Monday, June 29, 2015

Canada Day Nails!

With Canada Day around the corner, I started wearing Canada Day mani's this weekend.  I've also been sharing throwback mani's on IG all weekend; I'm amazed that I have done some variety with the limited Canada Day images for stamping.  With the lack of Canada Day images available in mind, I had a custom plate made through Fig Tree Stamps (go to bottom of post for pix); here's the first mani I came up with!



Started with a base of two coats each of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls and Duri Taming of the Shrew, topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.



I had some difficulty in stamping with the custom plate; I couldn't get that good results with my usual squishy stamper other than this image.  I initially thought this was all I was going to be able to share!



But after more trying, eventually did this.  Used Konad red and Funky Fingers Gesso, using image from Canadian Nail Fanatic 001 with Fig Tree Stamps.  Girly Bits Canadian, eh? is on accent.


Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.



This is the final proof of the plate.



And the final product!**  I'm sorry, I was so excited when I got the plate that I went right away to swatching and forgot to take better pix to share.  The image plate is about the size of the large Apipila plates (not the XXL size); I was so happy with the number of images that were able to fit on the plate!  I have to say it is so cool being able to pick images and have them made onto a plate!  I have commented often that there is a lack of Canada Day and Remembrance Day images and was so happy to have the plate made with some! And the great thing too is the size of the images can be customized to fit your nails!  There's lots of times that there might be a word or an image and it doesn't fit on my nails; well, not now as you can pick the size of the images!









This was me sampling more with the plate.  I found that a firmer stamper with thicker polish such as Mundo de Unas worked the best.  I used the purple Messy Mansion rectangle stamper here; it doesn't facilitate stamping with darker polish though so I need to get a firmer lighter stamper.  The partial images shows were because the stamper picked up two images; not that there were mis-stampings.  Overall, once I figured out the stamper and polish to use, the plate worked well!  I myself prefer a squishy stamper so would prefer slightly deeper etchings, I think, but happy that I do have a stamper that works anyway!



I have plans for another plate in the near future; I have suggested images or themes to plate makers with specific images or themes but they have not materialized (I guess what I like isn't popular lol!), so will be having another one made for sure! I'm so glad there is this option available!  Fig Tree Stamps has a shop on Etsy; they are based in UK but shipping was around 4-5 days to Canada.

Thanks for looking!

**purchased by me

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Graduating Class of 2015!

Congrats to the Class of 2015!  Today's the last day of school for my kids; I have a teen who graduated high school this year so thought it would be fitting to do a graduating school mani!  


Started with a base of CND Anchor Blue, CND Flashpoint, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls and CND Bicycle Yellow; all are two coats topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top except Anchor Blue, which is one! 


Stamped using MJ L except congrats on thumb which is Bundle Monster BM H23.  I wanted the full image of the cap and words but could not get the image or the diploma on the same plate to transfer no matter what polish or stamper I used.  Not very impressed.  I don't understand it either because I've used the image before and didn't have issue.


MJ L









Bundle Monster BM-H23

Added a few dots for filler using same base polishes.

Topped with KB Shimmer Clearly on Top to Finish.

Congrats to all grads this year and good luck to you in your endeavours!

Thanks for looking!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

EverGlaze by China Glaze (not used as an extended wear polish)

When I was at a local nail supply not too long ago, I seen (what I thought was a) new product, EverGlaze by China Glaze.  I wasn't that familiar with it but they had some pretty colours so I picked up a few.  I spoke to a gal at the supply place who told me that it is another one of the long wearing polishes that has it's own base and top coat similar to CND Vinylux, etc.  I already have CND Vinylux for the few times I want some long lasting polish on my nails so didn't pick up the special base and top coats, just the polishes and used them with my regular base and top coats as I had no need for extended wear.  The first polish that I tried was EverGlaze Case of the Mondaze.


The pix below is three coats, no top coat.  I used my regular Duri Rejuv as a base, then applied three thin coats.  I was worried if I was going to get good coverage because the first coat was veryyyyyy sheer, but it did build up nicely. There were no issues with staining and clean up was a breeze!


The pix below has a coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top. 


Did very simple stamping using Funky Fingers Gesso with an image from MoYou Kaleidoscope 03.


Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.  I was happy to see that the base colour didn't bleed through the stamping as sometimes happens.


I seen China Glaze Ever Glaze at my Sally's the last time I was there.  I can't attest to the wear as again, I didn't use the base of top coat but had no issues using it as a regular polish!

Thanks for looking!


Monday, June 22, 2015

Simple, Yet Effective

This was a quickly done mani that is simple, yet effective as the title reads. One of my new found nail loves is studs and rhinestones so I try to use them when I can and think they worked out well as an accent.  Here's what I came up with!


Started with a base of two coats of L'Oreal Masked Affair, no top coat.  I was in the right place at the right time as I found an untouched display on one of my visits to the US so was able to pick up this sought after polish no issues at all. While I'm happy to have it in my stash, I can certainly live without it; I myself don't see what all the hype is about.


Stamped using Marianne Nails n50 using Funky Fingers Dark Knight.


Marianne Nails n50


Added a couple stones to accent.

Top coated with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.


This is my other hand; I liked it too with just stamping.

I know I had said I was going to continue with Digit-al Dozen fandom mani's but I feel that I'm so late now that I think it is disrespectful to the other ladies to post so late in fairness to those who were timely.  I feel badly because I do try to participate and try to post even if one or two days behind, but this is at the point of being really too late to be reasonable; unfortunately, life and work sometimes interfere with blogging and this is just one of those times.  Hopefully this won't be an issue next month!  Sorry ladies...please don't kick me out of the group!  

Thanks for looking!

Monday, June 15, 2015

Digit-al Dozen Does Fandom; Day 3

I'm terribly sorry for dropping the off the face of the earth last week; I had fandom nails done but got super busy during the week, then was away for the weekend and I didn't get a chance to finish and publish the posts for the rest of the week.  My apologies to the other DD ladies and any one else who might check out my blog occasionally!

This is my day 3 fandom mani representing card games!  I love to play euchre as well as other card games like Big Bertha and Canasta.  

  

Started with a base of two coats of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls (no pix as have shown before). Stamped using Konad red and Funky Fingers Dark Knight and images from MoYou Games Collection-02. Unfortunately, the King and Queen images are super big so had to use the stamper shrinking method to get them to fit onto my nails and the entire image didn't fit even with shrinking!


The stamping was topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish (first pix).


MoYou Games Collection-02.







Here's the other ladies awesome Day 3 fandom mani's!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks for looking!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Digit-al Dozen Does Fandom; Day 2

One of the things I realized when I was thinking about the fandom theme to try to come up with nails, is that I'm not really a fan of much. Certainly not enough in the definition that I belong to a fan online group, or have to see the latest movie release of a director or actor or in a series, or run to the bookstore when a certain author has a release.  Not into video games either.   The only show I watch regularly is Big Bang Theory and I already did a BBT mani here. Never watched any of the Harry Potter movies, or Dr. Who, Hunger Games, nor seen any of The Walking Dead, Anarchy, or whatever else seems to be so popular on tv in recent years. While I do a lot of reading, not a big fan of any one author and again, haven't read a lot of the popular books or series. So instead, I decided to do nails on what I like and one of my favourite things is being around the water.  Whether it is going to the beach, swimming in the lake, going on a cruise in the ocean, puttering around the lake on my boat, or just sitting in on my deck, drinking a coffee, reading a book overlooking the water, I love the water!  Here's what I came up with!


Started with a base of Chaoes & Crocodiles Forgotten Paths.  This is one coat...yes, one!


I didn't topcoat the base, instead, did a sponged gradient using Chaoes and Crocodiles City in the Clouds. This is my representation of sand/land and water/sky.


Sparkle, sparkle, sparkle!

Top coated before stamping.

Stamped using Funky Fingers Gesso using images from Bundle Monster BM-506 and MoYou Sailor Collection-07.

Closer look at the plate used.  Bundle Monster BM-506.


MoYou Sailor Collection-07



Top coated using KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.


Here's the other ladies Day 2 fandom mani's!



Thanks for looking!