collab for free.

Let’s see what the designers have new for us this week.

Let’s see what our designers are offering in the Summer Dreamin’ Sale!

Have you started on your challenges yet? 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!

Designer Spotlight: June 2025

Twin Mom Scraps

You may remember Rebecca, aka Twin Mom Scraps, who was in the Spotlight in November 2024. Well, she’s up again! And since we talked about all the bread-and-butter stuff so recently, we decided to go with a bit more of a fun chat this time.

J: Rebecca, thanks for chatting with me again! Hold on while I fast-forward past the Christmas song that just came on my shuffle playlist… Ah. There. Now, let’s talk about the fun stuff, like food. What’s the weirdest combo you’ve ever tried?

R: Pickles and peanut butter on Ritz Crackers (don’t knock it til you try it!)

J: I like peanut butter on Ritz. I might even be okay with the pickles, especially if they’re the spicy-sweet ones from Costco. I just ate some spinach dip on tortilla chips, which wasn’t as nasty as it might have been. Do you have a favourite comfort food?

R: Any kind of soup. My chicken and dumplings is a favorite!

J: Mm. Not a soup fan, although I do like homemade turkey soup, and French onion soup. When I need a food hug, I usually go with macaroni and canned tomatoes. That makes me think of my dad. While we’re talking food, if you could have dinner with any two people, living or dead, who would you choose?

R: My mom and dad (both have passed away).

J: I was lucky enough to have lunch with my mom, who’s 89 now, and my sister, on Sunday. My dad passed in August. We talked about him a bit, and I could tell my mom misses him terribly. My sister is 14 years younger than me, and some of the stories we told while we reminisced were things she’d never heard before. We had some good laughs mixed in with the more serious moments. What’s the funniest thing you believed as a kid?

R: If I swallowed gum, it would not digest for 7 years

J: I think we ALL believed that! Now, if you could be any age for a week, what age would you choose?

R: 46…my current age! I am in the best shape of my life and feel great!

J: That’s fantastic! I wish… Let me think about when I was 46 for a minute. You know, that was a good time for me too. I was working on my dream unit and learning a ton of new skills. If you could instantly learn a new skill, what would you want it to be?

R: A second language!

J: Now, wouldn’t that be useful? My husband and both daughters are fluently bilingual, English and French. The girls are also fluent in sarcasm, so I guess you could say they’re trilingual! They’re pretty comfortable with social media, too; the older one is a TikTok-er and the younger is all about the ‘Gram. What’s your most used emoji?

R: I use this one way more than I probably should.

J: As long as you don’t smack yourself first, then use the emoji, I guess it’s okay. Mine is this one….

J: I spend entirely too much time on social media, or playing games on my phone. Oh, and watching too much TV! Do you have a guilty pleasure?

R: In general, I love re-watching shows I’ve already seen (some favorites are Dexter, YOU, and Ozark). My favorite movie is probably Crazy Rich Asians.

J: I’m not big on rewatching, but I’ve seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club probably a dozen times each. Maybe Arrested Development was about me. Now, before I let you off the hook, we should talk a bit about the obligatory design stuff. Do you have a favourite season to design for?

R: Fall and winter are definitely my favorite seasons to design.

J: Oh, the possibilities are endless for those, aren’t they? If you could collaborate with any of the other GingerBread Ladies – past or present – who would it be?

R: I have collaborated with Connie Prince a few times. I would love to collaborate with Aprilisa Designs…I love her kits!

J: Well let’s put it out there and maybe it’ll come to be!! Thanks again for torturing yourself with me. I hope you have a GREAT Spotlight month! For the rest of you who have hung on to the bitter end, Rebecca is cohosting the Designer Spotlight Challenge for June with Aimee Harrison, in addition to her regular monthly Memory Mix Up Challenge. And she’s gifting us with a special Daily Download kit. Make sure you check out her June Buffet collection Beach Vibes; it looks like a mini-vacation! Oh, and she’s having a sale…

 

Stay tuned for a couple of new tutorials coming later in the month!

Designer Spotlight (June 2025)

Aimee Harrison

This month we again have TWO Designers in the Spotlight. Many of you already know Aimee, or have used her amazing designs, and she’s been in the Spotlight before, so our little chat took a bit of a meandering path. How so? You’ll see!

J: Aimee! It’s good to chat with you again. I apologize in advance if you hear my son cacking in the background. Things are still not back to normal here and he’s spending all his time with Mom. I’ve got a movie on for him and he’s nothing if not easily amused. Last time we visited, we talked about all the meat-and-potatoes stuff related to your designing, so this time, let’s do something a bit more informal. You okay with that? Oh wait… there are a couple of design-related things I wanted to ask about… Do you have a favourite theme or occasion that you always turn to when you’re designing?

A: I love to design flower types, I never run out.

J: Your flowers are always so gorgeous! You’ve clearly had lots of practice creating them. Do you have a favourite season or holiday that you MUST design for?

A: Spring because I love the colors and new growth.

J: I love all the seasons for different reasons, but spring is special, isn’t it? There’s so many ways you can portray spring and spring-like subjects, and still have it be relevant and coherent. You mentioned flowers and colour… do you have any design routines or rituals you follow when you start designing a new collection?

A: I am very methodical in my designing. I design the packs first in a certain order, then I design the kit and each portion is designed in order as well. Makes sure I have a well rounded kit and collection.

J: It makes sense to have a formula of sorts, to make sure you don’t forget an important aspect of the collection. Do you think you have a signature element or technique that makes people know instantly that YOU designed something?

A: I think it’s my titles both in the kit and as a standalone pack. Also probably my Alphas.

J: I know your titles are a great feature, especially for the new-to-digi Scrapper who might not be ready to design their own. And I LOVE a nice, matching Alpha!! The literal alpha, although there are some very fine Alpha men out there. 😉 Especially in those superhero movies I’ve been watching with Adam. If you could live in any fictional universe, which one would you choose?

A: Harry Potter, I would love how convenient magic is.

J: As long as you could control it completely, it sure would be convenient. Do you have a TV or movie guilty pleasure?

A: I do. It’s Outlander.

J: Mmmmhmmmm. Speaking of Alpha males! Although Brianna holds her own. Strong genes. She and Clare have had to adapt to such huge shifts in technology but they make it look easy. If you could instantly learn a new skill, what would you want it to be?

A: How to paint. I would love to be able to do watercolors especially.

J: Watercolour painting is fascinating. The way the colour moves with the water on the paper, and how it can be turned into something beautiful with just a few strokes… I could watch watercolour videos all day! Oh, and alcohol inks, They’re really interesting too. Lately I’ve been watching some how-to videos on my tablet while I get myself into the bedtime zone. I find I can turn off all the intrusive thoughts by concentrating on the processes. How do you unwind?

A: I like to read.

J: That would be my idea of a perfect day, to stay in bed and read.

A: I would live in pajamas if I could. For sure!

J: One thing I can’t do near bedtime though is listen to music. I find myself singing the lyrics in my head, over and over and sleep goes out the window. The other night I sang the entire eight minutes and forty-two seconds of American Pie. In my head. I think that would be my go-to if I ever did another karaoke night. Do you have one of those?

A: Jolene, by Dolly Parton, I believe. I don’t sing karaoke very often because I’m terrible lol.

J: I didn’t say I was good, just that I know all the lyrics. 😀 Karaoke is Adam’s favourite part of his day program. He makes up for his lack of talent with great enthusiasm. Speaking of Adam, I think his movie is over. I should check on him, I suppose. But before we end this little conversation, I want to remind our readers that Aimee will be hosting one arm of the June Designer Spotlight Challenge in addition to her regular, long-running Color Challenge. And she’s also giving us a stunning Daily Download! Don’t forget to check out her June Buffet collection Jardinière.

Aimee has a coupon!

 

Check back on the 4th for Part Two of this month’s Designer Spotlight, Twin Mom Scraps!

 

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

Hello scrapping friends — welcome to June!
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 colors this month (and the GingerBread Ladies collabs) are all about summer!

Remember any $10 spent in the store gets you this great collab.

Get ready to turn up the fun with Summer Party by The GingerBread Ladies! This collection brings a pastel twist to your warm-weather celebrations with a dash of retro flair. Featuring fruity cocktails, tropical coconuts, flamingos, butterflies, and the coolest shades around, this kit is made for documenting stylish poolside moments, sweet ice cream indulgences, and vibrant summer soirées. Whether you’re throwing a bash or just chillin’ in the sunshine, Summer Party adds the perfect splash of personality to your pages.

This collab includes: 1 Alpha {Uppercase, Lowercase, Numbers & Punctuation}, 56 Papers, and 109 Elements.

This Free With Purchase was created by Adrienne Skelton, Key Lime Digi Design, Memory Mosaic, Sarapullka Scraps, and The Scrappy Kat.

Slow down and savor the beauty of summer adventures with Summer Reflections by The GingerBread Ladies. Inspired by scenic road trips, relaxing wine tastings, and quiet moments watching sunsets with a glass of lemonade in hand, this collection is perfect for capturing the softer, more thoughtful side of the season. With a travel-inspired vibe and a palette that echoes golden-hour skies, Summer Reflections is ideal for telling stories of exploration, connection, and the simple joys of summertime.

This kit includes: 7 Alphas {Uppercase, Lowercase, Numbers & Punctuation}, 65 Papers, 99 Elements, and 4 12×12 Template {page, png, psd, tif file formats}.

This Monthly Mix was created by ADB Designs, Alexis Design Studio, Karen Schulz, Tami Miller Designs, Scraps N Pieces, and Tinci Designs.

June’s Daily Download is provided by Aimee Harrison Designs and Twin Mom Scraps. Each zipped file will contain two folders, one for each designer. 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!

Soak up the sun with Summer Time by The GingerBread Ladies! This bright and cheerful collection captures all the magic of summertime fun—whether you’re splashing in the pool, scuba diving, building sandcastles at the beach, or enjoying juicy slices of watermelon on a warm afternoon. Packed with playful elements like beach balls, kites, porch swings, and sunshine galore, this collection is perfect for documenting your favorite memories of sunny days and carefree play.

This kit includes: 1 Alpha {Uppercase, Lowercase, Numbers & Punctuation}, 50 Papers, and 103 Elements.

This Challenge Reward was created by Heather Z Scraps, Lindsay Jane, Magical Scraps Galore, and ScrapChat Designs.

Take a look at these wonderful layouts from the store creative team. They were made using parts of the June Buffet.

GingerScraps Fresh Baked Friday – May 30, 2025

Happy Friday Scrappers. It’s almost summer time (or winter for our southern hemisphere friends). Are you ready? Do you have big vacation plans? Have you ever considered taking a vacation based on a kit you have just so you can use it? Isn’t that a fun idea?

Remember if you spend $10 in the store, you’ll get this great collab free.

Let’s see what our designers have this week.

Are you almost done with your challenges for June? 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!

GingerScraps Fresh Baked Friday – May 23, 2025

Good morning scrapping friends. We hope you have had a great week. If you are in the US, do you have plans for the holiday weekend? Many people use this time to spend time with family and take a lot of family photos.

Remember if you spend $10 in the store, you’ll get this great collab free.

Let’s see what our designers have for us this week.

Don’t forget to work on the challenges. 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!