April Challenges - A Smoosh and some Spirals

This week's #smooshynailsunday colours just screamed mint choc chip icecream to me, and a lot of others too, I think. Minty green, chocolatey brown and a cream, beige shade - yum!
I used Leighton Denny Morning Dew, Not Tonight and In the Buff  and I think they worked well together.
Then I used it as my base for Spirals for #clairestelle8april. I used a large spiral pattern on Pet'la Plate Spinning and Leighton Denny Not Tonight over the smoosh.
Then I used a smaller spiral pattern from the same plate with Leighton Denny Really Royal. This actually looked pretty good but it didn't like the camera so much.

Mint choc chip smoosh!

Pet'la Spinning and Leighton Denny Not Tonight

Pet'la Spinning and Leighton Denny Really Royal

40 Great Nail Art Ideas - 3 Shades of Purple with Splatter

Well, the colour prompt for 40 Great Nail Art Ideas was 3 shades of purple -  not a problem, I must have a couple of hundred purples. The pattern prompt however was Splatter. I did try! in fact my rough try on the UberMat indicated that whilst messy, it would work, so I did all the preparation ready to get messy and then failed! so after a number of futile attempts I went for plan B (which I would have done on the other hand anyway!) and stamped. I am not proud of my failure but I think I am pragmatic and that after a while there seemed nothing to be gained by getting frustrated.
I used Yours Cosmetics Sascha Gossen YS12 and an image which I imagine would be great for fake water spotting but I think looks reasonably splattery too.
I started with a base of HJ Manicure Lavender which is a gorgeous slightly dusky purple. This is a lovely creme polish, applied beautifully and dries to a nice glossy finish. Pictures are taken with top coat.
Having abandoned the messy splatter fiasco I stamped, first with Leighton Denny Really Royal and then Virtuous Polish Queen Ester.
I had planned to use this as a base for another mani but actually I liked it so much I left it as it was.

HJ Manicure Lavender

 

3 shades of Purple - Splatter

An InLinkz Link-up

October Challenges - Holo Houndstooth

This weeks #wnac2015 challenge was Houndstooth with holo polishes.
I decided to stamp with holo over a creme base, rather than risk the holo on holo not showing up. I started with a base of Leighton Denny Really Royal - a lovely dark purply red.
Then I used SV by Sparkly Vernis Blurple Ice Cubes, which always stamps beautifully, and DRK A.
Not much more to say than that - very simple mani - really stunning to look at but not the easiest to photograph when there is no sun :(

DRK A and SV by Sparkly Vernis Blurple Ice Cubes

 

 

 

40 Great Nail Art Ideas - Hobbies

OK, so I started a new challenge yesterday, one of Crumpet's Nail Tarts challenges. This one will posting every Friday but I was just a bit late joining, so here I am - a day late.
The first prompt was Hobbies so of course now you see why I couldn't miss this one, any excuse for a knitting mani!
Of course you know I love to knit, it is my main hobby (apart from nails) and I have just worked out I have been knitting for about 40 years!!
For this mani I started with a base of Leighton Denny I Like Lilac, one of the freebies from the September Harpers Bazaar magazine. This is a lovely shade- a bit duskier on the nail than in the bottle which was a pleasant surprise.
Then I stamped using another of the Harpers Bazaar freebies, Leighton Denny Really Royal. This is a really deep plummy purple and it stamped really well! I used Vivid Lacquer VL 025 which is an interesting plate, it was not obvious to me how the stamping was going to to look until I tried it, it's clearly very different to Messy Mansion MM40, but I am really pleased with how it turned out and I love those two purples together.
I did take a shot with glossy top coat but I think this is one of those manis where matte is better.

Vivid Lacquer VL 025 and Leighton Denny Really Royal

Leighton Denny I Like Lilac

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up