It's time to say 'thank you' and farewell

I've spent the last few weeks thinking about writing this post and what words I'm going to use. So many emotions have been tumbling around in my head. I've made the difficult decision to close Rangoli so that I can focus on my new business, Three Thought Bubbles.

It's hard to sum up how much I've loved running this business. It's been such a huge part of my life for the last fifteen years. And it all began after a six month trip around India in 1994. This seems like the best place to dig up some favourite memories and thank everyone who has helped me along the way.

Aisling, River Ganges, Varanassi, 1994.

Here I am gliding along the river Ganges at dawn! I look a bit serious, because a: I'm never been a morning person and b: we were passing lots of funeral pyres along the waters edge. But this photo reminds me of the magical and crazy adventure that we had and how the trip inspired me to return to college to study jewellery design. 

'Princess and the pea' necklace and hand-beaded bridal shoe commission.

When people ask me what the best part of my job is, I always say, it's the people I design for. You ladies have made my job so worthwhile and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. When I first set up Rangoli, I supplied jewellery to shops. I never met my customers. It felt totally soulless to me and that was the huge turning point. Designing for 'real people', meant that I could chat and get to know the people who wore my designs. Listening and offering advice became a favourite part of my job! That, combined with the hilarious conversations and stories we've shared. Ciara and Deirdre, I still remember your visits to the studio...

Left: Rangoli 'lace' headpiece, top: painting by William Larkin, Bottom: Valintino dress

The story of Rangoli is also about my passion for pattern. India showed me how beautiful it is to decorate the body from head to toe in dazzling jewels. Ornamenting the body just makes me feel happy! And lace has been a constant inspiration because of the intricate, natural patterns. The pics above show how timeless this fabric is, from the 17th C Painting by William Larkin to a Valentino dress in 2012.

Watercolour sketches for Rangoli crochet headpiece

Although I design jewellery too, it's the hair accessories that I've enjoyed creating most. I've always thought of them as hair jewellery. My favourite designs are my beaded hairwires and crochet head-wraps. The best part has been seeing how each person chooses to wear them. And there are some amazing hairdressers out there that I've been lucky enough to collaborate with. This is also a great place to thank each of you who have shared their gorgeous photos with me!

Rangoli beaded hairwires and crochet forehead headpieces

There are so many people who have supported me along the way. A big shout goes out to my family, along with the best bunch of creative friends a girl could ask for! I'd also like to say an extra special thank you to Mary Shiels, who taught me crochet and tapestry, many moons ago, and lead to me experimenting with fine metallic threads and wires. And finally, I'd like to publicly thank my husband Ben, who has been my biggest support through all of the ups and downs of running my business. We took that trip together to India and haven't stopped exploring and being travel adventurers since!

 

 

I have a limited number of designs which are available to purchase. So if you know of anyone who is looking for bridal accessories, please share my website, blog or Facebook page.

 

My new adventure (and business) is called Three Thought Bubbles. I now help businesses to be human on the web - something that I discovered how to do at Rangoli. I believe that the passion behind a business is something worth sharing. I hope you agree!

Thanks to everyone for your support, business and friendship.

x Aisling

 

An Irish themed bridal shoot

I've been dying to share some photos from a recent shoot I did with The Wedding Crew. The theme celebrated The Gathering; so we all dug deep to come up with our own take on what is to be Irish. I wanted to capture that ethereal Irish beauty and soft understated elegance.

Days like this allow me to meet other creative designers and I always come away buzzing with ideas. And I like being able to recommend these talented people to you.

This was my favourite photo from the day. January, (what a beautiful name) captures everything for me that reflects Irish beauty; porcelain skin, delicate features and a mane of gorgeous auburn hair. I designed this new piece especially for this shoot - it combines multi strands of gold crochet dotted with pearl and blue topaz drops. The headpiece continues in a single strand which is woven into the back of the hair. Lorraine Browne created all of the pretty hairstyles.

January and Jordan braved the extreme cold, to model in the sheerest of outfits. We had to wrap them in blankets in between shots!

Sarah Foy designed the dresses. I particularly loved this peach, chiffon-layered design with the tiniest hand-stitched beading trims. January wears a matching gold crochet bracelet with pearl drops. Jordan is the perfect foil in his 'Pennys' attire!

The second headpiece I designed is the 'Gold Lace' headwrap. It can be worn as a wide hairband, or across the forehead as you see here. I'm a big fan of transparent fabrics and this headpiece allows you to see either the skin or hair through the lattice design.

I had already met Claire from The Informal florist and her business name sums up my favourite kind of flowers - ones that look like they've just been plucked from nature and lovingly 'bunched' together! Although in reality, there is much more to it than that, I know. Claire's blog is filled with wild posies and stories about her love of flowers.

And finally, two fairly new businesses that are offering something different - Little Birds Bake made a whole dessert table filled with sweet bites. The coconut cupcakes were a new flavour sensation for me. Dusty Boy Designs are a stationery company run by make-up artist Kate Rose Crean and her husband Justin. Their designs combine vintage and contemporary elements with lots of fun lettering.

The trio that make up The Wedding Crew were busily working away behind the scenes to co-ordinate and capture all of the story. Lorraine Browne styled all the hair, Naomh Kirwan did the make-up and Paul Kelly was the photographer. Thanks for asking me to be involved in this project - it was a fun day working with all of you!

Here's the low-down on all these great businesses - lots of talent for you to choose from;

    The Wedding Crew

    Photographer: Paul Kelly | Studio3
    Photographers Assistant: Feena Kavanagh
    Location: Boyne Hill House

    Hair: Lorraine Browne
    Make Up: Naomh Kirwan
    Bridal Gowns:  Sarah Foy

    Jewellery: Rangoli
    Flowers: The Informal Florist
    Cakes: little birds bake
    Stationery: Dusty Boy Designs
    Models: January and Jordan from Morgan the Agency

Rangoli bride, Ruth.

An email in my in-box that made my day! Ruth - thanks for getting in touch to share some photos of your wedding. Your kind words mean a lot.

Ruth was looking for a headpiece with an antique, pearly feel. No sparkly rhinestones here! I combined some pale gold and silver beading with cream Swarovski pearls. The design was based on a vine form with beaded leaves. I love how soft the piece looks against the delicate lace. You look gorgeous Ruth.

You can see more photos of Rangoli brides on my Facebook page and website.
 
Ruth's photos were taken by Michael Crean.

You make me laugh

This is a story without a picture. In fact it's a snippet of a conversation that I had with a client on Saturday.

Ciara came in to see me with her sister and her Mum. We were happily chatting away for a while before she told me how she had come across my designs.

The story began over a year and a half ago when Ciara was teaching her primary school kids. It was International Day and they were looking at different cultures. There were two Indian children in her class who wanted to make *Rangoli drawings. So Ciara did a Google search and came across my website. In her words, she got a bit sidetracked! She said that my designs were exactly what she had in mind for her wedding. So she saved the page and managed to remember me for all that time!

We seemed to spend that hour laughing a lot - in between fits of giggles, (all four of us), Ciara also told me that her visit with me was more enjoyable than choosing her dress... Could I love this girl any more? While beaming to myself, her sister Niamh helpfully added; 'Yes, you can't look fat in a headpiece'

I get to hear amazing stories, both serious and funny. People say that love makes the world go round. For me, it's the stories that do it every time. Ciara, thanks for allowing me to share yours!

*I'm often asked where my business name comes from - You can read about how I chose the name Rangoli for my business and what the word means.

Autumn amber shades

I'm designing a headpiece for this striking Vera Wang Evelyn dress. I love the lines of this contemporary gown. I'm incorporating gorgeous shades of amber, golden topaz and white opal crystal. Perfect for this time of the year!

I found this inspiration  board over on The Finer Things stationery blog and love the rich palette. Silver or white gold are still the most popular colours for accessories but gold is definitely a trend for 2012 weddings.

I'll be able to show you the finished piece in October when I get back back from holidays.

Below you can see the finished design. With this commission, the client was fairly open about the style of headpiece that she would like. Her only guidelines were that she wanted the piece to be in gold tones and not too vintage in style.

I asked her to send me pictures of combs that had elements that she liked. So, some incorporated the warm gold tones she liked, while others had floral or linear elements that appealed. This can be a great way to pinpoint the type of design you would like even if it seems a bit vague. It really helped me to narrow down the eventual design, shape and form. This piece will be worn at the back of the head. The dress design is very bold so simple gold rhinestone drop earrings will be the only other accessory.

I wish that more of you would choose these gorgeous golden shades. It seems that silver or white gold is still the most popular. I'd love to hear your thoughts on gold versus silver...

Botanic Garden Inspiration

Autumn is on the way and I'm designing a new collection of ready to wear jewellery which I can't wait to show you. When I saw these images over on Dust Jacket Attic, they jumped off the page for me  - they perfectly illustrate the combination of reality and fantasy that influences my designs.

When I start sketching new designs, my pencil creates the most fluid and magical lines. Any form is possible and I get totally carried away in the world of my imagination.

Fashion and nature are two great sources of inspiration for me. I took the pictures below in the National Botanic Gardens. The greenhouses are a wonderland of fantastical sculptures and a great way to spend a rainy afternoon!

I'm off on holidays at the end of the month but I'll keep you posted on the launch of the new collection towards Christmas!

Top photo credits -
by Owen Bruce and styled by Tasha Cain with watercolour art by Iveta Karpathyova for Pulp#3.
Botanic Garden photos by Aisling Nelson

Something blue

I love getting the opportunity to design for brides from different countries and cultures. I really need one of those spinning globes for my studio!

I'm heading off to Uzbekistan in the next few weeks for a travel adventure so I was so excited when Tahkmina told me that she was from Tajikistan; another amazing country on the Old Silk Route.


Tahkmina is a bride to be from Tajikistan, getting married in Turkey and wearing a traditional Chinese blue silk gown.

I designed this delicate beaded spray for the back of her hair as the dress fabric is quite elaborate. The piece is embellished with aquamarine, pearl and crystal. Wishing her all the very best for her wedding!

Check out my other recent bespoke commissions on the blog or get in touch to arrange an appointment to visit my showroom.

Behind the scenes at the Rangoli Showroom

Today Rangoli Jewellery et moi are featured on the brilliant 'White Tea' Photography website. Noel and Aga are photographers with a really fresh style and making big waves in Ireland! I recently featured one of their wedding photo-booth films.

They decided they'd like to photograph designers in the wedding industry in their place of work - a kind of behind the scenes photo essay! In their words "The-inner-workings-of-wedding-suppliers-photo-journalistic-interview series".Love it :-)

I spent an afternoon with Aga and Noel with a strong coffee to calm the nerves. I have to say it was lots of fun and I'd like to thank them for the eclectic mix of images they took. It's funny seeing my studio through someone else's eyes too.

Read the full article on the White tea website & leave me a comment - I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Rangoli bridesmaids brooches

Todays post is about favourite colour palettes and bridesmaids dress brooches! Yurishan asked me to design brooches for her three bridesmaids. Their dreamy dresses combine dusty pink and toffee colours - one of my favourite colour combos as anyone who has seen my Rangoli stationery and branding will know!

 Rangoli stationery

It took me no time to pick out a combination of golden topaz and dusty pink crystals, creamy pearls, rhinestone and bronze seed beads. I love how the silver-lined scalloped edging sets them off perfectly.

The girl's dresses are being made at the moment so I hope to share some photos at a later stage. (I have lots of interesting commissions on the go at the moment and want to share them with you as I make them! I'll then link the wedding features back to the relevant posts.)

I think brooches are a unique way to accessorise your bridesmaids dresses - I'd love to hear what creative ideas you have in mind for your lovely ladies!

Check out my other bespoke commissions or see some Rangoli brides on my Facebook page.

Rangoli lace headpiece

Sometimes it's hard to say goodbye! This bespoke headpiece was collected yesterday and is going to a lovely happy owner...(You may have read my previous post about this inspiring commission.)

I loved working on this piece with *Lena. She had very specific ideas about the look and feel of the piece as well as the shape. Her gorgeous lace dress will be worn with a long sleeved bolero. Pearl was to be the main component of the design. I had to create a flat design which replicated the delicacy of lace. Lena had an image of a rhinestone comb that she liked the shape of. We were able to use this as a starting point and template.

For this design, I printed the image of the comb that Lena had brought so we could look at this shape on her head. This probably sounds mad but it gave us both an excellent idea of how the form would look! Above, you can see how I have pinned on some small beaded shapes on top of the paper.

Once we were both happy with the scale and shape of the piece, I began working on detailed sketches of the intricate form. I then created many individual beaded elements which were finely woven together as the piece was being constructed.

Once I begin constructing the design, I work directly in three dimensions and I leave the sketches aside. This design took many hours to make but was a fascinating new direction for me in terms of assembling a piece from a number of smaller forms.

I'm really looking forward to sharing this wedding with you in a couple of months. Lena is so happy with the piece, especially as she had such a clear idea in her head of how she wanted the piece to look like.

You can read about some of my other commissions on the blog. All feedback is really welcome so leave me a comment or chat with me on my facebook page!

* For anonymity reasons, Lena is not her real name!

Bespoke Rangoli Hairwire

I just love sharing some of my client's weddings with you. It's really rewarding to receive photos along with kind words of appreciation - I am continually reminded of why I love my job so much! So thanks to each and every one of you who have shared your weddings with me.

Rachel came to me with an idea for a beaded hairwire. She wanted it to incorporate a variety of different sized pearls along with a little bit of sparkle. The classic hairstyle that she chose is so elegant and I think the hairwire complements it perfectly!

Rachel's family surprised her on the morning of her wedding with a gift of this Rangoli pearl and rhinestone necklace along with a matching bracelet, (which can be seen on my website).

I also designed a beaded headpiece for Rachel's Mum Rose, seen below, along with a delicate 9ct gold beaded pendant. Rachel's two sisters wore a bespoke comb and hairpins to match their gorgeous black and gold Monsoon dresses. Here are a few words from Rachel -

I just wanted to say a big thank you to Aisling in Rangoli Jewellery. I had heard of her work through WeddingsOnline. I purchased my hair vine and bridesmaids head pieces from Rangoli. Aisling is so easy to work with. It was a pleasure to visit her studio where she showed my sister and I various pieces she had made and allowed us to try them on. I showed her a picture of a hair vine that I liked and she made me exactly what I wanted.

On the morning of our wedding to my surprise I received a beautiful gift from my sister and mother of a pearl necklace and matching bracelet which Aisling made and complimented my dress beautifully. I will definitely be recommending Rangoli to as many people as possible as Aisling made the process very easy. I hope to buy some more products from her in the future.

Thanks so much Rachel - I really appreciate your kind words and wish you both all the best!

You can read more about my recent bespoke commissions or get in touch if you'd like to talk about a having jewellery or accessories designed for your wedding or special occasion. I also have a Rangoli Brides portfolio on my Facebook page which is great for inspiration!

Rachel's wedding was photographed by Paddy Burke.

Rangoli treasure box of ideas

Rangoli designs are inspired by all sorts of things. I love ornamentation and decorative floral patterns in particular. In between my commission work, I set aside time to experiment and create new forms and sometimes the smallest discovery can be the most rewarding!

I have a few 'treasure boxes' where I keep these mini-experiments. I open these boxes whenever I am working on a new design. I can pick out a small beaded element and know that it will work perfectly in combination with other elements of this new design!

The commission above was a variation on one of my existing designs. The client wanted a more solid or structured design, so I added in some beaded leaf motifs and worked with a combination of pale gold and silver to complement some antique gold beading on the bodice of the dress. The delicate beaded flowers below were another bespoke design. In both cases, the clients really enjoyed being part of the design process and choosing the elements that were incorporated into their unique designs.

I get brilliant ideas from my clients and love hearing about unusual ideas for accessory designs! Do get in touch if you'd like to arrange a visit to my showroom. You can also read about my other recent bespoke commissions or have a look at the Rangoli Brides album on my website.

'Something Blue' sapphire crystal hairpins

Today someone collected these pretty pale sapphire crystal hairpins. I love including some colour in my designs and especially like this shade of pale grey/blue Swarovski faceted crystal. I've put together a colour board with hints of blue - hope you like it!

Photo credits for montage
Top left - Mariam Sitchinava Photography
Middle: Julianne Swartz
Bottom: Joni Niemela
Right: Via Pinterest

Susan and John's wedding

Susan and John were married in February 2011. Their wedding was in Ratheniska, followed by a reception at Killashee House Hotel, Co. Kildare.

Susan wanted a delicate hair accessory to complement her gorgeous lace gown. She really liked my Rangoli Hairwire styles and together we chose a beaded flower design which picked up on her lace detailing. Susan chose not to wear a veil and wanted something simple yet elegant to dress her hairstyle.

"Aisling, I got lots of compliments about the hair wire on the day and I loved it - it worked out perfectly in the end with the way the hair was done and I even think those that were against me not having a veil were happy enough in the end also!!!!

Thanks again for all your patience with me.

Susan"

Susan was lucky to have Mary Brown as her photographer. I think you'll agree that she captured lots of beautiful and relaxed emotions. Visit Mary's website or see more photos of the wedding on her Facebook page.

Congratulations Susan and John - You look amazing! Thanks so much for allowing me to share your photos on the blog.

Have a look at some of my other bespoke commissions on the blog, or get in touch if you'd like to arrange to visit my showroom.

"10 Things You Swoon Over" with Aisling Nelson

I have been invited to take part in a great collective project which has been lots of fun! Over the last few years, I have connected with so many creative bloggers and readers and now have lots of new 'online' friends that continually inspire and offer support.

Inspiration and creativity can sometimes be hard to describe but I was invited to write about ten things that I 'Swoon' over for the wonderful US blog Swoon. That sentence was inspiration enough :-) It didn't take me long to put together ten things that I love and illustrate them with amazing images.

Read about my ten favourite things or follow the series over on the Swoon blog.

A big thanks to Ann Nguyen for inviting me to be a gust-blogger - I had lots of fun putting the article together.

New Rangoli Rhinestone Combs

I'm really excited to add three dazzling new combs to my Rangoli collection. The first is the Vintage Lace comb, inspired by lace with beautiful scalloped detailing. The second is the Rhinestone Vine comb, inspired by Hollywood Glamour and finally, the Deco Swirl, reminiscent of Art Deco decadence!

Do you have a favourite? Have a look at my website for the full collection or read about some of my recent commissions.

Long, (and medium), distance design!

"What happens if I can't visit your showroom?" This is a question I am often asked by International and Irish clients who would love to wear Rangoli accessories for their wedding.

So today I am sharing a commission with you from someone living in Kerry. For the purposes of anonymity, we'll call this bride Emma! Not surprisingly, her weekends are jam-packed with other bridal-related things and she was unable to visit me in person.

I wanted to show you the process involved so you can see how easy it is to have a Rangoli accessory made specially for you and have it delivered to your door!

Emma is wearing the dress pictured above but is having the straps removed. You'll notice that there is a brooch detail under the bust-line.

Emma first contacted me by email and then we got chatting on the phone. Once I had seen pictures of her dress and photo from her hair trial, (see above), I asked her more about her own personal style and her ideas for the hair accessory.

It's important for me to see close-up pictures of any detail on the dress. In this case, Emma had the brooch and was able to send me a photograph of it. She wanted a curved comb to sit above her low bun. The piece needed to be made with rhinestone elements to complement the brooch.

During my research, I discovered that one of my suppliers stocks the exact comb from the dress. I suggested to Emma that it would be lovely to incorporate the oval brooch into the design, with tapering beaded branches as in the Rangoli sketch above.

I must admit, I'm quite chuffed with the sketch overlaid on Emma's hairstyle photo! It allowed her to see the form and how it would look in the hair. We were both happy that the design would complement her dress and hairstyle. Below is a photo of the finished design!

Here are a few words from 'Emma' who is getting married next week!

"After much searching both in Ireland and the US, I eventually found my dream wedding dress. This beautiful antique style dress had a brooch in the centre of the dress and I wanted a hair comb to tie in with the dress. A friend at another wedding mentioned Aisling and Rangoli and I immediately looked her up. As I was unable to visit Dublin, I discussed with her the possibility of going through the process via e-mail and phone calls. I sent Aisling pictures of the brooch, the dress and my hair style and we continued discussions over the phone.

Aisling's suggestions of linking the brooch, the style of the dress and the hair style surpassed any of my ideas. The comb arrived via registered post and I was delighted with the result. It matched perfectly with the dress and the brooch on the dress

I can't wait to wear it on my Wedding Day next week!!"

Thanks 'Emma' for taking the time to share your experience with my readers. I know they'll join me in wishing you all the best for your wedding day!

Please get in touch if you would like to discuss a commission piece or check out my latest bespoke designs on the blog.