Christmas Party Manicure

Last year I went to a Christmas party and did this manicure for it. I've discovered that I have taken many, many photos of manis over the past few years that I have never actually blogged. I've been sharing some of them earlier this year in October but thought I'd show another one today. It's really interesting going back and seeing what type of manicures and techniques I previously did and how I've improved so much. Not only in my skills for nail art, but also in taking photos of it.

This manicure is so dark in the photos and I waited a few days to take the photos of it (as evidenced by the tip wear...). I can also see the difference between this photo and how using nail oil has really helped around the cuticles. They look so dry here, but now they are so much better and healthier. (I've been using Bliss Kiss for about a year now).

I started with a base of Funky Fingers Ectoplasmic and then tried my hand at a few decals. I used Il Etait un Vernis Paint It Black, Konad Green, and Funky Fingers Gesso. I made decals for the bell and champagne glasses coloring them in with silver polish and red Sharpie markers.

Plates used are as follows:
-Dashica SdP 24 (Holly Berries)
-Dashica SdP 14 (Champagne Glasses, Bells)

(Since this is from last year I'm not sure which plate the large bell is from. One thing that I've learned is that I really need to write down what I'm using so when I post I can let everyone know. Also, I might want to recreate something or use an image again.)

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What do you think? How have you grown in your nail art over the past year?

Snowflake & Flowers on a Blue Holo Background Featuring Glitter Gal Blue Suede Shoes

Occasionally, in the winter the sun can come out. What a perfect time to enjoy a holographic polish!

Here is Glitter Gal Blue Suede Shoes Holographic polish as the base. I love how holographic this is, but it does take a few coats for opacity (something I put it over a white base or a coordinating creme base in order to not use as much polish).

I wanted to stamp a winter-y design over this so I went with some Konad Red and Konad White and stamped the flowers that sort of look like snowflakes. What do you think?

I think it sort of looks like Poinsettias in the snow!!

2015 Valentine's Day Challenge: Roses

Today's theme for the 2015 Valentine's Day Challenge is Roses. I decided to do a simple, yet elegant version. I also tried my hand at stamping with more than 1 color at the same time.
 

I first put 2 coats of Funky Fingers Ectoplasmic on all my nails. 

 

Starting with the Nailways Springtime- Love is in the Air plate, I used Konad red on the flower part of the rose and Konad green on the stem part. I put both on the plate at once, then scraped and stamped. This created a red rose with green stem for the nail out of one stamp.

 

I then used Shany SH06 to stamp a bit of the lacey design with Funky Fingers Dark Knight.

 

 

I finished off the accent nail with Konad red and the full nail design of roses from the Nailways plate.

 

 

 

 

What do you think?

 



An InLinkz Link-up

Investigation Discovery anti-Valentine's Nails

 

 

The ladies over at Nail Crazies Unite on Facebook are having weekly challenges. For the month of February, these are our challenges:

 

It took me a LONG time to try to figure out what I would do for this, certainly a challenge! St. Valentine's Day is about people coming together out of love, so the opposite would be people coming apart , no longer in love. The first thing that comes to mind for me are all the television shows on Investigation Discovery. Every day there is some story about how someone kills their husband or wife or boyfriend or girlfriend. Such horrible stories!

I started with 2 coats of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Yellow Kitty.

 

 

Using Funky Fingers Dark Knight and Konad Red, I stamped the couple and hearts images from Messy Mansion MM03 and the silhouettes and wording from Infinity 76. I then painted the ID logo and knife details with Funky Fingers Gesso and Ulta Concrete Evidence

 

 

    

Here's the finished look!  What do you think? Have you ever created an anti-Valentine's manicure?

 





Fuzzy Heart Sweater Tutorial: Double Processed Stamping Technique

I enjoyed learning the double processed stamping technique and creating the YouTube video for it. So I decided to create a mani using the technique. I am very pleased with the results. But boy, was this a hard mani to create!! What was your hardest design?

 

I started with 2 coats of Kleancolor Neon Pink on all nails.

Using Messy Mansion MM03 and Big Plate A, I played around until I got a design I preferred. I think this looks like a fuzzy sweater, it kind of has a knitted look to it.

 

 

Using Konad Red, I stamped the smaller of the two hearts on the MM03 plate but left it on the stamper. I then took Funky Fingers Gesso and used the image on the second row, third from the right to stamp. I placed the whole thing on my nail and then covered with Seche Vite and used Kleancolor Neon Pink to French tip the thumb nails. For an accent nail, I put Pretty Serious Cosmetics Something Strange on my ring fingers.

Here's a video tutorial:


                   

Have you tried this new technique yet?

Superbowl 2015 with the new Petla NFL Stamping Plate

 

Today's Superbowl 2015! I don't really watch sports, but an excuse to do my nails? You bet I'm there ;)

I used the Limited Edition Petla NFL Stamping Plate (not available anymore). It stamped like a dream! I used a plethora of polishes for this manicure:

1. Funky Fingers Gesso
2. AEngland Dragon
3. OPI You Don't Know Jacques
4. L.A. Colors French White
5. Konad Red
6. Ulta Concrete
7. Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Grease Lightening
8. Sally Hansen Extreme Wear Blue It



 
 

Who are you rooting for??

St. Valentine's Day Nails with the Lead Light Technique

I just had to play with the new plates, so I used Messy Mansion MM03 to create another St. Valentine's Day manicure. I also used the opportunity to try the Lead Light technique again. What new techniques have you been trying?

MM03

I started with AEngland Perceval on all nails. Isn't that a gorgeous royal red color? I just love it!

A-England Perceval

I then stamped the heart ornaments with Konad White and colored them in with L'Oreal jelly polishes. I used Bananarama Love (yellow), bubble trouble (pink), and lilac coolers (purple).

 

 

                           
                                  











What do you think? It smeared the white a bit, so that's certainly something I need to work on for the next time. Have you tried lead light yet?

Wishing for Snow on a Blue Jelly Base

This week's theme on Adventures in Stamping is "on a blue base." I really want it to snow here, and actual snow not this wanna-be sometimes there's flurries if you squint REALLY hard snow.

 

 

I used Pretty Serious Cosmetics Party by the Poll from the Christmas Without Snow collection (oh the irony!). Then I stamped the snowflakes from Infinity Nails plate 79 with Konad white.

Are you wishing for snow??

HPB Presents My First Attempt at Double Stamping- Hearts!

I decided to try double stamping for the first time. I first stamped a background onto my nail and then stamped a more focal point type of image on top of that. I like the way it turned out, but this has certainly opened a whole lot of possibilities to me! Did I do it right?

 

 

 

I also used my new Nailways nail plate for the first time. This is Nailways Spring Time- Love is in the Air.

 

The base is OPI Hey Baby.

 

 

I first stamped the full hearts image over my nails with Konad Red. Then I stamped the individual heart on the middle of each nail facing inward and then facing outward as well. To finish the look, I use the word "Love" from the nail plate name on both ends. I did the accent nail with L.A. Girl Glitter Addict Animate. Then topped it all off with Seche Vite.

 

 


You can buy Nailways stamping plates on Beautometry.com.
Have you tried double stamping? What do you think?

An InLinkz Link-up

Cinnamon Candy Hearts

My manicure for today looks like candy. Both my DH and I think it looks like some sort of cinnamon candy for St. Valentine's Day. He really likes cinnamon candies. What candy do you like?

I used 2 images from the Sugar Bubbles SB011 plate.

 

 

I started off with China Glaze Phat Santa on all nails. Then stamped the images with Konad White stamping polish and topped it off with Seche Vite.

 

 

 

Have you ever done some nail art that made your nails look like candy?

Merry Christmas!! Winter Scene with Mom

For Christmas, I decided to do matching manicures with my mom. She loved the idea even though she wasn't sure about it at first.

I first painted both of our nails with a base of L.A. Girl Color Addict in Hooked. She certainly wasn't sure about blue nails! :P

Then, I stamped snowmen from XJ1, XJ6, and Cheeky Jumbo Plate 6 as nail decals with Funky Fingers Black Knight. I colored them in with a dotting tool using Funky Fingers Gesso. Then I put the decals on her nails and stamped the snowflake image on her ring fingers as an accent from Cheeky Jumbo Plate 6 with Konad White.

I used the same base and accent nails on my hands. I made decals with the trees from plates XJ1, XJ6, and Cheeky Jumbo Plate 6 with Funky Fingers Black Knight. I colored them in with a dotting tool using Konad green stamping polish.

I really enjoyed doing my mom's nails and really loved matching them to mine. My Uncle decided to get in the show and pulled out all kinds of Christmas items to take her photo with different poses. He really enjoyed thinking of poses for her!

I finished off the photos with intertwining her nails and mine to take a photo and it looks like a winter-wonderland!!

Have you ever done matching manicures with anyone?