urns

Is Amazon Really A Good Place to Buy a Cremation Urn for Ashes?

July 11, 2023 urngarden.com

This will be a short post based on our experience, and if you want to go deeper on the position we take on these shopping platforms, you can read this article we wrote a couple years ago.

Is Amazon, WalMart, and Etsy really a good place to buy a cremation urn? We think not and here’s why:

Our view hasn’t changed and it’s not because we have a website that sells urns. In the past, we listed our beautiful urns for sale on Amazon and Etsy.

That all changed during Covid though. We closed our Amazon and Etsy store to focus on our primary site urngarden.com to deliver the level of service that our customers deserve during a stressful time. Supply chain issues and staffing problems were affecting retailers and we did not want the added complication of being at the mercy of a 3rd party platform.

We want to be the first point of contact if you have an issue with an urn that you purchased from us.

Lately, we are getting several calls from customers that make a purchase on Amazon or Etsy and discover that the item they assumed was in stock and expected to arrive in a couple of days is actually coming from India or China and will be several weeks getting here.

Unanswered emails and poor communication with the seller leaves the customer rattled and confused. You don’t need that anxiety. We put our contact information in plain sight if you have questions or comments.

In a customer service world of bots and automated emails, there is a definate LACK of customer service. Often, when customers call, they sometimes express surprise that a human answers the phone. That’s not to say that you won’t get a voice mail occasionally, if you do it’s because the line is busy, but we WILL call you back, or personally reply to your email and respond in a timely manner.

We appreciate your business, value your feedback, and wish you peace.

Beauty from the Ashes: Blue Urns

March 26, 2019 Kim Stacey

In the previous post I mentioned the American Gem Society states there are two birthstones for March: the widely-accepted aquamarine, and the less-well-known bloodstone. So, our task for today is to explore just a few of the many blue cremation urns in our collection.

Full-Size Urns for Humans

https://www.urngarden.com/infinity-angel-mother-of-pearl-urn-for-ashes.html

These urns range in color from intense blue to a delicate sky blue – and anywhere in between. Some are full-sized urns, some are keepsake urns, and others are stunning pieces of cremation jewelry. Here are the ones which especially draw my eye – and maybe yours, too.

I’ve got to say, it was hard for me to choose my #1 favorite in this category – there are so many gorgeous blue urns to choose from! Still, I narrowed it down to two.

The first is the cloisonné Azure Blue Cremation Urn – and the reason is simple: it features beautifully-wrought flowers in many of shades of blue. When I look at it I feel relaxed and soothed; I also love the shape, classical styling and the elegant base. In addition to the adult size, this also comes in an oversized version (double capacity) to store two sets of ashes, known as a companion urn.

My second favorite is, in my humble opinion, gorgeous in its simplicity. I believe it calms me in a far different way than the previous is the cremation urn called Wings of Freedom. The powerful eagle soaring across a beautiful blue sky is easy on the eye and creates a feeling of peace, hope, and serenity.

Why did I choose these two urns? It’s because their respective (and very different) beauty almost takes my breath away. As does this next blue cremation urn.

Blue Keepsake Urns

My #1 favorite in this category is the Blue Butterfly Keepsake Urn. Its intricacy calls to mind (at least for me), the stunningly gorgeous Imperial Eggs of Faberge. (Want to feast your eyes on some of those beauties? Check out “The Imperial Eggs” on the Faberge website.) Reviewers like it too; “awesome,” “beautiful” and “perfect” were three comments left by buyers.

Another sweet and small keepsake for ashes is the bluebird. So tiny and detailed, it will hold just a pinch of whatever you want to store inside.

Now, let’s look at another blue cremation urn, this time, from our cremation jewelry collection.

Blue Cremation Jewelry

The very-fashionable Blue Glass Bead Urn Bracelet is described this way: “Icy blue glass beads and antiqued silver spacers: and while they are eye-catching, it’s the tiny stainless steel heart that holds the magic – and a small amount of a loved one’s ashes. (If you like it as much as I do, but blue isn’t your first choice of color, you’ll be happy to know it’s also available in Emerald Green, Purple, Sweet Pink, and the truly eye-catching Black and White.

If I’ve whet your appetite and you’re now eager to see more of our popular blue urns, we’ve created a special link for the complete collection of blue urns, also, back in 2017 we published “Forever Blue: Our Top 5 Blue Urns for Ashes.” Be sure to check out that post for more blue cremation urns (not featured in this post. You may also enjoy reading the 2014 post “Urns for Ashes: Baby’s Got Blue Eyes.”)

One more thing before I go. If you’d rather pay tribute to a loved one born in March, but aren’t a fan of any shade of blue – perhaps referencing the bloodstone is more appropriate. And this hardwood urn has the potential to become a more inclusive memorial, in that the Companion Double Wood Urn, designed as a companion urn capable of safekeeping the ashes of 2 adults; provides a second compartment could be used to hold mementos or photographs.

Thank you for joining me today – and here’s hoping spring comes to stay for a while. (In my world, it’s as if she knocks on the door and then runs away!)

Need help? Start here.

The Eagle Usually Wins-Even at the Funeral

February 20, 2019 urngarden.com

Its eagle season here in the Ozarks, lots of sightings and photos showing up on social media photography groups . The eagle has always captured the interest of Americans, or really, humans in general. Since the beginning of time. Strong, regal, stoic, and frankly a little scary sometimes.

Indian chiefs wore the eagle feather in their ceremonial headdress and decorated the sacred pipes that were used to communicate with the Great Spirit during rituals.

This bird is featured on our coin, advertising, and even in funeral arrangements.

Yes, the eagle shows up at the funeral home too. You can get caskets with an eagle theme, as well as urns.

Eagle Cremation Urns, Wings of Freedom

Eagle Creamation Urn for Ashes — Eagle Spirit in the Sky Box for Ashes

But the item I see the most at funerals around here is the memorial card, or funeral program. Several services that I’ve been to over the years for men that have passed away, has been this eagle template. It’s a popular choice for veterans.

The image is called On Freedom’s Wing, by wildlife artist, Rick Kelley and features the eagle gliding in front of majestic mountain painted to look like the American flag. I would link to his website gallery, but it looks like it’s been hacked.

The nice thing about this program (licenced through the Messenger company, and available at most funeral homes) is that, in addition to the beautiful artwork, you’ve got three pages that can be personalized with a photo, poem, bio, and service information.

The last funeral we attended, it was actually a memorial service, was at the local Elks Lodge to honor a “missing member”. In addition to the stunning flower arrangements, they used the Eagle funeral program and on the last page it featured the Eleven O’Clock Toast that is an Elks tradition.

“You have heard the tolling of eleven strokes.
This is to remind us that with Elks
the hour of eleven has a tender significance.
Wherever an Elk may roam,
Whatever his lot in life may be,
when this hour falls upon the dial of night
the great heart of Elkdom swells and throbs.
It is the golden hour of recollection,
the homecoming of those who wander,
the mystic roll call of those who will come no more.
Living or dead, an Elk is never forgotten, never forsaken.
Morning and noon may pass him by,
the light of day sink heedlessly in the West,
but ere the shadows of midnight shall fall,
the chimes of memory will be pealing forth
the friendly message —
“TO OUR ABSENT MEMBERS”

Beauty and Bravery. Courage and Grace. The Eagle might be the perfect symbol for a someone in a leadership role.

Sky King Eagle Cremation Urn for Human Adult

Here’s 3 characteristics of the regal eagle that might resemble your loved one:

Eagles Have Powerful Vision

Evidently eagles have tremendous eyesight capabilities. From the air, or on the ground, they can spot and target prey.

Eagles Are Fearless

Flying high and sometimes soaring directly into the storm, the fearless eagle will use the power of the storm front to rise to greater heights and do battle with the fiercest of competitors on the ground. Check out the dual between the eagle and the fox in this previous post.

Eagles Take Care of Family

Nurturing the young, and teaching the babies to fly. Guiding the youth and showing them the survival skills needed to stay alive.

At Urn Garden, we’re bird watchers too and have a whole collection of bird themed urns. Several featuring the eagle of course, but also hummingbirds, cardinals, bluebirds, and owls. We love them all and so do the families we serve.

If the eagle is the spirit animal of your dearly departed, fine. You’ll have an easier time staying on point while planning the memorial service. If you’d like to explore this concept further, we have a whole collection of cremation urns that honor spirit totems. This post, written earlier this year goes deeper and gives a better overview of the spirit animal totem.

source of 3 eagle characteristics:

https://toughnickel.com/business/7-Leadership-Characteristics-of-An-Eagle-That-Man-Should-Learn-From

Beauty from the Ashes: Birds of a Feather Cremation Urns

April 6, 2018 Kim Stacey

bluebird inspirational motivational quote

At this time of year, here in the San Lorenzo Valley of coastal California, bird song fills the air. Wherever you live, you’re most likely experiencing the same thing. This post, featuring a few of our bird urns for ashes, is written in celebration of this joyful annual occurrence.

“When the Sun of compassion arises darkness evaporates and the singing birds come from nowhere.” ~Amit Ray

Hummingbird Cremation Urns

A small beauty, delightfully called ‘Anna’s Hummingbird’, is one of many birds now enlivening the Redwood forest surrounding the town where I live. I hear them twittering in the blooming Camellia tree in my front yard, but rarely catch a glimpse of them there. It’s only when they perch on the feeder on my front porch, sipping ‘nectar’, that I can study them closely. Who doesn’t find hummingbirds enchanting? The same question could be said of our hummingbird cremation urns.

blue hummingbird cremation urn for humans

One of my very favorite hummingbird urns, one which truly captures their jewel-like beauty, is the stunningly beautiful Hummingbird Keepsake Urn. Its detail and coloring is superb. You’ll see two similarly lovely avian keepsake urns below.There are more tiny treasures, such as our hummingbird cremation necklace.

This first is the Silver Hummingbird Urn Jewelry. It’s diminutive, measuring just 1- 1/8″ in length x 5/8″ in width. The talented jewelers who created this hummingbird cremation pendant are American craftsman who design memorials with care and compassion.

hummingbird cloisonne cremation urn for human ashes

But what if you’re looking for a full-size hummingbird cremation urn? You’ll be delighted with the newest addition to our collection of hummingbird urns, the Happy White Hummingbird Urn for Ashes. Its traditional classic shape is graced by a vibrantly colored hummingbird in mid-sip. The image speaks of the bounty, and the beauty, of the natural world. Here are other beautiful bird urns in our collection.

More Urns with Birds: Bluebirds, Owls, Cardinals & Eagles

Remember the Hummingbird keepsake urn mentioned earlier? Here are two equally beautiful ones to enjoy. The first is the Cardinal Jeweled Keepsake. It’s as vibrant as this next one, the Bluebird Jeweled Mini Urn.

I think each is a tiny delight to behold.

If tiny treasures are not what you need and full size storage is, the cardinal adult size urn may be a good choice. The scarlet red cardinal perched on a branch of blooming dogwoods is so symbolic for many and is suitable for male or female, father, mother, brother or sister.

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” ~Robert Lynd

If you want something a little more masculine and with strong symbolism, the Soaring Free Eagle or Sunset Eagle urn might be a good choice.

This month we’ll once again look at planning and planting a memorial garden in honor of a loved one; it’s part three of a series. If you missed the first two posts, take a minute to check them out now: DIY Memorials: Let’s Talk about Memorial Gardens and the most recent DIY Memorials: Planning a Loved One’s Memorial Garden. Since we’re in mid-celebration of spring–and the return of hummingbirds (and other birds of a feather)–I’m going to plan for a hummingbird sanctuary garden. It should be fun, so stay tuned.

The End of Summer Series: Nature Urns

September 18, 2017 Kim Stacey

Nature's Beauty Cremation Urns for Ashes

If your loved one enjoyed being in the outdoors, you may want to celebrate his or her life with one of our nature urns. Our collection of urns for ashes includes some stunning examples of nature urns featuring trees, flowers, birds, and deer –even turtles.

For many people, the bounty of the natural world is one of our biggest joys. Trees, plants, animals; mountains, sky, sun and moon; nature lovers are everywhere. In celebration of nature’s beauty, our last post in the End of Summer Series puts our attention on nature urns.

“There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more. Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished” ~ Lord Byron (Source)

Bird Urns

happy hummingbird cremation urn for ashes

Our collection of nature urns wouldn’t be complete without a few bird urns. Here are two of our most popular hummingbird urns. Classic in styling with delicate images of hummingbirds, these two urns for ashes are the epitome of elegance.

Eagle Urns

Eagles are a very popular motif – and we’ve got a wide selection of eagle urns to choose from.

Cardinal Cremation Urns

Ranking high among our bird urns are our cardinal urns.

Learn about the symbolism of the cardinal in “Cardinal Cremation Urn, Symbol of Strength and Faith”. If you love cardinals, you might enjoy reading it too.

Deer Urns

Lots of nature lovers find deer enchanting. For them, a deer urn could hold special significance. Our collection of nature urns includes several deer urns, ranging from wood box styles to bronze art sculptures.

Our second deer urn is the Bronze Deer Cremation Urn, which will be showcased in the October series on our collection of bronze cremation urns. But you can get a sneak peek: read our blog post, “Bronze Deer Urn for the Hunter”.

Fish Urns

And let’s not forget fish. One of our most popular nature urns is this Bass Fishing Mini Urn for Ashes. It’s just one of many in our collection of fish urns which was the focus of three recent blog posts:

“Urns for Sale: The Right Bass Urn Captures the Angler’s Joy

“A Unique Bass Urn: Perfect for Your Favorite Fishing Fan” and

“Cremation Urns on Sale: Our Two Most Popular Bass Urns

Elephant Cremation Urns

Now for the more exotic among our nature urns…our Elephant Urn. Many folks (including me!) love this elephant keepsake.

Like the miniature deer urn, the Small Elephant Urn measures just 3 inches high and 4 inches long.

There is even a full size adult urn that comes in a couple of different colors, we engrave the elephant and will add your loved ones names, dates, or a brief sentiment.

Fish, birds, flowers, lions, elephants, deer, and trees…just a few of nature’s gifts to us. The tree of life is an ancient representation of the life cycle and has so much symbolism. We have several Tree of Life styles in our collection ranging from hand carved wood by American artists to smaller jewelry choices that will store a tiny bit of ashes.

green tree of life urn for ashes adult size

If your loved one enjoyed being in the outdoors, you may want to celebrate his or her life with one of our nature urns. As you’ve seen, our collection of urns for ashes includes some stunning examples of nature’s bounty.