Five years ago, Antsy Nancy opened its doors with a simple but meaningful idea: learning something new should feel fun, achievable and even better when shared with people you care about.
This year, we are thrilled to celebrate that idea—and everyone who helped bring it to life—at our 5 Years of Making Memories Open House on Thursday, October 1 from 5–8 p.m.
We hope you’ll join us at our Tucson studio for an indoor-outdoor evening filled with food, music, creativity and plenty of reasons to celebrate. We’ll revisit some wonderful moments from our first five years, introduce you to members of our creative community and share a taste of the hands-on fun that happens at Antsy Nancy every day.
A Business Born from Adversity
The story of Antsy Nancy began before our studio ever opened.
In January 2020, founder and CEO Heidi Yribar completed her MBA while working more than 50 hours a week in a demanding corporate career. Just days later, she unexpectedly lost her job. Within weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic changed nearly every aspect of daily life and made finding a comparable position extraordinarily difficult.
Heidi suddenly found herself with something she had rarely had before: time. During that uncertain season, she turned to her aunt, Nancy Rutherford, for help with projects around her home.
What began with gardening advice grew into months of working side by side. Together, they landscaped more than an acre, planted hundreds of trees, shrubs and plants, built a koi pond and meditation garden, created vegetable and herb gardens, renovated a playhouse, recovered furniture, decorated wreaths and learned the art of cake decorating.
But the projects were only part of what made the experience so meaningful.
Aunt Nancy always arrived prepared. She had the tools and materials ready, explained each project step by step and made Heidi feel capable of doing it herself. At a time when Heidi felt defeated and powerless, completing those projects helped her feel successful, confident and proud again.
That feeling became the foundation of Antsy Nancy.
Who Is the Original “Antsy Nancy”?
Nancy Rutherford has always been the fun, adventurous and wonderfully creative aunt—the kind of person who seems able to do just about anything. She has lived around the world, earned multiple college degrees, practiced karate, jumped out of airplanes, created wedding cakes, mastered quilting and completed the University of Arizona Master Gardener Program.
She is also rarely still. She is always sewing, crafting, gardening, baking or beginning her next project—which is how she became affectionately known as “Antsy Nancy.”
Her example inspired not only our name, but also our promise:
“Antsy Nancy does it all … and so can you!”
Five Years of Creativity and Connection
Antsy Nancy opened in October 2021 to provide the same experience Aunt Nancy created so naturally: everything thoughtfully prepared, friendly expert guidance and an opportunity to leave feeling proud of what you accomplished.
Over the past five years, our studio has welcomed guests for cooking and baking classes, cake and cookie decorating, arts and crafts, seasonal projects, children’s programs, date nights, girls’ nights, private celebrations and corporate teambuilding events.
Our guests have made delicious food and beautiful projects—but more importantly, they have made memories.
We have watched parents and children create together, friends turn an ordinary evening into something special, coworkers discover new sides of one another and complete strangers laugh together around a shared table. We have celebrated birthdays, showers, holidays, accomplishments and countless “I can’t believe I made that!” moments.
Every class, party and gathering has become part of our story.
Looking Ahead: Antsy Nancy Is Ready to Grow
Five years later, Antsy Nancy is preparing for an exciting new chapter: franchising the business and bringing the Antsy Nancy experience to new communities.
We are actively searching for the ideal candidate to open our first franchise location—someone who shares our enthusiasm for cooking, baking, crafting, entertaining and creating memorable experiences for others. An entrepreneurial spirit, business or marketing experience and a genuine love of bringing people together would make an especially strong fit.
Our preferred location for the first franchise is the Phoenix or Scottsdale area. Its proximity to Tucson will allow Heidi and the Antsy Nancy team to work closely with the new franchise owner and provide meaningful, hands-on support as the first location opens and grows.
If you—or someone you know—would love to build a business centered on creativity, connection and making memories, we would be delighted to start a conversation. Contact Heidi Yribar at [email protected] to learn more about this exciting opportunity.
Come Celebrate with Us
Our anniversary would not be complete without the students, families, instructors, employees, community partners and friends who made these five years possible.
Please join us for:
Antsy Nancy’s 5 Years of Making Memories Open House
Thursday, October 1 | 5–8 p.m.
5655 E. River Road, Suite 101, Tucson
Guests can look forward to enjoying appetizers, cocktails, crafts, and desserts from our upcoming holiday class lineup, as well as photos from the past five years and a few anniversary surprises.
Whether you have attended dozens of classes, celebrated a special occasion with us or have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to visit, we would love to welcome you.
Thank you for learning, creating, celebrating and making memories with us. Five years is an exciting milestone—but we believe we are only getting started.
Here’s to the next five years of making something wonderful together!