Thursday, June 26, 2014

Graduating Class of 2014!

Yes, you are at the right blog!  It's been 4 years that I started my blog (almost to the day; man, how time flies?) and I've had the same rose, basic background all this time.  To be honest, I'm not one of these people who had the need to update my format as my blog has always simply been a format to share my manis and help those find the plates, etc and it didn't really matter to me what it looked like.  But it was ticking me off that some of the pix I wanted to share had some of my fingers partially cut off (as I don't crop or edit pix or do much anything other than upload the pix to blogger) so I wanted to change formats so that my fingers weren't cut off in the pix; that is all!  If I could figure out easily how to expand the margin on the existing format, I would have just expanded them.  And may still do that but for now, this format will do!  (Side note:  I had a change of heart and wanted to change back to the old style and just change the margins but applied one and then couldn't change it back as I see the old format isn't an option and now I wanted the old format back but can't! Oh well!) Not sure how long this one will stay but it's the closest there is to the old format yet not cutting off the pix.  Who knows, now that I seen how easy it is to change, I might do some more, but for now, this is it!

Tonight is my son's graduation; these are the nails I did for the occasion!



I did these quickly before I went to work and didn't have a whole lot of time so only took the end pix versus the pix of as I go along as most posts have.  But here's what I did to create the mani:  Started with a base of two coats OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, top coated.  Stamped main images on fingers using black FUN stamping polish using images from Infinity 35 (thumb), MJ XIX (index), BM H23 (middle), and SdP 102 (pinky).   The middle finger was stamped using Cheeky Jumbo 4 Top of the Class using Mundo de Unas stamping polishes in 13 and 30.  Did a little fill in of open areas on thumb, ring and pinky using L'Oreal Jolly Lolly, Miss Pixie and OPI I'm Never Amberrassed.


Added random stars using yellow Konad and Mundo de Unas 13 from SdP 69.  Lastly, hand painted in 2014 on ring using red Konad special polish.  Top coated to finish.


SdP 102

Infinity 35




Congrats Class of 2014!

Thanks for looking!

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Polly Wanna Cracker?

I did this mani one lazy Saturday afternoon while in cottage country.  I had spent the prior lazy Saturday afternoon in cottage country making a bunch of jelly polishes and was anxious to see how they worked!  Not too shabby if I do say so myself!


Started with a base of two coats of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.  The black stamping polish was Milani black (and poor clean up I see!).  The plates used were Infinity 68 (index, middle and ring) and Infinity 40 (thumb and pinky).


Filled in using both a dotting tool and a brush using lots of different jelly polishes; some of the polishes were the ones I made, others were store bought that were in my stash.  


While I really like the sheers with glitter in them, they weren't my favourite when used in this mani.  I liked these three nails best!


Top coated to finish. 


How about a creepy macro of the parrot?  (Can you tell he was my favourite nail?)

I was glad to test run some of my homemade jellies on this mani; it gave me a good idea of which polishes worked well for leadlighting and some that aren't as good as well as a good idea of clear to creme ratio. One things for sure; I will be checking out my stash for polishes to use to make a few more! The empty bottles I ordered just arrived....I see another lazy Saturday afternoon in cottage country making jelly polishes in my future!

Thanks for looking!






Monday, June 23, 2014

A Wedding Tribute Mani for @honeybee_nails

I did this mani for @honeybee_nails who got married this past Saturday!  I met  Melissa at the end of May when a bunch of nail gals (KarenD from Frazzle and Aniploish; Tracey from @traceyloveslacquer on instagram, Melissa from @honeybee_nails on instagram, nailxchange {who I don't think has an active blog right now but is still actively painting her nails}and I got together.  We made polishes at Girly Bits headquarters; Melissa made a polish to wear for her wedding that day; I remember her working so diligently to get just the perfect shade! I made a note to check her IG account to see when she was getting married (I'm sure she said that day, but there was lots said that day and couldn't remember!) and once I did, made a mental note of the date as I thought it would be a nice gesture to do a mani for her to mark the occasion!  I did both hands slightly different from one another; here's what I came up with!



Started with a base of two coats each of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls with blue accent nails using OPI No Room for the Blues, top coated with HKGirl.  The right hand base was all OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.



Stamped using MoYou Bridal Collection-04 (index, middle and ring plus do on the thumb), Wistonia Wedding Bliss (rings on thumb), SdP 73 (pinky) and HB34 (bees on thumb) using black Konad special polish. As there was only one size for the "I" in the I do image on the plate and it was too big for the nail design, I used a smaller "do" from the plate and hand painted in "I"....whcih I'm sure is pretty obvious!  I think this pix is the best of the little honeybees on the thumb!



Added a few random hearts from SdP 78 using red Konad special polish.



Top coated using HKGirl topcoat to finish.  (I waited a good 15 to 20 minutes before top coating and still had some stamping drag; I'm thinking it was because of temperature/humidity?)  I should also point out that these are not from the XL size of images (which is MoYou Bridal 05) and the images are still plenty big.  I also had a reallyyyyy hard time lining up the middle finger which isn't the plates fault but just to share how some of these have to be placed just so to look somewhat decent; I think this was attempt 5 and just left it even though not perfect.....)



On the right hand, plates used where MoYou Bridal Collection-04 (index, ring and love and ring on thumb), Wistonia Wedding Bliss (ring) and Apipilia Colecao Fofuras C on middle (noted as Cuteness C on the estore).  Random hearts are again from SdP 78.  The stamping polishes were red, black and blue Konad special polishes.  This is my favourite hand out of the two!



Wistonia Wedding Bliss



MoYou Bridal Collection-04





Congrats to Melissa and Sean on their special day!  May you have a lifetime of happiness!

Thanks for looking!

Friday, June 20, 2014

Girly Bits Our Lips Are Sealed

Those who may have checked out my Dozen Animal Stamping plates post over on the Digit-al Dozen blog may remember seeing these nails as it was a mani I had put on the DD post but hadn't featured here yet. These frisky cats are stamped over Girly Bits Our Lips Are Sealed, which is part of the recently released Girly Bits 80's Girl Bands collex.  


Started with a base of Girly Bits Our Lips Are Sealed.  This is two coats, no topcoat.


What is really interesting to me is that I own a lot of pinks.  And even with all the pinks I own, I don't have one quite like this one!   

Bottle shot.

Stamped using FUN black stamping polish with images from Lily Anna 11.


Lily Anna 11


Finished with a coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

I took this pix the following day in natural sunlight.


Even though I'm not a cat person, I thought these images were the cat's meow if I do say so myself!

Lily Anna plates are available via Messy Mansion's estore and their etsy shop.

Girly Bits polishes are available via their e-store here; I also seem to recall reading that llarowe has these on the way to their shop as well!  Please check Girly Bits FB for regular updates and additional information!

Thanks for looking!




Thursday, June 19, 2014

CANVAS lacquer Beyond the Wall

I have another CANVAS lacquer polish, Beyond the Wall, to share today. Beyond the Wall by CANVAS lacquer** is the the kind of glitter I love for top coating; loads of glitter and shimmer in one coat to provide lots of interest, perfect for layering as the base is sheer so lots of options when using it as a top coat on an opaque base  plus the added bonus of being perfect to use as some interest at the tips for funky frenches that I have a thing for!


Beyond the Wall by CANVAS lacquer is lightly tinted, it is one of those polishes that is used best as a top coat for added interest.  Started with a base of two coats of Dermelect Above It, no top coat.  (For Canadian gals who may be looking for Dermelect, this was a polish I picked up at Ulta on a cross border shopping trip.)


Added a coat of Beyond the Wall by CANVAS lacquer.  No topcoat in this pix.  Formula was good, application was easy and one coat had good coverage.  Two coats may have had more glitter but I thought this was pretty with one!


This is after a coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.


One coat of CANVAS Beyond the Wall swatched. 

Stamped using an image from FUN 5 using a couple different blue stamping polishes; Mundo de Unas 30 (thumb, middle and pinky) and 3 (index and ring).  The stamping covered a bit more of the base than I wanted but still pretty!


Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.


I have a funny story to share about these nails!  After I finished my nails, I headed to bed (as I do my nails very late at night 99.9% of the time).  I had brushed my teeth, used the loo, set the phone alarm, turned out the light and was getting comfy in bed, fluffing the pillow, getting the blankets just so.  As I'm settling in, I noticed blue flashes here and there in the dark; it was kinda of freaking me out as I couldn't figure out what these blue flashes were.  I looked outside (as there is a window above the headboard) to see if there are lights flashing outside or lighting......nothing.  I couldn't figure what it was until my hands quit moving and there glowing in the dark was my nails...and I mean, 10 nails a-glowwww-ing!  CANVAS Beyond the Wall is glow in the dark!  And this isn't your typical "have to put your nails in the light" to charge glow.  I did no charging of the polish at all other than the standard take-a-few-pix-once-done-under-the-lighting as I didn't even know that the polish was glow in the dark (I'm being honest here!  I didn't know to take pix but will share another time).  The blue glow was very bright and lasted quite some time.  Added bonus to a really pretty polish....now that you know, it won't freak you out like it did me!

CANVAS lacquer is available via their etsy shop here.

Thanks for looking!

**polish provided for review; please refer to disclosure policy


Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Put On a Happy Face!

Here's a mani I did a couple weeks ago; these bright and fun nails were just the boost I needed at the time to get me through a rough patch...I hope it brings a smile to your face too!



Started with a base of two coats of Glam Polish We Go Together, no topcoat.



Stamped using black FUN stamping polish using BM304 (index and middle), FUN 4 (ring) and Cheeky Jumbo Plate 4; Top of the Class (thumb and pinky).



BM304


Top coated with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.



Thanks for looking!



Friday, June 13, 2014

Digit-al Dozen Does Metal; Day 5

It's the last day of Digit-al Dozen does metal challenge!  For the last day, I did a series of images that are heavy metal appropriate (I hope!).  Believe it or not, there are times that I do some internet research on the various themes; and when I was thinking heavy metal music, I searched heavy metal symbolism.  Images similar to these came up on the results so this is what I've decided to go with for Day 5 of the metal challenge; a bunch of heavy metal appropriate (or what I hope is appropriate) imagery!  (I apologize in advance if these are way off...and if they are, it was not my intention to offend anyone heavily into heavy metal!) Here's what I came up with!


Started with a base of OPI Love. Angel. Music. Baby (gold) and OPI This Gown Needs a Crown; one coat, no top coat.  The middle finger is two coats of OPI Girls Love Diamonds then topped with OPI matte.



Stamped using MoYou Greek Mythology Collection-03 (index), FUN 1 (pinky), MJ XXIII (ring), MoYou Biker Collection-04 (thumb), and MoYou Biker Collection-05 (middle).  Stamping polishes used where FUN black stamping polish, Mundo de Unas 8 (green) and 9 (red).  



Here's a closer look at a few of the plates used; MoYou Biker Collection-04



MoYou Biker Collection-05




MoYou Greek Mythology Collection-03




Added a few roses and stars to accent and fill from MoYou Biker 05 and 07 plates using same stamping polishes.  It took me three attempts to get that middle image stamped decently.  In hindsight, the image was slightly too large for the nail.  As I had matted the polish, removal of the misplaced image was trickier than when there is a topcoat on the base.  I was OK with one removal of the stamping but when I removed it the second time, some of the base polish came off too.  So I added a thin coat of base polish and matted it again The base wasn't affected with the squishy stamper for the main image but when I was placing the smaller accent images using the small end of the Konad double stamper, it wrinkled the polish a bit as it wasn't fully dry.  I think it looks like a cracked skull a little though!  I left the mani like this, no topcoat.




Here's the other ladies Day 5 mani's!



Hopefully you have enjoyed Digit-al Dozen metal week!  Thanks for looking!