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Monday, July 23, 2012

DIY Nail Stampers

Hey guys! I came up with a really awesome (and easy) tutorial! It's how to make your own nail stampers!


1. To start, you're going to need something known as plastic clay. Well known brands are Sculpey and Fimo and they are available in most craft stores, such as Michael's and Curry's. Make a ball of the clay.
2. Roll the ball out until it is a couple millimeters thick.
3. Next you will need something to imprint onto the clay. I'm using the handle of a clay tool, but you can use lace, needles, toothpicks, etc. 
4. Gently imprint the object into the clay, ensuring it isn't too deep. I carefully rolled the handle into the clay. Now bake the clay in the oven according to package directions. Mine baked for 10 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Now for the How-To on using the stamper.
5. Paint your nail. I used two coats of Stone Cold from the China Glaze Hunger Games collection.
6. Apply a nail polish to the stamper. Make sure it is a thicker, opaque polish. I used Whirlwind White from Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. Scrape of excess polish. I used a piece of cardboard, but if you own actual stampers (which I don't), you can use the scraper.
7. Press a make-up sponge onto the design, then press onto your nail. 
8. Remove the sponge. Allow the design to dry, then top coat.

My design was snake skin, but experiment with different textures!
Go ahead and email photos or post links of your own DIY nail stampers! Happy creating!

Sunday, July 15, 2012

My First Guest Post

Hi everybody!
Check out my [first ever] guest post over at Kelly's blog, http://www.devilish-polish.com/!



Thursday, July 12, 2012

Play With Fire

Or rather don't. But do listen to the Rolling Stones. Especially today, since it has been 50 years since their first gig. And, in celebration, I painted my nails.


The black is Black Satin from Rimmel London. On my thumb, I have the Union Jack. The blue is a Migi nail art pen, the white is a Stripe Rite striper and the red is acrylic. On my ring finger, I painted the Forty Licks logo. This was painted with acrylics. 

So, Happy Fiftieth Rolling Stones!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Cinderella's Castle

I painted Cinderella's Castle nails last year for my trip to Disney World and I've had inquiries as to how I painted the castle. So, without further ado, here's the tutorial. This one's for you, Anne!


*To make it easier to paint, I used the transfer, nail sticker method. I hand-painted the castle straight on my nail last year, but this can be difficult. If you want to paint the castle straight onto your nail, use the same method (Step 2. - 4. and then step 7.) as painting on a plastic bag. 

1. Either leave your nail natural, or paint a sheer nude colour on. I used Sweet as Candy from Essence.Take your plastic bag, and paint a clear coat on it. This will allow your design to stay together when you peel it off. 
The above picture was my inspiration.
2. Begin painting the lines, paying attention to the different widths and curves. I used a tiny paint brush from Michael's Craft Store and light blue acrylic paint. 
3. Begin adding the turrets and roofs of the castle by making squares and triangles. Pay attention to the simpler shapes within the design (squares, circles, triangles). This will make it easier to paint.
4. Next, paint small triangles for the flags. 
5. Let the castle design dry for at least 10 minutes. Then, using an exacto knife or scissors, carefully peel off the sticker. Cut to size.
6. Apply a clear coat of polish to your nail, and carefully apply the sticker, ensuring you smooth it down and get rid of bubbles. 
7. Finally, add a glitter trail over the castle. I used Amazon's Flash from L'Oreal. You can add a rhinestone for extra sparkle, the way I did last year. 
*For the other nails, you can paint a french tip in a colour to match the castle. I used Secret Peri-Wink-Le from China Glaze, with a glitter polish on top. 

Hope this helps!


Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The Evolution of Pluto

First of all, happy belated Canada Day and happy early Fourth of July. Anyways, for Canada Day, I did not have Canada Day nails, but instead, the evolution of Pluto the dog nails.


Starting with the pinkie, I painted Pluto's first ever appearance; The Chain Gang, 1930. The base is Whirlwind White from Sally Hansen Insta-Dri, and Pluto is painted with acrylics. The ring finger is Pluto in the 1940's, on a base of Stormy from Revlon Top Speed, with a white wash over top, and the details painted with acrylic. The middle finger is Pluto in the 1950's, based on the purse I bought in Disney. The base is Lime Up from Essence and Gypsy Queen from Misa. The details are in acrylics. The pointer finger is Pluto's current look, on a base of the light blue Migi pen. Finally, the thumb is Pluto's autograph on a base of Deep Blue Sea from Sally Hansen. 

Enjoy!