Hey lovelies! Can you believe it's August now!?! It's one of those years that feels like it's going by too fast, but super slow at the same time! How is that even possible?? I'd be happy if this year continued to speed by, or at least this pandemic anyway! I wanted to do so many things in 2020 and hope I get a chance to do if only a couple of them. But obviously, I'm more concerned with following the advice of the scientists and doctors and not the UK government, which has been so confusing with their guidelines... but the subject of this post isn't politics, so let's not get into that! Stay safe, my lovely readers!
Today, I actually wanted to share something with you guys that has been one of the highlights of my year. Something that made me feel loved and I'm very thankful for that :) I've needed it! So, I hope you guys enjoy reading all about the gorgeous jewellery that my wonderful friend made for me ♥
As many of you know if you follow me over on instagram or if you've been reading my blog for a while now, one of my hobbies is toy photography. I've been collecting figures and toys for most of my life, and so you can imagine how delighted I was to discover that there's such a huge community of like-minded people over on IG. It's been amazing to share my passion for both photography and toys with people from all over the world, and I have made a lot of friends through the toy community. Friends that have really helped me get through the first year without my mother, and they provided me a place to escape from my sadness as my mother's health declined. I'm not sure where I'd be without the kindness of my online friends!
One of those friends is a beautiful person, inside and out, by the name of Stina. We become fast friends once we got talking, because we have so much in common. Honestly, Stina has been a rock for me; she often helps me get distracted from my struggles, and to focus on the things that make me happy and keep me going. She's a ray of sunshine and colours, and also the perfect person to rant to about all the shitty things in life, which is equally important. It's cathartic and I need it... because I hate people XD (I'm only kidding, a little at least). So Thankyou Stina for being a brilliant friend!
Not only is Stina a fantastic person, but she's also a talented artist! And along with painting the loveliest colour-filled artwork, she makes jewellery as well! And as you know, that's the main reason for today's post. I wanted to show off my friend's handiwork, since I love what she made for me, but also because it's even more important than ever right now to show your support for independent businesses/artists.
Before I show you all the creation from my friend, I just wanted to show how cutely she packaged it! She included a Pusheen badge!! Awww, it put a big smile on my face :) I love her little 'business card', too. The combination of all those colours, patterns and shapes makes my heart happy. She actually created a big painting and cut it up into small pieces to make her cards, and I think that's an awesome idea! It feels a lot nicer from a customer point of view to receive a note card like this VS a printed one (not that they can't also be lovely).
Stina very kindly offered to make me one of her bracelets as a gift, because she is just that fabulous of a friend ♥ So let's talk all about the bracelets that she makes...
HOW PRETTY IS THIS!? As you can see, Stina creates leather bracelets that have a beautiful simplicity to them. You can choose from various colours/shades of leather, but darker shades will lighten over time. Stina can add any caption you like and I've also seen her add a little star or two along with the words! She offers the bracelets for 250 Swedish Krona, which is around £21, and for that you can have any one line of text added.
So what do the words that I chose mean?
'Var nyfiken' means stay curious in Swedish :) I wanted my bracelet's caption to be in Swedish because I think different languages are beautiful, but also because I have always loved the Nordic countries, especially Sweden. Not only is the history fascinating and the natural landscapes breathtaking, but I'm a big fan of the Eurovision Song Content and Sweden always put on such a great show with their Melodifestivalen shows, to select the musician(s) who will represent the country each year. So yeah, I couldn't not get the wording I wanted in Swedish!
But why 'stay curious'? For me, this statement has an important meaning. I have always been full of curiosity, since being a little kid. I have had an avid thirst for knowledge for as long as I can remember. Getting lost between the pages of factual books filled up so much of my childhood, and without getting too deep for a Saturday afternoon, I used to hate a lot of aspects about myself growing up... except my curiosity and need to discover all that I could about the world around me. And so this attribute of my personality has always been my favourite thing about me, and therefore I hold it dear to my heart.
Furthermore, I love to encourage other people to keep learning and exploring and trying to soak up all the knowledge they can about everything around them. It is never too late to be taught something new and it's good for your brain to keep those cogs turning! I'm getting rambly, so back to my bracelet :D
I opted for a dark shade of brown, because most of the clothing I wear is black so I thought this would bring a little colour to my overall look, but wouldn't be so bright that it clashed with any of the dresses I have that also have a splash of colour to them. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone but myself XD
I'm also a lover of earthy tones, and the brown shade of my bracelet from Stina makes me think of trees. Gosh, do I love trees! Because of this, it's like wearing a happiness reminder on my wrist.
Here's a photo of the bracelet on. It's so comfortable to wear! The lining is very soft and doesn't rub/irritate my skin after wearing it for an entire day, which is brilliant :) I've had lots of problems like this with bracelets in the past, probably due to a mix of sensitive skin and crappy material choices. But you don't have to worry about that with Stina's bracelets!
They fasten via a press stud (also called a snap fastener), so they are easy to get on & off, but still very sturdy. My little niece tried to open my bracelet and couldn't, so looks like they are small child proof but don't quote me on that, haha!
Something that I love about the bracelets that my fabulous friend makes is how they are very gender neutral/unisex. This very much appeals to me. I grew up as a 'tomboy' and although I am very happy embracing my feminine side as an adult, I still find that a lot of my tastes reflect my childhood personality(?). I don't think that those tendencies were un-girl like even if society does, to the point where they have to single out a girl who likes 'boy-typical' activities (whatever they are?) as a tomboy. However, that's a whole other discussion for another post!
I love the outdoors and mud and moss and getting on my hands and knees in the overgrowth, and the colour of this bracelet appeals to my inner goblin child :D (I think I spend too much time on tumblr...).
Stina's bracelets are custom-made so you can get the right size for yours to fit snugly or loosely, whatever your personal preference is. I decided to get mine at a size that would mean it would sit a bit further down from my wrist. This is due to the fact that bracelets can annoy me when I'm writing or typing if they are on my wrist. I've had no such issues so far doing these things whilst wearing the bracelet crafted by Stina!
I wanted to let you guys know that my friend makes other jewellery pieces as well, including necklaces and bracelets with different thicknesses and designs. All at very affordable prices :) You can find out more over on Stina's instagram and have a look through the photos she has of her pieces (plus lots of flowers and other pretty things!). Go give her a follow here.
I thought I'd show off the adorable way that Stina packaged my bracelet. I absolutely love when artists present their work in such a lovely way, in which you can tell that a lot of thought and care has gone into it. As a customer, you feel that they really appreciate your order and it's just a sweet touch. I mean, who doesn't enjoy opening pretty mail!?
Check out how fancy Stina's signature looks! Mine is like a child attempting to write cursive for the first time :D I'm not even joking... I seriously need to up my signature game. Anyhow, I am really impressed with the bracelet that my wonderful friend very kindly made me as a gift. It's aesthetically pleasing, goes well with every outfit I have worn it with, I've even gotten in soaking wet whilst gardening and it came out unscathed! These bracelets, and the other creations by Stina, would make such awesome presents for your friends and family; you should totally make an order now that Christmas is going to be with us in a few months time!
I hope you guys enjoyed reading all about my stay curious bracelet by the fantastic Stina Glaas, and checking out my photography of it. Isn't it super beautiful!? Today is actually Stina's birthday and her artwork deserves your love!! I've been meaning to write this post for a while but I recently decided what better day to share it on than her birthday. I wanted to champion my friend and her talents! Wishing you the most marvellous day filled with cake and sunshine and relaxation and all things pretty, Stina! Thankyou for being an amazing friend to me!! Have a lovely rest of the weekend, people :)
Thankyou for reading!
♥
What would you get written on your own personalised bracelet?
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