Polka Spots and Freckle Dots: My Brooch Collection

Erstwilder Festive Splendour Christmas Brooches

Erstwilder Modern Holiday Brooches and Earrings

My Erstwilder Christmas Brooch Collection

My resin brooch collection has grown steadily over the last five years, but it wasn't until last week, when I was putting away my new Christmas brooches, that I realised just how many Christmas Erstwilder brooches I have.

Seventeen. I have seventeen Christmas Erstwilder brooches!

And that's not counting the wintry ones from other collections that also look a bit festive when worn with the right outfit.

I only started collecting in 2017.

I might be a little obsessed.

Am I worried? No; I love my little collection, and look forward to accessorising my outfits with different Christmas brooches and earrings each December. It adds some fun and joy to the Christmas count down, and a little personality to what I'm wearing. Plus, I get too hot to wear Christmas jumpers, so this is my way of getting in to the festive spirit with my outfits.

Anyway, now that I've found my missing Red Robbin brooch- it turns out he's been rockin' under my bedside cabinet for the last two years- and have my whole collection together again, I thought it would be fun to give you a peek at my Christmas Erstwilder brooch collection in all it's festive glory.

And here we are.

I have seventeen beautiful holiday brooches, with at least one brooch purchased from every Erstwilder Christmas range dating back to 2017. There are some in classic Christmas colours like red and green, some in pretty pastels, and some in bold, glittery shades of magenta and royal blue. And they're all so different. I have snowmen and Santas, Christmas trees and presents, and even more unusual designs, like partridges in pears and a kookaburra in a snow globe.

I love my entire collection of brooches, but I'd say my favourites would have to be the two snow globes and the robin. The snow globe brooches are just amazing designs, and I love how sparkly the robin is; it's like a pair of ruby red slippers. I also really love the cuckoo clock, and I'm loving my new True Love's Gift partridge in a pear brooch a lot right now, too.

I've worn quite a few of these brooches already this month- often just pinned to my PJs, as I've barely gotten dressed all month- and I'm trying to work my way through wearing all of them before Christmas is over.

Today, I'm wearing the pastel pink cuckoo clock, but tomorrow? Who knows?

Perhaps I'll remember to share it on Instagram, so you might find out.

Do you have a Christmas jewellery collection to rival mine? Which of these brooches is your favourite?

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My Sealife Brooch Collection

I'm away on holiday in (hopefully) sunny Cornwall this week, and I thought it would be fun to show you which accessories I packed for my trip.

So, what does a girl pack for a week by the sea in Cornwall? Why, all the sea life brooches, of course!

I've built up a great little collection of sea animal themed brooches over the last few years (plus a Kraken and a palm tree), so when I was deciding which accessories to pack for my holiday to Cornwall. I knew these brooches would be coming with me.

I love theming my outfits based on the destination or occasion, and trips to Cornwall are always a good excuse to break out anything seaside, sea life or nautical themed. I'll be wearing at least one of these brooches every day, along with my awesome Vendula London Seaside Souvenirs backpack and purse, and a pair of Havaianas. Well, when in Cornwall...

Most of these brooches are old designs from Erstwilder, except for the lobster and palm tree, which were part of a set from Cath Kidston several years ago, and the galaxy-effect whale brooch, which I bought from Kimchi and Coconut last summer. If I had to choose favourites, I think I would pick the beautiful sea turtle brooch, Michelle Sea Turtle; the amazing Kraken brooch, From the Deep, as the design is epic and it's made from the prettiest resins; and the crab brooch, Huggable Decapod, because the marbled red resin is so striking. They're all pretty cool, though, and I'm looking forward to adding them to my outfits this week for trips to the seaside, cruising along the coast, exploring harbour towns, and whatever else we may get up to. Though, if we take a trip to Newquay zoo, I'll be mixing things up and breaking out my new Pete Cromer lemur brooch for the occasion. I mean, what's the point in having a lemur brooch if I can't wear it to the zoo?

Of course, I'll also be keeping my eyes open for anything new to add to the collection while we're drifting in and out of seaside gift shops, so I could come home with more than I arrived with.

It's a risk I'm happy to take.

Someone please stop me.

Which brooch is your favourite?

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Erstwilder x Pete Cromer 4.0: Wildlife Collection

Erstwilder x Pete Cromer 4.0: Wildlife Jewellery Collection

Waiting to find out what Erstwilder's next collecton will be is part of the fun of collecting their awesome jewellery, and I could not have been more surprised when a new Pete Cromer collection dropped last month.

After three fantastic collaborations, I never expected we'd get a fourth from them, but the best surprises are the ones we don't see coming. The Pete Cromer collections, which see the Australian artist's colourful contemporary artwork reimagined as resin jewellery, have been some of my favourite ranges to date, and the latest collection has been no exception.

The new Wildlife collection has, unsurprisingly, been inspired by Cromer's Wildlife series, which is made up of beautiful paintings of wild animals from around the world. There are lions and tigers, toucans and macaws, crocodiles and pandas, and so much more, with the designs reproduced as brooches, necklaces, rings, earrings, and even scarves.

The collection was split in to two parts, with a smaller first release in late June, and a larger second drop in mid-July. There were soooo many pieces I would've loved to have collected, but I had to limit myself to one piece from the first release, and bought three from the second. Narrowing down my favourites took forever- especially with the second release- as I fell in love with everything.

Who'd like to see what I got?

So, even though I could only afford one piece from part one of the collection, there was no doubt in my mind which brooch it was going to be. I needed the toucan brooch in my life. I've always loved toucans, and The Tactful Toucan brooch is a little work of art, bringing Cromer's toucan painting to life with startling accuracy. It's amazing how Erstwilder are able to translate his art in to resin, including all of the little details and pops of colour that make Cromer's work so distinctive, but on a much smaller scale. Some of the detailing is tiny, but they've recreated it all flawlessly. The end result is a striking toucan brooch with a body made from textured black and silver resin, and an impressive beak crafted from plain orange and glittery raspberry. It's been embellished with colourful shapes in a mix of different plain and textured resins, including little pops of blue, green, yellow, pink, silver, and more. It's an amazing piece, and I love it so much. I can't help thinking it would make a great tattoo.

My favourite piece from the second part of the collection has to be The Cautious Camel brooch. I don't know what it is about it exactly, but I think it has so much character, and it's cute face just makes me smile. It's body is made up of buff, camel, grey and taupe bubble and pearlescent resins, but as you'd expect from Pete Cromer, it's anything but plain and boring. It's decorated with a bridle of colourful dots and scallops in a variety of jewel colours, as if it's dressed up for a fun parade instead of leading a caravan through the desert, and the colours make it such a fun piece to pin to a summer outfit. It's so pretty.

Another piece I found myself instantly drawn to was The Learned Lemur, which I partly chose because I have a dress with lemurs on it that it will go perfectly with, and also because it reminded me of the time I did work experience with ruffed lemurs when I was at college. The Learned Lemur is a fantastic ringtailed lemur brooch, crafted from the most amazing galaxy-effect resin that appears grey from a distance, but is actually a beautiful mix of grey, green, blue, and purple. It's tail has the characteristic ringtailed stripes in pops of black, white, green, blue, and grey, and it has gorgeous light grey pearlescent markings on its face and chest. And as you'd expect, it's finished with a scattering of colourful little shapes in true Pete Cromer style.

It took me a while to narrow down my short list of favourites- which also included the tiger, macaw, and giraffe- to pick my final piece, but in the end, I just couldn't resist the meerkat brooch, The Masterful Meerkat. Whether they're comparing meerkats or singing Hakuna Matata with a warthog, everyone loves a meerkat, right? I think this little guy is adorable, and its cute little feet, layered on top of the body, won me over. He's made from a mesmerising pearlescent taupe resin, with plain buff, black, tan, and taupe markings on his face and chest, and decorated with a variety of shapes in shades of blue, white, yellow, and black, all inlaid in to the resin. I'm not often drawn to neutral-coloured accessories as I prefer things a little more colourful, but Master meerkat doesn't blend in to the background. It's a great statement piece, sure to be a great conversation starter, and will be perfect for trips to the zoo. Now I just need Pete Cromer and Erstwilder to make a warthog brooch for the ultimate brooch pairing.

There are still quite a few pieces available from the collection, so if you've fallen in love with these designs as much as I have, be sure to check out the selection from Erstwilder and their stockists.

Did you buy anything from the Erstwilder x Pete Cromer Wildlife collection? Which piece is your favourite?

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Erstwilder x The Wizard of Oz

We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Well, actually I'm here to talk brooches while you read through a screen, but wouldn't it be cool if we could travel somewhere over the rainbow, past the Munchkin City, and along the yellow brick road to the merry old land of Oz? I've always wanted to go, but then again, I'm also put off by the threat of flying monkeys. Maybe Chernobyl would be better?

Anyway, the reason I'm waffling on like a lunatic about a world paved in yellow bricks is that a few weeks ago, Erstwilder released the most amazing licensed Wizard of Oz collection, immortalising one of the world's most beloved films in resin and fabric. There are brooches and necklaces, earrings and scarves, and even enamel pins, and let me tell you, the designs are spectacular. If you're a fan of the movie, do yourself a favour and check them out!

The Wizard of Oz has been one of my favourite musicals since I was little and it's one I still love to watch every year, so I was naturally super excited by this collection, and it sure didn't disappoint. I could've happily bought the entire collection.

A few of my favourites.

There were several brooches from this collection that particularly captured my heart- the Emerald City, Toto, the Ruby Slippers, the Wicked Witch of the East's dead striped legs- but choosing was hard- I could only afford one piece. I missed out on my favourite, the Emerald City brooch, because I forgot to set my alarm and it sold out everywhere before morning- as did many of the others- but luckily, I got my hands on my other favourite, the Crystal Ball brooch.

Look how cool it is!

It's a reimagining of the Wicked Witch of the West's crystal ball, which, as you may remember from the movie, she uses to keep a close eye on Dorothy and her friends as they travel to the Emerald City. Guided by the witch's glittery emerald green hand, it features a black silhouette of The Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Dorothy, and Toto skipping along the yellow brick road in a swirl of iridescent ice and duck egg blues, with subtle hints of gold and amethyst purple mixed in to the resin. The marbled resin is stunning, and stands out beautifully against the glittery teal used for the background, and the brown wood-effect resin chosen for its base. It's such a fun and unique piece of jewellery, and I can't stop wearing it.

My sister likes it so much she's already attempted to steal it from my hands, so I've had to buy her her own for her birthday. It seemed easier than keeping mine under lock and key for the rest of my life. Hers has more purple in the marbled resin, and it's interesting to see how different the cut of the resin can make two brooches of the same design look.

The Crystal ball brooch is still available from Erstwilder, and several of their UK stockists (including Daisy Park, Piccadilly Lily, and Rockamilly), as are many of the other designs from the range, so snap up your favourites while you can. I still have my eye on a few pieces, including the Toto, and Tin Woodman brooches.

I can't leave without taking a moment to point out how pretty the packaging is for this collection. If you're an Erstwilder collector, you'll know that they usually redesign their packaging to compliment their collections, and The Wizard of Oz collection has been given a gorgeous emerald green and gold design, in homage to the Emerald City. I'm a sucker for emerald green, so it gets two thumbs up from me.

Just like the whole collection and my beautiful brooch.

I can't wait to see what Erstwilder come up with next.

Did you buy anything from the Erstwilder x Wizard of Oz collection? Which piece(s) would you choose?

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Kimchi and Coconut Australian Animal Brooches

Kimchi and Coconut Galaxy Whale Brooch

Back in July, I took a birthday trip to Whipsnade Zoo, and stumbled up on a display of Kimchi and Coconut jewellery in their gift shop.

They had a great selection of sea life-themed designs, and there was one brooch in particular that caught my eye. Their galaxy whale brooch. In the end, I just couldn't leave without it, so I made a cheeky birthday purchase, and left a happy little camper.

Three months on, the whale brooch is still one of my current favourite brooches to accessorize with, so I felt it deserved a quick review on the blog.

Kimchi and Coconut Galaxy Whale Brooch photo.

The brooch I have to show you is a beautiful humpback whale brooch, with all the charm of a real whale compacted in to a wearable little brooch. I love whales and have always wanted to see one of those gentle giants in real life, so getting to accessorize with a whale brooch is the next best thing until that day (hopefully) comes.

This beautiful creature has been handmade in England from two layers of the dreamiest galaxy-effect acrylic, and the result is mesmerising. The bottom layer is plain black, and the top is a stunning mix of purples and stormy sea blues and greens, topped with flecks of silver glitter, and finished off with some etching. I think it might just be the prettiest whale brooch I've ever seen. I'm a sucker for a galaxy effect. (NB. There was a second whale brooch on display at the zoo, and the colours were much lighter, so be aware that the acrylic will vary from piece to piece due to the unique cut in the acrylic. The lighter one was gorgeous, too, but I personally preferred the darker, stormier look of this one).

As for size... it's about the length and width of my ring finger, so it's a good sized piece; not too large or too small, but still big enough to make a small statement. It's perfect for wearing at the seaside or on trips to the aquarium... or with just about any outfit, really. It's so lovely, you'll want to wear it with everything. I know I do.

Kimchi and Coconut Galaxy Whale Brooch, rear view.

The whale brooch retails for just £20, which I think is really reasonable for such a beautiful handmade piece- especially brought from a zoo gift shop, where prices are often inflated. I'm so pleased I added it to my brooch zoo, and think it was worth every penny. Having this little guy in my collection makes me happy.

If brooches aren't your thing, there's also a whale necklace, and Kimchi and Coconut have plenty of other brooches, necklaces, and earrings to choose from, too. Aside from their sea animal designs, I particularly love their Australian animal pieces; I have a platypus and a tiger quoll in my brooch collection, and they're amazing. If you like the style of this brooch, I'm sure you'll love their other designs, too, so be sure to check them out!

Do you have any Kimchi and Coconut jewellery in your collection?

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Erstwilder x Pete Cromer Brooch Collection 3.0

About two months and five jewellery collections ago, Erstwilder, surprised us all by releasing its third collection with the Australian artist, Pete Cromer. It had only been a few months since they'd last teamed up for a Christmas collection, so I sure didn't see this one coming.

The Erstwilder collaborations with Pete Cromer have been some of my favourite collections because his colourful, contemporary designs make the coolest jewellery, and the third range has been no exception. It's easily one of their best collections yet. It's an incredible twenty-five piece collection of brooches, earrings, and cardi-clips, and features many of his Australian animal designs brought to life as wearable art, along with a few other animals from around the world, and some of his adorable Druids, too.

As soon as I saw the live reveal, I fell in love with everything, and seriously considered selling a kidney so I could buy it all. Luckily, for my kidneys, I had a perfectly-timed online bingo win, and was able to buy six of my favourite pieces without losing any vital organs, or feeling too guilty for splurging this time. I love it when things work out! The only hard part was choosing which brooches to buy because each design was incredible, but boy, did I pick some beauties.

Would you like to see what I bought?

Let's start with one of my favourites from the collection- The Quaint Eastern Quoll brooch. I'm sure some of you are wondering what the hell a quoll is. A quoll is a spotted, carnivorous marsupial that looks like a cross between a Tasmanian devil and an Australian possum, and it's super cute. There are six different species, and this brooch is based on the Eastern quoll, which is widespread across Tasmania, and has recently been reintroduced back in to Australia after going extinct in the country in the 1960s. This gorgeous little guy instantly caught my eye, and despite already having a quoll brooch in my collection from another brand, I just couldn't resist adding it to my brooch zoo. It was too pretty to leave behind. I think I'm just a sucker for anything freckled like me! He's made from a stunning textured black and grey resin, with white bubble resin spots across his coat, taupe and caramel accents, and some bubblegum-pink and teal markings to his ear and eye. He's such a little cutie, and probably my favourite piece from the entire collection. I just love this design so much.

There was one brooch that caught my eye simply because of how colourful it was, and that was The Radiant Rainbow Lorikeet brooch. Just like the real Aussie parrots, it's so vibrant and eye-catching, and it's a great statement piece with both colourful and monochrome outfits. I love wearing it with black clothes to make the colours pop. This lovely little lorikeet is made up of about eighteen different colours with a vivid cobalt blue for it's head and an amazing ombre yellow and orange bubble resin for it's body that basically looks like a Tequila Sunrise. It's also decorated with a variety of shapes in Cromer's distinct style, ranging in colour from pink to teal, and it's truly a work of art. The resins Erstwilder used to make it are stunning.

As a big animal lover, I always find myself drawn to brooches of unusual animals (the weirder the better!) so naturally, The Notorious Numbat brooch was an instant favourite of mine from this collection. If you're not familiar, a numbat is an insectivorous marsupial from Western Australia that kind of looks like a cross between a yellow mongoose and a chipmunk, and it's pretty darn cute. Pete Cromer's numbat design has so much character, and Erstwilder have done a fabulous job of bringing it to life with a mixture of textured and bubble resins in shades of caramel, white, black, mint, and more. I love the monochrome stripes on it's back and leg, and it's unique little zig-zag tail, It's such a great design, and one that will definitely keep people guessing. Fun fact: Notorious isn't the first numbat in my brooch collection; I also have a hot pink numbat brooch from an old Australiana Erstwilder collection, which was one of the first Erstwilder pieces I ever bought!

Before this collection was released, one of the first brooches that caught my eye in the spoilers was The Rare Red Tail Cockatoo brooch; a black cockatoo that looks like it's going through it's emo phase. It was one of those pieces I instantly knew I'd be buying, even before I'd seen the whole collection. The design is just so unique and striking, and so different to the usual white cockatoo designs. (There was actually a pastel Major Mitchell Cockatoo brooch in this collection, too, which I was so tempted by, but it looked too similar to the Galah brooch I bought from the first collection, so I reluctantly chose a different design instead). Erstwilder spoiled us by releasing this brooch in two sizes; mini and standard, and I stuck to the standard size as sometimes bigger really is better- more space to show off all the incredible details! Details like it's ebony textured-resin face and crest with delicate silver glitter running through it, that's topped with a generous helping of yellow-gold freckles. It's body is a gorgeous marbled navy blue, and it's decorated with little shapes in red, orange, yellow, and black bubble and marbled resins. Who says black and navy have to be boring?

Not all of the designs in the Pete Cromer collection were Australian animal inspired. There were also some creatures from closer to home, like a rabbit, a French bulldog, and couple of red foxes. With foxes being one of my favourite animals, I've never been able to resist anything fox related, and while I have a few Erstwilder fox brooches in my collection, I just had to have The Footloose Fox brooch in my life, too. (I went for the standard size, but there was also a mini brooch to choose from). It's a beautiful brooch made from orange, black, and white bubble resins, and a mesmerising glittery marbled orange resin for it's body, ear, and eye, which I absolutely love. It's finished off with marbled grey shapes with glitter flecks running through them, a gorgeous marbled red tear drop on it's brush, and a couple of white bubble resin hearts on it's chest and tail. It's one of the most beautiful fox brooches I've ever seen, and I know I'm going to be wearing this one to death for a long time to come.

And the final piece I chose was The Wondrous Wombat. Wombats have always been one of my favourite Aussie animals, and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to add a wombat to my brooch zoo- especially when it was as cute as this one. I mean, just look at that chunky round body, and those gorgeous earthy colours! He's the sweetest little wombat brooch ever. He's been crafted from two shades of coffee coloured bubble resin, with grey bubble and marbled resins for his nose and cheek. and simple black and orange features. I think my favourite parts are the two green leaves on one of his front legs, and the sun-like pattern of mini triangles and concentric semi-circles in burnt orange, peach, brown, and lime on his side. Isn't he beautiful?

It's been a couple of months since I bought these brooches, but I still love this collection so much. I've been getting so much wear out of them already, and they always make me smile when I catch a glimpse of them pinned to my outfits.

Sadly, (for you, not for Erstwilder and Pete Cromer) many of these brooches sold out on release day because they were unsurprisingly popular, but I've linked to what's still available in the UK above, and there are several other designs still available from Erstwilder and their stockists. If you want to hunt down a sold out piece, try eBay or Erstwilder fan resale sites. I'd still love to get my hands on the emu and cockatiel brooches, and wish I'd bought the fairy wren.

Did you buy anything from the third Erstwilder x Pete Cromer collection? Which piece is your favourite?

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Erstwilder Care Bears Collection

Erstwilder Woodlands Collection

Back in September, Erstwilder launched their Woodlands collection; a massive thirty-four piece collection of brooches, necklaces, earrings, and scarves featuring designs inspired by the woodlands of North America.

I'm a huge animal lover and I've always had a soft spot for woodland animals, so I was naturally super excited when I heard Erstwilder were doing another woodland collection, and found myself coveting pretty much the entire collection. I could've happily bought every single piece if money grew on trees like in Animal Crossing. (How great would that be??) I think this might actually be my favourite Erstwilder collection ever!

A flatlay photo of Erstwilder Woodlands resin brooches taken from above. The photo shows four brooches- a beaver, red squirrel, red fox, and red and white toadstool- surrounded by faux autumn leaves and mini pinecones on a white background.

The designs were all so amazing, it was so difficult to narrow down my favourites, and even harder to get my hands on them. The collection sold out even faster than the Care Bears collection, and even though I was up at 3:30am and 6am when various stockists launched in the UK, I didn't have any luck until the 7th or 8th stockist I tried around 6:30am in the morning. Everything kept selling out of my basket before I could finish paying. I eventually got some last minute luck with Lottie & Lu and miraculously came away with my four favourite pieces- the fox, squirrel, beaver, and toadstool brooches- along with a pair of tree stud earrings from Glitterally.

I sadly didn't get the free campsite brooch, and there were a few other pieces I missed out on that I had hoped to get, but I consider myself very lucky that I got my favourites. I know a lot of people missed out entirely since the collection was made in much smaller numbers than usual because of uncertainty of demand during the pandemic.

It turns out, Erstwilder completely underestimated Erstwildians and our love for their jewellery, even during hard times, as the demand was crazy despite the virus. And who can blame us? The collection is amazing, and it's the little things like treating yourself to a new brooch or necklace that makes Covid life that little more bearable.

Who'd like a closer look at what I bought?

A photo of an Erstwilder 'Mr. Beaver's Bark' beaver brooch in golden brown, black, and grey resins surrounded by fiery autumn leaves on a white background taken from above.

The first piece I managed to get my hands on was a beaver brooch called Mr. Beaver's Bark. I was so excited to see a beaver brooch in the collection as they're one of my favourite North American animals, and just so dam cute. I think it may actually be my favourite piece from the collection.

Mr. Beaver is an adorable little guy standing up on his hind legs, looking like he's begging for a morsel of food. His body is made from a gorgeous golden-brown marbled resin, and his tail and feet from a black and grey textured resin. I love him! He's one of the cutest brooches ever, and has been getting so much wear this autumn so far.

A photo of Erstwilder's 'Mini Mulder' red fox brooch taken from above. The photo shows a golden-brown and white sitting resin fox brooch facing forwards. It sits on a white background surrounded by fiery faux autumn leaves

Next up is the Mini Mulder brooch, another piece I knew I had to add to my collection. Foxes have been one of my favourite animals for as long as I can remember. Most little girls love dolphins or horses, but growing up, I always preferred foxes- even before my Animals of Farthing Wood obsession in the early nineties. So, I was naturally thrilled to see some red fox pieces in the Woodlands collection, and so happy when I finally snagged the Mini Mulder brooch after hours of trying. It's so beautiful.

Mini Mulder is a handsome red fox sitting proudly on its haunches, and has been made from matte, marbled, and iridescent resins in gorgeous shades of caramel, taupe, mahogany, and white. I love the wood-effect resins used for his face and tail; he's the prettiest fox ever, and the perfect finishing piece for autumnal outfits.

A photo of Erstwilder's Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed red squirrel brooch, taken from above. The photo shows a reddish-brown squirrel brooch facing to the left and holding a little brown acorn in its paws. It sits on a white background surrounded by fiery faux autumn leaves.

Another of my favourite British animals is the squirrel. It's been a long time since I last saw a red squirrel as they're so rare, but a pair of grey squirrels visit our garden every day. I think we have a dray in the tree at the bottom of our garden. I love watching them scurrying around, and can always tell when they're around as my dog, Rosie, goes ballistic whenever she sees one daring to invade her territory. She might hate them, but I've always thought squirrels were cute, so when I saw the squirrel brooch, Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed, I knew I would be adding it to my collection.

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed is a beautiful red squirrel brooch, made from similar resins to Mini Mulder. She has a caramel-coloured marbled-resin body, a mahogany textured resin tail and ear, and an off white and silver stomach and accents. She's also holding a little gold and brown acorn in her little paws. She's the most perfect squirrel brooch I've ever seen, and a piece I know I'll keep wearing regularly for years to come.

A photo of Erstwilder's 'Well Spotted' red and white toadstool brooch taken from above. The photo shows an asymmetric ruby red toadstool resin brooch with white spots and a white stem on a white background, surrounded by faux autumn leaves in fiery autumn colours.

The fourth and final brooch I bought was a red and white toadstool brooch called Well Spotted. I've always had a thing for red and white toadstools. There's something so enchanting and magical about them, like they've come straight out of a fairy-tale. I've never actually seen one in real life, but getting to wear toadstools as fashion is the next best thing. I'm actually amazed I managed to snag this brooch as all the toadstool pieces sold out in seconds. I didn't stand a chance with the matching collar clips I was hoping to buy, too. Sad face.

Erstwilder has released several toadstool designs in the past, but unlike the symmetrical designs from past collections, Well Spotted is an asymmetric toadstool, with a stunning textured ruby red cap, and white bubble and marbled resins for the spots and stem. It's such a lovely brooch, and I've been wearing it to death since it arrived. It looks so good with black and white polka dots.

A photo of a pair of Erstwilder tree stud earrings on a peach coloured display card taken from above. The photo shows a pair of emerald green marbled resin pine tree stud earrings on a peach Erstwilder display card, sitting on a white background surrounded by fiery faux autumn leaves.

I also bought a pair of the Essentials Textured Tree Studs to add to my ever-growing Erstwilder earring collection. These little evergreen trees are simple three-tier trees made from the prettiest emerald green marbled resins. I love that they aren't quite identical as each cut from the resin gives a unique finish. They're perfect for pairing with anything from the Woodlands collection as well as wearing alone, and I think they'll be ideal for Christmas outfits, too. I can't wait to wear them with my Christmas brooches this December.

And those are the pieces I collected from the Woodlands collection. I can confidently say they're some of my favourite pieces ever!

Unfortunately, the majority of the collection sold out in minutes, so if you're hoping to buy a piece for yourself, you're going to have a hard time tracking them down. There is the odd scarf, pair of earrings or mallard brooch available from Erstwilder and some of their stockists, but otherwise, try eBay or fan resale sites if you're looking for a particular piece.

Did you buy anything from Erstwilder's Woodlands collection?

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Erstwilder Art Nouveau Brooches

Over the last few months, I've added quite a few new brooches to my collection that I haven't yet blogged about. I've still got purchases from a few Erstwilder collections to show you, including the recent Care Bears and Woodlands collections, but first, I want to show you a couple of pieces from their recent Art Nouveau range.

Back in June, Erstwilder launched a beautiful eighteen piece Art Nouveau collection, inspired by the luxury and opulence of the late 19th century / early 20th century art movement. It featured a stunning mix of brooches, necklaces, and earrings in the distinct style, which is heavily inspired by the natural world, resulting in lots of animal designs and a generous use of greens, teals, and browns.

I couldn't afford to treat myself to much from this collection, but I bought one brooch on launch day, and paid for another in installments. I had hoped to get my hands on the peacock brooch, my favourite piece from the collection, but it sold out so fast I didn't stand a chance. Sad face. I commiserated myself with the frog brooch, and then went back for the seahorse brooch, after realising I couldn't live without it.

Who wants a closer look?

First up, is the frog brooch, a charming little critter called Leaps and Bounds. This little green amphibian has so much character and looks like he should be an illustration from a classic children's book. I love the pistachio green resin he's made from- it's shimmery and has a pink iridescent sheen. He also has one marbled evergreen leg with a golden shimmer, which is also used on the back of the brooch. Both resins are so pretty. I've worn Mr. Frog a couple of times already, and think he'll be perfect for pairing with autumn and Halloween-themed outfits, as well as anything nature-themed.

The other piece I bought from the collection was a seahorse brooch called Lovers Entwined. I've always loved seahorses, and I just couldn't resist this pair of loved up ocean steeds. It's so elegant and beautiful, and the way their tails are entwined is adorable. The smaller seahorse is made from an amazing iridescent cream resin with a pistachio and pink sheen, and the bigger seahorse is a fiery dark salmon. The best part is they both have a silver shimmer running through them, giving the brooch a discreet sparkle without looking childish or tacky. It's understated and elegant. I can't wait to wear the brooch on future trips to the seaside and to aquariums when the pandemic is finally over. I know I'll wear it to death on future holidays to Cornwall. (Is it crazy that I already know which brooches I'll pack for my next holiday to Cornwall? Who cares? I've built up a nice little collection of marine animal brooches that are perfect for the seaside, so it's a no-brainer).

Both brooches seem to be sold out everywhere now, so check eBay or Erstwilder fan resale pages if you want to hunt either of them down. There are some pieces from the Art Nouveau collection still available from Erstwilder and their stockists around the world, though, so if you like the Art Nouveau style, be sure to check them out.

Did you buy anything from Erstwilder's Art Nouveau collection? Which pieces are your favourites?

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