Business Details
13 Years
experience
Personalised Memorial Keepsakes in Essex
Cast A Memory was founded by Sharon Dixey in 2013 following the birth of her twins. With over 12 years of experience in creating baby clay impressions and 17 years in life casting, we specialise in preserving precious moments through custom keepsakes. Our services include hand and foot life casting for families, bespoke silver jewellery, and specialist deep-frame memorabilia displays for items like war medals, baby shoes, and pet paw prints.We pioneered bereavement casting services in Essex in 2022 and now collaborate with funeral homes to provide compassionate memorial keepsakes. All our frames are handmade to order using solid oak, and our silver jewellery is crafted from 99.9% pure silver. Our team combines artistic skill with technical expertise in casting materials and preservation techniques, serving clients across Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk.
Services
Baby Clay Impressions
Family Hand Casting
Personalised Silver Jewellery
Pet Keepsakes
Specialist Framing
Details
- Year established: 2013
Highlights and features
- Over 12 years creating baby clay impressions and 17 years in life casting expertise
- Pioneered bereavement casting services in Essex in 2022
- All frames handmade using solid oak with bespoke colour options
- Crafts 99.9% pure silver jewellery with lifetime durability
- Professional home/vet visits available for bereavement animal prints
What people say
Beautiful keepsakes
Compassionate service
Perfect memorial
Professional and patient
Excellent craftsmanship
Services
Baby Clay Impressions
Our detailed clay impressions preserve baby's tiny hands and feet for generations. Using safe, soft clay, we create permanent 2D tiles framed in oak, white, or black wood. Custom arrangements display multiple children's prints together. The best time for impressions is between birth and 9 months when baby's hands are still small.
Family Hand Casting
Three-dimensional life casting captures family hands in perfect detail. Ideal for milestones like weddings or anniversaries, these casts preserve skin textures and fingerprints. Available for single hands or group displays. Horizontal casting requires brief stillness, recommended for children over 6 years old.
Personalised Silver Jewellery
Transform precious memories into heirloom silver jewellery. Using children's drawings or pet paw prints, we create charms, cufflinks, and keyrings from 99.9% pure silver. Choose from hand/finger prints or ink impressions. Each piece comes with a presentation box and optional chain.
Specialist Framing
Deep box framing preserves sentimental items in bespoke oak displays. We frame baby shoes, war medals, wedding tiaras, and sports achievements with dual mount boards. Personalisation includes photographs, engravings, and memorabilia integration. Frames include protective glass and custom colour lining.
Pet Keepsakes
Capture your pet's paw prints in clay or silver for lasting memorials. We offer home visits for unwell or recently departed animals with a 25-mile call-out fee. Clay prints frame beautifully while silver charms keep your pet close. Customers can use DIY ink kits or studio sessions for print creation.
People
Sharon Dixey
Owner & Founder
With over 12 years creating bespoke keepsakes, Sharon established Cast A Memory after becoming a mother. She personally oversees every casting process and expanded services to include bereavement casting. Her expertise spans clay impressions, silver jewellery design, and specialist framing techniques.
Questions
What materials do you use for baby hand casting?
We use a soft, skin-safe alginate mixture that captures every detail from fingernails to skin pores, creating a permanent 3D cast.
Can I add names to framed baby shoes?
Yes, all frames include engraved wooden letters with names and dates at no extra charge.
How soon after a pet's passing can prints be taken?
We recommend contacting us within 24-48 hours for optimal results, though we can work with recent departures beyond this timeframe.
What silver purity do you use?
All jewellery is crafted from 99.9% pure silver, the highest standard for lasting quality.
Can you frame items not listed on your website?
Yes, we've framed unusual items from horsehair to bearded dragon prints. Contact us to discuss special requests.
How long does silver jewellery take to make?
Custom silver pieces require 4-6 weeks production time after receiving impressions or drawings.
Videos
Reviews (5)
Oliver Jenkins
Jan 28, 2022
Report
Brilliant paw prints of the two dogs !! With lovely frame absolutely love it would highly recommend.. such lovely ideas ! Also lovely hand and foot cast done of my one week old baby to match my other childrens .. absolutely beautiful x
Prathyusha Govindu
Nov 26, 2021
Report
Thank you Sharon for the beautiful piece of work. The cast and pendant both look wonderful! Perfect for the keepsakes!!
Kirsty Radley
Nov 07, 2021
Report
We love the beautiful casts and jewellery that Sharon has made for us over the past few years. Really professional, great quality and absolutely treasured pieces to us.
Shelley Brit
Oct 27, 2021
Report
Sharon is a lovely lady who is extremely professional. This is my second hand and foot cast from her and they are both exactly what i wanted. I had already had one made by a different company for my other son and sharon repainted it and framed it again so all the childrens matched. She couldnt have been more helpful. Would highly recommend her and her beautiful items.
Jennifer Smith
Sep 17, 2021
Report
I brought my son here for a casting of his hand and foot and to repaint and reframe a casting I had done by another company a few years ago and her work is absolutely spectacular. The time, care and effort that went into every stage. From choosing frames, colours and writing to compliment one another everything was just perfect. I can't recommend this lady enough. Amazing work.
