So here we go with the August challenges. A bit different to my usual format, it will be a long post with just a few words between the pictures, and only one picture per mani (or maybe 2)
So I started with Golden Rose Holiday 77, which was one of the 8 textured polishes I bought in Turkey, and huge thanks to my lovely friend Iva who told me about them!!
![Golden Rose Holiday 77 Golden Rose Holiday 77](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-IDreY2sfHqc/Vd4RrfYpM4I/AAAAAAAAh5w/x7vEKDwWfNc/s320/Golden%2BRose%2BHoliday%2B77%2B%25282%2529.jpg) |
Golden Rose Holiday 77 |
The first challenge was Gradient so I did a gradient with Golden Rose Holiday 77 and 79, stunning textures!
![Golden Rose Holiday 77 and 79 Golden Rose Holiday 77 and 79](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-xtOvRWSGQqo/Vd4RmN-BOMI/AAAAAAAAh5o/IhuyLsXn71w/s320/Golden%2BRose%2BHoliday%2B77%2B%2526%2B79%2B%25281%2529.jpg) |
Golden Rose Holiday 77 and 79 |
The next challenge was Hawaiian, so I stamped Vivid Lacquer VL014 with Kleancolor Neon Sapphire over my gradient. This wasn't a huge success but since I hadn't top coated the textured gradient I had no choice but to run with it.
![Vivid lacquer VL 014 and Kleancolor Neon Sapphire Vivid lacquer VL 014 and Kleancolor Neon Sapphire](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-76jXDNOpw0c/Vd4R6Y_VevI/AAAAAAAAh6Q/EffjvEd4OHg/s320/Vivid%2BLacquer%2BVL%2B014.jpg) |
Vivid lacquer VL 014 and Kleancolor Neon Sapphire |
Then I added some cute dragonflies from Vivid Lacquer VL014 with Hit the Bottle Snowed Under
![Vivid Lacquer VL014 with Hit the Bottle Snowed Under Vivid Lacquer VL014 with Hit the Bottle Snowed Under](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qh5ugboUgUA/Vd4Rx46RnwI/AAAAAAAAh58/Men5XQv-2FQ/s320/VL%2B014%2Band%2BHTB%2BSnowed%2BUnder%2B%25281%2529.jpg) |
Vivid Lacquer VL014 with Hit the Bottle Snowed Under |
And then I added topcoat! the white seems to melt into the blue and I really liked what I ended up with!
![Vivid Lacquer VL014 with Hit the Bottle Snowed Under Vivid Lacquer VL014 with Hit the Bottle Snowed Under](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-7qWcY8-avXU/Vd4R3SnRN0I/AAAAAAAAh6I/X33NvZLxyZo/s320/VL%2B014%2Band%2BHTB%2BSnowed%2BUnder%2B%25283%2529.jpg) |
Vivid Lacquer VL014 with Hit the Bottle Snowed Under |
The next challenge was Aztec and I used Apipila 09 and Kleancolor Madly Black over Polished by KPT Swimming with Mermaids. Swimming with Mermaids is a thermal so you'll need a quick shot of that in its transition phase - it's beautiful! and then the Azetc stamping.
![Polished by KPT Swimming with Mermaids Polished by KPT Swimming with Mermaids](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bkp-OebTC5s/Vd4ZGOVTyAI/AAAAAAAAh7g/lokRDj3D7qk/s320/KPT%2BSwimming%2Bwith%2BMermaids%2Btransition%2B%25282%2529.jpg) |
Polished by KPT Swimming with Mermaids |
![Apipila 09 and Kleancolor Madly Black Apipila 09 and Kleancolor Madly Black](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-CsKFR9oDkXw/Vd8w6mFjUEI/AAAAAAAAh_w/pukhRNdbyds/s320/KC%2BMadly%2BBlack%2Band%2BApipila%2B09%2B%25281%2529.jpg) |
Apipila 09 and Kleancolor Madly Black |
The next challnge was Green, so slightly in the wrong order here is the base of the Aztec mani, the beautiful Swimming with Mermaids in its cold stage.
![Polished by KPT Swimming with Mermaids Polished by KPT Swimming with Mermaids](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-JS5gnihPhIQ/Vd4ZF1adPLI/AAAAAAAAh7c/N9txYdX0FZo/s320/KPT%2BSwimming%2Bwith%2BMermaids.jpg) |
Polished by KPT Swimming with Mermaids
- cold |
The next mani was really just an addition to the Aztec theme. I used the same Apipila plate and Essence Stampy 001 to add some white stamping. The image was quite small but I wanted to cover the nail so I had a go at sort of rolling the image onto the nail so it stretched a bit - that needs some practice!
![Apipila 09 and Essence Stampy 001 Apipila 09 and Essence Stampy 001](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-ji-_3Zm8FoQ/Vd8zBiQRmgI/AAAAAAAAh_8/WMbbsUDDWjM/s320/Apipila%2B09%2Band%2BEssence%2B001%2B%25281%2529.jpg) |
Apipila 09 and Essence Stampy 001 |
The next mani I did was another green one - such a lovely green with fine blue particles - and it applied like a dream.
![El Corazon Kaleidoscope Spring Green 07 El Corazon Kaleidoscope Spring Green 07](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xugt6wcVyDY/Vd8YPiuJCLI/AAAAAAAAh8M/vpBhiQjXX-k/s320/El%2BCorazon%2BKaleidoscope%2BSpring%2B07%2B%25282%2529.jpg) |
El Corazon Kaleidoscope Spring Green 07 |
The next challenge was Beach Towel and I did this in two stages - firstly stamping stripes with Lealac LLC A, Kleancolor Concrete Gray and Hit the Bottle Purple Reign over the Kaleidoscope mani.
![Lealac LLC A, Kleancolor Concrete Gray and Hit the Bottle Purple Reign Lealac LLC A, Kleancolor Concrete Gray and Hit the Bottle Purple Reign](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-pxmztRbgaOY/Vd8g2b0mALI/AAAAAAAAh9A/Gk9YsMXsbFE/s320/Lealac%2BLLC%2BA%2BKleancolor%2BConcrete%2BGray%2Band%2BHit%2Bthe%2BBottle%2BPurple%2BReign%2B%25281%2529.jpg) |
Lealac LLC A, Kleancolor Concrete Gray and
Hit the Bottle Purple Reign |
For the second stage, inspired by my daughter's beach towel, I stamped with A England Lancelot and Apipila Super Plate B.
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vfky61fpfhA/Vd8gyS7LyVI/AAAAAAAAh84/eSzb5F6-p1A/s320/A%2BEngland%2BLancelot%2Band%2BApipila%2BSuper%2BPlate%2BB%2B%25281%2529.jpg) |
A England Lancelot and Apipila Super Plate B |
The next challenge was Triangles - I was quite surprised how few plates I had with triangles on - I love this one though - Messy Mansion Leadlight Lacquer A06 stamped with Hit the Bottle Snowed Under - and yes, I stamped this on top of the beach towel mani.
![Mesy Mansion LL A06 and Hit the Bottle Snowed Under Mesy Mansion LL A06 and Hit the Bottle Snowed Under](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-eKRAipUawGw/Vd8g_CLpQ6I/AAAAAAAAh9o/fYCzEDVFVjE/s320/Messy%2BMansion%2BLeadlight%2BLacquer%2BA06%2Bstamped%2Bwith%2BHit%2Bthe%2BBottle%2BSnowed%2BUnder%2B%25284%2529.jpg) |
Mesy Mansion LL A06 and
Hit the Bottle Snowed Under |
Then there was Birds - I was thinking owls for this one but I saw Deliciate Nails do these
gorgeous peacocks and I just had to do them too! I used the beautiful peacock plate from Emily de Molly EDM04 and A England Proserpine over China Glaze Daisy Know My Name and Leighton Denny Funky Town.
![Emily de Molly EDM04 and A England Proserpine Emily de Molly EDM04 and A England Proserpine](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-R9nO7S--eiM/Vd8phYgEp3I/AAAAAAAAh-A/65ygLzuS8Cc/s320/Emily%2Bde%2BMolly%2BEDM04%2Band%2BA%2BEngland%2BProserpine%2B%25283%2529.jpg) |
Emily de Molly EDM04 and A England Proserpine |
Then there was Palm Trees, and although I don't really like yellow, I rather liked the yellow and blue combo under the peacocks, so I took a chance and carefully removed most of the stamped layer. I then added a gradient of A Enland Gloriana, A England Proserpine and China Glaze Daisy Know My Name. This was a pretty bright combo but I think it made a good background for the palm trees on UberChic Beauty UC 2-03 which I stamped with Kleancolor Madly Black.
![UberChic Beauty UC 2-03 and Kleancolor Madly Black UberChic Beauty UC 2-03 and Kleancolor Madly Black](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-mhAkYHH64OQ/Vd8u6AYd38I/AAAAAAAAh_k/a_33d6b0Uws/s320/UberChic%2BBeauty%2BUC%2B2-03%2Bwith%2BKleancolor%2BMadly%2BBlack%2B%25281%2529.jpg) |
UberChic Beauty UC 2-03 and Kleancolor Madly Black |
The final August challenge was Carnival. I wasn't sure what to do and in the end I decided I'd do fireworks because you do have fireworks after carnivals, don't you. I don't have any firework plates so you have to use your imagination a bit.
I started with Moyou London Artist 04 and SV by Sparkly Vernis Gilded Lemon Drops over Colors by Llarowe Aubergine Dreams and then added 2 True Pro Metallica Athena with an un-named Ebay plate - the image is actually a dandelion I think but it could be a firework!
![Moyou London Artist 04 and SV by Sparkly Vernis Gilded Lemon Drops Moyou London Artist 04 and SV by Sparkly Vernis Gilded Lemon Drops](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-UL4S7sfjdME/VeIFToOhlEI/AAAAAAAAiC8/JHgkHjDnCh0/s320/Moyou%2BArtist%2B04%2Band%2BSV%2BGilded%2BLemonDrops%2B%25281%2529.jpg) |
Moyou London Artist 04 and SV by Sparkly Vernis Gilded Lemon Drops |
![un-named Ebay plate with 2 True Pro Metallica un-named Ebay plate with 2 True Pro Metallica](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-U955uZSUI0k/VeIFBCVYe6I/AAAAAAAAiCo/1kS_HUM_gmI/s320/2true%2Bpro%2Bmetallica%2Bathena%2Band%2Bebay%2Bplate%2B%25281%2529.jpg) |
un-named Ebay plate with 2 True Pro Metallica |
And then I added some glitter with Avon Magic Effects Tassled Trim, this looked very pretty and sparkly in really life!