Laura Stebbins
When a pet passes away many owners remember them by making a photo album or having a memorial...But now you can pay tribute to your animal by making their ashes into a piece of glass art. 7's Dylan Dreyer has more in this weeks "Protecting your Pet."
Hand-crafted glass ...A unique keepsake Dona Nicholas knew would make the perfect birthday present for her best friend.
Dona Nicholas, gave Art from Ashes to friend
"I thought well Christine's birthday is coming up and it's just a beautiful thing to have."
...And it's a gift that goes beyond just beauty. Inside the glass paperweight are the ashes of Christine's cat, Musetta, who passed away.
Christine Ryan, received Art from Ashes
"She was like a child to me not a pet. It gives me a lot of pleasure and comfort to see something she's incorporated in and part of that piece of art."
Art from Ashes, an online company based in Amherst, integrates a teaspoon of pet or human remains into hand-blow glass objects, including ornaments, and jewelry.
Deb Brown, Art from Ashes
"The artist takes a hot gather of the molten glass and he rolls it through the ash and it immediately collects right to it the glass. Then he rolls it through another layer of glass and adds the color and the design afterwards."
Jane Giat, Art from Ashes
"It's a visceral experience of comfort knowing that that pet, that loved one is with them, and people have been surprised and overwhelmed by how powerful that is for them."
For Christine it's a special tribute that helps to keep the memory of Musetta alive.
Christine Ryan, received Art from Ashes
"A lot of people would look at it and never know it's holding cremains, but I know that so it's really special and unique to me."
Art from Ashes pieces take about three to five weeks to be made and the cost ranges from $150 to $325.
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