I am known as "The Knot Queen" and have always had a talent for untangling cords, shoe laces, and anything stuck with knots. My dad was a knotmaker and perfectionist, so quality is my #1 focus.

In January 2014, together with my 6 month old son and I sold and donated everything from our city life and retired in the Ozark woods of Northern Arkansas. With only headlamps and a 20ft camper, we bravely lived in the woods without power, running water, or climate control.

In January 2015, A small box arrived full of coyote fangs. Teeth? Oh my gosh, a dead predator's teeth are in my hands? I asked my husband Andrew why. He said a trapper friend wants me to make him a necklace out of them in trade for the teeth. What? Are you nuts? I do not do beads. I hate glitter and I'm allergic to almost every metal. How the heck and I going to make jewelry? Then it clicked. Knots. Organic. Hemp! I am crafty, I love nature and I grew up with a knot obsessed father.

I had no idea where to start. So, I went to a local craft store and purchase an $8 macrame knot book and some organic hemp with wood beads. I tried a bracelet from the book first and realized the diagram had an error and I was making a different knot. The book went out the window!

I made a freehand choker and it was a success! Then moving on to my first order. A coyote tooth necklace. I carefully selected 9 perfect teeth. Measured the hemp, spaced the beads and crunched some numbers. I log everything! When it is ready on paper, it was ready to go on hemp. An hour later, it was complete.

I shared the photo on Facebook and our friend was so impressed, he ordered three anklets and another necklace. Then Facebook friends wanted custom tooth jewelry too. Henna's Happy Hemp Jewelry was born on Etsy that first week of February 2015.

I started sharing my hemp jewelry with local craft events and the custom orders kept coming. I had a lot of odd questions from locals regarding legality of using Hemp. I immediately changed my business name to TopKnot Customs in November 2015. This reflects my talent for knots, the era of Fur Trading and Mountain Men that my husband has time traveled from, and my art is top notch too!

The process I use is very documented from the hemp color, length, diameter, and knot style, down to the bead type, size, quantity, and pattern. Every design is numbered and given it's own special name. My husband and I believed every custom order is one of a kind art from the heart.

On June 8, 2016, my husband Andrew tragically passed away. It is with a heavy heart that I continue to keep his memory alive with our brotherhood products, Mission 22 awareness ring and timeless designs. He was a very special man that contributed to each design from bead selection to photography.

I hope you are as pleased with all the new arrivals as I am. I know Andrew is proud to still have me tying knots. These works of art keep me smiling and I know they will make you smile too.

UPDATE: I have a new studio in Garland, Texas and I'm happy to announce Bandit Craft as my new brand. Organic, Eco-friendly, High Quality and Taxidermy! I am still on-line through Instagram as @BanditCraftTX with Bear Claws too!