Love is Hell(boy)

I have a soft spot for the movie Hellboy. It’s not exactly a cinematic masterpiece, but my husband and I watched it on our first date, so it holds a special place in our hearts!

I’ve been thinking of doing a Hellboy bracelet for a few years and figured that since Hellboy was our first date, my Hellboy bracelet would make a good Valentine’s Day bracelet this year.

Until recently, I was missing two key beads: Ash Hole and Tartan Gore. Hellboy is seldom without a cigar and he’s also a little … difficult. Hence, Ash Hole was a must! It was a little harder to pinpoint exactly why I wanted Tartan Gore. I tried to use some of the other red/black beads that I have, but none seemed as fitting. I finally realised that the lines on it reminded me of the styling of a graphic novel, which is what Hellboy started as. I snagged both Ash Hole and Tartan Gore on Cyber Monday before they sold out and was finally able get a real start on this bracelet.

Next were a few beads for his physical appearance. His right hand is made of stone and is called the Right Hand of Doom. I don’t have any red stones, but the cracked appearance of Broken Heart reminded me of stone. He’s also never without his beige trenchcoat and black pants; Humerus and my Wood Sprite were perfect for those. Although I have one beige bead that was a better colour match than Humerus, there was something about the texture of Humerus that was perfect for his well-worn coat.

I had trouble thinking of silvers, but when I was looking for inspiration, I came across this description for Hellboy: “A well-meaning demon whose true name is Anung Un Rama (“and upon his brow is set a crown of flame”), …” and added the Ohm Crown of Thorns as his crown of flames.

I thought that I was done, then remembered his love interest in the movie, Liz Sherman. And if I was making this as a Valentine’s bracelet, I really needed to include both of them! She’s a pyrokenetic and can make flames, which makes her a perfect match for Hellboy since he can’t burn. But they have other challenges in their relationship. Although the flames that she produces are more of a blue tone, the artisan bead felt right with this combination. Then I added the Love Cage bead to represent the trickier side of relationship.

Although it’s a little non-standard for a Valentine’s Day bracelet, since I’m not much of a hearts girl, it’s perfect for me!

Are you a traditionalist when it comes to holidays, or do you prefer to make your own traditions, even if they are a bit off-beat?

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