About

Before I created Keepsakes by Nana, I was a banker and then found my calling as an office manager.  I loved my work, but decided to retire earlier to spend more time with my husband due to his health issues.  Having a restless mind, I decided I wanted to try a small home business.  This home business has evolved from photo slideshows to sewing custom wedding accessories.

Then one day in May 2020…

breast cancer happened.  Now this is my second time with the big “C”.  Fifteen years ago, I had endometrial uterine cancer.  Breast cancer, however is WAY more serious and caused me to think about my mortality and rethink my home business. 

I have lost many close family members and friends to cancer.   Add a once in a 100-year pandemic on top of my own cancer.  Wow. 

At the end of chemo and then radiation, I machine embroidered ornaments for all the members of my Cancer Center.  Some were medical based and some just funny.  The response from the nurses and techs was incredible.  It brought a ray of sunshine during the dark pandemic/cancer world.  

Hence Keepsakes by Nana has now evolved to memorial sewing and embroidery.  My products could offer hope and comfort.  My Dad passed from cancer over 40 years ago and I’ve noticed recently, that while I think of him daily, his memory & name are fading with time.  My various angel wing collections will help keep those special souls-people & furry-alive.

I was concerned…

that people might see my memorial items as negative especially during a pandemic.

But then I realized how sometimes it only takes a little ornament or a pillow made out of a loved one’s favorite shirt can bring comfort during grieving.

I set out to create the most authentic angel wings, crosses and memorial pillows for as many grieving situations as possible. 

It turns out…

the road was more difficult than I imagined.

My cancer journey has left me with uncertain energy and brain fog.  So, developing my collections is taking me much longer than I first anticipated.

Living with breast cancer means constantly pivoting to match my work to that day’s physical limits.  Sometimes I can only manage an hour to brainstorm ideas, but some days I have enough energy to produce a number of test pieces for a collection.

Prior to launching my website…

I feared no one would like my angel wings.  But something about surviving chemo has caused me to keep pushing.  People need keepsakes to have something tangible to remember their loved ones.

Through all the treatments, physical therapy and medicines, with my family & friends help, I released our first products and the response has been pure love.