Digit-al Dozen DOES New & Improved - Needle Drag

Hi Goddesses

Wow this week's passing fast!   I hope you're enjoying all the DD posts this week AND that you've checked out our new members.

Today is needle drag, a technique that I adore.  It's a technique that looks so simple and effortless when I see other people do it (Sveta Sanders, I'm looking at you), but comes out looking like it was done by a challenged chimp when I try.   I used a beautiful Indigo Bananas combo - Sequins of Events (the rose gold holo) and Break The Wheel.

I don't know if I'm too heavy handed or what, but I wanted to try again after I saw Cathy - that's new to DD Cathy - do this fab needle drag for the 40 Great Nail Art Ideas challenge.  She even did a little video to persuade me it was easy.  Nah.

So again .... semi fail.  I feel I've learnt to do the stripe of polish down the middle better, but I still can't get the flow that these other bloggers get.  If you look closely, yup, still got groove marks on this one.

Ok, I'm off to our DD cave to ask Cathy for advice :)

An InLinkz Link-up

52 Week Challenge Catch Up - Lilac and Green

Hi Goddesses

Whilst I'm moving house, I have some stuff scheduled for you.  Ironically, just before my break, I was doing some of my best nail art lol, so lets hope I still remember how when I come back!

This mani was for the Lilac and Green prompt of the 52 Week Challenge and should have gone live on 16 March.

Like a few of my nail art friends, I am a little obsessed with needle drag, but have always struggled with it.  Until now.   I appear to have accidentally stumbled on a magic formula - do it on bare nails.  Seriously.  And that way, when it goes wrong, as the ring finger did 5 times, it's easy to wipe off and start again.

Emily aka The Lacquerologist also mentioned she got better results using gel polishes, so when I picked up these 2 beauties from the Sally Hansen Gel line, that's what I tried first of all!  (B Girl and Street Flair).

This is by FAR the best needle drag I have ever managed, so much so that I am going to continue to experiment when my neons arrive - mmmmm :)

#52WPNMC - Brown with Dark Metal Lacquer Holy Mountains

Hi Goddesses

Today's challenge was a hard one for me, and one I almost didn't do.  I am not a lover of brown in ANY way, and thus don't own many brown polishes at all.  I do own severallllll taupes, but I didn't want to cheat.

By beautiful coincidence though, I was asked to review some polishes for a British indie called Dark Metal Lacquer, and one of the ones she sent me was a brown holo called Holy Mountains!  How perfect is that lol.

I am not going to talk about that polish in *this* post (it's time will come), but it made a wonderful contrast in this mani to the creme base of w7 Buff.

I have almost always sucked at needle drag, but seeing Sveta Sanders bring them back with such popularity persuaded me to have another go.  Shockingly, it didn't go too badly, although I did have to redo 2 of the nails.

I learnt 2 things - don't overload your contrast colour.  Too much of the second colour and you get a blur, not a swirl.

Secondly - look how well that holo worked against the creme.  I am in LOVE with that contrast.

Aaaah, anyone else craving a hot chocolate right now?

An InLinkz Link-up

Light It Up Blue Mani for Autism Awareness

Hi Goddesses

Today I am joining forces with some other bloggers to Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness.

Thankfully, no one in my family is affected, but I know a lot of other awesome blogging ladies whose families are.  They have nothing but my admiration for their strength and their patience.

After my little needle drag experiment last week, I decided to do a blue version, using just a nail art brush (which was my preferred tool ahead of a needle and a thin dotting tool).  I used a size 0 nail art brush, which is one of the thinnest you can get.

I used a base of CG Flyin' High, a fabulous turquoise, and a contrast of CG Frostbite, a shimmery cobalt.   I was then curious what would happen with one of my blues was a holo, so I picked up Jade Hypnose to find out.

I was hoping the holo would drag into the other colours with magical effect.  It doesn't, but I still like it.  I also like how in several nails I look like a I have a crazy blue tiger!

Love xx