12 Days of Christmas, Day 2 - Green

Hello all!  Today is Day 2 of The 12 Days of Christmas Challenge and the theme is Green.  I didn't have a lot of time today since it's my first day back at work in about a month and a half.

Today I did a simple glitter gradient using a base color of China Glaze Running in Circles and the glitter is China Glaze Glistening Snow.

31 Day Challenge, Day 15 - Delicate Print

Hello everyone!  Today is Delicate Print day and it's one of those days where I feel almost anything goes because it seems such an unfocused prompt.  So today's nails are a simple 2 coats of Julep Ivy (which came in my December Maven box) stamped with Sally Hansen Silver Streak and BM-314.  I also applied some rhinestones in random places but I think they're too big.

12 Days Of Christmas, Day1 - Red

Today I am taking a break from the 31 Day Challenge to participate in Iced Lacquer's 12 Days of Christmas challenge.

Today's theme is red so I did a simple tape manicure with a glequin accent on my broken nail.  Hey, just because it's broken doesn't mean it can't still look good!

All the colors I used today are from the Zoya Ornate collection.  I used Blaze for my base then Ziv and Storm for the design.  I don't have much to say about this one other than it sure is sparkly!

31 Day Challenge, Day 14: Water Lilies - Inspired By Monet

When I was thinking of what to do for today's challenge theme I went through all the typical floral things that you see on nails and decided I didn't want to do any of that.  I wanted to do something different that would challenge me.  Problem is  my artistic skills on paper really lie in drawing comic book characters and caricatures, not in still life or landscapes and definitely not in anything leaning toward realism (find me on Facebook if you're interested in seeing any of my tonal pencil drawings).  Another problem is that on paper I never work in color, just graphite and charcoal.  Then while I was watching a documentary on origami (Between the Folds - check it out, mind blowing stuff) I was struck by how similar in theory some of that work is to Impressionism in that it is really just a suggestion of the subject matter.  I have always loved the Impressionist School, especially Monet and Degas, and the Water Lilies series is, at times, abstract enough that maybe I could do something reminiscent of the feeling of those works.

I'm actually kind of happy with the way this turned out.  Is it Monet?  No, of course not.  But, I think it captures the spirit of his work well enough.  What do you think?

For this I used, um, 14 polishes.  Ready for the list?  Ok...

OPI - Sparrow Me the Drama
Zoya - Reagan
Zoya - Shawn
Zoya - Frida
Essie - Lapiz of Luxury
Nina - Cobalt
NYC - Water Street Blue
NYC - Taxi Yellow
NYC - High Line Green
NYC - Skin Tight Denim
Sinful Colors - San Fransisco
China Glaze - White on White
Sally Hansen - Mint Sorbet
Orly - Shining Star

As for technique it's just a whole lot of tiny brush work while staring at pictures.  Nothing special, nothing complicated.  I really think if you can do galaxy nails you can do this since this is more about color blending and placement than being technically accurate in representation.

The 31DC is on hold for me tomorrow as I am embarking on a 12 Days of Christmas Challenge from Iced Lacquer.  Check it out and participate - it looks like a lot of fun and since it's not an every day type of challenge should be doable. :)  I'll continue the 31DC on the off days from the 12 Days of Christmas challenge.

31 Day Challenge, Day 13 - Fun and Funky Kitty

Day 13 is Animal Print.  I have to admit that this is not what I was originally planning on doing.

A little over a week ago I had rescued a super cute Great Dane pup and was going to do a mani based on paw prints and his awesome merle pattern.  Sadly he became quite ill a few days after I brought him home and we discovered he had several serious health issues.  We did everything we could but unfortunately his little body was just too compromised and we lost him earlier this week.  I am heartbroken that we couldn't save him.  I will do my originally planned mani at some point, I just can't right now.

Instead I have a fun, funky, bright leopard print.  It's wholly season inappropriate but the bright colors make me happy right now and that is exactly what I need.

For this I did a base of 2 coats of China Glaze Gaga for Green then a light coat of...wait for it...Fairy Dust (man, I love that stuff) because I wanted a little glitz but not too much.  For the inside of the spots I used China Glaze Escaping Reality and outlined them with Liquid Leather.  It's all topped off with a very healthy coat of SV.

31 Day Challenge, Day 12 - Stripes

I admit it - I can't get away from the Cirque Du Soleil collection.  I love it that much!  For Stripe Day I did a base of Water You Waiting For, taped off some lines, then did a coat of Hanging in the Balance.  I love, love these blues and China Glaze does some of the best glitters ever.  They may look like other glitters but the application and finish are unlike any other brands I've tried.

31 Day Challenge, Day 10 - Gradient with Fall Colors

I'm such a dork - I totally forgot to post this last week.  This is my gradient for Day 10 of the challenge.  It's kind of a cop-out since I did something similar back in October.

Ugh, my poor nail - I hate looking at it.  Must hide it in pictures from now on.

China Glaze - Riveting
Color Club - Berry & Bright
Nina Ultra Pro - Maple Syrup
China Glaze - Fairy Dust
Ulta - Inline for the Crown