The Bead that Climbed Mt. Rainier!

When Hamilton's own Ellen Kraly and her son Jimmy recently climbed Mt. Rainier in Washington to raise money for the Fred C. Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, this Kissing Dog Designs bead went with them. As you have read in previous blog entries, I have designed a special collection, the Mt. Rainier collection, to honor Ellen's fund-raising efforts. Eighty percent of the proceeds of the sales from Mt. Rainier will go to The Hutchinson Center.

When Ellen left for Washington to make her climb, I asked her to take this handmade sterling bead with her. That is why the bead is on a clip, so that it could ride along on a pack or jacket zipper. The bead is made of sterling, printed with the support ribbon design found on the backs of the Mt. Rainier pendants, and has applied 24K gold decoration. It has been chemically darkened, to bring out the ribbons pattern.

I will soon be posting this bead on ebay, and the proceeds from the auction will also go to the Hutchinson Center. I will blog when the bead goes up for auction -- bid early and bid often for the best chance to own this little bead that climbed a big mountain for a good cause!!