Today is the January Smeared & Smudged member wide Blog Hop. “Want to know what our theme is? Well since it’s the New Year, how about we do something NEW!! That just means that we want you to try something you have never done before. Use a stamp that you have never used, a color you have never used. Anything NEW to you!!! That’s it.”Originally, I had intended to use these *new* images on a card… but crisis has once again struck my family. If you’ve been following me since October, you know what’s been going on. So my original idea morphed into something I needed to put in my *new* Art Journal #2. (I got a second Art Journal so that I could have one with white pages, as the 1st only has black pages). 
This is Oliver. I got him when he was 3 months old…just after I found out I was pregnant with Phoenix. His 5th Birthday was this month. We found out in the Fall that Oliver had lymphoma… We began giving him meds to treat it, and it worked for a couple of months…but Cancer is such an evil disease. It took over so swiftly just yesterday morning. My husband thought he ate something that made him sick, as he wouldn’t eat or drink. We took him to the vet in the afternoon. Our sweet, wonderful vet told us that it was time. Time to make that awful decision that had to be made. We put Oliver to sleep at about 4PM. We stayed with him the whole time. I was kneeling in front of him as he was put to sleep. I was staring right into his eyes. I was the last thing he saw, and I am so grateful for that.We went through 5 very difficult years with Oliver. I even tried to find him a new home (among having trainers and such). He had some pretty nasty tendencies, and I worried for the safety of my kidlings. To make a long story (slightly) short, he stayed with us. And I am thankful. We did everything we could for him. Absolutely everything. And we stayed with him. Stuck by him. Loved him. I will always love him. And I will always miss him. So with our 3rd horrific tragedy in just 3 short months, I bring you hope for the future. On Butterfly’s Wings. 
I painted a piece of white cardstock with red and yellow acrylic paint, blending them to make orange. I used my *new* Martha Stewart butterfly stamps that I got from my sister Pam for Christmas. They were embossed. I sprayed some Walnut Gold Glimmer Mist over the whole thing, and then adhered it to my *new* Art Journal. This is the first page I’ve done in this book. 
Around the edge of the page I wrote: Fly me over the rainbowon the wings of a butterfly.Over that Rainbow Bridge-where I’ll see you on the other side.For those of you with pets that have passed, you have probably heard of the Rainbow Bridge. I won’t write about it here, as this post is already way longer then I intended it to be. Sorry about that. Guess I really needed to “talk” about this. You can always google the Rainbow Bridge.I hope you like my piece. Thank you for reading my story. I appreciate all of your love and comments. Please be sure to visit the rest of the January Hoppers. Have an inspiring day.Terra ~ Tori ~ Helen~ Jane ~ Black Dragon ~ Steph ~ MeredithAlison (me!) ~ Teri ~ Kristie ~ Paula ~ Monica ~ Diane ~ ShelleyDiane ~ Lady Brayton ~ Kelli 
I love you, Ollie.
So sorry for your loss, your card is very beautiful and fitting. ~Diane
sniff – you got me blubbin now – reminded me of having to get our Ben euthanased a few years back. Still sprout tears when I think of it even now!
I'm so sad for all of you! What a beautiful post – and page, the rainbow is perfect for today. Five years is so young, cancer sucks, just remember that he will always leave pawprints on your heart! inky hugs for all of you!
What a beautiful pooch…so sorry for your loss. A few years ago we had to put down our Holly, a very sweet yellow lab. It was such a painful experience, but she was suffering terribly. She was like my 5th child. Your journal page is absolutely beautiful!
So so sorry for your lose! In November of last year we lost our Tex (13 yr old blue hellier). We knew it was close but still so unprepared! Thoughts with you and your family!
oh sweetie…such a beautiful tribute to ollie. what a beautiful furry angel…i'm so sorry for all that you've all been going through.
i hope this was cathartic and a bit healing for you. i know that when our first furry baby had to be put down, creating and writing about him helped me.
sending love your way.
hugs =)
meredith
So sorry for your loss your page is lovely
Luv Jane xxx
He is just beautiful Alison, as is your journalling. How nice to know that the love went both ways. I know how difficult it is to say good-bye, but like you, I am so grateful I was right there with my companion when the time to say good-bye came. Oliver has a special place in your heart, an will always be right there in that space waiting for you.
So very sorry for your loss. I hope you and your family heals quickly from this. Thank you for sharing this beautiful card with us all.
Thank you for sharing Alison and so sorry you've experienced another loss of a loved one. It's a lovely tribute to a treasured friend and Ollie was blessed to have your family for his people.
A beautiful tribute to a dear member of the family. The beauty of those treasured times are mirrored in your art.
Beautiful tribute to a beautiful friend…. 14mths ago i lost my little friend in a very similar way… this stony hearted dragon is now crying like a baby!
AGAIN!
My love to you and your family…. always Alison… no family should have had to endure what your family has in 3 short months.xxxx
lynx
Oh sweetie, my heart goes out to you. As a mom to several fur-babies, it hurts to let them go. Ollie was lucky to have found such a loving family. I love the page in your art journal with the butterflies. It's a beautiful tribute to his love, and yours. take care, Dianne
i'm sorry for your loss! you did make a wonderful card though 🙂
he is such a cutie! I'm sorry for your loss, you did make a lovely project! and that poem makes me cry! I love it!!
Wow, what an emotional piece. It brought tears to my eyes, passion is a wonderful thing when you can bring it through your art to your viewers. You have an awesome talent. So sorry for your loss. RIP Oliver
Oh Ladybird!!! I am so sorry about Oliver!! If you need to talk you know where I am, no matter what I am doing!!!! I love this project!!!
You put tears in my eyes, sweet friend. Thank you for sharing your very moving story and journal page. bad things, it seems, come in threes. Hopefully now, your luck will change. Hoping for joy and healing in the new year.