November Challenges - Wings/Feathers

The next prompt for pancreatic cancer awareness #pcanovember15 was Wings/Feathers.
I started with a saran wrap base of Ciate Sugar Plum and Ciate Pillow Fight and then used Barry M Black Currant and DRK XL Designer 2. This is such a wonderful plate, packed full of images, and I didn't even realise these sweet little birds were there until I spotted them yesterday!

Saran Wrap with Ciate Pillow Fight and Ciate Sugar Plum

DRK XL Designer 2

 

September Challenges - Holo and Mermaid Nails

The next two challenges were Holo for #30daysofcolourchallenge and Mermaid for #clairestelle8sept.
I started with Colors by Llarowe Lake of the Pines, a stunning green teal holo. This is another from the new Fall 2015 collection, again purchased from the ever wonderful Rainbow Connection.
This gorgeous green shade is just amazing and I will certainly be leaving this one out to wear again. This polish applied really nicely and gave such good coverage I didn't apply a second coat - I almost always do but it just didn't need it and I had planned to stamp over it later.
Sadly it was not sunny the day I did these nails so I only have cloudy outdoor shots and a couple of indoor ones, so another reason why this one needs to come out again soon!
I added a coat of a very pretty glitter, one of the gorgeous glitters toppers made by Nail Lacquer UK a couple of years ago, I still love this one - Ariel's Tails, which I thought would be appropriate for mermaid nails.
Then I stamped using DRK XL Designer 2 and 2 Tru Pro Metallica Aglaia. The polish and plate stamped well but the image did hide the glitter which was a bit of a shame. I could still see it glinting but it was barely visible to the camera.

Colors By Llarowe Lake of the Pines

 

 

Nail Lacquer UK Ariel's Tail

DRK XL Designer 2 and 2 True Pro Metallica Aglaia

 

An InLinkz Link-up

July Challenges - Fruit

Today's prompt for #clairestelle8july was fruit so I stamped these cute pineapples from DRK XL Designer 2 with Virtuous Polish Magdalene over my leadlighting mani from Sunday.
I think they look pretty good against the dark colourful background!

DRK XL Designer 2

 

 

A2Z Series - X is for eXtra Special

Well it is Thursday again, another letter down in the A2Z challenge and we are nearly at the end. Today's letter is X for eXtra special. I had a mani planned but it ended up being quite similar to the one I did yesterday in concept and once I had twigged it was St George's Day I decided I'd be all patriotic and do something for that instead.When I was younger, I was a Brownie and then a Girl Guide and the dates of the 4 patron saints for England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales were drummed into us.
I am English so St Georges's Day is kind of special, it's part of our heritage and who knows what our world would have been like if St George hadn't slayed the dragon ! Also, dragons are magical, mythical creatures and therefore eXtra special!
Now I know it's been done before but it seemed obvious to me which two polishes I would use, A England Saint George and A England Dragon.
So I started with Saint George which I think is my favourite ever A England, so that makes it special anyway. The dark teal shade is so gorgeous I almost don't care that there is no sun to see the holo.
Then I used Dragon to stamp parts of the dragon image from DRK XL Designer 2. The dragon was too large to stamp in full but I have used his tail on the index and little finger and his head and tail on the other two fingers and thumb.
I love these two greens together although the stamping is quite subtle, and photos have been a challenge. I am really pleased with these, the dragon looks so cute! but I do wish I'd been able to get better pictures.

A England Saint George

A2Z Series - X is for eXtra special
St George's Day mani with A England
Saint George, A England Dragon and
DRK XL Designer2

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Stamping! A fruit themed mani with DRK XL Designer 2, A England Dragon and an alcohol ink base

A small group of friends decided we should do a fruit themed mani - you can see the others on Instragram #tncnailedit.
This is my contribution:-
I started with a base of Barry M Coconut (is that a fruit? I think so) and then I had my first play with alcohol inks. The colour I used was Citrus, a bright vibrant greeny yellow, clearly this is a fruit!
I have seen so many manis using alcohol inks so I had to try! I just did a very basic one to start, just sponging a little ink over the Coconut base. I then top coated and you have to be very careful here, the top coat really did disturb the ink, even more than it smudges stamping.
Then I stamped using A England Dragon (there is a dragon fruit, you know!) and DRK XL Designer 2 which has the cutest little pineapples on it!
I think maybe I should have toned down the citrus base for a better contrast but on the whole I think it turned out OK.

DRK XL Designer 2  and A England Dragon

 

Citrus alcohol ink base

Barry M Coconut

March Challenge #clairestelle8march - Zig Zag - DRK XL Designer 2, A England Princess Tears

I decided to join in with another nail art challenge, can't be 100% certain why as I struggle to keep up with the A2Z but I thought maybe I'd keep the posts brief - I just liked the sound of the challenges on this one on Instagram hosted by lovely Claire @clairestelle8.
Today's prompt was Zig Zag.
Possibly an opportunity to use vinyls but they take me so long to do so I stamped using DRK XL Designer 2. I used A England Princess Tears over my Black Cat mani from yesterday
I decided to be a bit different and stamp the zig zags length-ways along the nail and I am really pleased with the finished look.

Zig Zag -
DRK XL Designer 2 and A England Princess Tears

 

 

  

Stamping! DRK XL Designer 2 with Avon Classic Fit and Leighton Denny Honey Trap

Well, I have been stamping again - I was all set to try a bit of lead lighting today, I'd done a base of Leighton Denny Honey Trap. I'd then painted TarasTalons Mardi Gras on my thumbs and 2 fingers of each hand. Mardigras is a delicate pale blue holo - very pretty. I had then added a touch of TarasTalons Ol' Blue Eyes - a lovely mid blue holo - with saran wrap. The intention was to stamp all the nails and then lead light the remaining 2 fingers on each hand with the same TarasTalons polishes, as they are quite sheer. It was to be a bit of an experiment, but then the postman came...
The postman delivered my DRK plates, so of course I had to try them and being rather impatient I decided I'd stick with the polishes I'd planned and stamp straight onto the ready prepared nails.
I'd been thinking to do something floral, so I quickly scanned the plates and found a very pretty image on DRK XL Designer 2 along the lines of what I'd had in mind and went for it!
I stamped with Avon Classic Fit, a lovely dark blue. I tested this earlier in the week and was delighted to see it stamped really well and was perfect for the look I was thinking of. In my mind were the images of blue Toile de Jouy, like the cup in the final picture.
The mani has ended up being a bit of a compromise as the blue base that would have been perfect for a lead lighting look is a little too close to the stamping colour so it's lost a bit of clarity. The 2 accent nails are much more successful, although my top coat blurred one of them - OK so I am really happy with the ring finger!! and the 2 accent nails on the other hand look lovely and crisp, the blue against the nude looks perfect!

DRK XL Designer 2 with Avon Classic Fit
and Leighton Denny Honey Trap

 

 

 

 

right hand - DRK XL Designer 2