Tina, Owner and Designer

Founder Tina Allyson,  has a vision and wants to share her creative outlet with others, one community at a time.  Having experience teaching crafting within her community,  Tina created SCRAP U & Artistry Too, a studio designed to teach new and creative forms of art classes to children & adults.
Tina has lived in Hillsborough for over 19 years and has always been an active member of her community but when her dream of opening an art studio became a reality it opened up a whole new world of art to our community!  
"I got the teaching bug when my friend Maryann asked me to create and teach a scrapbooking program for Amsterdam School's enrichment program.  I fell in love with the program and returned every year there after.  Being creative is my passion, I love to watch students  try new things, grasp new concepts and apply them to school projects and at home in their own freestyle art!   The kids are excited to share their masterpieces and  I am always amazed at how talented and expressive children are or how often I've heard a parent remark that they didn't know their children were that talented"!
"I have always wanted a Studio where people stop in, take a class, do some freestyle art, take creative risks, hang out and meet new people.  Art is not only therapeutic but socially,  a great tool to bring people together.  Scrap U  & Artistry Too is a safe space, both personally and professionally for every guest who enters.  Our warm, inviting climate is most important to me.  I want each of our guests (adult and children alike) to have the opportunities to experience new, amazing art programs and learn a variety of different art mediums from talented professionals in their craft that they would not otherwise get to experience.  Hillsborough has not had a one-stop shopping location for all their artistic needs and now they do!  
Tina's  commitment to support her community comes from years of volunteer and non-profit work.  Tina's resume of volunteerism includes many  organizations including but not limited to: Hillsborough's Cultural Arts Commission, Organization for Autism Research (OAR), Safe & Sound Somerset as well as coordinating family events & fundraisers throughout Hillsborough School's.  
​In 2008, Tina founded a non-profit organization called, Care to Share Support Network, that worked with families of children with special needs throughout Somerset County.  During the lifespan of the charity, Tina was recognized for her work and significant contributions to Hillsborough's Special Education Department.  Tina received several proclamations from Hillsborough Township, tas well as an award from the radio station, Magic 98.3 for “Women Who Make Magic” and in 2009  Tina received New Jersey's Somerset County "Women of the Year" for Volunteerism.

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Denise Carr - Sewing Instructor

​Denise is a freelance seamstress and sewing teacher with over 30 years of experience specializing in apparel, home décor and costumes.  After spending much of her youth learning from her very talented sewing mom and working in a fabric store, she earned her BS in Marketing from Bloomsburg University and her MBA from Temple University.  While working in the corporate world she continued to follow her passion for sewing until her sewing client base took over full time.  That passion she is happy to share with “children of all ages”.  See our programs page for Denise's class schedule.

Amrita Sahrawat - Drawing & Painting Instructor

Amrita has an Associates Degree if Fine Art and graduated Phi Theta Kappa Honors.​  She also holds a Bachelors of Science Degree and a Masters in Business Management.  Amrita has been teaching art to children and adults for years.  Her passion for teaching and helping others learn drawing and painting makes Amrita the calm, skilled teacher she is.  Visit our programs page for Amrita's class schedule.

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Jamaila Hernandez - Drawing & Painting Instructor

Jamaila Hernandez has a BFA in Graphic Design from Robert Busch School of Design at Kean University. She attended Mason Gross School of the Arts in Rutgers, New Brunswick, New Jersey, and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, California. Her love of art-making began at a very young age when she got a hold of a pen and her mother’s nursing textbook, scribbling all over the margins and blank pages. Jamaila was a self-taught artist, with a passion for mixed media art, sculpture, acrylic painting, watercolor, and ballpoint pens.
Jamaila wants to share her experiences, skills, and knowledge to develop aspiring artists’ abilities and creative skills. When she is not creating art, she loves hiking, learning Italian & Mandarin, and tending to her plants. Yes, she loves morning conversations with her plants.  ​Visit our programs page for Jamaila's class schedule.
Follow Jamaila on social media.  https://www.jamailahernandez.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamailaHernandezArtStudio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamailadesigns/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFeDt0fJhHRK_xQFyTF78WQ V
Visit our programs page for Jamaila's class schedule.

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Jackie Stier - Copper Artist, Adult & Children Painting Workshops

Jackie received her BFA from the School of Art and Design at Alfred University and has been a professional graphic designer in the corporate world for the past 20 years. Her main hobby is the art of repoussé, a technique of drawing on thin sheets of copper she learned from her high school art teacher. Over the past 3 years, she has made her hobby into a full time job by traveling the coast participating in juried art festivals, comic and horror conventions and oddities markets. Her art interests are varied and has enjoyed being inspired by fellow artists she meets in her travels. www.jackiestier.com  
See our program page for Jackie's class schedule.

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Amy Ewans

Amy provides mixed media classes including but not limited to mono printing,  Zen doodling, drawing, painting and collage. Amy uses an endless list of products and prefers to create pieces with a sketchy, illustrative nature. Her mixed media and art journaling classes will be offered at Scrap U in the future.  She will also be present for selected studio events where she will offer mini make & take classes.
​See our programs page for Amy's evening class schedule.

Susan Niedt

Susan Niedt is a Certified Aromatherapist, Reiki I and Reiki II, and a Certified Positive EFT Practitioner. She studied Aromatherapy at Aromahead Institute and Aromatic Wisdom Institute. She is an active member of NAHA. Her love of plants and their unique healing properties brought her to the world of Aromatherapy, through which she discovered that combining both the therapeutic and energetic properties of essential oils with EFT and Reiki protocols, deeper levels of healing can be experienced. See our programs page for a list of classes with Susan.

Itoko Kobayashi

Itoko came from Japan.  She loves to share her origami art work with others.  She started her craft working exhibitions, fairs, and finally by teaching others.  Itoko loves  to see others reaction to her work, especially of children.  She wants people to know the possibility of creativity with paper.  See our programs page for Itoko's class schedule.

Kathy Lang

Kathy Lang is the mother of 2 and is a soap maker from Hillsborough, New Jersey.  She has a Ph.D. in Psychology and has been active in the special needs community for over 13 years.  She has been a crafter throughout her life and has been soap making, with her daughter Taylor, for over 7 years.   See our programs page for Kathy & Taylor's class schedule.

Taylor Lang

Taylor Lang is a soap maker from Hillsborough, New Jersey. She has been making soap, bath bombs, and paper crafts for over 7 years. In her free time, Taylor enjoys running a theatre-based YouTube channel, planning her next Disney trip, and playing the guitar. She is currently teaching classes at Scrap U. You can visit her on Instagram @badpicsoftj or @broadwaysoapco.

Olivia Wischmeyer

Olivia is a Rutgers Student studying Visual Arts & Agriculture. She is a painter and freelance illustrator who has published her own children’s book and worked to illustrate three more. She has worked in teaching small lessons in crafts and watercolor with youth. She is passionate about sustainable development, painting and advocacy art.  See our programs page for Olivia's class schedule.

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