Scoutie Girl

fused glass gloriousness

cannot recall how i stumbled upon this artist, but as i read through her "no solicitors" glass tiles (upper left) - they all cracked me up and i knew i had to share. she makes all sorts of fused glass items, from recycled glass tiles to magnets to necklaces. colors are bold and balanced, pretty and playful. she also makes polka-dotted vases from iced coffee bottles - very cute! she's a freelance graphic designer and teaches beginning metalwork when she's not fusing glass every which way she can! Indie Designer: Jann Greenland

$28-450 from indigo workshop

friday scout out: baubles de bois

1. chunky bracelet from second sister, $28
2. round walnut ring from bon bon atelier, $140
3. resin & wenge wood earrings from modica, $65
4. maple pendant necklace from bellissima jewelry design, $48
5. filigree necklace from sharma designs, $43
6. black walnut earrings from orno, $36

"it's not what you look at that matters..."

"...it's what you see." - Thoreau   wow. wow. wow. when i find artwork like this, i am so glad i have the opportunity to share it here. these paintings are what appealed to me the most (love groups of 3, love the juxtaposition, love the tone). her range is quite expansive and her talent is what most of us only dream about - must see! these paintings are from her "three trees" series, where she experimented with deep-toned hues, composition and layering to achieve the subject's personality. all are 6" x 6" x 1.5", edges are painted - ready for framing. Artist: Julie Beck

$50 from julie beck

to market, to market (to use my new tote)

if you buy one or more of these, you'll want to make extra trips to the grocery just to use them...but you must resist - that would defeat some of the purpose of (re)using them! the vibrant designs on these totes are from this artist's original illustrations, which are then transferred onto an all-natural, hemp & cotton canvas tote. reinforced handles and a removable base insert for extra bottom support. her shop features an incredible array of cards, other totes styles with other designs, and cute lunchbags. all of her designs are irresistable! good luck. Indie Designer: Cammie Cole

***in the spirit of all that is good and less carbon-footprint-y, please use a reusable totebag when you can.***

$16.99 from the craft pantry

pay it forward giveaway winners!

thanks for entering the pay-it-forward giveaway this past week! i know there were quite a few who wanted to enter but didn't have the means to do a similar giveaway. we'll have others in the future so everyone will get a chance! i've been in conversations with jillian from delicious tees for about 2 mos. about a giveaway....so look out for that one. she's *thinking* of giving away 10 of her fabulous t-shirts! but i digress.

since i had 6 brave entrants, i decided to give away 6 wristlets instead of 3. here are the winners. please send your particulars to me so I can get these out to you!!
1. Lisa from milkshake crafts - she's doing her giveaway right NOW (ends wednesday). Go enter!!
2. My from tha hotness
3. Ricki from the etailer review spot
4. Kelly from happy shack designs - who does free bling fridays!!
5. Heather from magnolia skies
6. Robin F.

way cool wee pots

these are two wee pots that i bought waaaay back in february from the one-day only Bleeding Hearts fundraiser for the Sierra Club (put together by renee garner (aka wolfie and the sneak). the pots are about 4.25" across and about 1" high and have an earthy vanilla bean, textured finish. the designer describes them as little mud splats, which they pretty much are! they fit together like long-lost puzzle pieces. i use them for tea lights, but they could be used for trinkets, candy, paperclips, etc. her shop has these plus loads of other pretty things. her cool belts feature buckles she made by hand with clay! that's stretched convention! love it. Indie Designer: Paula Weigel

$25-28 from plays with mud

pretty psyanky eggs

using traditional & non-traditional techniques alike, this artist takes the idea of Ukranian psyanky eggs in a whole new direction. intricate detail and unusual designs create a modern yet timeless feel - something much, much more than a holiday decoration (which may be typical of psyanky - i'm not sure?). this fine craft has always stopped me in my tracks b/c i know how challenging it is to do...plus there's always the chance of irreparable damage from the egg cracking or breaking! ugh. here, each egg is finished in several coats of high-gloss varnish to add sheen as well as durability. no egg tossing games tho!

$19-32 from twisted poppy

friday scout out: chirp chirp

1. black bird napkins from deadly squire, $52
2. ceramic vase from little flower designs, $60
3. bamboo & paper pendant from gazzu, $15
4. ceramic wall tile from xenia taler, $90
5. citrus bird cards from posh peacock, $16
6. 'in the tree' print from indie fixx, $25

every-so-often giveaway: pay it forward

thank you to the talented Linda O'Neill from Abby Creek Studios for posting about the "pay it forward" giveaway! i entered (and won!) one of her fabulous original paintings, with the stipulation that i would do a giveaway on my blog to keep the kindness rolling. so here you go! below are 3 wristlets from my Bridge Collection at Daisy Janie. these are fabrics i personally designed, and they're the last 3 wristlets in these designs. you can win one of them by commenting on this post. what's the catch? you MUST be willing to pay it forward by creating a similar giveaway on your own blog. i'll pick 3 random winners from comments rec'd until Friday, 3/21 (hopefully there will be 3!!!). C'mon lurkers - i see the stats for Scoutie Girl - i know you're out there!

caroline blum giclee prints

one of my favorite artists, Caroline Blum, sent a "happy spring" note yesterday about some of her lovely work. she is offering 6 of her paintings as giclee prints - each one is a top-quality reproduction on an equally top-quality stretched canvas. free shipping, too! sizes vary from 14" x 18" up to 31" x 31" depending on the print. the vibrant whimsy of her paintings pulls me in like a beacon everytime! thanks for your note, Caroline! see previous posts here and here.

$100-225 from one willow studio

organic silver jewelry

is it too early to start a birthday wishlist for december? rec'd a note from this designer yesterday and could not believe my eyes! these are my fave four pieces here, but truly, it was a challenge to narrow it down! her pieces have a modern, organic aesthetic that goes well with the materials she uses: recycled argentium silver (requires fewer chemicals in the metalsmithing process) and linen cords (a sustainable plant fiber). pieces are hammered, twisted, shaped and nestled by hand - results are delicately simple. her biz name "solsida" means sunnyside in swedish...she's got that going for sure. thanks for sharing, Catherine! Indie Designer: Catherine Beringer

$42-68 from solsida

bookish passion

inspired by just about everything around her, this designer creates bound journal/books that will make you smile (and wish you had half her talent). her binding techniques cannot be touched, and she adds details like beading or handmade polymer clay shapes for extra pizzazz. exterior paper combinations are unique and eye-catching (like flocked paper); interiors vary from fine watercolor papers to yummy drawing papers depending on book, most with deckled edges. her site is worth a visit to see the books in her "structures" and "handbag books" categories - all exceptional! Indie Designer: Jen Kaiser

$30-55 from deckled edge bindery

friday scout out: spring green

1. vintage-fabric skirt from glamspoon, $34
2. button ring from crazy dreams studio, $24
3. recycled barnwood birdhouse from poppy's birdhouses, $19.99
4. custom fabric from daisy janie, $17
5. mini art quilt from liz plummer, $30
6. collage paper magnet from milkshake crafts, $6

calorie-free cupcakes

these too-cute betz white cupcake pincushions© are made entirely from recycled sweaters. carefully selected wool and cashmere sweaters are individually felted and deconstructed. the pieces are then "artfully stitched" in this designer's trademark swirly fashion to create pincushions pretty enough to eat add some whimsy to your sewing room. nice touch with "sprinkle" pins and a cherry on top. they'd be a great reminder not to take yourself too seriously when drafting a troublesome pattern! 2.5"W x 3"H. Indie Designer: Betz White

***check-out Betz's book Warm Fuzzies: 30 Sweet Felted Projects***

$36 from betz white

new addition to Scoutie Girl

starting this ____________ (can you guess?), i'll be adding a new feature to Scoutie Girl called "Friday Scout Out" (did you guess that one, too?!). rather than writing about a single indie designer in the post, i'll highlight a group of indie designers whose work is similar in some way - by media, by color, by usage, by category. it'll be pretty much whatever floats my boat. i've wanted to do something like this for a looooooong time b/c my inbox folder called "SG Ideas and Suggestions" is filled to the brim, and i know i'll never have time to write individually about all the fab indie designers who send me their work! if you have ideas, i welcome them! send a note to scout [at] scoutiegirl [dot] com.

dangerously pretty

these pretty necklaces are a perfect blend of organic and feminine, playful and sweet. love that these pieces don't feel manufactured at all - they feel very spontaneous and flowing. designer specializes in hand-hammered sterling silver and select high-quality stones. nice wire-wrapping to really individualize each piece. her lariats are so charmingly different and unexpected. she features rings, earrings and bracelets, too. Indie Designer: Andrea Suarez

$30-38 from stones and starling

retro funk wristlets

i saw this designer's handmade space featured on modish yesterday. i was immediately intrigued by all of the bright colors - like a hynotizing rainbow of thread, velcro, vinyl and zippers. when i clicked through to her site, i was even more enthralled with her work. LOOK at all that topstitching...really sweet work! she features pouches, totes, very nice belts and wild checkbook covers! reasonably priced to boot. i admire her style and A+ execution - such attention to detail.

$28 from miss alison

**i was happy to see her site was done by the talented indie designer Lindsay from Purr Design and Pattern & Paw**

rapt with this gift wrap

these simple, organic designs are a nice bridge between beatnik and chic. light tones on natural papers make for lots of versatility - i can see these used for just about any gift-giving occasion...guys, girls, kids, birthdays, weddings, showers. each piece is silkscreened by hand, and the designer has gone above & beyond in conscientiously producing an eco-friendly product - 100% recycled content in paper, water-based inks, minimal waste, small scale production. sheets are 19 x 25; rolled sets of 2 or 3 sheets. designer has been documenting her progress in starting this business from scratch on her blog make it - good stuff. she also features card sets, paper pack and gift tags. keep on eye on this one. Indie Designer: Shannon Riffe

$8-12 from rifferaff