Debra Beagle: A One Woman World of Scrapbooking
When you think of Debra Beagle, think of the Triple Crown of Scrapbooking. Let us count the ways:
- She does articles and layouts for Better Homes & Garden's Scrapbook, Etc., Memory Makers and Simple Scrapbooks magazines, AND
- She's the host of Debra Beagle's World of Scrapbooking, a television show which starts this fall.
Oh, AND did I mention she's been teaching lettering since 1998? Well, it's true. You could just say, Debra is into scrapbooking in a big way.
Her interest in scrapbooking started 23 years ago with a love of calligraphy, an art form which she learned from her grandmother that helped her pay for her college education. Debra worked addressing wedding invitations and filling out certificates for her college's business school. Upon graduation, the business college acquired a computer that would take over Debra's calligraphy job. "I really thought that computers would be the death of calligraphy," she says with a laugh.
When she was exposed to scrapbooking, she jumped right in. Later, as people noticed the beautiful lettering on her pages, they requested lessons. Debra came up with class and then developed a technique that teaches someone how to do creative lettering. "I can show you how to do any alphabet in an hour," she says proudly. Her industry was quickly apparent as she spent a year beating on Marvy's doors working to convince the company she could help them sell their pens, something she does easily today when people see her in action at conventions and shows.
If you want to get Debra Beagle excited, ask her about her work. She enthuses, "I absolutely love scrapbooking. I love to scrapbook, and I love to teach people how to do lettering and calligraphy. The first day of Michigan Mega Meet, I woke up and lay there in bed, because I was so excited about getting into the classroom and teaching and getting the feedback. I had inserted a new section, How to Improve Your Handwriting, and I couldn't wait to teach it. The students loved it."
Debra isn't shy about sharing her tips, bless her. She explains, "Consistency is important. Use 10-block per inch graph paper under vellum as a guide to get even proportions in your ascending and descending letters and your slant. If you improve your consistency of proportion and slant, your handwriting will improve tenfold. I love working on your handwriting because it's adding beauty to the world. Most people don't realize it, but your signature by law belongs to you--that's how unique your handwriting is and it's an extension of you. If you say that your handwriting matters, you are taking the first step to improving your journaling. If you look at any computer font that mimics handwriting, it's the consistency that makes the lettering attractive. As long as your handwriting is consistent and proportional, it will look good."
Debra is currently working to put her lettering class into book form. As you might guess, her biggest challenge is having enough time. She has a studio in the house and a laptop that can move from room to room so she can keep up with her two children, Michael, 4, and Stephanie, 6. Her in-laws live right next door to her 10-acre home outside of Nashville, Tennesee. You get into the mode and you do it.
A typical day for her is getting up between 6 or 6:30 a.m., making lunches and breakfasts, driving the kids to school, playing with her son, then getting a little work done while her son plays next door, picking up her daughter after school, taking the kids to their various lessons, bringing them home for dinner, a bath and bed, and THEN she works until midnight because her husband is often out of town.
"My work, my private time, it is all intertwined," says Debra. "My hobby, my work, my home, my life is one completely intertwined entity. The only time I do not work is on Sunday because we have Sunday family dinner here every Sunday with my husband's family. I am always doing something. You just get into a mode and you get it done."
As a success in so many areas of scrapbooking, Debra has sage advice for anyone who wants to get into the business. She says, "A lot of people love scrapbooking, but when you take it to the next level and you want it to be a business, you have to have skills in business. I'm very self-motivated; I take every opportunity that comes my way and I act, plus I have a LOT of faith in God. So many people don't act. You have to self-promote. It's not just going to happen because you love to scrapbook. You must think creatively from a business sense. You have to go with the mind frame that you are going to be the best - if you don't go in with that mind frame and a game plan, you've got a hard road ahead. I've approached every venture (I'm in) with the idea that this is going to be my very best effort."
"I may do a better job the next time, but it'll be my best the first time, and then I'll learn from my mistakes. If you want to open a store, you've got to incorporate yourself, set up bank accounts (aquire loans or have start up capital) and accounts with vendors, and figure out how you are going to stock your store and promote it, be it with classes or advertising. If you are a teacher, you must put together lesson plans and figure out how you will get your products and get paid. You need to figure out what your time is worth to make sure you are getting enough money to cover your supplies and still make some money," and with that remark she has to go. Her son, Michael, needs her help with his go-cart. Obviously, her children are ongoing reminders of how precious Debra's time really is.
For more about Debra Beagle, see her website www.scraptv.com.
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