Monday 29 February 2016

When Colours Collide - Yellow and Grey

I can't say this was my favourite #whencolourscollide challenge - yellow and grey... well I love grey but I really don't like yellow.
Anyway, I gave it my best shot, trying to keep it fairly simple so I did a gradient of Leighton Denny
Brick Road and Leighton Denny Graycious and then stamped with Esmaltes da Kelly Topolino and Messy Mansion MM20
Messy Mansion MM20
Messy Mansion MM20 - Yellow and Grey
 Messy Mansion MM20
 Messy Mansion MM20
 Messy Mansion MM20

Sunday 28 February 2016

February Challenges - Nail Technique that I Love

The prompt - Nail Technique I Love for #clairestelle8feb - well of course it was going to be stamping and I was going to pair this with saran wrap, but recently I have the #smooshattack bug! My most fave manis are when I stamp over a relatively random base amd just let the colours and patterns work themselves out. I stamped Moyra 06 Florality 1 with Colour Alike A Kind of Black over my #smooshynailsunday mani. Then I used the same plate and stamped a different image with Colour Alike A Kind of White because if there is anything I like more than stamping, it is double stamping!
The smoosh was China Glaze Glow With the Flow, China Glaze Treble Maker and Kandy Colors un-named blue.
#smooshattack
Moyra 06 Florality 1 with Colour Alike A Kind of Black
Moyra 06 Florality 1 with Colour Alike A Kind of Black
Moyra 06 Florality 1 with Colour Alike A Kind of White
Moyra 06 Florality 1 with Colour Alike A Kind of White

Saturday 27 February 2016

40 Great Nail Art Ideas - Fashion

Another combined Friday posting - Fashion for #40greatnailartideas and Floral for #wnac2016.
I am not exactly a follower of fashion so I googled London Fashion Week for some inspiration that would not be too outlandish for my rather conservative tastes. To my delight the second image that came up was focusonstyle.com and an image of girls in pretty floral peasant style dresses, so I went with that, conveniently meeting the floral prompt too!
I started with a smooshy base of  Barry M Black Grape, Black Cherry and Black Pistachio
Then I stamped some tendrils and leaves with Moyra 13 Sweet Dreams and 2 True Pro Metallica Arete.
Then I added the flowers with DRK Seasons and Colour Alike Kind of White
I then coloured the flowers on half of each nail with Kandy Colors Grape Much? and Look at Me.
To change it a bit more I coloured a few more flowers and then finally added a matte top coat.



Thursday 25 February 2016

February Challenges - Mystical Nails

I know I have frequently mentioned a love of Art Deco and rarely miss an opportunity to do Art Deco nails but another style that I love is anything Celtic.
The prompt Mystical for #ggfnachallenge instantly made me think Celtic and more specifically the Messy Mansion Symetrika plates.
I started with a blue and green holo base using Esmaltes da Kelly Helix and Haltere, just painted each nail half and half. Coverage was great with only did one coat!
Then I stamped a spiral pattern using Apipila Super Plate B and Colour Alike Kind of Black.
Finally I added Messy Mansion Symetrika 06 with A England Virgin Queen.
I was really pleased with how this turned out.
Esmaltes da Kelly Helix and Haltere
Esmaltes da Kelly Helix and Haltere
Apipila Super Plate B and Colour Alike Kind of Black
Apipila Super Plate B and Colour Alike Kind of Black
 Apipila Super Plate B and Colour Alike Kind of Black

Messy Mansion Symetrika 06 with A England Virgin Queen
Messy Mansion Symetrika 06 with A England Virgin Queen
 Messy Mansion Symetrika 06 with A England Virgin Queen
 Messy Mansion Symetrika 06 with A England Virgin Queen

Tuesday 23 February 2016

February Challenges - Food that I Love

Todays challenge was Food that I Love for #clairestelle8feb - well, my favourite food is curry - nothing better than a prawn ceylon from our local takeaway - so I decided to go with an Indian theme - I used Loja BBF 15, various Virtuous Polishes for the first layer of stamping and Colour Alike Kind of White for the second layer and then added some more colour with a selection of sharpies.
The final mani
the first layer of stamping

Saturday 20 February 2016

February Challenges - Smooshing, LOVE! and Flowers that I Love

Another combined post here - starting with a Valentine's Day smoosh.
The colours were pastel yellow, bright light blue and bright purple - I don't really have a pastel yellow but the picture they posted looked just like the 3 Leighton Denny colours that were part of the summer collection a few years back - Shipwrecked, Blue Lagoon and Maroon Me Knot so i went with those. They didn't end up quite as vibrant as I'd planned but I was nervous of adding a second layer of smoosh and turning it into a mess. so I went with the soft watercolour look.
As soon as I saw these colours the next thought that went through my head was flowers - a prompt for a weeks time for #clairestelle8feb was Flowers that I Love and these looked like the perfect colours for sweet peas, which are my favourites! I found an image on Moyra 10 Florality 2 that I am certain is sweet peas and stamped that with Barry M Black Grape.
Then after a day, I disguised this mani with a single coat of Kandy Colors Hey Girl and then stamped hearts with Barry M Black Currant and UberChic UC4-03 for the LOVE! prompt for #clairestelle8feb.
So, the time line is a bit mixed up for this mani but photos are in order of how the mani came together.
#smooshattack
#smooshattack 
 

Moyra 10 Florality 2 and Barry M Black Grape
Moyra 10 Florality 2 and Barry M Black Grape
UberChic UC4-03 and Barry M Black Currant
UberChic UC4-03 and Barry M Black Currant


Friday 19 February 2016

40 Great Nail Art Ideas - Red Squares

I combined a couple of challenges today. When I saw I had to do Red with Squares for #40greatnailartideas and a Pond Mani for #wnac2016 I was sure they were meant to go together.
The only problem was a red jelly! I have a selection of lovely neon jellies but the only reds I have are an un-named Nellie polish with glitter and Danglefoot Bra Off Hair Up which is also holo.
The Nellie had dried up and although I added some thinners it was struggling to be opaque enough so I switched after the first 2 coats to the holo.
I had a bit of a challenge trying to isolate some squares from DRK Cobogo 1 with Colour Alike Kind of White and the end result was rather random but not a disaster, I did 2 layers of squares and I have included a pic of each stage.
Then I added overlapping outlines of squares using Pet'la Plate Kaboom and Barry M Black Cherry.
It all does look rather pink but I was rather pleased with it - no - actually, I loved it!!!

Updated: I agonized over this not being red enough and in the end added another layer - Messy Mansion Symetrika 05 and Esmaltes da Kelly Joana.
Pond Mani
Pet'la plate Kaboom
Red Squares (pink!)
 Pet'la plate Kaboom

Messy Mansion Symetrika 05 and Esmaltes da Kelly Joana
Red Squares!
 Messy Mansion Symetrika 05 and Esmaltes da Kelly Joana



Wednesday 17 February 2016

February Challenges - Animal I Love - cats!!!

I recently did a mani with black over neon and I liked it so much I decided I'd do something similar for the #clairestelle8feb prompt Animal that I love.
I used a base of China Glaze Treble Maker, and then used Moyra 02 Fabric Texture and China Glaze DJ Blue My Mind (invisible stamping it would seem) and China Glaze Violet-Vibes with the same plate.
Then I used Vivid Lacquer VL027 and Colour Alike Kind of Black over the neon base.
Finally I added a matte top coat.
Moyra 02 Fabric Texture
Moyra 02 Fabric Texture
Vivid Lacquer VL027
Vivid Lacquer VL027
Vivid Lacquer VL027
 Vivid Lacquer VL027

Monday 15 February 2016

When Colours Collide - Orange, Purple and Pink

This time round we decided to collide three colours rather than two- orange, purple and pink.
I started with a base of Nails Inc Power Pink. The I added chunky zigzags from Pet'la The Perfect One with Virtuous Polish Diligence, a very neon orange.
Then I added slimmer zigzags with the same plate and  Hit the Bottle Purple Reign.
I thought it looked OK but the pink base maybe should have been a pinker pink.
Anyway, just to be sure I used Hit the Bottle Magenta at Your Own Risk and Pet'la Plate Spinning to add one final layer. This was quite subtle over the rather bold mani but I think it added just enough pink for me to be happy!
One final thing to say is I am glad I went orange then purple rather than the other way round - that orange is very bright!!
Pet'la Plate The Perfect One, Hit the Bottle Purple Reign  and Virtuous Polish Diligence
Pet'la Plate The Perfect One, Hit the Bottle Purple Reign
and Virtuous Polish Diligence
 Pet'la Plate The Perfect One, Hit the Bottle Purple Reign  and Virtuous Polish Diligence
 Pet'la Plate The Perfect One, Hit the Bottle Purple Reign  and Virtuous Polish Diligence

Pet'la Plate Spinning and  Hit the Bottle Magenta at your own Risk
Pet'la Plate Spinning and
Hit the Bottle Magenta at your own Risk
 Pet'la Plate Spinning and  Hit the Bottle Magenta at your own Risk


Friday 12 February 2016

February Challenges - Love letters

Today's prompt for #wnac2016 was Love letter - I don't have any plates with writing on but I figured if I was sending a love letter to my husband I'd have to write about the things he loves so here we go with science, maths and coffee.
I used  Moyou London Scholar 01, Vivid Lacquer VL017 and Moyra 13 Sweet Dreams with Barry M Black Currant all over a coffee looking smooshed base of Barry M Pitstop, Attitude Masking Tape and Jacava Cappuccino Cream and some hearts stamped with A England Briar Rose and UberChic UC4-02.
I did add a matte top coat but then I went and dented 3 of the nails before they had dried, so I only have a shot of the ring finger.




40 Great Nail Art Ideas - Love

This weeks prompt was Love so it's all pink, red, hearts and lacey stuff I'm afraid.
I used Messy Mansion Symetrika 03 and A England Rose Bower to stamp over a pink lacey mani I did earlier.
I was really pleased with how this turned out. I love Rose Bower for stamping and the new Messy Mansion plates are wonderful.
I didn't do an actual macro shot but I have blown up a pic so you can see how pretty this is!
Messy Mansion Symetrika 03 and A England Rose Bower
Messy Mansion Symetrika 03 and A England Rose Bower
Messy Mansion Symetrika 03 and A England Rose Bower

 Messy Mansion Symetrika 03 and A England Rose Bower


Thursday 11 February 2016

February Challenges - Colours that I Love and some Hearts

Yesterday's prompt for #clairestelle8feb was Colours that I Love. My favourite colour for nails has been blue for as long as I can remember closely followed by green and then purple.
So I went for a blue base and then stamped with green and purple.
I started with Leighton Denny In The Navy - I love this blue so much! A really stunning creme shade, just very slightly dusky and very wearable (says me who loves to wear blue!)
Then I stamped with Esmaltes da Kelly Helix and Pet'la Plate Spinning. The EDK holos stamp beautifully but to do Helix justice I should have chosen a more solid pattern. The camera couldn't pick up the fine pattern that well, but I loved it, and from a distance my nails looked tealy green and holo, no complaints there.
Then I added Hit the Bottle Purple Reign with another image from the same plate. Again, not the clearest pictures although to the naked eye they did look fab, honest!!
The prompt for #ggfnachallenge was hearts so I used Fab Ur Nails FUN14 and SV by Sparkly Vernis Blurple Ice Cubes over the blue green and purple.
Blurple Ice Cubes always stamps beautifully and is usually quite good to catch on camera, and then lucky for me, the sun came out!
Leighton Denny In the Navy
Leighton Denny In the Navy
 Leighton Denny In the Navy

Esmaltes da Kelly Helix and Pet'la Plat Spinning
Esmaltes da Kelly Helix and Pet'la Plat Spinning
 Esmaltes da Kelly Helix and Pet'la Plat Spinning

Hit the Bottle Purple Reign and Pet'la Plat Spinning
Hit the Bottle Purple Reign and Pet'la Plat Spinning 
Hit the Bottle Purple Reign and Pet'la Plat Spinning

Fab Ur Nails FUN14 and SV by Sparkly Vernis Blurple Ice Cubes
Fab Ur Nails FUN14 and
SV by Sparkly Vernis Blurple Ice Cubes
 Fab Ur Nails FUN14 and SV by Sparkly Vernis Blurple Ice Cubes