Girl Power Necklace

Warning: This Post Contains Mature Images

While browsing around Etsy a while back, I stumbled across a wonderful shop called Vulva Love Lovely. The amazing handmade collection of “vulva pendants, vagina pillows, uterus plushies, eco friendly cloth menstrual pads and handmade feminist love” is a truly inspiring way to celebrate being a woman. Whether you're a true feminist at heart, or just proud to be female, the unique designs of Vulva Love Lovely are something to behold.

As soon as I saw the hand sculpted polymer clay vulva pendants, I knew that I had to get one for my wonderful sister in law. She is without a doubt the strongest woman I know, and much deserving of such a pretty badge of honor. Amy is a beautiful model, an incredibly dedicated mother, and a one of a kind friend. I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate her than with a necklace as bold and original as she is. She's also pretty cheeky and doesn't seem to know the meaning of the word "shy", so I thought a vulva necklace would be the perfect addition to her wardrobe.

The Inspiration:

I wanted to create a necklace of my own design, and so I asked the artist, Jessica Marie, if she would create a custom pendant for me to use in a special necklace for Amy. She kindly agreed, and soon after I had a gorgeous pink and orange “flower”. As soon as I picked up this little treasure, I felt instantly empowered.

The Beads:

To match the vulva pendant, I picked some 11/0 seed beads in opaque pink and orange, as well as a sunny yellow. To add a touch of goth-punk flavor, I also grabbed some black 11/0‘s. Once I had this palette, I created a mixture of transparent pink and gunmetal seed beads to bring everything together.

The Beadwork:

Amy is a big fan of classic daisy chain necklaces, so I started with a double chain with my chosen seed beads. I wanted to add something really special, so I made a pink and yellow beaded flower with a fiber optic center, and used it to create a bail for the vulva pendant. The necklace has a lot of personality - pretty and bold and spicy - just like Amy.

Happy birthday, Honey!

Copyright 2009 Inspirational Beading

Mother Nature Necklace

The use of gemstones as beads is one of humanity’s oldest art forms. Colored stones have been used for adornment for as long as we have had the tools to work them. Many cultures throughout history have used the unique stones of their region not only for their beauty, but to symbolize deities, ward off spirits, and bring good luck. It is ironic that, to enjoy the gorgeous gemstones that nature has created, we have to extract them from the earth, leaving scars on Mother Nature that cannot, or will not, be erased.

The Inspiration:

I wanted to create an amulet that not only represented the power and beauty of the earth, but included a piece of her as well. Rather than use a traditional ‘natural’ bead, I chose a simple stone as the focal point.

An ordinary rock, polished by erosion, can be just as awe inspiring as the bluest turquoise, or shiniest diamond.

The Beads:

In addition to a dark gray stone, I selected a few earthy beads. To represent nature as vegetation, I picked lively green apple 11/0 seed beads. To compliment the stone, I grabbed some copper-lined gray 6/0’s, and white and brown flecked 4/0 seed beads.

The Beadwork:

To make the amulet portion of the necklace, I encased the stone in seed bead netting. I was pleased to discover that, under the thick jacket of beadwork, the stone has a very ova-like shape. This adds one more element of “Earth Mother” that I hadn‘t counted on. The straps of the necklace were made with right angle weave, and I added looped fringe with some turquoise Picasso teardrops and leaves. Although the pendant isn’t the lightest of materials, the necklace does not feel heavy at all.

Copyright 2009 Inspirational Beading