Saturday, June 4, 2011

Smeared and Smudged 1rst annual SKULL APPRECIATION DAY blog hop

Hi everyone, I am glad you are here to visit my tiny speck in the blogosphere to see my project  showcasing skulls on  THIS 
SKULL APPRECIATION DAY, it is always 
June 4th, you can see the skull-a-day button on my side bar to see all there is to see about promoting this day.  You can also see the button for Smeared and Smudged blog hop.

You should have arrived here from Kapree's Place if not the entire list of participants is listed at the bottom of this post.  OH, BTW--there are prizes, you need to visit every blog along the hop, and then return to stop one on the hop, and make a comment on projects you liked etc. All the details are listed there, so you'll know before you start hopping.

My project is not a completed one, as it is a journal I have started called "Dead Inside", this journal is an observance of,  and hopefully it will turn out to be a therapeutic coping mechanism for my "dark" times. In recent years I have become 100% disabled and dealing with chronic pain, of course as others with this kind of life know, you end up also suffering with depression, guilt and anxiety. I am also working simultaneously on another journal in observance of my "Bright" times called "Glad all Over". (Yes I do know that this is a song title of the former group "The Dave Clark Five")

Anyway, today I have for your viewing pleasure, the cover (complete), and page 1 (almost complete) If I complete more during the day, I may add more to this post.

 The above is the better of the 2 views of the cover. This is going to be a small journal; 4" X 6" in the landscape orientation with a front cover, back cover and 8 pages in between. The pages and covers are made on nice heavy chipboard saved from "Radiography film boxes", over the years. HA! I will use my Bind-it-All to bind it. The flying skulls are "Over-the-edge".
 The backs of the pages are also covered and decorated just not as much, leaving more room to journal or for quotes and poetry.
 The above COVER image shows the shimmer of the silver sharpie better but overall the top picture, I believe is better.
Items used: Bkgd. paper-PinkPaislee-Twilight(eclipse), computer generated phrase "death is fleeting". Stamps: "Elizabeth" by STAMPIN' UP, and digi stamp "Flying Skull" by SMEARED INK. ink: Momento tuxedo Black
Smooch spray-Cosmic pink. Markers: Lovely Lilac, Ruby Red, Real Red by STAMPIN' UP and black and silver by SHARPIE
  Page 1 items: Bkgd. paper-PINK PAISLEE-Twilight (eclipse-other side). Torn piece of White card stock that has 3 shades of TATTERED ANGELS glimmer mists sprayed on it, a gold, a green and a blue. Stamp: Skull from the set "From the Crypt" by STAMPIN' UP. ink: Momento Tuxedo black. Black glitter self-adhesive bats by MARTHA STEWART.

I hope you like my Journal-in-the-making!!  Have fun hopping, and Good luck in prize-winning!
Now have your cranium follow the rest of your bones over to Dianne's Place!

Here is the List for the entire hop:


34 comments:

ike said...

WOW - truly awesome project. This is going to be amazing and I can't wait to follow it along as it progresses.
Hugz
Ike xx

Kelli Green aka Cajunstampingqueen said...

Hey Susan, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this journal! I think it is awesome!!! Wonderful project, I love the papers, I think Ihave some lying around somewhere, now I just have to dig for it so I too can use it on something!!!! LOVE IT

Alexandra Lundgren said...

Susan- these are wonderful and I absolutely love the idea of your dark times journal.

Alison said...

These are wonderful journal pages! I am sorry for your suffering, but what wonderful art you have created because of it! I hope that doesn't sound wrong... Thank you for sharing this with us.

Debbie said...

Great job Susan, on both pages. I hope the therapy serves you well - I think that's such a helpful way of processing your health issues. Keep at it! I like them both, but especially the second one. Love that skull stamp with the swirls and the bats!

DonnaMundinger said...

Fabulous start to a fabulous journal. Love your techniques and I'm sure it will be very theraputic! Thanks for sharing. xxD

silvia said...

Great journal!! I do hope that it proves to be therapeutic for you. I recently lost one of my older brothers because he had a rough time dealing wiy=th his dark moments.

I Don't Do Straight said...

Wey Hey! I'm first. I love the skull image, beautifull

Dawn said...

I think your journal is great, I hope you show more of it in the future

Susan Says (Stupid Stuff) said...

Oh Susan, what a beautiful journal, and so inspiring! I love the idea of having two different journals for your different moods; I hope your Gladd All Over one is inspiring and your Dead Inside one is cathartic :D

Barb said...

What a great therapeutic tool! Love the idea of two completely separate "feeling" journals... and it looks like this one is off to a fab start.

Prissy said...

Susan, I have a simulare book I started after my husband died. It is a very dark and painful book in places. But very much a healing place as well. I love your journal project. May it bring healing powers with every entry.

Unknown said...

Susan, wow! I think the beginings ofyour journal are stunning! I love the colors you used on the front cover, really in your face, and how you made the skulls fall over the edge. And that Stampin Up stamp on the inside is one of my faves! Thank you for sharing with us this very personal project!

ScrappingBeauty said...

cool lil journal in progress!

Unknown said...

Your journal is going to be fantastic when you finish
Luv Jane xxx

~Lady B~ said...

Kudos to you for putting it out there! True art has feeling and this piece is proof. Love the journal so far and me thinks it will be very therapeutic for you. At least when you create you can be distracted from the pain for a bit. Sucks that you have to deal with health issues, but glad you are channeling everything into wonderful art. Can't wait to see more!

Kathi said...

This looks great!

Jane K said...

Brilliant journal pages, love the idea behind the journal, I know where you are coming from on that one. Good luck with it, will love to see how it progresses.

Frith x

Cosmictadpole said...

I love your journal! I'm so sorry to hear that you suffer from chronic pain. My mother does too, and it causes her to feel so much anguish and despair as well. Of course, she does have happy moments too. I think that keeping an artistic and creative journal such as yours could be therapeutic to her too. Thank you so much for sharing!!

Judi B said...

neat journal, the skulls look great

Tish LaRee said...

Nice projects! I hope your journal helps you through the dark times for sure. your art is wonderful, thank you for sharing!

Embley Veronica said...

Love the journal, especially the page with the bats! I also live with constant, intense pain (chronic pain sounds so intermittant, doesn't it? As if it stops or something. Hardly!) so if you ever need someone to comiserate with, do feel free to contact me. I'm under 40, told repeatedly that there isn't really anything they can do to help that we're not already doing, and that I just need to live with it, so I totally understand the frustration that comes along with having to spend 99.9% of your time stuck lying on your back in dreadful pain. It sucks, but you're definitely not alone, at least. I know how awful it is, unfortunately.

blackdragon said...

This journal is amazing art.
Sometimes pain can focus the mind and thats were truely meaningful art comes from. I am sorry you have to endure chronic pain...my thoughts are with you, Susan.
I would love to see this journal when its finished....i hope it helps to give you strength.
love lynx

Heather said...

I put my comment about your blog hop art on the wrong post- sorry ;)

Andrea C said...

Both excellent projects. x

ldfdesign said...

i'm sorry to hear about having to go through that much pain. your project is fabolous though! i hope that it makes a wonderful therapy

Jennifer Scull said...

as someone who has at many times been confined to my home because of health problems, I know how it is to deal with stuff beyond your control. what a brill idea to create a journal to help put thoughts to paper. my prayers will be with you! and you have done a wonderful job on this!

Scrappychick said...

very cool so far, can't wait to see the rest! Really love the purple/red combo!!

KC said...

thank you for your sweet comment, with the altered CD pieces you can heat them...the get super hot but all I did was layers of UTEE I do have some others I made here (http://kc-consultant.blogspot.com/2011/04/cd-pendants.html)
bill or eric ... depends on the day...I can't I want both...after seeing bill in Season3 maybe a little more Eric...who is yours?

and I must say I love your journal idea! super cool! and the winged skulls look totally fab! and I love the bats...but that's me I'm a bat girl:)

Croms' Cubby Hole said...

This is so inspirational. As a fellow chronic pain victim, I was moved. LOVE this

Anonymous said...

I'm lovin' page 1 - talk about fabulous - layout and colours are perfect!

Steph said...

Susan, Your journal is staritng out wonderfully with that amazing cover and page, love the bats! Hope to see more of both of your journals, what a wonderful idea to have 2 different ones for the different moments of your life.

DK Spins said...

I'm loving your skullified journal page/cover, and hope that it is very therapeutic for you. As a fellow chronic pain sufferer, I get alot of those dark times when I'm dead inside. Hope you don't mind if I borrow your idea to have 2 journals. Glad you hopped with us & hope to see more soon!

Tori said...

I love your journal! Great colors and you can never have too many skulls! I think I'm becoming a journal addict!! I love the skull stamp on the back! Thanks for hopping with us! Hope to see you around on the forum!!

:)tOri