A Double Challenge Post

Today's post does double duty.  It is the final post for September's tech challenge and the tribal inspiration for the 33DC.

I hope the tribal portion is apparent.  The technique is stamping decals.  Don't know what that is?  Check the post with step by step instructions at Messy Mansion HERE.

This started with the awe inspiring SpaRitual Conglomerate.  if you want to see this beauty on it's own, check my post HERE.  Every time I wear this, I fall in love with it all over again!

  










I stamped with DRK-B onto a silicone mat several times then topped with top coat.  I let it dry overnight then peeled it up and cut out the rectangles from the image.  Here is an idea what it looked like before applying it to my nails.

So check out all the other participants....of both challenges!

A Little Fall Tape

Today's theme for The Crumpet Tarts 33DC is Tape.  I decided to do something a bit different with one of my favorite polishes.

Can you see it?  It is a bit subtle.

This started with two coats of one of the polishes that started my polish obssesion, Julep Minka.  Minka is a beautiful reddish brown metallic matte polish that Julep calls "Suede".  When I first saw this in Sephora, I stood right there and gave myself a manicure in the store.  I love this soooo much!

  
Next I punched some leave shapes out of painter tape and placed them semi randomly on nails.

Finally I painted over the nail with top coat, pulled off the tape with tweezers and added some veins to the leaves.

It didn't turn out quite how I imagined, but I still like it.  I would probably use a different color in the future, maybe even a gradient over the tape, but that's what I like about these challenges, I get to try new things, learn what works and what doesn't, and improve my technique.

Thanks for looking and commenting!  Check out all the lovely tape manicures, there are some really gorgeous ones!

My Favorite Technique for NCC #3

If you have hung around here at all, you should guess what my favorite nail technique is.....Yep, it's stamping!  For a girl with limited artistic ability but a lot of artistic vision, stamping is just the thing.  So let's get to the nails.

I recently have been obsessed with holo stamping.  It can be subtle and flashy at the same time and I love it.

 
 This started with two coats of Loreal After Hours.  The more I use high end polish, the more I realize how much longer lasting they are then the drug store brands.  Despite this, I LOVE this Loreal dark blue, almost black, color.  Yes, I have other midnight blues, but nothing quite compares to this.  It has a crelly finish with a very high gloss shine and, unlike a lot of dark blues, has a pure navy tint, no blurple tints anywhere.  *Heart beats wildly*.

Next I stamped with Aly's Dream Polish 64 "Copper".

 
On my ring finger, I used MM09.  The rest were stamped with DRK-C and finally I added a portion of the Asian script to my thumb.

I can't even begin to describe how delighted I am with this.....Deep and beautiful with stamping that flashes in the light.  Pure rapture.

 

Now that I have gushed and  raved, check out the other techniques.

Crumpet Tarts 33DC - Day 2

Day 2 of The Crumpet Nail Tarts 33 Day Challenge is most used polish (other than black and white).  In my case it is a nude polish, Avon Ballerina, which surprises the heck out of me since I am not particularily fond of nude polish, but the level lines don't lie.  I thought that I would use another well used polish, Nails Inc Noho.



Once again, I was inspired by fashion, pecifically this Micheal Kors dress.

Isn't it gorgeous?  I think fashion is the reason that I use nude polish so much,  I am inspired by a lot of sheer dresses.





















This started with three coats of Avon Ballerina.  Next I stamped with LLC B and Finger Paints Black Expressionism.

  
Next I painted over the spots with Nails Inc Noho, my favorite texture polish (so far).  I really like how this turned out.  Wish I was confident enough in my freehand skills to do the spots without the stamping, but eventually I will get there.

Check out all the other most used.
 

Oops....33 DC

I have been so busy getting ready for a bunch of upcoming challenges, I totally missed posting the first day of The Crumpet Tarts 33 Day Challenge.  Better late than never!

Day one is dots.  I am inspired from all different places, but fashion is one of the big one.  This was inspired by this gorgeous Christian Dior dress.

I started with a two coats of Avon Ballerina, then added the "swoops" free hand with Finger Paints Black Expressionism.  Next I dotted with Zoya Willow and Finger Paints Black Expressionism.  My freehand skills still need help, so I am not quite happy with it, but I love the idea!

 


 I think this one was one of the best.  What do you think?  Check out the rest of the participants.

 

Here Comes the Tri

This is the third installation of the Tri-Polish Challenge....sort of the tri Tri-Polish (tee hee).  I tried a technique I have been unsuccessful at before, but apparently practice makes perfect...or at least satisfactory.

 Yep, it is water marbling!  Still perfecting the technique, but not bad for only my second time.

 
Somehow my pink looks orange and my purple looks a bit pink.  I got a lot of complements on this, so I can't wait to try it again with different colors.

Here's my favorite one, of course it is on my right hand.  This is my right thumb.  Now on to all the other Tri girls

Quick Little TPC

A quick little post for the second September Tri-Polish.  Remember the colors?

 This is not at all color accurate.  Blues freak my camera out.  The pic below is a bit more color accurate.

Two coats of Zoya Jo.

Stamped with Julep Alice....

and Sugar Bubbles SB 016.  I just recently got several Sugar Bubbles plates and I love every single one!  So detailed and so well etched.  You will be seeing several of these over the next few months, including a Halloween plate that is to die for!

So that's it....simple yet elegant.  Wonder what I am going to do for the next two?

Thanks for looking and commenting!
Tina

 

 

September's Tri-Polish

After sitting out the Tri-Polish Challenge for August, I am happy to get back in for September.  The colors for this month are lavender, blue and pink.

The colors I chose are:

• OPI  Hands Off My Kielbasa (pink)
• Zoya Jo (blue)
• Julep Alice (lavender)

Just a simple little stripped mani for the first one.  Check out all the other Tri's.

The Original MC

Today's inspiration for Llama Nails artist challenge is MC Escher.  I was a bit worried about this one until I did some web browsing.  Yes, Escher is known for his detailed visual illusions, but he did more that that.  Here is what I came up with.

This was inspired by the lithograph, Three Worlds.

 

With all my stamping plates, I knew I could come up with a facsimile of this lovely work.

 

I started with a black and white gradient using Finger Paints Black Expressionism and Sally Hansen White On.  Just a little side note on this technique.  I once again used the glue technique around the nail.  Not quite sure if this is my favored clean up technique for gradients yet as the glue pooled in my cuticles and made clean up around the base of my nails harder than usual.

 I then stamped with Finger Paints Black Expressionism and different parts of the tree image from LLC B along the cuticle.  Next I stamped with China Glaze Concrete, OPI Suzi Skis the Pyrenees and MM09 on the middle finger and thumb.  Finally I stamped over the whole thing with Sally Hansen White On and DRK-C.

I really like how this turned out, not a perfect recreation, but an inspired way to use stamps.  I took lots of pics, so here is another.

What do you think?  I am happy to have discovered a whole other side to MC Escher.  He is running a close second to Van Gogh for my fave artist on the list.  Check out the other MC's!