My Quirky Brooch Collection

It's been a couple of years since I last shared a peek at my brooch collection, and since it's grown a little since then, I thought it was time I gave you guys another look.

I have just over thirty brooches and pins to my name, so I don't have a huge collection yet, but I love every piece I've collected so far just the same. I own mostly brightly-coloured novelty resin, acrylic, and wooden brooches, but I also have a handful that are made of metal - although I don't tend to wear them as often as the others. I get far more joy out of wearing something fun and colourful than I ever do from wearing something silver or gold. I'm weird like that.

I probably wear brooches more than any other type of jewellery, which is something I never thought I'd say. A decade ago, hell, even seven or eight years ago, I used to think brooches were only for crotchety old ladies, and I was adamant I'd never be caught dead wearing one. No hideous jewellery, for me, thanks. Then, as my tastes changed and I started to find my style, I began finding awesome kitsch jewellery at places like Camden Lock Market and Covent Garden, and I quickly began to love them. I no longer own most of the pieces of jewellery I bought back then, since I bought them during a time when I was far too frivolous, shopped a lot, and quickly got bored of my fashion purchases, but that's how my collection started. Now I wear a brooch with almost every outfit, and I like to think they add a fun touch to whatever I'm wearing. Plus they help to keep cardis in place over dresses and tops, and I can still wear them when my skin is too sore or hot to bear a piece of jewellery against it, (which is most of the time these days, thanks to pain and inflammation) and that's always a bonus. They're just so easy to wear.

Almost half of my collection came from Cath Kidston, including the seven colourful resin brooches , the wooden blue tit, and all of the metal wildlife pins. They make the best affordable brooches (usually around £6 each), but sadly only bring two or three out a season. I think they'd make a killing if they branched out and offered at least a dozen or two at a time, I know I'd buy them.

The deer, panda, bespectacled French bulldog, multi-coloured bird, and the green and white bird all came from a little local art shop in Cheltenham (artist unknown), and they're some of my favourite pieces of jewellery. I'm itching to go back for another visit to see if there are any new designs to find.

I won the My Little Pony, Hello Kitty, and Sylvanian bunny from Rachel's giveaway a few years ago, and the little pink bird from one ran by Char a year or two ago. The wooden swallow brooch is by Sass and Belle, and the pink cameo Flower (from Bambi) one was an Etsy find.

The three bejewelled metal brooches are all vintage pieces I picked up from a vintage stall at Camden Lock Market years ago, the grey owl was a gift from my Mum, the gold/bronze coloured owl was from Topshop or Accessorize a gazillion years ago, and the little gold lizard belonged to my Nan.

My collection is growing all the time, and I have a list of brooches as long as my arm that I'd love to add to it- mostly from Sugar and Vice, and Erstwilder. If I was rich, I'd buy so many of them. At the top of my wish list is this axolotl brooch from Sugar and Vice, which I'm hoping to treat myself to really soon, and Cath Kidston has the cutest little bee brooch I know I'll pick up next time I'm in town.

And that's my little brooch collection.

Do you collect cute and quirky brooches, or any other style of jewellery? Do you have a collection to put mine to shame?