My Shop Now Carries Premium Hemp!

Rainbow Hemp

HempCraft is now carrying premium hemp in a variety of colors! You can find it at www.hempcraft.etsy.com

  Several months ago I did a blog series, "The best hemp on the planet" that reviewed a few different companies in the search for the best quality fiber hemp. I came up with a company called Ecolution as the victor. I have been using their hemp ever since I found it and have never wanted to use anything else. They have some of the softest yet strongest hemp I have ever found. Ecolution grows, cultivates, and processes their own hemp 'in house' and are located in Transylvania, Romania. A little over two months ago I decided to take my business in a new direction by supplying other crafters with this same premium hemp.
 
 I continue to use and praise Ecolution to this day not only for their superior quality but also because I know they are an eco conscious company and use environmentally safe methods. Ecolution is extensively involved in making their methods of processing hemp as environmentally safe as possible. Ecolution has mastered the art of producing fine hemp without the use of chemicals. One way they do this is by using air! They started using a new eco friendly technology that uses short compressed air blasts to soften the fiber making unwanted chemicals unnecessary.
 
 They have four natural dyes from plants; brown, grey, yellow, and golden green.
The brown is dyed using bark from European oaks which are found throughout the forests of Transylvania. The grey tones are dyed using the juice from the fruit of a bilberry plant, found throughout the forests of the Transylvanian mountains.The yellow and golden green are made using the entire plant of a pansy and oregano, respectively, which Ecolution grows right there in their fields.

 In addition to natural colors, Ecolution uses fiber reactive dyes which are European Union approved, non toxic, environmentally sound, and contains no heavy metals. Fiber reactive dyes are superior to traditional dyes in quality and environmental responsibility because Fiber reactive dyes are specially formulated to ensure the dye molecule and fiber molecule make a complete bond. This allows a more vibrant brighter color with little waste in the wash water.

 So where can you find this awesome hemp I speak of? In my Etsy shop! I am still busy taking pictures of and listing all the colors I have available so keep checking back for more options.

New Cuff Design

Besides my upcoming photo shoot that I've been obsessing over for days now, I decided to finish up a project that was long overdue to be finished. It came out so awesome that I listed it and I'm glad that it is done in time for next Sunday. I wanted to make a wide cuff and came across a very easy design in an old macrame book I have upstairs. The first one I did I kept the colors neutral to see what the color pattern would look like.

Since it turned out so well, I am doing one now in rasta colors, and then one in rainbow, and so on until I'm obsessed with another design.

So three of the models are due to come over today with the clothes they will be wearing so I can get an idea of what pieces to put with what model. This also allows me one whole week to make last minute additions. I have to meet the photographer today (although I haven't heard from her) to go over locations, wardrobe, etc. I'm assuming I will have to come up with a picture list; an order the pictures will be taken in. Oi...

In other news...my son loves Elmo Potty Time, and I love that he's interested in the potty :)

Cakes and Drum Rolls

All business aside, my son’s third birthday is coming up and I’ve worked up a Kipper cake for his birthday BBQ celebration this Saturday. Be on the look out for Betty Rocker posts. And …drum roll please…I graduate on Saturday!!!!  I will finally hold the golden ticket that may or may not help me gain employment when I decide doing what I want and being my own boss isn’t working out anymore ;)

On to business…

Ok where to begin. Lots going on in the shop at the moment. Trying to keep up with everything has been rough and a challenge at the very least. Wearing all the hats is tiring and often leads to dead ends and frustration. Calling on my friends and family to volunteer their expertise has been a lifesaver. Being an analog girl in a digital world can be bewildering. Add being a full time mom to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for stress but I’ve been fortunate enough to have strong support so …onward….tally ho..sally forth…and some suchness.

First bit of exciting news I’ll share is that I have recently opened an account with Ecolution. They have some of the best hemp available and I can’t wait to get my knotty little hands on it. Some of you may remember my post about the best hemp on the planet. I will be using it as well as having it available for other hemp jewelry artists to purchase. Compared to the cheap manila hemp coming in from some parts of the world, Ecolution hemp offers premium quality from cultivation to harvest. They are passionate about eco consciousness and I am proud to be using and soon to be carrying their products. So that’s one thing happening.

sneak peek - barefoot sandals

 

In June, I will be releasing my summer line including barefoot sandals and anklets.  I still have so much more to go but have so much.. that I could easily start trickling them into my shop. I have made tons of under $5 stack bracelets for the upcoming festivals and hemp fests but have never thought of listing them. Would it be worth it to list something for $3? I still haven’t decided. Apparently it’s working for others so it’s worth consideration. And considering my recent business ventures, it couldn’t hurt to get an increase in sales and promotion. Considering…

And lastly, I started listing the fiber I spin. I can't knit, can't crochet (good), I can tat but I'm not going to sit there and tat all that I spin. So I am delving further into the fiber arts and offering up my hand spun wares. I've only listed bamboo and alpaca so far. I am currently spinning up some hemp to ply with olive green bamboo. Need dyed bamboo? Go to Fiber Lady, you can find her on Artfire. She loves bamboo and her colors turn out wonderful.

hand spun "stormy night" bamboo and chocolaty alpaca

Guilty by Association

it's true

It has recently come to my attention that some consumers may be turned off by my jewelry because it is made of hemp, which has a certain stigma to it. I did a quick blog post in my shop hopefully clearing the air for some of those who have no idea what hemp is and that it can save our country...I'd love to do a blog rant on this one day, but not today. In the post, I covered what hemp is and that it is not the same thing as buying a dime bag from your local bodega.  It amazes me the amount of people who think they can smoke hemp and get high. Hemp is versatile...but not that versatile.

bo-de-ga

I was doing a show one time oh about 6 years ago and this family was acting very peculiar around my table; laughing and giggling and what not. They finally approached my table, picked up a bracelet and smelled it! After I realized what was going on they were already two tables down. Funny experience; eye opening scenario.

Read the entire blog post here
http://www.artfire.com/users/hempcraft/blog/is-hemp-the-same-as-marijuana