Posted on 15/03/201807/08/2021 by Nikki Kamminga — 18 Comments

Making Breastmilk Jewellery: Part 1

making breastmilk jewellery: what you need to know to keep yourself safe and your clients happy

Instructions on Making Breastmilk Jewellery: Part 1 of 4

This series on making breastmilk jewellery is written by Nikki Kamminga, owner of Keepsaker Supplies and Tree of Opals. I can’t give you all the answers and it won’t magically create a business for you, but it’s an excellent start. If you’re looking for step-by-step instructions and a guaranteed method to preserve breastmilk just buy our ready-mixed Breastmilk Preservation Powder here. To try your own preservation techniques, read all parts of this blog and give it a try.

Breastmilk Preservation Powder

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Making and selling breastmilk jewellery is so much more than the preservation, drying and suspending of the milk powder. You need to be willing to devote time, money, space and an awful lot of emotional resources to the craft. It will be time away from your own children at first, you will get very emotional clients, and at times things will just feel like they’re not going right. But in the end you can have a business that will support your family, one you can do at home and not worry about leaving them every day.

People message me all the time to say, “I just want to make something for myself”, to which I recommend all-in-one breastmilk jewellery DIY kits here! If you’re developing your own business then I’d recommend one of our Keepsake Business Startup Packages.

Learning To Make Breastmilk Jewellery

Previously the most secretive craft in the world, the art of making breastmilk jewellery has been opened wide to the mums and artists (and dads and doulas) who want to preserve human milk without wasting a fortune in unnecessary equipment. I’ve learnt that true art is about inspiration and the sharing of skills and I believe that no business ever failed by helping another. In the thousands of craft groups and forums out there, no other community pretends theirs it’s a skill that only a few can master. People help one another in almost every craft on the planet and I don’t see why breastmilk preservation should be any different. I’m not going to tell you how to do it, it’s not a full method, just tips! One method will work for one artist and not for another, I don’t want anyone to turn around and blame me if they struggle with any part of the preservation or drying process. You still need to work hard and experiment.

No business ever failed by helping another
– Nikki Kamminga

Part two of the blog is here in Making Breastmilk Jewellery: Part 2 of 3 which explains some of the ways to preserve milk that do and don’t work. Part three of the blog is here in Making Breastmilk Jewellery: Part 3. Info about the Facebook group and asking questions is in part 3.

So many clients come to us with photos of brown, dark orange and yellow pieces that have been made with their baby’s milk only for that seller to have closed the business when the pieces don’t stay white. So this information is to help those artists who are trying to support their families, to try to ensure that people are no longer disappointed with their keepsakes that rot down the line. To celebrate and normalise breastfeeding!

Breastmilk Jewellery Community

When I first published this blog, the outpouring of negativity and emotional blackmail from other businesses shocked me. However, it confirmed that it was the right thing to do. I’ve even had threats and one woman (a “doula” told me I should kill myself!). The people who who can use the following information to make their dreams a reality are my main focus. It is still sad that those in the breastmilk jewellery community who think that this will affect their sales but a good business doesn’t worry about what their competition are doing, they focus on their own unique selling points (USP’s), their brand ethos, marketing and their work quality. Maybe it’s time for them to stop buying mass-produced settings and stop relying on the novelty of preserving breastmilk. This reminds me of the story of the glass artists in Murano, Italy during the 14th Century:

“Marriage between glass master and the daughter of the nobleman wasn’t regarded as misalliance. However, glassmakers were not allowed to leave the Republic. Exportation of professional secret was punished by death. Many craftsmen took this risk and set up glass furnaces in surrounding cities and as far afield as England and the Netherlands” – Wikipedia

Glass artists nowadays don’t worry because other people know their trade. I’m learning lampworking myself at the moment and get some support but not all of the answers from other lampworkers online. I always say, there are a million babies born every day and without having any way to verify numbers, I’m sure at least half of those babies are given human milk (however briefly). As someone who struggled to nurse my children because of major surgery I know that even if I had only managed a few days nursing Ayla I’d have wanted a piece of jewellery with my milk. Tons and tons of our enquiries came from people who’ve never heard of it let alone looked for an artist before so it seems like the breastmilk jewellery industry is an untapped market that replenishes itself every day.

This blog is aimed more towards people interested in creating the pieces themselves. So, hello to all the breastfeeders curious about how it’s done or wondering where to buy, but this is just a guide for people to start their journey making breastmilk jewellery and want to invest time, effort and love into a business.

Making Breastmilk Jewellery Successfully

When I made breastmilk jewellery at Tree of Opals barely needed to advertise and really only did so occasionally to reach new clients. Nowadays I focus on memorial jewellery as I felt called to that after so much loss in my personal life.

I worked in advertising at the age of 20 and I know how to market my company long-term, so I was very successful making breastmilk jewellery. I’m always thinking five and ten years down the line when I brand the work and make decisions. The only problem I’ve ever faced is being too busy, which is a luxury problem! Our lead time was always six months and we did everything we could to tell our clients this but it did cause problems. Most of our customers know that something special and bespoke and highly in demand will take longer and be worth it. If I ever did “need” to advertise I’d focus on local advertising simply because there are so many breastfeeding mums (and chestfeeding parents of all or no gender) around me and it’s nice to meet them in person. I could focus on a small community on the other side of the world and spend the same amount for the same revenue but why bother? And I’m keeping my carbon footprint low when someone from down the road orders. There could be a breastmilk jeweller in every large town and city across the globe and still have enough work. As a keepsake artist at least half of my orders come in the form of other elements like umbilical cord, and of course, memorial jewellery. There’s far far more competition from other cremation ashes jewellers yet in just five years of trading I carved out a niche and been able to help hundreds of grieving families, working mostly by myself with some part time admin help.

So from the small time community doula hoping to offer their clients a little more than placenta jewellery to the entrepreneurial mummy who doesn’t want to go back to her career in corporate, to the daddy who loves to work with wood and metal, I believe anyone can and should make breastmilk jewellery. Not that it’s easy…

Breastmilk Jewellery Caution

One of the big oppositions to DIY breastmilk jewellery or new artists is that the chemicals/solvents used are dangerous. That’s not necessarily true, or at least not all aspects. The most dangerous chemical I used was epoxy resin and after about six months it gave me contact dermatitis. So you need to minimise your risk by following (obviously) all of the manufacturers’ instructions on anything you use, use proper PPE (personal protective equipment) and use a lot of common sense. Keep it in a separate room to children and pets and make sure you wash your hands, arms and any uncovered skin well before you touch others. For Pete’s sake don’t be stirring resin with a baby next to you. If you have a young child that can’t be with someone else for a few hours then please, please, please can you put your milk in the freezer and wait! I now use only UV resin which we sell here, special blogs to follow!

You’ll see with the methods below that you don’t need formaldehyde, solvents and other dangerous substances. If you do decide to give them a try then follow the above advice and more. For the sake of protecting my own family I’m going to give a big legal disclaimer here in addition to the website terms and conditions, whatever you decide to do with the information here you do at your own risk. We don’t take any responsibility, legal, moral or otherwise for this information and if you use chemicals please speak directly to the manufacturers.
If you’re working with heat and pressure make sure you do it safely and sensibly. Please don’t burn yourselves!

Practice with spare milk until you have it right. More safety info in the other two parts. Don’t waste your clients’ milk, always always always keep some of their milk back and if the pieces turn, you should do the right thing and send that milk to another, more established artist, to pay them to preserve it for your client.

What You’ll Need To Make Breastmilk Jewellery

Please see our individual country-specific blogs for shopping supplies: United Kingdom, USA, Australia, Canada, other EU countries (coming soon) and non-EU countries (coming soon).
Epoxy Resin
I always used Axson D150 Rigid until I became allergic to epoxy (more on that coming in a future blog). I stopped for a few months and used EcoResin, made from recycled vegetable oils, but to my horror every single piece (including those just with white flowers and fabric) went yellow. Thankfully I kept every bag of breastmilk sent to me and was able to remake them all. Going back to Axson was great because it’s really easy to work with. It’s not really branded as being for jewellery but the manufacturers say it’s good for casting and embedding flowers. I considered bulk buying pallets of it and rebranding and selling it but wholesale has never interested me and I’d rather put my time into what I love doing – I’ve based my recommendations in the international supplies lists on what members of my Facebook group use and recommend. Stick to the ratio on the bottle for volume measurement. It’s more accurate to measure by weight than by volume; if you do that, and the ratio’s not on the bottle, contact the manufacturer because it might be different to the volume ratio.

It’s best to weigh epoxy rather than measure it by volume using lines on the side of a cup because you’ll be working with tiny amounts and a small slip can change the ratio so much it won’t set or stays soft. I always use a pocket scale because they go to 0.01g accuracy but can take up to half a kilo which is great if I wanted to use resin for painting or furniture making. Put a little plastic shot glass on and press T to tare it (put it back to zero) then pour in part A to the desired quantity. Some resins need different ratios but 2:1 is pretty common and means two parts A to one part B. So if I want to end up with 15g mixed resin in total I’ll measure 10g A then 5g B. That can be daunting especially if it’s been a while since you did maths but stick to quantities like that and write down what you’ve added. I always do wet work (resin and silicone) on baking parchment because it’s easy to clean up. You can recycle any paper or break down a big cardboard box but I don’t use newspaper because it stains. When I first started I thought a silicone mat would be amazing but any unmixed resin is really hard to clean off and would end up all over my arms.

Mix A and B together slowly with a lollipop stick which you can get in packs of 20 from places like Hobbycraft (UK) or Michael’s (USA) or so I’m told. I buy them in bulk because we never reuse them due to contamination risk and they’re really inexpensive. We get through a box a year, probably around two per order and I neutralise our carbon footprint in other ways like reusing the boxes that clients send their milk in. Use a 3ml pipette to transfer resin to your mould or bezel, add your glitters etc and leave it to cure. A pipette isn’t essential but it makes for more accurate pouring once you get the knack of them.

UV Resin
You can also use our UV resin by Qian Qian which is an unbranded UV gel from the Far East that has teal and mustard flowers on the front; don’t use the pink or moss green label ones, they have a strong smell and cure yellow! UV resin is a lot more expensive gram for gram, but there’s a lot less wastage. For us, time is the most valuable thing, so a resin that cures almost instantly is perfect. You need to work in thin layers, especially if you’re adding opaque colours (ones that don’t let light through). I only use UV resin at Tree of Opals but there is a knack to it. However, it has fewer bubbles. If you’d like to see a full blog comparing the two kinds of resin with pros and cons, please just let me know in the comments below.

You can cure UV resin jewellery in the sunshine but that’s not practical especially if (like me) you work at night while your children are asleep, or you live somewhere like the Faroe Islands where it’s dark most of the day in the winter. We recommend a UV gel lamp that’s usually used for gel nails so if you have one then perfect! The base often slides in and out so you can place your piece on the mirrored surface and slide it in.

My best advice is to start off pouring into cheap bases like bronze bezels and don’t be tempted to buy silver plated; it’ll just flake off. At least bronze is honest and a lot of people love the beauty of its history. You can put in different glitters then work up to locks of hair and fur, petals and flowers, make them for friends and family. There are squillions of videos all over YouTube to help get you going. I used to take a little craft glue (school glue/PVA/Elmer’s glue) and paint designs with a cocktail stick then shake glitters on to make a background.

Preparing The Milk

Most people keep breastmilk in little breastmilk storage bags but to preserve the milk you’ll need heat. To take up the minimum amount of room in the freezer we send clients a little pot for their milk. It’s a special type of plastic that can withstand super hot and super cold temperatures and I haven’t had one crack yet! In part two of the series we will show you how to use heat and two special ingredients found in organic skincare to keep the milk preserved for years as well as other methods that are successful and not. Please let me know in the comments below if you’ve tried to make breastmilk jewellery and how it went for you! And don’t forget to tick the box below to notify you of new posts by email.

Part two of the blog is here in Making Breastmilk Jewellery: Part 2 which explains some of the ways to preserve milk that do and don’t work. Part three of the blog is here in Making Breastmilk Jewellery: Part 3 with details about the Facebook group and how to complain if you don’t think my blogs are good enough. Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog for new articles and tutorials.

Preserving Breastmilk with Breastmilk Preservation Powder

If you’d prefer to use a guaranteed method, you can preserve breastmilk using Breastmilk Preservation Powder. The full blog is here and you’ll be able to start making a profit immediately, even if you decide to still work on your own method in the background

This blog contains affiliate links so we may make a little extra income at no extra cost to yourself. It’s a nice way of supporting my family and helping me keep the blogs up to date.

Posted on 26/09/2021 by Nikki Kamminga — Leave a comment

Filled Marquise Ashes Ring Tutorial with Bonus Dangle Charm

Filled Marquise Ashes Ring with Bonus Dangle Charm Cremation ashes Hannah marquise ring and little 8mm bezel cup, orchid purple resin sparkles. Solid silver hand finished marquise setting with split shank, plus tiny little dangle charm with lobster clasp.

Filled Marquise Ashes Ring with Bonus Dangle Charm – making breastmilk jewellery using a direct pour technique. This technique is ideal for our exclusive hybrid rings here which are great for direct pouring because the walls are curved over, meaning the resin can’t pop out again. You also have the option to use the mould included in the kit to make a couple of cabochons then choose your favourite to glue into the setting and top coat.

Filled Marquise Ashes Ring with Bonus Dangle Charm Video

Video————————–

After your first order you’ll receive a reasonable 15% off future purchases*. Firstly, when making cremation ashes jewellery send your client an ashes sending kit, see our Worldwide Sourcing Guides here – including the UK, USA, Australia and Canada (more countries coming soon) for details on the tubes we recommend, which are also suitable for heating directly although that’s not needed for this method.

Filled Marquise Ashes Ring with Bonus Dangle Charm

You’ll need the following supplies

one of our DIY ashes ring kits
the ashes/hair version of the kits contain:

a single silicone mould, although we’re not using it in this video
a ring setting – this is one of our exclusive Hannah solitaire rings
vinyl gloves
resin sparkle mix (you can use eyeshadow for a custom colour!)
a dust mask
label backing paper
some sandpaper
3 cocktail sticks
10g UV resin

You’ll also need your client’s cremation ashes for this Filled Marquise Ashes Ring Tutorial. We ask them to only send half a teaspoonful! That way, if it’s lost in the post they can send a little more.

LED UV lamp**
UV top coat (which today I used in place of resin)
a pestle and mortar
a tiny measuring spoon
and a ring clamp
bezel cup setting
jump ring
lobster clasp
pliers

SENDING ASHES
You can see that I’ve asked my client to only send half a teaspoonful of ashes here and you’ll quickly see why
It breaks my heart when I see artists receiving large bags full of cremation ashes because they so often go missing in the post and you need so little to create such a stunning effect
This ring is a replacement for my client because the first one I sent was lost by the courier
I’m not going to name and shame, and my client was so kind and understanding
So I offered to remake the ring and cover the shipping to her out of my own pocket
I’m so glad she hadn’t sent more ashes in the first place because, although ashes are irreplaceable, it’s better to lose half a teaspoonful than a cupful
If I’m working with a small pet or a baby’s ashes I’ll ask the family to send a large pinch of cremation ashes instead because we can always ask for them to send more if needed
Please make sure you wear a respirator when grinding ashes!

FILLING THE RING
Put a small drop of resin on a piece of label backing paper; you can use epoxy or UV but here I’m using a UV top coat because it’s super hard
Add a tiny bit of ashes and some resin sparkle mix, stir it thoroughly
Make sure you’re wearing PPE, although, I’m not wearing gloves because this is very fiddly and they get in the way but I do usually
Put your ring in the side of the ring clamp
Use a cocktail stick to transfer a very thin layer to the ring. If you’re working in UV resin it has to be this thin or it won’t cure because the light can’t penetrate the top layer.
If you’re working in epoxy resin you might want to do the first layer in colour then add the ashes to the second layer on top, otherwise the ashes could sink and you won’t see them

Cure the ring in the UV lamp for 60 seconds
Because the piece is so small, there’s no risk of it overheating so you don’t have to have a low heat setting

Do another layer and if you add too much resin, twist the side of the cocktail stick over it to lift the excess away and cure again,

The colour should come around two thirds of the way up the sides or just under the edge
The resin will seep up the sides a little and be concave or domed in
You don’t need to worry about the stone popping out with the Hannah ring because the sides curve over

FILLING A BEZEL CUP
I fill this shallow cup exactly the same as the ring, in very thin layers
You can create dozens of pieces for a family at the same time and switching from piece to piece allows them to cool down completely in between using this Filled Marquise Ashes Ring Tutorial

TOP COAT
Whilst the bezel cup is under the UV lamp, you can do a top coat on the ring
Be a bit careful here and take time to make sure it doesn’t bleed over the edge and has a slight dome
Cure it making totally sure it’s completely level
Whilst it’s curing do another coat of colour in the bezel cup
I like to make a swirl, starting from the edge and working in, immediately before putting it in the lamp to cure
If you’re working with epoxy then pour your resin and come back to swirl it once it’s thickened a bit to the texture of Marmite
When it’s cured and cooled, add a top coat

ADDING A LOBSTER CLASP
Use a jump ring opener to add the findings to your jewellery
In this case I’m adding a lobster clasp so my client can wear it on a large link bracelet or necklace, or remove it to wear on a chain
I’m so happy with how this order turned out and I want you all to try these techniques out
If you’re a keepsake and memorial jeweller, do you prefer using a mould or doing direct pours?
Let me know in the comments below

This video is dedicated to Michael who passed away in January at the age of 31 due to complications with Covid and an unknown heart condition.
I really hope that this ring and little dangle charm help his family keep a part of him close at all times

**Which UV Lamp To Use

I’m using a 48w Sun3 lamp with a low heat setting but any UV lamp or torch will do when making breastmilk jewellery. We sell a USB powered mini lamp here (UK only, sorry – here’s the USA version). We don’t recommend you use daylight unless it’s very bright and sunny and you work in extremely thin layers. We had a client contact us recently and we’re replacing their DIY ring after the resin exploded out of the centre after being cured on the windowsill. The sunlight had only cured the very top layer, underneath was still liquid.

If you add too much pigment to a piece too it won’t cure, I’ve had beads that you can crush in your fingertips made by new artists that added too much resin sparkle mix.

Adding Hair

If you want to add hair when following this Filled Marquise Ashes Ring Tutorial then you can cut a little and add it along with, or instead of, the ashes. I find it a lot easier to shape it into a mould though.
There’s a tutorial linked here teaching you how to do that and set it in a rubover setting
This is one of our exclusive hybrid settings meaning you can pour directly into it like I’m doing here or you can glue in a cabochon then dome it with a top coat to add extra security

Now relax and do some crafting!

Please note, this Filled Marquise Ashes Ring Tutorial with Bonus Dangle Charm contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a small income based on your purchases from Amazon and Etsy etc. This affiliate income is really helpful to me to support my family and if you’d like to know how I set it all up please get in touch (blogs coming soon!).
Nikki
pronouns – they/them

*terms apply – some products aren’t included such as settings and findings, sorry.

Posted on 07/09/202109/09/2021 by Nikki Kamminga — Leave a comment

Collecting Prints From Deceased People and Pets

Taking prints from deceased people and pets is an art in itself and will usually take gentle explaining to a client. You can be using an Inkless Wipe Kit to make an engraved piece with handprints, fingerprints etc, or you’re using Silicone Putty to take a 3D fingerprint or nose print etc.

Sometimes our clients are able to take the prints directly themselves if we send them a kit, some artists like to go to the client’s home or funeral home to do it for them. There may be a time issue so we often recommend clients order the kit from Amazon Prime to be delivered to a loved one’s home to bring to the funeral home, vet’s office

Please be sensitive if you’re working with babies who have passed and reassure parents that the inkless wipes or dental putty won’t hurt baby’s skin; we find bereaved parents don’t want to risk hurting the baby even after they pass. Midwives will often help bereaved parents to take the prints

First of all we recommend buying at least one of each of the two different kinds of kits above so that you have them on-hand when needed. Clients will sometimes contact you and need to act quickly before a burial or cremation. There are several ways to go about collecting prints and you may need to advise them on collecting hair or fur at the same time. More to follow, thank you for your patience!

You may be able to take the print yourself if you work in a clinical setting, something Rhea over at Silver Keepsake Co.

How to Do Handprint Engraving in 2D

How to Do Fingerprint Jewellery in 3D Metal Clay

Posted on 07/09/202109/09/2021 by Nikki Kamminga — 1 Comment

How to Do Fingerprint Jewellery in 3D Metal Clay

How to Do Fingerprint Jewellery in 3D Metal Clay – more details coming soon, please bear with us whilst we put together all the info you’ll ever need. You can definitely add cremation ashes, breastmilk, hair and umbilical cord to metal clay but there are a few caveats. Check back soon for more!

you can include an Inkless Wipe Kit and use this 2D image to create a stamp for stamping metal clay, turning it into a 3D piece

fingerprint black and white ready for engraving 2D laser engraving jewellery Photoshop editing — fingerprint black and white with Photoshop editing

Alternatively, you can use a silicone putty kit to create a mould of the fingerprint, thumbprint or noseprint etc then create a master/positive of the finger/thumb/nose to stamp into metal clay. This artist uses more silicone putty to make the positive but I like to use a hot glue gun or UV resin. Always keep the mould and the master in case the client needs to order more pieces from it in the future for any reason

*Taking prints from deceased people and pets

Working with Precious Metal Clay

Posted on 06/09/202109/09/2021 by Nikki Kamminga — 2 Comments

How to Do Handprint Engraving in 2D

How to Do Handprint Engraving for fingerprints, handprints, footprints, pawprints, noseprints, thumbprints etc you can include an Inkless Wipe Kit. We can laser engrave 2D images onto most of our pieces. Ask the clients to email you photos; if the photos are good quality then they can keep the originals. Some clients struggle with getting a clear photo in daylight which is suitable for engraving, so then you might ask them to post the original and then photograph it yourself. Include a label, with your client’s name and order number. Please remember to tell your client that the engraving might not be exactly to scale, ask them if they would prefer the entire print to be shown scaled down, or whether they would like a partial print that’s to scale (such as a fingerprint on the outside of a ring band, looking as if someone’s touched the ring). Although laser engraving is the easiest way to apply an image, there are more affordable options such as using an etching/routing machine or etching with ferric chloride and Press n Peel Paper but this needs to be done safely with training and full PPE.

hair ring footprint engraving and font in Silver South Script. Dark hair and orchid purple resin sparkle mix 2D laser engraved jewellery — hair ring footprint engraving and font in Silver South Script. Dark hair and orchid purple resin sparkle mix

*Taking prints from deceased people and pets

Working with Precious Metal Clay with 2D prints

Posted on 05/09/202106/09/2021 by Nikki Kamminga — Leave a comment

How To Make Sending Kits

How to make sending kits for your clients to post you their elements such as breastmilk, cremation ashes, locks of hair and fur, umbilical cord and placenta, flowers, petals and leaves, sand and earth, sentimental fabrics, prints such as fingers and feet (2D or 3D).

How To Make Sending Kits

First of all, you will need to make up a set of instructions for each element. You can save the hassle and download our PDF Instruction Templates here. If your client has a breastmilk and umbilical cord necklace, for example, you’ll need to send them instructions for both breastmilk and umbilical cord
We find using a large letter box is the least expensive way to ship here in the UK, but ask others in your country what they find the cheapest way to send.
Include a ring sizer like this if they ordered a ring
Use washi tape to make pots look beautiful and tell them apart
Include a sealable bag with their name, order number, order dates and details. They will put their tubes and pots in here

Breastmilk Kits
Include two 5ml Breastmilk Sending Tubes which we sell here, mark each tube with an Ultra Fine Sharpie, one line at 5ml and one just above. If they fill the tube to the brim, just include the extra milk when using our breastmilk preservation powder, it will just take slightly longer to thicken. Write your client’s name and order number on each of the two tubes and initials and order number on the lid. Include one bag for the milk tubes and one bag for other elements like hair or cord.

Cremation Ashes Kits
Include one 3ml Sending Pot (we sell them here too). We prefer plastic because they’re see-through, and a small 2ml spoon, and ask them to return the spoon. If they fill the pot to the brim, just transfer the extra ashes into a separate container so that it doesn’t spill when you’re working and make your crafting area messy. Write your client’s name and order number on the lid and the bottom of the pot with an Ultra Fine Sharpie. include a sealable bag with their name, order number, order dates and details.

Lock of Hair and Fur Kits
Include one 3ml Sending Pot and a small length of cotton thread to tie the hair or fur. Write your client’s name and order number on the lid and the bottom of the pot with an Ultra Fine Sharpie. Sending a kit prevents them from doing things like putting sticky tape on the hair, or folding it in foil (which causes kinks).

Horse Hair Kits
Include two of the labelled bags because the hair won’t bend into a pot – ask for around 5-10 strands but make sure they keep half back. You can work with half a single strand if that’s all they have by doubling it up a few times. Once the hair arrives, wash it in warm soapy water and dry thoroughly then wipe with an alcohol wipe to remove any leftover grease and dirt.

Umbilical Cord and Placenta Kits
Include one 3ml Sending Pot. Write your client’s name and order number on the lid and the bottom of the pot with an Ultra Fine Sharpie. Sending a kit prevents them from sending the entire cord and clip, which would be devastating if lost in the post. And orange pip size piece is more than enough for several pieces (although if doing more than one bead or large orb, you may need to add a colour as the ground cord might be a little sparse).

Petal and Leaf Kits
Include two labeled bags. Write your client’s name and order number on the lid and the bottom of the pot with an Ultra Fine Sharpie. Sending a kit prevents them from doing things like putting sticky tape on the hair, or folding it in foil (which causes kinks).

2D Fingerprint Kits for Engraving*
For fingerprints, handprints, footprints, pawprints, noseprints, thumbprints etc you can include an Inkless Wipe Kit*. We can laser engrave 2D images onto most of our pieces. Ask the clients to email you photos; if the photos are good quality then they can keep the originals. Some clients struggle with getting a clear photo in daylight which is suitable for engraving, so then you might ask them to post the original and then photograph it yourself. Include a bag labelled with your client’s name and order number, they can cut out one of the prints to send. For handwriting you can ask them to send a photo – we don’t allow them to post the original item (such as a birthday card) because it’s irreplaceable if it’s lost in the post. In that case, ask the client to get help photographing it.

3D Fingerprint Kits for Metal Clay*
For fingerprints, thumbprints, noseprints etc you can include a 3D Putty Kit. Include a bag labelled with your client’s name and order number, ask them to make two but only send one because it’s irreplaceable if it’s lost in the post. To use the mould they return, fill it with glue from a hot glue gun, epoxy resin or layers of UV resin and that becomes the master to imprint into clay. Buy Precious Metal Clay here and follow tutorials. See our blog here Fingerprint Engraving and Metal Clay

*Please see our blog here Fingerprint Engraving and Metal Clay on taking prints from the recently deceased and using Precious Metal Clay.

More coming soon (sorry, I have covid and I’m exhausted – doing my best!)

Posted on 31/08/202101/09/2021 by Nikki Kamminga — Leave a comment

How Having Covid Affected My Small Business

I’m writing this blog to explain how having covid affected my small business in August and September 2021. I’m starting this blog on Tuesday 31st August and I found out yesterday morning. Although super exhausted right now, it seems important to document this for future generations to understand how small business owners in the jewellery industry are affected by the corona virus.

Extremely Vulnerable Status

We conceived Lexi in December 2019 on holiday with Hakun’s family in the Faroe Islands. I had no idea how having covid affected my small business or how it would affect the world the way it has but I’m not convinced I’d have chosen to be pregnant in 2020 if I’d had any inkling. The pregnancy was straightforward but I missed a lot of the social aspects and milestones I’d had with my older two. I did pregnancy yoga on Zoom but it wasn’t the same; the kids would barge in and I wasn’t relaxed any more.

I isolated, only going out for hospital appointments. It wasn’t till after Lexi was a few months old, when I was no longer isolating I had a letter saying I was extremely vulnerable. I went back into lockdown and had my first jab within a week, not long after my mum. My husband, Haks, had his vaccination a couple of months later and we’re both fully jabbed now.

Getting Covid

I felt it was really unlikely either of us would pick up covid after having both vaccines. I went for a few days to help a friend after her baby was born and her partner went back to work. Once I got home I had a message from her telling me he’d tested positive for the virus (even though he was double jabbed) his first day back at work in a care home – I expected to get it then, but it came back negative. It wasn’t till my husband and I took the kids to London this weekend just gone that I suddenly felt ill on the train home. I did a test and when I got the second line I booked a proper home test.

How Having Covid Affected My Small Business

At the moment we’re really struggling as a family financially and emotionally. I don’t share this much but we’re currently homeless. We own a house, yes, but it’s got tenants in it which we wouldn’t evict even if we could. We literally can’t call it our home and we’re at the mercy of my mum till our house purchase completes. We’re used to having our freedom because Hakun works full time as a systems developer and making keepsake and breastmilk jewellery has always given me a fantastic income even part time. The silver lining of living with my mum is that she has Lexi for me every day. But with covid I can’t go in and my husband is too sick to work.

If I really think how having covid affected my small business, the worst part is letting my customers down. I’m pretty emotional typing this (my head hurts and I keep coughing, every time I cough I panic about my bladder!) and I’m sad that I can’t do much more than sit on the laptop. Without the energy to do a tutorial video all I can manage is a bit of SEO. Don’t forget, I still have to pay my shop bills even if I’m not there so there’s no retail therapy on the horizon.

My silver lining is Joanna, who’s shipping what she can from Norwich, on the other side of the country. You’re still welcome to order from here but you might find it faster to order from our Etsy shop here!

Posted on 20/08/202121/08/2021 by Nikki Kamminga — 2 Comments

Umbilical Cord and Breastmilk Ring Tutorial

Ayla umbilical cord breastmilk ring, pearly purple breastmilk resin sparkle mix. Making breastmilk jewellery

Umbilical cord and breastmilk ring tutorial – making breastmilk jewellery using a direct pour technique. This technique is ideal for our exclusive hybrid rings here which are great for direct pouring because the walls are curved over, meaning the resin can’t pop out again. You also have the option to use the mould included in the kit to make a couple of cabochons then choose your favourite to glue into the setting and top coat.

Umbilical Cord and Breastmilk Ring Tutorial Video

To learn how to preserve the milk here’s the full blog with instructions and the video:

We include these PDF downloadable instructions with the breastmilk kits for preserving the milk. After your first order you’ll receive a reasonable 15% off future purchases*. If you’d like to work towards your own preservation methods please read our breastmilk jewellery making blogs!

Firstly, when making breastmilk jewellery send your client a breastmilk sending kit, see our Worldwide Sourcing Guides here – including the UK, USA, Australia and Canada (more countries coming soon) for details on the tubes we recommend, which are also suitable for heating directly although that’s not needed for this method.