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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

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.


Saturday, September 18, 2010

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!

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

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.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

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.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

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

Friday, May 29, 2009

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.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

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.