Mocha the Big Cat with Many Skills

To non animal lovers, a cat is a cat, it’s really just another cat. But to pet owners (the responsible ones, not those who treat them like a toy), that “another cat” is their best friend, their therapist, their light, their family member and much more, and they are absolutely special in their very own ways.
My friend Vivian lost her special one Mocha, and let me tell you a little bit about her.
Mocha was adopted in December 2005 when she was 3 years old. She was a Siamese with piercing blue eyes. She was a very vocal kitty and she could do tricks many thought only a dog could- she understood how to “sit” and how to “down”, she would roll over and even do high five, that was, of course, with a little yummy bribe. She was a mellow girl, very sweet and cuddly. But she also knew what she liked and did not like, because she was always able to find the tiny pieces of crushed calcium pill from her bowl, and delivered it to Vivian’s bedroom. “Here mom, you take your calcium crap.” How hilarious was that? Mocha was a chubby 18 lbs hugger, and her favorite snack was cricket.

To honor Mocha, the big cat with so much character, I’ve created a memorial bracelet made out of sterling silver, blue topaz, and a dash of Mocha’s ash.

Etching Mocha onto the metal piece was a challenge because she was dark in color on her face. The lack of contrast made it quite difficult to make her feature visible. A good amount of time was spent to fine tune the photo before I was confident that it would work. I was delighted to see the outcome after I worked on the patina finish after the piece was formed.

As requested, I have included Mocha’s name onto the back of the piece, and a dangling piece of blue topaz to remind Vivian of Mocha’s beautiful blue eyes. The most precious element, however, was undoubtedly incorporating Mocha’s ash into the piece. The blue gem looking piece on Mocha’s collar was made out of resin and her ash.

I have work with resin on metal quite a bit but since it was the first time I work with ash, I decided to still make a tester to make sure that it would cure as normal, and it did! It did not show very well in the picture but in person, Mocha’s white ash actually appeared to be sparkly! Combining that with a touch of light blue dry pastel into the resin, Mocha is now immortalized and transformed into a piece of heirloom jewelry.

This one of a kind bracelet will not replace Mocha’s voice, her many cool tricks or her warm hug, but I sincerely hope that it will at the very least bring Vivian some comfort, and remind her of the 13 years of joyful moments they have shared together. She will be missed.

Jeff the Skater Dad with Spiky Hair

Sometimes I consider myself a metalsmithing journalist, and a very blessed one.

Through mostly word of mouth over the years, I have been asked by different people to make memorial jewelry to honor their loved ones. I've come across a lot of stories, and created what I hope to be meaningful heirlooms that fulfill more than just aesthetic contentment. Each of the stories broke my heart a little, but then also regenerated it because through loss, we can look at what is left behind as our gains. 

A new friend of mine, Deaven, unfortunately lost her beloved dad, Jeff, about two and a half years ago. I have never had the pleasure of meeting Jeff, but here is how she remembers him,

"As a youngin my dad always supported me in anything I had my heart set on. I loved watching him skate around on his skateboard and show me all the different decks he had since he was a kid! He gave me my passion for riding and taught me everything I know. He allowed me to have the mindset of doing what I love no matter how tough it is to achieve, how frightening the fall might be, but just to keep pushing and never give up. Till this day anytime I grab my board to go out for a cruise I make sure to take one lap around the block on his beloved Pool Boy (skateboard) in his memory."

Although things got hostile as she grew older, as her parents were going through their divorce, her dad's influence on her values stayed closely with her. 

As Deaven requested, I made two minimalistic style rings with her dad's signature smiley face etched on them. One for her, and the other for her little sister. The small strokes on top of the eyes were apparently Jeff's spiky hair. How cute is that?

After forming the rings to the right size, I applied an even coat of black paint on the surface and carefully scraped off the spiky smileys. They were then immersed into the etching bath for an hour and a half. Cleaned and then darkened with patina, these happy faces are completed.

“What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”

–Helen Keller

Grieving to me is the most abstract and personal thing. It hits us in different forms, at different times, with absolutely no warning. One second we cry ourselves a river because we miss our loved one unbearably, then we want to smash every possession in the house, and then we smile because we thought of something fun we've experienced together. However Deaven and her sister are going to experience theirs, I hope these little smiley faces on their fingers will give them strength, courage, and unlimited good vibes. Just like what Jeff would say, "Keep pushing and never give up!" 

In Loving Memory of Bun Bun the Black Cat with a Chipped Ear

Meet Bun Bun

the mysterious black cat with a sweet and loving soul.

She came to my friend Petrina's life about 5 years ago. For all you animal-loving friends out there, it's not hard to understand how much fuller your life gets with the four-legged buddies rubbing their fluffy heads against yours. Unfortunately, also because of that, it is incredibly difficult when they leave you for good. However, pet owners wouldn't have it any other way, because it is worth it.

So she might have left the world physically, but spiritually Bun Bun sure is still tagging along. I am honored to have the opportunity to create two pieces for Petrina, reminding her that as brief as it was, Bun Bun had a great time leaving little paw prints all around her house, and ultimately, in her heart.

Piece #1: Sterling Silver Anklet

The first piece I made was a simple sterling silver anklet, outlining her elegant silhouette. Cats steal our hearts effortlessly with that. I've layered the metal on two of her legs and one of her ears, to give a sense of dimension to the piece. Some light forging was also added to create a non-laser-cut look.
Her name was stamped on and a dark patina was applied within the grooves.

Bun Bun is now walking with Petrina wherever she goes.

Piece #2: Sterling Silver & Copper Pendant with Fire Opal

The inspiration of the second piece came from this precious trick Bun Bun did. Apparently this talented little lady used to carry a basketball toy (among others) to Petrina in order to get attention. No, I did not make that up. Just watch the video! 

What a special kitty cat. To honor that, I've set a 10mm fire opal in a copper bezel cup for the basketball. For the unbearably adorable face, I used one of my favorite techniques- photo etching with PnP Blue. (Now obviously there are many variations of etching method, but if you're curious enough, Professor Arh's demonstration will give you a good idea.) Great details were transformed onto the sterling silver piece that I hand-pierced out afterwards.

I've also used a traditional technique called Repoussé to create a gentle suggestion of the facial structure. Then, another detail is also added to make her eyes more alive- I've pierced out her eyes from etch piece #1, (along with a little bit of surrounding areas for extra material I needed to form tiny curved bowls for the eyeballs) and soldered them from the back, onto the pierced etch piece #2. After all, eyes are the window to the soul they say. The extra miles are well deserved.

I couldn't be happier with how these two pieces came out, aesthetically and symbolically. I never had the pleasure of meeting Bun Bun in person, but through this project I really feel like she's become my buddy too. Hey buddy, the special place you have in your mama's heart is forever irreplaceable. I know that much.

If this post makes your heart sing, please feel free to share. And don't hesitate to send me a message if you are interested in immortalizing your beloved furry buddies.