Just a Little About Me
Your Scrapbook Designer

My name is Dawn Burden Bates and I am a mother, a wife, a computer geek, and an avid scrapbooker. I began scrapbooking in college when I used "magnetic" paged albums to insert photos, drawings, ticket stubs, cards, letters and just about anything that had any meaning to me. I was then and still am a memorabilia pack rat. 

Changes in Scrapbooking!!!

Over the years, scrapbooking was silently developing a more avid and creative following. Wonderful embellishments, papers, and stickers began popping up everywhere. And more importantly, scrapbookers became more and more aware of the importance of using archival elements in scrapbooks. They began to see the yellowing and fading in older albums and were able to determine the cause. An entire new dimension of scrapbooking supplies blossomed. Acid free and Lignin free papers and elements began filling the store aisles. Magazines were beginning to be published with scrapbooking as their primary focus. Even entire stores began catering to scrapbookers. The scrapbooking industry became a runaway freight train. 

All during this time, I was quietly living my life, getting married, having kids, and of course taking tons of photos. Often film canisters would fill my drawers waiting to be developed. And even photos sat in envelopes or if I found even the slightest bit of time, I might put the photos into "slip-in" albums. I had no idea of the wonderful options available to me. But even if I had, I could never have found the time to do anything other than what I was doing.

Then I Discovered It!

As my children got older, started going to school, and giving me a bit more free time, I began to discover what the world of scrapbooking had become. I was overwhelmed with the choices, the options, the creative potential. I bought a few magazines, and a few items, and I never looked back. I was hooked!

My style has matured over the years and I typically like to make elaborate layouts with only a few of my very best photos. This in turn helped me to become a better photographer, so that I had fabulous photos to showcase in my layouts.

Can I Be Published?

I began submitting layouts to the now multiple magazines on the market for publication. I began to become discouraged at first, because my layouts were not being accepted. But, I continued to create and continued to submit until the magazines and books began paying attention. Many of my layouts have been published in magazines, books, and scrapbooking websites. This only fueled my fire to continue my now all encompassing hobby.

My boys are older now, and are at a point where I can barely get a quick photo of their hand in front of their faces while they try to duck the camera. I have the desire to scrapbook, but little remaining for avenues for me to explore. I'm typically am a very logical and left brained person, but I also need a creative outlet.

I Still WANT to Scrapbook!!!!!

This prompted me to begin considering designing scrapbooks for other people. The people that I used to be. Overwhelmed with the daily routine. Kids, school, games, recitals, work... and all the while taking photos at each and every turn that someday will wind up in an album. Except, someday never comes, and the photos sit in a box, or on your computer hard disc.

So I did it! How could I lose? I would be creating beautiful heirlooms for families and generations to come while doing the one thing that I absolutely love. I have always wanted to use a hobby and skill that I love to earn a living, and this is the perfect marriage of he two.

Allow Me to Create The Scrapbook You Have Always Wanted

Contact me for a consultation and we can get started right away. Don't wait until you can't remember what year your photos are from. Or any of the stories behind your photos. Keep your memories alive.

Learn more about me and my services.

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