Friday, May 22, 2009
Cremation Urn Memorials
A cremation memorial erected indoors can include memorial textile art, photographs, memorial paintings, sculpture and many other types of keepsakes and mementos of the deceased. Perhaps a shelf or table in a specific location will serve as a small altar, and objects and images that were special to the departed can be displayed together to give a sacred place the memory of the special person. When erecting a memorial inside with a handcrafted funeral urn as the centerpiece, a lot of creativity can be used and expressed. The location and how you arrange the items to serve as the memorial objects can be done in almost limitless possibilities. Weather and the elements do not come into question here, and fragile items can be used along with any other items you can think of.
Outdoor cremation memorials with a one of a kind cremation urn as the centerpiece have to be a little more secure and the items placed there must be able to withstand the elements. Metal art urns or stone cremation urns may be more suitable to outdoor memorial shrines. These materials are sturdier and have a better chance of surviving the elements and weather. If a covered area is being used, a little more flexibility is possible, but you still want to use sturdy materials for the objects you display. Selecting an outdoor memorial site is also a great way to allow others who may want to visit it to be able to have some quiet time with their memories of the deceased.
There are many objects that can be used in conjunction with the creation urn to honor the memory of the departed. Memorial glass is beautiful and can incorporate some of the ashes of the departed in the artwork itself. Memorial textile art is a great way to include items and objects from the life of the dearly departed. Photos, jewelry or other trinkets can be sewn into a quilt or blanket and preserved for a long time in this way. Memorial jewelry can be custom made to specifications and given out to friends or family of the deceased, or displayed as part of the memorial itself. A custom painted portrait or other painting can be created to honor the deceased, and displayed along with the shrine.
Creating a cremation memorial with a hand made funeral urn as the centerpiece is a great way to move through the process of grieving in a creative and healthy manner. Memorial objects such as jewelry, art, photographs and paintings can be used to complete the memorial. This can be a healing process for the people creating it, and can be a great way to honor the departed loved one.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Cremation Urns: And choices to Make
When looking for the right cremation urn it is important to bring the departed's character, hobbies, and other life aspects into consideration. You want to pick an urn the is suited for the individual. Nowadays there are several materials urns can be made out of, there are choices beyond earthenware or porcelain, such as hand crafted wooden urns, uniques blow glass urns and even sculpted metal urns. Along with all the “new” materials that urns are being made from there an almost infinite amount of customs designs that can be crafted to suite the personality or the individual. With this in mind, when picking a funeral urn for the departed the material and design can says a lot about the persons life. For instance, if the recently passed loved one was a carpenter who loved to do wood working then it would be fitting to choose a custom designed wooden urn. Or, if the departed was an admirer of the arts then perhaps a custom blown glass urn would be more suiting.
One of the many benefits of decorative cremation urns is the ability to travel with the remains from one location to the next. In today’s housing market people find themselves moving to new towns for one reason or another more and more often. And when this occurs, visiting a memorial can be quite difficult if you had to move a few hours away. With custom made art urns that is no longer a problem. The urns can be safely packed and moved from one town to the next. Another benefit of choosing to go with an urn instead of a burial is, if more then one person wants to have some of the remains it is now possible for the happen. The remains of the departed can be divided into smaller companion decorative urns the are designed top match the primary funeral urn.
Whatever decision you make, it’s going to be a hard one. But know there are wonderful ways to carry on the memories of the departed with a custom made urn. There are several options for cremation urns that are out there. With all these options come the ability to match up the urn with the character, the essence, of the departed. A custom made art urn can be created in a style and using materials that are personalized to reflect the person being memorialized. This is not an easy job but now it is available. Look on-line or use other resources to help you find companies or individual artists that specialize in memorial urns. May this help you to find the right urn for you loved one.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The Passing of a Pet
Have you ever lost a pet that you loved more then anything you can think of? I’m sure many of you reading this have. I have. And, when it happened to me I knew I didn’t want to just bury him in the back yard. Burying them in the back yard is not always an option anyway, particularly if you live in a city or you plan to move in the future. I wanted the passing of my beloved friend to be honored and remembered, something special and more thoughtful then a hole in the yard. So what can you do to make their passing special? There are pet cemeteries but they can be quite costly. And, should you move to a new town traveling back to see your loved one can be time consuming. However, there are other options. I think pet urns are a wonderful solution to this dilemma. Today, cremation is becoming more and more of a viable and exceptable way to celebrate one's passing. With a cremation urn a family can take there beloved animal friend from one place to the other with ease. With unique pet urns, you have several more options as to where you place the remains of your loved one.
Cremation urns have come a long way since the days of porcelain jars. Now a days, urns are being made of sculpted wood, blown glass, hand crafted ceramic, fabricated metals and other materials. You no longer have to get an urn that looks like any other vessel at an everyday store. Instead you can get one of a kind art urns. Something that expresses the unique character on your loved one. These beautiful, one of kind urns are truly art. They can be placed on your mantle with distinction, something pleasurable to look at. Also, urns can be place outside should you care to have some kind of alter or memorial area in your yard. With decorative cremations urns you have the ability to move the urn to where you want as many times as you need to.
I found one of the interesting options to be glass. With blown glass urns the ashes of you loved one can actually be used in the glass. This would also the remains to always be with you. There would be no worrying about spilling or moisture. The essence would always be safe and preserved in the glass itself. With the blown glass option you can also do keepsakes such as “paper weights” beads, pendents and other items. This way if several people wanted to have something to remember the passed loved one it would be easy to give them all pendants with some of the remains captured in the glass.
In the end it is still a hard decision. Whether you choose to have a burial in the back yard, or at a pet cemetery, or in a funeral urn on your mantle the choices are out there. Personally, I like the artists cremation urns. The blown glass is really something else. No one has to know what is in it. To causal friends that come over it is just another piece of beautiful art in my home. But to me and my family it is a memorial to our passed friend I’m glad there are options because what is right for one family is not always right for another.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Pet Cremation Memorials
Most people who have a pet, or who have had one in the past, have experienced the close personal relationship one can develop with an animal companion. Animals show us unconditional love and loyalty, and stick by us through things a lot of human friends could not or would not. These beings are a lot more than just a novelty kept around the house for show, or a security system designed to keep burglars away. These creatures become friends, teachers, guardians and members of the family.
When a beloved pet dies, it can sometimes be nearly as traumatic as losing a human friend or family member. It’s hard for someone who has never held such a close bond with an animal friend to understand how very true this really is. However hard to imagine it may be for some, it is true nonetheless, and a healthy grieving process is just as essential for the passing of a well-loved animal as it is for a beloved human friend. Some type of pet memorial is often appropriate for this purpose.
For those who feel this kind of bond with a pet, there are many common ways to celebrate the life of a passed pet. A simple burial, often in a yard or in the woods, is the probably the most common. Often this will be accompanied by a small ceremony which gives folks a chance to grieve, much the same way a traditional funeral serves to help people to say goodbye to friends and family.
Another way is to have the pet stuffed by a taxidermist, creating a lifelong memorial of the pet itself. Many people would not be able to handle such a constant reminder, but for some it gives them comfort.
Cremation is quickly gaining popularity as a way to memorialize a pet. A small shrine erected in the home with a beautiful, hand-made cremation urn and a photograph of the pet is a nice way to remember an animal friend. A memorial of this kind can be taken anywhere, and set up inside or outside the home. A unique pet urn can be custom created or selected to reflect the animal it safeguards.
Another option is to have the pet cremated, and have the remains incorporated into a beautiful, one of a kind memorial glass keepsake. A small amount of the cremated remains are introduced into the molten glass, allowing it so swirl and create lovely patterns in the colored glass.
The artists who create such unique works of art are aware of the awesome responsibility they accept when creating hand made decorative urns, cremation urns, memorial jewelry, or memorial objects of any type. Each piece is made by hand in an artists studio by some of the best artisans working anywhere today. Memorial objects created this way are crafted with the deepest respect and intentions. Art created in this way is guaranteed to be made in such a manner that honors the intention of the person creating the memorial, and honors the bond they shared with a special person.
There are many options for memorial objects, and many places to find them. Always make sure you are dealing with a reputable professional dealer, who take the responsibility of creating memorial objects seriously. A good example is Shine On Brightly. Their selection of masterfully crafted decorative cremation urns, textile memorial art, memorial jewelry and other memorial objects are hand made in the studios of artists local to western North Carolina who are dedicated to making art that aids in the healing process while celebrating the lives of those closest to us.