Tinkie A.D.

A bridge between the hands and the heart…

After developing the bunny urn I have been urged to create pendant urns for cats and dogs too. It was hard at first to maintain that same feel in the design that I think made the bunny successful. I wanted the forms to be simple and not to get too busy trying to make any kind of breed distinction. Then I came to a feeling that when our furries are babies, they have not yet developed those differneces that also come with age and illness.  So here we are, a cute little kitten made of Silver Metal Clay.  

Kitty Memorial Pendant Urn

I love the little Roman nose and chubby cheeks. This pendant is sizable, 2 inches long by 1 1/4 inches tall. Being hollow with only a bit of ash inside it remains light and is comfortable to wear. I never take off the little rabbit I made with my Trinket’s ashes.

I’ve settled on the idea that the customer will send me a small amount of their pet’s cremation ash or a small wad of fur. Then I can themake the pendant sealed permanetly with the ashes inside in the kiln and forgoing any danger of a clasp that doesn’t hold. A few years back I aquired a small prayer bead which I put the ashes of two of rabbits in and sadly now they are all over the inside of my car   I guess I should have glued the opening but that just didn’t feel right on a sterling silver item.

I am offering these Kitten Pendant Urns on my Etsy site. I hope that by exploring my own emotional loss and creating something that brought me comfort and closure, I can help someone else have that same comfort.

Yes I think I’ve gone off rocker! This all started with a fun conversation just talking about bunny pooh and then the next thing I knew, I was making plans to actually make these.  Why not? It makes complete sense to me as a bunny slave. Right from the beginning, bunny owners will learn to look to their bun’s dropping to tell what is going on. There have been many a Mom who has sat up all night praying and looking for that ever elusive pooh ball to let her know that her baby was out of the woods and stasis was on it’s way out.  Besides, its only recycled grass and vegetables!

Actually when I think back it all makes sense for me. I remember when my precious “Soul Bun” Mr. B was near his end. He had fought several years with chronic ear infections that spread to his jaw bone and then ultimately to his brain in the very end. He had numerous surgeries and had been on meds almost all of his life. That last day we had taken him to the vet hoping we could conjure up one more miracle for him. All that could be done was an antibiotic injection and wait to see if he could make it. We had him at my store for the day and we had borrowed a small litter box from the vet. He only passed three little turds all day. That night we got him home and sadly he passed in the night. He left behind his mate Minnie who absolutely worshipped the ground he walked on. I took his passing quite hard, it was almost two years I grieved, pouring all my love into Minnie hoping together we could heal. But then Minnie became chronically ill shortly after B and she only survived for two years after him.

For well over a year after B passed I kept that little litter pan with those three turds on a dining room chair. Everytime I went to clear it away I couldn’t. I know its crazy, but sometimes loving a fur baby is like that. Anyway I wish I had them now, I know they’d be my treasured gems in silver.

So here they are. Think of them as “Land Pearls”, Recycling at its extreme

Fine Silver Bunny Pooh Earrings

The little Pooh Balls are coated with Silver Metal Clay that has been made into a paste, lots and lots of layers! I’m finding 15 layers seems to be a good number as I do lose some material with all the sanding and polishing.

Once the balls are completely dried and sanded smooth, they are put into a kiln at almost 1700 degrees Celsius for a few hours. The poop is then completely burned away leaving a small and harmless bit of ash. Unfortunately I find the Pooh Balls impossible to completely dry out as they seem rehydrate with the silver paste. The result is that almost all of the balls split open  in the firing and need to repaired and fired a second time.

Bunny Pooh after a coat of acylic

Bunny pooh after a few coats of Silver Metal Clay Paste

All in all I was pretty pleased with the results and I think they make a fun a quirky gift. Surprisingly I did find other bunny pooh earrings when I started googling it.

I’ve decided to offer these in my Etsy shop and I’ve decided to offer them as a cheaper option in my Pet Memorial Jewelry category as well.  I just hope someone doesn’t try to send me a cat turd for memorial!

It brings me comfort to think of my sweet little Trinket as my little angel, some where near, unseen yet still a bright light in my memory. So of course I had to try a Bunny Angel Memorial Pendant. So here is another design I have added to my line of Cremation Pendant Urns

Bunny Angel Memorial Pendant Urn