Steampunk Mixed Media Assemblage Lamp Beaded Moon Sun Spirit

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My Latest creation, Moonbeam

"She liked the moon because, like herself, it shined its brightest when no one was around to see."

Paul McCobb Chairs - Mid Century Design

Brayton Luguna Pottery Blackamoors

California Brayton Laguna Pottery (1927-1968)

Featured Texas Glass and Pottery Artists

Tim deJong, Wimberley Glass Works



Tim deJong was born in Canada and Studied in New York. A visit to the beautiful Texas Hill Country inspired the formation of Wimberley Glass Works which opened in 1992. Today this Glassworks produces fabulous decorative Art Glass and Innovative custom lighting - the kind found in Design Magazines. This Working Studio has also become a tourist destination with live glass blowing demonstrations with seating for 90 people.

Check out the WGW web site and then visit PearlShops4U for a Signed WGW 1997 T deJong, Tornado Hankerchief Bowl in pristine condition.
Place a Bid before Dec 09, 2010 19:22:30 PST

Robert McCandless Design



Robert McCandless is an award winning art glass designer. For more than 18 years McCandless Design has been transforming fine crystal into works of contemporary art for the Modern home. His Clocks are simply Fabulous and there is a martini set to die for!

This Fabulous Contemporary McCandless Bowl sells for $100 on the artist's website. It's on Auction at PearlShops4U and will probably sell for the opening bid of just $34.99. A fabulous Gift for a Modern Home. Place a Bid before


Gerson Artworks of Texas



And now it's time for something completely different! Outsider Art by Alan Gerson, a self taught Mixed Media artist. His website is both Strange and wonderful. I think the Artist says it best: "One of a Kind Creations from the absurd to the Profound"

Unique Outsider Folk Art Skull Lamp By Gerson Artworks of Texas

Outsider Art Skull Lamp

Just in time for Day of the Dead or Halloween, a Super Cool Signed Outsider Art Skull Lamp By Gerson Artworks of Texas. This lamp was sculpted from clay, cast in hydrastone and painted with acrylic in shades of Orange and Yellow. His bulging eyeballs are blue and there is even a "bug" in his nose! This Creepy Skull is mounted on a round wooden base. The white linen Shade is handpainted with Orange and Yellow Flames.

Creepy Skull Accent Table Lamp Light w Shade Halloween - eBay (item 360313270789 end time Nov-23-10 08:30:24 PST)

Pearl's Latest Finds

Stop in to the store this weekend to check out Pearl's latest finds. The Holidays are right around the corner and Recycling is "IN" this year. Any collector will appreciate the thoughtfulness of a new vintage treasure. Pearl will be listing some interesting and Unique gift ideas and Vintage Treasures you can use to accent your Holiday Table. We wrap and securely pack each treasure like it is a gift and provide additional gift wrapping services upon request.

Retro Find of the Week

The Entertaining Season - Flatware First!

Just in time for the Entertaining Season! Invite the inlaws and set your table with matching vintage Flatware. See the Set! It's a Deal!

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

Click here to go to this listing.

I recently found this really cute Blue Elephant Vase by SylvaC Pottery (1894-1982) England. An Adorable pale Blue Baby Elephant sits under a Golden Brown Palm Tree Vase. A Cheeky little Monkey Pokes his Head out of the Tree. This is Mold number 2430 with an Impressed 1950s Mark.

Happy Cannibals!

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

Gilner Pottery of California (1948-1958) created my most recent find of black pixies! Gilner is well known for a series of pixies which happen to be white. They also produced the "Happy Cannibals" which are Black Pixies with dimples, pointy ears and super mischievous expressions. Available on Ebay Now!

PearlShops4U Grand ReOpening!

Well Guys & Gals, Pearl is happy to be back! After an extended Summer vacation, a few Good Sales (:0) Of Course!) downsizing and relocating, we have finally started unpacking Pearl's eBay Treasures. Stop by the Store to see the Retro and Vintage treasures we have listed. The holidays are right around the corner, and Pearl always packs her finds and treasures like gifts. Lets go back in time and Recycle History with Style this year.

1999 Texas Longhorns vs OSU Game Team Signed Football

After winning a national championship, expectations were high for Mack Brown's second season. The Horns put together a 5 game winning streak and finished 1st place in the Southern Division of the Pac12 with a 9-5 record in 1999. It has been said the defensive line was possibly the best in school history. That year Casey Hampton led the team in tackles with 101, including 21 tackles for a loss. Shaun Rogers had an unbelievable 27 tackles for a loss, while Aaron Humphrey led the team with 30 quarterback pressures. Major Applewhite, who is currently a member of the coaching staff, was the quarterback. This fabulous football commemorates the Longhorns victory over Oklahoma State University. A Burnt Orange style blood bath! OSU's quarterbacks were sacked 9 times! Hook'em Horns!


This full sized white Wilson Ball is imprinted with 2 Longhorn Logos, Texas 34 Oklahoma St. 21 Lewis Stadium - Stillwater, Oklahoma November 6, 1999 You Are Special! and covered with autographs from the entire 1999 Texas Longhorns team and coaching staff including Mack Brown and Greg Davis. This ball has been stored in the included display case. The display case does show it's age.


To review the stats for the 1999 team Click Here and visit the Offical Longhorns site.

British Colonial Style

Unlike the flowers and stuffiness of traditional British design, British Colonial fits my personal Ethnic Eclectic design sensibility. During the period of Colonialism the travelers of the day embraced elements of the native cultures and designs of the Colonies which included India, Africa, Asia and the West Indies.

I recently found a fabulous set of 6 Coffee Cups designed to serve Hot Toddies and Coffee Confections. Each cup is a figural representation of a man, complete with bushy eyebrows and mustache. Perhaps he is a a soldier in the British West India Regiment. A fabulous unexpected accent for the bar in your British Colonial Den!



To read more about British Colonial Design Style visit:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/99353/british_colonial_desig

n_style_furniture.html

The African Queen

This fabulous African Queen with female warrior guards has been tucked away in a private collection for many years. My best guess at her age or circa is the 1930s to 1950s. I have seen other versions of this lamp made of pottery, some with spun fiberglass shades. The signed metal lamps are much harder to find. I've never seen another set that included her warrior women guards.

This unique pot metal set would be great in many interiors including Exotic Hollywood Regency, Retro Modern and Ethnic Eclectic. Every room needs a touch of drama and an Up Light!

I have searched for information about this artist to no avail. There is a clear copyright symbol on each piece. The first name is Geo. The Last name could be Trivino, Trevino or Travina. It is a stylized signature which I think is Italian, which is just a guess.

This set is made of pot metal with brass and brushed metal parts. She was in the same condition when the original owner found her many years ago. I think her imperfections represent the natural evolution of a woman's life. She wears her age with pride.

Of course, if you want to make her all shiny and new, a bit of black paint and gold leaf would be an easy fix. There is another example of what can be done with a few vintage lamp parts, crystals and some paint currently listed on eBay. If you search eBay for: "Crystal African Queen" you will find two that have had very sparkling makeovers.

Decorating tips from PearlShops4U

As many of you know, I love all things hand made. One of my personal favorites is a carved wood African comb which is said to drive the evil spirits out of your head. This treasure is 6"W x 15"L with a string to hang it. For many years, it just hung on a nail by the front door. When we moved, I planted a nail in the wall and hung it up, but it just looked so small and insignificant. I needed something that looked more impressive so I decided to frame it.





I scoured the local home stores for a suitable shadow box frame. While searching the clearance section, I found a large black frame on a very ugly print for 70% off! The print was so ugly, the checkout girl wrinkled her nose and asked "Where are you going to put THAT? I just smiled, of course she didn't know I wasn't buying the print, I just wanted the frame. A large shadow box would nave been 4 or 5 times more. A custom frame would have been hundreds of dollars. For less than $15, I had a substantial 36" x 30" Frame and I already owned the art, my beautiful African Comb.


I won't bore you with pictures of that ugly print! I threw it out and took the glass out of the frame. I pulled out my handy dandy glue gun and trimmed the frame with 1/2" molding. I had some left over from another project, but, it is available at the home stores for just a few dollars for a 8' piece. I used the glass as a template to cut out a sturdy piece of cardboard which I covered with a scrap of grasscloth wall paper. I glued the covered cardboard to a piece of 1/4 thick plywood, turned it over and put a small nail on the front to hang my fabulous Comb. Here is the end result. Now my treasured African Comb is a commanding piece of art that fills an empty wall with style.





My goal is to help all my shoppers live their decorating dreams so, on a recent shopping trip I found a Unique set of carved Tiki or Tribal type masks just for you. The center mask is 17.5"H x 2.75"W the other two are about 10.5"L x 2.75"W. These treasures would be equally fabulous in a Mid Century, Tiki Bar, or Ethnic Eclectic interior. They really are FABULOUS! I'm very tempted to keep them!





I look at them and see an opportunity to make art from art. I could make it easy by simply hanging them directly on the wall. To add that retro flair, they could be hung in 3 matching frames or 1 fabulous large frame. Get creative, use grass cloth, cork, even a piece of decorative metal grill as the backing. Check out the Framed Prints Clearance Section in your neighborhood. If you have carpenter skills, unfinished molding can be a real bargain. A frame can be trimmed with molding, bamboo, small glass tiles, or not trimmed at all. Feeling ambitious? Lightly sand them and apply a bit of finish or wax to bring out the natural colors of the wood or enjoy the rustic charm as they are. With the right hardware, they could be attached to mask stands and not framed at all. A decorating project with endless possibilities.


Want to start with a smaller project? Here's a small clay treasure with the same potential.





Even if you think you have zero artistic skills this type of decorating project will build your confidence. Anyone can make art with art. The key is to find the right treasure to enhance and make it your own! Of course it helps when PearlShops4U.

Summer Souvenir Memories

Pearl just returned from her Summer Vacation and she brought home a few souvenirs. One of our fondest memories of Summer is piling into the family wagon for the annual road trip and the treasures we would collect along the way.

In the 1950's, Hazel Atlas Glass Company produced a series of souvenir state tumblers. The detailed graphics of scenes depicting popular tourist spots and illustrated State Maps made these frosted treasures an instant hit with the collecting public.

When President Eisenhower pushed the button to signal the countdown to the first World's Fair in the U.S. since World War II, the spotlight hit Seattle. In 1962, many families drove to the great northwest to see the vision of the 21st century, a sleek new tomorrowland inspired by science and human ingenuity. Elvis even made a movie that showcased it! The monorail was futuristic but the Space Needle would capture the hearts and minds of a nation.

Enjoy Pearl's Vacation Pictures

Make a Smilebox photobook

Visit PearlShops4U to see all the new Treasures Pearl found on her vacation. You know Pearl, she just Loves to Shop!

It's Black History Month At PearlShops4U

Our first featured artist is Thomas Blackshear, a graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago. While finishing his college education, he was recruited by Hallmark Cards and later became the apprentice of illustrator Mark English.

During the late 80s, Thomas illustrated U.S. postage stamps for the Black Heritage Series. In 1990 the Post Office released his 50th Anniversary movie poster stamps, The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, Stagecoach and Beau Geste. He also painted twenty-eight illustrations for the U.S. Postal Service book, I have a dream. Seventeen of these paintings were exhibited at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and, later, were part of a traveling exhibit.

In 1995 he introduced the Thomas Blackshear's Ebony Visions™ collection. A blend of Art Nouveau with elements of African Culture, as well as elements of cultures from throughout the world. Blackshear received the coveted 1996 "Rising Star Award" and the 1999 "Artist of the Year" award from the National Association of Limited Edition Dealers.

Thomas calls his unique style "Afro-Nouveau" and says, "the collection reflects not only my visions as a black man and the unique visions of black people, it represents visions we all share, regardless of the color of our skin. Emotions like hope, love, tenderness, faith, and serenity know no boundaries."

To honor and celebrate the artistic wealth of African American Culture, Pearl will be offering Thomas Blackshear's Ebony Visions™ treasures from her personal collection. Buy it now Listings will start on Sunday Feb 10th.

Black Americana Preserving the Uncomfortable Past

It has been many years since I visited the Museum in Black run by Brian Breye. Many years ago it was located in historic Lamert Park in Los Angeles. I will never forget my first visit.

It was a quiet summer morning as I poked my head into the open door. The owner was no where to be seen. I wandered the dark isles of African artifacts in solitude. Spotting an open door in the back, bathed in light, I slipped in and was confronted by a multitude of Black Americana artifacts and memorabilia. There were images on every wall, even the ceiling. I remember a large wooden hutch full of salt and pepper shakers. Post cards, Valentines, Aunt Jemima in every conceivable utilitarian form. Note Pads, Cookie Jars, Syrup containers, Toaster Covers and more. Artifacts and memorabilia from slavery, segregation and Jim Crow. My first thought ~ Well this puts "my collection" of odds and ends to shame. Just then, the owner tapped me on the shoulder and said rather firmly; “This room isn't ready for the public, it's my private collection.”

For the first time, I stood in front of someone who shared my passion to rescue these items. I wasn't going anywhere! I needed to know more about this collection. For me, the images of an uncomfortable past are a great source of knowledge, understanding, even pride. The fact that my grandparents and their grandparents had lived, struggled and rose above a society so intrenched in hatred, myths and stereotypes has been a great source of inspiration in my life. So we talked about the haunting images first, the scarcity of many of these treasures, who the collectors where and why imports and copies were being made today. I left with a new found understanding of my need to save these treasures and the importance of the past.

I've often wondered if the Museum in Black is still there and how it has changed. Since that chance meeting with Brian Breye, I realized that rescuing and preserving this slice of history is an honorable obsession. To reach the heights, to climb the difficult mountains of everyday life, we must understand and draw upon the strength of our ancestors. Our manifest destiny has been written and carved out of the uncomfortable past.

Here is a very small part of Pearl’s Private Collection: