Category: Uncategorized

Cremation commemorative tattoos are a growing trend – essentially the art of imprinting a loved one into your skin to carry them with you.  This very special act of dedication is practised at Flash Harry’s Tattoo Parlour, located in Medway, Kent.

Harry’s small but fabulous parlour creates an ambience of quirky-chic, it’s colours and vibrancy are the epitome of professional confidence with a streak of individualised flair! 

 A decade old, the business has a loyal following that has expanded year on year. Flash Harry attributed his success to a true passion for his work and a sense of deep satisfaction in bringing the joy of his art to life for others, a desire which was first ignited by watching other artists at their craft during many visits to conventions. 

The catchy name Flash Harry’s came from the flash sheets which were used for generic walk-in customers rather than using their own designs. All this has changed as the business has grown. Now clients can select from flash sheets or choose unique creations crafted personally by Harry and Lewis.  It was this personal touch that inspired the incorporation of loved one’s ashes into the tattoo art itself.

Since his first encounter with commemorative tattoos, Harry has completed many amazing designs, many of which have included the ashes of pets as well as loved ones.  A charismatic and caring character, Harry schedules his working days with great thought – how he is feeling emotionally is a key factor as customers are often brought to tears with the end result of his work.  It may be that he is working on a bereaved parent or a widowed spouse seeking comfort.

This fascinating process has been practised for thousands of years and is becoming increasingly on trend today.  Harry prides himself on providing detailed care to each of his clients. When creating commemorative tattoos, only a small amount of ashes are needed.  These are painstakingly ground down after which a small amount of alcohol is added to sterilise the pigmentation.  The solution is then suitable for use within the tattooed artwork.

A commemorative ashes tattoo is a longer process and this does impact on the price by approximately 20%. Whereas an average tattoo may cost £80, a commemorative tattoo will be £100. A portrait could take up to a day costing £450 for a day session.  Most clients choose names, favourite flowers or angelic symbols such as angel’s wings. 

The ashes tattoo has the same life expectancy and requires the same removal process as any traditional creation. It looks no different from any other tattoo and poses no added risk.  However, when a commemorative design is completed using the ashes of a cherished animal or person, the lasting emotional imprint is a dedication so personal, it speaks beyond words. 

Artist Faith Masters is one of Kent’s most promising new talents and a specialist of life portrait, working ashes in to art. 

Faith works to connect us with our loved ones who have passed by recreating them in beautiful portrait form with their ashes woven in to the very painting itself.

Whether you are commemorating a beloved pet, relative or friend, Faith’s poignant creations protect a loved one’s memory in a most unique and timeless way.

Client, Ruth Minhall and her son Orlando suffered the tragic loss of their Irish wolfhound, Scruff, when a shock illness cut his life unexpectedly short.  Ruth commissioned a painting of their beloved pet with her son, to create a lasting visual memory and tribute.

“The painting of our dog was beautiful!  What made it so special was to know that Scruff’s ashes were actually part of the picture. We felt comforted and more connected to him.”

The family know that when they look at the portrait of Scruff, they are truly looking at a part of him. 

Prices for Ashes to Art commissions range from between £110 and £520 depending on requirement. Each piece of art is designed to reflect the unique character and spirit of the individual subject in a personal and sensitive way.

For further information and pricing, or to discuss your requirements, contact Faith Masters:

Email: fsmasters@hotmail.com

One thing is definite in life, we are all going to die, so isn’t it shocking that nearly two thirds of adults in the UK don’t have a will.*

WHY? Well there are some simple reasons like, they haven’t prepared one because they feel uncomfortable about it, think it applies to old people or simpler explanations such as their previous will has become null and void after marrying or remarrying, they forget to update their wills once children are born or their will still include ex partners or people they wanted to exclude.

If you die without a will, intestate as it is known, you leave a huge problem for those left behind with your estate not being divided up the way you may have wanted. For instance, unmarried partners have no right to inherit anything, no matter how long or serious the relationship was. Only married or civil partners and some other close relatives can inherit under the rules of intestacy.

It is important to point out here that the intestacy laws differ in Scotland to those in the rest of the UK. So be sure to check it out.

So, making a will is not difficult, there is advice on how to do it yourself, but if you are unsure or have a complicated plan consult a solicitor. 

Why do you need one, well there are some pretty obvious reasons:

The most obvious is saving stress and arguments with the family once you have gone. It can become a long and difficult drawn out process sorting out an estate.

It ensures the right people get what you want to leave them. For instance, children or step-children under 18. You should choose who will look after them, which might mean appointing a legal guardian.

Appoint an executor to make sure the will is followed, and each person get what they are entitled to. 

Your Partner, the law doesn’t really recognise unmarried partners, so don’t expect anything to go to your partner if you don’t make a will.

Your pet’s welfare, what you want to happen to family pets.

Funeral planning, if you know what you want your funeral to be like, you can detail it so that your family doesn’t have to make the decisions.

Your property, ‘Joint tenant’ mortgages automatically pass to the other owner. If you’ve a ‘tenants in common’ mortgage, it’s important to say what happens to your share of the house. If you own a property overseas, inheritance laws may be different to the UK.

If you are a small businesses owner, a sole director, it’s possible that if you die without executors, nobody can authorise payments (including to staff), so your business could collapse.

Reduce inheritance tax, if you die intestate, as mentioned, there are strict laws about to whom and how your estate is distributed. There are two problems with this, first, the money may not go where you want, and secondly, it’s likely to be inefficient for inheritance tax purposes.

You pay 40% of any assets worth over £325,000 that you leave, so those with valuable houses or larger estates may face a large inheritance tax bill. Yet there are many legal ways you can plan ahead to reduce this.

Finally, what makes a valid will?

Well it should say how your estate should be shared out when you die.

Was made when you were able to make your own decisions and you weren’t put under pressure about who to leave things to.

Is signed and dated by you in the presence of two independent adult witnesses, and then signed by the two witnesses in your presence. Remember that the witnesses can’t be people who are going to inherit from the will. 

If you want to change your will, you can’t scribble or add in things to the original will once signed and witnessed.  Any obvious alterations on the face of the will are assumed to have been made at a later date and don’t form part of the original legally valid will.

The only way you can change a will is by making a codicil to the will which is an amendment to the will leaving the original intact or write a completely new will.

Check out our other blogs for information on other aspects of your will.

*ROYAL LONDON SURVEY DECEMBER 2018

The British public will no longer to able to pay their last respects when the EU bans the chemical, formaldehyde, the toxic chemical currently used in the embalming process.

Should Britain remain within the EU’s single market for the period of 21 months following its official exit, the government here would transpose the EU driven directive into UK law.  This will not apply to the Funeral Industry for five years, with the usual 2 year implementation and 3 year exemption period. 

Question: does the general public actually know anything of embalming? Is a toxic art which has been practiced within the UK since the 1800’s really necessary?  

Embalming originally started in Egypt during the period 6000 BC to 600 DC. The Egyptians believed in life after death and needed to preserve the body  for further use in the afterlife. Preserving deceased remains in a life-like state allowed the soul to exist for perpetual eternity. 

Evolving from the Ancient ones of Egypt, the intention of embalming, in its various forms, is to make the deceased suitable for loved ones to view, particularly after a post-mortem or tragic death.  Yet some say that seeing their loved ones after the invasive embalming process is distressing and just a little makeup would be more than sufficient. 

Storing our dead in refrigeration is a possibility but this too has had its fair share of problems. With frequent long delays, sometimes up to 3 weeks in burying our loved ones, embalming is used to help keep the body in a more viewable condition. That said, there is a divide in the Funeral Industry as to the necessity of embalming. 

Embalming is an invasive procedure which involves draining the body of its fluids and then injecting a highly toxic solution into the arteries. This process takes at least an hour and embalmers must wear protective clothing during the procedure. This being the case, do we really need this highly toxic product invading our soil along with our loved ones? If people really understood what was involved in what can only be described as a questionable practice, would they even choose this process? Some say it is a totally unnecessary falsification. After all, aren’t we creatures of nature and organic matter, not poison?  Furthermore, should loved ones left behind be burdened with an added cost to an already expansive burial budget? Isn’t this simply toxic cost? 

Formaldehyde has been linked to some very serious illnesses, heart disease and cancer among them. This toxic chemical is no friend to our planet and presents some very unfriendly environmental issues to boot. 

Not using formaldehyde could reduce work related sickness for 22,000 industry related employees, and help to improve the lives of more than 1,000,000 people in contact with this toxin.

We are set to see a change in UK law, where embalming currently remains a common funeral practice, far more than in Europe. This ban would lead to significant change in the British funeral culture. 

Other religions such as Islam and Judaism do not embrace this custom, choosing to simply burying their loved ones organically within a short period of time. 

So, is the chemistry of embalming at the end of its shelf life?

Our Funeral Industry is facing a cold, hard reality that is changing the face of death. With embalming no more, what is the solution? Meanwhile, in the UK we await the next step!

At the moment, it’s not possible to  have a funeral service for our loved ones in the traditional way. A limit of between five and ten members of the immediate family can attend and this in itself is far too distressing for many. We need to look at an alternative way of remembering our loved ones and celebrating their life. 

We could conduct a conference memorial service via Skype or WhatsApp, or we could celebrate their life while isolating at home the same way. Technology being what it is today means that it may be possible to view a funeral service online, remotely, instead of attending in person. As such, it could also be recorded to watch at a more convenient time. We have to do the best we can at this difficult time… If you should ever find yourself in a position where someone has died, either in your family, or a member of the public, from COVID-19, you should keep well away from the deceased. You should call the doctor, or 111, or an out of hours number. You should also call 999.