Come check out the Button Swap!

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is the reveal for a Button Swap, that I joined.  Thank you, Cindy Wimmer, for putting this great swap together!

I had so many ideas for this swap that I had a hard time deciding what to do and what buttons to use.

I finally decided on a journal cover, since I am still having a blast making them.

I have been making journal pages and mixed media canvases with She Art girls on them, and today I finally recreated one into a quilted piece.

Then I came across this verse from Proverbs 31:13, "She works with her hands in delight", and thought it would be the perfect addition to this piece.  At first when I read this verse it made me think of how happy I am when I am creating with my hands, and how grateful I am to be able to do that.  Then i realized that I need to work in delight even when I am doing things like the dishes (UGH) or mopping the floor or cooking dinner when I don't feel like it!

The buttons I used were all vintage buttons from my collection, and I glued them on since some of them didn't have a shank on the back anymore.

I love her burlap boot socks with those funky floral boots, and ruffled skirt.

The birds were added by drawing on the fabric with the Caran d'Ache Neocolor II pencils, then adding water.  I have used these pencils many times before on fabric and this is the first time it ran, but it turned into one of those happy mistakes.  I also used those pencils for a bit of color in the sky and on the ground.

Be sure the check out all the blogs below to see what other artists have created with their buttons!  The complete list is below:

Alice Peterson  and Kim Bender

Angie Blasingame and Billi R.S. Rothove

 Billi R.S. Rothove and Angie Blasingame

 Birgitta Lejonklou and Pam Farren

 Bonnie Coursolle and Tania Hagen

 Brenda Salzano and Hope Smitherman

 Cat Kerr and Heather Powers

 Cece Cornier and Jeannie Dukic

 Celeste Thurston and Christine Damm

 Christine Damm and Celeste Thurston

 Christine Stonefield and Dana James

 Cilla Watkins and Lori Bowring Michaud

 Cindy Wimmer and Mimi Gardner

 Cynthia Machata and Julia Johnson

 Cynthia Riggs and Lori Finney

 Dana James and Christine Stonefield

Diana Ptaszynski and Erin Prais-Hintz

 Emma Thomas and Rebecca Anderson

 Erin Prais-Hintz and Diana Ptaszynski

 Erin Siegel and Sharon Borsavage

 Heather Powers and Cat Kerr

 Holly Westfall and Sally Russick

 Hope Smitherman and Brenda Salzano

 Jayne Capps and Kim Dworak

 Jeannie Dukic and Cece Cornier

 Jenna Meyers and Kristi Harrison

 Jenna Tomalka and Karen McKillip

 Jenny Davies Reazor and Sandi Volpe

 Julia Johnson and Cynthia Machata

 Kalaya Steede and Kylie Dickman

 Karen McKillip and Jenna Tomalka

 Karen Mitchell and Renetha Stanziano

 Karla Morgen and Mary Govaars

Kay Thomerson and Shannon Chomanczuk

 Kim Ballor and Laurel Steven

 Kim Bender and Alice Peterson

 Kim Dworak and Jayne Capps

 Kim Roberts and Partner unable to participate at this time.

 Kristi Harrison and Jenna Meyers

 Kylie Dickman and Kalaya Steede

 Kym Hunter and Lynda Moseley

 Laurel Steven and Kim Ballor

 Linda Djokic and Patty Gasparino

 Line Labrecque and Teri Baskett

 Liz DeLuca and Lorelei Eurto

 Lorelei Eurto and Liz DeLuca

 Lori Anderson and Niky Sayers

 Lori Bowring Michaud and Cilla Watkins

 Lori Finney and Cynthia Riggs

 Lynda Moseley and Kym Hunter

 Marianna Boylan and Tracy Statler

 Mary Govaars and Karla Morgen

 Mary Harding and Stacie Florer 

 Maureen Baranov and Tracy Bell

 Melissa Martin and Theresa Fosdick

 Michelle Hardy and Peggy Johnson

 Mimi Gardner and Cindy Wimmer

 Nicole Valentine Rimmer and Niki Meiners

 Niki Meiners and Nicole Valentine Rimmer

 Niky Sayers and Lori Anderson

 Pam Farren and Birgitta Lejonklou

* Pam Ferarri and Stefanie Teufel (will share their reveal on a later date)

 Patty Gasparino and Linda Djokic

 Peggy Johnson and Michelle Hardy

 Rebecca Anderson and Emma Thomas

 Rebekah Payne and Sue Kennedy

 Renetha Stanziano and Karen Mitchell

 Rose Binoya and Shanti Johnson

 Sally Russick and Holly Westfall

 Sandi Volpe and Jenny Davies Reazor

 Shannon Chomanczuk and Kay Thomerson

 Shanti Johnson and Rose Binoya

 Sharon Borsavage and Erin Siegel

 Shirley Moore and Veralynne Malone

 Stacie Florer and Mary Harding

* Stefanie Teufel and Pam Ferarri (will share their reveal on a later date)

 Sue Hamel and Terry Carter

 Sue Kennedy and Rebekah Payne

 Tania Hagen and Bonnie Coursolle

 Tania Spivey and Teresa Gagne

 Teresa Gagne and Tania Spivey

 Teri Baskett and Line Labrecque

 Terry Carter and Sue Hamel

 Theresa Fosdick and Melissa Martin

 Tracy Bell and Maureen Baranov

 Tracy Statler and Marianna Boylan

 Veralynne Malone and Shirley Moore

The Art of Wild Abandonment Blog Hop

A few months ago I signed up for an online course called, "The Art of Wild Abandonment".

I think it has been one of my favorite online course yet!  It is taught by Junelle Jacobsen, from the Yes & Amen blog, and Christie Tomlinson.

Today the students of this e-course are doing a blog hop.  So come along and see what wonderful creations, so many awesome artists have made.

You can start the blog hop on Claire's blog.  Claire organized this whole blog hop.  Thank you Claire!

Or you can go to Gina's blog, who is ahead of me on the list.

Or you can go to Rebekah's blog, who is after me on the list.

I have loved every minute of this class.  Junelle is so much fun and I have learned some new techniques.

Here is one of my favorite art journal pages from the course.....

This is probably one of my favorite pages because of the dogs.  Dog rescue is one of my passions.

A close up of the dress......

I love mixing many different textures and mediums.

Thanks for stopping by!!  Be sure and check out the rest of the blogs on the hop!

Have and fun and creative weekend!

Meatless Monday {and where i have been}

Hello!!!!  It has been so long since i posted that it is embarassing!!  But I have lots of good excuses.....I've been busy fostering puppies......(I am down to 3 fosters at the moment!)

Busy with online courses, trying out some new ideas and filling orders......

On top of all of this elections were called here in the Bahamas for May 7th.  This only happens once every 5 years and I LOVE LOVE LOVE every minute of it.  I get very involved and our elections are very different from those in the U.S.A.  Bahamians are passionate about politics.  Our rallies are filled with great music and pompoms!

So that is what i have been up to, and while all of this has been going on I have had quite a few people ask me for vegan recipes.  Today I had a light bulb moment....I am going to *try* every Monday to post a vegan recipe.  Going along with the theme of Meatless Mondays!  I take great pride in the fact that I have been able to veganize many old recipes that I once cooked.  I will let you know where the inspiration came from, any links you need, and if it is my own creation.

***drumroll please******

Today's vegan recipe is Taco Salad.

This recipe was traditionally made with ground beef, which I replaced with seitan and made a few other changes.  I am not sure where the original recipe came from, my Mom had it written on a card.

I think I ate this every Friday night during my teenage years!  It is healthy food and junk food all rolled into one meal.

This recipe uses a batch of seitan, and I use the recipe from here for that part.  It comes from the My Vegan Cookbook Blog....great website!


1 batch of seitan, from above link
1T Olive Oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red sweet pepper, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
8 oz Tomato Sauce
4 oz Tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil


After seitan has been cooked and cooled for about 15 minutes, chop it into about 4 pieces, place these pieces in a food processor and pulse about 15 times.  It should resemble ground beef.....set this aside for now. 
In a large frying pan, saute onions, sweet pepper & garlic in olive oil.
When onions are translucent add seitan and remaining ingredients to the pan.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Serve this taco sauce over chips with chopped lettuce, tomato, scallions, avocado, jalapeno peppers and salsa!
This sauce is also great over baked potatoes, or in a soft wrap for a burrito.


ENJOY!!