Golden Oldie

I have a friend/relative who is a nail tech and owns her own salon.  She is the sweetest person you could ever know.  Some months ago she was in town and I offered to do her nails.  I mean, how often do nail techs have someone else do their nails?  Plus it gave me a chance to show her how to do nail stamping :)  They don't teach that in school ya know!  She is a coffee freak so I knew just what to do for her.  It included a favorite golden oldie, Contrary Polish Hayride.  Fits perfectly for the GOT brown prompt.  Oh, that doesn't sound good does it?  tee hee

Hayride is a favorite because of its taupe tone and golden shimmer.  Not everyone wants brown on their nails, though.  It will probably be visited more here in the fall months though.

I stamped with Messy Mansion MM10.  No image today as I have too much to do to be editing plate images :)  It is amazing how much there is to do when you are unemployed :)

This is the last Crumpet Nail Tarts Golden Oldie Thursday :(  I haven't been able to do every week, but I did do the majority.  I won't miss it though because there is a new Crumpet Nail Tart challenge coming up that incorporates golden oldies AND untrieds, my favorite types of polish!  Have yourself a great day/weekend!

Tina

Art Deco Nail Art

Must.Stop.Surfing.Instagram!  I stop in to post a pic and check out #31DC2014 and suddenly two hours have flown by!  I am discovering new nail artists and inspiration.  If you are tempted to check it out yourself, do it!  Or don't do it unless you have a few hours to spare!

Today I have a double hitter for #31DC2014 "dots" and Golden Oldie Thursday (yes I know it is Saturday.  Cut me a break!) "ignored for too long"  

With so many prompts for so many challenges, sometimes they bleed into each other.  While searching images for a later prompt, art deco, I found this lovely compact and thought it would be perfect for the dot prompt, which was coming faster than the art deco.  See the bleed?  But I don't mind because I love art deco!

Orly Satin Illusion with flash

Orly Satin Illusion in artificial light

My golden oldie (literally golden and old) is Orly Satin Illusion.  I purchased this from a blog sale and it has not graced my tips since January 2013.  This polish looks totally different with a white undie.  If you want to see the difference and my original nail art, check the post HERE.  Excuse the tip wear.  I wore this four days before doing any nail art.  I was sick.  Tells you why I am behind in my posting :)

Although I considered using undies, I decided that the golden shimmer was more "art deco"ish, whatever that means.

Gold shimmer galore!  I did use striping tape to get my black lines straight.  I am OCD that way.  The gold was with my striping brush, though.

Me being me, I see the flaws....

and for once, I DON'T CARE!  

I love this one HARD.  I love how Satin Illusion changes.  Sometimes the blue comes out to play, looking like frosty steel.  Other times you get the gold shimmer with a hint of the blue beneath, giving it an antique feel.  Then sometimes it shows only its gold shimmer, making the gold stripes very muted.  Pure elegance!  So, of course, that means....

Mood stone pic!  I love how Satin Illusion changes.  You know how I know this was a good one?  My husband said something about it!  He hardly ever says anything about my nail art.  Not that he disapproves, just that he is a typical male and usually doesn't notice that kind of thing unless I point it out to him.

What do you think?  Do you like art deco?  Did I do my inspiration justice?  Which do you like better, my original nail art with Satin Illusion, or this one?  Thanks for looking and commenting!

GOT Indies for #31DC2014?

Today's prompt for the Golden Oldie Thursday challenge is "indie".  I will admit it, I am a bit of an indie polish snob.  I would much rather spend $13 on one indie polish than on two or three (or more) mainstreams.  $13 for Butter London?  Way too expensive!  $13 on Crows Toes?  Let me get out my card.  Not that all indies are expensive.  Some of my favorites are priced right there with the Sally Hansens and Revlons.  There are so many creative polish makers out there, and I would much rather support these home grown, handmade "companies".  Besides, the polish is so gorgeous!

All of my indie polish is on my table top in two holders.  This is where I go for base colors for nail art, unless I am looking for a cream or an exact match for something I am trying to recreate.  The problem is, I have run out of room!  All the beauties are beginning to encroach on my work space!  I could put them in drawers.  I have enough space.  But then I wouldn't get to see their pretty faces every day!  I may have to invest in another display option!

All this is to say that I don't have a whole lot of indies that are neglected, but their are some.  Since the #31DC2014 challenge prompt for today is green, and I knew I had a green indie somewhere in my unposteds, I went through my files and found this lovely for another two-fer.

Not wild about the stamping.  I think I was going for a leaf look without a leaf stamp.

Scofflaw Wee Beasties with Flash

Scofflaw Wee Beasties in Artificial Light

This is three coats of Scofflaw Wee Beasties.  This is from the first ever Scofflaw collection and is no longer available....unless you can hunt it down in a blog sale!  This mellow green filled with multi-glitters and gold shimmer reminds me of a field of wild flowers in the sun.  So lovely!

I stamped with Apipila P.6 and some gold that I didn't write down.  I don't think it was my normal Bold Gold since there seems to be a bit of holo-ness too it.  Maybe Ozotic? 

You can tell that these pics are about a month old.  Sometimes I actually do nail art that does not correspond with a challenge prompt, just what I feel like doing.  Then the pics languish in my unposted file until they fit a challenge.  This is one of those.  My cuticles are in such better shape now, thanks to some rigorous care, and my thumbnail is much longer!

Didn't really end up looking like leaves.  Guess I should have used a brown or dark green to stamp with.  Thanks for looking and commenting!  I should have a second post up later tonight (or early am tomorrow :) for another couple of challenge prompts.

Golden Oldie Over Black

Quick post to catch up!  Golden Oldie Thursday's prompt is (was) over black.  I love wearing black polish, so this was right up my alley!

This is two coats of Zoya Raven stamped with Piggy Polish Make Waves and BM-312.  Not a whole lot of time right now, you just get pic spam.

 I may have to try this combo again with a more interesting stamp.  But right now, I gotta go.  Check out the other golden oldies.

Golden Oldie Over White

The Golden Oldie Thursday prompt this week is "over white".  I have had "tea party" on my mind and I actually considered using this for both GOT and NCC, but realized I already had TWO blue and white tea party manis for The Nail Challenge Collaborative.  Means I get to do another tea inspired nail art!

Anyway, back to the golden Oldie!

Can you see why I was going to use it for a tea party?

I started with two coats of Cult Nails Tempest.

Then I stamped with Vivid Lacquer and VL 022 and LynBDesigns Sacre' Blurple.

Looks like fine china, doesn't it!

And I succeeded at random too!  Success all around!  Simple but purdy.  Check out the other golden oldies.

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GOT Stripe Nail Art

This is another one of those "makes you go hmmm" manicures for me.  Great polish, good color combo, but it just didn't hit the sweet spot.  Let's see if you agree.

Going with the Golden Oldie theme, all of these but the brown have not graced my tips in over a year.

I started with two coats of Mentality Lovely.  I wore this for a day all by itself because it is such a lovely color.  I can't really explain why I love it so much.  It isn't just the "suede" finish, it is the color, just a shade greyer than baby pink.  I couldn't stop looking at it, and for such a "simple" color, that is saying something.

This is where it went sideways on me, even though the lines are vertical (tee hee).  I tried to randomly stripe with different sized lines.  You know me and random, we just don't get along very well.  Plus, the matte formula on all these polishes don't lend themselves well to this kind of application, as you can see.  Or maybe it was just the applicator (as in me :)  Here is what I used:

• Mentality Grace - Just a titch darker than Lovely
• Mentality Beautiful - Berry pink
• Mentality Rebel - Brown

Although I like the matte finish, I decided to add some top coat to smooth out my poor application.  It did help, but I am still not quite happy with it.  I think this combo would make an awesome dotticure though, it I could just get my randomness in line.  Talk about an oxymoron!  Who you calling a moron?  Or is it "Whom are you calling...".  Whatever.

So that's it, another nail fail to add to my list :)  I am actually getting pretty okay with the nail fails, as long as I have some winners along the way, and there are some winners coming!  See you next time!

Golden Oldie Glitter Topper

Just a quickie with a lovely glitter topper for Crumpet Nail Tarts Golden Oldie Thursday.

This is one coat of Candeo Mallard over two coats of Above the Curve You Java Me Crazy.  Mallard has been in my stash since the beginning and just doesn't get enough love.  Subtle yet striking.  That's all I have to say.

Girly Bits Stormy Skies and QA49 Review - Nail Art

If you follow my blog, you know that I am not a girly girl.  I tend towards darker colors, in my clothing and especially my nail polish.  Once in awhile, though, I get in the mood for a really feminine manicure, and that is what I have for you today.  

There is just something about lace at my tips that is empowering.  In this case, I think it is because it reminds me of lingerie (tee hee).  Or a cute camisole with pearl buttons.

With Flash

Artificial Light

I started with two coats of Girly Bits Stormy Skies over a white base.  This polish is a little sheer, which is why I used a white base, although I am sure you could get good coverage in three coats.  I kind of wish that I had tried it on its own, but I recently used a baby blue that needed several coats and found that the color deepened too much for my liking.  I really wanted the beautiful blue shade to pop, so white base it is.

Stormy Skies applies like the silver lining of a dark cloud, smooth and glorious.  it is filled with entsy wentsy, itty bitty holo particles that flash from the overcast blue.  This is my kind of feminine color!  You may be able to tell from the older style bottle that this has been in my stash for awhile, but it is still available at the Girly Bits store HERE.  There are several international distributors also, just check the distributor tab at the top of the site to find your favorite.

Next I stamped with plate QA49, sent to me from Born Pretty Store to review.  Just like the last plate I received from them, this one is well etched and stamps clearly.  I also used the half pearls from Born Pretty Store that I reviewed earlier.  Have to say, I kinda love those teenie "pearls".  As always, you can use my code (over there to the right, MNQX31) to receive and extra 10% off any purchase from Born Pretty Store. 

"Soft" Rectangle - Hard Rectangle

How did I get the image so straight?  I owe it all to my rectangle stamper.  Makes lining up soooo much easier.  I start at the tip and "roll" towards the cuticle.  I purchased mine from Messy Mansion HERE.  There are several online places you can get these.  They are perfect for those with longer nails too.  They are longer than the large stampers are wide and make lining up double stamping...if not a breeze, at least easier.  They are my go to when I have to have a linear stamp very straight, like in this mani, where it would be very noticeable if it was crooked.

You may notice that the stamping on my middle finger is a bit messy.  That is because I stamped with the loops facing left instead of right.  Guess I didn't get all of the old stamp off before restamping.  You KNOW that having one lace facing the wrong way would have thrown my whole life off, right?

Just one more word about this stamping image.  I LOVE it!  It has so much possibility.  Wedding nails come immediately to mind.  I used pearls, to fill in the little dots in the middle, but you could use rhinestones, or studs, or dots of polish...maybe some textured polish!  Also, you could fill in those little loops with color.  If you are REALLY talented, you could double stamp back to back and have a full flower.  Or separate a double stamp slightly with a different color between the stamps.  You get the idea!  So much potential, so little time!  This stamp will definitely be visited again!

As always, thanks for looking and commenting!

Tina