Digital Scrapbook Designer Jen Reed

My name is Jen Reed. I live in the suburbs of Chicago with my wonderful husband, 3 kids and our black lab.  In a nutshell, I guess I’m a computer nerd turned digital scrapbook designer.

My first computer was a Texas Instruments computer.  I remember programming it to do some stupid cool animation tricks when I was only 13. From that point on, I think my path in computers was preordained.

My business background includes web and graphic design with some programming thrown in there.  I have a bachelor’s degree in both mathematics and computer science.  I have been designing websites since about 1996. (yes, I know that’s about the birth of the WWW… age me?)

In 2000, after the birth of my twin girls, I began working from home and started my own web design company, RTech Solutions, Inc. By 2002 RTech had gone from solely a web design company to primarily offering web hosting packages for at-home businesses including hosting one of the first digital scrapbooking websites (which is how I discovered digital scrapbooking). By the end of 2004, I was more than a little burned out from the 24/7/365 web hosting industry and sold my company a month before my son was born.  I soon began working on non-webhosting ventures under my new company Libracorn Corporation.

I’m not very crafty in the traditional sense but I fell in love with the “digital” side of keeping and sharing memories. In 2005, I began designing my own digital scrapbook products and shortly after opened up my first online store. Over the years, I have co-owned a few digi stores and have assisted with “behind the scenes” support and tech work at several other sites (once a computer geek always one I guess… lol!).

In 2007, I stepped out into the art licensing arena and started licensing my designs with a business associate under the name Kristy Valshan, Inc.  I’ve had licensed products featured in Archivers, Sam’s Club and CR Gibson. At the end of 2009 my partnership came to an end and I started designing again under my own name brand. I pursue licensing opportunities for my designs when time permits.

I have a passion for being creative digitally whether it be through web design (even coding), graphic design or scrapbooking. For me they are all creative outlets and I love that I can tie all three with my first love – computers!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I look forward to sharing my designs with all of you!

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