Hello lovelies! I think you might LURVE this shop. Wendy’s pieces are not only SERIOUSLY gorgeous, they carry unique messages of love and support after losing a child… and a grandchild. They are so, so needed. I was impressed that Wendy is a grieving grandmother, doing all of this in her precious grandson’s memory.
In her own words, she shares a little of her story and what has inspired her…
I lost my first grandchild, my newborn grandson on July 5, 2011 due to an umbilical cord accident. My heart has been broken. So I’ve been spending my time being as creative as possible. I’ve created many varieties of heart pendants, some steampunk style that include gears and parts of vintage timepieces, others are more delicate and include charms like angel wings, or crosses.
Many have specially chosen words to express the stages of grief that my daughter and I and the rest of the family have experienced along this difficult journey. The words are chosen and cut from vintage magazines from the 30′s through the 60′s to add a bit of nostalgia to each piece. I really feel that with each handcrafted heart that I make a little piece of the love I have for my little grandson lovingly referred to as “baby Marc” continues to grow, and each time I ship one of these hearts to the appreciative hands of another.. his love spreads and brings joy and comfort to others.
My artwork has always been an outlet for my emotions and lately I’ve been flooded with so many of them.. from the loss of baby Marc, and the loss of my other daughters unborn baby in 2011 at only about 5 weeks pregnant, to the joy of hearing that both of my grown daughters are now expecting again in 2012. It’s nice to be able to express my sadness and my joy through creativity. You can read my letter to baby Marc and see the dedication video to him at pillowtalk.wendylayne.com/?p=236
10% of the proceeds for sales from my “Mending Broken Hearts” collection will be donated to M.E.N.D.
M.E.N.D. (Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death) is a Christian, non-profit organization that reaches out to families who have suffered the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant death. They have been an important part of our lives and a tremendous support system since the loss of our precious baby Marc.
Isn’t she AMAZING!!!?
Today Wendy is giving away this piece below, from her collection “Mending Broken Hearts”… to one lucky reader!
To enter the giveaway you must be a follower of this blog.
Visit Wendy’s shop and come back and share your favorite piece(s) in a comment.
For additional, optional entries share this giveaway post on facebook, twitter or a blog post (please leave a separate comment for each entry).
A winner will be announced in a few days :)
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
XO
I’ve been eyeing her pieces lately as well – love them! Right now, I’d have to say my favorite piece is the Rainbow Bronze Heart “Survival” pendant. That’s all I’m capable of doing right now after the death of a second little boy, so it really resonated with me. I do love that “Fragile” Heart with Angel Wings and the Mending Broken Hearts one too! They’re all fantastic!
Shared it on my fb page! (and I love the Rainbow Baby pendant too. OH and that awesome dragonfly. Ok, I love ALL of them!)
I follow on FB… Hope that counts! :) I like them all, really… But especially “Always In My Heart” & the Steampunk Heart w/ Angel Baby. <3
Just posted to FB as well!! <3
Its a toss up between the heart that says “always in my heart” and the one shown above with the angel wings that says “fragile”.All her items are so nice,its hard to choose just one favorite!
Just shared the link on Facebook!
Beautiful, creative, and capturing of the feelings of infant loss. Shared.
I think my favorite is the mending heart.
Heidi Tucker recently posted..I just ordered a variety of BEAUTIFUL heart beads including Czeck glass, and vin…
I am torn between the Rainbow Baby and the Baby Message Hearts. It’s all so beautiful!
Shared on FB
I am totally in love with the Rainbow baby Necklace and the Fragile steampunk mended heart with wings necklace.
Thank you for the opportunity to enter another of your wonderful giveaways :)
Amber Brown recently posted..Christmas, a New year, and a Move
Shared giveaway on FB!
Amber Brown recently posted..Christmas, a New year, and a Move
What an amazing story…creating beauty from the ashes. Lovely in so many ways.
I love her steampunk pendant heart necklaces, and the custom baby heart necklaces.
Beth recently posted..Kicking and Screaming
I tweeted (via @betherann)
Beth recently posted..Living the Paradox
Love the Cradled Baby Angel and Footprint Heart!!!
i also shared via FB : )
I love the Steampunk mended twins piece because I lost twin boys and the blue colore reminds me of them and I think it is so nice that Wendy acknowledges single birth losses as well as multiple birth losses.
Katrinia recently posted..Overwhelmed
Love the steampunk necklace with HOPE….beautiful and so original. Thank you for the opportunity to meet this amazing lady and see all that she is doing in remembrance of her beautiful grandchildren. ((hugs))
Alissa recently posted..Blank Pages
Gorgeous and so much to chose from I think I like the hearts that say “always in my heart” most.
Jessica recently posted..Autism and Friendship
I love what is behind these pieces. I especially like the steam punk heart: rainbow and steam punk heart: hope. They just speak to me <3
Megan recently posted..Our 1st Christmas without Alexander
Wow! I actually would have to pick a favorite? How could I choose….I love the fragile heart as well as the angel baby and the always in my heart. I like the ones with angel wings the best.
Stefanie recently posted..First Christmas down, forever to go…
I just suffered through my third loss in as many years, over the weekend. Talk about raw. These hearts certainly show my emotions. I really love the “Silver Protected Heart Pendant / Necklace – With caged silver heart (Includes chain)”. My heart feels like it’s chained up and cannot be released. The piece also shows my heart, as an incomplete piece, missing parts of it, and not completely whole.
Mending broken hearts is also very beautiful and touching.
I like the heart one that says Fragile
I love the bronze heart blessing pendant. It reminds me that even though it hurts to not have my son here with us, above all, he is the greatest blessing in our lives.
Jolene recently posted..Merry Christmas From Heaven
Her jewelry is gorgeous and so powerful! I love the dragonfly brooch because my sweet Aiden flies on the backs of dragonflies, and the cradled baby angel pendant. xo
Angie recently posted..He was.
I love the steampunk heart pendants especially the blue and black one!
Trisha recently posted..My New House – A Blank Canvas
I absolutely LOVE the dragonfly brooch!!!! You know anything with dragonflies reminds me of Aiden! And I love that she donates part of her proceeds to MEND. Amazing!
I love the dragonfly pendant and the one she is giving away!
I must say I love love love the Autumn Flower pendant. Looks like a rose and reminds me of my Bella. BEAUTIFUL word. xo.
Beryl recently posted..It’s a new year and that means it’s time to find FOCUS. What are you focusing on…
I like many of the pieces so it’s hard to choose. But I’d have to say the blessing or fragile one. So many of them express my feelings!
Jenn recently posted..Merry Christmas
I like so many of them!!! The Rainbow baby, the mended hearts, the survived one, the purple heart with the purple bead (can’t remember it’s name now!). I lost my first baby girl Gracie in August 2010, and now have my 5 month old rainbow baby Violet Grace to help me with the healing process. I’d love to have one of these necklaces to express that I’m mending but I never forget my gorgeous first born baby girl. xxxx
Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, I really love ‘Rainbow Baby’ – hoping to be blessed with one soon!
Nat Mardon recently posted..One Word…
I really love Steampunk Etched Rock Heart Pendant – Necklace – Comes with chain and
Steampunk Heart inside a Heart Pendant Necklace Bronze Copper (Includes chain) – Blessing
Shared the giveaway on Rest In Hope
The fragile heart with the stitches is my favorite. I feel like that is what my heart must look like. In the last few years I have lost my mom, my daughter, and watched my husband battle cancer. To say my heart is fragile would be an understatement:( All of her pieces are beautiful!! I am going to share them on FB and my blog:)
Buckley recently posted..How Cool Are These?!?!!
I love all her pieces <3
I can't get over how amazing they are!
I really like the “I’m Pregnant” heart pendant since I am hoping to become pregnant with my rainbow baby soon.
Shared the giveaway on my facebook page as well. :-)
I like the ‘fragile’ heart with wings!
Shared on FB :)
I love the fragile heart piece..it captures everything so perfectly. My now ex husband and I tried to concieve a child for over a year..wasnt sure it was possible. One day I found out I was pregnant..and was so happy the next 10 weeks. I ended up going in for an ultra sound..there was no heartbeat. I was told I would miscarry naturally and didn’t.. I felt so fragile.. the last year was a year of one year anniversaries..I was so scared and felt so breakable.. but I made it through.. every day is a new day. Thank you for the post the pieces are so amazing.
I love all of your work..I lost my firstborn son in 2009n he was stillborn i really like the herat and the dragonfly..xx
They’re all pretty. The one about hope spoke to me. I’m sorry for Wendy’s lost grandbaby and really love that she’s creating these pieces to comfort other women. Beautiful.
Karen recently posted..Giveaway Winners….
What a lovely way to remember our little girl Noomi (pron. know me). It will be 10 months next week since we said goodbye. I absolutely love the whole collection of hearts but especially the Steampunk Heart Pendant – Multi Color Lavender and Gold as well as the fragile heart. Butterflies have taken on a new significance for us thanks to a poem that was shared with us shortly after Noomi was born still due to a cord accident. Wendy – would you be able to do a butterfly pendant, similar to the dragonfly?
So I love the fragile piece! I always thought after my daughter died in June at 7 months old I needed a way to wear exactly how fragile I was and that becasue you were mean to me in the check out line could resut in me having a nervous break down! There is no way in America to show you are a parent in grief! In other countries you wear black, you stay in doors for many weeks or months…many different traditions but here there is no way to separate out that I am a momma who just lost her child! That my heart is in pieces and that anything you say or do could send me over the edge! It wasn’t written on my forehead, you can’t wear a shirt saying my daughter just died! So there is no way of expression and this piece expresses it perfectly!! Thank you so much for sharing! Summer Fuller …mommy to a beautiful angel~Sophee
and I shared the giveaway on my facebook and getting ready to blog!
and blogged…http://praying4sophee.blogspot.com/