Spring Challenge - Mr Blue Sky

Hi Goddesses

I was a little stuck for this one, having done a sky mani that I absolutely loved once before - here.   I didn't want to just duplicate that, and thought about doing a picture that spread over all 5 nails.

In the end boredom / weariness set in, and I just went for something easy, doing a blue skittle and then different types of clouds.

To be honest, I thought I had more pale blues than this.  What I found though was that the ones that I had were too similar (that'll be you, CG Sea Spray) or were the wrong tone to fit the skittle (looking at you, Models Own Beth's Blue).

So what did I end up with ?

* thumb = Barry M Blue Moon

* index - Barry M Blueberry Ice Cream - my preferred sky blue

* middle - a-England Galahad, which had too much green in it next to these others (it amuses me how a skittle can completely change your perception of a colour)

* ring = Barry M Cyan Blue

* pinkie = Essie Smooth Sailing

I tried for different types of clouds, but they didn't all work.   I live in Lincolnshire in the UK where we have a lot of RAF bases - you constantly see plane streaks across the sky, and this is what I tried to do on the ring finger.

The index is my favourite.  All of these were done with a dotting tool and then smeared with a sponge, to give them a lighter look.

Enjoy xx :)

ORLY Charged Up + FingerPaints Twisted & Flashy

Hi Goddesses

OK, so this is another classic "from the vault".  Seriously, this time I have NOOOO excuse - as you'll see, I'd even written the post (weeks ago, but I have kept it as it was).  The only thing I can think of is that I took about a trillion photos and then just could NOT be arsed to edit them.  Cos seriously, this mani ROCKS ASS and it's a crime I have withheld it from you.  So without further adoooooo, here we go ....

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days - I have been trying to fight the flu off all week, my legs have felt like lead, and just when it looked last night like the flu had won, I've pulled level again by playing my trump card of an 18 hour sleep!   I still like jellied poo, but I've got to write this post, cos I need to take this mani off to do the all challenges I'm late for.

So, you know me, impatient, opportunistic, demanding - yup, all those great qualities blokes love - and the minute I found out about the Finger Paints Flakies, I had to have them.  Unfortunately, because we all wanted them before they were even released - man, what is WRONG with us lol - they weren't easy to get, but Heather Harrison on PAA found a set and I barged myself to the front of the queue - 1 beautifully easy swap later and here they are - my preciousssssss :)

Lol.   The other half of this post is Orly Charged Up, which came to me from a swap I did with the lovely Emma of Manicurity.    Emma is one of my best polish friends, and was brave / stupid enough to try and find me some purples I didn't have - brave or what!   She picked this, a flat medium dark purple, that's a really great colour, and a lot warmer than the photos.

Now, the reason Emma was able to find a purple I don't own is cos I usually avoid Orly like the plague.  I find them thin and unreliable, but this is a great colour, and because I've been poorly, I've worn this mani for 3 days with no chipping and hardly any tip wear.  Consider me astounded :)

So, let's get to the juicies.   The left hand is wearing Finger Paints Twisted, pretty much everyone's fave flakie.  Why?  Well because it has everything you want a flakie to have.  It's multi-coloured, and therefore more exciting than the others, which tend to stick to one main colour.

Twisted has orange, pink, blue, green, gold ALL dancing together and shifting colours as you angle your nail in the light.  It really is super pretty, and super wow enough to heal most Clairvoyant lemmings.   I love when the pink / blue flashes through - just so unexpected, and a real extra dimension.

Then on the right hand we have Flashy, which in the bottle is an orange flakey syrup.  I love how the orange clashes with the purple - it's just stunning, like hints of lava flowing outwards.   Flashy mimics Nubar 2010 and Essie Shine of The Times with its green shift, but mostly this has stayed orange for me.

By now, we all love the flakies, and most of you will probably have them already.  I predict much fun ahead for us, and I've even done the unthinkable and bought a matte top coat to enhance our playtime.  I know !!!   That's like a vegetarian devouring a burger!

So, sorry this post is slightly dull but I'm playing the flu card, ok ??   Right, energy, come to momma, we have some challenges to do :)

Enjoy xxx

Spring Challenge - Pastel Skittle

Hi Goddesses

I hope you are well.  This Challenge is FLYNG by, and it makes it soooooo much more fun not having to post every day.

Today's was an easy one - a pastel skittle - and I was going to be obvious and pick pink, lemon, pale green etc, but then something caught my eye, and I ended up going with a grey toned skittle. 

Here are your polishes -

thumb - Color Club Sheer Disguise

index - Essie Cocktail Bling

Middle - CG Pelican Gray

ring - CG Light As Air

pinkie - CG Kinetic Candy

I really love how this turned.  It's soft, it's feminine, and it's fluffy.  It's like a cashmere cardigan I just want to dive into :)   Oooooh it makes me want to snuggle it :)

And er ... that's about all there is to say.  5 lovely polishes, one gorgeous effect.

So - what's been on your nails today ?

Enjoy xx :)

And The Winner Is .....

Hi Goddesses

I have a winner for my OPI Mad As A Hatter Giveaway .....

Her name is .......  Yvonne Shisley.   I've never come across Yvonne or her blog before, but I'm glad I have.  It looks like she either makes her own polishes or has lots of friends who do - some really nice colours and finishes.  You can visit her at http://thebroadstroke.blogspot.com/

I'm also excited because today the blog hit 600 Followers which is awesome, and I am THRILLED with all the lovely things you had to say when you entered the Giveaway.   I may not be the biggest or the best blog out there, but it was really heart-warming that so many of you appreciate it for the mix of polish and madness that it is.

Don't forget you can always comment - the captures are turned off now - and you can make suggestions on the Over To You tab at the top.

I've got lots of cool things planned, including Indie Week, Easter (as part of the Purple Crumpet Fairy Spring Challenge) and some AWESOME new polishes.   Remember my January no-buy haul ?  This haul has been so big I am going to have to POST IT IN 2 HALVES!  That's right.   I think at last count there were 90 polishes posting their way to me .....

Naughty Crumpet.

But naughty is such fun !!

Enjoy xx :)  And thanks for ALL your support and encouragement so far (but be warned, there be lambs coming, and they are baaaaaaa-d lol).

xxxx

Tulips

Hi Goddesses

Ever since I wrote this challenge, I knew what my tulips mani would be - big, bold and red, with a splashed black heart, and maybe a little bit of yellow pollen.   Yeh, this isn't that mani.

I've learnt that my inability to draw / paint comes from an inability to recreate what's in my mind.  Although I'm a visual person, I can only draw if I'm looking at the shape / pattern I need.  If I just wing it and go, it doesn't work.   So usually I load up Google images and click away, and this time something unusual caught my eye - this.

This isn't at all what I planned to do, but I liked that it was different, and there was a chance no-one else would do it.   It's been quite amusing how some days, all of us in the challenge have essentially done the same mani - well, maybe not today.

This mani has 2 levels to it, and I have kicked myself for not taking a photo at the half way point.   The first level was this - 2 coats of OPI Stranger Tides, then top coat.   Then a water colour mani in vertical strokes using Barielle Polished Princess - a metallic medium green.  Unfortunately, this was too light on its own, so to better get the colour of the stalks I also added vertical washing with Essie School of Hard Rocks.  (Watercolour mani is when you add drops of the colour to your nail, then smear it around using an acetone-dipped art brush; it's VERY effective).

Once dry, I added my tulips.  To be honest, the shape of them kind of sucks.  They're not very bulb shaped, and I'm going to blame that on my left hand.  I used SH Right Said Red, CG Its Poppin', CG Papaya Punch, and a purple spectraflair franken I made.

Overall, I LOVE the effect.  Can you tell they're tulips ?  No, not really, but I still love it.  I also love that you can just about see some of the green wash between the flashes of colour.

There's something really bright and happy about this mani.  It's practically effortless, and it falls into my favourite category - artfully disguised mess.

Enjoy xx :)

Crumpet & DRK-A sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g :)

Hi Goddesses

A super quick post, cos the result is not without its flaws, but LOOKEY WHAT I GOT !!!

this is from DRK-A's FB page - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002494516033

My pictures of the plate were too reflective - this photo is from http://jeninjafer.blogspot.com/2012/02/drk-stamping-plate.html.  

Yes, a DRK-A plate from Rhonni of Ninja Polish.  I am soooooo excited!  Why ?  Well the DRK-A is perfect for people like me who have man sized paws, and who wrinkle their noses in disgust at the petitery of some of the other plates out there.

This is a dark blue Boots polish, stamped with good ole Barry M, and hey, guess what?   Stamping with a bigger plate is not without its challenges too!!  Lol - irony!  You have to learn to position the plonker differently to capture all of the pattern.

As you can see, I have "holes" in my pattern, some of which I stupidly decided to try and fill.

Still, loving this plate.  We are having fun times this week, me and this plate.  Do not disturb us, ok ?

Enjoy xx :)