New Beginnings

My family has had a rough couple of years losing dogs. My husband and I have lost four of our sweet babies recently. We like big dogs (Great Danes and Boxers) and they don't live long lives so that's the burden we bear.

I've always wanted to have a gem made from my dog's ashes but they are pricey. Then I saw that some lampworkers were working the ashes into their glass beads and they were beautiful! They look kind of like a cosmic swirl. And, of course, they could cover up the ashes with opaque color if the client was uncomfortable with seeing them.

I decided it was finally time to try this for myself. A few nights ago I took the ashes from my boxer, Molly, out to the shop with me and let me tell you, the beads came out better than I could have hoped. I want to play with some other techniques, but even the first four I made are going to be worn and are beautiful. I even made one for my other boxer, Wylie, who was her buddy in the last stages of her life.

I will be offering this service to my clients soon. I need to work out some logistics - make some samples, take some photos, put together collection kits, etc. This is a very personal project for me and I am glad I can finally move forward with it. More to come...