Cast In TIme

After losing the Mothercare contract in 2008, Rita had decided to focus more on the studio side of things, but as it turned out, she soon secured another contract with Kiddicare.

With Kiddicare, it was just being in the right place at the right time really. I wasn’t actually aware that they were expanding when I offered my services. So we now provide both the kits and an in-store service at Kiddicare outlets across the country which works really well. Customers bring their little ones to us and we do the full service, then five weeks later they come and collect their piece. And gradually that side of the business  has just started to grow again. Within the last sort of year it has really taken off and so what I’m focusing on now is setting up new stores

Lifecasting is certainly one of the more unusual livelihoods and in fact Rita, who was a trained nurse by trade, admits “it all kind of occurred by accident”. Quite literally in this case, as the whole concept began with Rita accidentally breaking a mannequin:

My mum had an antique shop where she would restore old furniture and things, and we had this old mannequin which I knocked over by mistake. The neck broke so I needed to repair it using a plaster bandage, but I gave it a really good rough, old, tatty effect and thought, bloody hell, this is a really good idea!

Rita continued to experiment with the idea and decided to create a cast of her back. The result was a beautiful bronze statue, which now sits pride of place in the waiting room, and Rita knew for sure that she had stumbled on to a winner. “You know when you get that gut instinct, and you just know it’s going to work. I’ve always been very intuitive and it was just like a light bulb moment”. Within the space of one sleepless night, Rita had come up with the concept of the business, the name – Cast In Time, and had designed the business logo.

The timing of this brainwave also coincided with a change in Rita’s personal circumstances. After separating from her husband, she was faced with the situation of needing to bring in an income whilst being there for her two small children. Like many female entrepreneurs, starting her own company was largely driven by the need to have a flexible lifestyle. As she says:

It isn’t about money, you’re doing it for a lifestyle. It’s a lifestyle choice. And it worked fantastically. My boys didn’t lose out, they always had mum taking them to school, mum picking them up and mum being there for all the special holidays, which was really good. And the way I look at it is, I’m really, really proud of the way they’ve turned out. They’re 23 and 18 now. One has successfully been to university and the other one’s soon to go, and they are good, kind, caring, artistic and have got an education. And the whole reason I wanted to do it was for them initially. But I have enjoyed it as well, that’s why I carry on doing it now!

Arguably, Rita is busier than ever as she is still working hard to get the business back on track following the loss of Mothercare and thinks it will still take a couple of years to achieve. One of the main hurdles Rita currently faces in expanding her business is getting financial support, a situation that will resonate with many small business owners.

If you’re commissioned to do ‘X’ amount of kits, you’ve got to pull in that stock. And if you’ve not got that cash flow ready, you have to get it from somewhere. And that’s where the problem lies. I’ve had to get loans from various different areas to get started, in fact the Princes Trust helped me out in the beginning. But it’s really difficult at the moment for anybody to get funding. You know everyone’s saying that we need to concentrate on the private sector and the government needs to support small-medium businesses, or young people starting out. But there is no support. There is no help. You’re basically on your own. It really is a brutal world for any small business today. I think extra support and help with funding is needed, particularly to help get young Britons on the ladder

Despite the difficulties, Rita is steadily growing and expanding the business all the time. In fact, Rita reveals there is something incredibly exciting in the pipeline, although it’s still top secret for the moment while she completes her research.

It’s going to be really, really special, it’s a whole new concept and will require different materials and new techniques. We are planning to introduce it soon, so watch this space!

What’s The Process?

Step 1: Making the cast.

A medically graded, non-toxic substance called an alginate (similar to what a dentist would use) is made up from one part powder, one part water. Once mixed together this will set almost instantly. You then place the hand or foot into the material and leave it for a few minutes. (Rita points out it’s fine for babies, or anyone, to have a little wiggle around). Next, carefully remove the hand or foot and you’ll be left with a cast. This then gets filled with another material, usually plaster (or wax for the solid metal sculptures). Once the plaster has set the outer-cast is cut away and discarded and the lifecast is left to dry for 3-4 weeks. If wax is being used to create a metal sculpture, this process needs to be repeated.

Step 2: Refining the cast.

Once the model is complete, there is an element of touching up required as not every piece will come out exactly right and each piece will require individual attention. Once the mould is perfected, it can be painted.

Step 3: Finishing Touches

Once the sculpture has been completed, there are a few final details. A frame needs to be ordered to fit the sculpture and match the colour scheme. The photo, if included, needs to be sent over to the studio and processed and finally a name card is created.

Time: For a stone sculpture it takes around 5 weeks. For the solid metals, the process can take up to 8 – 10 weeks.

Price: Prices start from £50 for a simple stone statue, rising to £300 for bronze or silver plated statues. For the framed creations, a small sculpture starts at £130. The DIY kits start from £20.50 for the Home Imprint Kit and range up to £92.00 for the Deluxe Home Casting Kit with silver or gold frame.