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Memorial jewelry that doesn’t look like memorial jewelry is now available at www.shineonbrightly.com !
Shine On Brightly, the online resource for affordable, unique memorial art, is thrilled to add three new styles
of memorial cremation jewelry to its already stellar collection. Artist Silvia Engel designs one-of-a-kind
pendants using dichroic glass and ashes of the deceased. These beautiful pieces are as vibrant as the person or pet
being remembered.

More and more people are opting for memorial jewelry as a personal and practical way to carry the memory
of a loved one at all times. These dichroic glass pendants are colorful, and tasteful. Measuring just a little
over 1 square inch in the case of square pendants, and the diameter of a quarter in the case of round pendants,
these pieces are available in rich, vivid colors to suite any aesthetic.

The line includes a round “Embrace” pendant, which radiates jewel-tones. The piece is approximately 1.25” in
diameter, and hangs from a black hand-dyed silk ribbon that threads through an opening that is incorporated
into the design. The “Small Blue-Green Classic Pendant” is a 1” square of exquisite shades of blue and green.
A silk ribbon is included. The “Eternity” Pendant is created by layering clear colored glass on top of a white
base, making a 1” square lucid, iridescent memorial that changes as it catches the light, glowing magical rays
of color. These pendants include a white silk ribbon.

According to Shine On Brightly owner and founder Adrienne Crowther, “I receive more and more requests for
memorial jewelry. I love this line because it doesn’t look at all like the mass-produced pieces that are often
seen in the marketplace. These pieces integrate wonderful design with specific function, without losing a sense of
style and vibrancy.”

All pieces are available at www.shineonbrightly.com, or by calling 828-348-0455, or toll free 866-844-4469,
M-F 9am-5pm EST.

It’s no secret that cremation rates are soaring worldwide. This opens up so many options around honoring our loved ones. There are thousands of cremation urns on the market. This allows us to find a lovely container that reflects the spirit of the person we have lost. It affords us the ability to travel with the ashes within the urn, in the case of a move. It also opens an opportunity to carry ashes to favorite places of the loved one, or new places that we had hoped to discover with this person.

Memorial jewelry enables one to carry a small amount of cremation ashes at all times. Today’s options are limitless for the amount of styles, materials, and price points. Shine On Brightly offers works by five jewelry artists, in a variety of styles, colors, and materials, to match anyone’s aesthetic. Additionally, the collection includes pendants, bracelets, rings, pins, and brooches.

Not everyone is comfortable wearing a piece that contains ashes. The Shine On Brightly Memorial Jewelry Collection - or, as some people call it, Cremation Jewelry, features options for pieces that contain ashes or not. Some of our lovely pins are often bought in quantities and are handed out at a memorial service so that people can go forth in their daily lives, wearing the pin that commemorates that special someone.

Otherwise, there are glass pendants that can contain ashes by two different artists. For someone who loves color and style, we suggest the Small Blue-Green Classic pendant,
the Small Eternity Pendant, or the Round Embrace Pendant.

For those with a more classic style, we offer our Oval Silver Heirloom Pendant, Round Silver/Glass Heirloom Pendant, Silver Heirloom Brooch, or Silver Heirloom Pendant.
These wonderful pieces can contain ashes or hair, as was popular during the Victorian era.

And finally, another style of art glass that can include ashes for lovers of torch glass, are the Center of the Galaxy Pendant, or Vortex Pendants, which are available in several colors. This style is often purchased by men, as well as women.

Please browse these pieces and enjoy! And please, always ask us if you are looking for something that you don’t see here. Chances are we can find it for you.

My daughter is attending grief support groups at a hospice in New York. She told me that they recently made collages, and that it was very helpful in her grief process.

There are several aspects of collage making that render this art expression a wonderful medium. First of all, in collage-making, isolated images are selected. Each image can represent a feeling, an association, or a memory. That one image can be very impactful in its simplicity. It’s self-contained, and can be used in conjunction with other images either in contrast,or as part of a larger composition.

Collage-making is very accessible to a non-trained artist. The combination and choices of images can have profound impact without requiring a technical skill level that is often necessary in the making of art.

This particular exercise was divided into 3 categories. The participants were asked to express, through collage, their lives before the loss of a loved one, during the loss, and since the loss. This is such a great practice for several reasons. While we’re engrossed in the trauma of losing a loved one, it’s usually difficult to decipher our feelings. Looking back at that time gives the opportunity to see with more clarity and objectivity. It also helps to see the progress that has taken place in our grief that is sometimes undetectable from within our minds. Self-expression through art is always powerful in that it allows us to identify the feelings and thoughts in more tangible terms.

When we lose someone, our lives are forever changed. The third part of this exercise is a wonderful way to articulate this through images. A description of this profound change is too often impossible to verbalize, and it may evolve with time. The beauty of the collage is that it can be added to, or it can include various feelings that may not always seem to be consistent or congruous.

I’ve included an image of my daughter’s collage. It’s very interesting and hopefully helpful to the viewer to see the possibilities for personal expression.

Last week marked the year anniversary of my husband’s passing. I knew I wanted to gather friends to mark the occasion, but I wasn’t sure what to do. I asked myself what I was looking to accomplish by doing so, and I came up with two answers. First, I wanted to invite those friends who had been so loving and supportive during this first year, to thank them for all that they had done for me and my two daughters. And I wanted us all to take some time from our busy lives to remember my husband, Hugh.

We decided on a simple ceremony at home. My husband’s final masterpiece was a beautiful vegetable garden that he designed, planted, and cultivated with so much love and caring. At his memorial the previous year, I vowed that I would always plant this garden. I did, and it has provided much healing and solace in the process. We gathered lawn chairs and blankets, and assembled around the garden. I spoke, followed by each of my girls. It was heartfelt and sincere.

Next, we invited our friends to speak about him. There were stories, tears, laughter, and tons of love. It had been my intention all year to paint a sign that would read “Hugh’s Garden.” Since I never got around to doing it, I decided that we would provide the paint and the sign, and everyone could paint their own contribution.

We also wanted something to give to our friends - something that they could take home with them to continue the memory. We decided that each person would get a packet of seeds. My daughters decorated each envelope with his name, dates, and a sailboat image, since he was an avid sailor. We ran out of seeds twice, and ended up with a medley. I thought of the perfect metaphor for these crazy melanges of squash, flowers, and peppers. I thought about the fact that we have no idea what life will give us, but we deal with it as it comes. So….when the seeds are planted, their developments will be full of surprises and discovery.

The group migrated back to the house, where we continued to share stories, food and drink. Hugh loved people and he loved to socialize, so I knew he was there, smiling among us.

In the end, I was so happy that we took the time and energy to organize and execute this ritual. There’s nothing like gathering friends to share the love. I highly recommend it!

Thank you also to Verve Magazine for featuring Shine On Brightly in this month’s issue.

We’re so excited to be featured in a podcast with Kim Stacey of the Association of Women Funeral Directors’ Association. She asked great questions so that you, our clients, can learn more about all that we have to offer …..http://bit.ly/9yGLRv

We, at Shine On Brightly, love our clients. It gives us enormous joy and fulfillment when we help them find the perfect way to honor and memorialize their loved ones.

Commissioned pieces always provide life-changing opportunities for us, the artists, and the clients. One of these personal transformations effected us all when a cremation urn was commissioned for world renowned mountain climber Todd Skinner. He was a hero to so many people. His wife, Amy, worked with metal sculptor Julia Burr for several weeks, exchanging stories and images of Todd, then finetuning a design through sketches. The final product is a magnificent metal piece that commemorates all that was Todd.

Since then, a song has been written and recorded in honor of Todd. It’s called “Float,” and you can view the video below. Amy wrote this about her experience -
“Working with Julia on Todd’s urn was one of the most important parts of my
healing process. She was so much fun, so respectful, so intuitive. Like
Kris, working on the Float video. I am lucky to have found such wonderful,
talented and loving friends to help me on my journey!”

We are forever grateful to Amy for giving us this opportunity. And we thank you, Amy, for allowing us to show this video to our Shine On Brightly fans.
“Float <%3Ca%20target=%27_blank%27%20href=%27http://vimeo.com/13187984> ” -Odub and Misty Murphy

The Association of Women Funeral Directors Blog has highlighted Shine On Brightly twice this week! Once, to call attention to our collection of stellar memorial pieces, and another time to feature memorial jewelry that revives an old tradition! Thank you Kim Stacey, the wonderful founder of AWFD!! Shine On Brightly supports all that you do, and thanks you for honoring women funeral directors!

Shine On Brightly announces a new line of memorial jewelry by artist Silvia Engel. The Round Embrace Pendant is a stylish piece of cremation jewelry that is abound in brilliant color. The Small Green-Blue Classic Pendant is a 1″ square piece that is rich in healing blues and greens. The Small Eternity Pendant is also square in shape, but shimmers with an irridescence that shines and glows.

This cremation jewelry can be designed in two ways; with visible ashes (viewed from the back of the pendant) or with hidden ashes (fired into the glass). After you place your order online, you will be contacted by a Shine On Brightly representative to determine your choice. You will then receive a vial with instructions for sending ashes directly to the artist.