Ashes to glass: a Yukon studio's colourful way with cremated remains

A Whitehorse glass-blowing studio is finding a lively business in ... death.

Lumel Studios, which opened a year ago, has been working the cremated remains of people's loved ones and pets into unique glass figurines.

• Yukon's first glass blowing studio welcomes prospective students

"The ashes can just sit in a box someplace. This, I'll have out, I'll see it all the time," said Marilyn Stebner, who recently brought in her aunt's ashes to be worked into a bird figurine.

"I read on their website they use ashes, so I thought what a wonderful way to keep ashes. And she loved birds," Stebner said.

"She'll be hanging, and flying, and free."

The ashes are actually encased in the melted glass. Tyson Isted, who works at the studio, said that's important "or else it doesn't really stick very well.

"We've got lots of people interested in what we can do with ashes," he said. "If it can be drawn, we can pretty much make it out of glass."

A pet's likeness, in glass

Paperweights are a common choice, Istedsaid. Blown glass objects sometimes turn out "a little funny" because off-gases from the ashes can create bubbles in the glass.

Animal figurines are also popular, especially for the ashes of a beloved pet.

"We'll actually even try to match what the dog looks like, as a glass figure with the ashes on the inside. Endless possibilities," he said.

Stebner couldn't be happier with Isted's work.

"Just amazing," she said.

The bird is just one pieceStebner also asked for a glass finger to be made from her aunt'sashes.

"She had a crooked finger, so we did a crooked finger... She said when she died, I could have the ashes from the crooked finger. So what better place to put theminto a finger.

"That'll just be for me."