Usually, spreading ashes is the only thing to do with a loved one's remains, but now there is a different option.
Armstrong business Full Circle Memory Beads allows you to wear the cremated ashes of a loved one as a bracelet, pendant or ring.
There are also decorative options such as marbles, ornaments and stones.
"I have been glass working for about 18 years now, and one day a friend came to me and asked if I could put his cat's ashes in a marble," Melanie Anderson says when asked how she got into this line of artwork. "Then, through word of mouth, it really caught on."
Anderson has a full studio in her garage, complete with a kiln, that is stocked with different coloured glass to work from.
"We are very busy with a lot of clients, but I always communicate with the people to make sure I give them exactly what they want," she says. "When it comes to the death of someone close to the person, I want to make sure I get it exactly right."
This wasn't where Anderson planned on ending up when she started glass working, but she says she finds it rewarding to help people grieve with the assistance from her keepsakes.
To get in touch with Anderson, visit her Facebook page.
— John Lawless, Castanet
