the dirt

Everybody loves getting the dirt, don't they?
Well here it is. Scoutie Girl is the work of Jan DiCintio, owner-designer of Daisy Janie, where she creates handmade fabric handbags in textiles she has personally designed. Speaking for myself now [this is Jan], I've been in the business of art, craft (not to be confused with arts-n-crafts) and design for about 9 years now. From 1999-2005, I owned 2 businesses, where I designed, created & sold art pieces at juried art shows across PA and painted funky wallpaper-ish designs on clients' walls and furniture, including model homes and designer showcases. This work was extremely gratifying from a creative standpoint - I experimented a lot and the final product usually blew people away (including me!). I can't tell you how many times I would walk out of a room I had just painted and walk back in, again and again, pretending it was the first time I had seen the design....it's nearly impossible to get an objective impression of your own work. But there came a day (to be completely trite), whilst kneeling awkwardly to get behind someone's toilet to paint, when I asked myself what's this paint job worth when I have to contort myself like a pretzel, hold my breath and grasp my paintbrush by the tippy-tip to reach a spot while trying desperately not to touch anything else.....and the stroke doesn't work?! Aaah. Wipe it off, start again. It's not worth enough, to be sure. I went fabric shopping that very afternoon, and Daisy Janie was soon to be lucky biz #3 in 2005.

interest in indie & emerging designers
At this point, my dirt is like most other indie designers': I made some items for myself (handbags), they attracted a lot of attention, I sold them all, made more, sold them, made, sold, made, sold, etc. A website was next, then advertising for the site and link exchanges. In the process of webbing & linking with other designers, I was *shocked* by all the outrageously talented women out there trying to make their way just like me! Who knew?! To say that there are so many makes it sound like it's easy or fleeting, and for some it may well be one or both. But the majority of work I've seen and that which I am featuring here on Scoutie Girl is both time- & labor-intensive and phenomenally creative. Moreover, most of their websites are equally professional & stunning.

welcome to the world of indie designers!
These are people who take great care & often making equally great sacrifices to be original and genuine in their work, while taking on the learning curve of MGMT 101 and MKTG 101. Not to mention, they're learning code languages and graphic design out the wazoo to keep costs down on web management, PR and collateral materials. A lot of hats to wear, and my hat goes off to all of them for learning to juggle!

here's the big whoop & why you should care
Mindless consumption of mass-produced consumer products is ____________________ (fill in the blank). On this side of the fence, we're tired of the (usually) substandard & (usually) overpriced inventory available at Big Box Marts. We prefer unique, handmade items made in the USA. By nature, indie designers are selective and purposeful - there's no glory in gluttony in the indie market. We're proud of our one-at-a-time, one-of-a-kind production methods that yield fabulously original goods. And there are plenty of them out there! Keep checking back to see what Scoutie Girl has dug up for you.