Tag Archives: hemp bracelets

Mean Lady

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When Mr. Carolina and I left Milton and his community, we really didn’t have anywhere to go. Mt. Shasta had been the light at the end of our tunnel of plans. Since neither of us wanted to spend a cold winter in Northern California, we knew we had to hit the road and head south.

After bidding adieu to friends old and new, our first order of business was to get some fuel in the van’s tank. The few dollars worth of gasoline Milton had put in two days before was nearly gone from the driving from the camping spot to the church with the community dinner, back to the camping spot, back to the church for the clothing giveaway, and to the camping spot again.

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I made these hemp bracelets with malachite stones. These are not the bracelets I was trying to sell in Mt. Shasta. These bracelets are no longer available because they have all been sold.

Since Mt. Shasta is a woo-woo little hippy town with shops selling crystals and new-age books and jewelry, I thought I might be able to sell some of the hemp bracelets with healing stones that I’d made. I decided to walk from store to store on the town’s short main drag of local businesses and try to make some money for us.

I went into several stores. Nobody was buying. Oh, the people in the shops liked my bracelets, but they all had reasons they couldn’t buy: the busy tourist seasons was over; the person authorized to buy wasn’t in; my jewelry didn’t fit with the other inventory in a particular store. Everyone was really nice, but I was getting discouraged.

I hadn’t given up, though, and I walked into yet another shop selling shiny rocks and angel figurines and books on spirituality. An older woman, plump with long grey hair, was sitting at a desk at the back of the store. I walked up to her and explained I wanted to sell bracelets I’d made so I could buy gas for my van and get out of town. I told her the bracelets were made from hemp and showed her that each one sported a healing stone. I told her the name of the stone on each bracelet and showed her how the slip knot clasps on the bracelets worked. She wasn’t super encouraging and didn’t even smile at me as I went through my spiel, but when I paused for breath, she asked how much I wanted for the bracelets, which was farther than I’d gotten with any of the other shopkeepers.

I explained I usually sold the bracelets for $4 each or three for $10, but since I really needed gas money, I’d sell them to her for $2 each. I felt a little sad to sell the bracelets off so cheaply, but I wanted to contribute to our getting out of town. Besides, I had more hemp and drilled stones, so I could make more bracelets.

The store owner’s attitude wasn’t making me feel any better. She acted as if she didn’t really like my bracelets much at all. She acted as if she were doing me a huge favor by taking the bracelets off my hands. In a way, she was doing me a favor, but I knew she was going to sell the fruits of my labor at a profit.

The shopkeeper picked out sixteen bracelets she wanted to buy. I was ecstatic! She asked me if she could write me a check. I explained again that I needed the money to put gas in the van, told her that I wasn’t from Mt. Shasta and didn’t have a bank account, so I really needed cash. She acted entirely put out, but rounded up $32 in paper currency for me.

I was feeling really good. Not only had I earned enough money to get us out of town, I’d found someone who liked my work enough to pay me for it and sell it in her shop. I was all smiles when I reached into my pocket and pulled out one of my business cards. (Yes, it’s true, I was living dirty and broke in my van, but I had business cards to hand out.) I want to give you this, I said to the woman as I thrust the card at her.

I don’t want that, she all but sneered at me. It’s not like I’m going to order anything from you.

My bubble was burst. It was all I could do not to cry as I took my money and left the shop.

I tried to sell the remaining bracelets at a few more stores, but no one was buying. We used some of my earnings to buy a fast food lunch and put the rest in the gas tank before we headed on out of town.

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I made these bracelets from hemp. The stones are turquoise. These are not the bracelets I tried to sell in Mt. Shasta. These bracelets are no longer available because they have all been sold.

 

I took all of the photos in this post.

More of My Jewelry

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I had to submit photos of my jewelry to a potential selling spot, so I shot a bunch of photos of newer items. I’m posting those photos here, along with some older photos too. If you see anything you like, let me know, and we’ll work out a price.

All of these bracelets and necklaces are handmade by me from hemp. I have no minions and no sweatshop. I do all this work myself.

All of my bracelets and necklaces open up completely and fasten securely.

If you see a pendant you like, but you don’t care for the color of hemp that I’ve used, ask me and I may have a similar pendant that I can use with different colored hemp. I also do custom work, if you have a pendant that you’d like for me to put on a hemp necklace for you.

From left to right: amethyst, kyanite, richolite

From left to right: amethyst, kyanite, and richolite necklaces

 

Ammonite necklaces. Ammonites are the fossilized remains of ancient sea creatures that died out about the same time as the dinosaurs.

Ammonite necklaces. Ammonites are the fossilized remains of ancient sea creatures that died out about the same time as the dinosaurs.

 

Glass bottle necklace. The stopper comes out so bottle can be filled with sand, soil, tiny beads or stones, a poem, or a love note.

Glass bottle necklace. The stopper comes out so bottle can be filled with sand, soil, tiny beads or stones, a poem, or a love note.

 

From left to right: richolite, kyanite, and ammonite necklaces

From left to right: richolite, kyanite, and ammonite necklaces

 

Necklaces with tiny book pendants. My sister made the tiny books. Both of them open up completely and have tiny pages which can be written upon. The blue book has a tiny sock monkey on it.

Necklaces with tiny book pendants. My sister made the tiny books. Both of them open up completely and have tiny pages which can be written upon. The blue book has a tiny sock monkey on it.

 

Ammonite, lepidolite, and tiger's eye necklaces. These pendants were wrapped by a young artist out of Taos, NM named James Smith.

Ammonite, lepidolite, and tiger’s eye necklaces. These pendants were wrapped by James Smith, a young artist out of Taos, NM .

 

Necklaces with fused glass pendants. The fused glass pendants were made by Brenee Carvell of Tulsa, OK

Necklaces with fused glass pendants. The fused glass pendants were made by Brenee Carvell of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

 

Trinket necklaces. I have lots of other necklaces with trinkets, and I have a lot more trinket pendants and beads I could use for custom pieces.

Trinket necklaces. I have lots of other necklaces with trinkets, and I have a lot more trinket pendants and beads I could use for custom pieces.

 

From left to right: stone bear, bone star, polished rock necklaces.

From left to right: stone bear, bone star, polished rock necklaces.

 

Skull braceltes

Skull bracelets

 

Peace sign bracelets

Peace sign bracelets

 

Assorted bracelets

Assorted bead bracelets