Ash remains in a bead?
 

I know I've seen this topic here before. I've had a request from a friend to incorporate her brother's remains into a couple of beads for pendants. I'm not sure how to do that. She really doesn't want vessels or viles becuase they are so fragile. Any tips would be appreciated.

I'm off to the woods for the weekend! Everyone have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Patricia

Ash in bead?
 

I actually know someone who did this with a friend's husband's remains. She told me that she rolled the bead in the ashes, then encased with a solid color, because the ashes are kind of a greyish-brown, and don't look too attractive.

Anyway, it looks like a regular bead, and she knows that it contains the ashes. I suppose you could encase it with a transparent, but I don't know what it would look like.

I have some of my father's ashes that I am going to be doing this with as well for whichever family members want one.

Thanks Nina. I think I'll try that with some fireplace ashes first. I was thinking they may not look too pretty if visable. Good luck with your's. I'm sure your family will appreciate it.

Patricia

I've done it for a friend....took me a while to get up the courage....She didn't want see the ashes....just know they were there....

I made a base bead of clear...rolled it in the ashes, fired them in a bit...and applied a thin encasing of her favorite colors. She wears it all the time. Or says she does.

It's not hard....I found it a bit icky, but I am squeamish.

I've done this with pet remains. The people that I did it for wanted to see the ashes, so I made a tube of black, heated it glowing red, rolled it in the ash (which really isn't ashey - it's kind of more flakey), heated the bead back up with the ash on it (to make sure it stuck), and then encased with a huge blob of clear.

Cobalt blue looks nice as a base too.

The ash really isn't gross. Nothing is identifiable. Wearing a face mask is probably a good idea.

I like the idea of a cobalt base but I got an email from her. She knows the ashes probably won't be pretty but she wants a clear base with a little goldstone frit. She wants to see the actual ashes.

I think the mask is a good idea too.

Thanks guys.

Patricia

You might also be able to put some of the ashes in a boro (or maybe lauscha) tube and seal it if you do it carefully. Then add a loop. I've done this with some things. Sometimes it really doesn't work so well, but I've had some success as well. Just a thought.

I tried clear too and it didn't turn out well for me. You can't really see the ashes. To me, it needs a dark base color to make the ashes stand out. I hope you have better luck with clear than I did.

I did this for my mother with my grandmother's ashes. She wanted to see the ashes.. Made a base bead, rolled it in the creamains and then encased and encased again as the ashes do tend to bubble a bit.. Work a lot cooler than I normally do.

does anyone have pictures to show?

Google Dog Gone Beads (I think it is <doggonebeads.com> . There is a picture there. There is also a company in Austin, Texas (whose name escapes me now) who will make lampwork beads with your pet's ashes inside.

It is a pretty bead (the company in Austin uses a transparent glass) with small flecks of grey stuff inside. Unless you were told, you would not know what was in there.

Peg

Here's the link to look at photos...I thought this was odd at first - once I see what can be done, I think it's a really neat, touching idea!

http://www.doggonebeads.com/index.htm

Best of luck to you, Patricia - you're an Angel of a friend!

DeAnne in CA

Patricia
Can you make heart beads? If so wouldnt it be nice to do it in a heart bead?
I have heard that ashes from a human are very different than any other ash. So if you do a test on BBQ ashes you might find Human ashes are more dense. Just a thought.
SL