Quarry Hill Resident Crafts Positive Frames of Mind

Mon, 06/20/2016 - 12:15pm

Nancy Akers proves you’re never too old to dive into a new creative pursuit—or lift the spirits of others. The 83-year-old Quarry Hill resident spends hours each week embellishing mirror frames, picture frames, wire wastepaper baskets, and the like with patterned tape, buttons, stickers, and other gizmos, and personalizing them to reflect recipients’ experiences or interests.

 

“It’s my way of helping people celebrate what’s good in their lives,” said Akers, who came up with the idea several months ago as a going-away gift for a neighbor. She turned a small, wire trash can into a “memory basket” where her friend could store souvenirs and mementoes and attached plastic sleeves to the outside of the can to hold his favorite photos.

 

Akers said she likes to meet with the people who will receive her creations before she starts work, so she can weave personally meaningful elements into the design. A mirror she decorated for a volleyball-loving teen, for example, had images of volleyballs bouncing around the frame.

 

 “The work keeps my hands and mind busy,” explained the retired real-estate agency owner, “but the best part is the way people smile when they see the people, activities, and memories they love brought to life.”

 

“As people grow older, they sometimes fixate on what they’ve lost,” she said. “You have to work on maintaining a positive attitude. And that’s where I’m hoping I can help.”