Gradient Nails, Take 2. 😁 I think the fade on these is MUCH better than on my first try. I think the thumb is still too harsh and the middle finger too blended, but the rest I'm pretty pleased with. I think I'll try it again this weekend with colors that are more different. We'll see how that goes. 🙂
Another decal I made. I saw these on a French blog and REALLY had to talk myself out of ordering them. Yet another reason I wanted to be able to make my own stuffs. 🙂 Now I can have as many mustaches as I want! 😃😃😃
This is the first time I've used one of my water decals. They are not the same as nails tattoos. Actually, for me they were MUCH easier because you can move it around after you put it on, unlike with a tattoo. With a tattoo, if you're off, you're just off - no adjusting those. Btw, I think my nails look black in the photo, but they are just a REALLY dark green. REALLY REALLY dark. But the feather is also a very dark green so I thought it kind of worked together. Just one bright nail this time. 🙂
This is the first time I've bothered to take the time to do ALL of my fingers in a water marble. The look is pretty neat, but it's easier to do it to someone else due to all of the clean-up and the messiness of the process. I know the point of the water marble is to get some really cool, flowy effects, but I really like my thumb, pointer, and ring finger. They just look kind of stripey... not very impressive, but, oh well. 😛
This hand definitely turned out a little more interesting. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the thumb. Couldn't re-create it to save my life. 😂 If you can't tell - the whole thing was pretty experimental which is the reason that none of my nails look very similar. If you drop the polish in the same way and draw the same shapes in the polish then you can make them all look pretty much the same. There are videos on YouTube that show you how to get certain shapes / looks; however, I didn't look them up right before I started so I just went with whatever I was doing. Just playing around, I guess. 🙂
Got some claws on today! 😂 They are not very spring... feeling like I want to change them already, but I might just have to wait. At least they look neat!
My first attempt at gradient color. The ring finger DEFINITELY turned out the best. The others don't have such a great fade, but perhaps with practice! 🙂
No stamping on these guys - just tape and polish here. 😃 I wanted something bright and contrast-y so this is what I got! I don't know how well it shows on the photo, but the bright color is like, a neon coral. At a glance, though, these remind me of Tony the Tiger. 😃 You can do so much with tape - you don't even have to have any kits or anything: just imagination, tape, and scissors. I'm happy with how these turned out - just a little "oops" on the pointer finger where I smudged the black a bit. Oh well, onward! 😛
6:23 pm: These nails are not mine. In fact, I didn't even do them. They belong to my Shaun-love and he did them himself with his own polish and stamping kit. 😃😃😃 Look people: If I can find a man that loves me with all of my strangeness and even joins me in my not usually man-friendly hobbies then I know there is someone out there for everyone. 😉
Back to the nails - he only wears really dark colors - mostly black, and red or silver metallics. He also likes a matte topcoat, but he didn't get to use it this time because I was bumming it, (as you'll see in my next photo). On a more manly note he does clean his cuticles with his knife... where I just use polish remover and a pointy cotton swab. 😂
6:35 pm: This is my trial experimenting with a matte topcoat. Shaun uses one frequently, but I never have put one on more than just briefly. The main reason for that was because the matte topcoat I had would leave little white goobies on top of your polish when it dried. Which... as much work as I sometimes put into my nails you can forget me doing anything that might gank them up.
For anyone interested, the matte with the goobies is by Hard Candy at Wal-Mart. We found a new one by NYC at Wal-Mart this past weekend which is what I'm wearing now. No issues at all! I put it on different kinds of polish to see how it would look. On my thumb it's only on half of the nail. It's also on my first and ring finger. I left the middle and pinky shiny to show the difference. I actually really like the look it gives so I'll definitely by trying it again the future. 😃
Shaun and Shadow both seemed shocked that I didn't have a hand full of different patterns on today. 😂 But I'm done swatching my big plates so I'mma do what I want! This image is from a smaller plate and it's the first time I've used it. I think it looks really neat - like graffiti or something. I knew there was no way that I could make them all look the same so I intentionally stamped in all different directions. I like how it turned out - they are just a wee bit wild! 🙂
AS USUAL - I missed the tip of my left thumb. I've only managed to not do that so far ONE TIME in all the time I've been stamping now. Also I somehow managed to chip my pointer finger before I could photograph it. So. I guess these are a little janked up for your viewing pleasure. 😂 I like all of these patterns, but I stamped with a glitter polish (I just had to try it) on the pinky so it doesn't look like I'd hoped, but that's ok. Note to self: Don't do that again. 😛
Pinky is my least favorite here, too. The polish didn't stamp too well and I also don't really care for that little shape. It's like a spear or something. Btw, the white I used under the color is AWESOME. I can't remember the brand, but Walgreens and KMart carries it. It's kind of got this shimmer to it and it goes on really nice. White polishes are usually such a pain. I'll go look in my box and see what it is if anyone is interested. 🙂
I'm almost done "swatching" my new large image plate. The nails I do tonight will be the last 10 - then I'm on to whatever! 😃 I'm really digging all of these - but my thumb is the least favorite. The rest of these patterns I really like, though. I'll be making use of them in the future, for sure!
I feel pretty ok about most of these, but my thumb (much to my own surprise!) is my favorite. I really wasn't fond of the image on the plate, but once it's on I liked it! I totally cut my nails down to little shorties after last week - I broke two off and I just didn't like the way it looked having them uneven. I kind of actually really like them this length. They are not in the way or anything! 😃
Sorry for the still un-wonderful photos. These patterns are all ok with me. I don't dislike or super-like any of them so I'm sure I'll wear most of these again. The middle finger reminds me of ninja throwing stars - the kind that used to come with Shadow's action figures. I find that funny. 😃
Pointer finger and ring finger are definitely my favorites. I'm not really a dottie kind of girl so the pinky is "meh". I like the thumb and the ring finger is interesting. I can't decide what I think it's supposed to be. A bow or ribbon or something? Anyway, these might have too much going on, but I wanted some sparkle. I'm really enjoying the long confetti glitter pieces in there. 🙂
Sorry that these photos are crappy. It's hard as hell to photograph a really shiny polish and still be able to see what you are looking at. I can't remember where I got this green... either someone gave it to me or I bought it for cheap at K-Mart. Either way - this is my first time wearing it and the color is a lot neater than I expected. Very shimmery and kind of color-change-y depending on how you look at it. Between the colors and the circles it kind of reminds me of peacock feathers. My favs on this hand are the middle 3 with the thumb and pinky my least favorite.
These are images from my new large plate. It has 42, but two are mirror images so I'm not going to bother posting them. I'm just doing 4 sets of 10 so that way I can finish trying them all out and get down to doing things I really feel inspired to do. 🙂 It has a butt-ton of circle / swirly patterns so I thought I'd do those first. Some of the patterns are really similar, but they are not the same. On this hand my favorites are the 4 fingers and the thumb is my least favorite.
Nails with a Big Ruby tattoo. I've only used these twice - I really like both packs of tattoos I have, but every time I use them I do something completely stupid and get several more wet which makes them unusable. So far I've wasted more than I've worn and it's all due to being doofy. 🙁
Anyway this was one of those instances where I had a new polish and wanted to use it, but didn't really know what would look nice so I just went for something that would stand out. 💥 I used a flaky polish over the color but under the tattoo and it's got more orange in it when the light hits it better, but I guess you can only see it a little. I thought the orange and blue / green flakies would tie it all in. I guess it does - when you can see them. 😛
Man, I'm SO tired. But I've been wearing the same nails for 5 days (I think that's a record since I started painting them!) and they are finally chipping off. If I don't take them off tonight I'm gonna peel them tomorrow and really cause some damage. I'm just gonna do a quickie job tonight - I think I'm gonna use some of my Big Ruby nail tattoos since I haven't posted any photos of those yet. 😃
These images were from two of my new smaller plates. I wish I'd used a warmer pink and that my shimmer behind the swirls was showing up. Maybe out in the sun it will. I still think they are cute, though. This was my first foray into layering stamps. I like it! 😃
My China Glaze Magnetix. 😃😃😃 I LOVE how these turned out! And it was pretty fun to do! There are 6 in the collection. These are 5 and the last one is a deep charcoal kind of color. I ran out of fingers on this hand so I couldn't try them all. I'm not too worried, though - I have a feeling that Shaun is going to take that one anyway. 😂 But he'll have to use it here or get his own magnet! 😁😝
It's kind of hard to tell in the photo, but the pointer finger has a starburst kind of pattern. I think my flash caught it just the wrong way, but it's really there!
FINALLY I have tried all of the images on my large plate! Now I get to start on my NEW large plate! 😁 Or I could take a break and do my small plates. I have no idea what I'm going to do! I really don't care for most of these images - ESPECIALLY not the one on my ring finger. Holy cow - that one was a bitch to pick up and a bitch to put on. That's too much polish! Def. like my pointer finger and much to my own surprise my thumb. 🙂
I got this color at Big Lots - it's the brand Elf and it comes in a set with 2 other colors. I'm not usually one for really bright colors, but this one I'm kind of partial to. It's mostly orange, but it's got a hot pink flash that I really like. It's more visible in the other photo, though. Shaun made fun of it last night and called it Neon Salmon. I couldn't really argue, though. 😃
The thumb and pointer finger are two images from my large plate that I've been using. The middle and ring finger are from a small plate I just got. LOVE LOVE LOVE those two! 😃 And my pinkie is paw prints from another small plate I just got, as well. Of course I had to use the paw prints! AS USUAL - I didn't cover my whole left thumb. I don't think I have ever done that one right, which is why I usually only photograph my right hand. 😂
I was the Nail-Stamping Fairy today. 😃 We got our package!!! Woohoo! I stuck Janet's goodies in the mail and dropped off Nancy's new stamper. Shaun is coming to get his image plate shortly and I have a dilemma! Do my nails tonight... or do them tomorrow when my China Glaze Magnetix polishes come in? 😳 Decisions, decisions.
Well. MUCH later today - here they are. 🙂 I like most of these with the pointer finger being my least favorite. Maybe if the pattern was larger it would be cool. I was SO HOPING that my new image plates would arrive today, but that did not happen. 🙁 But, maybe tomorrow! 🙂 I kind of janked these up today while working and doing stuff at home so I will have to take them off tomorrow. It would be so awesome if my new toy was here for me to play with just in time for me to do my nails again! Anyway, I'm so exhausted. Calling it a night, you guys. ❤
Thought I'd speed things up a little and do more patterns at once. I'm REALLY digging the colors here. Probably too boring and un-colorful for most, but this is what I like. I'm gonna have to buy another bottle of that gray - I love it THAT MUCH. 😃 Anyway, I think my favorite pattern here is the stained glass looking one on my ring finger. Next favs are the pointer finger and thumb. Seems like I like the bolder patterns rather than the fine ones. This is my left hand so it's messier. And I have a terrible time stamping my own left thumb. No matter what I always miss part of it. 😐 I guess I'm gonna have to get Shaun to do that one for me. 😂
Getting close to half-way! 😁 My "basket nails" didn't last very long. I liked the pink, but the rest was just "meh." And then I chipped one while cleaning today so why not move on? Anyway, I have these two greens that I'm not fond of all alone, but I like them together. This is just some line and dot pattern. I like it; I can totally see me using it again. Reminds me of stairs. 🙂
I did these last night in a moment of awake-ness. Me and Shadow slept off and on all day. This pattern reminded me of a basket so I went with neutral-kinda colors. I had a tan-ish color... maybe I should have used that instead to make it look like a real basket. To hell with that. I had a new pink I wanted to use. 🙂
Man, I have another stamping plate coming sometime this week (hopefully). I'm SO excited, but I haven't even finished using the patterns from this one. Not to mention the little small plates I have with images. 😳 I'd better get on it! 😁
Oh how I wish the photo did these justice. They are wayyy too shiny / sparkly to photograph properly. I do not have those kinds of photography skills. 😂 I 💜💜💜 how the glitter just peaks through the pattern. I bet they will look AWESOME in the sunlight. I'm gonna have a lot of fun looking at these. 😃 I have never been a big fan of silver polish, but the last few times I've used it I've really loved how it turned out. Guess I'm changing my mind on that one!
I like this pattern. It's not one of my favorites, but I do like it and will totally wear it again. I also like the color I stamped with. It's a purple that looks gold in the light. You can kind of see the change on my pinkie. I really like the base color, also, but it was a BITCH to apply. It wouldn't go on evenly or smoothly so I had to do 3 coats and by the time I go over the same nail that many times it's just a mess no matter what I do. I just did these yesterday, but I already feel like taking them off and moving on. 😐
I must have a thing for green and black lately. Got this green courtesy of Janet - are you sure you don't want him back? He's preeety! 🙂 I actually really like these much to my own surprise. This flavor of green isn't the usual for me, but I wanted to wear him since I have him. I guess I'm expanding my horizons!
Messy, messy, messy. I actually think these looked better before clean-up; I either used too much acetone or my polish was really runny. The pattern is the ball lines... I felt like they needed a point of origin so I taped off the side and painted it black. Might try that again with different polish one day. I think it's an interesting look.
Teensy hound's-tooth. The other one (I didn't even realize that I had two) is a bit larger. This one probably shows up better because of the contrasting colors I used. I've been dying to try a half-moon mani, but I told myself I was going to use all of my patterns first. Then I decided I could have the best of both worlds and I really like how it turned out. Might look better if the base polish wasn't so nude - I guess from afar it just looks like I missed that spot on all of my nails. I'm not very into French tips, though (I think they are nice, but everyone has done them TO DEATH), so I wanted something different, of course. I kind of think they are quite sexy. 😃
