Nail Crazies Unite - Sweet Fruit

This week's prompt was Sweet Fruit.. well considering how many plates I have you'd have thought I'd have loads of fruit images to choose from - well - no!
Google was no help, so I went back to the plates and dug out Apipila Super Plate A - there is an apple image on there and I can't imagine when else I might get a chance to use it so I went for it.
I am a bit of a naughty person when it comes to healthy eating of fruit and the only thing I do eat is a Granny Smith apple, but I do have one almost every day. I don't like any other kind of apple.
So this turned out to be a really easy mani as I was wearing a green gel base so I used Apipila Super Plate A with Nails Inc Madison Avenue to stamp the apples.
I feel like I cheated but some manis take hours so it is good to fit a quick one in occasionally!

Apipila Super Plate A

My nails and my apples !!

An InLinkz Link-up

Nail Crazies Unite - Stripes

This week's prompt was Stripes. Normally I leap at the chance to do nice neat clean stripes but having just done a fanbrush mani I felt that a more natural stripe would look good.
So, I have recreated a green zebra on my  nails!
I started with my fanbrush base of Itsy Nails Green with Envy, Bohemian Gypsy and A England Holy Grail and then added stripes with Lina Get Wild 01 and Nails Inc Madison Avenue.
I was really pleased with how these looked - it is always a great feeling when a plan comes together!

Lina Get Wild 01

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

June Challenges - Jewels (or maybe not...)

The challenge for #clairestelle8june today is Jewels but I only have one jewel stamping image which I have used before so I decided to be a bit naughty and do a mani inspired by one of my favourite pieces of jewellery instead. 

I've had this necklace and bracelet for so long, I can't even remember where I got them from but I love the big chunky beads and the pretty floral pattern, and I thought it might make a nice design for a mani.

I used the wonderful Apipila Super Plate B with Nails Inc Madison Avenue and Virtuous Polishes Mercy Seat and Ruth over a base of Nails Inc Sao Paulo Streets.

Apipila Super Plate B
with Nails Inc Madison Avenue
and Virtuous Polishes Mercy Seat and Ruth

 

 

May Challenges - Creme / Colour Blocking

For the most part I enjoy the challenges - I wouldn't do them if I didn't but every now and then there's an "oh dear I am not sure that's me" sort of challenge. Today's #30daysofcolourchallenge is Creme and Colour Blocking. I did wonder if I might get away with stamping the colours but in the end I decided to try and do it properly.
I started with a base of Nails Inc Holland Park Gardens, a lovely pale soft sage green creme. Then I used some of the striping vinyls from She Sells Seashells to get a neat line near the base of my nail. I painted from that line to about the top quarter, half with Nella Milano Evergreen and half with Avon Peppermint, two quite strong but very different mid green cremes. Finally I painted the tips with Nails Inc Madison Avenue, a really lovely dark green creme.
I am surprised to say I really like the finished look although the imperfections will annoy me. I am glad I went with green, I think you are pretty safe combining greens and my plan had always been to stamp over these to hide any wobbly bits!
I chose Essence Stampy 001 (white) to stamp with as I thought I'd get the best overall contrast across the full range of colours and of course because they are my newest plates I've chosen an image from UberChic Beauty UC 3-03.
Finally, I added some pink stamping too with the same plate and Virtuous Polish Miriam.

Creme / Colour Blocking

UberChic Beauty UC 3-03

2 layers of UberChic Beauty UC 3-03

An InLinkz Link-up

March Challenge #clairestelle8march - Fashion

As you know I have been following Clairestelle8's march challenge and today's prompt is fashion.
As a person who still wears what I wore at university 25 years ago, and lots of hand knits I am not really up on fashion so I resorted to Google - I googled Spring Fashion 2015 and then trawled through the images until I saw something I liked!
I found these lovely floaty ethnic style dresses designed by a luxury Italian brand Etro, and I thought the patterns would translate nicely onto the nail.
I started with base of the marie claire freebie, Nails Inc Fashion (appropriate name for this prompt). This looks mostly grey with a hint of lilac in the bottle but is more lilac than grey on the nail.
Then I stamped this lovely image from Cici&sisi 09. I'd describe this pattern as geometric, tribal or ethnic, and I think that it would vary so much depending on what colours you used.
I used 3 colours although I didn't catch much of the brown - I must remember my nails are not as wide as the images! I chose Mentality Hope (brown), Saffron London- black (which stamps as a grey) and Nails Inc Madison Avenue (a lovely dark bottle green)
Unfortunately I was too heavy handed with the top coat and smudged quite a few nails. After struggling to get any decent photos, I added a coat of OPI matte top coat and I think they look so much better, the smudged stamping isn't quite so visible either.
The base does look more grey again now but I think the stamping really complements the base and, smudging aside, I am pretty pleased with these.

Etro, my inspiration

Fashion - Cici&sisi 09 and matte top coat

Nails Inc Fashion