Digit-al Dozen DOES Monochrome - Denim And Dots

Hi Goddesses

And welcome to Day 3 of DD Week.  Today's design is one of my favourites of the week.  It involves some good ole splodging, some failures, and ended up nothing like how it was supposed to!

I'm trying to use some Untried polishes in these here challenges, and for this one I pulled out Rimmel Stormy Skies, which is on base.  It's a fabulous creamy-gray-blue affair, and reminds me a lot of Sally Hansen CSM Gray By Gray.

The aim was to do some splodging, and then stamp over it, so I splodged with Barry M Retro Blue polish (a LE a couple of years ago) and Model's Own Beth's Blue.  As it looked super pale, I then splodged a bit more of the Rimmel back on top.

So, my goal was to do a doodle design in navy on top, but no matter what polish I tried, the stamp didn't want to work.  Then I wondered about a patchwork design, but I couldn't get enough contrast to my base (but if you look carefully, you can *just* about see it on my little finger).

All lucked out, I wondered what else I could do with navy - and yep, dots it was!  This uses Nella Milano Midnight Blue and pretty much my smallest dotting tool.

I actually really love how this turned out - the contrast of the dots to the splodging is just perfect, and the blues really combine together well.

Unfortunately .....

yeh, Baby Crumpet wasn't so sure.  I suspect it's cos it's blue and not 3-D pink with flashing disco lights .....

33DC - Day 2 - Your Most Used Colour Polish (single bottle)

Hi Goddesses

And welcome to Day 2 of the 33DC.  Today's prompt asks you to pick your most used colour polish.  When I wrote the prompt, I meant the single polish that is coloured, that you use the most, but as the wording is a little ambiguous, you might see some manis today that are about the colour rather than a single polish.

Anyway, the bottle of coloured polish I use the most of is Barry M Blood Orange.  It's just magnificent.  Perfect bright red.  Super glossy.  Good to go in 2 coats, sometimes 1.  Everything about it is perfection.

I know this is my most used polish, because I just had to buy a 2nd bottle.  For me to have used nearly a whole bottle in a year is unheard of, but this is my go to for glitter undies and nail art too (although OPI Planks A Lot is a close second).

This is a very simple polka dot mani which is inspired by the top worn by a colleague at work!  Yep, it really is that bad now - I look at what people are wearing and go "ooooh, that would make a good mani".   

I used my tiniest dotting tool - the same one throughout - although it doesn't look like it!  This is because some polishes were runnier than others and made different sized dots.

We have Elevation Polish Tavan Bogd (lilac) and Jengish Chokusu (mint), Models Own Beth's Blue (I hope you could guess that was the blue) and China Glaze Lemon Fizz.   I really like how these colours pop together.

Digit-al Dozen DOES Fashion - Leopard Print Flip Flops

Hi Goddesses

Sorry that I am posting so late tonight.  Beth and I have had an epic day out with her beloved Auntie Fluffy, and I am super in love with my purchases, which I will show you over the weekend.

Today's post was the last mani I did for Fashion Week.  Sometimes, you look and you look, and you just can't find the right pattern, and then other days, you look, and you find inspiration in the weirdest of places.

So yes, today is inspired by a pair of flip flops lol.   I think most of us love leopard print, and it's hard to resist when that also involves more than 1 colour.  I also liked that the colours were pastel, as that's not a colour scheme you usually associate with a violent carnivore lol.

Above you see my polishes, and also the base.  This was done by painting each nail one of the 5 colours, and then adding random colour blocking and brush strokes.  With hindsight, I really wish I had used more lemon.  It's a colour I hate, but there's no denying that it helps the pattern pop more - a great example of how sometimes you have to go against your gut for the best results.

The stamping this time was from a stamping plate, the Wild At Heart Cheeky Jumbo Plate 9.  Usually I freehand, but I wanted this mani to have uniformity.   Finally, a little bit of white acrylic to colour in some of the spots.

Overall, despite the use of pukey pastels, I really like this mani.  It also features one of my favourite nail art tricks - a multi-coloured base.  They are not difficult to do, and really help a mani add up to so much more than the sum of its parts.

Enjoy xx :)

Monkey See Monkey Do Monday - Week 3 - Blue Pastel Dots

Hi Goddesses  

Behold, for there was a miracle in England today, and the Lord did bringeth the sunshine !!!  So today, you get garden backdrops, a little bit of shadow, but LOTS of natural light - wooo hoooo !!

So, to the mani, and if I'm honest, I ran out of time this week.  I had a bit of a blogging log jam over the weekend, so this week's one is a bit fly, but valid nonetheless.

MSMD is about what inspires you.  Often, that is other people's nails.  This week, it's some wrapping paper we had in the office for our Birthday Club - look, isn't it pretty ?

I fell in love with it when I saw it, and it is both sad AND true that my 2nd thought was, "I could so do that pattern on my nails".  So, lol, I did.

This is a base of 2 coats of Models Own Beth's Blue, one of my favourite blues, dotted with large white dots, and then filled with smaller dots of  -

* OPI Sparrow Me The Drama

* Cult Nails Manipulative

* Sally Hansen Delphinium

* Barielle Myrza's Meadow

* CG Lemon Fizz

I am a little annoyed that the dots on my left hand are wonkier, but I guess that's to be expected, right ?  Also, there's a spot on my right index finger that I had to redo 3 times.  3 !!  Every time I plopped a dot of Sparrow Me The Drama on it, I knocked it on something - very annoying!

But look, can you even TELL where the paper ends and my hand begins ?  Lol.

This is super easy, and really pretty.  It was a surprise winner in the office today - everyone seemed to really like it, which was nice.  I'm a bit pastelled out at the moment, but this is a nice change to all the heavy glitter I'm about to bring your way.  Oh yeah :)

Enjoy xx :)

Spring Challenge - Easter Bonnets

Hi Goddesses

So, Easter Bonnets, an integral part of every childhood, an excuse for mess and glitter and fluffy little chicks that stick to your gluey little fingers rather than the bonnet :)

I thought this one would be easy, but the more I thought about what I would actually DO, the harder it became.   In the end, I went with the ingredients Beth used for her Easter bonnet last year, namely a straw hat, Easter chicks (in the UK you can buy these huge bags of chicks that are basically a yellow round fuzzy shape with beak, eyes and feets stuck on), a ribbon, and some flowers.

I used a LOT of colours for this - 

base - CG Lemon Fizz, sponged with Essie Jazz

Chicks - OPI The It Color, with nail art pens for beaks, eyes and feet

index - OPI Sparrow Me The Drama ribbon, edged with SH White On

ring - SH Back To The Fuchsia ribbon, with SH White On and OPI The It Color flowers

pinkie - Models Own Beth's Blue with OPI The It Color and a green striper

The hardest part was the base - I'm not convinced it looks like a straw hat lol, but at least it has texture :)   It was also difficult not making it look too similar to the ducklings post.

Overall, yeh, it's quite cute, but boy oh boy oh boy, I'm beginning to get a bit sick of pastels - bleugh!

Enjoy xx :)