Christmas Cast Competition

Weddings – big or small, traditional or wacky, lavishly extravagant or cosy & intimate – it is a day to be remembered. However you choose to celebrate, your wedding day should be filled with Impressive Memories.
With months (possibly years) of planning, and an enormous amount of work and effort you think you have covered every possible idea to make your day absolutely perfect. No doubt you’ve spent evenings knee deep in Pinterest boards, dreaming of your perfect day.
Because let’s face it…none of us want our day to be bland or predictable. Nobody wants peach silk bridesmaids, do they? Everyone wants to have the wow factor and for their day to be remembered as being spectacular.
Why not create a completely personal work of art with a 3d hand cast incorporating those all-important wedding rings? You can organise this yourself or why not suggest that friends and family contribute to buy you this as a totally unique wedding gift?
Hand casting for couples starts from £135. A little bit more if you’d like to include ornate rings with stone settings.
This beautiful example was created by a couple who were first married in Serbia (the grooms home), then had a second wedding here in Fife (the brides home). The newlyweds visited my studio (between weddings) and the plan was for the cast to be hand delivered, by the father of the bride, on his next journey to Serbia.
What more could a Groom ask for on his wedding day than to wear personalised cufflinks created from his very own son or daughter?
Travis made these for his Daddy as a surprise gift on the morning of his mummy and daddy’s wedding day. It was quick, clean and simple for Travis to pop to my studio and have his prints taken, but means the absolute world to his parents to have their son at their wedding. Now his little hand and footprints are captured for a lifetime at the moment of such an impressive event.
I decided to get my husband a gift for our wedding day, personalised cufflinks with my son’s hand and footprint, however, I had left it a bit late for timing but Jen made sure they would be ready on time! Her studio is beautiful! I almost cried each time I received my items from her. I cannot thank her enough and urge people to have a look on her site! She is amazing at what she does, I can’t wait to be back in her studio again one day!
Would you like to wear your wedding dress every day? Well, you can’t…because you’d look like an idiot. Imagine going on the school run wearing your wedding dress? Nipping around the supermarket? It’s not gonna happen is it?
But you could have a silver charm made with an impression of your wedding dress. You could wear it on your Pandora bracelet, on a pendant or maybe a ring? Then you COULD wear it everyday…impressive!
These aren’t in my online shop at the moment, drop me a message and I’ll help you order this charm today.
Flowers make your wedding day bloom…ing lovely! I adore fresh flowers and, for me, they are a hugely important part any special occasion. Sadly though, flowers don’t last long – but jewellery can last a lifetime.
Do you have a favourite flower? My personal favourite flower is a lily, which is why I adore making silver fingerprint lilies.
Created from a love heart of silver and gently rolled into a lily, they have the fingerprint impression of a loved one tucked inside. It could be a guest who lived too far away and was unable to attend your wedding. Or a loved one no longer with us. Whoever you choose.
I recently made a pair of fingerprint lily earrings for a lovely lady. She was delighted with them and I think they will be a popular choice for everyone.
A truly professional job by a very caring lady. I can’t thank her enough for all her help during a very difficult time for me. I am absolutely delighted with my gorgeous items, they are unique and stunning. I definitely recommend entrusting Jen with your priceless memories. She will give you all the help and advice you want.
When you’re planning a wedding you also have to plan who will share your special day.
It might be that some guests are ill and don’t manage to spend the day with you as they’d planned. They could still be part of capturing a memory by having them create a fingerprint tree of family and friends.
They will love being part of your wedding family tree!
Each guest can add a leaf with their fingerprint and even leave a signature or a message for you both.
Your wedding day is a celebration surrounded by loved ones, sadly we may have relatives and friends who’ve passed away and can’t be there for your big day. That doesn’t mean they can’t still be part of your celebration – there are a few ways you can incorporate them into your special occasion.
I offer a range of jewellery that incorporates locks of hair, cremation ashes, fingerprints and handwriting and signatures. You can find out more about Memorial memories in a blog that I wrote here.
These are just 6 ideas to let you see how to make your wedding as unique as you are.
If you have a question about any of the items shown here or you’re left wondering…
The answer is…
And you don’t even need to get down on one knee to ask me.
Best Wishes
Jen x
When you have casts taken and you choose a frame, it doesn’t have to stay like that forever.
Another reason for reframing might be because your original frame has been damaged, or the glass may have got broken – accidents happen. (If your casts also get damaged I can help repair these too…scroll down for more information)
Fletcher had his casts taken four years ago. His frame no longer matched the decor and his little sister had now arrived so it made sense to give Fletcher an upgrade too.
This little brother (bottom right) came to have casts created just as his big brother (top right) had. Now the brothers have new matching, luxury white frames.
When this little brother arrived he too wanted his casts taken, but mum didn’t want too many frames on the wall. So we reframed both into one triple aperture frame.
Choose to reframe your casts in a standard single aperture black frame with an engraved name plaque. £28
If they are damaged I can repair the damage and repaint so it is virtually invisible. I cannot change the finish without losing the original detail.
Nope. You can change the size, style, layout…you choose x
Of course. Get in touch HERE or text or call 07837800353 Happy to have a chat and explain all the options available.
“Nothing’s ever quite as sweet as little tiny baby feet”
If you originally chose a single aperture frame, maybe now you’d like to upgrade to a triple aperture.
These frames are handmade to order by a local framer, they are of a superior quality material, and the finish sets off your very impressive casts perfectly.
The glass is stronger and more durable than the standard option – built to last.
You can choose from – Oak effect, Silver, Black, Flat White, Bevelled White and Distressed Gold. Each option can come in a Single, Double or Triple Aperture.
Upgrading or reframing to a luxury single aperture frame?
Choose from:
No sorry. Not all frames and glass are suitable for life casts. If you don’t see a style you like, please ask, I may be able to source what you are looking for.
It costs more to make.
Probably yes. Always welcome to get in touch and I’m happy to help create a bespoke frame for you.
Upgrading or reframing to a luxury double aperture frame?
Choose from:
Upgrading or reframing to a luxury triple aperture frame?
Choose from:
If your casts become damaged I can usually fix it. PLEASE DON’T PANIC…
If any part is broken or chipped off, keep it safe. Make a booking with me and return your casts to me and I will do what I can to repair them. Depending on the amount of work & time involved will determine what charge there is. Please do not attempt to fix them yourself as this can often result in making it more difficult for me to then properly fix. Ask first…send me photos…I’m happy to advise and help.
If broken glass is involved please remove the casts from any broken glass before bringing them to me. Talk to me before you attempt to do this.
Hope that Helps
There are loads of options for you to choose from when it comes to reframing your casts, whether through choice or necessity…I’m happy to create any of the options you see here or equally happy to discuss something unique just for you.
Use the buttons below to contact me directly, find more answers or head back to my home page.
Look forward to speaking to you again soon, have an impressive day!
Jen x
When you have a new baby, every day is an adventure. Of course, you want to capture every moment and treasure it, and so you should. They don’t stay little for long and every day they are growing…what keepsakes should you be capturing?
As well as taking eleventy billion photos (a day) you might also try your hand at some arty crafty stuff! Who wouldn’t want an adorable card made with a little painted hand or footprint? This can get a little bit messy, but it’s good fun and the results don’t need to be perfect. Homemade means it was made for you, at home. Low budget – High sentimental value.
“I just created an entire human being…how hard can it be to make an imprint of their hands n feet? And it’s only £4.99…Bargain!”
They wanted to capture little Isaac’s hands and feet and they bought two of these kits – but things didn’t quite go to plan! Here’s what they told me…
A framed imprint of Isaac’s hands and feet.
Each kit was £4.99 – we bought two.
They were VERY brief, just bullet points and really simple.
We followed the instructions. We measured the cold water and mixed up a really runny and watery mixture and poured it into the container provided. Then we had to try and get Isaac in it!
NO!!! It was a disaster.
The mixture was really cold and runny…trying to put a young baby into it was impossible! The dish was useless too. It just made a sticky mess!
He hated the cold and seemed a bit confused! Probably wondered why his parents found it all so funny!
No! Only enough for one go – that was it. We didn’t want to attempt it again anyway!
We started to look on Google. We knew someone in Edinburgh who did baby casts but they weren’t doing them now so we searched online to see if there was anywhere locally that did this professionally. That’s when we found Impressive Memories.
I think it’s important to understand the difference.
This is a 2D, a fairly flat impression of the baby had or foot pressed into something. The definition varies as does the finish. You should end up with a sort of ’tile’ with the detail of the baby either pressed into a clay, or you can then make a secondary version of this where the detailed part is raised and above the tile. Something like this…
Imprints and outprints can be made in stone plaster or ceramic. Again, this depends on whether you’re making them at home or having them done professionally. With good instructions and materials, these are achievable at home. I am going to produce a ‘How To’ guide soon to let you make these, successfully, at home.
A 3D life cast is a high definition, exact replica of all of baby’s hands & feet. Fully three-dimensional. Much more difficult to create and in my opinion not something to be done at home. Expect to pay a higher price for this than a 2D imprint.
Having attempted a 2D Imprint with no success, Genna and Derry visited my Impressive Memories website. They decided they wanted 3D lifecasts of their son Isaac. They looked online and chose from the luxury range of frames. They knew they wanted a luxury oak, single aperture frame with a cast of Isaac’s hand and foot finished in antique silver. Instead of wasting £10, they invested £120. It may have been more expensive, but the end result proved to be an investment, not a disaster.
Here are their Impressive Memories of Isaac, at 7 months old…
Isaac was wide awake throughout his casts being taken but he was totally at ease and relaxed throughout, and so were mum and dad. In less than an hour the family had been and gone. No mess. No fuss. Not cold and no disasters.
Today, almost 5 weeks later, Genna and Derry came back to collect their completed order and were delighted with the results. The level of detail and the beautiful relaxed little fingers, not to mention Isaac’s characteristic little squished toes.
I asked Genna if she had any advice to give to a new mum thinking about buying the B&M kit – she said
I completely agree!
This handy little eBook is stuffed full of all the answers that new parents ask me about life casting their babies and children.
Is my baby suitable? How do I book? Is it safe? How does it work? How Much will it Cost?
Pop your email address in the box then head to your inbox…confirm that you got the email and before you know it – another email will zoom to you with your eBook!
Would you love to create handmade jewellery with fingerprints, handprints or footprints? Maybe even paw prints!
Become an expert and learn everything you need to know, to make the best decisions FOR YOU!
Having handmade jewellery designed and made for you is very exciting. Making the right decisions before we start, means you will be even happier with the results.
Grab a coffee, sit down…relax…and browse this handy little eBook.
Grab the old cold mug of coffee you made three hours ago, hide from the children and frantically try and fill out the form before one of them finds you. Then 6 hours later when you still haven’t sat down…check your emails…there’s gonna be a little ebook of ideas waiting for you. Answering all the questions you’ve been wondering.
Look forward to hearing from you soon – hang in there – you’re doing an Impressive job.
Jen x
I work with several Funeral Directors and may already have a system in place for you. If not, no problem…read on.
Contact me HERE or call 07837800353 and we can see if it is possible for me to capture the prints for you. I have a standard call out charge, plus additional mileage (for 15 miles and over).
Not sure if you want to order jewellery yet, but worried you may regret not taking prints while you still can?
Buy a kit HERE. Once you have the prints they are viable for years and years to come – no obligation to buy jewellery, just peace of mind that you have given yourself the option to do so if you wish.
When you order a fingerprint charm from Impressive Memories you can take advantage of a FREE fingerprint kit. Postage offers are available on my website, or you can arrange collection – whichever you prefer.
See some designs HERE.
It is very easy, quick and gentle to take a fingerprint impression. It is not complicated and I will give you all the information you need for it to be successful.
Taking only minutes to do, it gives you the opportunity to hold onto a memory for a lifetime.
Once the prints are taken you can keep them for as long as you wish, or you can go ahead and order a piece of jewellery.
If you have jewellery made, the prints can still be reused in the future if you’d like more pieces made.
Most orders will be made within 10-14 days of me having the prints. All my work is handmade by me, kiln fired for strength and I solder all my work.
After losing my husband very suddenly I found sleeping impossible. The first time I wore my necklace, I found it such a comfort, I fell asleep holding it.
I haven’t had my bracelet off since I got the charms – they are so very special and mean so much and I feel like I have a little bit of Jak with me if that makes sense”
What to expect before, during and after a life casting appointment.
BEFORE
My online booking system lets you choose a date and time that suits you best. Whether you would like to cast on the same date as your first child was cast, or to mark a milestone event, or maybe just because it fits into your busy routine – you get to choose. You will be asked for a £15 deposit. Do you have an Impressive Memories gift voucher? There’s a unique code on the reverse, which you are welcome to use when you make your booking – just pop the code into the booking form. If you need to reschedule, it’s no problem – your confirmation email has a link for you to do this, up to 48 hours before your appointment. Your email will also give you travel directions and how to find me on Google Maps. You can also select an option to receive a text message confirmation and reminder too!
DURING
Dress your little one in comfortable clothes that are loose fitting and easily removed. Preferably choose something old so it won’t matter if the casting gloop gets on it – I know it’s tricky to wear old clothes when you are only a few days old, but you know what I mean! It’s probably best that you don’t wear your favourite designer gear either…just in case!
Casting can be done when baby is awake or asleep. You are very welcome to feed your baby while I do the casts, as it helps to distract, relax and settle them. It’s not necessary and is purely optional – you know your baby best, and I’m happy to let you decide what’s best for them. Some babies cry, but most don’t notice anything is happening! There is never any rush – we will let them settle while we discuss what you’d like created, and throughout the process your little one’s comfort is our top priority. You’re also welcome to enjoy a lovely Tassimo coffee or a cup of tea as we create your memories.
Taking the cast involves dipping your baby’s hand or foot into pink gloop. I’ll help you and baby get into a comfy position, and once their hand or foot is submerged it only takes a couple of minutes to set. Don’t worry – wriggling is not a problem! Once the mould turns to a soft, rubbery consistency it will come away from baby leaving them virtually clean and me with an impressive impression of their hands and feet. I will be 99% sure whether your mould has been successful, or if I want to take extra casts (so long as baby is happy). Occasionally I have an issue after you’ve left, and I might need to call you back another day, but this is extremely rare.
For every cast you would like made I need to take an impression. The mould cannot be reused and although I can create duplicates of your casts, I prefer to take a separate cast for each mould you’d like created – each cast is then as unique as your baby. For hands I often need extra moulds to ensure you get the best results.
Most casting appointments last about 45 minutes for a set of three or four casts.
You are very welcome to split the cost of your order. Your booking deposit will be deducted from your order total and you can pay half your balance at your appointment and the remaining balance on collection, in approximately five weeks’ time. I accept cash, PayPal, bank transfer and most major credit cards.
AFTER
After you leave, I will begin to cast your moulds. This stage involves filling your impressions with a high quality, high density stone. Once this is done, your casts will be left to cure and set for several hours. When they are ready to unmould I remove the casting material to reveal the cast of your baby. The raw cast at this stage might have lumps and bumps, air bubbles or inclusions. At this stage your casts each get an initial ‘clean up’, which can take anywhere from ten minutes per cast to a couple of hours! (I am a perfectionist and a night owl!) They now begin to dry.
The drying stage is so important. Remember how long nine months felt waiting for your baby to arrive? But it was worth the wait, wasn’t it? Life casting is the same! Giving your casts the time to dry naturally and correctly gives them the strength, density and longevity that you want from them. Depending on the size of your casts, I advise a minimum completion time of four to five weeks. During this time, they will undergo more cleaning and perfecting, and I also cut and sand them to the appropriate shapes and angles for the frame and finish you have chosen.
The final cleaning stage for a raw cast is my favourite part! This is when your casts are as impressively perfect as I want them to be. They are then ready to be finished.
I use several layers and techniques to bring out all the detail in your casts, with whatever finish you have chosen.
Your frame choice, photographs and name plaques are now all ready and waiting, and it’s time to assemble your finished piece. A final 24-hour wait until everything sets and cures, then it’s time to collect.
Once your order is ready I will let you know. We will arrange a suitable collection time and you can come and take your Impressive Memories order home with you.
Impressive mummy Victoria Duff and her beautiful daughter Amber, who helped create all the images in this article.
Impressive photographer Lisa Christie, from Lisa Christie Photography who provided the excellent photography for this article.
I’m ready to book an appointment – take me there now!
Tell me more about lifecasting
How much will it cost?
Want to chat? – get in touch here
Should you use a DIY life casting kit?
So many parents have told me they attempted to cast their baby using a casting kit, not one of them continues to tell me it was a success, or that they were happy with the results. The promise is to create a beautiful 3D cast of their precious child’s hand and feet, creating a keepsake to treasure, making a memory. New parents think it is their fault that the results are not what they hoped for. They are left disappointed and often with a large dent in their wallet and nothing to show for it. I believe that casting kits are selling a box of expectation, but deliver an expensive disappointment.
My passion, nae obsession, for life casting started after I bought a kit! I saw an advert in a magazine that showed a beautiful, high definition cast of a baby’s hands and feet. I have always been artistic and loved being creative and crafty, I reckoned I could do this. The kit was expensive, but it promised great results. So I bought it. I ended up with a screaming child, half a foot cast, a hand with no fingers and a LOT of mess! But I was determined not to give in…I kept buying more and more products, I borrowed other peoples babies (when mine had learned to high pitch scream as soon as she saw mummy and the pink goo approaching!) I experimented, I read, I learned, I practised. Over and over and over again…I did manage to make a set of my daughter’s feet as a gift for my mum & dad, but I never made anything worthy of a frame for a long time, and regret to this day that I don’t have my own child’s casts proudly on my wall.
CASTING KITS “YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR” Or do you?
All images relating to this review are taken from the Mothercare website & links to the original provided.
“Create a lasting memento of your little one’s first few months with this lovely impression moulding kit.”
Kit contains – moulding material, plaster and a frame (no mention of whether paint is included or framing adhesives, so assume it isn’t)
The box measures only 26cm so the frame can’t be any bigger.
Price is £45.
Expectation – You would expect to create something similar to the images shown.
Reality – You are paying predominantly for marketing and producing a kit – ah and a frame. The materials provided could be minimal in quantity, with no guarantee of quality. That makes it an expensive frame in a pretty box!
Expectation – “I will have a framed cast of my baby’s hand”
Reality – Firstly, casting a baby hand is not an easy task. Many experienced life casters struggle to do this, so to expect a new parent to manage this is unfair. PLUS – Babies do not hold their hands as shown in this image…that hand cast is taken from a much older child. This in itself is not an issue, the kit doesn’t claim to be only for babies, but if this frame is less than 26cm in size, and you look at the dimensions of the frame, the mount and the hand, the dimensions appear impossible…Could that hand cast and that frame have never met? Could this be a combination of two separate images, merged using technology?
This picture is better. If you zoom in on this image on the website, you do get a truer indication of the end result you’d hope to create. This cast has virtually no definition, the big toe is damaged and there are several very noticeable lumps and bumps, also flattening to the sole of the foot.
At least this image is a more accurate representation of what you MIGHT achieve. But £45 for a single foot cast is not much cheaper than many life casters charge – is doing it yourself worth the extra time, effort, stress & mess?
WHEN IS THE BEST AGE TO CAST?
“I wish I’d done this when they were smaller”
“I’d give anything to hold those new born feet again”
“You forget how small they were, so quickly, don’t you?”.
There are no age limitations on my life castings.
What I can’t do is pause time, or go back in time…that would be pretty clever…
Being prepared and being organised is the key to successfully holding onto YOUR Impressive Memories.
I noticed on a website that the caster wouldn’t cast babies older than 6 months, “due to them being unsuitable” – Who is not suitable? The child or the caster?
Another company claim that babies who “don’t cooperate” will have to pay extra if more casting material is needed, AND return another day! – I would never expect my customer to pay extra because thier baby had wriggled! On occassion I have asked customers to return if I feel their casts are not impressive enough. Usually I know before you leave if the cast will be succesful, but not always. If I wouldn’t be happy to hand over the cast to someone, or to receive it myself, then it gets redone.
If Grandparents are also keen to have casts and keepsakes, it’s a good idea to do them at different ages to yours. If you have newborn casts taken, they could wait until baby is 6 months old…then you can compare and see how they’ve grown.
Will this be a one off experience? Or are you planning to return for more casts at a later date?
Where will you display your casts? Are they just for you to see or do you want the world to know how impressive your memories are?
When you look at them, how will they make you feel? Are you sad to see those tiny hands and feet grow or are you desperate to reach the next stage?
In the last few weeks I have cast new born babies who arrived in the world weighing less than 3lbs. I’ve travelled to home visits to cast a dad and doting daughter, because time is precious. Met a solicitor, working on horrific child cruelty court case. She brought me her nephew to cast. She hugged him just a little bit tighter, trying to understand the reality that not all babies are cherished.
Yesterday I was creating the most stunning piece of jewellery for a friend that is a story of her fostering memories within a bracelet – more about that soon!! And I’ve helped a daughter wear a fingerprint in silver – a memory of her mum who passed suddenly just days before. Families have come back with the latest addition on the exact same day they cast their first child. I’ve had messages at 3am from mums who just gave birth – still not announced to their family – but making a booking to have their casts taken!
I also cast my first international wedding couple who were preparing for their Scottish wedding celebration before returning back to Serbia. (If anyone is planning a trip to Serbia, let me know…we still need a method to safely transport it back to them!)
My work is an emotional rollercoaster!! No wonder I feel so exhausted!! (But I love it)
BOOK NOW
YES, BUT WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO CAST?
If you’d like more information, get in touch HERE.
Would you like to make a booking? CLICK HERE.
Hope this has helps you to decide when to capture YOUR Impressive Memories. Have you had a look through my Q&A page? It’s full of information that will hopefully interest you.
Have an Impressive Day,
Jen x
“I wondered if you could tell me how much this costs?”
All casting orders can split the payments – yay!! You pay £15 to make your booking, then half your balance on the day of casting and the rest on collection. An average casting order will take a minimum of 4 weeks to complete, so you will have at least a full month before the final balance is due.
If you ordered a framed cast costing £100
You pay £15 to book (you can book up to 8 weeks in advance too)
At your casting appointment pay just £45
On collection in 4 weeks time your balance is £40
I accept Cash, BACS, PayPal and most major Credit Cards too.
Yup…why not hint to family and friends that you’d be very impressed to be given a gift voucher??? Send them this link https://www.impressivememories.co.uk/gift-vouchers/ and smile sweetly.
Don’t panic! I offer reframing. You can’t go back in time and recapture the moment, but you can reframe the casts you already have to match the new addition…or maybe you just fancy a change. Find out about REFRAMING HERE.