Fire & Ice Cream

I did my Phoenix Rising design last week.  See above with the Quadruple Scoop I did on Beth.  Here's more photos.  I did mess up one of the bird tails.  That's what happens when it's 8 million degrees out and you melt if the AC and fans aren't running which in turn dries out the polish way too quick when you're stamping so it takes 8 tries to stamp per nail.  *phew*

And here's this weeks:

 zippers & paw prints for Beth.  There's a reason, I just can't get into it.

And my Island Sunrise design. 
Only two more off my July idea post left.  Need something easy next week.
...til next time

Taken for Granite

How so very fitting.
Until this very moment, I hadn't realized that I followed what was the most crap-tacular work week with my "Taken for Granite" nails.  Irony.
I used Wet n Wild French Creme as a base, dobbed on Essie Master Plan with blotted out saran wrap and then did an alcohol spray effect water marble of Revlon Top Speed Varnished.  
This is one of several I posted about a month ago.  I only have a couple left but wanted to play around so I came up with a few more manicures that will be coming up.  They are:

Drippy
My daughter wanted this one.  We haven't done it yet.

Steampunk
WnW Black Creme base with gears and chains (not pictured) from plates BM03 and BM12 in Orly Luxe

Peacock
I had wanted to use the peacock one for a while but didn't know how to approach it so I would be happy with it.  I finally saw a tutorial that used washed out blue as a base and really liked it so here is my interpretation of that.
Brash Electric Sky Base.  Orly Luxe stamp BM212.  Dots in Orly Snowcone and Revlon Midnight Affair.

Tortoise Shell
This is another plate I had been wanting to use.  I knew that it would have to really appeal to me for me to be happy with it and I finally came up with this combination.
Base is Sally Hansen Xtreme in Golden-I.  Stamp is BM215 in Revlon Colorstay Rainforest.  I think I would do an accent nail using my Salon Effects stamp of a turtle.

Indian Blanket
And yet another plate that I had really been wanting to use.  I used Sinful Colors Skylark as a base which is a lot more peachy than it shows here.  I did the stamp (BM204) in a gradient effect with Revlon Sorbet and Orly Blue Collar.  I added a mock french tip in a red but I think when I do this one I will use all three colors to stamp with instead.

This last one is an idea taken from some cloth that we have at work.  I really like this dotty material and had been eyeing it as a possible Halloweeny manicure since I first saw it.  I don't have the dot placement out very well but you get the idea....

Halloween Fabric
I used Sally Hansen Sunkissed as the base.  Dots are done in Wet n Wild Black Creme, Orly Dazzle and then topped with a single piece of purple glitter.  I might do a four tier dot when I do it and give the glitter a white frame which will set it out more.

and to finish... here is a photo of a roadrunner in my yard.  I don't think I posted this before but I found it when going through my SD card.

...til next time.

What 12¢ gets you at Walmart

No not Tazzy.  He is worth much more than 12¢.

I got all this after work on Monday for a whopping 12 cents.
11 bath puffs.  87¢ each - $1 coupons = $1.43 overage
2 packs vegetables for $1.29(ish.  I can't remember) each - $1 coupons = $.58
bottle of fruit water $.33
buns $.98
minus my discount = 12 cents.

Disco Ball'd, Duckie, Mermaid Tail & Candy Crush

Several manicures to share.  This first one was a disco ball motif I did on Beth.  I had something else in mind when I started but it didn't work out when the polish dried too quickly and I tore the guidelines off and most of the polish with them.  I wound up using a stamp for this and covered over it with several colors.  Kinda funky.

This is a Rubber Duckie mani on Beth.  Free handed ducks, y'all!

 And today Beth wanted Candy Crush. 

 The thumbs are my favorites.

And this one is my Mermaid Tail idea that I did on myself last week.

I lost a couple nails last week so this week I'm just doing a crackle with one of my new polishes and hoping my nails grow enough over the next two weeks to do the sunset and phoenix manicures I posted a while back. I would love to find a small phoenix/firebird charm but haven't had any luck.

 I've been getting a lot of new bottles lately since Revlons are free at Walgreens this week and CVS last week.  That and the Sinful Colors sales have been pretty good so I've been able to fill my palette a little with some needed colors.  I also got a new storage system since my old one was completely, astonishingly over capacity.  I'll post photos of it soon, too.  I'm quite proud of it.

... til next time

Marilyn Monroe nails

I wanted to try a technique I recently saw today.  My daughter volunteered her nails.  I'm a little disappointed at how light some of the photos were but it was mostly trial and error getting the prints wet enough, leaving them on long enough, etc.

... til next time

Mint Mani for Talia Joy

The world lost a beautiful soul recently.
This mani is in honor of the lovely Talia Joy.

Just a few ideas for upcoming nails.

Phoenix Rising
Base coat of Sinful Colors "Snow Me White"
Ombre apply via makeup sponge of Revlon "Poppy" and Revlon "Saucy"
Stamp from BundleMonster 314 done in Orly "Naughty" but Orly "Wild Wisteria" might be better

Kaleidiscope
Base coat of Sinful Colors "Snow Me White"
Block style application (smaller than on the stone obviously) of:
Revlon "Superstitious", Revlon "Sorbet", Sinful Colors "Innocent", Revlon "Optimistic", Sally Hansen Xtreme "Mellow Yellow"
stamp Red Angel 108 in Wet n Wild "Black Creme"

 Black Eye-let
Base coat of Sinful Colors "Folly"
Diagonal of Wet n Wild "Black Creme"
Stripe of Salon Perfect "Silver Plated"
Dots (w/dotting tool) Sinful Colors "Snow Me White"
create loops (dot to dot) with dotting tool.
placement of chunky glitter "Silver" at bases of loops

Mermaid Tail
Base coat of Revlon "Blue Slate"
Apply coat of Sally Hansen Xtreme "Blizzard Blue" then dab off with saran wrap
Stamp used is BundleMonster 209 but the Red Angel 111 might be better as it is more fish scaly looking with a curved side
Scatter while wet with chunky glitter in "Glitz"

Take Me for Granite
Base coat of Sinful Colors "Snow Me White"
On balled saran apply Essie "Master Plan" blot on paper then lightly apply to nail
Prepare alcohol spray water marble of Revlon "Varnished".  Use a sparse spot for application.

Watercolor Horizon
Base coat of Sinful Colors "Snow Me White"
Ombre application via makeup sponge of Revlon "Superstitious", Sally Hansen Xtreme "Mellow Yellow" and Sinful Colors "Innocent".
Not sold on the stamp.  Might try to find something different or use a different color.  Or both.

 Summer Sunset
Base coat of Sinful Colors "Snow Me White"
Omber application via makeup sponge of Brash "Gone Bananas", Sinful Colors "Courtney Orange" and Sinful Colors "Folly".
important - - I screwed this up on my sample.  Yellow should be on top, orange in middle and pink at bottom.
Also, it took two coats to apply color bright enough.
Stamp is from Salon Express 18.  Stamp first, create island using Brash black striper, leaving a line for definition.  Birds created from dotting tool and same striper.

 Paper Girl
base coat of Essie "Mamba" topped with a coat of Sally Hansen "Dura Pearl". 
Type out then print *in mirror image* the words you want.  Cut out a piece about 1 ½" long and about as tall as your nail.  Soak in rubbing alcohol for 10 minutes while your nails dry.
Take the piece out of the alcohol and press lightly onto nail rolling your finger over the top lightly so as not to smudge but heavy enough to coax words onto nail for about 30 seconds.  Remove paper and words should appear. 
I saw an idea for these that had a rose painted on top and really liked it.  Looked kind of victorian and antiquey. 
These are my ideas for the next two months.  This week I will be doing a mint theme in honor of Talia Joy.

.... til next time.