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:

Researching Vintage Jewelry

So much has been happening at PearlShops4U that I haven't had much time to update the blog. I met a fabulous group of Sparklie Power seller Women. Please visit My World and Check out my favorite Seller's list. This fabulous group of sellers have been giving me a fresh look at the world of eBay. With the support and knowledge of this small powerful group, I am learning many new things. The store is undergoing a major renovation one piece at a time. Months ago I introduced you to the new Pearl. Now I have a new listing template to feature the treasures I find. If you are looking for a Fabulous Web Designer be sure to contact JennarationX.

I have acquired a small estate lot of costume jewelry that I will be selling for a friend. This fabulous collection of sparkling rhinestones and Retro looks has inspired me to take a closer look at the world of collecting costume jewelry.

These Jewels, collected from the 50s to the 80s, have been worn and loved over a lifetime. I really love the necklace sets. They remind me of Jackie O. and a time when a well dressed lady wore a necklace set everyday. While the bead sets may not be as collectible as other items in this estate, they are the perfect accent to a vintage or modern outfit. Since my name is Pearl , this is one of my favorite sets:

In 1955 a federal judge ruled that costume jewelery designs were "Works of Art" and should be protected by copyright laws. So when you find a fabulous piece, check it closely for marks. If the Copyright symbol is present then the treasure was most likely produced after 1955. Some manufacturers like Coro may have used the mark as early as 1947. The name Coro was adopted in 1943 by the New York firm of Cohn & Rosenberger which was founded in 1901. There are thee marked Coro pieces in this collection:


This set is marked with the Copyright symbol, but the following sets of earrings have no copyright mark.



One of the most sought after names in costume jewelry is Juliana, made by the DeLizza & Elster Company. Juliana was the name of Frank DeLizza's mother. In 1967 and 1968 this company produced the popular "5 Link" line of fabulous necklaces and bracelets. None of these items were marked but the construction is easy to identify, if you know what you are looking for. This fabulous sparkler is breathtaking.


When I searched for Confirmed Juliana Necklaces I found this
spectacular necklace at Rubylane. There are 2 pairs of earrings in the estate that are a close match to this sparkler.


I'm still researching the earrings because I have not seen another Juliana listing with jewels that are set in the same manner as this set. All of the Juliana pieces I have seen online have prong set rhinestones. So I'm off to the eBay jewelry discussion board to see if there are any experts available to confirm the maker.

I hope you will check back to see when the listings will start. I have been spending all of my time on Jewelry sites discovering a wealth of information. Check out the following sites for the skinny on collecting costume jewelry.





Costume Jewelry History
And Jewelry Marks

Juliana at Lillys Vintage Jewelry, Absolutely Vintage, Milkyway Jewels, Vintage Sarah Coventry .

Visit PearlShops4U on MySpace to see more pictures of the collection. Let's be MySpace Friends.