I just came across this necklace on Ikyoto's Etsy shop called the 'Devil Nut Necklace'.
It's a photo of a seed of the plant genus Trapa. One species, Trapa natans, is an invasive aquatic plant in North America (it's native to Eurasia). It grows as a floating whorl of leaves on the surface of water and has seeds with 4 horns (a nice photo of the seeds can be seen here).
This plant is commonly called water chestnut but it isn't the same water chestnut you eat in stir fry dishes (those come from species of Eleocharis instead).
I always thought the seeds look like Dobby the house elf from Harry Potter, but I can also see the devil in these.
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
27 January 2009
Trapa necklace
07 December 2008
Anthrax plush
Giant Microbes just released some new plush microbes. One of which is Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis).
While cute, if this is one of your holiday purchases I wouldn't openly talk about mailing anthrax to people, especially while in line at the post office.
05 December 2008
Felt animal pillows
More gift ideas coming at you all week!
Allenbrite sells a variety of felt home wares, but their felt pillows really caught my attention. They are bright and cheerful, yet true to the animal featured.
I like the furry belly on the brown bat.
Mincing Mockingbird
While I was starting my holiday shopping/browsing, I came across The Mincing Mockingbird's shop that features very beautiful prints of birds with creative titles as well as magnets that feature birds making snarky comments.
Take a look for the bird lover or nature aficionado on your gift list.
29 August 2008
Insect Jewelry
I just saw these beautiful insect jewelry pieces on Alphabettisphaghetti's Etsy shop.
The first is a butterfly necklace modeled after Parnassius apollo.
This damselfly necklace also caught my eye.
25 August 2008
Cave formations tee
On your next trip to a cave put on the Stalagmite vs. Stalactite tee available on Threadless. That way you just have to look down to remember that stalactites hold tight to the ceiling, while stalagmites are on the ground.
23 August 2008
Squid hats
I just saw these cute plush squid hats on ObeyMyBrain's Etsy shop. If I wasn't a poor graduate student, I'd buy one and go as a giant squid for Halloween. Or maybe a ship being attacked by a kraken.
I think PZ would like these.
22 August 2008
Evolving Darwin Play Set
Just in at Archie McPhee (my favorite source of all things tacky), the Evolving Darwin Play Set. A reproduction of the classic illustration showing the evolution of man, the man being Darwin in this case. This is being added to my mental list of potential holiday gifts.
21 August 2008
Moss Ring
I'm going to steal this one before Jessica at Moss Plants and More blogs about it. AdornJewelry on Etsy is selling rings that you can grow moss in and wear. This shop also features rings with faux moss and bird collage pendants. The rings do not come with growing tips or moss, but that way you can select your favorite local species.
(Via Craft)
17 July 2008
Platypus Tee
The genome of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) was published in May of this year and made quite the stir in the news (here and here for example) as it seems they've found genes shared by reptiles, birds, and mammals. I just saw this tee over at Snorgtees.com - a tribute to the platypus genome and crime fighting cartoons.
18 June 2008
Science T-shirts
Amorphia Apparel allows you to show your love of science on your t-shirt. They have a whole line of shirts to poke fun at Intelligent Design supporters by depicting absurd controversies and the catch phrase "Teach the Controversy". Tempting, but I also like the one with a scientist riding a paramecium.
16 May 2008
Plush evolution
I just stumbled upon Fur Will Fly's shop on Etsy which has lots of cute science-y plush dolls, and "On the origin of plush..." caught my eye right away. As their creator says, "This is an evolving family of 4 plushies, each one slightly more developed than the last. (But please treat them all equally)."
05 April 2008
Leaves in clay
Browsing on Etsy, I found these clay pieces that are imprinted with leaves from plants growing in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina where the artist, leavesofclay, lives. 
The descriptions list the common names of the leaves used on each piece.
28 March 2008
I Heart Guts
Well, if you thought plush microbes were cute, they are making plush organs over at I Heart Guts (as well as T-shirts and stickers).
Pictured above are a uterus, pancreas (top), gall bladder (purple) and the blue wrinkly guy is a brain. Their expressions just make me smile.
I might not buy a plush, but I'm ordering the assorted sticker pack. I Heart Guts also works with transplant and health organizations to raise funds. So while they might be cute, they're also used to promote great causes.
08 February 2008
Giant microbes in petri dishes
They now come in miniature form packaged in petri dishes. I think this new product is especially relevant to this blog's title. So check them out, I think I'm going to have to order some of these soon.
01 December 2007
Giant microbes
Need stocking stuffers or a gift for that hard-to-buy-for scientist? Then I direct you over to Giant Microbes - a site that sells plush versions of microbes.
I bought these for all my family members two years ago and even non-biologists like them. When people asked my sister what she got for Christmas that year, she proudly exclaimed "Syphilis!".
(Syphilis, T4 bacteriophage, Penicillin, and E. coli)
06 November 2007
Biology on Etsy
I discovered Etsy last year (it's a site where crafts, art, and all things handmade are sold by the people who create them). The products you can find there are only limited by the imagination of artisans.
So, now that the holiday season is (almost) upon us, I was curious if people were creating biologically inclined crafts. See them below the fold.
Darwin and finch pillow.
Rodent Evolution Journal (the seller has other biological journals).
DNA beaded bracelet.
Clocks with plant cell types. The clock above features stomata.
16 October 2007
Gummy Tapeworm
Well, it's official, I've spotted my first displays of Christmas items for sale (before Halloween this year even). So, for your winter holiday gift giving occasion, why not give a gummy tapeworm from Archie McPhee.
Not only good for your parisitologist friends, but anyone brave enough to eat its gummy proglottids. Or if you're like me and would rather not be thinking about the commercialism of December already, why not buy some and give them out to trick-or-treaters.
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