Paper Turtle

Handmade urns for people & pets by Laura Bruzzese. Like our handmade urns, every life is a work of art.

Whether custom or readymade, our urns are available in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and materials to reflect the unique qualities of family members, human and furry, who have passed before us.

02/02/2026

Sometimes the simplest design makes the most elegant urn. This one features single irises on two sides, based on photos from the family member’s own garden. 🌷

➡️Third slide is a progress pic from before the urn was fired, showing how much the colors change… making it almost miraculous when the painting comes out as intended.

01/20/2026

As we begin our 10th year, we’re deeply grateful to every family who has trusted us with creating memorial artworks for those they love.

You’ve taught us what truly matters—and it’s never been about having the fanciest website or being the biggest company.

It’s about handcrafted artwork created with intention. Genuine care in every detail. The ability to bring your vision to life, no matter how custom. And the trust built through hundreds of families who’ve chosen us to honor their loved ones.

We obsess over details you’ll probably never notice. We often catch ourselves perfecting something few are likely to notice and say, “This is crazy.” And it is, but we can’t help ourselves.

Because every urn we create isn’t just a product, it’s a reflection of a life that mattered. And that deserves everything we can give.

Thank you for 10 extraordinary years, here’s to many more. 💛
❤️

08/15/2025

🌊 Ten little turtle urns making their journey to Australia for a celebration of life. A beloved mom & grandmother who worked at a turtle hospital will be honored as each family member releases their own turtle back to sea, creating a rainbow of remembrance in her honor. 🌈
♻️

07/14/2025

Special urn for a special family member. Rest well, Kekoa ♥️

📸 ☺️

05/15/2025

🌺 Continuing with May flowers is a collection from our fairly vast portfolio of painted botanical urns. Zoom in to appreciate the details or step back to take in the complete composition✨

I draw flowers directly on the urns, then the super fabulous & I meticulously paint each petal, leaf and stem with underglazes. Each color requires 2-3 coats to withstand the firing process. 🔥
🖌️Underglaze is liquid, pigmented clay that does not contain silica so doesn’t ‘melt’ during firing.🖌️

Underglazes are chalky and pastel when applied, then transform into bright, glossy colors after clear-glazed & fired. Years of experience help me anticipate what the finished colors will look like, but as with all ceramics there’s always an element of surprise when opening the kiln. 😃

Unlike decal flowers (mostly limited to ivory backgrounds), our painted flowers thrive on backgrounds of any color. This flexibility allows for many flower styles ranging from realistic to stylized & graphic.

05/14/2025

🌸 May’s magnificent blooms have arrived!🌸
Nature’s artistry is in full display, and so is ours. We’re unveiling the magic behind our most beloved designs— the delicate flowers the grace our urns.

Join us on a creative journey as we reveal the craftsmanship behind our floral tributes. First up: our decal process. *clarification: the ceramic decal or image transfer process is NOT vinyl decals used for wall decoration *

⬅️ Swipe to witnesses transformation in motion, where passion meets precision in every petal we create.

🌺 Every flower in our collection (1 in 2016, now 28) was drawn by me. These original artworks are scanned, digitally arranged on sheets, then printed on specialized decal paper. ✂️ Decals are then cut out with precision and ready for application.

🌡️ Meanwhile, each handmade urn is fired twice — first to 1870 f (bisque), then to 2168 f when the matte ivory & color accent glazes that have been brushed on undergo chemical transformation.

Next, Your chosen flowers and text are individually applied to the glazed urn, dry for 24 hrs, and are fired a 3rd time to 1832 f. During the 3rd firing, the black decal outlines turn sepia & fuse into the glaze making each urn a permanent & lightfast tribute to your family member.

This intricate dance of art, science & heart isn’t fool-proof — like any craft, occasional mishaps are part of the journey. But our commitment to excellence means that every urn that leaves our studio is customer-approved and beautiful.

05/27/2024

Wishing a safe & peaceful Memorial Day to all those who have lost friends and family this year, or any year.

💙Thanks to Aaron for sharing these gorgeous pictures of his mom’s special urn for her Caribbean farewell. 🐢

03/26/2024

Although loss is never easy, grief can also include joy and creativity. We worked with this family to design urns for their child, then mother and grandmother, to reflect their respective lives with meaningful imagery. Thank you Kelsey for sharing their stories and this beautiful photo, and for choosing us to accompany you on this part of your grief journey. ♥️🙏♥️
❤️

02/12/2024

It’s a tiny loon Monday.

05/16/2023

Our Fresh Flowers urn for water burial is one of our best selling urns. Choose the flowers that best celebrate your family member's life for a lovely memorial centerpiece. Beautiful and easy to prepare 🌸

02/13/2023

🔥Good firing this weekend including a group of small painted urns (starting with Kiwi surrounded by her fave things). With no guarantee that our hours of careful work won’t be ruined by a kiln (or human) error, days like this always start with extra gratitude 🙏 . Thanks also to our customers who trust us with this important work ♥️♥️

01/19/2023

🙏Thank you and for choosing us once again to honor a beloved companion with a special urn, this time vibrant little Chimney. Although it’s sad to think of so many losses, we’re honored to be a part of your memorial collection.
Rest well next to your brothers, Chimney ♥️

Address

412 13th Street NW
Albuquerque, NM
87102

Telephone

(505) 259-5098

Website

http://www.paperturtle.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Paper Turtle posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Paper Turtle:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service in Albuquerque?