Scoutie Girl

tailored. feminine. strong.

alexandra cipparone knows her style and her client inside and out. her collection is smart – casual enough to wear to lunch, put together enough to present to the office crowd. i’m pretty blown away by the selections in her collection, alex&ra.

like i said, this designer has her look pegged. she says, “I am endlessly inspired by architecture, modern art, and vintage finds – all of which you’ll be able to see in my designs.” yes! these inspirations are written all over her work. and i love it!

you can also find alex&ra on etsy, pieces start at $84.

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in addition to all the love i’m sharing this week in the form of fabulous valentine’s day items & gifts, i wanted to “heart” some blogs that i think you’ll adore too. these aren’t just blogs that i enjoy reading – they’re my picks for blogs you’re going to be hearing a lot about in 2010. some are new, some are more established – but, i think, they’ve all got something up their sleeves for the coming year.

is there a blog i missed? pretty please leave me a comment with a link! think i’m completely off base? why not post your own list. and – don’t forget to nominate your favorite blog with a “handmaking focus” for the handmade olympics!

1.) liane at enhabiten. i wrote about her last week but she deserves another mention. her blog is full of fabulous finds and it’s aesthetic and mission are crystal clear. her humor is dry & sarcastic – just the way i like it!

2.) amanda & jenn at kind over matter. just over a year old – this blog is kickin’ butt & taking names, in the kindest way possible of course. if you’re ever in need of a positive affirmation in the form of fab indie style, this is the blog for you.

3.) jenya at evaforeva. a friend from back at handmade in pa, jenya has put a lot of time & thought into her blog in recent months. she’s blogging her photography, her creative process, clever DIY ideas, and more. her lines – evaforeva (winter accessories) and forevamore (clothing) – are divine and her blog is on it’s way up!

4.) the folks at make & meaning. these bloggers are already quite well-known, think paul from dudecraft, alice from futuregirl, and betsy from craftivism, but this blog about the creative community surrounding the handmade movement is brand-new and moving fast.

5.) alison at teen angster. alison, writer & editor for etsy’s own “the storque,” just created her own blogging home on the web. look for this blog to be a wide-range of design & lifestyle inspiration – all with alison’s unique take on the world.

6.) ellie at mint. mint is already a widely read, popular design blog – but now that she’s exclusively devoting her time to her own endeavors this site will become a powerhouse blog. there’s a fantastic mix of graphic design, art, home decor, handmade goods, and indie style.

7.) me right here. yes, you best be watching scoutie girl in 2010. i have an aggressive plan to build this blog, not just in shear numbers but in influence throughout the blogosphere. my plan is already taking shape with an innovative – yikes! can i say that? – new editorial style, popular new features, and more of the content you’ve loved from the start.

but i can’t do it without you. so in the spirit of several posts i’ve written (not all published yet!), i’m going to ask for help.

if you appreciate what scoutie girl does for the handmade movement, if you appreciate the makers featured, the stories shared, and the insight lended – i’m asking you to share a link, write a post, hit the “thumbs up” stumble button.

i appreciate that support more than you know – every time i see a new post mentioning scoutie girl come across my desktop, i get a little giddy! and it helps more than anything else to grow this site, ensuring scoutie girl will be here for many years to come.

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katy gromball dropped me a line to introduce me to her work on tuesday. and i fell in love. hard.

in fact i bought two of her little postcard prints ($3-4.50!) right away.

these collages are created from japanese papers & vintage illustrations. the way each cut piece goes together makes each piece appear to be a complete illustration but, upon close inspection, you can see how each of the papers were once one. i also love how katy plays around the white space in her collages.

see even more of katy’s loveliness on her blog!

why not treat yourself to your own postcard print for a little self-love this valentine’s season?

me plus molly uses her own doodles, transferred onto fabric to create this sweet pouches. she also uses both new & recycled fabrics, giving each piece an individual look full of depth.

i love how fresh & springy each looks. and i adore how out-of-my-grandma’s-button-box each little fabric collage is. truly a case of new & old coming together to make each better!

speaking of collage, that’s next week’s theme! if you have collage work (of any kind) that you’d like to show off. please drop me a line [scout AT scoutiegirl DOT com]

have i mentioned lately how much jan – daisy janie – has my back? well, she tweeted me last week that i simply must check out frogcreative. and soon, very soon, you’ll see why!

not sure if i’ve mentioned this, but i’ve noticed lately that when i see a shop with a really distinctive design aesthetic, one that really catches my eye, quite often, the designer is israeli. einat, the designer of frogcreative, is – living & working in tel-aviv. she draws inspiration from “organic forms, postmodern architecture, japanese design, music… life.”

the whole concept of her collection revolves around knots. she says:

It presents the ability to create a new textile material by performing a simple action which creates different orders and balances (structure) of knots on the fabric. The texture of the scarves enable changing appearances every time you wear it differently. The items can serve as anything from a look that is delicate and elegant to a dramatic theatrical statement. Every cloth reacts differently to the knotting technique, and creates the impression of a “one of a kind” piece.

textile scarves starting at $45 by frogcreative.