Meet Joy Charlson of East Tucson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Charlson.

Hi Joy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My husband and I became empty nesters in 2021 and retired from our normal jobs that summer. We moved to Florida, it was our dream to live by the ocean. After a year of travel I discovered the art of buttercream flowers on social media. what began as a simple curiosity into the buttercream floral world it quickly became an obsession for me. I began to teach myself the art of floral piping onto cupcakes through various online videos.. in October 2022 I started a Facebook page to share my joy and creations and it blossomed into Joyful Bouqcakes.! I was beginning to get orders so I created a small menu and it started to build from there. our second grandchild was born in 2024 in Arizona so in June 2025 we decided it was time to move back to Arizona, where. I continue to share my passion one cupcake at a time.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course there were many days and nights of frustration but for the most part it was a joyous time of learning! I worked so many long hours perfecting my buttercream recipe, taste testing different cupcake recipes and practicing so many different flowers. I love to look at real flowers and real bouquets and try to mimic them in buttercream. That’s where I get a lot of my inspo from. But I’m still a work in progress

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in cupcake bouquets and buttercream florals. I think people recognize my work for the realism I bring to buttercream. Everyone has their own technique and mine stands out because people always think they’re real flowers! They also taste as good as they look! I wanted a product that not only looked amazing but tasted amazing too!

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I’ve been very blessed with a creative mind and a supportive husband /family. Blessed to have found something i love to do at the age of 50. Anyone can do it just takes some patience, and persistence

Pricing:

• Starting at $30

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bakesy.shop/b/joyful-bouqcakes
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AZTFA1fuc/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Image Credits
Makayla Goodson Mak photography