Staycation Blog Hop, sponsored by Tesori Trovati Jewelry

Hi there! Well have joined another blog hop and am enjoying each one immensely as I complete them! I learn something new about myself and what I'm capable of creating, as well as, get to see how others are stretched in their creativeness... what a wonderful bonus that is too! This new blog hop is all about travel, but not the kind you think of first. It is a 'stay'cation' type of travel...one where you 'stay' home for your vacation! Neat idea, huh? :) I thought so...and as you can see, the deadline for the revel is coming up this weekend...had to think long and hard about this one as I live in an area where there are many, many choices to choose from for it! :) 

   As I live in Olympia, Washington, I came to the conclusion that there are just too many different parts of this area to choose from, so decided to go with something that tends to dominant the skyline on clear days here where I live...depending on which way you are looking! :) Here are some pictures to give you a clue... ...and a sampling of some of the varied wildlife that lives there!
Mt Rainier at sunset
              Mountain chipmunk
                                                           fox
Blue grouse                   Marmot
                                        white tailed deer
black bear        Alta Vista sunrise  


 **Note: all pictures are courtesy of Dreamstime.com (found online)

A little historical information about Mt Rainier...from Wikipedia*.
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of 14,411 ft (4,392 m). 
Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and it is on the Decade Volcano list. On clear days it dominates the southeastern horizon in most of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area to such an extent that locals sometimes refer to it simply as "the Mountain." On days of exceptional clarity, it can also be seen from as far away as Portland, Oregon and Victoria, British Columbia. With 26 major glaciers and 36 sq mi (93 km²) of permanent snowfields and glaciers, Mount Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. The Carbon, Puyallup, Mowich, Nisqually, and Cowlitz Rivers begin at eponymous glaciers of Mount Rainier. The sources of the White River are Winthrop, Emmons, and Fryingpan Glaciers. The White, Carbon, and Mowich join the Puyallup River, which discharges into Commencement Bay at Tacoma; the Nisqually empties into Puget Sound east of Lacey (one of the 'bedroom' communities in the Olympia area; and the Cowlitz joins the Columbia River between Kelso and Longview.
 At the time of European contact, the river valleys and other areas near the mountain were inhabited by many Pacific Northwest tribes who hunted and gathered berries in its forests and mountain meadows. These included the Nisqually, Cowlitz, Yakama, Puyallup, and Muckleshoot.
Citing the need to also protect scenery and provide for public enjoyment, railroads and local businesses urged the creation of a national park in hopes of increased tourism. On March 2, 1899, President William McKinley established Mount Rainier National Park as America's fifth national park. Congress dedicated the new park "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" and "... for the preservation from injury or spoliation of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders within said park, and their retention in their natural condition." 
Hope you have enjoyed reading about and seeing some pictures of a very interesting part of our state of Washington! :)
...now, did you think I forgot!!!
Nope, didn't. :)
Here is what I envisioned  as I thought about the beauty that surrounds this majestic peak and the wildlife (and flowers...hum, didn't get much of that in pictures...maybe next time! ) that inhabits the area...and the materials that I used...
I found a piece of agate that reflected (I think) the shape of the mountain and some of the colors of late summer (like now!) and the fall. To go with it I chose an earth tone mix of seed beads, in pale pink, brown, gold, tan, green, dark blue and purple, as I didn't want to overshadow the pendant.

Above you can see how I used the antique gold cones with a simple gold clasp, to string the triple strand of seed beads...

Here is a close up of the pendant, which I wire wrapped so that it would not flop around! Although, when I threaded it through the strands of seed beads, I left it loose so that it is free to slide back and forth.  :)

I decided to leave part of the gold ring of the hoops showing...

The finished piece! Simple, but elegant...don't you think? :)

 If you click on each picture, they will enlarge and you will get a better, closer look at them. I do not have a camera that can take really good pictures, so have used my smart phone...and it doesn't take the best pictures!
Look forward to viewing each of your creations in turn come the 31st! :)
Ev