A Vibrant Life Each and Every Day

Today I packaged a beautiful pendant and shipped it to Martha P. of Maryland.  And as I carefully slipped the pendant into it's delicate jewelry bag and wrapped it in protective bubble wrap, I couldn't help but to think of the conversation we had had just a few weeks earlier. 

The first time Martha called she hung up on me.

The second time Martha called she sobbed so hard that I would have given anything to reach through the phone and hug her through her tears.  It was a very intense moment.  However, somewhere between the tears, Martha managed to tell me about her beautiful daughter, Kiera.

And through the tears and the sobs she told me about Kiera's passion for art, friends and life.  She volunteered at the senior center with her high school's Key Club, helped organize youth group events and was the drum major of her band.  She had her day planner packed with activities and outings and was rarely seen without a smile on her face. 

But when a drunk driver...who was attempting to drive and text...struck the car that Kiera was driving home from  her high school's Friday night football game,  her vivacious life was cut far too short.

And through the anger and sorrow that Martha expressed while on the phone, she said something that will stick with me forever:

"That man cut my baby's life short, but he will never extinguish her light."

So in her honor Miss Martha requested that I make a piece that is vibrant and fun...light and airy...and easily recognizable amongst Kiera's friends as something that is "her".  And this is what I made:

A beautiful pendant representing a vivacious life.

On Making Something Beautiful.

A few days ago I was reviewing my new work orders and caught myself feeling slightly overwhelmed.  I had so many orders to fill and appointments to make and things I wanted to do, and it seemed as though there simply were not enough hours in the day to accomplish all I wanted to.  And just as I was beginning to wonder what it would cost to have myself cloned, a pink piece of paper caught my eye.  It was attached to an order that had been mailed in and I couldn't help but pick it up.

It was a note from a customer whom we will call Virginia.  In her note she wrote about her son, Samuel, who had sustained fatal injuries in an auto accident.  She wrote that her son was full of life and passionate about his career truck driver.  Each morning her son awoke with a purpose: to deliver goods so that they could be used.  Wow.

And as I read that letter the overwhelmed feeling slowly began to fade.  Each and every morning I get to wake up and do something I love and help people memorialize those that they love.  I do make a difference in my customer's lives and that fact alone is enough to push me forward and motivate me to make something beautiful that represents something beautiful.  What a wonderful life!

Custom Jewelry Series...Post 3

I hope you have enjoyed my custom jewelry series and am SO excited to present the Circle of Life pendant I have been working on!  As I worked with the customer I had the priviledge of learning more and more about their organization.  While you may already know the primary purpose of a hospice, you may not be aware of the valuable counseling and other services they provide to their communities. 
It was while I was learning more about the Circle of Life that I realized the organization strives to celebrate life while it is being lived and provide love, comfort and compassion to those who have arrived at their final destination.  It is really a beautiful mission and I wanted their pendant to represent both celebration and memories. 
Keeping that in mind I chose vibrant turquois beads and paired them with intricate vintage brass beads.  This combination represents a beautifully bold and delicate life.  The addition of the vintage brass butterfly further represents a voyage through life that is full of stories and memories.  These necklaces are truly perfect for the Circle of Life Hospice and I know they will enjoy giving them away to the families they have served.

Custom Jewelry Series...Post 2

For some people the act of going to work is dreadful; but for me, it is refreshing.  As an artist there is nothing more exciting than knowing that others find meaning and significance in the work that I deliver.  And while I love the standard dichroic glass memorials that I make most often, I absolutely love the creative freedom that comes along with making custom memorial pieces!

You will recall that I was asked to create a custom piece for the Circle of Life Hospice's annual Voyage fundraising event in Springdale, AR, and I am SO excited about it!  Of course I couldn't wait to get started and immediately began thinking of all the colors, textures and materials I could use to create a stunning piece that represents the beautiful lives that have been touched by the services that the Circle of Life provides. 

The first material I am considering is a brownish vintage brass that is very popular and may be dressed up or dressed down for nearly any occasion.  I am also considering some beautiful turquois nuggets that draw on the color from the organization's logo blue and lime logo.  And last, but most importantly, I am considering a large vintage brass butterfly pendant that draws on inspiration from the primary element of the logo.  The end result will be a necklace that represents a beautiful Voyage through life.

So what will this necklace look like??  Catch next week's post to find out! 

My Custom Memorial Jewelry Series...Post 1

I have been so excited about sitting down and writing this post!  Why?  Because I get to share with you an amazing opportunity that I encountered this week. 

On Monday I was contacted by the Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale, AR to create two custom pendants for their annual Voyage fundraising gala!  I am so honored that the Circle of Life chose to approach me about the creation of these pendants and can't wait to get started! 

SO...over the next several weeks I will be hosting a blog series on designing your own custom memorial jewelry.  This is such an exciting topic for me and I hope you will enjoy reading the series just as much as I will enjoy writing it!

So what is the Hospice looking for?  Something fun, colorful and easily recognizable as theirs.  They provided me a logo (see below) and that is it.  Honestly, they (like many of the families I serve) have no clue what they want- and that is the best part!  Because they have some ideas but no specific design in mind, they are giving me the chance to really put my artistic skills to work.

So what about you?  If you were to create a custom pendant for a loved one, what ideas would draw from?  Perhaps a photo of a favorite place, a memento from a favorite sport or hobby or even just a favorite color?  Or maybe you would prefer to write a description of your loved one's personality and simply draw from the traits he or she had.  Whatever your ideas and inspirations may be, they become truly special when taken from the "raw" and transformed into something beautiful. 

Stay tuned for next weeks post!

The Embrace Collection

If you look at my work you will notice that I make a lot of square-shaped pendants.  Why?  Because they are different.  In fact, my square Love Ashes' pendants are the only pendants of their kind on the cremation jewelry market- that's pretty special!  But circles are pretty special too, and that's why I have added them to my collection. 

Circles and their associated meanings are so important to many throughout the grieving process.  Of course because the circle has no beginning and no end, it commonly represents an unbroken or neverending love.  And because the love we have for our loved ones even after they have passed never fades, the circle seemed like the perfect shape to add to our collection. 

But the circular symbolism seems to mean even more once a loved one's ashes have been fused into it.  And that is exactly why we have chosen the name "Embrace" for the circular pendant.  Even though the person it memorializes is no longer here, you can still embrace their life, lessons and, most of all, their love.    

The Perfect Beach Memorial

Can I just tell you that I love what I do?  Sure, the hours are long and the work is detail-oriented, but I would not trade it for the world.  Why?  Because of letters like this:

Dear Silvia,

By all accounts my daughter, Amelia, was beautiful.  She had a beautiful Hawaiian complexion, a contagious smile that radiated for miles and a heart that was full of joy and love.  Amelia loved the ocean and marine life and wanted, more than anything, to become a marine biologist- and she was well on her way.  As a sophomore at the University of Hawaii she had declared her major and landed a part time job with a local not-for-profit that worked to protect and preserve marine life; she loved it.  And as a mother I derived no greater joy than to watch her work to accomplish her goals. 

But, as Amelia entered her Junior year of college, something changed.  She began having "pesky" back and neck pain that simply refused to go away.  Of course we thought the pain was attributed to sore muscles from her part-time job but, as time drew on, the pain became worse and more debilitating.  Finally, towards the end of her fall semester, she decided she needed to see a doctor; our lives would never be the same after that day.

I will never forget the look on the physician's face when he told us that Amelia had Stage IV lung cancer.  It was a diagnosis that didn't even seem possible; Amelia was only 21 years old and had never smoked a cigarette in her entire life.  I could not believe my ears.  The second thing I will never forget is how she held me as I cried.  "Don't worry, Mom, it'll all be okay.  One way or another," she whispered through the tears. 
But I knew it wouldn't be.

No mother should ever have to watch her child suffer and endure painful procedures as she fights for her life; but I did.  And when Amelia lost her battle to cancer, I knew I had a fight of my own- the fight to regain normalcy during such an "abnormal" time.  And while I know I may not ever feel "normal" again, working with you to create Amelia's memorial was certainly one of the most important parts of the healing process.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking my "beach" idea and creating such a beautiful pendant for me to wear in her honor.  My heart flutters when strangers comment on how beautiful it is and my eyes often tear as I say "thank you"; it is a compliment that I cherish more than others will ever know.  From me, for Amelia, thank you. 

~Janis M.
Honolulu, HI

To make this custom memorial we used our popular flip flop pendant design and then fused Amelia's ashes into it.  The result was a stunning and appropriate memorial her mother can cherish forever.