Thursday, 13 July 2023

Erstwilder My Little Pony Brooches

It's been over seven months since I last reviewed some Erstwilder brooches on the blog, and boy, have I got the best collection to come back with.

The My Little Pony collection!

Or at least, the three brooches I bought from it.


A couple of months ago, Erstwilder released the most amazing fully-licenced My Little Pony collection made up of brooches, necklaces, earrings, enamel pins, and key rings inspired by ten of the original My Little Ponys of the 1980s.

I loved My Little Ponys growing up and played with them often- I clearly remember having a yellow one with a bright blue mane called Tootsie- so I was so excited when Erstwilder first revealed this collection, especially knowing how fantastic their Care Bears collections had been. The only problem was, I could only afford one for myself at first, and since Tootsie wasn't in the collection and I can't remember which others I owned, deciding was a task and a half. It took me hours to narrow down my favourites! Sometimes I wish Erstwilder would make some ugly designs to make choosing easier.


In the end, my first choice from the collection was Minty- a mint green pony with three-leafed-clovers on her hip, a teal-green eye, and a glittery off-white mane and tail accessorised with a spearmint-blue ribbon. I'm a sucker for anything mint-green, so I just couldn't resist her- and who could blame me? She's so pretty! Just look at her! Plus she goes with my My Little Pony smock dress from Truffle Shuffle, so I can enjoy some matchy-matchiness. The first time I wore Minty out of the house, I even got complimented on her by two women while book shopping in Waterstones, so I think that proves she's a winner. Minty appears to be sold out everywhere now, but there is a matching enamel pin still available.

Starshine is a recent addition to my brooch collection, and the first piece I've ever bought directly from Erstwilder in Australia. It sold out from all the UK stockists before I could treat myself and when I was shopping for Care Bears for my sister's birthday, I couldn't resist adding it to my basket. (Apparently, I have no self-control). My order arrived within two weeks, and surprisingly, I didn't get any customs charges! (My sister's friend has in the past, though, so I'm not saying you won't, but on an order of three brooches to England, I didn't. I'm assuming she placed a larger order to have been hit with charges, but I don't know what the actual criteria is for charges on shipping jewellery from Australia to the UK). Whatever the reason, Starshine is such a fun, colourful piece, and with all those colours, it definitely makes my inner-child happy. She's a glossy, off-white pegasus pony, with a teal eye, and best of all, her mane and tail are a bold rainbow of glittery candyfloss pink, sunshine yellow, spring green, and turquoise blue, with a matching turquoise bow knotted in the flowing strands. The colours are so fun and cheerful, and it's impossible not to be happy while wearing it. If brooches aren't your thing or you just like to go with 'more is more', there's also a matching Starshine necklace, and earrings to choose from.

And last but not least we have Applejack- although, I didn't buy this one for myself, but as a birthday present for my older sister. It's a little too orange for my taste, but she's always loved crazy, bold colours, and it was her favourite My Little Pony growing up. Applejack is a glossy, deep-orange-coloured pony with red apples on her flank, and has a glittery daffodil-yellow mane and tail tied with a baby blue bow. As usual, no small detail has been missed, so she also has a green eye, and little white freckles on her cheek. She has such a nostalgic look, and with those bright colours, she's the perfect brooch for anyone who likes their jewellery to make a statement.

Each piece comes presented in a rainbow-striped My Little Pony gift box, which has to be one of their best gift box designs to date. They make the brooches lovely gifts for My Little Pony fans- especially for yourself!

Much of the collection sold out on release day, but there are still several pieces available directly from Erstwilder, and a few knocking about from their UK stockists. Snap them up while you still can!

Were you a My Little Pony fan growing up? Have you bought anything from the Erstwilder MLP collection?

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Tuesday, 25 May 2021

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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Thursday, 25 February 2021

Erstwilder Brooch Haul

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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Tuesday, 20 October 2020

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!

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.

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.

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Wednesday, 19 August 2020

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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Friday, 21 February 2020

Erstwilder With Love Valentine's Day Brooches


Happy belated Valentine's Day!

I hope you had a lovely one, and were spoiled rotten by your Valentine (or yourself, if you didn't have one).

I didn't have a Valentine, either, but who cares? I decided to be my own Valentine this year! I bought myself some chocolates, and the week before, I treated myself to two brooches from Erstwilder's new Valentine's collection, 'With Love', as an early Valentine's present to myself. If you can't buy yourself jewellery for Valentine's Day without feeling guilty, when can you, eh?

I wanted to review my new brooches for you on Valentine's Day, but I spent all last week struggling with some of the worst chronic pain I've experienced in years, and just wasn't able to finish this post in time. Things haven't been much better this week, and I only managed to take the photos for this post yesterday. so I hope you'll forgive me for posting about something partially Valentine's related a week late because the brooches I have to show you are ridiculously cute.


With Love is the most adorable Valentine's jewellery collection I think I've ever seen. Based on cutesy vintage Valentine's Day cards, and designed in Melbourne by Carmen Hui, it features twelve brooches, one necklace, and two pairs of earrings, each even cuter than the last.

There were half a dozen pieces I desperately wanted (although, I could've happily bought the whole collection), but I somehow behaved myself, and limited myself to two to stop myself buying them all. I impress myself with my willpower sometimes. Gold star for me! Surely that level of restraint deserves another brooch??

Just kidding. I'll be good.

Would you like to see which pieces I bought?


The first brooch I have to show you is my favourite piece from the collection- an adorable skunk brooch called Stinkin' Cute. I've always loved skunks (they're just so stinkin' cute), so I fell in love with this brooch the moment I saw a preview of it on Instagram, and I didn't need to see the rest of the collection to know I'd be buying one. Thankfully, I managed to snap him up before he sold out, because, unsurprisingly, he sold out from every UK stockist so fast. I'm glad I did, because he's such a gorgeous piece.

He's been made from glossy plain black and pearlescent marbled white resins, with a glitter red resin used for the big red heart he's carrying in his paws for his Valentine. You could not find a more perfect skunk brooch. I wore him on Valentine's Day and I've got him pinned to my PJs again today, and I fully intend to wear him all year round. A skunk is for life and not just for Valentine's Day.


It was hard narrowing down my other favourites to just one, but for my second choice I went with a pink kitten brooch called Feline the Love.  I didn't previously have a cat brooch in my collection, and I thought this pretty pastel pink kitty was the purrfect piece for a first time cat brooch adoptee. The design is too cute, and the colours and resins used to make her are so pretty that I found her impossible to resist. She's made from stunning white and pale pink pearlescent marbled resins, with a plain rose-pink tail and leg, dusky pink markings, and black detailing to her paws and cute little heart-shaped face. Like the skunk, she's also carrying a big red heart in her paws, but rather than being glittery, this one is made from a textured resin, so it has an amazing rippled appearance, which shines in multiple shades of red. It has such a retro, vintage look, and I think it will look particularly adorable pinned to pastel-coloured mid-century style outfits all year round.

The great thing about both brooches, and the 'With Love' collection in general, is that while they are the ideal finishing touch for any Valentine's Day outfit, they're subtle enough to be worn on any other day of the year, too. I'll definitely be wearing them in all seasons, anyway.


If these brooches weren't cute enough already, every piece has been packaged in special red polka dot heart-shaped boxes, like a little box of novelty Valentine's chocolates! How cute is that?! They're so much cuter than the regular Erstwilder packaging, and make them even lovelier to give as gifts to brooch-loving ladies (or yourself!) on any other day of the year to show you care.

There are still lots of pieces from the collection available, which you can buy direct from Erstwilder in Australia, or from their stockists around the world here. I've still got my eye on the dalmatian and the donkey.

Have you bought anything from the With Love collection? Which pieces are your favourites?

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Friday, 23 August 2019

Erstwilder Endangered Animals Brooches


Last month, Erstwilder, my favourite Australian jewellery brand, launched their amazing Endangered Animals collection, a fifteen piece collection of necklaces, brooches, and earrings featuring designs of some of the world's most vulnerable species. There are blue whales and bilbies, pangolins and penguins, tarsiers and tree frogs, and so much more.

Being both an Erstwilder jewellery addict and a huge animal lover, I could not have been more excited about this collection, and I found myself coveting the whole collection before it was even released. As luck would have it, the range launched on the morning of my birthday, so I was able to buy four brooches with my birthday money, and also treated myself to two more because, hey, it was my birthday and it would've been rude not to, right?! Right!



My brooches arrived a few days later and I sure wasn't disappointed. The designs are all amazing! I've been wearing them to death since I got them, so I think it's about time I gave you a peek at them all 'cause I know you'll love them as much as I do.


First up is Benevolent Behemoths, a mama blue whale swimming with her calf. I've always been fascinated by whales and didn't have a whale brooch in my collection, so I just had to have this adorable brooch in my life. The whales have been made from the most beautiful blue and turquoise marbled resins that remind me of the ocean on a sunny day, with shiny resins in contrasting shades of blue and teal layered underneath to create their bottom jaws. They're a stunning pair, and definitely one of my favourites of the six. It'll be perfect for wearing on trips to the seaside or with nautical-themed outfits.

Did you know: Blue whales are the largest known animals to have ever lived, and their tongues weigh as much as an African elephant.
Plight: There are only 10,000-25,000 blue whales left in the world.


Next up is a bilby brooch called Bouncy Burrow Dweller. If you're not familiar with bilbies, a bilby is a desert-dwelling marsupial and species of bandicoot from Australia which basically looks like a rabbit-eared opossum crossed with a chinchilla. It sounds weird, but they're oh so cute! (Google it!) I was thrilled to see a bilby brooch in the collection as I'd missed out on the previous designs, and I wasn't disappointed. This brooch is adorable! This cute little critter has been made from marbled grey resin which shimmers in the sunlight, with darker grey and white resins for its tail, and pale pink bubble resin finishing its ears and nose. I think they've captured the bilby perfectly, but it's a piece that will definitely keep most people trying to guess what it is.

Did you know: A bilby's pouch faces backwards to prevent dirt from getting in while they're digging.
Plight: There are only an estimated 600-700 bilbies left in the world.


My favourite from the collection is probably Kakapo on Show; a kakapo parrot brooch. The kakapo- or owl-parrot- is a flightless, nocturnal parrot native to New Zealand with yellow-green feathers, and a cute, round, almost owl-like face. Erstwilder have made their kakapo out of the most amazing lime green pearlescent resin streaked with black, plus textured brown and off-white resins for its face and feet, and a pale grey bubble resin for its beak. It's so beautiful and has so much character. I can't stop wearing him!

Did you know: Kakapos are the world's only flightless parrots, and they're one of the longest-living birds with an average lifespan of 95-125 years.
Plight: Sadly there are just 142 kakapos remaining on Earth.


One of my favourite animals is the pangolin, so I was so excited to see Erstwilder had included a pangolin brooch in the collection. (Although, you couldn't have an Endangered Animals collection without the world's most trafficked animal). Their Roly Poly Pangolin brooch is a dainty piece made from just two layers of resin. The bottom, making up its face and feet, is a plain coffee-brown, and the top is a stunning caramel-coloured marbled resin, skillfully etched to give the little scaly anteater his scales. It's quite a simple design, but boy is he cute!

Did you know: While they look similar to anteaters and armadillos, pangolins are more closely related to bears, cats and dogs!
Plight: Pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammals, with tens of thousands poached every year for their scales and meat. Of the eight pangolin species, four are critically endangered, and four vulnerable.


Up next is the Eyes Wide Open tarsier brooch. For those of you who aren't familiar with this little critter, a tarsier is a tiny primate with huge round eyes- very similar to a bush baby. I couldn't resist Erstwilder's derpy-looking take on a tarsier- it's ridiculously cute. It's been crafted from shimmery grey marbled resin, and also has a caramel-coloured marbled face, big glittery silver eyes, and burnt-orange coloured bubble resin ears and feet. The little guy is also holding on to a green stalk made of shiny textured resin. He's probably my least favourite of the six I purchased, but I still think he's utterly adorable.

Did you know: Tarsiers have the largest eyes (in relation to body size) of all mammals, and each eye is heavier than their brains.
Plight: There are eighteen sub-species of tarsiers in the world, and they're all endangered. 


My final purchase and undeniably one of the cutest pieces in the collection, was the Lesser Rusty Red Panda brooch. I love red pandas and have never seen a red panda brooch before, so I couldn't resist snapping this little guy up with some birthday money from my Nana. Rusty Red is made from the most amazing vibrant red marbled resin, with a swirling textured white pearlescent resin for its ears and facial features, and black hand-painted details finishing his face. Oddly, my favourite part is the back which is marbled in swirls of red, orange, and pink... which I forgot to take a photo of. The design is so striking, especially worn against black, and I can't stop wearing it! It's amazing.

Did you know: The red panda isn't actually related to the giant panda, but in a class of its own. It has an extended wrist bone with a sixth digit, or false thumb, which helps them to grip branches and eat bamboo, their favourite food.
Plight: There are only around 10,000 red pandas left.



Overall, I'm really impressed with the Endangered Animals collection, and love all of the pieces I chose. I've worn them all so much already. A few designs have sold out already, but most pieces are still available. You can shop the collection with Erstwilder here, but if you're outside Australia, you can find a list of stockists around the world here. There are loads of places to shop for Erstwilder in the UK. I've shop between several of them, but would particularly recommend Glitterally and Lottie & Lu.

Have you bought anything from the Endangered Animals collection yet? Which pieces do you like best?

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