26 Great Nail Art Ideas - Things that are round

This week's prompt was Things that are round - I wasn't sure whether to take this literally or try and be clever. I wasn't feeling clever and I do have this great new plate from Clear Jelly Stamper, CJS-53  - a whole plate of dots, rings and circles - of course it was the plate to use.
I started with a pretty holo base. I had just bought A England Shakespeare's Fairies collection and the lightest polish, Titiana Fairy Queen, can also be used as a topper so I tried it over a black base.
I used Clear Jelly Stamper CJS-53 with Painted Polish Stamped in Taupe and basically just tried a few images. I liked it but it didn't feel very balanced across all the nails so I added a second layer of random-ish stamping with Colour Alike Kind of White. I am still getting the hand of clear jelly stamping - the angle of scrape, the scraper, the type of polish - all seem to be a bit more sensitive than conventional stamping so it is still a bit hit and miss. Pictures are also a bit rubbish, light was terrible and the photos are not at all crisp. All good as long as you don't zoom in!

Clear Jelly Stamper CJS-53

 

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

26 Great Nail Art Ideas - Embellished / 3D

This week's prompt was Embellished or 3D. Anyone who knows me will know I hate anything 3D on my nails so I googled embellishments to see if I could interpret it any other way.
To my delight, the definition I found said "make (something) more attractive by the addition of decorative details or features" - see! no mention of having to stick anything on!
I had just done my Friday fanbrush mani and I just received my new Big Bling Clear Jelly Stamper and a gorgeous snowflake plate, Clear Jelly Stamper CJS - C14 so I have embellished my fanbrush mani with the addition of beautiful snowflakes!
The stamper worked first time, no priming needed but I still need to master the art of picking up the smaller images.
My Moyou London White Knight has pretty much dried up so I stamped with Colour Alike Kind of White which is one of my favourites for good crisp white stamping.
I did not do any layering as I felt it wouldn't look great over the fanbrush, not all the images on the plate are for layering (or certainly they don't have to be layered). I do love a snowflake mani, the best thing about winter!!!

Clear Jelly Stamper CJS-C14

 

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

40 Great Nail Art Ideas - Coral and White - Waterfall

This week's colour prompt was Coral and White and the pattern / style was waterfall.
I stated with a pale peachy base of Barry M In a Flash and then I did the waterfall part with Golden Rose Holiday 53 - a lovely corally sand, OPI My Chihuahua Bites and Colour Alike Kind of White.
I think they worked OK although my white wasn't really crisp enough against the peach and maybe I should have tried a darker base.
I did stamp over them later for another challenge but I don't think it's one of my better creations. The prompt was Beach for #clairestelle8june - and I used DRK Seasons to add some beachy bits.

Coral and White Waterfall nails

DRK Seasons

An InLinkz Link-up

March Challenges - Favourite Season - Summer

First - a new polish in my collection - I fell in love with this colour as soon as I saw it - I loved it, I wanted it and I was sure I would hate it once I got it... well, Annette at Rainbow Connection split up a few unsold Paint the Rainbow boxes and sold individual polishes for charity so I pounced on this elusive polish - Colors by Llarowe Welcome to Whoville.
And I was wrong, and so was Emily - we both thought we'd hate it but we don't! Beautiful consistency as always with CBL, this applied nicely, excellent coverage and I LOVED the colour!
I also thought that stunning salmony pink would make a perfect sunset colour for my Summer mani.

Serena @glitterglossfun invited me to join in with  Favourite Season for #nailswithigfriends and as I hate being cold so I chose Summer!
I resisted the urge to over complicate and do a gradient sky, I just sponged Colors by Llarowe Be Bold in Blue for the sea and then used DRK Seasons with Colour Alike Kind of Black and Kind of White for the palm trees and waves.
There didn't seem to be enough waves so I sponged a little more blue and restamped more white waves.

Colors by Llarowe Welcome to Whoville

 

DRK Seasons

 

the final collage

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 White

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.

An InLinkz Link-up

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

Red Squares (pink!)

 

Red Squares!

 

An InLinkz Link-up

February Challenges - More Smooshing and some UberChic flower stamping

This weeks #smooshynailsunday colours were periwinkle, coral and bright blue.
I used Nails Inc Bluebell, Copacabana Coral and Baker Street.
Then I stamped with UberChic UC5-03 and A England Camelot.
And then with UberChic UC4-01 and Colour Alike Kind of White

#smooshattack

 

UberChic UC5-03 and A England Camelot

 

UberChic UC4-01 and Colour Alike Kind of White

 

January Challenges - Glitz and Glam Lace

I don't do a lot of pinks but there are 2 types I like, a blue pink and a dusky pink - I am completely in love with this stunning dusky pink, 'Ard As Nails Faye.
As with Meadow that I wore earlier in the week, I think this is is quite a vintage shade and I just adore it. Wonderful coverage and finish - I really do like every 'Ard As Nails polish I've tried.
The prompt for #wnac2016 was Glitz and Glam Lace so I decided to add a thin coat of glitter to my dusky pink and then stamp using Yours Cosmetics Sascha Gossen YS01 and Colour Alike Kind of White.
I used Glam Polish Glitter In My Veins. It isn't really a glitter topper but I did manage to get the level of coverage I wanted using one coat sparingly.
Once I had stamped I took a few photos and then added matte top coat, I think the matte really works on this one. Added a couple of macros too.

'Ard As Nails Faye

 

 

Glam Polish Glitter In My Veins

YS01 and Colour Alike Kind of White

 

January Challenges - Forest Creatures and Dance Legend Bow Polish Mutation

Ever since thermal polishes came out I've been fascinated with them - I've tried a few, some better than others and some that lose their thermalness after a while.
I just bought three new thermals last week and so far I am very impressed. They are from the new Bow by Dance Legend range - available in the UK from Rainbow Connection.
Today I have used Mutation which is a tealy green with glitter. It is quite sheer and I did need 3 coats for complete opacity in the warmest phase. They dry matte and I did find them tricky to work with as they dry so quickly. I think maybe I didn't have enough polish on the brush, it was easier by the 3rd coat.
I took a lot of pics and as the polish responds so quickly to temperature change I didn't really spend ages posing, just took the shots and hoped! I also had to take the warm one inside as we have snow here today!
Then for today's challenge - Forest Creatures for #clairestelle8jan - I spent for ever trying to decide what sort of animal to do but since it's snowy here today I thought I'd go wintery!
I used DRK Seasons and Colour Alike Fairy Forest for the trees and Colour Alike Kind of White for the deer. I chose green for the trees in the hope it would show up whatever colour the thermal was and I am quite pleased with the final mani.

Bow by Dance Legend Mutation

 

DRK Seasons

40 Great Nail Art Ideas - Pale Blue Base and Skittle

I don't think I've ever made any secret of the fact I can't stand non matching nails on myself so skittle is a bit scary but as it had to have the same base I think I had a lucky escape!
For my pale blue base I used Bear Pawlish The Pigeon. I will need to use this pretty blue again to get some decent photos.
I decided I go with black and white stamping using a delicate image in black and then white on 2 fingers and a more solid image on the other 2 fingers. I used a 3rd quite solid image on the thumb.
It was the perfect chance to try out BundleMonster + Lucy's Stash BM-XL209! What a lovely plate!
I used Colour Alike Kind of White and Kind of Black for the stamping.
I have to say, despite my reservations I am reasonably happy with this, in fact I actually wore it for 24 hours before I added a bit more stamping!
I stayed with the same plate and added Colour Alike Rudolph and I thought the overall finished mani looked quite good and that shimmery red stamps beautifully!

Bear Pawlish The Pigeon

BundleMonster + Lucy's Stash BM-XL209

An InLinkz Link-up