This Artist's Bedazzled Belly Casts Are Beautiful Bump Keepsakes

Pregnancy is a special moment in a woman’s life. And no matter how eager you may be for baby to arrive, it’s bittersweet when your journey as one comes to an end.

Luckily, you can get yourself a blinged out, bedazzled mosaic belly cast to capture your beautiful bump. Artist Wendy Buijs van Burg is a master when it comes to this craft. She makes the special keepsakes for others using plaster, colored glass and Swarovski crystals.

Image: Wen's Body Art

But it wasn’t always her day job. After a life-changing illness, the Netherlands artist decided to put some things in perspective.

“My own pregnancy inspired me to make the first mosaic belly cast. I liked the creative process and I also learned, after surviving cancer in 2013, that the body is your most precious possession. That’s why I like to honour it with personal art,” she tells The Bump.

In fact, years later and she still keeps her body cast near and dear to her.

Image: Wen's Body Art

“My own belly cast has a special spot upstairs. It’s a very precious memory for me and I still cherish it every day,” she says. “The colors of my own belly cast are quite modest—white, silver and caramel in a fade out pattern. This is a combination I won’t get tired of!”

And the belly casts aren’t just for the expectant mom. Tons of Buijs van Burg’s clients have incorporated their partners into the molds.

“[The partner’s] hand gets involved in the cast, and I decorate it with smaller pieces of mosaic or in a realistic body-casting sculpture," she explains.

For the artist, it’s a true labor of love. The mosaic casts typically take about 30 hours to complete, and some special designs can take up to 42 hours. In the end, she’s honored to provide her clients with such a sweet, “tangible memory of how their bodies look during this special period in their lives.”

Image: Wen's Body Art

From books to stuffed bears, click here for even more baby keepsake ideas.