Cremation Solutions | Cremation Solutions

Covid Drives Creative Cremation Memorials

Planning funerals and memorials has been difficult during the year of COVID-19. Restrictions placed on gatherings has limited traditional ways to grieve, while technology has opened new pathways. Take a look at some of the ways memorials have changed in the past year — and some creative solutions.

Funeral Changes During Covid

You want to memorialize your loved ones and gather to celebrate their lives — but that’s hard when your state makes it impossible to gather in large groups. As a result, many funeral directors have had to pivot and learn how to live stream funerals. You can expect to attend more live-streamed memorial services in the future, as many people appreciate the ability to pay their respects without having to incur travel time and costs.

Another big change? Cremations have more than increased dramatically during the past year. This occurred for many reasons. Funeral homes often didn’t have the capacity to store remains until families could gather for funerals, and some people feared that they would be exposed to COVID-19 through their deceased loved ones or those in attendance. In addition, as people counted their pennies through the pandemic, they began to realize the considerable cost advantages of commemorating a loved one’s life through cremation rather than burial. So many have simply put the memorial gathering on hold until it is ok to travel and gather. The lack of ritual has caused survivors to yearn for a connection and reach for physical ways to memorialize the lost loved one. Cremation memorials are a solution to this gap in tradition.

Cremation Solutions Bring Creativity to Your Memorials

Cremation allows so many creative ways to memorialize a loved one. That’s where we come in. At Cremation Solutions, we create innovative art and jewelry that provides you with a unique way to remember and treasure your loved one. Our personalized cremation urns are designed to preserve special memories. Take a look at some of the on trendy ways to commemorate your loved one.

Glass Keepsakes And Jewelry

Cremation Glass Glass has a sense of the eternal to it because of the way we see through it or see ourselves reflected in it. And glass shares something with cremation — both involve extremely high temperatures. Our artisans take this opportunity to turn grief into something truly beautiful.

Glass Sculpture with Cremation Ashes Because molten glass requires temperatures over 2000°F, far hotter than most cremations, our artists are able to incorporate cremation ashes into the molten glass as an artwork is in progress. The carbon from the ashes burns off at this ultra high temperature, leaving behind brilliant white ashes incorporated right into the glass keepsakes and jewelry with infused ashes. Crystalized glass can even be cut into brilliant gem style of high end jewelry!

Click Here For Our Full Selection of Crystals Made From Ashes — Crystal Gems Made From Ashes

Choose tributes in an array of natural colors emerald green to blue like “His Eyes”. We offer a wide variety of glass sculptures and keepsakes to memorialize your loved one in a unique, one-of-a-kind way.

Fingerprint Jewelry

Thumbies Keepsakes What’s more unique than your fingerprint? Drawing on this, we create absolutely one-of-a-kind necklaces, charms, and pendants that feature your loved one’s fingerprint, so you can hold their identity close to your heart. Of course we keep all fingerprints completely secure.

These unusual keepsakes are also ideal to capture special moments such as the birth of a baby, a wedding, or a special bond between two people. We can incorporate birthstones into the finger jewelry and offer a range of designs to help you begin your own family tradition. And yes, we can make this unique jewelry using the paw print or even the nose print of your cherished pet.

Pandora-style Cremation Jewelry

Beads made with ashes If you already love your Pandora bracelet or necklace with its delightful charms that show off who you are and what you love, now you can add your loved ones to the mix. At Cremation Solutions, we make Pandora-style beads that you can add to your existing jewelry to include your loved ones as part of the story of your life.

Choose from a gold or sterling silver beat that holds a small amount of your loved one’s ashes, discreetly sealed with a tungsten/stainless steel countersunk screw. Or add some colorful beauty with a custom-made glass bead that holds a tiny amount of your loved one’s ashes, seamlessly infused into the glass during its creation. Either way, you can carry your loved one with you everywhere you go.

Cremation Monuments

Monuments For Cremation — Examples of cremation monuments for the yard or garden. These rock solid memorials will keep your loved one’s ashes safe and secure from the elements.

If you want to honor your loved one in a more traditional way, perhaps as part of a family memorial at your local cemetery, you may want to consider our cremation headstones, niches, columbaria, and other memorials. These customized monuments hold your loved one’s cremated ashes or urns inside with a sense of dignity and permanence. Choose handsome monuments with plenty of space for you to write a special commemorative message, or opt for hollowed out boulders that return your loved one to nature in a beautiful, organic way.

The Loved One Launcher Ash-Scattering Cannon

If the loved one you’re celebrating went through life making a strong impression, say farewell with the same kind of zest they showed throughout their life. The Loved One Launcher is a powerful and joyous way to express the impact someone had on your life, and it’s ideal for life celebration parties surrounding someone who evoked love and laughter in your circle of friends.

With the Loved One Launcher, instead of passively scattering ashes on the ground, you can shoot them 70′ into the air — accompanied by confetti and streamers, if you like. This robust ash-scattering cannon creates a beautiful spectacle that can only make you smile even as you mourn your loss.

Scattering Urns

Turn your ash-scattering ceremony into something very special with an urn that fits the personality of your loved one and that you can leave behind. If you’re scattering ashes at sea or in a body of water, we have special urns that float beautifully and then biodegrade with no harm to the environment.

Biodegradable Urns For Water — Some Urns Are Biodegradable and Float Before They Descend and Dissolve Releasing The Ashes

Scattering At Sea — Biodegradable Turtle Urn

If you choose to scatter ashes on the land, choose from urns made of salt, sand, gelatin, and other biodegradable urn materials, including urns that you can bury. We also have beautiful urns available to hold ashes on display and following the scattering the urn converts into a memorial birdhouse!

Scattering Urn into Birdhouse — Grandpa’s Memorial Birdhouse

However you choose to commemorate your loved one, at Cremation Memorials, we are ready to help you find the right way. Contact us today to plan a beautifully creative memorial that will help you treasure your loved one’s memory forever.

How Much Does Cremation Cost

Cremation Service is Catching On — Do You Want Fries With That?

With half of the population now choosing cremation over traditional burial, it is important to know some important facts about this valuable service provided by funeral directors. A common question is how much does cremation cost? It seems like such a simple question that should have a straightforward answer. But, most people have no idea what actually is involved in cremation. If you consider all the factors that affect the price of cremation, you would understand that the answer to that question is not that cut and dry. Consumers should really think about the kind of funeral or gathering they want and if they want to spend time with the deceased either privately or publicly. Let’s consider some of the factors that will affect the cost of cremation.

Who You Gonna Call

Funeral Homes – Mortuaries – Cremation Societies – Crematories – Cremation Brokers

Don’t wait till the death has occurred to try and figure out which professionals you will hire to assist with funeral and cremation arrangements. Who you call might depend on what kind of services your families needs. Your local funeral home is always a good place to start. Many funeral homes also own their own crematory and more important they are trained to explain the many options available when it comes to cremation. Understand that when you ask a funeral director “How much for cremation” He or she will need more information to understand what and if you know what you want. They are not trying to Up-Sell you they just need to better understand the unique needs of your family and what you expectations are. Cremation is just a final disposition like burial is a final disposition. You wouldn’t expect an answer to “How much for a funeral” They might give you a price range but ultimately YOU will has to make some decisions and pick some options to determine a realistic price quote. It’s okay to negotiate! I recently was helping a friend choose a professional. They liked the people they met at the local funeral and received a price quote for a direct cremation for $2850.00 we told them about a cremation Society that was 30 miles away that would do it for $1500.00 and the local funeral matched the price! Beware of Google search results that often have online discounters disguised as local cremation clubs or societies. These companies are usually just cremation brokers that do not own any facilities anywhere and simply connect you with real professionals that you could have dealt with directly! Many funeral homes have their own so called “Cremation Societies” Sort of an alter ego that funeral homes have online to compete on price. For direct cremation these can be the best option. I worked at Hanson Walbridge funeral home in Bennington Vermont. If someone called the funeral homes phone number they would get a price quote from the funeral home BUT if you called their Cremation Society of Vermont phone number (Same phone different button) same people same service much cheaper price!

Transportation Hearse For Funerals

The cost of cremation is affected by the transportation costs. You have to consider the transporting of the body from where the person passed away to the funeral home or the crematory of choice. Is the funeral going to be held at a church or other location besides the funeral home or will you prefer a memorial type gathering following the cremation. Will the ashes need to be mailed somewhere? All of this affects the price.

Storage of the Body

A body isn’t always cremated upon arrival to the crematory. The reasons for this can vary. Some states have laws stating a certain amount of time must pass before a body can be cremated and a funeral home may charge for refrigeration (by the day). Families may delay making final decisions or need to wait for someone to arrive from out of town that wants a chance to say their final goodbyes. If the death involves a criminal investigation extra storage fees may be applied. All of this affects the price.

Cremation

The cost of the actual cremation stays relatively consistent.This is the actual charge from the crematory and crematories generally do not deal directly with the public. Some factors, such as an unusually large person, might increase the cost of the cremation.

Disposition of The Ashes

How the family chooses to handle the cremated remains. The family may choose to bury the remains in a burial plot. In this situation, the cost of cremation is fairly expensive because burial plots can be expensive. A headstone marker will also likely be purchased if a burial of the cremated remains is selected. Another option that the family might choose is to store the remains in a cremation urn or use special urns for scattering ashes called scattering urns. Urns can cost as little as $100 or more than $1,000. People may choose to have the ashes become part of a piece of memorial art or cremation jewelry or even shot out of a hand held cannon called “The Loved One Launcher”! All of this affects the price.

Based on the factors discussed above, it is easy to see why cremation costs can vary greatly. There is no straight answer as to how much a cremation will cost. An experienced funeral director will discuss all the options that come with cremation and help the family decide what is best for them and their loved one. “Direct Cremation” is a term used for the most very basic of cremation services that simply gets the job done and does not involve any special arrangements for viewings, funeral memorials or burials. If you ask about the cost of a basic direct cremation you should get an instant price quote! And depending on who you call prices vary wildly for $595.00 to $4,595.00 with about $1500.00 – $2500.00 being about average. It should include all of the arrangements and permits for getting legally cremated in a cardboard box and receiving the ashes in a temporary cardboard or plastic container. For any special request beyond these basics, expect to pay more. If a funeral director quotes a price for direct cremation that does not include the cost of the actual cremation by a third party crematory or transportation……RUN! Because a direct cremation quote should include everything to get the job done and to not is a deceptive practice know as price baiting or the old bait and switch!

Freedom

Cremation offers freedom to choose how to handle the service. There can be a very simple service where family and friends gather to fondly remember their loved one. Perhaps the family wants to remember the deceased in a big way and elect to have an elaborate, fancy service. When the time comes, the family has the freedom to keep the ashes in a beautiful urn or to scatter the ashes. They may decide that burying the ashes would be beneficial so that all of the loved ones have a place to visit and remember the deceased. They can choose to bury the ashes in a cemetery or a private lot. The possibilities of how to handle the cremation ashes are endless.

Time

Cremation Time With a traditional funeral service, time is of the essence. Because the service must take place within a matter of days, plans may be made in haste, adding to the stress of an already grieving family. But, with cremation, there is no urgency to bury the body. The family will have ample time to plan a lovely memorial service to remember their loved one. Maybe the service needs to be delayed due to out of town family members and friends. On a personal note from my 30 years of experience there is such thing as waiting too long to conduct a memorial service. The sooner the better! Funerals are for the living and serve as the best way to let friends and family support each other in their grief so they can have a healthy transition from the loss. People sometimes wait months, for example waiting until spring when inconvenienced by a winter death. Think days and weeks but don’t stretch it out for more then a month, or it defeats the whole purpose.

Is Embalming Needed?

NO! But if you request a public viewing almost all funeral homes will require embalming. If you want a short private family viewing in the immediate days following a death embalming should not be required but a simple clean up and sanitization type of preparation should be done to make a nice final presentation to say the goodbyes. Most people don’t want to think about the embalming process and may look to alternatives such as cremation just to avoid this.

Instead of having a formal funeral service with a viewing, the family can choose to have a simple memorial service. with photographs of their loved one. It can be a time to share stories and celebrate their loved one’s life and how they lived. A cremation can be as simple or elaborate as the family wishes. Perhaps the deceased was a simple person who led a simple life. Therefore, the family may want to choose cremation and have a simple service to reflect their loved one’s life.

Cremation Planning Is cremation really what you want? This question can cause a lot of stress and they may wonder if they are making the right decision. This really should have been answered before the death occurred but if you are still not sure then consider all of the options. This is when a funeral director will step in and assist in answering questions and helping a family decide if cremation is right for their deceased loved one. While death remains an uncomfortable subject for most people, loved ones can be comforted in knowing that they are making the right choices when it comes to handling their loved one’s remains. A funeral director knows that family members are at their most vulnerable when making the funeral arrangements. With this in mind, he or she will explain all of the options available so that the family can make informed decisions.

How To Stay Cool And Healthy Right Up To Your Cremation

Cool Old Dude

As people get into the mid-50s, many of them give up on life and start thinking of death, yet they have many more years of life if they have the right attitude. Death can occur at any time in life but the probability of death becomes more inevitable and avoiding it should become more a part of your life to get the most out of your golden years. Being older does not mean you have no more business enjoying life.

Tune in to avoid tuning out! Old Should Not Mean Lifeless!

Cool Old Guy Skateboarding Living to a ripe old age depends on how well you treat yourself and not how old you are. Many people in their 70s live an active life, and they have plenty of energy in them. Presidential candidates in the 2016 election in the US were over 65. They were running for the highest office in the land when many people younger than 65 have thrown in the towel and consider themselves exhausted with nothing more in life to look forward to. Advanced age is not a limit to having aspirations and working to attain them. The only barrier to your dreams is in your attitudes and the approach you take as you advance in age. Here are suggestions to help you enjoy life to the fullest even as old age sets in.

Healthy is The New Cool

Eat the right food

The body requires energy for it to run properly. The food we eat is the source of energy for the body. However, you need to be careful about the food you consume as it has positives and negatives. As you age, you need to pay more attention to taking quality food more than at any other stage in life. You have heard about how to maintain the right BMI, but it is hard to live by that.

The food’s glycemic content is an important thing to understand. This load is an estimate of how a person’s glucose level in the blood rises after consuming some food. Sugary food is metabolized very quickly, and unless one engages in rigorous physical exercise, that sugar will convert into fat. When the body has excess fat, it becomes susceptible to health complications.

Exercise

The body requires physical challenges that will exert pressure on the muscles and help them grow. Being physically active at work is not enough to give your body the strength is deserves. The body needs to have regular exercise to avoid developing weak muscles. Engaging in tough practices can improve the condition of bones, tendons, and muscles in the body. Proper exercising gives you the energy to face any task instead of the feeling of weaknesses that makes you cringe from any challenge.

Do not retire and Wait to Die

Retiring is accepting death because it means you have nothing else in life to live or work for. Have a sense of purpose in life even at an advanced age. If you are in good health, you have no reason just to sit and wait for your death. Let it find you doing something worthwhile for you and the rest of humanity. There is plenty you can do before you die. We are created with a lot of potential, and we should not take any of it to the grave. Therefore, every moment spent on earth should be used for a worthwhile purpose. Make the world a better place. Anyone can do this!

Find what works for you and stick to it

In your advanced age, you can tell what works for you and what does not. Do not waste time with things that do not function for you. Identify what works well for in your case and stick to it. Avoid things and people who do not add any value to your life. Simplify your life and remove any clutter that clouds your focus.

Appreciate how you look

Your body will change as you age. The changing appearance should not have any significance if you are focused on your purpose. Appreciate the fact that you have nothing you can do about your changing appearance. Even if people do not approve of your appearance, that should not bother you at all.

Spend your time well

In the old age, life may end at any time. However, that should not prevent you from focusing on your purpose. Although you do not have control over prolonging your life, you can have some influence on it. Do not hold back on the things you have planned to do. Change any circumstances that affect the pursuit of your purpose. If you cannot make any changes, adjust to it and carry on.

Getting Ready for your Funeral So You Can Live Today

Planning Your Funeral As you engage in various activities during your last days on earth, you can as well prepare your funeral. Many families fall apart after the death of their loved one especially if the deceased was the head of the household. It becomes hard for the family to reach agreements during the awkward moments. When people lose their loved ones, some are unable to live with the reality of death. However, preparing them for the eventuality of death makes them accept the situation when it happens.

Often people are buried or cremated according to the wishes of others. By making the arrangements when you are living, you will have control over what will happen on your final day. The arrangements you make will help the family and friends mourn and remember you in the way that reflects on you. Cement your legacy by planning a very personal funeral! Consider having a Certified Funeral Celebrant write and preform your ceremony.

Your attention and energy will be focused on the goals you have identified “A Cool Way To Live”. No one knows the time to leave the earth, and it is, therefore, better for death to catch up with you in active service instead of being caught doing nothing.

Americans Trading Caskets For Urns

Funeral Casket Today most Americans are trading the tradition of a casket for burial and opting for a cremation urn to memorialize a loved one forever. The urn provides family members with a part of someone they cared for forever. It can be passed on for generations. Urns For Ashes The urn represents a significant symbol – the final resting place for a person who meant so much to everyone he or she touched. Whether it’s the centerpiece of a room or placed on a mantel or another meaningful place, family members can select an urn that is quite elegant or matches the deceased one’s style for a way to honor and remember the person.

More Then Half of All Americans Now Choose Cremation
Making Cremation The New Tradition

When choosing between a burial or cremation, loved ones are faced with the many pros and cons of each option. However, the benefits of choosing cremation and an urn are plentiful. In fact, it’s becoming the most popular option for numerous reasons. First and foremost, a cremation is a more cost-effective solution, especially for those who have limited funds but still want to honor a life well lived and the true meaning of their lives. The cost of an urn and cremation is much less than a cemetery plot, burial and casket, and it still recognizes the significance of the person and their life. Additionally, an urn is more eco-friendly. Due to its smaller stature, it takes less material to make. The casket remains in the ground forever, which doesn’t help the environment. Cemeteries are slowly filling up, which will eventually cause a shortage of areas for burial spaces. A cremation urn eliminates all of this. This allows families to utilize the vessel as a centerpiece or focal point in a room and complement their tastes. Another pro of choosing an urn is that the person is with their family. This alleviates the need for the person to commute to the cemetery to visit with a loved one, which is beneficial for those who are busy and still want to be close. Family will always be able to be close, no matter what their schedule. It’s also emotionally difficult for many people to visit a cemetery, but cremation alleviates this fear and unpleasant feeling.

People aren’t limited whenever they purchase an urn, whether they select one prior to their passing or designate an individual to take on this responsibility. Firstly, a wide variety of materials are available to select from such as stone, wood, metal and ceramic. Some vessels are even biodegradable for those who choose to return to the earth. They come in various styles but all have an inner chamber of at least 225 cubic inches, this allows the urn to hold all of the ashes of an adult. Urns that are smaller are called keepsake or sharing urns. They vary dramatically in style and size. Even smaller is cremation jewelry, this style of jewelry holds just a pinch of ashes.
Families may opt for other types of urns that are meant to solely scatter the ashes and may be used for other purposes. Some scattering urns are specifically designed for individuals to spread the ashes through the air. Once they’re no longer used to store the ashes, they may be recycled since many of them are compromised of biodegradable materials. Birdhouse urns store the ashes, and then convert into a birdhouse that acts as a memorial and provides a home for wildlife.
Obviously, nobody wants to think of a loved one dying, but an urn may help to comfort the person by allowing him or her to act out his or her loved ones wishes. It lets the individual remain close to family and be a part of them for always. The urn helps the person to cope and even be with him or her forever.
While it’s a difficult decision to make, Cremation Solutions wants to help comfort the family and fulfill the deceased one’s wishes. We know losing someone who is close to you is difficult enough without having any added stress. That’s why we work with individuals to find the ideal urn for their future resting place. Whether we work with the individual or their family, we strive to find them the best solution to meet their needs and desires. We’re here to answer questions regarding urns and discuss all of the options. Call or email us today with questions or to schedule a meeting to discuss the available options in person.

Re-Introducing Jeff Staab / Owner of Cremation Solutions

I have been on social media for a number of years and was recently told by experts that my posts are too professional and that I should be more personable. It seems that in order to create a following of your “brand” you should open up your “personal” life so that people can get to know the real you. So allow me to reintroduce myself and share some of my life story with you. I will try to not make it sound like an obituary! (Even though that is what I am used to writing)

I grew up in the suburbs of New York in Oyster Bay Long Island and graduated OBHS class of 1982. We were all pretty spoiled to grow up on the bay and with all that the affluent burbs had to offer. Fishing, boating, clams, oysters, and just about anything money could buy was right nearby. We had big venues like the Nassau Coliseum and Madison Square Garden at our fingertips and all of the other things that Long Island and New York City had to offer. Oyster Bay had a strong music culture and so began my lifelong live music habit! While still in high school I attended too many funerals for unfortunate friends and began to take notice of the funeral business. I could see the value of funerals and knew it would be rewarding to help people though one of life’s toughest times. My mom encouraged me to look into becoming a funeral director. I was able to major in mortuary science and graduated from S.U.N.Y Farmingdale with the class of 1984.

I began my career as an apprentice for Frederick Funeral Home in Flushing New York where I was fired! (the only time in my life) for not being intimidated by my manager “Asshole”. It was a good thing because I then finished my apprenticeship and worked a few more years at the excellent James Funeral Home in Massapequa and Brooklyn New York. Working at these high volume mostly Catholic funeral homes in the “Rat Race” of NY, it soon began to take it’s toll on mellow me and I began to burn and fizzle like many young funeral directors. The pay was never worth the dedication I had and the suburbs could only lead to trouble for an adventurer like me.

So I headed up to Vermont to get out of the rat race and into nature. I had spent Summer and Winter vacations in Vermont. So I became a full time ski bum/instructor at Killington Mountain. It was the ultimate cure for a burnt funeral director. Those were some great six or seven years of skiing, odd jobs and house painting in the warmer months. But you can’t be a ski bum forever, trouble for renegade Jeff! I stayed in Vermont but went back to work as a funeral director for fifteen more years. It was much more mellow than NY and the families weren’t as high strung. I was used to working Italian Catholic funerals in Brooklyn, where people often cried, wailed, fought, and tried to get in the casket before fainting. I remember the first time I used the smelling salts to revive an old widow. The senior funeral director told me how to break the capsule, I just assumed that I would shove them into her nostrils, well to say the least “she woke up rapidly”. Vermonters had a more realistic approach to death and keep most of the drama in the closet. The hours and pay still sucked and I never felt “The Calling” that dedicated lifelong directors must have. Like many funeral directors my back became injured from lifting, my cheap ass boss wouldn’t purchase a hydraulic lift to get them in “the box” and the worn out stretchers malfunctioned. In fact every boss I ever had in the funeral biz was a cheap prick! I have a theory that the formaldehyde causes this condition! Having myself embalmed about 3,000 people I was concerned about my health. The fumes are cancerous and I never saw a preparation room with proper ventilation, too cheap to put in an adequate exhaust fan! I recently read they might make formaldehyde illegal; the old time cancer riddled funeral directors will be so upset! They just love this stuff and shun the new greener chemical alternatives.

Exit Working As A Funeral Director

Urns for ashes — My First Three Birdhouse Memorial Urns

One day while making funeral arrangements with a family, they were explaining how they were going to scatter Dad’s ashes in a wood lot behind their home where Dad enjoyed watching the birds. I was telling them about a new type of wooden urn called a scattering urn. They liked the idea of using it but wouldn’t buy an urn that would be used only once and then go to waste. The family was explaining their concern and just then my light bulb went on and I told them that after you scatter the ashes, you can screw it to a tree and drill a hole in it, creating a home for the birds that your dad loved so much. They said we will take it. I began using this sales pitch and was soon selling more scattering urns then ever. This is how I got the idea to make scattering urns that were actually made to convert into a birdhouse after the ashes are scattered. I started designing and working with local woodworkers. I got a patent for “Birdhouse Memorial Urns”. This would be my exit from a job that was taking its toll on me and my health and turn me into a supplier to the funeral industry.

Like many new suppliers to the funeral world, I spent all my money on inventory and attended the biggest funeral trade show in the world, the NFDA, which was in Chicago that year. This would be my big break, people loved the idea and all my research pointed to the fact that these urns would sell to the public! I was so sure that funeral directors would understand and snatch them up for their showrooms! WRONG. I soon learned that there is no such thing as a hot new funeral industry product. Funeral directors are very slow to try new things and are the worst sales people on the planet. I won design awards and got lots of compliments for my line of scattering urns, but sales were at a trickle! Back to house painting full time while growing my new company, Cremation Solutions on the side. For a couple years I was into home energy performance and along with Ted Taylor started Energy Wise Homes in Manchester, Vermont.

With no budget, the memorial business was slow to grow but I really loved merchandising all of the cool funeral products and began to expand my line of products into keepsakes, urns, and jewelry. And later added monuments that hold ashes. I enjoy working with the artists and craftspeople from all over the world and offer a very expansive line of cremation memorials. I soon realized that funeral professionals had little to no interest in helping those who choose to scatter ashes. It’s just something families usually do on their own. I’ve since become a leading authority on scattering ashes and now Cremation Solutions is the #1 resource for information on scattering ashes. In fact I wrote most of what you’ll read about it on the Internet. I became involved with funeral Celebrants when I was researching the ceremonies for scattering ashes. The only people that seems to know anything about scattering ceremonies were the Celebrants in Australia. I then learned about the Celebrant Foundation and Institute in NJ and became a Certified Funeral Celebrant. Now I help promote the use of Celebrants to the funeral industry. I truly believe that Celebrant ceremonies could save the American funeral! The general public has become disenchanted with the old time traditional funerals and want MORE! Not less as you might hear. Now Cremation Solutions has grown to offer one of the world’s most expensive lines of cremation memorials and is a resource for information on funeral planning and scattering ashes.

I do miss working with the families and planning memorable funerals. It was helping the people through a hard time that made it all worthwhile. As an educator to the death care industry I’ve written for many of the industry publications and enjoy riding the wave of change that the funeral industry is now experiencing. It’s a very interesting time now in the history of funeral service. There has been more change in the last ten years than in the past hundred years! Some of the new trends stem from a basic change with peoples attitude towards death and religion. Plus technology provides access to the information via the Internet. Cremation is NOW the most popular disposition, and of course the challenged economy has driven the more affordable cremation option.

These days I work on my own property and never have a pager go off in the middle of the night to rescue the bodies before they assume room temperature. No more chasing down the doctors to sign death certificates. And I only embalm myself for pleasure now! Hats off to the men and women that do this day in and day out. I’ve been keeping busy and get really excited creating and designing new memorial options for those who choose cremation. And I have some new really cool things to do with cremation ashes. Cremation Solutions has grown and I have also branched out and also operate www.lifetreefarm.com and www.your-touch.com

For more fun I have way too many hobbies including:

Cooking and competitive BBQ
Snow skiing
Fishing – spearfishing and scuba diving
Traveling (I’ve been to every state but Hawaii)
Camping and discovering new cultures and art.
Live music and festivals
Most of all I enjoy time with my family and friends, adventures in the mountains and on the sea’s
And that’s just what I can tell ya…

I live in Arlington, Vermont on the Battenkill River surrounded by the beautiful green mountains with my daughters, Jena and Shaana. I have two brothers and two sisters and my dad is still kicking at 90. So here is a taste of what Jeff Staab is all about. I won’t get too personal about my life because you really wouldn’t believe it anyway!

LETS HOOK UP!

Feel free reach me at jeff@cremationsolutions.com

Keep up to date with my Blog: http://www.cremationsolutions.com/blog/

Connect with me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeff.staab

Link Up on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffstaab

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cremationist

Like Cremation Solutions FB Page https://www.facebook.com/CremationSolutions

Like Life Tree Farm FB Page https://www.facebook.com/Life-Tree-Farm-187239924646320

Cremation Jewelry Going Mainstream

Ashes Jewelry — New Pandora Styled Cremation Jewelry

Funerary art and jewelry have played a strong role in commemorating the loss of a loved one throughout history. Memorial jewelry initially gained popularity because there weren’t many alternatives for remembrance; photography didn’t exist and there weren’t a lot of options for tangible mementos. While many technological advances are available to our society today, memorial or cremation jewelry continues to be popular as a very personal and meaningful way to hold on to connections to those who have passed. As this ancient tradition continues and even grows in popularity today, Cremation Solutions is happy to offer a wide array of cremation jewelry and customized services that turn a small amount of your loved one’s ashes into an heirloom creation that you can wear close to your heart forever.

Preserve Your Connection

During the Victorian period it was common for people to save small locks of their loved ones’ hair within jewelry like lockets. This practice has never gone out of style and it likely never will. People will forever mourn the loss of a loved one just as they hope to celebrate the wonderful aspects of their loved ones’ lives. Cremation jewelry helps people remember that connection, and helps to reinforce that the love shared will never truly be gone from their lives.

Types of Cremation Jewelry

There are various types of cremation jewelry that suit a wide range of budgets and style preferences. From colorful beads and charms to elegant pendants and more, we’re sure you’ll find something special to commemorate a loved one. We even often a selection for pets who have passed on. In addition, commemorative jewelry makes a meaningful gift for family members, who will appreciate having something to treasure that reflects the pure essence of their loved one.

Cremation Solutions offers three primary types of cremation jewelry:

Custom-made jewelry (such as glass and ceramic pieces) where the ashes are infused into the material during creation to become a permanent part of the piece.
Cremation crystals and diamonds actually made from the natural elements of the ashes.
Jewelry designed to be easily filled by the customer directly. Each piece has a hollow chamber into which a very small amount of ashes can be added.

Cremation Glass Jewelry

Ashes inside Jewelry — One of a Kind Glass with Ashes Infussed

Cremation glass jewelry is colorful and makes for a lovely medium for preserving a small amount of your loved one’s ashes. Cremation Solutions offers a dazzling array of styles and colors. Each pendant is handmade by an artisan who specializes in glasswork and glass-making techniques. Choose religious motifs like crosses or sentimental designs like hearts. You’ll find lovely glass designs to consider such as infinity symbols and abstract geometric shapes. Glass jewelry is durable because it’s formed as a solid, so you don’t have to worry that it will be more fragile than any other type of jewel, which makes it an ideal consideration as a cremation jewelry item.

Cremation Crystal Jewelry

To create a dazzling keepsake, consider ordering a crystal infused with your loved one’s ashes amidst beautiful sparkle and shine. The ashes are infused into crystal during its creation, using a patented process. Our crystal design gallery is filled with colorful pendants, rings, and earrings. Each crystal has an innate and radiant glow, perfect for reflecting the beauty and the timeless essence of your loved one.

Cremation Diamonds

Diamonds from Ashes — Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Cremation Solutions offers certified, high-quality, custom diamonds infused with the ashes of your loved one to stunning effect. These high-end jewels will truly become breathtaking heirlooms for you and your family to treasure. Each diamond is inspected, authenticated, and graded. These are true diamonds, created with the same chemical makeup and properties as mined diamonds. Choose from an array of colors, including elegant white, enchanting blue, or regal red to create a jewel that you’ll want to wear every day, for its beauty and for the ashes within its sparkle.

Cremation Jewelry Galleries

When you visit Cremations Solutions, you’ll find we have a myriad of galleries devoted to cremation jewelry designs. We invite you to peruse each one to discover your favorites. Within our traditional collection, you’ll find crosses, hearts, stars, and other meaningful symbols. Our modern collection boasts attractive and sophisticated styles that gleam with precious metals. Our nature collection features natural elements like seashell designs, birds, butterflies, leaves, and acorns. We even offer memory beads and charms perfect for Pandora-style bracelet systems. You can choose a design that reflects your interests or your loved one’s former interests, or contact us about creating a custom piece for something that is truly unique. Our artisans are happy to hear your ideas and collaborate with you to achieve the design you are after.

Ordering Your Cremation Jewelry

Once you decide on a jewel or jewelry, Cremation Solutions will send you a kit with detailed instructions on sending us your loved one’s ashes. In most cases, we only require a small amount. If you send us more than we need to create your jewelry, we will return the excess to you along with your beautiful piece of jewelry. We assure you that we take exceptional care of each order. Ashes are scrupulously labeled, contained, and tracked. Our process ensures the integrity of each order.

As Cremation Solutions is a well-respected New England-based company that specializes in cremation memorials and creations. You can trust our artistry and impeccable customer service. Every piece of jewelry we undertake to create is precious and we honor the role we play in creating this meaningful commemorative jewel that preserves your loved one’s ashes and memory.

If you have questions about our ordering process or our patented creation process, please contact us so we can share more information with you. We hope you’ll get to know our collection of jewelry and that we may be of service if you ever desire to honor your loved one with the timeless tradition of cremation jewelry.

Glass Artists Are Creating Art with Cremation Ashes

Glass memorial tributes — an art that was just recently featured on the Today Show — are beautiful, custom, one-of-a-kind keepsakes and jewelry that will be cherished for generations to come. This jewelry and these glass keepsakes are carefully hand-crafted with the incorporation of the cremation ashes of your loved one or beloved pet by highly-skilled and talented glass artists. Glass memorial tributes are a wonderful way to honor your lost loved one or pet.

Glass memorial tributes are available in both recycled and non-recycled glass, with the recycled glass counterparts being made in an emerald green shade and the non-recycled glass made in a wider variety of beautiful jewel tone colors. However, both are equally stunning and beautiful. Easily select a preset keepsake style color combination or create your own unique custom color with different color combinations and styles.

How Glass Memorial Art is Created

Glass memorial art keepsakes and jewelry are hand-blown and then carefully and skillfully sculpted right here in the United States by skilled glass artists and then hand-signed. During this process, glass is heated to temperatures reaching well over 2000 degrees, melting it into a molten glass state.

When glass is molten, as it cools it is plastic-like and shape-able. Once the glass is in a molten state, the ashes of your loved one are then carefully incorporated into the glass. Because the molten glass is hotter than the ashes, carbon is burned off, which then in turn turns the ashes into a brilliantly white color within the glass.

After the sculpture is artistically made, it is then put into an annealer to cool down. Cool-down generally takes over 12-48 hours and will vary depending upon your memorial tribute’s size.

Cremations Solutions Keepsakes and Jewelry

Glass cremation jewelry is available CremationSolutions.com in a wide-variety of glass cremation pendants and each pendant is made with a small amount of cremation ashes. Pendants are available in the Cross Pendant, available in four colors; the Helix Pendant, available in four colors; the Loving Memory Hearts, available in eight colors; the Precious Metals Heart – Gold, available in eight colors; the Precious Metals Heart – Silver, available in eight colors; the Rhombic Pendant, available in four colors; and the Swirling Galaxy Memory, available in six styles.

Keepsakes are available in the Embrace Orb, the Galaxy Orb, the Swirl Orb and the Keepsake Heart. You have the option of choosing two beautiful colors for the inside of the cremation urn glass. Colors that you’ll choose from include: eternal purple, sea-foam aqua, sky blue, ocean blue, forever green, antique red, perfect pink, radiant orange, everlasting gold, apricot/marmalade, daffodil yellow, slate grey, mystic black, ivory white, aged bronze or a simple crystal clear.

When customizing your keepsake, you have the option of also including a wrap for your urn in the color of your choice. The wrap will then become a permanent part of your urn and cannot be removed later. You can also put the globe on a stand. The stands have an led light that adds a warm glow to your keepsake globe. Choose one of two mahogany stands. Each stand is hand-crafted and will include a brass plaque for two lines of engraving.

How the Order Process Works

To order, simply go on our website and select the keepsake or jewelry that you wish to order. Cremation Solutions will then send you a kit to collect and saftly send us the right amount of ashes. You might be worried about sending something so precious through the mail as cremation ashes, but rest assured that all orders are tracked from the time that they leave your hands at the post office to the time that your final piece arrives to you. The records for that label are then kept in a company database and these records accompany each and every order throughout the entire creation process of your keepsake or jewelry. Ensuring that you, your loved one and the memorial that is being created for you in their honor is treated with the utmost respect and care.

To Learn More about Glass Cremation Tributes

To learn more about creating a beautiful glass art memorial to honor the memory of your loved one or beloved pet, contact Cremation Solutions today. Cremation Solutions has been a trusting provider of cremation products and cremation services for over seven years, with many more years to come.

Cremation Solutions is located in Arlington Vermont, owned by Jeff and Stacie Staab who have a goal of not only providing exceptional cremation products and cremation services, but also in helping to guide families who have lost loved ones in the creation of exceptional funeral and memorial events with the motto “Live, Love, Remember.”

Join The Author Jeff Staab On Google Plus

Like him on Face Book HERE

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cremationist

Connect on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/jeffstaab

Crystal Jewelry and Keepsakes Made From Cremation Ashes

When a loved one passes, we feel the need to keep something special close at hand to remember that person or pet always. Some people choose to keep something that person owned or cherished while others hold dear the memories of times spent together. Choosing how to memorialize that beloved person or pet is a personal preference of the living left behind. One way to always remember a passed loved one who has been cremated is with cremation jewelry made from a small bit of his or her ashes. This is the type of keepsake that you can take with you everywhere you go.

What is Cremation Crystal Jewelry?

Cremation jewelry crystals are a unique way to remember a person or pet who has passed. This jewelry made from ashes creates a one-of-a-kind piece that is as individual as the person or pet being memorialized. Before scattering their ashes, save a small bit to have made into a beautiful jewel you wear every day in memory. Cremation keepsake jewelry helps heal the heart by:

Soothing grief
Honoring loved ones
Memorializing special pets
Celebrating a life shared
Remembering pets and people
Sharing an everlasting connection
Creating an enduring tribute

Cremation Crystals are infused with the ashes of your loved ones and pets to create a long-lasting memorial. Using a patented process, the ashes are transformed into actual crystals that contain over 20% ashes and then placed into custom settings to create a beautiful tribute to the deceased.

Where to get Cremation Crystal Jewelry

Cremation Solutions specializes in all things cremation, including the beautiful keepsake jewelry made from a loved one’s ashes. This unique crystal jewelry enables wearers to keep close an everlasting piece of their dear departed loved one forever. There are many gem cuts and setting styles to choose from including pendants and rings. Cremation Solutions will even customize a piece just for you.

You can choose the color of your gemstone, but ultimately the finished color will vary because it is influenced by the unique elements of each person or pet’s ashes. Although we try our hardest, it is almost impossible to predict the exact color of a gem, so our descriptions include a variation of the colors you can expect.

There are seven different gem cuts to choose from, each custom designed by world-class gem cutters before being mounted into an original design setting created by respected jewelry designer and setter, John Clark. You have a choice of 14K white gold, 14K yellow gold or sterling silver, in ring, pendant, or necklace styles. Whichever cremation jewelry you choose, it will be a one of a kind tribute to the special person who passed.

Available cuts include:

Cushion
Radiant
Portuguese
Heart shaped
Pear shaped
Trilliant
Teardrop

What to Expect with Cremation Jewelry

Although the cremation jewelry gems look like other naturally occurring gems such as diamonds, they are not the same. The cremation keepsake gems are created from a patented process that uses glass and the human ashes or pet ashes of a loved one who has passed to create unique one-of-a-kind stones. These stones are much softer than diamonds, but harder than onyx and can withstand normal wear and tear. However, accidents to happen, so if your memorial keepsake would happen to break, it can be recast.

The Real Value of a Cremation Jewelry Keepsake

Crystal Cremation Keepsakes — Crystal Keepsakes Made From Ashes

The real value of a cremation jewelry keepsake is in its unique design and beauty. Since these gems are influenced by the unique elements of each person’s ashes, no two are the same, and that uniqueness is invaluable. Beyond this value, is the true reason anyone wants a keepsake like this. The emotional value alone makes this an irreplaceable memorial that is reflected in a work of art made from the ashes of your loved one.

Everyone handles the loss of a loved one differently, and everyone chooses to hold on to those loved ones in different ways. Cremation Solutions provides handmade customized cremation jewelry keepsakes for those that want to keep their loved ones near in every sense of the word. Wear a necklace, pendant or ring made from the ashes of your dearly departed loved one to help heal your heart and keep them close forever.

For more information on the complete line of cremation jewelry available at Cremation Solutions, please visit www.cremationsolutions.com and click on “Crystal Cremation Jewelry” or call 877-365-9474 to speak with one of our cremation jewelry experts. Our sympathetic staff is on hand to help you choose the perfect way to memorialize your lost loved one.

Generic Memorial Videos

There are so many great way to produce excellent personalized memorial videos today. Anyone in the funeral biz will tell you how much added value these “Life Story” videos add to ant funeral or memorial gathering.

Specialized software enables users to upload pictures from throughout the life. Usually in chronological order. You get to add a theme that is displayed between the changing pictures. Even moving footage with a real cinematic effect. You pick the music and can even add your own. Anyone with a computer and internet connection can now produce these wonderful memorial tributes. Even notoriously low tech funeral directors can do it.

These custom personal memorial tribute videos have proven themselves now for years. The rumors of another fad have diminished as family and friends share memories through these amazing little life productions. Multiple copies are made and cherished for generations to come.

Sometime a more generic video is appropriate. Like at a memorial event when several lives have been lost at once. Or their has not yet been enough time to make a personalized tribute. These tribute do not mention names and dates or any particulars. A generic memorial tribute video is just about general healing when suffering from a loss. These tributes are about life in general and remembering what is special. They are about hope and moving on.

Here are some samples of Generic Memorial Videos.

Just A Song with Written Lyrics

Dont Cry For Me

Another Beautiful Ash Scattering in The Holy Land

As cremations service continue to rise, Ash scatterings are becoming very popular. Many of your clients will do ash scatterings, and they need options. Tying into this market can produce a rewarding income stream for you.

A Scattering Service is not as simple as it may seem. There are many considerations to doing it properly and professionally. In our industry, you only get one chance to do it right. Clients demand top service.

We specialize in scattering cremation services and have one of the best scattering locations in the world. Your clients will appreciate our professionalism and first-class approach to scattering. We are the best at what we do; you and your clients will appreciate the exceptional service and attention we give you.

This is a partnership. Simply suggest us to your client during the funeral planning and we will take care of the rest. They will be extremely satisfied with the recommendation you gave them. And we will compensate you a handsome commission for each referral.

<a href=”https://plus.google.com/110779202088364960343?rel=author”>Join The Author Jeff Staab On Google Plus</a>

Holyland Ash Scattering .COM — Learn More Click Here