Vintage Lace Pendants by Laura Beth Love
all arwork & images copyright Laura Beth Love 2009
Thank goodness springtime is right around the corner! The change of seasons always seems to offer just the right gentle push I need to leave behind the old and begin some new projects. I look forward to the refreshing & soft palette of spring — and to the longer days it affords! I created these pendants with pieces of antique lace & glass. Enjoy!
Laura
Pendant approx. 1"
"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."
-Henry David Thoreau
American china with bird motif
Bluebird China
'Bluebird china enjoyed a brief but spectacular history, first appearing in the late 1800s, reaching its zenith in the early to mid-1920s, and was almost entirely gone by 1930. China decorated with the bluebird motif was produced by over 50 different American companies including Anchor Pottery Company, Atlas China Company and Atlas-Globe China Company, Chippendale China, Homer Laughlin China Company, and Steubenville Pottery Company to name just a few.'
Classic Homer Laughlin "Fluffy Bluebird" Pattern
Homer Laughlin Fluffy Bluebird pattern china
Necklace pendant
Necklace Pendant
Bracelet made from a broken tea cup
Broken china mosaic heart with bluebird
Bluebirds of Happiness
'The mythology of the bluebird of happiness has deep roots that go back thousands of years. Indigenous cultures across the globe hold similar myths and beliefs about the bluebird. It is a widely accepted symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, new births, the renewal of springtime, etc. Virtually any positive sentiments may be attached to the bluebird. ' -Excerpt from Bluebird of Happiness, which can be found HERE in its entirety.
Other Bluebird China Patterns
Vintage Lovebirds — Unknown pattern
Some examples of a few less common American bluebird china patterns:
Necklace with freshwater pearl and Swarovski crystal
Necklace Pendant
Pin brooch with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals
Bracelet displayed on the plate it was made from
Link bracelet
How about these sweet little birds? Looks like they've made their nest in a basket.
Necklace pendant, vintage American china
Necklace pendant
Entry May 18 'Your words are born not spoken. Dimensional soft-vowelled words palpable to the eye or to the fingertip. Exquisitely curved as the young that flowers conceive. Often I have watched your lips shape words... and your tongue nudge them out like small birds not wholly certain of their wings. Your sweetest words are those shaped ovally like plums or wild birds' eggs. And the long bright ribbons you laugh, the multitudes of hyacinth and bluebells.'
-Walter Benton, This Is My Beloved
Pin brooch with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals
An older, unusual bluebird china pattern, probably circa 1920:
Necklace pendant
Pin brooch with freshwater pearl and Swarovski crystal
Necklace made with Amazonite, Rohodonite, and sterling wire
Necklace
Necklace, unknown pattern
Mount Clemens Robin pattern
Heart Pendant
Heart pendant
Pendant
Pin brooch with sterling beads and Swarovski crystals
Heart pendant
Charm bracelet with pearls and various crystals and gems
Silver spoon bracelet
Silver spoon bracelet
Silver spoon bracelet
Pin brooch with crystals
Another unusual American bird pattern. These look like lovebirds or budgies. Notice the motif surrounding the heart design in the second photo below.
Necklace pendant
Pin brooch
Bird of Paradise & Pheasant Patterns
"The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp."
-John Berry
Unusual, ornate pattern. Pin brooch with Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls.
' The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species in this family are found on the island of New Guinea... with a few species occurring in the Moluccas of Indonesia and eastern Australia. The family has forty species in 13 genera. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head. For the most part they are confined to dense rainforest habitat.' -Excerpt from Bird-of-paradise, which can be found HERE in its entirety
Antique pattern. Pin brooch with heart-shaped coin pearl and crystal.
Heart charm, approx 7/8"
Pin brooch
Beautiful colors! Pin brooch with Swarovski crystals
Pendant
Parrots & cockatoos
Art deco china pattern with parrot motif, American china
Same pattern as above. This pin brooch was made from the design on the center of the plate.
This Parrot pattern is from England:
Pendant
Pin brooch
English china, necklace pendant
Blue Willow birds:
Pendant
Blue willow porcelain from Japan. Necklace made with glass beads, glass pearl beads and sterling wire.
Necklace
A few other bluebird and bird china patterns:
Pendant
Pin brooch
Silver spoon bracelet with 7/8" heart charm
Bluebird china earrings
Heart charm approx. 7/8"
Shelley fine bone china. Flow blue bird motif with gold overlay.
"One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Pin brooch with amethyst briolette drop. Newer porcelain.
English transferware with swan motif. Pin brooch
Heart charm, approx 7/8" English transferware
Vintage American pottery with doves motif. Pendant
Birds are flyin' south for winter.
Here's the Weird-Bird headin' north,
Wings a-flappin', beak a-chatterin',
Cold head bobbin' back 'n' forth.
He says, "It's not that I like ice
Or freezin' winds and snowy ground.
It's just sometimes it's kind of nice
To be the only bird in town."
Birds are one of my most requested china patterns for jewelry. Because they can be hard to find, sometimes even rare, my finished jewelry pieces made from these patterns on average cost a bit more than other patterns. I hope you enjoyed this look into the world of vintage bird china! No matter how often I look at these patterns, they are still delight me each time I see them! -Laura (all jewelry shown above was made by me!)
