I love a good challenge!  Here is an interesting custom request I recently received:

Hi Brooke,
Would it be possible for you to create a borosilicate Vulva pendant in violet with a menstrual red drop seemingly falling from the bottom area of the lips? I share your thought about the need for more positive imagery and less shame associated with female anatomy. In case you are concerned about my custom order, please know that I practice Classical Tantra Yoga in which menstrual fluid is considered sacred. I’m telling you this in case you are concerned less your artistic work will not be treated in accordance with your intentions. This will be very special for me. I thank you so much.
Michael.

I really like how this particular piece turned out. It is simply a combination of our Vulva design and our Moon-blood droplet pendants. Since these are existing designs already, there was no need to create a prototype or explore new techniques. So I even had time to get some cute pics of the final result before shipping it out!

When someone comes to me with an idea they have for a custom glass pendant, I try my best to make something they will feel connected to and cherish as their own creation. Sometimes the final piece comes out looking a bit different than what that person had in mind originally. Yet the intersection of their vision and my artistry manages to manifest an object of unique, collaborative beauty.  It helps that we have customers who understand the unpredictability of glassblowing, and the need to allow for some fluidity in the process… both literally and figuratively!

And then there are times when I just can’t seem to come up with a design that both captures the essence of the customer’s idea, and that also looks aesthetically pleasing to me. Those unborn ideas will forever reside in the back of my mind until I can finally come up with a way to express them in glass form. For example, I have been working on a line of glass Cesarean Birth Jewelry for years!

I have good reason to accept these challenges, and attempt all of these unique ideas. Some of our most popular designs were inspired by custom requests, like our top-selling Placenta jewelry, the ever popular Rainbow Babywearing design, the Waterbirth necklace… and lots more! In fact, I never would have considered making a Family pendant with so many kids represented if I hadn’t been asked by so many mamas of big families!

So thank you to everyone who has ever trusted your ideas with me. Even if I haven’t yet been able to manifest your vision, I appreciate the opportunity to try. So please keep those custom requests coming!