Emily Ulceus, formerly employed at a nature center examining deceased creatures, found herself confronted with a dilemma: her freezer brimming with dead animals.
While her previous role involved preserving specimens, she observed that most ended up stored rather than displayed.
Motivated to utilize the preserved creatures and prevent waste, Emily embarked on a unique endeavor. She repurposed the animals by encasing them in glass jars and perfume bottles and fashioning their bones into jewelry for sale on Etsy.
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Reflecting on the accumulation of specimens, Emily shared, “Eventually the freezer would get so full it would be completely filled.” Emily, currently residing in Long Island, New York, and employed as a specimen artist, shared her story with What’s The Jam.
“I either had to find some way to use them or they would be thrown away. But I couldn’t let them go to waste.
It’s a way for me to pay tribute to the animal the way it was in life. Now instead of rotting away, they will stay beautiful and cherished forever. I love doing it!”
Emily has since launched an Etsy store to exhibit her creations, offering a variety of items ranging from animal ‘globes’ to eel lightbulbs and even a repurposed Disaronno liqueur bottle containing a deceased carpet python.
Prices can vary from £25 ($30) to £400 ($500), depending on the chosen item. Emily’s products have garnered popularity, with nearly 1,000 sales accompanied by five-star reviews.
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Emily’s fiancé, Marc, and their children, Aiden and Alaina, also appreciate her work. She stated, “Marc has been very supportive and patient with me. There are always a lot of supplies around the house, so he’s been a good sport. The kids have grown up with it so it’s totally normal to them!”
Specializing in ethically sourced, formalin-fixed wet specimen preservation, Emily can taxidermy most animals. She emphasized, “None of my specimens were harmed for the artwork. All of them go through museum-quality chemical preservation so they will last a lifetime.”
“About half of my work revolves around pet preservation services. I love animals, and this is just one way that I can honor them.”
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Additionally, Emily has launched an Instagram account for her creations. In her recent viral video, a snake is observed curled up and tightly packed in a glass globe, with its head positioned at the top of its body.
The post has garnered over 49,000 likes and thousands of comments. One individual humorously remarked, “Imagine dropping a glass ball and a snake comes out; I’d instantly die.”
Teodora queried, “Why is there a snake in my crystal ball?”
Axel expressed confusion, asking, “What even is happening here?”
Henry pondered, “Are those pickled snakes?!”
Someone else commented: “This as a door knob would be sick.”
Rick added: “This would be a rlly cool doorknob.”
Marc wrote: “This is dope.”
