Christy's Casket

A moving story. Thank you for sharing it.

-- John

Beautiful painting. I am fascinated with casket building. This must have been hard to build.

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

Wow! I’m not sure which I like better – the casket or the story! Simply beautiful – and inspiring. Thank you.

David

Thanks for sharing your fine work.
I am rooting for your success in commercial woodworking. It takes guts to hang it all out there, as you have; and with the painting and construction skills you exhibit, I hope the world beats a path to your door.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

the door was open and everything was being put in place for you to do this. Fascinating!!

Beautiful tribute. Beautiful.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Beautiful work and a moving story. If you want to make this a business, I would contact the local Hospice chapter. My Grandfather spent a long time in their care and they were so helpful to both him and rest of the family. A lot of people entering the program have the time to tell you what they are looking for in a casket and may have the opportunity to see the end product before they go. I know this was a comfort for my Grandfather. You are blessed to have the skill you do, don’t waste them behind the wheel of a truck.

-- Greg - Charles Town, WV

Awsome and beautiful art and craftsmanship. Beautiful story about a great friend.

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

Wonderful work Phil. I’m glad you joined up here at lumberjocks. I am confident that you will find helpful information, comraderie, encouragement, and marketing assistance with heading the directions you want to go. Painting at the level you are able to do and combining it with excellent woodworking is a real unique thing, and the more people see this combined ability, the more you will be asked to perform it.

love your work, glad you are here.
Mark

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com

Great Movie, Great Story and Beautiful Casket.

Funny thing… God can use just about anything to get us to do what it is he wants us to do. to hone our skills and as the Psalmist said… “Delight thyself also in the Lord and HE will give you the desires of your heart”. Psalm 37:4

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

Thanks everyone for the wonderful and warm encouragement about Christy’s casket. I was in tears reading them to my wife. Thanks again. I’ll post a picture of my friend Christy with another project.

-- Phil Brown, Ontario

You have used the gifts God has given you very well. Thank you for sharing.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

A very touching story, & a beautiful work of art.
And Welcome to Lumberjocks.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

welcome to Lumberjocks and thanks for the inspiring story. God Bless. jockmike

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

An extraordinary tribute. It must have been difficult to work on

Follow your heart.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

Phil – very moving and motivated story. Wonderful work. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful project.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Beautiful… just beautiful.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

You have confirmed what I have always believed. Things happen at the time they do for reasons we don’t know. You were called to build the casket at just the right time and you got just the right amount of fabric at just the right time in just the right color. And the job came to YOU.
Do you really think this happened just by chance?

Good job.

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.

I ditto what David and Debbie said. All the piece fell into place like you were suppose to do this. The painting job is wonderful, what a great painter you are. The casket inside is beautiful as well.

Diane

-- http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/DMarcella/

Welcome aboard, Mate!

Great to see another fellow Canuck join our ranks – and a brother at that.

”In all you ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Prov.3:6

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hilsbiblechurch.org/

That’s something I have never seen done like that. How beautiful! Thanks for sharing the story too.

-- Cathy Krumrei

Your work is amazing! The painting and the interior are lovely. Quite the labor of love.

My father decided to build his own casket after my mother passed away. My family didn’t know how to view it, but thought it was just a way for him to cope with his loss. One day I went to see him and he confessed that he decided to lay in it to see if he fit and found that he couldn’t get out! We laughed about his close call and I made him promise not to try it again without one of us around to get him out. It sits in the living room and is quite a attention getter.

-- Jesus is Lord!

I am so encouraged by everyone’s heartfelt expression about this project. It amazes me how building this casket has affected so many people in my little town 3000 miles away from its destination, and now thanks to this website, folks worldwide can share this story. If you had told me when I was in highschool that this is where my path would lead…

-- Phil Brown, Ontario

That is a great piece and a beautiful story. God has greatly gifted you with inspiration and skill.

Sawdust

great story,thanks for telling it

-- Phil, Chattanooga,TN

Phil,
I enjoyed the story, it brought tears to my eyes because I know it must have been very hard at times to continue building the casket. Those times when you’d stop working to think about Christy and the life she has led and continues to lead. It’s wonderful that you are able to do this for her and her husband. God has blessed you with a talent, keep with it. I find it comforting to think that for at least 10 to 15 years of His life, Jesus was a carpenter too. He knows what it’s like to work the wood.
thanks for posting this!

-- "Who but a fool would discard seeminly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent engineering" -- Aldo Leopold

I hope you will be able to really turn this into something that works for you… Fantastic workmanship… the painting is awesome… Have you approached funeral homes in the area with marketing… now that you have something to show… I am sure your friends will be thrilled and touched by the care you put into this… I would be honored to be buried in something this nice… Though it would have to be a loved one who wanted it done cause once I go plastic sacks are good enough for me.

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

WOW really nice! I’m thinking of building my own casket some time. Please post pictures of the Harley one I have a 1948 Panhead.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

this is an amazing project

-- wood is good