Commissioned by Many Pets Ltd: Commemorative Plate for My Cats.

In 2004, we got a cat called Paws Senior who went on to have four kittens. We ended up keeping them all and named them Paws Junior, Panda, Athena and Cutesy Wobbles. They were the best and spanned my life from when I was 11 until 30, when the last kitten (Athena) died this January aged almost 19.

A few months ago, Many Pets asked me to design a pin and I suggested making a tribute to them by way of a tiny commemorative plate, in the style of something you’d find in the attic of a demented grandmother or an antique shop on Mars. They agreed and here it is! I had a lot of fun looking at old photos and the history of commemorative plate designs.

Thanks for Many Pets for giving me free rein with this commission, and for helping to continue my study of my favourite subject: kitsch. Rest in Peace!

• 35mm wide
• Hard enamel with gold plating
• 9 colours with screen-printed text and photos
• Heart shaped pinback
• Mink logo embossed on back
• Special edition sad backing card
• Guaranteed good time