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Holding a Moment of Love Forever
A Family’s Journey to the Studio
Libby’s family travelled three and a half hours to my studio. She was the same age as my eldest daughter, terminally ill. Exhausted, yet they wanted a 3D keepsake that could hold her memory forever.
Her mother said quietly, “I want Glenda to cast your hand… so I can hold it later.” Libby held her hand in a very specific position, so her mother could grasp the finished keepsake once it was done.
Shivers ran down my spine. This wasn’t about cost — it was about capturing love, frozen in time.
A Keepsake in the Most Precious Material
For this memorial casting, I worked in hallmarked sterling silver. During the process, Libby’s Pandora ring slipped into the alginate and became part of the plaster. It couldn’t be removed without risking the whole piece, so it stayed — embedded forever. The ring, the hand, the connection: inseparable, timeless.
For Libby’s family, I also created a family handcasting, 2D raised handprint and footprint tiles, and several silver jewellery pieces, each with its own personal touch. But it was the hallmarked silver hand casting that stood out — a moment, a touch, a connection words can’t convey.
This is exactly why memorial casting training has to go beyond technique. It’s not just casting a hand or a footprint — it’s capturing a presence, a touch, a memory that will last. Every detail matters, for the family who will hold it.
Love, Memory and Timeless Responsibility
Libby passed away a couple of weeks later. She never saw the finished casting, or got her ring back. Her family didn’t collect the piece for two years — yes, I know. Her sister visited and apologised, saying their mum was still struggling. I understood completely. No apology was ever needed.
That keepsake still holds her presence, her warmth, the touch of her hand. Keepsakes are never “just objects” — they carry love, memory and solace, and a responsibility only properly trained hands should take on.
If this kind of work calls to you, memorial casting training gives you the skill to do it properly — with the care, respect and attention every family like Libby’s deserves.