GIFTS FOR MOM

Take these (250) little translucent beads into the sunlight and they burst into assorted colors faster than you can say "assorted colors." How do they do it? Well, they're UV-reactive, that's how. Mostly pink, purple, rose, yellow and cream and they fade to a nice pearly color inside. Amaze your friends at picnics. Beads measure 5/16" dia x 1/4" with a 5/32" bore. Come with classroom application notes.

This isn't a book, but it's definitely book-ish. Looks like a leather-bound volume from the Bodleian but it's just a little wooden box, approx 8-1/2" x 5" x 2" (7" x 3-7/8" x 1-5/8" inside) that's perfect for stashing the jewels, cash, or whatever you need to stash in plain sight on the shelves.

Steampunk alert! Also…model and jewelry maker alert! This pair of 10X acrylic doublet loupes is mounted on black eyeglass frames and flanked by LED lights powered by (2) included CR1620 button cell batteries. These are for close work only, from 1" to 1-1/2", and can focus only one lens at a time (not both on the same object) so if you’re a steampunker looking for a new accessory, plan on perching this rig on your pate or chapeau.

Hang it all with this set of (10) magnetic hooks. The 1-3/16" long x 9/64" hooks screw into 1-3/8" dia magnetic bases with an approx 8-lb pull, which is heavier than most jackets and keys. Good for horizontal or vertical mounts, and dandy for adding hooks to gym or school lockers.

Stethos is Greek for chest. Indeed you can scope your stethos with this stethoscope, or your friend's or your dog's. But it works equally well for picking up any sound being transmitted through a solid medium. Listen to the air flowing through the heating ducts, the water in the pipes, the sounds of machinery, the termites munching on the floor joists!! The color does vary so we will select from what's currently available. We've had blue, teal, red, black, burgundy, green and purple, but there may be other colors yet to be seen! Not professional quality, but also not just a toy.

The secret is ceramics. This newly redesigned 5-1/2" long precision cutter has a ceramic point that's as sharp as an X-actly knife, stays sharp 11x longer than steel, never rusts, is non-conductive, non-magnetic, non-sparking, chemically inert and is easier to maneuver in intricate cutting patterns. Cuts paper, card stock and more easily while being finger-friendly. Pencil-style ambidextrous durable nylon handle with a textured anti-slip grip and no-roll oval design has a cap and now features a replaceable blade. A boon for crafters, and a blessing for junior crafters.

Just the one, actually, but it’s been sliced in half so the pair is perfectly symmetrical and mighty pretty. Although ammonites have been extinct for 65,000,000 years, we’ve got their approx 1” dia fossils for you. Our each is a book-matched pair of polished ammonites fossils of a single critter halved and polished to a bright symmetrical shininess. The colors vary from light tan to dark brown and we’ll pick because we have impeccable ammonitical color-shade taste. And yes, they’re just screaming to become cuff-links or earrings.

Just like the classic Yankee drill, but for the kitchen. Has that “as seen on the television” kinda feel. You push the silver or rubberized handle, our choice, of this 14” long spring-loaded whisk and it spins clockwise on the push, and reverses when you let up on it. The 10-tine head is 2.4” dia at the bottom x 2.25” long, with a little center pin to keep it off the bottom of the bowl or jar or whatever. In stainless steel. NOTE: The advertised smaller whisk is no longer available. We only have the larger 14" long whisk. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Ten furlongs are condensed to (7) inches, with very small horses, in the Desktop Derby, a 6-horse straight track that lets you win money while you teach the children the evils of pari-mutuel betting. The electric track pulsates and moves the nags along at a pace of about 45 seconds per race, with heart-stopping lead changes. The best part is that they're un-handicapable: a different horse, in a different lane, seems to win every time. Measures 9-7/8" x 3-1/2" x 2" high and runs off (2) "AA" batteries, included. (Stable the horses in the base between races.)

What do rotary tools have in common with fashionistas? Yes, it really is all about accessorizing. This set includes (20) shading bands, (10) fiberglass cut-off wheels, (21) assorted grinding stones, (3) polishing wheels, (45) woolen wheels and points, (36) silicone cut-off wheels, (60) sanding discs, (6) brushes, (5) diamond burrs, (8) high-speed steel burrs and drills, (3) mandrels and some polishing paste, all have a 1/8" shaft and come in a dandy wooden case. Case measures approximately 12-3/8" x 5-3/8" x 1-3/4" and counts as one of the 228 pieces, we swear. Check out our best selling rotary tool here.

Looks like a cheap kid-sized tennis racket, but brother, this ain't for the kids. It's actually a fine way for adults to work on their upper-body strength and kill bugs at the same time. 18" long, with a 6" wide paddle lined with metal grid. A coil in the handle sends high voltage through the paddle when a button is pushed, hit a bug with it and the bug will bug you no more. We've seen these in other catalogs for about twice the price, so buy it from us.  2 AA batteries, not included.

You know about messages and ships in bottles, so it’s probably time for you to branch out with these terrariums in bulbs. It was bound to happen. Our very nice, clear-glass, upside-down light bulbs measure 7" tall x 3-1/2" dia at the widest. Inside they have polished rocks and plastic succulent foliage accented by a stylish 10-LED string of grain-of-wheat-style lights twisting through it. Featured flora include agave, aloe vera, torch plant and jade. Comes with four CR2032 coin cells for power. Just press the top to turn on the lights.

Yes, the sun already lights your yard, but with this set of (100) solar-powered white LEDs, it will light up the yard at night, too. On a 36-foot cord attached to a solar cell and a NiMH rechargeable battery, it operates in steady-on or flashing modes. Recharges in the day and illuminates at night. Eight-hour charge cycle. Internal sensor detects ambient light and only turns on at night. Includes mounting hardware, mollies and a 7" mounting stake. Perfect for the holidays in remote locations. Great for modeling or doll houses.

Got dusty ceiling fans? High curtain rods? Spots that are hard to reach unless you’re 7 feet tall? No problem. Take care of all of your dust once and for all with this sturdy 6-draw telescoping microfiber duster, which extends from a little under 33" all the way to an impressive 110". The business end is approx 17-1/2" x 4" dia and can be bent into whatever shape works for you. Folded down, the whole thing is only 20" long. Not flimsy at all, in case you were wondering about that. Why live with dust when you don’t have to?

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Stainless steel mortar and pestle set. Mortar measures 5-1/4” dia x 3” on a 4” dia attached saucer-like base. Holds approx 250ml. Pestle is 6-3/4” long with 1-1/4” and 2” dia heads. Nice for the lab, or for folks who want everything in their stainless steel kitchen to be stainless steel. You know who you are. And we salute you.

Bigger than a baseball across the top, this is one ginormous jewel. You pick a clear or translucent-sky-blue, 24% lead crystal, cut-glass gem. It’s 3-1/8” dia at the top, tapering to point 2-1/8” deep. Could be mounted in a stunning, but really, really, really big engagement ring.

Hang this holographic prism in the window for delicate, changing color effects. As the sun shines through, it throws splashes of red, yellow, green, blue, violet and more around the room. The glass disc is 4-1/8" dia x 1/4" thick with a chrome-look frame. Comes with a suction cup hanger to mount it on a window. (Find a way to make it rotate for an especially cool effect!)