Nail Crazies Unite - Red and Black Hobbies

This week's prompt was Red and Black Hobbies.
Of course it was going to be knitting, it's the only thing I do in my spare time when I am not painting my nails.
I used Messy Mansion MM84XL with A England Anne Boleyn over 'Ard as Nails Beauty.
I have stamped with Anne Boleyn before and it stamps well but this was the first time over black and it obviously wasn't the best combo with this plate. I can see the stamping but it is subtle, great for wearing but not for photographing.
I did think about trying it matte before I took it off but in the end I just re-stamped with Colour Alike Red Dragon. This gave a much better contrast and you can see the stamping!

Time for a whinge now! IG interaction is so low (even if I wait a few days to see what responses I get, I have 5 day old pics appearing in my feed!) and in the Facebook group it is virtually non-existent, last weeks mani in the alternating group got no likes at all so I am unsure whether to even continue with these challenges. It's certainly not worth editing the pictures and writing a blog when time is short anyway - OK whinge over - back to the nail pics - I'll include the invisible ones for completeness, as I said, I could see the stamping, it was pretty and I wore it happily for a couple of days. The bolder version will last another day I think and then time for a change!

Messy Mansion MM84XL with A England Anne Boleyn

Messy Mansion MM84XL with Colour Alike Red Dragon

An InLinkz Link-up

26 Great Nail Art Ideas - Your Signature Style

Well, this is the 26th Great Nail Art Idea - so it is the final one. A bit sad maybe but actually I am quite relieved. It has not been the best year and struggling to fit in a weekly or biweekly blog that has to go out on a fixed day has been a bit of a challenge.
The other challenge that alternates with this one finishes in October and I think my blog may well grind to a halt for a while once that happens.
I will obviously still paint my nails and do challenges but many of the Instagram ones are a lot more flexible with posting dates so they are easier to fit in around life.
Anyway, back to this one - Signature Style - well, I always stamp, and I try to pair my manis with knitting (except in the summer when it's too hot or pics look silly with gloves) so of course I have done a stamped knitting mani.
I used a fanbrush base of Barry M Black Pistachio, Barry M Surfboard and OPI I'm Feeling Sashy.
Then I used Messy Mansion MM84XL with A England Saint George to stamp the knitting pattern. I went for the purl side pattern (knitting term)  rather than the stocking stitch pattern as I felt it would look better over the fanbrush and I really like the subtle way the dark green stamping fades into the fanbrush.

Messy Mansion MM84XL

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

26 Great Nail Art Ideas - New Year New You

So, I think that means new me !
Amongst other things, I would like "new me" to do more knitting!
In an ideal world I would attempt not to over commit and try to get some sort of balance rather than feel constantly stressed by the list of things I haven't done in all areas of life:- family, friends, work, nails, knitting - I wonder what this will be mean? maybe I'll skip the occasional nail prompt if I don't fancy it, maybe I'll try not to waste so much time trying to get the "perfect" photo - I can but try!
Certainly I didn't knit as much as I would have liked last year so of course I chose knitting for my mani and what better time to try one of the new Messy Mansion XL plates.
I saw they had brought MM40 out in XL, but when I went to order it I spotted MM84XL and MM85XL so as there was a 3 for 2 offer I ordered them too! I was not disappointed - I love them all and they stamp really nicely!
I decided to use MM84XL for this mani with a cool mix of knit and purl stitches over a fan brush base.

Messy Mansion MM84XL

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up