Rangoli Christmas Competition Winner

Wow - thanks for all your brilliant 'one word' descriptions of Rangoli jewellery for my Facebook competiton! Some were intriguing, others made me laugh and all of them made my head swell...in a good way :-) Check out the final collection of words -

Breathtaking, Lustrous, Shiny, Dazzling, Unparalleled, (as I haven't seen anything like your designs anywhere else), Fairy-princessy, More - ish (Meaning I would love to have lots of Rangoli Jewellery), Exquisite, Iridescent, Rangolious, Classy, Schitterend, (one word for Sparkling / glittering / radiant / dazzling / brilliant / fantastic!), Intricate, Distinctive, 'OhhlaaaLaa', Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Perfect, Spangolious, Ponyo, (Japanese word meaning breathtaking), Einstakt (Icelandic for "unique"!), Stunning, Bling, Zmysłowe, meaning sensuous, Drithle, (an old Irish word for "sparkle"), and Yorokobii, (a Japanese word meaning joy).

There were a few strong contenders in there but the winner of the competition is Celia Clancy who submitted the word "Unparalleled" because she hasn't seen anything like Rangoli designs anywhere else. Well, here's to originality!

Congratulations Celia - I'm looking forward to meeting you in the new year and designing something really special for you!

The Worldwide Rangoli Competition!

Hi to all my readers around the globe! I looked at the profiles of my Rangoli Facebook followers and discovered an amazing cross-section of locations including Ireland, The United Kingdom, Turkey, India, Australia, countries in North and South America, Poland, Italy, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Ukraine, Lithuania, The Netherlands and Malaysia. Wow thanks for your company - let me know if you have a location to add to my list!

It's a really nice feeling to think that I'm connecting with such a diverse audience :-)

So to celebrate the global love, I'm launching a competition which is open to anyone worldwide.

The prize is for bespoke Rangoli Jewellery or Hair Accessories to the value of €300. The prize also includes postage to your destination.

This competition is SO SIMPLE to enter -

1. Firstly, sign up for my Rangoli Jewellery Facebook page
2. Then leave a comment below or on the event page on Facebook describing Rangoli Jewellery in ONE WORD. Use whatever language you like!

The competition closes on Thursday 23rd December and I will announce the winner before Christmas.

Good luck to you all - can't wait to read your entry words!
Aisling

Esme's Ibiza wedding

Well girls, this is hot off the press...
Esme, the winner of my bridal hair accessories competition is just home from Ibiza. Congratulations to Esme and Keith! These are some images taken by family and friends and I also hope to share some of the official pics in a month or so.

You'll notice that Esme is looking suitably radiant and bronzed after her Mediterranean celebration! By all accounts, the holiday was amazing with family and friends benefiting from a relaxing holiday and amazing wedding party.

Here is Esme with her two bridesmaids. She chose their colour theme to contrast with the white and creams of the Mediterranean surroundings. I love how the sun makes these colours pop.

Above you can see Esme's headpiece which was made of fine gold crochet. I incorporated lots of gold-lined crystal, cream pearls, mat gold and silver-lined beading. This delicate crochet headband was woven around the back of the head, (although you can't see that in these images). Below are some of the crochet forms that Esme tried on before deciding on her own bespoke design.

I've been so looking forward to hearing all about this wedding and would like to thank Esme again for sharing her stories with us. Here are a few words from her -

Well I'm back - the wedding was amazing! Everyone was raving about my head piece; it really pulled my whole look together. The wedding was out of this world. The villa was decorated to perfection and everyone commented on the presentation and quality of the food, it was amazing. The wedding cake was cupcakes in carrot cake and lemon drizzle flavour. We had a Spanish guitarist playing during the reception and after the speeches we had fire dancers, which were spectacular. Thank you so much once again Aisling, my head piece really complemented my dress - I think you are just brilliant at what you do.

You're welcome Esme - thanks for your kind words; I really appreciate them. I know that your wedding will inspire so many people!

Rangoli competition winner

At last I can share the finished headpiece design that I made for Teresa, the winner of one of my recent Rangoli competitions. If you haven't read my previous posts, I can tell you that Teresa's winning entry inspired me with images of a gorgeous outfit that she wanted me to design a bespoke headpiece for.

After our first meeting, we had both decided the form that the headpiece would take. Teresa loved the idea of a small brooch-style detail on a narrow Alice-band. She liked how the hair-band had a function and held her hair in place when it was down.

Once the size of the side feature was chosen and the beading colours selected, it was time for me to start having fun. Really...this is my *job* and I get to do what I love every day :-)

Here are some initial sketches I did that show the flowing lines of the dress...

as well as scale and design of the headpiece...

...and the rhinestone shoe decoration

Often when I am designing, I get carried away and start experimenting with different beaded shapes and forms until I feel like I have achieved the perfect balance. Teresa had given me free reign to design a headpiece based on the forms and colours she had chosen.


So here is the finished headpiece. It is dramatic yet understated, bold and black with plenty of rhinestone sparkle. It's a 'going to the theatre' or 'going for coffee' type of headpiece! And I love how Teresa immediately thought of wearing it going out that evening with friends rather than waiting for those 'special' occasions that are coming up.

I absolutely love the hair piece you designed for me, thank you so much. I can't wait to wear it loads!

Thanks again
Teresa

You're welcome Teresa - I thoroughly enjoyed designing this piece for you and I hope you get lots of enjoyment from wearing it.

Esme collects her headpiece!

One of the things I love most about my job are the days when people collect their jewellery or hair accessories. There is always a buzz in the air and these happy emotions are so infectious!

Today it was Esme's turn to collect her headpiece. Esme is the winner of one of my recent competitions and I have enjoyed getting to know her and hear all about her plans for her wedding in Ibiza. You can read more about meeting her here and here.

After meeting Esme and chatting with her, we were able to narrow down the style of headpiece that was going to be perfect with her beautiful gown. I then made up some small sample pieces so that Esme could choose her favourite combination of beading as well as the scale of the piece. The colours we chose were a pale gold crochet with a variety of gold and silver-lined crystal, mat gold beading and cream coloured pearls.

As this wedding has not taken place, I can't reveal these images yet. The crochet hairband above was a contender in terms of shape and style but you'll have to wait another few weeks to see some pictures of Esme on her wedding day!

A big thanks to Esme for being so much fun to work with - I wish you both all the very best for 5th July!

Meeting Teresa - my second competition winner

Anyone following my blog or Rangoli Facebook page will know that I recently sponsored two competitions to win a bespoke headpiece. You have already met Esme who I am designing a bridal headpiece for. Now it is time to meet Teresa. Teresa is one of my past clients and I am delighted to be designing a headpiece for her to wear with one of her favourite dresses.

Above is a lovely photo from Teresa and Gary's wedding day. Teresa wore spiral Rangoli hairpins and a matching drop pendant.
Teresa visited my studio on Saturday with her husband Gary. I got to see her gorgeous dress and sparkly Luciano Padovan peep toe shoes. Those shoes really are pretty :-)

We chatted about what ideas Teresa had for a headpiece. We discussed the type of events that she has planned to wear the outfit - both a Christening and a 40th wedding anniversary. Teresa had an idea for a fine hairband which would have an additional benefit of keeping her hair in place. She liked the idea of a feature piece to the side.

I shared my thoughts about her dress - that it is elegant and beautifully simple. The fabric is very flowy and yet the dress has definite lines to it. There is no embellishment. I suggested leaving pink out of the piece and working with silver, rhinestone and introducing some black. By coordinating the headpiece and shoes, you allow the dress to stand out as the main element.

So we tried on lots of narrow band variations from beaded hairwires to rhinestone alice-bands. I showed Teresa how any number of design forms could be attached to the side of this style. With a petite face, she wants a neat and under-stated piece. This has been the case with both of my winners and really emphasises how the Rangoli style is about an under-stated glamour!

Watch this space to see the type of ideas that I come up with for Teresa in the coming weeks. This is a project I can't wait to get started on.

Photo credit:
Wedding photo by Lesley Smith

Meeting Esme ~ Part two

It's been a few days since my last post about meeting up with Esme - the winner of a bespoke Rangoli bridal headpiece. I'm including images of her gorgeous Vera Wang dress above to remind you. Read my previous post about the visit to the showroom.
Once we got chatting, Esme was immediately able to define her own personal style as being elegant yet under-stated. We had looked at images of Grecian inspired headpieces to see what scale of piece she would like.

Then it was time for me to put Esme's hair up in a half-up hairstyle so she could visualise what the designs would look like on the day. It really does help to be able to see the accessories in a vaguely similar hairstyle to the one you plan to wear on the day.

The key words that kept coming up in our conversations were softness and simplicity. I started by trying on a narrow crochet ribbon which we laid across the hair behind the sleek front section and before the slightly back combed part of the hair. This piece is woven from fine gold crochet and incorporates a variety of pearls and crystal. Esme had never considered a piece like this but liked how simple yet elegant it was. She knew that she didn't want anything that resembled a tiara - A statement I hear often from clients! This style of hair decoration is very Grecian and can be made to meet at the back of the head or as a double length that can hang down through the hair. We tried this on with and without a veil and it looked great both ways.

I then showed Esme a variety of different crochet ribbon styles with different patterns and widths. She was always drawn back to the narrowest version though. We discussed and tried on some beaded hairwires which had detailed embellishment to one side. We also tried on lots of feature side pieces but Esme preferred the continuous even look of a narrow ribbon. It's so important to know your own personal style and I love how Esme wants to really look like herself on the day.

We compared this soft fluid look with a structured double hair-band. We both agreed that the double-band was too defined looking for her gown. Decorative side-pieces were ruled out too in favour of the more balanced look of the narrow band. The only other jewellery she is planning to wear is a pair of diamond studs and possible a discreet gold bracelet.

So over the course of our first meeting, Esme has found a form that she really likes and feels will complement her hairstyle and gown. I am going to make up some sample lengths using a variety of crochet stitches and bead combinations. I'm looking forward to designing these variations with her in mind.

Watch this space for my next post where I will show you some of the sample designs I have made - or sign up to my Rangoli Facebook page for regular updates -

Read more about my recent commissions -

Cheers
Aisling

Meeting Esme

Esme Is the winner of my first competition to win a bespoke Rangoli headpiece. She came to visit my studio last Friday and we spent some time chatting and I found out more about the gorgeous Grecian-inspired wedding she is planning in Ibiza!

I not only got to see 'the' dress but Esme was kind enough to try it on in my showroom. I have to say that it is absolutely gorgeous on her. The small images I posted previously cannot do it justice. The colour is a really rich, warm, creamy gold and suits Esme's sallow skin and dark hair.

I was immediately struck by the simplicity and beautifully understated look that she wants to create. There is absolutely no embellishment on the dress - not one single bead! I find this really refreshing and the result is a stunningly elegant gown. The fabric is overlaid with soft ruched layers of tulle and has a narrow satin ribbon underneath the bust-line. This Vera Wang dress is in fact a bridesmaid gown - take note girls; most of the bridesmaids dresses are also available in bridal colours and are more reasonably priced!

As a starting point, I showed Esme a selection of Grecian style headpiece images that I had sourced online. I wanted to get ideas from her as to the type of forms or styles that she liked. Although she was completely open to trying on lots of different styles, she said that she wanted something that would lie flat on her head. She commented that she has a small face and would like a headpiece that is very understated and neat.

In my next post about Esme, I will tell you more about the headpieces we tried and what styles that she liked best. Read my previous article about Esme or sign up to my Rangoli Facebook page for regular updates. I am sure that Esme would love to hear your ideas or feedback so feel free to leave a comment!

See and read more about my recent commissions -

Image credits: Clockwise from top left - Grecian hairstyle with ribbons, January Jones, Blake Lively, Antique leaf-inspired headpiece, Nicole Richie headpiece, Jennifer Behr headpiece.

Happy Friday to Teresa!

Today is the day that I announce the winner of my second competition and I am really happy to have told Teresa that she has won my 'Past clients' competition.

I designed jewellery and hair accessories for Teresa's wedding almost three years ago and can't wait to meet up with her again to design a bespoke headpiece for her stunning outfit. There was definitely a bit of dress envy going on here on my part!

I fell in love with Teresa's Spanish designer dress and think that her shoes are also to die for!

Here are a few words from Teresa herself -

I have a beautiful dress by a Spanish label called WHO based in Barcelona that I would love you to design a bespoke head piece for. The dress is knee length, fuchsia pink, it’s fun and flirty and at the same time it’s classy, elegant and sophisticated. It was a complete impulse purchase, but when I tried it on it was so perfect that I just had to buy it and at the same time I was planning the various events that I have on over the coming months that I can wear it to! I bought it in a beautiful boutique in Blackrock called Liuzzi and it is definitely one of my investment pieces.

I also have a gorgeous pair of Luciano Padovan peep toe shoes that I bought last summer in a fabulous shoe shop in Ballina called Gerry Maguires. Again, the shoes are an investment piece and they complement the dress beautifully.

I love this outfit because it came together effortlessly. I would describe my style as elegant and sophisticated and I would love a bespoke Rangoli headpiece to wear with this outfit.

I will be meeting with Teresa in a few weeks time and you can follow the consultation and design process on my blog. Sign up to my Facebook page for regular updates too!

Let me introduce you

It's time for you to meet and get to know Esme - who has won a bespoke Rangoli headpiece for her wedding day!

I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at all of your entries and seeing the special elements that you have chosen. I know that I have a really cool job - how many people get to look at pictures of gorgeous dresses every day? But in all honesty, the bit that I enjoy most is meeting and getting to know my individual clients. I hope that I can share some of the fun and creative elements of my job with you so you can see what it is like to have a piece designed for a special occasion.

So let's meet Esme! Esme wowed me with her romantic storyboard for her Ibiza wedding. Herself and her fiancée have been going on holiday to Ibiza for many years on holiday and love the relaxed, and mystical ambience the island offers. So it was the ideal choice for their wedding venue!

I asked Esme if she could sum up the style of celebration they wanted to have.
The style of the wedding is Grecian inspired and we are hoping for a relaxed wedding with a Mediterranean vibe.

Did this have an impact on the style of dress you chose?
Definitely I wanted a dress that wouldn’t be too heavy in the sun but would be figure hugging and warm toned, so I wouldn’t blend in with the white church and villa we have booked for our reception.

Did you try on lots of dresses before picking this one?
No – it was love at first sight. I did try a few other dresses on but kept coming back to this one.
(The gown is a Vera Wang “Strapless bobinette over lame with empire line”. I will get to see the actual dress this week and will be able to share some more detailed pictures with you).

Esme is thinking of a hairstyle like the one Lauren Conrad is seen wearing in the image above.

And how about these glamorous Dune shoes?! They are called “Jezzy” and will add a lovely bit of sparkle to the look.


And finally, the images above and below are floral inspiration, including the beautiful petal confetti.

Esme has chosen Anoushka G “Lucinda” maxi dresses in coral colour for her bridesmaids.

Thanks to Esme for sharing some of her images with my readers. (The cake inspiration has to remain secret but her guests will get to see that on the day!)

I am meeting with Esme this week - together we will start discussing ideas about designing a beautiful headpiece for her to wear. I will be documenting the process here so sign up to my Facebook page for regular updates!

And the winner is...Esme!

I'm so excited to be announcing the winner of my first headpiece competition! The entries I received were full of gorgeous elements but the winner inspired me with images that created a story of their wedding.

So congratulations to Esme from Dublin who is the winner of this competition! I will be sharing some of her inspiration images next week. Esme is having a July wedding in Ibiza and I can't wait to meet up with her and start discussing ideas for her bespoke headpiece.

Thank you to everyone who entered this competition - I'm sorry that there can only be one winner. The images above are just some of the inspiration pics that I received from all of you. Soon I will be sharing the exciting process of having a Rangoli piece designed. You will get to hear about Esme's wedding ideas and personal style...

Please feel free to comment and participate in this design project. You can also follow developments via my Facebook page.

Read more articles about recent commissions -

Rangoli Competition for past clients

Hello to all my lovely past clients - I want to thank you for your support over the last twelve years.

I am inviting all Rangoli clients from 1998 to the present day to enter this competition to win a bespoke occasion-wear headpiece. I want to re-connect with as many of you as possible and am looking forward to designing a special piece for one lucky winner.

Inspire me with an image of an outfit that you would like me to design a bespoke headpiece for. Perhaps you have a dress you love or maybe you are still on the look-out for that special outfit. You have six weeks to choose and photograph your glamorous attire!

If you know of anyone that I have designed for, please tell them about this competition so that they can be in with a chance to win this special prize.How to enter - Simply become a 'Fan' on my Facebook page and read about the entry details. Please don't be shy - I want to hear from each and every one of you!
Here are the details about how to enter the competition.

Wishing you all the best of luck!
Aisling

Rangoli Competition ~ Aisling designs for you

I'm really excited to be launching two competitions to win bespoke Rangoli headwear. Read more about the first competition on my facebook page.

Each day I get to see the most amazing gowns and outfits that inspire me to create. I want to share this exciting design process with you my readers! I'll be pulling back the curtains to reveal how much fun is involved in designing and having a bespoke Rangoli piece made.

I am offering one prize for my soon-to-be brides and another prize to some of my previous clients... (the second competition is just as exciting!)

Read about how to enter the first competition on my facebook page - In the meantime start gathering pictures of all the beautiful details that inspired you to plan your wedding - gorgeous shoes, colour schemes, red carpet glamour, cocktails ~ whatever captures your imagination! And to all of my past clients, I will be announcing details of a competition to win a bespoke occasion headpiece for whatever occasion takes your fancy.

Have a look at some wonderful inspiration boards on StyleMePretty or read about some of my recent commissions.

Rangoli competition winner

Today I am posting a set of pretty gold hairpins to Yvonne Nolan! Congratulations to Yvonne for winning my recent competition on the Farrell & Chase blog. Yvonne chose gold pins with a mixture of pearl and rhinestone centres. I hope you enjoying wearing your pins on your wedding day Yvonne!

Good luck to everyone else planning their weddings at the moment. Let me know if you would like to arrange an appointment to visit my showroom.

And I'd like to also congratulate Pamela from Farrell & Chase, who won the Best Wedding Supplier Website Award from www.weddingsonline.ie - Check out her gorgeous designs.