News, events and schools' information for families across Bath and West Wiltshire

For Bath mum Lizzie Stone, the importance of the treasured keepsakes that she creates for families is all about capturing your precious memories, to look back on and treasure for years to come.

Lizzie’s company, Cast & Cherish, specialises in 3D castings of babies’ hands and feet, allowing parents and carers to always look back on their wonderful days by giving their memories a physical item to cherish. 

“It’s easy to forget just how tiny they are during those first few weeks and I wanted to find a way of turning those early memories into keepsakes that you can hold on to,” explained Lizzie. “I came up with the idea after my youngest arrived and as he was our last, I was looking for as many ways as possible to capture those tiny baby days before they flew by in a sleep-deprived, milk feeding frenzy! I came across casting but nobody local to us at the time offered it, so I decided to train and practised on family and friends before biting the bullet and going self employed.

“Now it’s just wonderful to be able to work with families, not only marking those early baby years, but also important milestones such as the first day of school and finishing preschool, as well as adults’ casting too to mark occasions such as anniversaries and engagements.”

Lizzie explained that the alginate used to create the molds is made of kelp, making it enviro-friendly as the waste just goes in the food waste bin. This means that it has no nasty chemicals in it, confirms to all safety standards and is perfectly gentle on babies skin too. Once it’s mixed with cold water and applied, it takes about three or four minutes to set, with Lizzie using a selection of toys and lights, as well as a full catalogue of silly faces, to help amuse and relax babies.

“As a working mum, it’s so good to have a home studio which makes juggling looking after my family and being a boss easier. I can choose my own hours and still be around for the school run and those important school celebrations too. I love what I do and wouldn’t do anything else, there is nothing more rewarding than knowing I’ve helped a family capture and create more memories that will last them a lifetime.

“I’m also looking forward to expanding further with personalised silver print jewellery and resin work such as breast milk pendants, which have proved really popular.”

To see a full range of the products that Lizzie produces, simply click here.