Dear Dreamer,
Today is A.A. Milne's birthday (the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh) and it felt like the right time to share both a lesson on impact and an update about my work.
Beginning today, new patina finishes on bronze and silver will become the standard offerings for the Dreamer and Wonderlands Collections, replacing the previous unpatinated versions (more details below).
So what does patinated metal have to do with Winnie-the-Pooh? For me, they both share an essential lesson: That even the smallest things can have great power, meaning, and impact.
"Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude." ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Whether it's a "silly old bear of very little brain" or a small piece of aged bronze or silver, there's so much more to them beyond what you see on the surface.
Maybe, like me, you grew up with Pooh and enjoyed his warmth and simple wisdom. But A.A. Milne himself was far more complex than his most famous creation suggests.
Before Pooh, Milne was a playwright deeply engaged in the moral and political questions of his time.
He served in both WWI and WWII, and went from pacifism after WWI to believing resistance against fascism and Hitler's rise was a moral necessity during WWII. Recognizing the reality that shaped Milne is what made Pooh feel that much more meaningful to me.
Pooh's focus on friendship and nature doesn't feel naïve. It feels a bit radical. Maybe even a reminder that heroism shouldn't be restricted to some romanticized glorification of war.
Instead, heroism can look like choosing to preserve compassion, empathy, and kindness, especially during turbulent times when people's identity, dignity, and history are often the first things to be attacked, erased, and stripped away. This brings me to the patina.
When I launched the Dreamer and Wonderlands Collections in 2025, I offered these pieces without patina so they could age alongside you. This felt incomplete.
"When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it." ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
I realized that the bare, stripped metal did not reflect our heavily layered and patinated lives. Time and experience shape us as we constantly grow into new versions of ourselves everyday. Like Milne, we all carry histories most people never fully see or know of.
But even if people don't know all of you, your existence still means something to someone in ways you may never fully see or predict. Milne never predicted a gentle bear like Pooh would take the world by storm.
Because every small action and even quiet gestures can send out ripples.
"As soon as he saw the Big Boots, Pooh knew that an Adventure was going to happen." ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
That's why these new patina offerings feel truer. Not just for me, but as a way to properly honor the power of the history and stories you're carrying, reclaiming or discovering. So, let's check out these new patinas and see which ones speak to you.
Honey Bronze Patina
For those with warm, luminous spirits who continue to shine even when reality burns you. Like our dear Pooh, you still search for the sweetness in life and refuse to let the world dim your light. As Eeyore would say, "It doesn't hurt to keep looking for sunshine."
This patina is created through heat tinting / temper coloring and quenched between deep yellow and magenta interference tones, resulting in a rich, honey-like glow.
Antiqued Bronze & Silver Patina
For the old souls who embrace their darkness and light and everything in between. Like the weathered artifacts of ancient civilizations, antiqued bronze and silver honors the beauty and wonder in aging and retaining life's history.
This modified antiqued bronze has brighter high points and deeper patina (compared to the initial October 2025 antiqued bronze release), achieved through chemical darkening, selective patina removal, and heat tinting.
The antiqued silver is created using a heated liver of sulfur process and selective patina removal. A sharper contrast and a classic finish many recognize and love.
“Pooh felt that he ought to say something helpful about it, but didn't quite know what. So he decided to do something helpful instead." ― A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh
In a time when so many are experiencing grief and fear as loved ones, neighbors and/or communities are being terrorized here in the US and around the world, I hope these talismans help you feel grounded in the stories and light you hold close to your heart.
If the gentle and soft-spoken Winnie-the-Pooh can make waves, so can you. And we need your light more than ever.
T-T-F-N! Ta-ta for now,
<3 Melissa
P.S. A few other things:
- Price adjustments will go into effect after January 25th to reflect added labor and metal costs. Until then, you can purchase the new patina offerings at their current prices.
- I'm hard at work trying to write the story behind the upcoming Mending Collection rings. It's a tough one I think many will resonate with.
- And if you're ever in town, visit the original Winnie-the-Pooh and Friends stuffed animals, which are living in the New York Public Library!
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