Have you hear of The Crafty Unicorn Club?

I had the pleasure of meeting Heidi a little over a year ago at a local Woman's Conference in Rimbey, AB not far from where I live. To say that she was a light in the room while conducting her workshop was an understatement. I'd heard of The Crafty Unicorn prior, and followed her on social media, and had been eager for the chance to meet and chat. I'd seen some of Heidi's posts about what brough her to Rimbey, what she and her children had been through over the last number of years, and the drive behind taking The Crafty Unicorn Club from an online store to a physical storefront complete with handmade figurines, an incredible line of products, and regular workshops put on by other local artists.


Heidi's resilience to persevere through tough times is more than admirable, and I was curious to hear more of her story, and provide a level of support in the only way I truly know how, through imagery. I approached Heidi about this little project in the winter months, but with various scheduling challenges we weren't able to make my proposed shoot come to fruition until April, RIGHT before I became buried in shooting spring horse shows. But in my opinion, it was worth the wait. We had a great afternoon together at the store. I was able to meet her kids, her parents, and her significant other and I am SO HAPPY for Heidi and the path she, her business, and her family are on. And while the store and their home lives are currently making the move from Rimbey to Pigeon lake, I cannot wait to continue to follow along with all of the amazing things in store for this family. I hope you have the opportunity to pop in and visit at their NEW location set to open some time this August!


I was going to tell you Heidi's story, but I thought who better to tell it than the woman who experienced it all first hand. Here's Heidi's story:


How did I get here….

Life takes you in many directions, some unexpected. Mine is no exception. I was never fully prepared for the curveballs that were thrown my way.


You see me now and what you see on the outside is a small business owner. I’m very proud of my little business, but getting here was and is still very much a journey.


About two and a half years ago I was a housewife and stay at home mom. I was a stay at home mom and wife to a long haul truck driver. I took care of and ran the house while my husband was gone. He would be gone for 1-3 months at a time, then home for only a few days. Even with him gone most of the time I still endured years of abuse. Mental, emotional and financial. I won’t get into the details but that during my 15 year marriage to a narcissist I went from having a promising career as a Real Estate Agent in Calgary to living in a small rural Village of 300 people in Central Alberta with no job or career.


Being in a relationship with a narcissist is (or was for me) a very gradual build up for the abuse. Please keep in mind that no two stories are the same and this is just a little bit of my story. The abuse and control of my life was so gradual that I didn’t notice it. I had friends and family members that noticed it, but at that point I was still “in love” with the guy. I was blind to what was happening to me. Until one day something in my head clicked. I won’t bore you with the details of the situation and argument that led to this. I looked at my life and realized how secluded from my former life I was. It was me and my three kids in a tiny, rural Village with no reliable vehicle, no friends that I felt close enough to talk to, my family all lived an hour and a half away from me (when we lived in Calgary my parents and brother were 5 minutes away), and no matter what I did I, I was wrong. The money wasn’t ours, it was his. The house wasn’t ours, it was his. I realized that I would constantly say to myself “he’s nice today, we’re going to be okay”.....that is not okay.


I contacted my mom to see if the kids and I could stay with my parents for a bit, of course she said yes. I knew if we didn’t leave right away, we wouldn’t. I told the kids they had one week to pack up what they wanted to keep and that we were going to live with Grandma and Grandpa. We packed our belongings in boxes and bins we had in the house. When those were used up, we used garbage bags. I didn’t want people in town to suspect anything so I didn’t ask anyone for boxes. A week later, my brother showed up with a U-Haul and my parents with both their vehicles. We packed up a few furniture pieces I wanted to keep-my antique cabinets and an entertainment unit, the kids mattresses and everything we had packed. 


Me and my three kids, two giant dogs and two cats were gone. Away from what had become my little piece of hell. I was scared, not of him, I was free from him. I was scared because I didn’t have a job or a place to live and my only plan was just to get out. Sometimes you need to have a one step plan like that to get some air and regroup yourself. 


I was hoping to stay with my parents for only a few months while I found a job. Finding a job was hard, I had some offers but the hours didn’t work as a now single mom of three kids. I needed to make sure my kids still had a present parent. I was on income support for a while, even though I didn’t want to be. Those few months that I was planning on staying with my parents turned into a year and a half. The four of us occupied two bedrooms in their house….and yes, I shared a bedroom with my son for a year and a half. You do what you need to do. 


Starting The Crafty Unicorn Club….

Back in 2021 I started a little website, The Crafty Unicorn Club. I had a little bit of stock and I had already begun making my line of Paintable Figures. In November of 2022, when we left, I brought my business with me. I was determined to be financially independent and by December I was setting up at a weekly market in Lacombe and working my business 3 days a week.


We were still living with my parents and I was still looking for a job as well as working my business. Being the supportive mother she is, my Mom suggested I take the steps to open up a brick and mortar store and of course my Dad agreed. By April of 2023 I had secured a building and April 15th, the store opened! 


Although the store is up and going, being a single mother and solely supporting my three kids is tough and having a start up business doesn’t always pay the bills. I wanted to get a house of our own. So I worked a second job for close to a year to help us get a house of our own, we have been renting our own house for almost a year now.


I’ve had success with the store, our studio and creative workshops are a hit. In September of 2024 I hosted my first Serendipity Market, I have booked 3 more Markets for 2025.


The Crafty Unicorn Club is not just an art and craft supply store. It’s a place where people can come together and get their creative juices going. They can paint in the studio, join one of our workshops or purchase supplies to take home with them. Being creative in a non-judgmental environment helps release things you hold inside and for a little while, let’s you escape the pressures and turmoil from everyday life. “Creative therapy”.


The Serendipity Market is a metaphysical market and has created a community of people that welcomes everyone and is a safe place for open minded people to be able to be themselves and discover something new.


On the family front…

My kids do have struggles with mental health, of course they would with having to leave what they thought was a home so quickly. I do everything for my kids and they will always be my number one priority. They each have their own unique needs and I have had to adjust schooling and work on ways to help them with their mental health. I have a different schooling plan for all three children, plus juggle visits to therapists on top of running the business. My parents help me out almost daily with helping out at the store, picking up kids from school and my one child that is enrolled in virtual school does schoolwork at GG’s house.


I have settled into a life in Rimbey, my kids are supported and my entire family is back together again. I have my parents in town and my brother, sister in law and their children have also moved to the area.


I was comfortable with being a single mom and was settled with the acknowledgement that I would be single the rest of my life. I was okay with that. But as life’s twists and turns happen, fate had other plans for me. Let’s rewind about 20 years when I was working retail in a mall in Calgary. There was a man that would frequent the mall, he was a Clairvoyant. One day when I was talking to him, like I often did, I had gotten to know him quite well. He looked me in the eyes and said “a past love will come back to you, and he will be forever”. It shocked me, because at that point I had just started dating my now ex, who was also an old teenage boyfriend. I told this man, “oh that just happened”, he looked at me very seriously and replied “no, this one is not it for you”. I didn’t feel like arguing to accept what he said and didn’t really think much more of it ....until one day in August 2024, on my “suggested friends” list on Facebook, I saw a familiar name. There he was, my very first high school boyfriend from Calgary. I looked at his profile and realized he owned his own business just 40 minutes away from me. I sent him a friend request thinking we’d maybe say hi and have a couple random messages back and forth that really meant nothing. I was completely wrong! We exchanged a couple random messages, then phone numbers. As soon as we heard each other's voice it was almost like we had not been apart for the past 25 years. We became almost instantly obsessed with needing to talk to each other. My first Serendipity Market was coming up and he told me he wanted to help set up for the event. I agreed, thinking in my mind “he’ll never show”, because that’s what I was used to. He showed up….we weren’t dating at this point, but by the day after the market we both knew-we needed to just go for it. It was there, the feelings were there and it was so incredibly strong. At that point I already knew I loved him, I loved him before we became official. It was during a conversation he was asking about my kids. Not just the general “how old are they” and “what are their names”, he asked what types of things they liked and what shows they watched. He really wanted to know them because he knew how important they are to me. 


It’s amazing having gone through so much with past relationship drama, raising three kids on my own, the struggles of running a business. I have found peace, I have found a way to cope with the hard things, my kids are comfortable, I have my family back and I found real love.


Why share my story?

When my friend proposed this idea to me, she said she was inspired by the bits I share online. I was a little nervous but I knew that I was being offered a platform to share my story in full. I share bits and pieces online and every time I do, I get messages from people that are going through something similar. Remember, no two stories are the same. I’ve helped people realize their own situation and I’ve given people strength to take the steps to get out. I’ve also inspired people to move forward with their businesses.


This is not a “woe is me” story. This is a story about strength, determination and resilience. This story is to allow people to acknowledge, if you’re in a bad situation, there is hope and you can get out. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t be afraid to not know what the next step is.


Whatever bad situation you’re in, you can find your own strength to change it.


Whatever dream you have, you can find the determination to achieve it.


You have the resilience to overcome so much, go through life's twists and turns. You might at times fall, but how you pick yourself up and adjust your crown to keep on going is what matters.


-K