Adventures in Stamping - Pets

This post is beyond late, but my computer woes continue and this is the first chance I've gotten to show you it! I did do it on time to post for the Sunday it was due, but I didn't get to the library in time, so sorry about that!

Anyway, the theme was international pet month, or something...(sowwee can't remember!) and my pet is a cat. A big ginger tom called George who I've had since he was 6 weeks old (he's now almost 8). He is a beast. He's calmed down a lot now he's older but when he was younger, he was a beast. Fighting, stealing food – from us and other people's houses, bringing us poor innocent creatures he's caught – dead or alive. Last year, we had a spate of frogs in our conservatory – mostly still just about alive but if I didn't find them in time we had a few dessicated ones too (it's hot in there). Like I said, he's a beast. He's lovely with the boys though – for the most part he let's them grab his tail and pull his whiskers, just giving them an occasional swipe to remind them who's boss...

Anyway, I created a manicure perfect for this beastly creature using the dead fish from the first Bundle Monster set, paws from an HB plate and the cat is from a SdP plate. The base is just a random black crème, stamped with good old Barry M Silver Foil.

A perfect manicure for a beastly creature, don't you think?

And here he is, looking sweet and innocent and not at all beastly sunbathing in the garden!

Hx

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Jubilee-icures!

Here in Britain, as of June 5^th a few weeks ago our Queen has been atop the throne for 60 years and the whole country has gone mental. You can't walk past a child without having a flag waved in your face, or set foot in a shop without a tower of Diamond Jubilee-themed crap (strike) merchandise topple over on you. Of course, I sported a series of Jubilee themed manicures over Jubilee weekend, because I'm a sucker for a street party... (sorry I'm only just getting to show you now!)

I'm starting off with some simple skittles. My son had a “Jubilee Cafe” at his preschool, where parents could come and have a cup of tea and a cupcake with their child and I wore these then. It was quite sweet really, apart from the life-sized cardboard cutout of Her Maj. Scary.

I used China Glaze Ruby Pumps, Orly Au Champagne and China Glaze Blue years Eve here, for shimmery skittles. I made the mistake of topcoating Puby Pumps First, which meant that I turned Au Champagne pink on my left ring finger...oopsie...

It was looking a little tired after a day so I slapped some red, white and blue crackle over the top – W7 Earthquake Red and Earthquake White and MUA Quiver for the blue. I didn't love it but I still like the crackle effect. My red crackle has completely gone into a blobby mess though. It aint pretty, but at least it still worked.

So that's Jubilee-icure #1!

Jubilee-icure #2! Diamonds are a Queen's best friend...

So, apparently 60 years is a diamond aniversary, we are celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and diamonds inspired me for this manicure. It was really simple, I just used M & S Rainbow (the only linear holo available on the high street here) on all nails apart from the ring finger, which I used Barry M Cobalt Blue for. Them I stamped a diamond from the first set of Bundle Monster plates in Barry M silver foil. I don't know if the holo would have stamped, I didn't even think to try it it. Next time...

Of course, Helly decides to wear a holo and the sun runs away, despite it being the hottest week ever when I wore it. But I heard a sneaky trick that if you hold your nails underwater to take the pic, the full spectrum of the polish shows, whether it be holo or duochrome. It kinda worked...

Rainbow isn't the most spectacular holo out there, but until I can get my hands on GOSH holographic (they're re-releasing it soon!) it'll do. It cost £7.50 from Marks and Spencer if you're interested. I didn't think they did it anymore but I checked in store the other day and they had some. I think I better stop wearing holos though, if we want any more summer this year...

Next, I went for some more Jubilee-themed stamping using the first Bundle Monster set again. This time I used a red base by Miss Sporty, and stamped crowns on ring finger and thumb with Barry M Gold Foil. It looked a bit plain so I added dots and ruined it! Never mind...

I think I would quite like a crown. Random but true.

My final Jubilee-icure was a recreation of the mani I sported for the nuptuals of Wills and Kate last year. I really was a Nail Newbie then, and you can tell. This time, I used glitter – Barry M Blue Glitter a white striper and Barry M Red Glitter.

Rule Britannia, and all that!

Hx

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NOTD – W7 Mosaic

Hello! You may be wondering where I've been (of course, you also may not... and I don't blame you to be honest!) Sorry for the absence, but at the moment I have no working computer at home. I was keeping up my usual schedule of blogging at the library, but Mr NN has a new job (yay!) which means I can't get 5 minutes to myself to get to the library as often as I'd like. I'm going to try and schedule a weeks worth of posts on a Saturday from now on because I miss showing people my nails! Ha! I miss getting an email when someone comments too... Anyway, onto the polish!

Believe it or not, I'm not buying much polish at the moment. In fact, until this Tuesday I can't remember the last time I bought a polish for myself. It's totally depressing not having any nail mail to look forward to! I've come to realise, reluctantly, that having a roof over my head and being able to feed the children something other than dust is more important. Just. Anyway, although the no-buy is by necessity not choice, I did spot this polish on a new market stall at my nearest (read: 10 miles away) shopping centre and picked it up straight away. For £2 I couldn't resist. It's by W7 and it's called Mosaic and it bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain Sprinkles collection by High End brand Nails Inc. Matte blue, silver and greeny/gold glitter in a blue base. I'm so glad a more affordable brand has latched onto the matte glitter trend (we can't all afford the indies – either in a financial sense or lack of sleep after staying up all night stalking the etsy shops...) – and they also have a monochrome and a red black and white version apparently. This was a dream to apply – just the right amount of glitter, not clumps of it, opaque in 2 coats and not too top coat hungry. My nails looked like the bottom of a swimming pool!

One word of warning though – it stained like a mofo. We all know that blues do not play nice with me in terms of leaving me smurfed, but as it's a pale blue it didn't even cross my mind that it might stain. Should have doubled up on the base coat...

I'm going to look out for the others, despite the staining, because other than that I was really impressed with this polish :)

What do you think of the matte glitter trend? Are there any indies you're lemming for but just can't get? It sucks being in the UK when all the etsy shops across the pond restock in the middle of the night!

Hx

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NOTD - Zoya Apple + Stampedy Stamping

Morning!

I aquired Zoya Apple (a long time lemming) in a lovely swap :) thank you El! I couldn't wait to wear it, it's so pretty. It's a little darker than I expected, and less lime-y, but I adore it. The pics before the stamping show it a little brighter than it is most of the time, as they were taken with flash.

I stamped a leafy pattern from the second Bundle Monster set (go follow them on Facebook for teasers of the third set which is being released really soon!) with Barry M Silver Foil. I think the pattern covers up too much of the base colour, and it didn't come out very crisp, but I love the foil-y finish!

I think Zoya Apple is my favourite green. I don't know if I could choose favourites of other colours...maybe China Glaze Ruby Pumps is my favourite red, but I can't think of any more favourites. Do you have favourites?

Hx

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NOTD - Revlon Tropical Temptation

My name is Helen and I have a problem.

I nubbed my nails and was in the mood for a peachy-coraly-orangey-pinky polish, so I trotted off to my stash and pulled out a few of my polishes that fit the bill....

Ahem. Do I need all of these  peachy-coraly-orangey-pinky polishes? No. Surprisingly though, there aren't any exact dupes, but still.

Anyway, I went for Rimmel Tropical Temptation, a pretty coral that I'm sure I picked up in Poundland. It was a little streaky, but polishes this colour often are for some reason. I added a couple of little butterfly stickers as accents.

I was going to go for a big butterfly and a small one on the ring finger as well as the thumb, but I couldn't quite fit them on my newly nubbed nails. Usually my little and ring fingers have the longest nails, and never peel, but I took them all short to give the peels on the index fingers a chance to grow out and the misfit nail on the other hand to redeem itself (uit's getting there!) I may keep them short until stubby catches up and until them I'm lavishing lots of TLC and Lemony Flutter on them!

Are there any colours in your stash that you have far too many of? Somehow I can't quite bring myself to have a cull...I'm a collector I guess!

Hx

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NOTD - Orly Glowstick Funky French

I told you soft and delicate wouldn't last long! My friend Zoe showcased this polish a week or so ago and I had to have it! I never thought I would be one for neon polish, but you can't get much more neon than this! Super bright highlighter yellow, with black tips. I really wanted to stamp this, but since my black stamping polish is less than reliable I decided on tips instead. I am going to treat myself to a Konad black and white stamping polish next payday, so I'll get it out again then. This was four coats, but I might have gotten away with three if my nails were less stained and yukky. Of course a coat or two of white underneath would have solved that too but I never learn!

I actually got compliments on this, from the most unexpected places! It's funny how the manis I think are going to get nice compliments rarely do, and then something eye-scorching and definitely not to everyone's tastes like this turns heads.

Loving or hating the neons? China Glaze have a summer neon collection this season, I think I'll be adding a few to my wishlist...

Hx

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NOTD – Sinful Colors Cinderella + Zoya Maisie

Howdy!

Continuing with the soft and pretty theme (I don't know what is wrong with me...I'll be back to elephant-clumsy soon I'm sure) I used super pretty Sinful Colors Cinderella for this manicure. I got this polish from one of my birthday club girls, but I think the new Models Own Indian Ocean is close for us UK-ites.I applied three coats, as it's pretty sheer, then two coats of Zoya maise (blue flakies, yum!) over the ring finger and thumb. Subtle and pretty. Two words I don't use very much in association with my nails!

Bit blurry to see the flakies better *drool*

If you were getting married, I think this would be a lovely polish to have as your something blue. What do you think? Would you have blue nails for your wedding day?

Hx

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