Hand Casting Memorial: Turning Plaster into Bronze

Last year, we teamed up with the South London Foundry to run an exclusive competition for The Edinburgh Casting Studio's customers. One lucky person would win the chance to have their plaster hand cast, made using one of our casting kits, created in bronze by master craftsmen. With a prize worth thousands, we were flooded with entries from customers who shared their photos and the touching reasons their casts were so precious. 

We whittled the entries down to a shortlist and invited our Facebook community to vote for a winner. One entry quickly attracted a lot of love because the story of the casting was heart-wrenching. 

A Cherished Memory of a Beautiful Mum

Laura Butt wrote, "Mum was diagnosed with incurable lung cancer in August last year. I gave the couple casting kit to mum and dad for Christmas. Mum was overwhelmed when she opened it, as we all knew the importance of this treasured memory. It took quite a few months before mum was well enough to do the casting, but we managed to get it done together, having a giggle along the way. We were so pleased with the casting.

“Mum passed away a month ago. We are all beyond devastated. This casting is so special to us and we are all anxious to protect it. This is why we would love to have it turned into bronze. It is so very special to us, a cherished memory of our beautiful mum.”

Here at the studio, we all thought Laura's deeply moving entry was the winner. Our Facebook community agreed, voting in droves. It was a joy to deliver the good news to Laura who said, "Mum would have been so excited to win!"

Turning a Plaster Hand Cast into Bronze

The bronze cast was two months in the making at the South London Foundry. The foundry also produces bronze casts for Wrightson & Platt, the world’s leading life casting specialist. Laura's bronze hand cast was being made by the same skilled craftspeople that create sculptures for Royalty and the super-rich around the globe. 

When we received the stunning finished cast, it took our breath away! We excitedly packed and shipped the beautiful bronze cast of Laura’s mum and dad’s hands and waited for Laura's response. It was a happy day in the studio when she wrote to us and said, "I am lost for words. The casting was delivered yesterday. We were all eager to have a look inside and, when we got into the box, we were all in awe of how absolutely beautiful the casting is. 

"We knew it was going to be something special, but wow! It is an absolutely stunning piece, made with such precision and care. It feels like I am touching mum's hand and I cannot thank you enough. This is something so special for us all as a family and I know how much mum would have loved it too."

We made a short video to announce Laura's win on Facebook. Here's her casting story...

Could You Win the Bronze?

This competition was so rewarding for us to run. It gave us all such a warm feeling knowing that we were helping bring a grief-stricken family some comfort. Since we have now forged (excuse the pun!) a relationship with The South London Foundry, we are considering running a competition like this once a year.

To keep track of all our competitions and giveaways, sign-up for our newsletter on our website and follow our Facebook page.

Bev Lungs for a Cure

Laura’s mum Bev took part in the Race for Life to fundraise for Cancer Research. Her page remains open and the family would be grateful of any further donations.