Pretty little penguins

I believe I mentioned I moved.  Well, in moving I have acquired an extension to my family.  There are two girls and a boy who run around this house we call home.  For the sake of privacy we shall call one of the girls Sue.  Sue has some trouble at school and her Mom asked me to paint her nails as a reward if Sue had a good week.  This is the second time I have done this and they turned out so cute I had to share.

Doing nail art on a four year old is no easy task.  Not only do they squirm, but their nails are so tiny that getting an image on them is intense.  So when she asked for penguins I was a little concerned.  Different ways to approach this ran through my head and then I remembered the cute little penguin on the Cheeky Plate CH43.

The idea of stamping on a four year old seemed harrowing so I made my own nail stickers using the method from Gnarly Gnails.  Preparing them made things easier, but there were still mess ups, one tore a little, but she didn't mind.  Sue didn't mind the smudges either.  What can I say, I am still learning.

So I used China Glaze Secret Peri-Wink-le (the base color), Life Preserver (the beak), Recycle (the wings), Konad Special Black, Wet n' Wild French White Cremè.

Her thumbs.  The one on the right in the perfect penguin.

She looks so cute with her nails done.

I also did her toes in China Glaze Textured Itty, Bitty, Gritty.  She went around saying her toes were bumpy.

Tootles!
Fitz

31 Nail Art Challenge Take Two Day 6: Animal

I have always loved dophins, and most people get that.  They can understand why I find them incredible.  With their beauty, intelligence, and power it is not hard to find them appealing.  My other favorite animal however, people usually are a bit more perplexed by.  Manatees are gentle and sweet.  They choose to live in two worlds, salt water and fresh water.  They are also very intelligent.  On a whole they are solitary creatures except when mating or when the mother cares for her calf.  

I can't say which I like more manatees or dolphins.  I have a dolphin on another manicure later this month and I thought I should do both of my favorites.  I looked to see if anyone else had attempted a manatee manicure, but I didn't find any, so this is completely my own.  I hope you like it and that you can tell what it is.

This manicure called for a lot of blending and mixing.  I used China Glaze Liquid Leather, Recycle, Concrete Catwalk, and Pelican Gray and mixed them in different varieties to get the darks and lights.  I used Immortal on all my other nails.

It was a bit hard to not take a lot of pictures.  I am really proud of this little guy.  I looked at pictures and just went with it.  If you can see anyway to improve on him, please let me know.  I want to do this again and hope I will get better at him.

All the other participants deserve a look at their wild nails, so don't forget to check them out!

Tootles!
Fitz

TIHNAC #9

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea. 
~Edgar Allen Poe

Spooky, romantic graveyards are the prompt this time.  I have to admit I love graveyards.  I have always been fascinated by the lives long forgotten buried beneath the surface.  My mind tends to wander and fabricate stories about the names etched on the stones.   Maybe I shouldn't be admiting this to you. . . I hope I haven't weirded you out. . .

On to the manicure!

I found this lovely design by I Have a Cupcake and knew I had to try it!  It is completely romantic and spooky and I had to try my hand at the hand!  I am so proud of this!

I used Essie Matte top coat for a change.  I thought it made it look more like fog and more organic.  The polishes are China Glaze Recycle  and Concrete Catwalk.  I did a gradient of Recycle as the background.  I Have a Cupcake showed using your finger to make the gradient effect, so I thought I would try the technique.  I am not sure if I like it.  I think I might have to try it again with a darker color sometime so I can see the effect more clearly.

A close up of my thumb.

 Then the a couple of shots in the shade.

I really did love doing this manicure and I hope you like it too.  Don't foget to to check out all the other talented participants, they really are fabulous!

Tootles!
Fitz

TIHNAC #5

Please sir, may I have some more BRRRAAAAAIIIIIINNNNNNSSSSS!

Finding inspiration for this deign was not easy.  I work at a school for emotionally disturbed children, so I can't do anything too gory or graphic.  I have to lean more on the cute side, which can be said for any design in this challenge.  Zombies, proved a bit more difficult until I found a tutorial from ProfesionalDQ.  I fell in love with this design.  It flirts with the gory, but is so cute that I think it will be okay for work, I hope. . .

Sorry, this will be a bit picture heavy.  I am so proud of the way these turned out, plus I had someone lending a hand behind the camera, so there are a few excellent shots.

I even like the way the right hand turned out.

We found a tree in the neighbor's front yard that was the perfect backdrop.  You will probably be seeing it used again.

I used a fine dotting tool mostly.  I used that for all the detail work and then a larger dotting tool for the blood.

The colors were Finger Paints Paper Mâchè (my go to white), China Glaze Liquid Leather, and Hey Sailor for the details.  The background was the sponge technique.  China Glaze Recycle was the main color and then I sponged over it in sequence China Glaze Peechy Keen and Gaga For Green.


I hope you enjoy these.  Don't forget to check out all the other participants lovely frightening designs!

Tootles!
Fitz

Frankenstein Toes

My Mom loved my little Frankensteins. She isn't really into having her fingernail colored, but she has to have her toes lovely.  Usually she goes for reds and pinks, but lately she has been experimenting with other hues.  So she asked if I would do her toes, but she also wanted a Bride of Frankenstein.  She is my mother and went through the pains of labor to bring me into this world, so I must oblige her.  Please forgive the pre-clean up.  I rarely clean up toes, because they clean up so well on their own in the shower and the like.

This is the first time I have done lips.  What do you think?

Tootles!
Fitz

P.S. The black dots on her other toes are actually Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night from Wet N' Wild's Fergie collection.  I love this black glitter!

TIHNAC: Day 2

Today We are supposed to post a water marble.  I am not that great at water marble.  In fact I did one version last night and then re-did it this afternoon.  So, I decided to add a little monster to it.  I am really happy with him and the water marble.  I love the colors and the simplicity of it.

I used China Glaze Recycle, Tree Hugger, Liquid Leather, and Finger Paints Paper Machè.  CG Recycle is used in the eye.  I know it is such a tiny amount, but I thought I should put it there.

A close up of my thumb.  I think this one looks the best.  The scar is homage to Herman Munster.  I don't think either of them could ever possibly be scary.

The previous version of water marbling.  This version also had China Glaze White on White and Zombie Zest.  I like the simpler version a bit better.  What do you think?

Tootles!
Fitz

This Is Halloween Nail Art Challenge Day One

So I decided to join a nail art challenge.  I have never done one, but I couldn't resist this one.  It is all centered on Halloween.  I thought it might push me to try designing my own things more.  It is sponsered by this lovely Lacquer Dreams.

Day one is Horror Movies. I am not your typical horror movie fan.  I don't really like gore, but I do love a good ghost story.  I had a roommate introduce me to The Changeling in college and I fell in love.  I have come to learn it is not well known, so you can read up on it if you click on the picture.  I used the ball, the medal, and the mediums paper as inspiration as well as the house on fire.  I hope if you have seen the movie you get it.

I am sad help didn't completely fit on my nail.  I thought about fixing it, but I was lazy.  I used all China Glaze polishes.  I used a yellow for the base of the flames, but I put it away and don't remember which one it was.  I also used Jungle Queen, Recycle, Kalahari Kiss, Midnight Kiss, Hey Sailor,  Brownstone, and Riveting.

 I really like how my thumb turned out with the medal.

On my right hand I did flames.  These look oranger and brighter than they are.  I am not really happy with how they turned out.  I hand drew them and I think there has got to be a better way to do flames.  If anyone has any ideas I would love some advice.

Tootles!
Fitz