Digit-al Dozen Does Black; Day 1

It's Digit-al Dozen week!!!  I have no idea how we decided upon the theme of black on the week that Valentine's Day falls on, but we did!  So I tried to do a mainly black mani, keeping in mind that Valentine's day is tomorrow!  Here's what I came up with!

Started with a base of two coats of OPI Black Onyx.

 Topped with a coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

 Stamped using MJ JR-1 with an accent of BM-412 using a gradient of MdU 20, Moyra SP19 and Funky Fingers Gesso.

 

  Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

Here's the other ladies Day 1 mani's!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks for looking!

Silver Valentine Nails

I have been going through some old computer files because I was getting warnings that I was running low on disk space.  I came upon this mani I did around this time last year that I had not yet shared and had to laugh at myself.  When I'm going to do a series of manis like for a holiday or theme, I go through all my plates and take out the appropriate plates that have an image on them what I might want to use.  That way, when I sit down to do the mani, I only have to look through a short stack of plates.  Well obviously these images are favourites because they made their way onto my nails last year and again this year...including two on the exact same nails in this mani that I shared not too long ago here.  I thought this was very funny!  Here's the mani that I did back back in January 2015.

Started with a base of two coats of Elevation Polish Silversword.

I'm not sure which stamping polish this is sorry as I can't remember and didn't have it in my notes but I'm gathering from the look at it that it is FAB red as it is a little brigther than Konad red.  Plates used are Sugar Bubbles SB 015 (pinky), Sugar Bubbles SB 029 (ring), MJ JR-1 (thumb), Infinity 88 (index) and Sugar Bubbles SB 011.

Sugar Bubbles SB 015

Infinity 88

MJ JR-1

Sugar Bubbles SB 029

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on top to finish.

It is so odd looking back at these pix a year later; they don't even look like my nails as I rarely keep them this long.  

Thanks for looking!

Digit-al Dozen Does Thankfulness; Day 1

Welcome back to Digit-al Dozen Challenge week!  This month, our theme is Thankfulness; each of the ladies are going to share what they are thankful for.  Today, I'm thankful for my family!  No, I don't have 10 children as I count on my nails (and two husbands by the look of it!), but rather this mani represents family in general including extended family such as parents, silbings, grandparents as well as other extended family (although I do have to admit I do have a couple relatives that I can live without and know I will never see again as long as I live...but that's another story).  But overall for the most part, I'm thankful for the family that I have.  Those who know me well will now that my childhood was far from perfect or idyllic but it was what it was and shaped me into the person I am today. I'm thankful for the life I had as a child including spending so much time with my grandparents and exposure to a large circle of aunts, uncles and cousins.  I'm thankful for the man I married (although that thankfulness will vary day to day, week to week, year to year...I'm sure anyone who is married can relate to this!) as well as the three children brought into this world who I am very proud of. They are far from perfect either, but I'm even thankful for that; they have taught me to be patient and to enjoy life in the moment and to appreciate life as it is and not to sweat the small stuff (although my husband still has to learn this!)  But overall, I have a blessed life; while there has been ups and downs my whole life, I still have to think that life could have been a whole lot worse and many, many more have had harder childhoods or adult lives so again, I'm thankful for the one I've lived.....or rather, am living!

Here's what I came up with for Day 1!

Started with a base of skittles; polishes used starting from thumb and going clockwise are Sally Hansen Insta-dri Fast Fuchsia, Maybelline Color Show Sweet Clementine, Wet nWild Mega Last On A Trip, Revlon Sassy and Sally Hansen Insta-dri Lightening; all two coats, no topcoat.

For some added base interest, added a layer of NYX Crystal, topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top. 

Stamped using Marianne Nails n.01.

Marianne Nails n.01

Added images from MJ JR-24 and JR-30 using black Konad special polish.



MJ JR-30






Added KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.  Unfortunately, my stamping on the thumb wasn't the best and I had hand painted in some of the body on the far right; THEN it smeared when I top coated it.  Tried to touch it up a bit but not the best job.  (Ahem, am thankful for polish remover and clean up brushes!)



While this was OK, I thought the mani didn't translate that well for pix so decided to matte it using OPI matte.  I think this was a better choice to finish it as you could see the glitter interest a little better!



Can I also add that I'm thankful that there are plate makers out there that make incredible images like this?  I know these family related images are ones that I've wanted for a long time for Family Day mani's, etc.  So great that those who do nail art stamping have so many options to create fabulous theme nails!

Here's what the other ladies have to be thankful for on Day 1!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks for looking!

Digit-al Dozen Does Spooky Days; Day 3

With Halloween just a short two days away, I went out and picked up candy for the trick or treaters today.  I went on October 31st last year to buy but had to go to several places to get any as everywhere was sold out.  Not to mention it was so expensive as I had to buy small quantities of whatever was on hand versus the bulk packs of chocolate bars and chips like normal.  I learned my lesson so I'm stocked up and ready for the kids on Friday night!  My daughter also carved two pumpkins last night so we are good to go!  Anyway, here's my Spooky Days Day 3 mani!

Started with a base of two coats of Sally Hansen Insta-dri Pumpkin Queen**.

Added a layer of Sally Hansen Big Crackle Top Coat** for some traditional Halloween colouring.  

I haven't used crackle topcoat in a while so I did my left and right hand a little different.  My left hand, I applied it fairly think on top of polish that was already top coated.  

On my right, I applied it more on the thin side and on top of polish that hadn't been top coated just to see if it would crackle different and if it mattered if topcoat was added to the base or not.  Turns out, topcoat on polish base or not doesn't seem to matter.  The application was good on either base and there was good crackle too.  The heavier handed polish had wider crackles and the thinner one less, but overall, either provided good crackle; the polish wasn't finicky at all.

Top coated.  I really liked how this looked; would be a cool  look for Halloween nails without too much effort. These Sally Hansen products are limited edition and are available at various retailers now.  

But of course, I had to add some stamping. Used images from Sugar Bubbles 008 (pinky) Chez Halloween 002 (ring), MJ JR-22 (middle) and BM-H07 (index and middle) using white Konad special polish and Mundo de Unas 11.

Top coated to finish.  I liked how this turned out; a little creepier (ahem, Spookier!) than the other Halloween nails I've done, lots of colour and interest.  A little on the busy side but that's pretty typical of some of my theme mani's!  I have a feeling this might be pretty cool with matte topcoat (which I might try tonight as it's on my nails right now!)

Here's the other ladies Spooky Day 3 mani's!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks for looking!

**polishes sent for review; please refer to disclosure policy

Digit-al Dozen Does Spooky Days; Day 1

The Digit-al Dozen is doing an optional week of Halloween mani's this week; here's what I came up with for Day 1!

Started with a base of two coats of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls (no pix as have shown before).  Sponged candy corn nails using Revlon Alluring Amber (orange) and Sally Hansen Insta-dri Lightening (yellow).

Top coated with KBShimmer Clearly on Top. (While I could have stamped on top of the sponging without top coat, I top coated in case I needed easy removal of any of the images; good thing I did because I had to stamp the index finger 3 times before I got it somewhat straight on the third try!)

Stamped using black Konad special polish using images from MJ JR-22 (thumb, middle and pinky) and Chez Halloween 005 (index and ring).  

MJ JR-22

Added bats from T23 and spiders from T43 randomly for spooky interest and filler.

Topcoated to finish.

I did my right hand slightly different; really liked how it turned out too!

The next night, I decided to do some lead lighting with jelly polishes.  One the fence if I like this look or not but extended the mani for a day anyway!

Here's the other ladies Day 1 Spooky mani's!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks for looking!

10.1 Polish Elixir

Hope you are having a fantastic weekend....and if you're lucky like me, it's a long weekend! It's hard to believe it's the last weekend before the kids go back to school! I know some headed back a few weeks ago but our kids don't start back til September 2; we are trying to cram as much of summer into our weekend in cottage country as possible including doing a little back to school shopping!

I have another 10.1 Polish to share today; this is 10.1 Polish Elixir**!

Started with a base of two coats of 10.1 Elixir, no topcoat.



Different lighting.  The polish is more colour accurate here but this lighting always gives me lobster hands!



Bottle shot shows the light holographic.



For stamping, I was looking through my plates and came across an image from JR-3 that I thought would make for an interesting Mossimo-type of design.  Used Mundo de Unas stamping polishes in 1, 16 and 21.



JR-3





This is how the design was created.



Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.



10.1 Polish Elixir and a wide assortment of other 10.1 Polishes are available here!  There are new fall colours as well under the "autumn" heading!

Thanks for looking!