Feb 12 2009
Crafting For Cancer: Rebel1in8 & Rhea Belle
Rebel1in8 founder Jacqueline Skaggs is an East Coast crafter with a mission. In 2004, following her second breast cancer diagnoses since the age of 36, Skaggs started making counterculture “awareness” jewelry to “bring attention to another side of recovery in opposition to the pink ribbon landscape.” “One in eight” is a nod to the 2003-04 statistic “one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer”, but is also in reference to Skaggs being the last child of eight.
The first necklace she created, in the summer of 2002, was made from a Rebel bottle cap Skaggs found on a Brooklyn street. Two years later, she started crafting the unique necklaces, which feature eight beads (one being of a different color than the rest).
From there, Rhea Belle apparel began in response to the growing need for garments for women who have had a single or bi-lateral mastectomy and are moving forward without reconstructive surgery or the use of prostheses. Shortly after her own single mastectomy in 2004, Skaggs began altering and designing garments to “create visual balance.”
As a breast cancer survivor myself, I can attest to the fact that Skaggs is filling a need in the survivor community, offering jewelry and clothing that not only inspires, but also empowers.
To visit Rebel1in8, click here. http://rebel1in8.com/jewels.html
To visit Rhea Belle, click here. http://rebel1in8.com/rhea.html
To purchase Rhea Belle clothing, click here. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5572596
To purchase Rebel1in8 jewelry or art, click here. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=75253
No related posts.
