February Challenges - Book or Film that I Love

The #clairestelle8feb prompts are all about love!

The first one was Books or Films that I Love. I read quite a varied selection of books but I don't get to go to the cinema much. However, with young teenage children we have been to the cinema as a family to see each of the Hunger Games films, and I have read all the books so it seemed like the obvious choice. What better excuse to use the wonderful flames plate from Messy Mansion.

I started with China Glaze Riveting, a wonderful orange flecked with gold and how apt since I believe this was from the China Glaze Hunger Games Collection way back in 2012!

Then I used Bundle Monster + Sloteazzy BM-XL210 and Kleancolor Metallic Yellow really just to add some yellow to the base, and I am delighted with how well that stamped.

Finally I added the flames with Messy Mansion MM27 and Colour Alike Kind of Black.

I was really pleased with how this turned out (as you can probably tell by the number of pictures I took)

China Glaze Riveting

 

Bundle Monster BM-XL210 and Kleancolor Metallic Yellow

 

Messy Mansion MM27

 

 

 

November Challenges - Feathers

Today's challenge was Feathers for #clairestelle8nov. I used Emily de Molly EDM04 with A England Camelot over a base of Kleancolor Metallic Yellow, Green and Aqua.
I painted my nails green, added some yellow and then the blue. Finally I stamped the peacock feather aiming for it to centre over the blue. I think I got lucky!!

Emily de Molly EDM04

 

November Challenges - Another recreation

Mary @dreamymm was keeping us busy last week as she was celebrating 5,000 followers and hosted a giveaway with a difference. She challenged us to recreate one of her manis. Having never done a recreation before, there I was, faced with two in one week.
Again, the choice was bewildering - so many pretty manis to chose from but I chose one that I loved the colours on and thought I could recreate reasonably convincingly.
I didn't have the right plates, and used a different technique for the base but I just had to have those colours!! I used Vivid Lacquer VL038 and Colour Alike a Kind of Black over a base of Kleancolor Metallic Yellow, Metallic Green and Metallic Jungle (blue).
I used the 3 Kleancolors to paint my nails and then stamped 2 images from VL038 - both were a sort of snake skin pattern but one more open than the other - so overlapped they looked a lot more random, which was my intention.
I was really pleased with the way it turned out and the Instagram feedback was amazing!

Vivid Lacquer VL038

 

 

 

Mary's original mani

September Challenges - Jewel Tone, Dry Marbling and Orchid

Another combination post here combining 3 prompts, 2 for #30daysofcolourchallenge and one for #wnac2015.
The first #30daysofcolourchallenge prompt I did was Jewel Tone and I chose the gorgeous emerald green Claddagh from Smitten Polish. I have a feeling this might have been limited edition. It is just stunning, I really like Smitten polishes and this is no exception, the colour is perfect, the holo is gorgeous, application and coverage were good.
The #wnac2015 prompt was Dry Marbling with Jewel Tones. I used Smitten Claddagh and Kleancolor Metallic Yellow. I still haven't got the hang of this although it did look quite pretty in real life, especially in the sun. I tried doing it just on a bare nail, and also over a coat of polish but neither was very successful. I have since heard that it is worth trying to marble with a small brush rather than a cocktail stick so I might try again...
I'd planned the dry marbling as a base for another mani so when that failed I had to rethink - I used Smitten Claddagh stamped with Emily De Molly EDM16 and Kleancolor Metallic Yellow and then the same image with A England Proserpine - it was gorgeous in the sunshine but you need to see the shady shots to see the stamping a bit better!
The final prompt was Orchid for #30daysofcolourchallenge. I didn't even know orchid was a colour- I had to google it and found it is a purple, or pinky purple, but just to be sure I stamped an orchid-like image from Vivid Lacquer VL014 and used Esmaltes da Kelly Tuco and Chuoisco over my green base.

Smitten Claddagh

Dry marbling with Smitten Claddagh and
Kleancolor Metallic Yellow

Emily de Molly EDM16  with Kleancolor Metallic Yellow
and A England Proserpine

 

 

  

Vivid Lacquer VL014 and
Esmaltes da Kelly Tuco and Chuosico

An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up

July Challenges - Flakie /Double Processed Stamping - or maybe not!

Today's challenge for #30daysofcolourchallenge was supposed to be Flakie /Double Processed Stamping - well I tried and tried but could not master it, all I achieved was a very messy stamping plate and in the end I gave up - I hate not being able to master something but sometimes...life is too short
Anyway - I went for the safer option of double stamping Kleancolor Metallic Yellow and Pink with Apipila Super Plate B over the matte flakie Girly Bits Must. Resist. and of course the advantage of this method is that you can wear the mani with one layer of stamping and then add the second layer - the perfect excuse for not trying harder to master this double processed method. Maybe I'll try again in the cold winter months!
OK, so I started with a coat of China Glaze Liquid Leather and then added a coat of Girly Bits Cosmetics Must. Resist. I love flakies but a BLUE flakie that is sometime a bit purple and sometimes a bit tealy, well that has to be flakey perfection doesn't it.
And, what could be better than a blue flakie? a blue flakie matted! I added a coat of Avon Destination Peach matte top coat. This top coat has a bit of a peachy shimmer to it, sometimes it doesn't really work but this time I think it looks great, so velvety.
Then the stamping started. Having given up on the double processed route I used Kleancolor Metallic Yellow and Apipila Super Plate B, choosing a nice open design so that the flakies were still visible.
Then I added a second layer using Kleancolor Metallic Pink and the same image, making sure that randomly it did not line up with the first layer!
I really like the overlapping that I got and was delighted that I could still see the flakies too.
I top coated it but it looked better before so I added another coat of the Avon matte top coat. I love how this ended up, the metallic polishes, the matte shimmer and the flakies - so pretty!!

Girly Bits Must.Resist.

Girly Bits Must.Resist. matte

Kleancolor Metallic Yellow and Apipila Super Plate B

 Kleancolor Metallic Yellow and Pink
 with Apipila Super Plate B

An InLinkz Link-up