SMASH Stitching

When you run a program with youth you really cannot anticipate how they will respond to your well laid out plans.

SMASH Club is all about trying different mediums. You saw Sharpies, watercolours and more but one of my favourites was the stitching. Not because it was easy because it wasn't. There were a lot of needles to thread. Not because the participants all engaged and fell in love. 

I loved the stitching because this happened. See that table? There are 3 boys sitting at it. They are following the designs they made and putting them to canvas with needle and cord.

Quietly.

Sitting and stitching.

This was probably the hardest medium for most of the artists but it wasn't about creating something amazing but rather to put the tools in their hands.

Just put the tools in their hands and they will create.

There is no wrong way, there are many ways to create art, to express yourself.

I love watching creativity unfold.

Looking forward to creating with you soon!

Much love,

Heather

This is me...

I crash. A lot. And when I do, I get back up. Sometimes I do it on my own, sometimes Mr. CB is there to help me and sometimes it is my village that dusts me off and helps me back up.

My village includes many people. Maybe you already know but my village includes a lot of young people. They are the ones who inspire me and they are not always there when I crash but they are part of my reason for getting back up and trying again. They've taught me it's all about the recovery.

Right now, Creative Bug is recovering. We are recovering from a summer of adventure and a few hard years. So many times I almost walked away from Creative Bug but then I was reminded that this is my place, my gift. And I want you to know that.

We began around our kitchen table in Toronto on Sunday mornings just over 12 years ago. It was for my children, about my children and a fun outlet for me. Over the years I have learned to decorate cakes, sew and create with many mediums. I have learned that I am passionate about teaching and I am really passionate about learning.

My family has taught me this, the children who come in and out of my life by way of Creative Bug have taught me this and my faith has taught me this. 

So when you consider sending your budding artists to Creative Bug know that you are sending them to a place where we create community, build resilience and we create but most of all, we have fun!

This isn't for my children anymore, it is for your children and our community.

We have 2 great camps happening where they will have the chance to have fun and delight in the act of creating.

These camps will be a journey, we will begin together but each artist will have the opportunity to choose their own adventures as we go. There will be time for play, time for work and time to sit and eat together. We will become a tribe.

It's going to be incredible!

Contact me at heather@creativebug.ca or 905-359-6917 to join our adventures this summer!

Looking forward to creating with you soon!

Heather

SMASH Watercolours!

It is so true...the ocean's roar is definitely music to my soul. My soul yearns to be near the salty waters of the ocean...in the meantime, I have found solace in watercolours.

And sharing my passions simply delights me. I have enjoyed watching the artists create each week.

One artist asked if she could just paint an eye...of course. Isn't it stunning?

 So that is another week of SMASH Club!

 Did you know that we have a SMASH Camp coming up this summer?!

So colourful.
So dreamy.

Much love,
Heather

SMASH Club!

I am so delighted to have introduced SMASH Club at a couple of schools in the area. We have spent the last number of weeks learning different techniques, using different mediums and having fun!

We started off with some Sharpie artwork...

 One of our friends was worried about how his colours ran. We assured him it was amazing...the Middle Man and I both love the way this one turned out.

Welcome to SMASH Club! We have started booking programs for 2018/19 at schools in the area. Perhaps your artist will create with us this fall!

So fun.
So colourful.

Much love,
Heather

Mother's Day @ Our House

This weekend is a special one in our house...not only is it Mother's Day but also my birthday weekend. I made the necklace I am wearing myself but the creative kids have made me their own versions. 

Mr. CB finished this delightful piece for me. I am delighted to have it hanging in my kitchen. I made each of these sets of prints with the creative kids when they were about a year old. The perfect gift.

My request for today was to go somewhere near water. I love to travel to nearby places, small towns with water and lovely little shops all in a row. As we made our way through Elora (today's pick) I saw  The Elora Brewing Co. and immediately knew. That was where we would have lunch.

It was a solid choice. The fries were outstanding not only is the beer made in house but the ketchup is too (there is a bottle in my purse that we purchased on the way out). So good...our little mad couldn't say enough about how amazing his burger was (once he removed the offending tomato that is!) Just look at the size of it!!!

Even the Creative Princess ate the fries (she is a French fry hater). Sadly our middle mad chose to sit this adventure out. I hope that he will come around the next time...I hate adventuring without him...

So much fun.
So much food.
So much love,

Heather

To all the mothers I've loved before...

Over the last few weeks I have loved working with almost 250 children and youth to create Mother's Day gifts. I worked in classrooms, in youth groups and I even visited a group of Pathfinders (Girl Guides).

I enjoyed being part of school communities, connecting with educators and being welcomed into classrooms and schools. I even took part in a fire drill!

I was delighted to receive this text from one of the moms who was lucky enough to receive 2 necklaces from her daughters.

I was even more delighted to hear from a friend today who told me that she saw 3 necklaces being worn today while she was out and about for Mother's Day! How fabulous is that?! There is an army of amazing women wearing these necklaces!

So blessed.

So full of love.

It takes a village.

Much love,

Heather

Coming Home

Gosh was it ever good to come home after a summer packed with adventures. Even though we were just 3 reconnected there were lots of hugs and lots of tears.

All summer long our neighbour fed Martin and the kids every Thursday night. It was so amazing! This was dinner on my first Thursday night home. 

And then my middle guy came back from Cadet Camp. There were more hugs and tears.

Finally, the Creative Princess returned from Rendez-Vous in Montreal. It was such a good feeling to have all of us in the same place again!

And then our family adventures began again and I was gifted this lovely bracelet.

"She stood in the storm & when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails."

It is time to adjust my sails.

Much love,

Heather

It's a dog's life...

I now have more dog friends than I ever could have anticipated. Over my 11 weeks I lived with 5 dogs in the 7 places that I was invited to live. Those dogs...how I miss them. What a delight to be able to just play with them and spoil them.

This is Hali. She and I played a lot together...she is the sweetest thing.

 I enjoyed so much of this time, of this work but boy there were days where this sentiment felt honest...it was so much work. When we were working, boy did we work. Rest was always well deserved and drinks were infrequent but much appreciated.

Finally...as we were heading home on our last day in Nova Scotia, I found this bottle of Coke that I was simply delighted by. I was ready.

It was time to come home...

So tired.
So worn.
So empty.

Much love,
Heather

CampLife

 As I was planning our Halifax programs, our host made it clear that visiting Sherbrooke Lake Camp was top of the list in terms of necessity. Upon arriving, one of the first things you see is this bridge that leads the way into the woods to a path that, for me, is not yet taken. Perhaps the next time I find myself at Sherbrook, I will discover where it leads for now...I will just enjoy what is signifies...

A place where friendships are made and boundaries are stretched.

I got out for a paddle with my friend Mat. He is the one that made the trip out to camp happen. It was such a good space to be in.

We enjoyed a full afternoon and some time into the evening there...just taking it in...

And celebrating all of our blessings....

Mat has been to camp the last few days and has shared some of the beautiful space that it is through the Sherbrooke Lake Instagram account. Check it out sometime.

So full of beauty.

So full of life.

So full of the Holy Spirit.

Much love,

Heather

Oh Halifax...

I know...it's taking me a long time to get through this journey but I am back in the throws of my reality in Ontario...

But...but...Halifax, I sure do miss you. I miss the smell of the ocean of the breeze coming up off the harbour. I miss the people I met and the people I knew before I went. I miss the community that we created during our GO Projects...but I am happy to be home too. Of course, I am happy to be with my family...

We enjoyed a photography walk one of our program days in Halifax...it was nice to get out and just take in some of the city.

To be silly and to enjoy the people we met along this journey.

It was good. Yes, it was.

So full of memories.

So full of moments.

So full of life.

Much love,

Heather

A stop in paradise

The weekend before the Halifax GO Project started, I got in a car and drove (what a treat!) to Camp Berwick. What a place! One of the highlights was running into some friends from Beamsville within minutes of arriving at camp.

The other highlight was an afternoon out with my friend. We had lunch, went to the beach and enjoyed a cone together. She couldn't have made me happier.

 It was so great to get out of the city and see some more of Nova Scotia...so gorgeous.

But the highlight of sights and experiences was the beach. We wandered and played and got wet in the Bay of Fundy.

The Bay of Fundy is seriously one of my favourite spots. So magical with it's tides, sand and views...oh my goodness. Just the sight fills me up.

So empty.
So full.
So blessed.

Much love,
Heather