Skip to main content

About Me and CYOJ Founder


HELLO everyone!!! ~Waves~ I am the new owner(Yes the "buck stops here") of Create Your Own Joy Studios!  I am so excited to meet and work with all the students, young and young at heart.  I have had many jobs, but the job I have been the most passionate about over the last seven years is teaching.  Education is so important and I just love that sewing can be a skill that you can use for the rest of your life. 

I started sewing in High School, back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, also known as the 80's...My guidance counselor gave me the choice of sewing class or woodshop..yeah, I picked sewing and I am so glad I did!  I have used sewing to earn extra money throughout my life and I am so blessed to be able to combine both passions: teaching and creating/sewing.




I look forward to helping each of you develop your skills and my personal goal is to get academic/occupational credits from the Dept. of Education for the students.  I hope that more adults, both men and women will be willing to learn how to sew. Before my recent time off from a back surgery, I taught grades 6-12 English and American History.  Thank you for taking time to get to know me a bit here and I look forward to all the wonderful projects and creations in the future!


OUR Creator/Founder:
Kelly is a stay-at-home mom of 9 kids. She has been sewing since her Mom taught her to walk! She says, "There is so much satisfaction in creating something yourself". She got such joy in teaching sewing classes and crafting too. She is now re-married and settled in her home in Gilbert AZ!  Thank you for creating such an amazing opportunity for young and not so young at heart kids!  Kelly hand picked me to take over and I am forever grateful and blessed!

Comments

Kelly! I want to leave a comment - don't know if you will get it!!! You are darling as ever and I wish that I could do your cute classes!! Too bad you live too far from me!!
Perhaps when the sistas come together we can do some fun class at your home...
Hugs - Lisa
CYOJ class info said…
Lisa, I would love to get together!! When you are in town next let's plan a day.
~Kelly

Popular posts from this blog

Enter the Az State Fair!

    The Az State Fair is around the corner and that means...it's time to enter!!   This is such a great way to showcase your child's hard work & talent! Your child's items will go on display during the fair, they may win ribbons and earn some cash!     All entries can be done online. It costs $1.00 per item. Now for the best part...if you bring your items to my house on or before Sept. 15th I will drive them down to the fairgrounds for you. I will also bring them back after the fair is over. How easy is that?!!!     To enter click here . Go to competitive Entries, then Home Arts Sewing or Crafts Any questions?? Email me and I will be happy to help you!   ~~~~~~~~~~~~ There will be a fashion show on Sat. Oct. 26th at 3:00 pm. I highly recommend this! It is so much fun! Entry fee every Sat. & Sun from 10:00-2:00 is only $2.00.

Support Handmade

I was able to participate in 7 different boutiques this season. One thing I noticed was the lack of handmade items. So many booths had retail jewelry, purses, clothes etc... Which is fine but, since I make all of my own things I can appreciate the work that goes into creating all of these fabulous products. I found this great purse for my daughter for Christmas at one of the boutiques. She loved it! It is well made and was only $36.00!! With all the classes and orders I have to make I don't have the time to stop and make something like this. It was worth it to me to buy it. Here is a cute little wallet that she picked out to go with the purse. It was cute and only $6.00! I absolutely love these!! My aunt used to send me her homemade washcloths every year for Christmas. She has gotten older and hasn't been making them lately. I picked these up at a boutique as well. The round scrubber is a washcloth on one side and scrubber on the other. If you have not tried these you are miss

From Drop Cloth to Painted Rug

I had a wheelchair ramp built going into my house for my 6 yr old who is in a wheelchair. I have loved having it. He is getting so big that it was getting difficult to get him in & out of the house. This is so much easier!   Here's the problem:  It's ugly and my welcome mat/entry rug doesn't fit! No bueno!!   I looked for a rug that would fit but didn't want to spend a lot of money on it. So...I decided to make my own.   I got a canvas drop cloth from Lowe's for just under $10.00.    I gave it a good ironing to get the creases out.   I had some white house paint from another project and painted the drop cloth. (Tip: Even though this is a drop cloth the paint soaked through to the backside. I put a plastic drop cloth under it to protect my table.)   Then I stenciled it.  I was going to do a different pattern and transfer it on to the drop cloth but I already had the stencil and let's face it...