Hi Mica!
I don't know whether the cards I saw were the original ones that Mendeleev wrote out, but they looked similar to the ones that Dalton wrote out when he was working on the octects. The scripts I saw were in a Dorling Kindersley book of Chemistry for children when I was younger; I'll see if I brought the book down to Uni with me, but I think it may be at home. As for the flask design, here's a link to a simliar beaker idea which I was trying (very poorly!) to create:
http://www.potamusplace.net/images/redbeaker.gif As for the design of the inlays, I would like something simliar to the square below, but in silver on a plain ebony fingerboard:
http://www.educationalscreensaver.com/1209/periodictableanim.gif with the element symbol in large script in the middle, the atomic weight above the letter(s) (reverse of what is shown) and the atomic number 3, 5, 7, etc below. Of course, the atomic weight wouldn't be as precise, ie - Mg would be just 24, rather than 24.3050. I think by having both numbers, it would look more balanced. It could be v. difficult inlaying the upper frets, so maybe just the element symbol.
I love the idea of the entirre table engraved on the backplate, as well as the gallium on the headstock reverse.
