Polaroid cookies... really!

I spend a lot of time zipping around the interwebs, (all in the pursuit of inspiration for my designs of course!) Every now and then I come across something amazing that makes me want to shout about it.

I just had one of those moments. It could be due to my new Portuguese pastry addiction or the fact that I am consumed by the colourful and square format world of Instagram (you'll find me @rangolijewellery) or simply because these cookies are so fun and different. Imagine choosing a set of your favourite photographs and having them put onto cookies. How personalised is that, in a world that can be filled with repetition?

The cookies are made by Susana of Manjar and available to order on Etsy. And the best bit - they last for up to two months if kept in their bags and away from sunlight! Susana tells the great story behind her business idea in an Etsy interview.

This cookie gift box (priced at $30) includes 5 of your favourite photographs transformed into edible polaroids, 1 custom message cookie, 1 polaroid camera cookie and 1 red heart. Give away a sweet treat plus a memory and enjoy!

Check out the rest of Susana's cookies available from her Etsy shop! I'm off to choose my favourite images that I'd like to eat...

Bridesmaid hair accessories

Hairpins dotted through hair is such a pretty look and I enjoy coming up with new ideas and designs. 

Often, these designs come about through conversations with clients. Sometimes I get to see the dress but usually we look at tiny fabric samples and chat about necklines and hemlines and the issues with getting more than one person to agree on a dress style!

These pins were designed for Siobhan (a solo bridesmaid) who wore a dress that was similar in colour to the background of this image - somewhere between grey, mauve and silver! The dress was beautifully structured with lots of clean lines and no embellishment. Siobhan just needed some delicate hair accessories to finish her look. She also chose a silver and amethyst, Rangoli crochet bracelet.

Have a look at some of my recent bridesmaid commissions including this hairpin for Olivia below. Let's get chatting about your ideas - I'd love to hear from you! 

Mismatched magic

Here's a single image and thought for the day - have you considered the idea of things being mismatched for your wedding? Variation makes the world go round! Are your bridesmaids wearing different style dresses that really suit them or shoes of the same colour but different styles?

Bridesmaids are great to design for too. I enjoy coming up with quirky variations to suit different hairstyles and personalities. The pins above are Portuguese hair ornaments from 17th/18th centuries with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, topazes, garnet and amethysts. Nowadays, the Swarovski crystal I use can replicate many of these jewel tones - pretty heirlooms for special + everyday wear!

Do you like the idea of mismatched elements or do you prefer a more classic look?

Image credit: The image above was taken from Five Centuries of Jewellery. National Museum of Ancient Art, Lisbon.

Paper Flower centrepieces

A quick post and inspiring thought for the day! Do you love colourful flowers and can't find a supplier for those botanical Helleborus Orientalis?! I spied this playful paper sculpture and thought it would make a great table centrepiece - graphic images carefully displayed on pins and low enough for your guests to see over.

This year I have three close friends getting married; all with tons of creative flair, (you know those arty types). Every time we meet up, they are burbling with ideas ranging from how to walk across fields in high heels to incorporating peacock feathers into their headpieces. Bring it on - it's going to be a memorable summer and I hope to share some snapshots of their weddings on the blog too.

I'm quite tempted to try out a project inspired by this - would anyone like to help me?

The delightful floral sculptures are by Anne Ten Donkelaar.

I'm a flower girl at heart. You can read lots of other posts about flowers from my archives.

Sandra Crosbie - Freelance hairstylist

Hi everyone - I promised I would share some dazzling wedding photos with you and here they are. I think you'll agree that the bride, Claire Durkin looks stunning. I think Claire is on honeymoon at the moment so I'm hoping that she will contribute to this article when she returns!

The bridal party were lucky to have Sandra Crosbie to style their locks. Here's the story, I first met Sandra in 2002 when she styled my hair for my own wedding and in the intervening years we've become great friends! Over the last eight years, I've had to opportunity to collaborate with her on various projects and I'm truly inspired by her skills...and humour! Sandra is an Ossie who's married to an Irish guy and she has thirty years experience in styling and colouring hair. When I hear feedback from clients after their weddings or hair trials, Sandra is always complemented on how she makes everyone 'feel' on the day - she's a true professional in every sense of the word.

Claire had a theme of old Hollywood glamour for her wedding and Sandra certainly worked her magic by creating stunning individual looks for Claire and her two bridesmaids, seen below. I think it's lovely for bridesmaids to have their own unique look.

Read my other feature on Sandra or visit her website for more information.

I hope you enjoyed this hairstyle feature. I'll be sharing some of my 2011 commissions with you soon!

Make-up was by Alibhe Lynch
Phototography by Kurt Vinion