Scoutie Girl

well, this is it – the dawn of a new year, a new decade even. what will this year have in store?

soon, i will have been at the helm of scoutie girl for 6 months. and around the same time, scoutie girl turns 3! i hope that you’ve enjoyed the direction the site has taken under my typing-like-mad fingers. in 2010, my plan for the site is to venture into some new territory. just as i have been struggling with defining what “indie” craft & design is, i have been struggling with what separates scoutie girl from the rest of the great handmade blogs out there.

truth is, when i get into a rut: not much! which is why i’ve resolved to set a real plan for what you see between the sidebars here at scoutie girl. a plan to tell the story of the handmade movement and indie craft culture and not just find great stuff. sure, there will be plenty of great stuff – but i want to tell the story of where it came from, what it means to the maker, and what inspires its awesomeness!

afterall, it’s really the story of our stuff that separates it from what you find on the shelves of a big box store.

so each week, inspired by the formats of the magazines we used to love, i’ll be bringing you a theme and letting that theme unfold itself throughout the week. not all the posts you read will be in that theme, but my goal is to have at least 5 posts – one each morning – in each theme. i’ll open each week with a weekly welcome and close the week with a recap of the story that unfolded.

here’s where you come in: while it’s pretty easy to find awesome handmade goodies, it is much more difficult to find out the story behind them. i need you to tell me about your work, what inspires you, who taught you how to create, a struggle you went through… and i pledge to help you tell your story!

next week’s theme is “everything old is new again” – and the weeks 2 and 3 are “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts – collage” and “crafting romance.” if you have a story that fits those themes, please drop me a line – via email, via twitter, via facebook!

catch ya on the flipside!

{image credit: fireworks 8×8 fine art print by urban design}

yeah, that t-shirt has an antique knife :: think bowie knives :: print – and a sweet heart neckline. now, that’s creative.

western-inspired fashion & accessories by thief and bandit.

8 owls by betty jo designs via flickr

join the scoutie girl flickr group!

As this year winds to a close, I find myself reflecting on how I’ve changed. Many things have changed, but what excites me the MOST is that I’ve moved into three dimensional art! Now, as an art quilter, I’ve always been working in three dimensions, as the batting between the top & bottom layers of fabric and the stitching that binds those layers together creates a wonderful 3 dimensional texture, to be sure.

But, I’m talking about honest to goodness working in three full dimensions, while still using my medium of choice my hand dyed fabric! 2 textile artists have been instrumental in my conversion. 1st off is Sonji Hunt. Her blog is filled with her humorous look at the “Art World”, and she is a master of color and texture! She works both small:

And large:

Her use of Peltex (a stiff interfacing used in baseball cap brims) to create small formal elements that she then sews together into much larger, more dimensional constructions was mind altering for me. Just look at this wonderful creation, it’s breathtaking!

The other very influential artist I wanted to introduce you to today is Jane Davila, her work is usually quite small and refined, she is able to say what she needs very eloquently with very little:

Back in the Spring of 2008 she started posting wee quilts on her blog one a day at a time:

The 1st 4 were the rectangular, but on day 5:

My interest was piqued! What was this going to be? Well, all was revealed in time!

Oh! So lovely! These images sat in my mind for quite awhile, and then I constructed a series of 3 houses in the early winter of 2009.

Although I didn’t do a lot more in this 3rd dimension in the Spring and Summer, the idea has been smoldering in the back of my brain, until it finally exploded into a NEED to make some small, modern houses:

As these were ornaments, I had the greatest time arranging them into compositions using all 3 dimensions. I know from that intense feeling of satisfaction that this working in 3 dimensions and using smaller works to construct a larger composition is the direction I shall be heading in 2010!

about candy glendening

candy glendening is the quartist behind candied fabrics. candy lives & works in redlands, california with her husband, 2 sons, and her dog, stirling.

editor’s note: while this contribution is not paid, candy is a scoutie girl sponsor.

in need of winter accessories? yep, it’s cold out there! you’ve got to check out the beautiful & innovative wraps, fingerless gloves, scarves, and sweaters at elde.

thanks for sponsoring scoutie girl!

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