Birthday Suit Stamping

Today is the third episode of The Nail Challenge Collaborative's May stamping challenge.  I want to show you that messed up stamping can be saved.  Be forewarned, this post is pic heavy!

This beauty started with an indescribable polish, CrowsToes Birthday Suit.  I tried to capture the duochrome glowiness of this pink beauty, but just couldn't.  Does that stop me from show you the pics?  NO!

 I thought I would start by showing you the diversity of CrowsToes Birthday Suit (heretofore called CTBS).  It works as a polish altering top coat, but can easily be built up to ful opacity.  Here's one coat on pinky, two coats on ring finger, three on middle and four on index.  If you don't mind a little visible nail line, you can get away with two coats.  If you are obsessive, like me, go for three or four.

Now let's go outside.

Oh how I wish I could capture the glow of this polish, but even in the sunlight I could not quite grab its depth.
 

I would call this a nude Max Factor Fantasy Fire, it has that glimmering blush to it.
 

On top of that, it has a subtle duochrome with a shift from pink to gold which was even more impossible to nab with my rudimentary photo skills.

I wore this beauty for two days before I decided to stamp over it.  What could be better for this subtle pink than a bold black stamp.

I used Konad Special Black and Messy Mansion MM09.  I absolutely adore this plate and can't wait to use more from it.

I had the hardest time getting this to samp over my whole nail.  I stamped and stamped.  I know that on one finger I removed the stamp four times.  Thank goodness for four coats of CTBS and one coat of top coat.  I only had to repaint the four time foul up.  After trying and trying, I decided it was time to rethink what I was going to do.  So rather than giving up, I improvised.

I added a stripe of Sinful Colors Black on either side to cover up the bare patches.

I should be clear that the difficulty stamping had nothing to do with the plate and everything to do with my slowly improving ineptitude and always present desire for perfection.  This is one of those stamps that, because of the straight lines, show if you don't get it perfectly straight on the nail.  Also, because I wanted the florals to be skinny down the nail, I used the stamp sideways had had a little difficulty getting it to stamp my whole nail, as you can see on the thumb and index.

The lines on this stamp were crisp and clear, but of course I got some bleeding after using my top coat.  I am now on the hunt for a great opaque stamping black other than Konad, because I am tired of having a great stamp ruined by top coat.

Last pic, I promise!  If I hadn't worked on this mani for so long, I would have taped it to get straight lines for the lateral black polish, but I was so done with the whole thing that I just freehanded it.  All that said, all the time and frustration, I ended up loving this!  I actually like it better with the added black.  And in the process, I think my stamping improved!  I mean, I have to say that those stamps are pretty darn straight!  What do you think?

Once again, thanks for looking and I love hearing your comments.  See you tomorrow!
Tina