Lest We Forget

Lest We Forget.

November 11th is Remembrance Day; the day we remember those who fought for our freedoms and those who continue to serve so that we continue to enjoy free liberties. 

I've done a Remembrance Day mani every year that I've had the blog; it is a day that holds great meaning to me; not only because I am able to live in a free country but because my grandfather fought in WWII so that I can have the freedom I enjoy today.  I'm fortunate that he made it back safely when so many others didn't; I wouldn't be here if he didn't come home as he had pre and post war babies and my dad was a post war baby lol.  Anyway, here's the mani that I did for this year.  Lest We Forget.  

(pix heavy post follows)

Started with a base of two coats of Girly Bits Not Plain White (Polish Con NY LE), no top coat.

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

I had made stamper decals from Marianne Nails n.56 using MdU 2 and Konad Red special polish; applied to all fingers except ring finger.  Stamped words on middle finger using Clear Jelly Stamper CJS-LS-28 using MdU 2.

Clear Jelly Stamper CJS-LS-28.

Stamped ring finger with image from Stampholic 7 and thumb using Nail Matinee NM 10 using MdU 2.

I didn't use this plate but had planned on it; this is Messy Mansion MM78XL.  Lots of poppy images.

Stampholic 7.

Stampholic 8.

Nail Matinee NM10.

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Lest We Forget.

Thanks for looking!

Lest We Forget

Today is Remembrance Day here in Canada; Veteran's Day in US and Armistice Day in UK; the day we remember those who gave their lives and for those who continue to serve so that we have the freedoms and liberties we have today.  Lest we forget.

Started with a base of two coats of Pahlish The Primary Order.

I made stamper decals for the index, ring and middle; images used were Canadian Nail Fanatic 002 with Fig Tree Stamps (middle and thumb), Color Club Flower (pinky) and Marianne Nails n.56 (ring and middle).

Dotted poppies on pinky, then top coated.

Then top coated the entire mani.

Thanks for looking!

(Sorry for awkward hand pose and I hope this is post worthly;  this was Ms. Cindy from mani I did last year and I saved it as inspiration for this year's mani but unfortunately, didn't get around to doing them.)

Lest We Forget

Lest We Forget.  Thanks to all who gave their lives and for those who continue to serve so that we have the freedoms and liberties we have today.

While I'm late in getting these nails posted, I was wearing these for Remembrance Day.

Started with a base of two coats of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls; shown with top coat.

Stamped using an image from Canadian Nail Fanatic 002 with Fig Tree Stamps using Girly Bits Fire Engine Red stamping polish.

Added image from Color Club Flower using same Girly Bits Fire Engine stamping polish and touched up middle image and a few other places a bit with a brush.

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Color Club Flower

Decided to add some dots to center of poppies; used the biggest dotter I have and placed dots using Funky Fingers Dark Knight, then topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Thanks for looking!

Digit-al Dozen Does Inspired by Pinterest; Day 3

Lest We Forget.

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada; it's the day we honour those who fought for our freedoms and those who continue to serve.  

For my inspiration, I used the poem, In Flanders Fields, a copy of which I found on Pinterest.

Started with a base of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls with a gradient of Misa Working Hard or Hardly Working, Barry M Grey and Funky Fingers Dark Knight.  Stamped images from Marianne XXL 1 (index and pinky), Pet'la Floral (ring) and Canadian Nail Fanatic 001 with Fig Tree Stamps (middle) using red Konad special polish and Funky Fingers Dark Knight.

Did a large dot in middle image.  Stamped thumb using Funky Fingers Dark Knight using an image from Chez Halloween 005.

Added more images to thumb using Chez Halloween 005 using MdU 33.

Added a few dots to middle of poppies using the smallest dotter I have with Funky Finger Dark Knight.

Top coated to finish (after lots of time had passed as was really afraid of tc smear on that middle dot!)

Here's the other ladies Day 3 Inspired by Pinterest mani's!

An InLinkz Link-up

Lest We Forget.

Digit-al Dozen Does Thankfulness; Day 2/Lest We Forget

Today's mani serves a dual purpose; a Remembrance Day mani as well as a thankful mani for Digit-al Dozen Thankfulness. For Day 2, I'm thankful for all those who gave their lives and continue to serve so that we enjoy the freedom we have today.

Polishes used are Pahlish Mind Like a Diamond (gray), Duri Taming of the Shrew (red) and OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls (white), all two coats topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

I applied a stamper decal I had made on the thumb from Big SdP E, then stamped on the rest of the nails using Marianne Nails n.56 (index), MoYou Gothic Collection-04 (middle), Marianne Nails n.22 (ring) and Wistonia W04 (pinky).  The black voids on both the middle and index finger did not stamp fully no matter how light or which direction I scraped on; even with trying several polishes, stampers and scrapers so I eventually gave up and just filled in any bare spots with polish and a brush.

Added a few dots to the poppy centre on the pinky, then topcoated.  I thought I had better take a pix now because I had purposely planned to stamp some letters and if I messed it up, this was the end result mani I would be showing!

Stamped using letters from Nailways Back to Basics 123 ABC for words on the thumb.  While not 100%, I didn't do too badly for Lest We...then it went downhill from there.  I stamped the F and other letters numerous times until it got to the point that if I removed the lettering anymore, I was going to remove the base polish.  I eventually got the placement of the F somewhat where I wanted and just hand painted in the rest.  (I was pretty happy with my handwriting as I have no skill with a brush and these didn't turn out that badly).   It took me longer to stamp those few letters on the thumb than doing the rest of the nails combined. (If only plate makers would do these words like I have suggested so many times!)

At this time, I touched up the poppy on the thumb a little bit, then top coated the thumb.  

I liked how this turned out, but found I couldn't get a good, clear shot of the mani so added a layer of OPI matte.  

There was no way I was attempting anything like this on my right hand; this is what I did for it.  (Please excuse the hangnails and terribly dry skin; as soon as the cold weather hit, my hands have been a disaster!)

Top coated again for wear.

Plate pix of some plates that have poppies used as well as others that I thought I might use but didn't.   

Marianne Nails n56

Marianne Nails n48

Marianne Nails n22

Vivid Lacquer VL038

MoYou Gothic Collection-04

I find as I get older, I have more appreciation for Remembrance Day, recognizing exactly how fortunate we are for the freedom we have as a result of the veterans in their fight for us as well as those who continue to serve.  I'm also thankful that my grandfather, who fought in World War II, made it home safely; otherwise, I wouldn't be here!  My grandparents had pre and post war babies; my dad was a post war baby and he (and in turn I) would not be here if my grandfather hadn't returned from war.  I don't know a whole lot (anything really) about what my grandfather did in war, where he was stationed, how long he served, etc; he never talked about his war experience even if he was asked. I'm surmising to keep the horrors he witnessed from surfacing and keeping the demons at bay.  I can only imagine how horrific it was to go through; what little I have seen from film footage from the war years is enough to visualize never mind having to fight and live through it. 

I am truly thankful for those who fought, and continue to fight, for our freedoms.  

Lest We Forget.

Here's what the other ladies are thankful for on Day 2!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks for looking!