Day: August 8, 2010

Hemp Choker

On By Michel McDonaldIn crafts, JewelryLeave a comment

I finally made my beaded hemp necklace, or choker as you would call it. I didn’t really want a choker but I guess I ended up with one since I didn’t plan the pattern out right. I was winging it since nobody had this particular pattern for the size hemp that I have which is the #40.

I was thinking about trying again by adding more knots to each end but when I hold it down a little bit as if it had more length it doesn’t look great. Also, as I lose weight my neck will get thinner and the necklace will end up going down on its own so I think I’ll leave it alone.

My carpal tunnel’d hands hate my guts right now. I kind of hate me too for doing this knowing how bad my hands are but I really, really wanted a beaded hemp necklace lol.

The package of beads I got had 3 different sizes with 3 different wood colors so what I think I’ll do is remake the bracelet with the medium size beads since the necklace has the larger beads and the rings have the smaller beads, this way I’ll have a set lol. I don’t know if I’m going to take it further with earrings though, I think that would be too much.

Well, that solves my reward for losing my first 27lbs. I wanted jewelry. I didn’t care if it was handmade or store-bought as long as I had jewelry. I got my dragon and vine ring that I bought a couple of years ago that was too small that I could only wear it as a pinky ring. Now I have 2 hemp rings with 1 more in the works, a hemp bracelet and now hemp choker.

Oh I also have that eagle necklace I talked about last month when I made up the reward thing. Remember it was too small? Well, it just so happens that I found a bracelet (that belonged to Opal) that Darrin was going to give to one of our friends children but her parents said no, she’d lose it. Darrin didn’t care because he said it was costume jewelry so no big deal. He told me to just toss it but I kept it and guess what? It makes the perfect extension for my necklace.

It’s a gold chain that doesn’t exactly match the chain that my eagle necklace is on but it’s pretty close and they are both the same gold color. Who is gonna notice it? I don’t know if or when I will wear it but it’s low enough that I have that option now. I could wear it right now if I wanted to but I don’t know if a hemp choker and gold eagle necklaces go together lol.

So, I got my jewelry and I’m happy. I went years without jewelry and never really cared one way or the other and now I feel naked without it.

Hobby Lobby

On By Michel McDonaldIn craftsLeave a comment

If you live in the US you might have been to a Hobby Lobby some time in your life.  I have been there once or twice with my aunts when I visited them in Texas at Christmas time in 2006.  My aunt Louise brought me there before Christmas to buy herself some jewelry supplies then on Christmas morning my Aunt Joyce gave me a Hobby Lobby gift card which I had to spend before I came back to California because we don’t have the wonderful warehouse.

If you have never been to one, I can only describe it as a cross between Wal*mart and Michael’s.  They probably aren’t as big as a Wal*mart store but they are bigger than Michael’s and they carry more merchandise than Michael’s.

The reason this came to mind today is because last night I was watching these tutorial videos from ehow.com on how to make hemp necklaces.  The woman doing the tutorials showed all the 4 different sizes of hemp and said to get them from Hobby Lobby.  Well, Michael’s only had 2 sizes but she had all the sizes which means Hobby Lobby must carry everything when Michael’s only carries half.

I looked at the map on the Hobby Lobby website to see how many states away we are from Hobby Lobby and I was shocked to see that California and Oregon are the only 2 states on the west coast who does not have a Hobby Lobby.  That sucks big time.  I think that they need to bless California with their presence starting with Bakersfield lol.  If not, at least sell merchandise on your website!