I Like Pie!, Take Two

The second prompt for The Challenge Your Nail Art Thanksgiving Challenge is Fall Food.  I have done a cherry pie nail art before, but I wanted to do it again.  I really like the concept and I have seen others since and I really wanted to try it again.

I really love how this came out.  Unfortunately the pictures aren't as well lit due to the short fall days.  I came home from work did the nail art and couldn't find direct sunlight to take the pictures in.

So this was done by hand with Julep's thin nail art brush for the Plié Wand.  The colors are OPI Thanks So Muchness, China Glaze Kalahari Kiss, and Desert Sun.  Then I used a Essie Matte About You over the pie crust stripes to give it a more realistic contrast from the "pie filling."

I hope you all like this!  See you tomorrow with more Thanksgiving nail art.

Tootles!
Fitz

An InLinkz Link-up

One Leaf, Two Leaf, and an Acorn

Challenge Your Nail Art has a Thanksgiving Nail Art Challenge, and guess what I may be late on doing the first design, but I know have three of the four designs done!  I actually may finish a challenge!  Wahoo!

I love the colors and the concept of this design, I just wish the gold stamping popped a bit more.

I used Orly Decades of Dysfunction, OPI Schnapps Out Of It,  Nicole by OPI On A Gilt Trip, and Julep Gianna.  The stamping plates used are Bundle Monster BM-H12 and BM-H11.

I know the design are a bit hard to see, but they are leaves on pumpkins and an acorn.

Until next time I post (which will be very soon)

Tootles!
Fitz

An InLinkz Link-up

Favorite Flower

It is the magical time of the week we in the nail art community call Sunday Stamping.  It has been some time since I participated in this blessed day, but I will try to get on with the festivities!

So, today's challenge is favorite flower.  My favorite flower is a sweet pea, but I don't have a stamp that even remotely resembles one.  So I decide on the hibiscus.  This flower reminds me of my old childhood home in southern California where they grew in the front yard.  We had red ones, but I always thought the white ones were lovelier, plus red would not have gone with this color scheme!

To achieve the gradient French manicure I sponged Nina Ultra Pro French White, Essie Need A Vacation, and OPI Sparrow Me The Drama onto my nails.  Then smoothed them out with Julep Shoshanna.  The stamp is Bundle Monster BM-313 stamped with Konad Special White.

My thumb with its sad little chip in the polish.  I framed a picture before I took this picture.  Grrr!

This is definitely a very girly manicure and will be removed rather soon.  I like the effect, but this is just too much pink!  There is something to be said with how a French manicure makes your nails and fingers look longer.

Tootles!
Fitz

Now for something girly. . .

I wanted to change my manicure, but I wasn't quite sure what to do.  I have never really been a fan of New Year's Day designs.  The always seem too sparkly and well, kind of cheesy.  Don't get me wrong.  I like a good bit of cheese, but drawing the year and champagne glasses just isn't my kind of cheese.  So I took to the web for some inspiration, but I just wasn't feelin' anything.  So I looked through my plates and found a a pattern that I thought was rather pretty.  It is actual Bundle Monster BM-404 which is a design by the fabulous Wacky Laki!  I love her nail art and I thought it would be cool to to a jelly sandwich with the stamp.

As you can see I didn't do that.  When I went looking for a jelly I came across OPI Sparrow Me The Drama which is one of my all time favorite pinks (and I don't like a lot of pink).  The new problem was that I thought having the pattern on all of my nails would be a bit much, but having it on only accent nails didn't seem like enough.  Enter in my love of Elleandish's style and I knew what I needed was a glitter nail!  Nina Ultra Pro Boys 'N' Berries seemed like the perfect match to SMTD!

I am rather pleased with the outcome.  It is so feminie and girly.  I don't usually like that, but this is rather lovely, if I do say so myself.

Can't forget my thumb!

Yep, I like this a lot, in fact I have worn it for five days!  It still looks fresh and pretty, but as any good nail art addict knows, it is now time for something new.  I have a few ideas up my sleeve, just you wait.

Tootles!
Fitz

Oh Say Can You See!

I live in the United States if America and with my residence comes a Holiday known as Independence Day or The 4th of July.  On this day we are supposed to remember and celebrate the day the Constitution was signed in 1776.  So in honor of this day and as a prompt from Sunday Stamping (I know I am late, I just didn't get pictures taken) I give my 4th of July Manicure.

I really love how this came out!  The design came from ellandish.  I recently found her on Youtube and am loving her designs.  Plus the quality of her videos is excellent!  I did change a few things due to lack of a particular plate, plus I wanted to stamp the red polish in order to use a sparkly white.

I used plates Winstonia W107 and Cheeky CH51.  Now comes the polishes, there are a few. . . OPI Mad As A Hatter, Essie Butler Please, Konad Special White, Special Red, China Glaze Dandy Lyin' Around, Hey Sailor, and Millennium.

I love that this design is stamping and freehand.  I need to do more freehand.  My roots are there and I am getting rusty.

I forget how much I love MAAH!  It is so colorful and sparkly!  I have no idea if you can still find it, but if you do jump on it!

Well my lovelies, I must be going!

Tootles!
Fitz

Stamping an Enigma

Today Sunday Stamping was a bit hard.  We were supposed to use our occupation as an inspiration.  The problem is that I paint my nails to distract me from work. . .  Maybe I should start by saying what it is I do.  I am a paraprofessional in a classroom for emotionally disturbed children.  It is a rather stressful job that entails a lot of different asspects. I serve the children as a teacher, counselor, friend, and authority figure.  I honestly didn't know what to put on my nails.  I didn't want to do school type things, paper or pencils, but I had no other ideas.  So I went with the abstract.  You see, working with these kids is rather unpredictable.  It is kind of like playing chess, but with half the board covered.  Hence, my nails. . .

I used OPI Thanks So Muchness and then the stamp and sponging was done in China Glaze Liquid Leather.  The stamp was GALS plate GA2.

Even with the meaning being rather. . . a stretch. . . I still think it came out looking quite striking.

A bit of my thumb.

Well, until next time!

Tootles!
Fitz

Pastel Galaxy Nails

I decide to begin another challenge.  I kind of missed being given a direction for my nail art.  Don't worry though, this challenge is much less intense.  Erica's Nails and More is the host and she has provided nine themes for the month of February.

The first challenge is galaxy nails.  I wanted to do something different again and I remembered seeing a someone do a pastel galaxy manicure.  This was a while back and I tried so hard to find my inspiration, but to no avail.  It just reminded me that if I like it I really should pin it. . .  (Edit:  I finally found it!  Natalie from Nail Craze!)

My base color is Orly Decades of Dysfunction.  I then sponged OPI Sparrow Me The Drama, China Glaze No Plain Jane, Re-Fresh Mint, Lemon Fizz, Kinetic Candy, and Medallion.  Lastly I used Nina Ultra Pro French White for the "stars."

I am really proud of how this came out.  Next time I need to remember to use a nail art brush rather than a fine dotting tool for the stars. I think I would get a finer "star" that way.

I couldn't forget the thumb!

Check out the other artists too! 


Tootles!
Fitz

Adventures in taping!

I know in my previous manicure you saw me use striping tape, well that was not the first time.  As soon as it arrived in the mail from the glorious website e-bay I had to try it.  So I did a simple accent nails and I fell in love!

I used OPI Don't Talk Bach To Me and China Glaze Champagne Kisses.  Nothing to write home about and as you can see from the tip wear I had worn it for a few days before being able to snap a picture or two.  Okay I took two. . .

Looking at these pictures reminds me that I need to take better care of my hands.  Close-ups are not forgiving and I need to give my nail art the perfect frame.  So I have been using coconut oil nightly for a week and am already seeing a vast improvement.  Cold weather and frequent hand washes really can do an number on your skin.

Tootles!
Fitz

31 Nail Art Challenge Take Two Day 30: Food

Who doesn't love a good burger and fries?  I certainly do and then if you add onion rings it makes it an even better treat.  I don't really drink soda, but I figured others do, so why not?  If you prefer a veggie or turkey burger, then that is what this is.

I saw this design by Pixiepolish and I thought it was too cute not to pass up, but I also had to add some side dishes.

The list of polishes used is rather long, so I guess I better start now.  OPI Schnapps Out of It, Finger Paints Paper Mâchè, China Glaze Kalahari Kiss, For Audry, Lemon Fizz, Desert Sun, Papaya Punch, Unplugged, Hey Sailor, and Gaga For Green.  Whew!  That is a lot of colors, plus I mixed two colors DS and PM for the highlight on the onion rings and then LF and PP for the shading on the fries. 

My thumb taking its close-up.

I did a much simpler version on my right hand with the burgers as accent nails.

I am really pleased with how this turned out.  I hope you like it too.  Don't forget to check out all the other talented participants!  Their designs are a feast for the eyes!

Tootles!
Fitz

31 Nail Art Challenge Take Two Day 29: Money

“This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movement of small green pieces of paper, which was odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.” ~Douglas Adams from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

So for today I give you money.  Yeah, I think this is the only way I will get more of it, to put it on my nails.  That's okay.  It is rather fun to wear it this way.

I only used two colors!  Can you believe that, two!  I used OPI Don't Talk Bach To Me and Sephora By OPI I'm With Brad.  The pattern was done with Cheeky Plate CH55.  Here comes more photos.

I hope you like them. Don't forget to look at the other participants' designs.  You can bet on them being amazing.

Tootles!
Fitz

31 Nail Art Challenge Take Two Day 24: Birthday

It is a joke in my family that on your birthday you are supposed to wear your birthday suite.  Of course we all do so without fail.  In fact I am wearing it right now and so are you.  Yep, right now, under our clothes.  So in honor of the first thing we all wore I give you this manicure.

I used OPI It's Sheer Luck as the base color and then I mixed OPI Barefoot In Barcelona and China Glaze White-On-White in varying degrees to get the flesh colors.  I didn't take a lot of pictures because I thought it was relatively straight forward.  I hope you like it and are not too offended.  I really couldn't think of any other way to do birthday that I liked.  Oh, and I was inspired by Polished Peripherals.  On my quest to find inspiration she provided it.  My Mom pointed out that I have the colors backwards.  I know, but I thought it would stand out better this way. . . Also, please remember this is a joke and not intended to be offensive.

Celebrate the other artists by taking a peek at what they did.

Tootles!
Fitz

31 Nail Art Challenge Take Two Day 12: Half Moons

I had a brilliant idea!  Yes sometimes I am smart, though rarely.  The Daily Nail does Moonicure Monday and she has designed bombs out of her half moon manicure.  I really liked the design and when I saw this prompt I thought about Christmas ornaments.  Heehee!  Brilliant, right?

So I used China Glaze Red Satin, Peace on Earth, and OPI Don't Talk Bach To Me.

I had a little trouble figuring out what color to use for the tops.  I wanted to use gold, but it didn't show up on the green background.  I think DTBTM was a good alternative.

We can't forget my thumb, now can we?

Indoors, just for referance.

Don't forget to check out everyone else too!  You'll be over the moon for their creations!

Tootles!
Fitz