Wow this is what you call a work of art with true meaning.. Such a sad story for a young life to be taken from her senselessly, for the man that murdered her to only sever 15 years.. what about the rest of HER life? Can she enjoy the warm sun warming her skin, or listen to the birds there beautiful songs, hear her own kids call her mommy? Sorry I get such negative feelings toward are justice system. You truly put alot of heart and feelings into this layout.. and its really emotionally touching.
What a tragic story! It must have been so difficult for you to create this layout! You did a fantastic job and she will never be forgotten! Love all of the symbolism and details! Fave!
Oh my, what a senseless tragedy. I can't imagine the paint that all of you have lived with over these years. I love all the symbolism in your LO, I know doing it was a heart wrenching experience.
Jen. wow. i can't believe this story is true - it is so horrible. I'm glad you were able to do this LO - i'm not sure i'm strong enough to do the same. BTW congrats on your DT post! you continue to inspire me!
What a heart-wrenching story. I hardly know what to say except that I am glad you had the opportunity to use your artitstic talent to say what's in your heart.
OHMYGoshl....I'm sitting here chilled, stunned but your experience. How sad, how very very sad. The page is perfect, it's depressing and it's beautiful (if that makes any sense). What an eerie, surreal experience. This is a beautiful tribute for your friend.
Wow I can see all the emotion in this stunning work of art. What a tragic story. Thanks for sharing it with us. You told it beautifully both in words and in your awesome layout.
it is so sad he gets out of jail after such a short time.
Very touching story.. God bless yours and Meghan's family...sorry for your loss.
What a great way to express you feelings. A lot of emotin must have gone into this lo. I must give it a try. Thank you for your story and for the inspiration.
This page caught my eye in the gallery it's beautiful, and I read the whole story, I cried. This is just so Beautiful, and I am so sorry for the loss. This is scrap therapy.
OMG! shedding my tears ... no way ! I'm so sorry for your loss and your bravery and creating this and sharing it with the world. Bless her family and you. She is an angel watching down. So unimaginable.. Lifting you all up in light and love.
This is absolutely gut-wrenching and heart-felt and powerful Jen! thank you...for sharing something I am sure is so painful and personal.....I feel honored that you shared this with us my friend...and hope and pray that somehow you were able to find a little peace through this creation. BIG HUGS!
I find it hard to verbalize my emotions now. However, I believe that your lo captures this tragic story very well. I can only imagine the energy that this must have taken you to work through. Thanks for sharing.
My heart is sitting in the pit of my stomach right now...this is so heartwrenching. You can see a lot of hard work and heartfelt emotions poured into this page! Beautiful work!
Shedding silent tears for Meghan. I am so sorry for your loss and know that this page was created with so much emotion and love. This is a stunning page; beyond words for me. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Oh Jen, what a heartwrenching story. You have created a work of art here to the memory of your dear friend Meghan. You can see the emotion and love you have put into this very special tribute. Big hugs to you!!!
I'm finding it hard to say how sorry I am for the heartache you are feeling, but hope it has eased a little after having created this fabulous tribute to your friend.Your work is always an inspiration and you journalling is priceless.May your memories help ease the sadness. Hugs
oh my goodness...what a wonderful tribute to your friend. You are an incredible designer and wonderful story teller. The song Iris means a lot to me too. I hope all her family and friends are doing ok. I'm sure it's hard after something like that happens.
wow!!! After that story and the expression of it you put in you LO, I am without words. God bless you in your memories of this loving person and the terror that came to be.
What a wonderfully terrific ode! This artistic page is as alive and magical as a great song (and Iris is definitely a stellar tune, it's always been a meaningful favourite of mine, too).
OMG Jen, the artistry, symbolism and emotion in this lo is . . . . . well, there really isn't a word to describe it. Your touching heartfelt description and lo have rendered me speechless too. Obviously you cared deeply for your friend Meghan and I am sure she would be touched to know that after all these years, you still think of her.
Jennifer, your story gave me goosebumps. I love "Iris", have done since I heard it way back when. This is an incredibly well thought out page design, love all the symbolism. I hope it gave you some comfort to create this beautiful piece of art.
This just leaves me speechless. Sometimes there just isn't anything anyone can say to comfort the emotion. Thank you for participating in my challenge. I am honored you shared such a private piece of you with all of us. (Hugs)
This was a tear jerker!!!!! You have such a flair with writing, I will forever be your fan! This is an extraordinary layout, full of emotion and I can understand why you were not able to scrap for a week. This would drain me too.
Oh, Jen..How heartbreakingly sad...Please try to not feel guilt over what ifs. He would have done it another day. Strange how I picked up the piece of jewelry used on this on 2 different occasions and could not take it. It was meant for Meghan. I will google the lyrics now and think of all of you, my friend.
I'm just sitting here shaking after reading this,Jen-so heartwrenching and tragic ...I hope creating this was therapeutic for you...the symbolism and artistry is fabulous and the emotion of this page is so powerful.
what a sad tragic story! through your amazing creativity you have expressed the pain you feel on your layout with so much emotion. I love the symbolism of the details. a really fantastic work of art!
Oh Jen this is so amazing on so many different levels! First the artistry of it all and then the sorrow and emotion behind it. Your story broke my heart over your lose and tied me into knots over the injustice of someone's life being worth only 15 years of another's. I am sorry that something so precious was taken away you. Huge Dark Sister Hugs!!
Holy crow, I can understand completely why you didn't scrap for a week afterwards..........so much emotional content here. I was wrecked just reading the story. Nevertheless, it is an artfully beautiful layout, rich in symbolism, visually emotional.
Made for the skeletons in your closet challenge at Scraps of Darkness. The challenge was based around the Song "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls. You were to create what the song meant to you, what the song makes you feel.
"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls:
December 1993. I lived in Buffalo for many years when the Goo Goo Dolls formed their band in Buffalo. Our friend, Meghan was cousins with one of the band members. It's been too many years and I cannot remember if she was cousins with the lead vocalist and guitarist, John Rzeznik , or bass guitarist, Robby Takac. Oh how the details slip away with time.
The band played all over Buffalo in the early years gathering up quite a flock of groupies – Meghan among the biggest. She adored her cousin and the group. She followed him to gigs and talked proudly about him, his music and his passion. She felt he was sooooo close to a big commercial breakthrough. She had faith in their success.
Friday before Christmas, my husband and I had rare theater tickets for a Christmas Carroll. Sweet Meghan volunteered to help us out by babysitting as money was tight back then. It was a big sacrifice for her since she lived about an hour away. We returned home and begged Meghan to stay overnight as the roads were treacherous. Meghan insisted on driving the distance home. But before she left, she warned us that there would be some long distance phone bills on our phone. She had chatted with her boyfriend and made plans for the next day. She was excited and told us just a snippet of the plan.
Off she went into the night. Bye Megan and thanks. Merry Christmas.
Next morning, we got up and went to visit relatives for the rest of the weekend. Upon arrival back home, we were greeted by the blinking light on our answering machine. There was only one message, left by a young lady screaming into the phone. “Meghan's been murdered”. This was repeated several times then silence.
Meghan's boyfriend had plotted to lure her to a park, had stolen a gun, shot her in the head and left her body. She was gone. That was the exciting plan they had chatted about on our phone.
Within the year, the Goo Goo Dolls made their breakthrough with “Name”. Then in 1998 with Iris. I sobbed the first time I heard them on the radio. Even still, these two songs can bring me to tears knowing the pure joy and pride Meghan would have felt, that plans had been made on my phone, the “what if's” that run through my mind if only Meghan would have stayed the night at our house. David was paroled a year ago. June 19th 2010 after serving 15 years for Meghan's murder. These are the partial lyrics that really hit me:
And I'd give up forever to touch you Cuz I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't want to go home right now
About the LO - The heart was created using tissue paper from an old dress pattern. I ripped it and inked the edges red for blood. Then I used mod-podge to secure it in place.
The lacing represents the broken hearts of Meghans family and friends that need to be stitched as best they can to move forward in life, though never really mended.
I took the Tattered Angels stamp and stamped black ink right over the top of the tissue heart. The stamp is super huge - like Meghan's kind heart! The blackness of the ink covers over so much yet we know what is underneath.
The steel colored Prima flower petals were ripped apart and used as a trim at the bottom as I found it more fitting and appropriate.
And last, the angel wings with white feathers and blood red ribbon represent Meghan, a beautiful Angel both here and "there".
Lots of emotion in this LO. In fact, I did not scrap for a week after this. Too much pain invested.
Thanks for looking and once again a VERY special THanks to MelindaK for taking a chance on letting me design for Scraps Of Darkness. This kit was amazing.
Does this project or one of it's images contain pornography, profanity, or other illegal or offensive material? If so, please report it and our moderators will come by and clean it up in a flash.
February 24, 2012
February 24, 2012
February 24, 2012
February 24, 2012
July 15, 2011
July 15, 2011
July 14, 2011
July 13, 2011
July 13, 2011
July 12, 2011
July 11, 2011
July 11, 2011
July 11, 2011
July 11, 2011
July 11, 2011
July 11, 2011
July 09, 2011
July 09, 2011
July 09, 2011
July 09, 2011
July 08, 2011
July 08, 2011
July 08, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 07, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 06, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011
July 05, 2011