Christmas Time

Back after a several month long hiatus, just in time for Christmas. Also just in time to leave town.
It has been an insane couple of months. Here's to 2014 being calm!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, everyone!

It's never too early to start thinking about what you're going to do with your nails for Halloween. As for me, I think I'll be sporting these gruesome Infected Zombie Fingernails (inspired by #RobinMoses). They'll go great with my medieval princess outfit, right?

   II'     

Waving goodbye to summer

Summer's over, if you believe those little labels on the calendar. Here's a gradient of blue-green to wave goodbye. 

Adding to the ocean blue, I've added surf and breaking waves. 

Wrapping presents for a man

Wrapping gifts is a fun way to prolong the anticipation of a new gift. It allows (forces?) creativeness in color and design. It's. fun way to let someone know you care... So why are so infernally few present wrapping suggestions out there masculine at all?

Flowery papers, silk ribbon, and curly colorful bows are great for some people.Unfortunately, for my hubby, they don't exactly speak his language. 

So for his birthday tomorrow, I've decided to go with something a bit more masculine. 

It's still possible to show some artistic flare in gift giving sans the glitter and grosgrain. Brown paper can stay as-is, or it makes a fantastic canvas for the family artist on which to add manly ventures. Coarse twine combines the fantastic combination of utilitarian functionality and all the tender smoothness of barbed wire.  For bonus points, a decorative knot (the one here is a lanyard knot) takes the place of a bow. 

Bubbles, and taking a backseat

My creative muscles have been flexing lately, and while my nails ate still getting some attention (as in today's bubbles), they're not the only thing on my mind. 

So while nails will remain a major feature of this blog, they're going to start having some company in the form of other crafts I've made. Hopefully, they'll be as entertaining to the reader as my polish offerings have provided. ;)

Neon Rainbow

Neon colors rarely call to me, so when they do, I listen!

This rainbow of incredibly bright colors is topped with a lattice of bubbles which have their own shine to show they're wet.

Damask pattern, today.

It's like filigree, only fat. And looks gorgeous in baby blue & brown.
But then, what doesn't?

Pick a dandelion, make a wish, and blow it into the wind.

You're unlikely to get your wish, but at least all your neighbors will now be dealing with weeds, too!

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Fuzzy Coat

Sometimes, a new polish comes out that's just fun, all by itself. I'm loving this new Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat line. 

Graceful gray

A dull gray turns gorgeous with a topcoat of shimmery pale pink. 

Grayscale Nails

Feeling kind of 'blah', which doesn't lend itself to color very well. Bring On the Grays!

Camo color dots

Ssh! They're hiding!

Branching Out

After a couple of years of nail fascination, my polish collection has become impressive.
While I'm willing to change out my own polish for experimentation on a pretty regular basis, I'm pretty sure there's still a limit on how many times a week you should paint your nails. 

Enter creativity. I've recently opened a store on Etsy for the purposes of selling the jewelery I make with beads, gems, and charms. And Polymer Clay creations.

Not that I've gotten around to actually listing anything, yet. But I've made the store, so that's a step...

 

In the process of trying to organize an over-sized polish collection, I've begun accentuating my scrapbook pages with little touches of shimmer from polish and then realized just how awesomely it could be used on pretty much anything. And I'm going crazy. Nail polish is an enamel. It dries hard, and it's not sticky, and it adds color and shimmer and interest to everything.

So now, in additoin to the jewelery I make with findings, gems, beads, and findings, I'm going to be selling beautifully painted re-purposed materials. These giraffe earrings were inspired by my BFF, who loves giraffes and would never ever ever in a million years be caught dead wearing anything as crazy as these. Or as fun. She's just stodgy that way ;)

Peacock pattern

My inspiration has been flagging, of late- and then, I saw these!

Saint Patrick's Day nails. Only a *few* days late.

I seem to have missed St Patrick's day. Well, didn't miss it. I just didn't post There was beer involved, and I was wearing green... and then yesterday there was a doctor's appointment... Anyway!

I had some fun with nails for the occasion.Some tiny punches have very few places they seem to fit. But a field of four leafed clovers? Yeah, that has a place.

Greyscale dots over blue-green ombré

Kinda funky and very fun, without being blinding or bright.

Peace, love, and ombre dots

Bright  & funky green is fantastic. But when it's alone, it's kinda hard to match.

Enter the ombre! Ok so green and a royal blue to lavender gradient may not be the basis of all your clothes, but anything that doesn't match anything is bound to go with everything, right?

Also, it's FUN.

    

Funky & Fun hearts for Valentine's day

Funky, fun, with a lot of *pop*, these Valentine's nails are ready to catch the eye of your Valentine. And anyone else who doesn't have impaired color vision. They're Bright!

Inspired by Robin Moses, it's a great, simple look for the holiday. Not exactly something you'd be likely to wear much past the 14th, it's still great in the meantime ;)

Valentine's to Halloween in one easy step

Fastest, most awesome manicure makeover ever. Using a new Water Marbling technique here - I had an Ombre valentine's design for valentine's day, but I can only handle pink for so long before I start to twitch.

Cobweb cover makes all the change I needed!

Hearts over ombré

A bit more seasonal:

What's not to love about Valentine's Day? I mean, besides being drowned in blood red and pepto pink daily for almost two months.

Oh, and hearts and little doves all over everything, I suppose.

And the lace doilies everywhere for no apparent reason...

Well, by Feb 15th there's a plethora of chocolates and slightly wilted roses on super sale, and that makes up for it!

Black-on-black

I'll be getting more Valentine's designs up soon, but in the meantime, you can never have too much animal-print, right?

Toxic Goo!

A spotty, dotty French manicure reminiscent of toxic goo in a pond. Much better as a nail design than found in nature!

I've got the hearts for you!

Whatever the weather, it's winter. And since the day after Christmas, stores have been helping to remind you of what's next: The Day of Glorious Chocolate Gluttony!