Three Unlikely Roommates

A skull and black cat on parole

Met a bat who'd moved from the North Pole.

The bat would hang out

As the cat lay about

And the skull said, "That's just how I roll."

The Three Unlikely Roommates come as a set and can be found here.

Penguins

by Jack Prelutsky

Penguins cautiously reside
on our planet's underside,
where they're careful not to cough,
lest they trip and tumble off.

Penguins can be found here and here.

Numbskullery

If others say you are hard-headed,
That you bury your head in the sand,
That you just aspired to be head of your class,
Salute them with your best head-stand.

If they say you're the head cheese or honcho,
Or like a deer in the headlamps,
That you're bound to turn up in the headlines,
Just say that they give you brain cramps.

Rejoice, do a cheer with the cheese-heads,
Drive a van like the good Dead Heads do,
For it's better than being a footnote.
Or, worse yet, the end of the queue.

Skulls for all occasions.

There Was a Black Cat...

There was a black cat, name of Inky
Whose personal hygiene was stinky.
He slept in a bed with a gnawed-off mouse head
And slurped it like it was a binky.

 There was a black cat, name of Mo
Whose shedding was designed to show
That if you wore white he could fix it up right
'Til it looked more like crow than like snow.

There was a black cat named Denise
Who refused to desist and decease
With her howling and yowling and her late night prowling,
She gave all the meeces no peace.

There was a fine shop with some kittens
To pay for the feral cats' mittens,
Their shots and their fixes and and all their cat sickses
Because their cat lady was smittens.

The Hare and the Elixir of Immortality

In both the Chinese and Japanese culture, the hare (Chinese, Tu; Japanese, Usagi) is sacred to the moon, where the Taoists believe it lives, mixing together the ingredients that form the elixir of life, or longevity.  

In the Chinese culture, the greatest desire is long life, which prolongs  enjoyment of this world's goods, and ensures receiving the respect paid to old age in a country governed by the maxims of Confucius. Longevity is therefore the first and greatest of the Woo Fuh or " Five Blessings." 

 Legend tells us that the rabbit's fur turns white at the age of 100, and blue at the age of 500.  

When the Chinese goddess Ch'ang-O drank too much of the magical elixir, she floated away to live on the moon, too light to return to earth.  

Year of the Rabbit charm can be found here.  Ch'ang-O can be found on the moon.

Sing Along with Humpback Whales

The humpback whale's a baleen whale
Who sings a humpback song.



Join him for a plankton feast.
He'll let you sing along.





Itty bitty whales hang out here.

A Bracelet and Earrings to Benefit Queensland Flood Relief

In light of the disastrous flooding in Queensland, I made these earring and this bracelet.  Usually I sell my pieces through eBay and etsy, but with charity listings, too much money goes to eBay and etsy and Pay Pal and Missionfish and whoever else happens to be dinging us all.  So this is through the blog, right here, so that ALL the money goes to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal.

If you would like to purchase either or both pieces, just contact me via the blog by leaving a comment (or email me) and let me know.  I will send you an invoice and, as soon as you pay, will ship your piece(s) and make a donation to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal.  I'll send you a confirmation that the donation has been made.

So all that stuff I usually say in listings, I'll say here, instead.  Ready?  Here we go.

Eucalyptus Dreams

STERLING SILVER and HAND-PAINTED PERUVIAN CERAMIC KOALA CHARMS

with bead charms of

LABRADORITE, AVENTURINE, HEMATITE, RAINFOREST JASPER, MOONSTONE, SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS, FIRE POLISH CRYSTALS, BALI SILVER DAISIES, CAT'S EYE (FIBEROPTIC) GLASS and BEAD BOX TREASURES

COST: $100

Five little koalas romp in a eucalyptus forest of beads.  The four Peruvian ceramic koalas are hand-painted, making each whimsically unique.  

A sterling koala on a branch watches them all from his center perch.  He is 3D and nicely detailed, attached with a sterling silver split ring.

Here's his backside.

All the bead charms are wire-wrapped with sterling silver wire onto a sterling silver chain.  The bracelet has an inside diameter of approximately 7" (17.78cm) and closes with a silver lobster clasp.  I can lengthen or shorten your bracelet for no additional charge.

Some gemstone thoughts:

Labradorite: According to an Eskimo legend, the Northern Lights were once imprisoned in the rocks along the coast of Labrador.  It is told that a wandering Eskimo warrior found them and was able to free most of the lights with a mighty blow of his spear. Some of the lights were still trapped within the stone, and thus we have today the beautiful mineral known as labradorite.

Labradorite is said to provide quick relief from anxiety, hopelessness and depression, replacing them with enthusiasm, self-confidence and inspiration. It is said to dispel negativity and to bring clear understanding by enhancing clarity of thought and improving one's ability to cooperate with others in harmony.

Aventurine:  It is said that Aventurine has the ability to ground an individual emotionally, allowing for thought that is free of fear, troubled emotions, indecisiveness, and anxiety. Wear it when making critical decisions, when anxious or when feeling overwhelmed by life’s problems.

Rhyolite or rain forest jasper is said to be a protective stone which is said to give us strength and support in times of change. Rhyolite allows us to recognize our potential, fosters problem-solving and creativity, strengthens our resolve, helps us to control anger, and encourages us to let go of destructive emotions that keep us from moving forward. It is a stone of action that gets those of us who tend to procrastinate to do what must be done. Rhyolite is believed to balance emotions, encourage creativity, boost self-esteem, promote feelings of self-worth, and foster acceptance. It is thought to enhance communication, perseverance, and problem-resolution.

Moonstone:  Moonstone is believed to help one with vision, which is why a woman carrying it during her moon time is more powerful at that time; she is given visions that are stronger than if she were not carrying it.  Carry it at other times to see the variety of possibilities in any situation.

Hematite:  Crystal healers credit Hematite with the ability to bring about a calm mental state, improve memory, mental focus and concentration, and bolster self-confidence.  It is thought to bestow peace and non-aggression.  Some say hematite can heal karmic anger and rage, and heal those who were warriors in past lives and in this life.

So not only will you be helping heal Queensland; you'll boost your self-esteem, have visions, cure karmic anger, give yourself support in times of change, ground yourself emotionally, and find relief from hopelessness. 

Quite a bargain.

The bracelet is handmade and unique ~ an opportunity to wear or give something handmade rather than mass-produced.


And then there are the earrings!

I ❤ Koalas

PERUVIAN CERAMIC KOALAS with HEMATITE HEARTS, SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS, and BALI SILVER DAISIES

COST: $30

Tiny hand-painted ceramic koalas dangle beneath hematite hearts.  

They are set off with Swarovski crystals and Bali silver daisies, and dangle approximately 2" (5.08cm) beneath silver-plated lever back ear-wires.

Hematite:  Crystal healers credit Hematite with the ability to bring about a calm mental state, improve memory, mental focus and concentration, and bolster self-confidence.  It is thought to bestow peace and non-aggression.  Some say hematite can heal karmic anger and rage, and heal those who were warriors in past lives and in this life.

Why the Whale Warbles

The humpback male whale sings a song



That's 10 to 20 minutes long.



We're not too sure of why he sings...



Perhaps for the fe-whales it brings.



For whale charms and amazing things.

The Monkeys Disgrace

The Monkeys' Disgrace

Three monkeys sat in a coconut tree
Discussing things as they're said to be.
Said one to another, "Now listen, you two,
There's a certain rumor that cannot be true,
That man descends from our noble race -
The very idea is a disgrace.




No monkey ever deserted his wife,
Starved her babies and ruined her life;
And you've never known a mother monk
To leave her babies with others to bunk,
Or pass them on from one to another
Til they scarcely know who is their mother.

And another thing you'll never see -
A monk build a fence around a coconut tree
And let the coconuts go to waste,
Forbidding all other monks to taste.
Why, if I put a fence around this tree,
Starvation would force you to steal from me. 




Here's another thing a monk won't do -
Go out at night and get on a stew,
Or use a gun or club or knife
To take some other monkey's life;




Yes, Man Descended - That ornery cuss -
But, brother, he didn't descend from us!"
     - anonymous

One source attributes The Monkeys Disgrace poem to Nettie Bates Thomas, another to Ogden Nash.   The charm, however, is attributed to me.

The Celts Explain Black Cats

A black cat, told in Celtic lore
Was not a cat, yet so much more.


Instead of a warm furry being
It was seen as one all-seeing.



Former soul, reincarnated,
One from life that's past, post- dated.



She divines what lies ahead.
A real cool trick for one who's dead.


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Just the Bat Facts, Ma’am

Did you know that a single brown bat can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in an hour? Or that bats are very clean, and groom themselves almost constantly when they're not eating or sleeping? Or that they actually have very good eyesight along with excellent echolocation skills?

Of course you did! That's why you're eyeing (and perhaps echolocating) this bat charm bracelet.



It has a sterling silver bat at the center and bats carved of hematite. The bead charms are gemstones: onyx and hematite.

More bat facts. Did you know that nearly 40% of American bat species are in severe decline, or already listed as endangered or threatened? Yet these night-flying mammals eat thousands of insects, including mosquitoes, and pollinate and fertilize many plat species.

And the hematite bat on this dark garden necklace doesn’t eat any. What a lazy slacker!



The hematite bats on these earrings hang from onyx instead of belfries.



They just flew off of eBay and into my etsy shop. They aren’t eating any insects there, either, but they might in your home.