Triple Threat Snake Skin

Tee Hee....My post headers make me laugh sometimes!  Course my friends say I laugh at anything which lead to their nickname for me, She Who Laughs Alone.  I'll be the only one laughing often, which embarrasses my kids in the theater, but my pastor loves it!  I think it means I have an intelligent, quirky sense of humor, but that could be debated.  Anyways, on to the nails!

Today's post covers three, count em THREE, challenges.  Of course, one of them is late.  I created this late late late Sunday night....technically Monday morning.  I did it for the Adventures in Stamping group and the theme was "inspired by your favorite summer dress, shoes or bathing suit".  I looked at my "wardrobe" and wasn't very inspired, so of course I looked at my "inspired by fashion" folder.  When it was completed I was too tired to post and decided to save it for my final May stamping challenge for The Nail Challenge Collaborative.  Then I thought it was perfect for Fashion Friday (my own personal challenge) too!  So here you have it, the mani that covers more challenges than any other has or ever will.

 
















Inspiration came from this sweet and sassy Rachel Roy snake print dress.  So cute!  So I went about trying to recreate it on my nails.

  
Please forgive the multiple pics.  I loved how this turned out.  It isn't anything I would actually wear to work or anything....I just love the color combo and that it is a good representation of the dress.

I started with my fav off white, OPI My Vampire Is Buff.  I know the dress has white, but I wanted something a little less stark.

Next I Stamped with PUEEN14, the right design, and Revlon Moon Candy Supernova (the grey side).  Then I added Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Blue Away to the edges.  Next I stamped with just the right side of the bottom image on only the blue part.  A lot easier than it sounds :)

Finally I added NOPI Ladies in the Limelight to the center of the diamonds and added top coat.  Not a perfect execution, but I ended up being very happy with it in all its edgy, grungy, sweetness!

Last pic!  Thanks for looking.  Feel free to comment....I'd love to hear what you think.

Tina

Tri Sky

Today is the last Tri-Polish post...at least until next month!  Here is my last creation.

This is one of those manis....the kind where you have a plan and in the midst of it all....it changes....for the better!

Let's have a reminder of the 3 colors.

Zoya Skylar - Layla STE 07 - Essence Grey to Be Here

 

Skylar is a lovely dusky blue crelly filled with gold and silver micro flecks.  Zoya describes it as a "steel blue", which I think fits perfectly!

I tried and tried to capture the gold flecks in this polish, but as they are very subtle and overpowered by the silver, I could only capture them in this pic on the index finger.  I have one complaint about this polish.  It took forever to dry as witnessed by the ding on my ring finger.  That ding cropped up 20 min after the last coat.  I admit, I hadn't added my Seche Vite to it yet, but still...20 min!  This is two coats.

 Next I sponged Grey to Be Here diagonally across the tip.

The plan was to add some glitter on top of the sponging and then stamp with something diagonally also.  Once I completed the sponging though, it looked so much like clouds in the sky, I changed my plans.  Birds and butterflies...I needed birds and butterflies!

 

 










 

Oh so many plates!  The key was that Shany plate 203.  It took me awhile of having this plate before I realized that the image is a bird on a branch!

After stamping all the images I used my fine detail brush to fill with Layla STE 07 and China Glaze Gold Fusion.

I like how this turned out.  For once a plan that changed for the good!  Sorry about the poor clean up.  This was completed about 1 am and with the Essence sponging being so light in color, I didn't even notice the mess at the lateral edges until I saw the pictures long after this mani was gone from my tips.

Once again, thanks for looking and commenting.   See you tomorrow with a Fashion Friday/Nail Challenge Collaborative combo I am excited to show you!

Tina

Pandorica Stamped

Today is the third day of May's Tri-Polish challenge.  This is going to be a quick post....pics and a few words of explanation, and then I'm done.

Just a reminder what the colors are.

Zoya Skyklar - Layla STE 07 - Essence Grey to Be Here

This started with two coats of Essence Grey to Be Here.

Next I stamped with Pueen 49 and Digital Nails Pandorica.

Pandorica is a lovely black holo.  Watch for a swatch soon.  In the meantime, I wondered how it would stamp and this seemed like a great time to try it out.  What I got was a ghosting of grey and holo.  I love me a subtle stamping.

Next I added Zoya Skylar to the flower leaves and China Glaze Gold Fusion to the centers.

So what do you think?  Like the subtle stamping?  Thanks for looking and commenting!
Tina

 

A Teenage Monkey

So Brianna is obsessed with The Disney Chanel.  What does that have to do with nails?  One of the actresses from Good Luck Charlie (a Disney Chanel show) posts nail art tutorials on YouTube.  When I asked Bria to go through my Pinterest folders and choose something for me to do on her nails for Monkey See Monkey Do Monday, she almost immediately came back.  She has never made a decision that fast...about anything!  Then I realized why.  She chose  This mani HERE.

I never really expected to ever create a freehand rose mani, but how could I refuse my lovely girl!  Just in case you were curious about Bria, here is a lovely picture of my beautiful and unique daughter.

Isn't she sweet?  Anyways, back to the nails!

This started with two coats of Sinful Colors Mint Apple.  This is a lovely mint green with a subtle glass shimmer.  I'm not a huge fan of Sinful Colors....for several reasons....but this was purchased before I knew the drama surrounding them and this is one I just cannot bring myself to release.  It is unique to my stash and applies like a dream although the brush leaves something to be desired.

I made the roses following the YouTube tutorial.  Once again, Bria's skinny nails made it a bit challenging, but I think I did alright.

I used the following for the roses: 

Petals  

• Sinful Colors Easy Going
• Pixi Luminous Lilac 
• Pomegranate Autumnesque
• Ulta White out

Leaves

• Essie Navigate Her
• China Glaze Westside Warrior

Thanks again for looking and check out the other MSMD manis.
Tina
 

Imperfect Perkins

It is my favorite time of the week....Fashion Friday!

Source: us.dorothyperkins.com via Tina on Pinterest

This mani was inspired by this lovely Dorothy Perkins tank.  I have had this pinned forever!  I told Bria to look through my fashion inspiration folder and pick something for today.  This is what she picked.  I was a little disappointed.  Why?  Bria's nails are soooo skinny and I knew it would be a little challenging to get those lovely scallops on those tiny canvases.  I did my best.

I tried....really I did....but i couldn't fit as many scallops on as I wanted.  Oh well, it made Bria happy.

With Flash

 This started with two coats of SpaRitual Back to Your Roots with top coat.
 

Without Flash

I swear this is one of those color changing polishes.  Look at the difference between the flash and non flash swatches!  To my eyes the bottom one is more accurate, but a little lighter with a bit of a pink tinge to it.  At least in my reality (tee hee).

I added the scallops with my detail brush and OPI What Wizardry Is This.  Finally I dotted with Orly Dazzel and added a rhinestone in the center.  I wanted to add a lace pattern at the bottom like the tank, but Bria said no, she was happy as it was.

 

So, what do you think?  Bria said that her classmates thought they were pretzels or tiaras, or chandeliers (tee hee).  And, of course, what I see is what needs to be improved, but considering my canvas, I think I did pretty well.

Thanks for looking and commenting!  I love to hear what you think!  See you again soon.
Tina

You Think I would Get Tired of Stamping

Episode two of The Crumpet Tarts tri-polish challenge!  Gonna be a quickie today as I have other things to do....like my nails!

This mani contains all three of my chosen polishes.

  Zoya Skylar - Layla Softouch Effect 07 - Essence Grey to Be Here

This started with two coats of Essence Grey to Be Here.  Please forgive the red cuticles.  That is Layla rearing her red head.  Love her, but she sure is a stainer.
 

I have a love/hate relationship with Essence.  I love their polish.  I hate that there is very little access to them in the states.
 

Grey to Be Here is a lovely soft grey with a subtle pink shimmer.  You can see shimmer in some of these pics.  It applies well, with some streaking on the first coat that is quickly taken care of with the second coat. 

Next I stamped with Gals GA35 and the dreaded Konad Special Black.

You can see the schmeering caused by the top coat.  Soon I will find a black that is opaque and does not bleed with a top coat, even if I have to buy every black polish known to man!

Next I randomly (or as random as I can be) filled the squares with Layla and Zoya.

This was another one of those hard to stamp manis.  I wanted the lines to kinda match up so it looked like it was a full image stamped across two fingers.  Those straight lines are always tricky, but I think I did okay.

Thanks for looking!  I will see you tomorrow with Fashion Friday!