Dragonflies

Here is a stamping mani I created using my 'Bug' plate (MM17) from Messy Mansion. The stamp has a double width image of cattail reed with little dragonflies above as well as a full nail stamp with just dragonflies.  I love the extra wide design, because it means that each finger as a different design on it, rather than repeating the same reeds and dragonfly placement.

I created a gradient by first starting with a white base, then sponging on Kester Black Periwinkle and Picture Polish Sunset and Crazy.  It created a sunset look, which is exactly what I was going for.

I just love dragonflies.  Every summer we get them hovering and circling over our swimming pool. They are incredibly beautiful creatures.

These Messy Mansion plates are lovely and large.  The cattail reeds design easily covered three of my fingers without repeating any part of the design.  They would be excellent if you had longer nails too, because there are dragon flies above the reeds that didn't make it onto my nails.

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Unknown Messy Mansion

Beetles and Bugs from Messy Mansion Plates

Tonight's manis feature beetles and bugs.  Let's start with the bugs. Lady Bugs.

For these lady bugs I painted my nails red, using Kester Black nail polish.  I'll have a seperate review of a whole bunch of Kester Black nail polishes soon as I only just got them, but if this red is anything to go by, then colour me impressed.  This is one coat of Kester Black Cherry Pie. 

I then stamped the lady bug design from Messy Mansion plate MM17 on each nail.  After that was dry I stamped the little white eyes, also from the same plate.  I'm still working on my placement of stamps and feel pretty good about the placement of the black, but the white eyes are a little sideways on some bugs making them look a little crazy.

For my beetle mani I started with a black base and did two coats of Enchanted Polish Magical Mystery Tour.  MMT is dupy of Ozotic Mish Mash 532. I then stamped with the beetle wing design form Messy Mansion plate MM14.  I didn't quite get the same placement on each nail, but it wasn't that noticable in real life, only when I lined up my nails for a photo like this!

The stamping images on these plates are really big, so if you have long nails you wont have any problems.  Because my nails are pretty short at the moment, I didn't get many dot on my lady bug nor did I get any of the wing lines from the beetle wing.  My next mani from this plate is going to be the dragonflies, I think they look awesome!

Messy Mansion plates are available from Messy Mansion for $7 and they ship internationally. I love how full the nail plate is with designs, no wasted space means for images to stamp on my nails!

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Unknown Messy Mansion

3, 2, 1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Happy New Year! These are the nails I'm wearing tonight for the countdown to the New Year!



Started with a base of two coats of SpaRitual Cassiterite, no topcoat.



Stamped using black Konad special polish using Dash 16 (streamers on pinky), fauxnad D (couple on ring), MM02 (middle), Nailways Snowwhite-New Years (clock on index), fauxnad m47 (numbers on thumb) and Sugar Bubbles special 01 (fireworks on index).



Added more fireworks above the couple and a few random stars using Cheeky 26.



Topped with topcoat.



Have a fun and safe New Year's....and all the best to you and yours in 2013!!

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Unknown Dash 16, fauxnad D, fauxnad m47, gold, Messy Mansion, MM02, Nailways, SdP, SpaRitual, Sugar Bubbles, Sugar Bubbles Special 01

New Year's Eve Party Nails

This weeks FB Adventures in Stamping challenge is New Year's or Party related....this is that I came up with.



Started with a base of FingerPaints Black Expressionism, two coats (no pix as shown before).  Stamped using FUN stamping polishes Bubble Blue, Cotton Candy, Avocado Green and Mango Shake using SdP 76 (hat on pinky), MM02 (Happy New Year wording on index and streamers on middle), Sugar Bubbles special 01 (glasses and champagne and fireworks on thumb).



Added a few random stars using Sugar Bubbles special 01 with the various stamping polishes.



Topped with SV.

 

 I have a few more Christmas nails to show but I guess it will have to wait until after New Year's...or next year because I have a few more New Year's manis to share.

And if you haven't seen it already and you are interested in my latest giveaway, please click on the Gals pix at the top side of the page.

Thanks for looking!

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Unknown black, FingerPaints, FUN stamping polish, Messy Mansion, MM02, SdP, SdP 76, Sugar Bubbles, Sugar Bubbles Special 01

Christmas Day Nails

Happy Holidays to everyone!!

Hopefully Santa was good to everyone!  "Mrs. Claus" broke a thumb nail putting gifts under the tree Christmas Eve and she was none to pleased with that...the good thing is that they will grow in time!

Here's the mani I was wearing on Christmas Day.



Started with a base of Picture Polish Cosmos; this pix has no top coat.  *Swoon*  Love this blue!



Added a big blob of Sally Hansen Debut-tint then spread it around a bit.  This pix has no topcoat; I waited about 20 minutes for it to dry to the touch before stamping.



Stamped using Konad black special polishes using MM01 (all images except thumb) and Dash 10 (image on thumb).



Dabbed on a bit of Essence Make it Golden near cuticles.  You will also notice that the black at the tips didn't stamp solid in the pix above so I re-stamped the base part of the image plate and filled in the bare spots.  In hindsight, it probably would have been easier to just dab on some stamping polish to cover it, but I just stamped it in until it was covered!



Added SV to finish.



Mrs. Claus also has one last gift under the tree that has not been opened as its going to one special follower of this blog....a box set of the Gals Fairy 25 piece set of stamping plates, courtesy of Gals Cosmetics.  Please leave your follower name and email address in the comments of this post between now and midnight my time on January 3, 2013 if you are interested in taking part in the draw.  Open internationally; please refer to Giveaway Terms and Conditions for further details.  Once the comments are closed, random.org will be used, a name chosen, who in turn will be sent an email and they will then have 48 hours to respond or another name will be chosen. 
Thanks for looking!

Happy Holidays!

Edit:  Winner announced here!

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Unknown blue, Christmas, Dash 10, essence, Fauxnad, giveaway, glitter, Konad, Messy Mansion, MM01, picture polish, sally hansen, SdP