Not Sure About This One...

I got into my head that somehow a gray and yellow mani would look cool...?....seen my recently purchased OPI Ballet collex and FingerPaints Gumdrops & Lollipops collex sitting there, so I thought...why not?



Here's the base. Two coats of FingerPaints Lemon Sour. The polish was a little on the thick side but nothing a few drops of thinner didn't fix. Accent is one coat of Orly Mirror Mirror with two coats of OPI My Pointe Exactly. I know this may seem redundant to use a base for this very jelly polish, but I wanted to have a little coverage before it was added. The OPI did add a whole different element of glossiness to the gray; not sure if it translates well in the pix though...or if it really mattered because I stamped on top of it anyway!



Stamped using Konad black special polish using Big SdP M.



Urgghh...this mani is one of a string of stamping fails I've had recently as I've been missing the stamping all the way down to the tips plus along the curve at the tips of my some nails but I've been especially messing up the index finger lately. So I took a fine tip brush and just added in the lines down past the tips....somewhat. Looking at some of these pix, it seems I still missed a few spots. *sigh* Anyway, added a few white dots in the centre of the flowers using Konad white special polish.



Then a few yellow dots using the FingerPaints Lemon Sour on the accent nail and then topped with a coat of SV.



I'm still on the fence about this one. It does seem a little busy but I don't think I mind it..maybe? I guess its OK, but I don't think I'll be rushing to do another yellow and gray mani anytime soon...but it was cool for a change!

Thanks for looking!

PS: I'm still working on the Giveaway post...I've typed a draft but still need to edit it...should be soon though!

More Dragonflies!

When I was going through my dragonfly phase of mani's not too long ago, I decided to do a gray/charcoal/black combo too....here's what I came up with.



Started with a base of Orly Mirror Mirror, two coats.



One coat of China Glaze Let's Do it in 3D on accent finger.



Stamped! Black Konad special polish using Big SdP M.



I then filled in the dragonfly wings with Let's Do it in 3D.





On the accent finger, I used a darker pink glitter striping polish for some interest in the wings (but unfortunately failed to note which one I used.... I don't think it matters much as its not terribly visible anyway!).



Also added a few random dots using CND Plumville. (This actually reminds me that I want to try to stamp using these CND creme polishes....they are generally one coaters and have some vibrant hues; I'm thinking they'll work well for stamping. I turn to them often for adding dots as they are so well pigmented.)

Another image plate design that is right up my alley right now! Lots of opportunity to see the base colour including layering combinations; then so many possibilities just by changing the base colours, the stamping colour and then adding some cool interest by filling in the wings! And then jazzing it up with a few dots!

Have a great weekend....and thanks for looking!

Winter Dragonflies?

I'm not sure why it took me so long to use this image as it was one of my favourite images of the latest set of Shirley's plates that I received before Christmas.



This pix was taken in my bathroom...while the lighting wasn't the best, you can see the accent polish and rhinestones a little better so I thought I'd include it!



Started with two coats OPI Do You Lilac It?



Added a couple accent nails of Fashion Bug Red Multi which I picked up at Fashion Bug during one of my past cross border trips to US; one coat.



Stamped using Konad royal purple special polish using Big SdP M.



Added a few rhinestones on accent nail.



Then filled in the wings of with the same accent stamping polish, Fashion Bug Red Multi.



I also added some more rhinestones on my thumb for another dragonfly but wasn't really thrilled with it.



I've used this image now a few times with different colour combinations...and am sure I will use it a few more when spring and summer finally arrives!

Hope you're having a fantastic weekeend; thanks for looking!

Is it Spring Yet?

Not that I'm complaining about the weather we've been having!! Really, winter has barely arrived in our area....a little snow but hardly anything significant....and fairly mild temperatures except the last couple of days. But after doing so many Christmas mani's...and then a few on the darker side (for me!), I was in the mood for something a little lighter and brighter...more appropriate for spring not winter...this is what I came up with.



Started with two coats of Zoya Robyn.



Stamped with Konad white special polish using Big SdP M.



Lastly, added a few random dots in OPI Banana Bandana and Elephantastic Pink.


I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year's! Did you make any resolutions? I have a few goals...polish and non-polish related:

Polish:

* reorganize my polish area (started but not finished)
* do polish spreadsheet
* organize a blog sale
* eliminate number of untrieds
* only buy the polishes I love...not for the sake of having the whole collection
* more swapping....reduce stash and save cash! (um...maybe this won't reduce stash)
* more frequent blog posts
* moisture my cuticles more often
* better polish clean up
* organize blog/get better banner/wallpaper
* shorter posts/less rambling
* don't take 87455907 pictures of mani's...cuts into my sleeping time and they aren't all that different anyway
* look into a way to have more colour accurate or polish finish accurate pix...it is terribly annoying to have a gorgeous polish or layering combo that just doesn't translate well in the pix, or if the colour is not true to life. Better lighting or camera...or figure out how to use camera ....


Personal

* exercise more (who am I kidding...just get exercise!!)
* eat healthier
* work less
* have more family/me time (will only happen if I work less!)
* save/plan for retirement
* connect with friends and family more often (see number three)
* take family on out of country vacation
* look into buying pop up travel trailer; take kids to see more of the beauty of Canada versus what we have here in Ontario (which is pretty cool...but want them to see Bay of Fundy, the Rockies, plus lots of places in Ontario we've never been!)
* get more sleep (see number three)
* try a new restaurant at least once every couple months
* less volunteering of my time during the summer...so can relax and spend more time with family
* take at least two weeks of vacation (um...workaholic here...have lots of vacation time but rarely take any...usually only a few days or week)
* declutter house

I'll have to remember to come back to this post to see how many of these goals I've accomplished!

Have a great 2012!