I've added a few new Erstwilder brooches to my collection since my last Erstwilder post in December, so I thought I'd combine them in to one post, and show you what I've been buying.
Let's start with the newest and work our way back.
The most recent addition to my brooch zoo is a mama and baby koala brooch called Koolah and Guula, an old Erstwilder design which has been reworked for their latest Fan Favourites collection. I love Australian animals and collecting brooches of obscure creatures, so I just couldn't resist adding this cute duo to my collection. I mean, who doesn't love koalas?? It's been released at least twice before, with different textured resins used for the koalas each time. This time, the koalas are made from glossy medium-grey textured resins, with a scattering of iridescent glitter strips mixed in to the resin of the mama koala, which highlight the koala with a rainbow of colour every time the light hits them. It's such a fun piece to wear, and perfect for adding a little sparkle to your outfits. It's still available from Erstwilder and some of their stockists, so snap one up fast!
Next up is Prim Petals, a pale pink rose brooch from last month's A Floral Affair collection. I was instantly drawn to this brooch because it looked so darn pretty, but also just because I love roses. Yellow ones are my favourites ( I looovvve yellow flowers), but pink ones would probably come second. For some reason, pink roses always remind me of my childhood. My Mum always had some growing in the garden, and I remember carefree summer days in the early nineties making rose water perfume with neighbourhood friends and petals picked from neighbours' gardens. (I was coerced! I always felt guilty about ruining some old dear's flowers). I don't know why pink roses bring back those memories, but they always do.
This pretty rose is made from a mixture of marbled, textured, bubble, and iridescent resins in six or seven shades of pink, ranging from delicate blush to vibrant flamingo. My favourite parts are the iridescent petals which shimmer pink, blue, and pistachio, and the freckling of iridescent glitter strips set in to the resins. I can't resist a bit of shimmer and sparkle! It's also finished with two dark green marbled leaves- one emerald, and one evergreen, which compliment the pink petals perfectly. It's such a beautiful brooch, and the perfect finishing touch for all kinds of outfits, but especially with florals for spring (and summer). Ground breaking.
Purple Prose was my second choice from A Floral Affair, but turned out to be my favourite of the two pieces I chose- and one of my favourite pieces of jewellery ever. And for once, it's not a brooch! They're my first ever set of cardi clips, which I chose as I loved the stunning holly hock designs, but preferred the cardi clips to the brooch. (Though, naturally, I have actually been wearing them as a brooch, with one flower pinned higher than the other). I love that you can wear them as cardi or collar clips, or arranged in different ways as a brooch- they're so versatile.
It's also one of the prettiest pieces of jewellery I've ever owned. This pair of purple holly hock flowers are made from two layers of the most incredible marbled resin that is made up of lots of different shades of purple- lavender, lilac, amethyst, mauve, and more, mixed with raspberry, and a little bit of smokey-blue. The colours are much softer and purple-based than my camera has captured- for some reason it's picked up the subtle raspberry shades and emphasized them. The stock photos show the colours of the resin more accurately, although, each piece will differ slightly due to the unique marbling of the resin. The marbling is so beautiful, and I hope Erstwilder use it for more designs in the future. At the moment, there's also a matching necklace, brooch, and earrings, and I'd love to collect them all.
Back in early December, I blogged about my purchases from the Erstwilder x Pete Cromer 2.0 collection, but there was one piece that didn't arrive until just before Christmas- the big man himself- Santa Clause. Mr Claus was apparently too busy getting ready for Christmas to put in an early appearance, but luckily, he arrived just in time for me to wear him on Christmas Eve. I chose this brooch because I didn't have a Santa Claus brooch in my collection, and it was one of the cutest brooches of jolly old Saint Nick I'd ever seen. It was designed by the Australian artist Pete Cromer, and thanks to his fun, distinct style, it's absolutely charming.
The little guy is your classic Santa, wearing a red and white suit, with a sack of presents over his shoulder, but with one unique feature- he's wearing vertically-striped red and white trousers! I think I would've preferred them to match his jacket, but they do add a fun twist, and help set the piece apart from all the other Santa brooches out there. Aside from his glossy bubble resin trousers, Santa Clause is wearing a gorgeous marbled-resin, cherry-red coat; a matching hat with a glittery white trim and a pearlescent white pom pom; a plain black belt and boots; and black mittens with a glittery silver trim. Over his shoulder, he's carrying a marbled camel-coloured sack, tied with a red ribbon, and decorated with a sprig of holly. He also has a magnificent beard and head of hair crafted from a gorgeous pearlescent marbled resin, and a little peach face just visible beneath them. I love the resins used to make him. They've made him in to such a beautiful piece, and I'm already counting down to December when I can wear him again. Unfortunately, this brooch sold out really quickly and is no longer available, so try eBay or fan resale sites if you want to track one down.
And last but not least, back in November, I bought a little mouse brooch called Rainbow Rain from the Whatever the Weather collection, which was released in support of the charities Headspace and Minus18. Rainbow Rain has to be the most adorable brooch I've seen in my life. Just. Look. At. Him! I dare you to find a cuter brooch that this little grey mouse and his rainbow umbrella. Who am I kidding? There isn't a cuter brooch than this little grey mouse and his rainbow umbrella! He is the definition of cuteness. This little marbled light grey mouse doesn't let rainy days get him down; he creates his own rainbows to brighten up the dark days with his bubble-resin rainbow umbrella. He's the perfect piece to make you smile, brighten up a bad day, or to show your pride with. Personally, this brooch reminds me to look for rainbows when it rains; to find the positives in the negatives. It's my perfect piece for chronic illness and Covid life, and to wear on bad mental health days. This is another piece that, unsurprisingly, sold out incredibly quickly, so again, try fan resale groups if you have to have one in your life.
And that's everything I've added to my Erstwilder collection over the last couple of months. I can't help but wonder what I'll add to it next!
Have you bought any fun jewellery pieces lately?
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