Introducing our September 2021 Designer of the Month: Connie Prince! I’ve been a little behind on our Designers of the Month while taking care of my Dad from both afar & at his home. I’m finally digging back in & I’m beyond thrilled to have Connie lead the way. The only person more excited is possibly Connie herself LOL!
Thank you Toiny, I’m excited to be the designer of the month! It feels like fifteen years have flown by, but what a rewarding journey it has been! I truly stumbled into the world of digital scrapbooking by accident while looking for a particular “clip art” to add to a paper scrapbook layout that I was working on at the time. I had been creating graphics and websites for several years at that point, but mostly logos and images for the websites that I managed. It only made sense that my next step would be to start trying to make my own images to print for my layouts and eventually those paper layouts turned into strictly digital layouts. I started selling in my first store in the Fall of 2016 and here I am 15 years later still loving my job and the people that I get to interact with!

You know I was a fan for years before inviting you to the Studio, how did you feel when that Guest Designer invitation crossed your desk?

I was SO excited to get the invitation to work with the DSS team.  The store has always had an impeccable reputation and so many talented designers.  I knew right away that the answer was yes!

You’ve been in several stores in addition to the Studio, what makes us stand out?

The team and community at DSS makes it extra special!  If there is ever a problem or maybe you just need a listening ear, you can count on the DSS ladies (and gentleman) to surround you with love and support.  I love the personal touch that the team puts into every area and especially the newsletters, they allow us to see the world through their eyes each day as they share their personal notes and stories!

What is your favorite type of product to design? Why?

I love making word art the most.  This is something that I contracted out early on in my design career because it felt daunting.  Now it’s my favorite step of the design process as it allows me to work with the kit and gives me a sense of getting to “scrapbook”, which as designers we don’t have as much time to do!

Where do you draw your inspiration from? After 15 year, how do you continue to come up with new ideas, themes & colors?

I marvel at the variety in your work.  I definitely love strolling through craft and antique stores to get theme and trend ideas.  I teeter between my original love of paper / traditional and a more vintage feel these days.  I have always tried to create things that I love and even if just one other person loves it then it was worth it to me!

How do you spend your free time? Is design ever completely out of your mind?

The second part of this question made me giggle!  No, it’s never far from my mind.  I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes with ideas that make me reach for my notepad.  It’s crazy when an idea will hit you!  Lately, my free time has been spent reading.  I also love to play with my miniature dachshund, Peanut, he keeps me on my toes!  My husband and I love to cook together and family dinner is still a thing in our home most days!

Tell us a little about your family, including pets please!

My husband, William and I, have been married 25 years this past June.  Like most marriages, it has not always been easy, but with lots of grace for one another and our faith in God we’ve managed to fight our way through it all.  We have one son, Hayden, who is 23 years old.  He still lives at home with us while working full-time and saving up to purchase his first home hopefully by next year!  He’s a hard worker and such an awesome young man, definitely our big achievement.  We have one dog, Peanut, who my husband likes to say is 11 pounds of chaos.  We live in Georgia USA, in the suburbs of Atlanta.

If you were stuck on an island what three things would you bring?

My family & friends (including the dog), an endless library, and lots of wine! Connie has also shared some of her personal photo’s with us. Take a look ❤ Connie has her entire store on a very special 50% Off sale this month. Not just because she’s our Designer of the Month, but also to celebrate 15 years a a Digital Scrapbooking Designer. WOW!!! Check out some of her bestselling kits & templates: