Purple Crumpet Spring Challenge - Easter Bunnies

Quick post today, for what was a relatively quick manicure! I used two coats of Julep Alicia, which I got in a lovely swap, and them stamped some cute-ass bunnies using HB38 and Barry M Gold Foil.

Cute, but I wasn't super happy with it, so I ended up doing this.

MUA Nail Quake in Quiver. Still love me some crackle!

Hx

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Purple Crumpet Spring Challenge - Favourite Spring Green

Technically, Barry M Spring Green is my favourite spring green, but I've used that lots before so I chose something different today. Nails Inc Spring Mews is a lovely spring green, not in the slightest bit minty (unlike in some of my pictures) and not yellow toned either, just really fresh and pretty. It dries a tad darker than the bottle colour, but this was 2 easy coats. I'm starting to really love Nails Inc, whereas I've always been a bit meh over them before. I used a really pretty glitter from claires over the top, I've not seen anything like this before and it's really nice. Large pastel pink, green and yellow/gold hex glitter and a sprinkling of small silver glitter. I dabbed it on the tips of all my fingers apart from the ring, which I used it all over as an accent.

Pic overload, sorry!

Claires has some really lovely polishes, I think I need to go in there more often. Maybe I need a daughter as an excuse, because I feel like I shouldn't be in there on my own, I'm far far too old!

Have you ever had any nice finds in Claires? Anything I should check out? Has anyone tried their matte polish? Any tips on making myself look about 18 years younger so that I fit in?

Hx

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Purple Crumpet Spring Challenge - Easter Eggs

Hi!

For today's challenge I decided to use purple and gold and make my easter eggs look foil wrapped and really luxurious and yummy (can you tell I'm on a diet?) I used Collection 2000 Hot Looks Parma Violets and Shimmy Shake as a base, and then stamped over Parma Violets with Barry M Gold Foil. It was quite easy to create, although I'm usually quite disappointed with the Hot Looks polishes and this was no different. But they're so cheap so what do you expect!

Parma Violet is a lovely colour, but the application is anything but smooth. I guess with topcoat and stamping it looks fine though! What do you think? All this talk of Easter eggs has made me want a creme egg...

Hx

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Purple Crumpet Spring Challenge - Spring Stripes

Oops, I didn't get this blogged yesterday! I thought I had it scheduled, sorry! Anyway, I was inspired by Colette at My Simple Little Pleasures again for this one. She posted a bumblebee watermarble tutorial, and I thought I'd give it a go, but with different colours. And it actually worked! Not as awesome or neat as Colette's version of course, but I was happy with the result. I used Models Own polishes for this: Pink Blush and Lemon Meringue. They worked really well, didn't dry too quickly and the colours stayed vibrant. I'll definitely be looking at more Models Own with watermarbling in mind.

If you watch Colette's tutorial you'll see that to get this design you use several drops of the first colour (yellow in this case) and then 2 or 3 of the second colour (pink) when making your bulls eye. On the pointer finger I decided to do it the other way around and I got these really thin stripes. I rocked it as an accent nail but it wasn't intentional, and I prefer it the other way around. The day I wore this I had to take my son to a speech therapy appointment and the lady couldn't stop looking at them! She said she was going to try it so I bet she'll be cursing me next time we go! Watermarbling is HARD!

Hx

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Adventures in Stamping - Black and White

Hello!

I wasn't thrilled when this Black and White won the theme for this week's Stamping Sunday, as I don't have a black or a white polish that stamps reliably for me. I've yet to invest in any Konad Special polish, or any other brand of stamping polish, and the white polishes I have aren't opaque enough. Everyone says that Wet n Wild Black Creme is great for stamping, and that's what I used here, but it doesn't give me great results and  have to work hard at getting it to work for me. I'm not really impressed with my attempt this week, as I missed the edges, not all the stamps are straight and it's just a bit boring. I guess I was just uninspired.

I used China Glaze Snow Globe on top of my white polish to give it a bit of sparkle, and stamped from Bundle Monster plate BM 207.

I'm just meh over it. What do you think?

Hx

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Purple Crumpet Spring Challenge - Butterflies

Hi everyone! Still here? Good! Only 14 challenges left!

I wanted to try and recreate the admiral butterfly design I've seen lots of people do, and followed Cutepolish's tutorial. I decided to stick to accent nails after the hand cramp that was patchwork day, and I actually like the gradient that I did and didn't want to cover it all over anyway. The gradient was done with 2 coats of Models Own Lemon Meringue (new favourite yellow) and No7 Mojo sponged from the tips. Then I added a coat of Finger Paints Motley for some added shimmer, and drew the wing design in Wet n Wild black creme and a nail art brush. I had hoped that the lines would be a bit more delicate, but I don't really do anything delicately... The white dots were done with a small dotting tool and Collection 2000 French White.

I'd like to do this again, maybe over a blue base. Maybe next time I'll be confident enough to so my whole hand instead of just accent nails!

Hx

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Purple Crumpet Spring Challenge - Subtle Glitterbomb

I don't know about you, but I have never seen the words subtle and glitterbomb used together before. But I guess it means it should be all dainty and spring like, so that's what I went for! Imagine, if you will, a frozen river, hard and cold, slowly thawing in the springand revealing the running waters underneath. Now, take a look at my mani for today and hopefully you'll get what I was going for! Enough of the rubbish imagery, onto the nails!

Lynderella Snow Angel, a polish I never thought I'd own. Way too beautiful for me!

The accent nail is Essence Blue Addicted, another beauty, and apparently a dupe for Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe.

I have to thank two of the lovely generous ladies from my birthday club for these polishes. The lovely Tracy surprised me with a bottle of Blue Addicted just because she's such a sweetheart. And the Lynderella. Can you imagine the heart attack I had when I opened it? Thank you so much Kira!

I layered Snow Angel over OPI Play the Peonies and Blue Addicted over GOSH Blue Monday. Snow Angel took a lot of top coat. It's beautiful but it's hungry! This was three coats of Poshe but it could have taken more.

So there's my spring glitterbomb :)

I'm sorry to say I had to turn comment moderation on the other day, as one of my posts got attacked by spambots. I will approve every lovely comment I get I promise, as long as you don't try and sell my readers viagra!

Hx

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Purple Crumpet Sprig Challenge - Day 22, Large Flowers

Since we did a large flowers design in the stamping group this week, I decided to freehand this one. I used 2 coats of Sally Hansen Model Behaviour (on a bit of a blue kick lately it seems) and 2 coats of Sally Hansen Eel Skin on the accent nails. Then using Models Own Pink Blush I drew 3 petals just using the bottle brush, and outlined them using a pink striper. The centre of the flowers were done with Miss Sporty Taxi and a yellow striper.

The next challenge is subtle Spring Glitterbomb and I am planning something special!

Hx

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Purple Crumpet Spring CHallenge - Day 21, Ducklings

Hi loves

Today's challenge was ducklings. I took inspiration from two Youtube tutorials for this, you can find them here and here. I used Color Club Chelsea Girl for the base (I grew up about 10 miles from Chelsea, and they're the football team I support *ducks rocks* so I had to have it!) It's a neon but I didn't want it terribly bright so I didn't use a white base coat, and it's a lovely blue without it, although if you really wanted it to pop I would recommend a white under it. Sort of squishy and it dries matte, I really love it! Then for the chicks I used Rimmel Lasting Finish Fruities Lemon Drop, Nails Inc Candy Orange for the beaks and WnW Black cream for the eyes. The big chick was drawn using the brush from the bottle and everything else was done with dotting tools. Then on the base of the accent nail I did some jagged strokes with W7 Earthquake White (crackle) to make it look like an egg cracking. I hope that's what it looks like anyway!

The edge of my nail isn't really this jagged and uneven, it must be the crackle...could do some damage with that! *evil cackle*

So there you go, my spring chicks/duckilings. I think they're quite cute! I think I would like a pair of knickers with the chick print on them...TMI?

Hx

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Adventures in Stamping - Large Flowers

Aloha! Today's Adventures in Stamping theme was large flowers, which is also a theme for the Spring Challenge later in the week but I have something different planned for that! I used my Essence plate for this hibiscus flower. The gradient was done with a coat of white, topped with a coat of Sinful Colors Cinderella, and sponged with China Glaze Blue Years Eve (thanks Miagi!) I stamped with 17 Nail Extras Nail Tip Whitener, and it's not quite opaque enough. Can anyone recommend a good white stamping polish that's available in the UK or do I really have to get a special stamping one? Not that I'm tight or anything...

I like it, I just wish the flower was more opaque. Oh well, you live and learn!

Hx

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Top o' the mornin' to ya!

Ok, so it's evening, but I have a St Patricks day manicure for you! If it rained where you are today, I apologise. It's my fault because I decided to wear a holo! Green holo, Nubar Reclaim to be precise. I got some ok pics of the holo, under artificial light. 2 coats, no top coat.

Couldn't leave it alone and stamped some 4 leaf clovers and horseshoes in Barry M Gold Foil.

Have a safe and happy St Patricks if you're celebrating!

Hx

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Purple Crumpet Spring Challenge - Day 20, Spring Splatter

My splatter nails for today were a bit of a fail. I think it was the polish I chose - really pigmented but thin formula. I couldn't decide on a base so I did skittles - but you can't really tell. I didn't like them, but Mr NN, who usually turns up his nose at the efforts I'm most proud of, liked it. Go figure.

Polishes used L-R barry M Lemon Ice Cream, Sally Hansen Delphinium, Casting Call and Model Behaviour, Barry M Mint Green and Finger paints Asylum

Any UK ladies, I got the Sally Hansen polishes ( and some others) in Poundand and they're really good - so get yourself down there!

Hx

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Purple Crumpet Spring Challenge - Day 19, Nest with birds eggs

I decided on some stamping for today's challenge. First I applied 2 coats of Barry M Blue Moon, then used my smallest dotting tool and 17 Supreme Shine in Moon Dust to make it look like speckled eggs. Topped this with a sparse coat of Fingerpaints Asylum (groovy flakies, you will be seeing these a lot!) and then I used Moon Dust again to stamp from fauxnad M64 to make the "nest".

I was going to add another coat of Blue Moon over the speckles, as it's a jelly, but decided on the flakies at the last minute. So, it was a little sheer and could have done with another coat of Blue Moon. The stamping hides the VNL quite well though! ;)

Hx

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