Apostle Islands part 4

  Michigan Island light newly restored grounds and historic buildings, Michigan Island Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, WI

Tower entrance with guard dog...

 Michigan Island light, 1929 re-built tower originally from Philadelphia brought to the island and reconstructed.

View southwest from the lantern, Madeline Island, Long point, and Wisconsin shore visible in distance





all images copyright 2015 George Hutchinson

Apostle Islands part 3

 Sea caves carved out of the sandstone by wave action in Justice Bay, Sand Island part of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, WI.

Clear calm cold water







all images copyright 2015 George Hutchinson

Apostle Islands part 2

 Along the path fungus and trillium late summer carpets of wildflowers

Sand Island light, a gothic style cottage and tower now preserved and manned by National Park Service volunteers.







all images copyright 2015 George Hutchinson

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore part 1

 Sunset over Madeline Island Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, WI

 Justice Bay (Sand Island) mid-day anchorage and shore party

Woodland path to Sand Island light located on northern tip of island









all images copyright 2015 George Hutchinson

beaded one button large cuff or ankle bracelet 3694

Clear plastic pony beads framed with heavy braided cord secured with an oversize button and you have a nice chunky casual accessory.  Large enough to wear on the upper arm or ankle this is a comfortable beach and sandal friendly piece of rope jewelry.

Super strong mulit-filament nylon thread edged stitched through the beads makes this a sturdy wear anywhere piece.

8 3/4" (223 mm)
.8 oz / 22 g

Available here ARTifactSite





design and photographs © copyright 2015

paper bead cuff bracelet one button bracelet 3697

Large center wrap paper beads and thick clothesline braided cord edge stitched with nylon thread combined in this folk-modern style bracelet.

The beads are coated with sealant but are like all paper beads not completely waterproof. The cord has a synthetic center so it's very stable and strong.

7 1/4" (184 mm)
.7 oz / 20 g

Previous examples of paper bead bracelets

An earlier paper bead cuff design

Another early design with colored cord

Leather cord with paper beads

Mixed plastic and paper bead cuff design

Child size cuff made with a mix of paper beads

Available here WhatKnotShop

These and other unique bracelets can be found online WhatKnotShop on ETSY




design and photographs © copyright 2015

chunky fishtail braid bracelet with button 3693

Oversize and chunky this one button bracelet is constructed with heavy clothesline and a big plastic button. Rugged ragged and big the traditional "fishtail" braid is composed of two parallel cords with an overlapping diagonal wrapping which creates the "V" shaped pattern.

Waxed nylon thread secures the button and the loose ends.

7 3/4" (187 mm)
.8 oz / 24 g

Available here WhatKnotShop



These and other unique bracelets can be found online WhatKnotShop on ETSY





design and photographs © copyright 2015

glass bead button bracelet 3696

Recycled glass beads made women in Ghana are placed in a double row with a heavy duty braided cord framework. The beads are rather massive and have a pleasing texture much like you would find in beach glass (also known as "sea glass").

Colors are a mix of blue, green and amber.

 The bracelet is laid out on a circular mold which forces the beads into a bowed out form due to the tension on the edge stitching. Larger beads are placed opposite the button and loop closure.

7 1/4" (184 mm)

2.4 oz /69 g

Available here ARTifactSite




design and photographs © copyright 2015

spiral carpet pad cuff bracelet 3692

The third in the series of conceptual carpet pad designs this piece is made from a 1" strip of pad that has been laid out on a mold with the edges aligned, then edge stitched together using a heavy black waxed thread. The effect is more etherial and definitely lighter weight than the bolt bracelet and less massive than the layered cuff.

The pattern on the exterior reverses but the ridges align nicely where they meet.

 The thread and connecting knots are concealed in the soft edges of the pad fabric giving this bracelet some mystery as to how it holds together. The bolt bracelet is fastened with force, the layered bracelet has visible stitching but this one has a hidden structure.

7 1/4" (183 mm) .7 oz (21 g)


Available here ARTiFactSite



design and photographs © copyright 2015

bolt bracelet 3691

The second in the conceptual series made with up cycled carpet pad this variation is about the contrast between the lightweight rough textured pad and the massive phallic bolt used to secure the ends of the strip.

The pad strip is a tapered shape rolled around a mold then punctured and bolted together. The shape is similar to the iron necklaces worn by women in the Hamar cultural group with some obvious differences in materials.

In deference to the comfort of the wearer the interior side has the domed end of the carriage bolt. The wider end of the taper is on the interior with the narrow end secured beneath the washer and nut. More gruesome variations are of course possible but not recommended.

7 3/8" (186 mm) 1.4 oz (41 g)

Available here






design and photographs © copyright 2015

conceptual up cycled carpet pad bracelet 3690

The use of found materials has a long tradition in both modern and traditional cultures. This series is about the formal possibilities of a throw-away material: carpet pad.

Carpet pad is itself composed of reclaimed plastic from soda bottles, containers and other sources. The variations color come from the particular mix of recycled plastics used in the batch. The rubber backing has a wonderful high-tech hexagonal pattern embossed in the surface creating a tension between the rough pad fiber and the controlled anti-skid backing.

 This first bracelet is a simple circular form made by double wrapping a rectangular strip of pad and securing the overlap with waxed nylon thread.

The tension created by the wrapping is expressed in the naturally circular form and the slightly anti-clastic shaped surface which is visible in the bottom photo.

Industrial grey with the alternating diagonal pattern contrasts with the controlled light purple hex patterned backing on the interior.

7" (178 mm) 1.4 oz (40 g)









design and photographs © copyright 2015