Mint Teal be Gold for New Year's Eve

OK. Seriously, where did this past year go? For me the second half has been a blur, that's for sure. But, I managed to not only get something on my nails, but to share it with you here today too! Hooray!

I do hope you'll continue to read the post and see all the pictures - but if not, you have my sincerest wishes for a Happy & Healthy New Year!!!

Theme of the Month: September Sapphire and Asters

Weeeeeeee! I painted my nails finally! Yippee!! It's thrilling to be back at it again after a unexpected break. And, I have a bit of catching up to do...so, yes, I know it's already November...but, hopefully you'll take a trip back in time to celebrate (belatedly) those Birthdays in September.

September: Birthstone - Sapphire / Birth Flower - Aster

As exciting as it was to get back in the saddle...I found myself incredibly rusty and clumsy. I almost didn't share these with you, but if I took the time to re-do them...I'm afraid it will be Christmas before I get through my Fall Birthday designs!

Kimett Kolor's Nail Art Station and Polish Organization of Regular and Stamping Polishes

Lemme' start off with a great big - "Hello!!" I've missed everybody! Unless you *really* want to know, I'm not planning on boring you with the details about why it's been so long since I last posted...

Suffice it to say, I haven't been able to paint my nails lately; but, I didn't want to go any longer without posting. It occurred to me that maybe there was something I could share that didn't involve painting my nails (a.k.a., a "light bulb moment"). I remember being intrigued by other bloggers who have showed their nail polish areas on YouTube or in a blog post...so I'm hoping this post gives some of you ideas for your own polish places. (In case you're wondering, this collection of polishes & nail art tools has been amassed over three years.)

Alright, without any more babbling, here we go! I hope you read through to see where I paint my nails and also how I organize my polish collection.

Are you curious? Have you been waiting to get a glimpse into the Kolor Kave?

How Do You Like Them Apples?

There have been some spectacular water marble designs being posted in Blog-Land lately, and I caught the bug. But...it's been so long since I tried it....that I thought well, if the water marble doesn't come out so good - then, I'll stamp on it!

Which, as it turns out, is exactly what happened. Everyone says water marbling takes lots of practice - and they are ALL correct!! I hope you'll read more about this design and also see more apple nail-art from a great nail-art themed group I've joined this month too.

Theme of the Month: August Peridot and Poppies

I've really been looking forward to doing this August themed design...oh, since like February...for two reasons. One, because I have fond memories of beautiful giant poppy flowers that a friend of mine has growing at the end of her driveway every year. And two, because I found a gorgeous jelly polish (my favorite polish type) that not only is named, Peridot, but was created and inspired by the pretty mineral.

Theme of the Month: July Ruby and Water Lily

Hello all you lovely people out there. It's great to be back!

As I mentioned in my last post, I didn't get a chance to do my regular Birthday theme design last month. So, first on my agenda back, from vacation, was to do my design for July inspired by its Birthstone, the Ruby, and one of its Birth Flowers, the Water Lily.

If it were possible for me to do a wiggle-waggle dance (and if you could see it) - I would be doing one right now. It was super to take a break, get refreshed, and now...

Sometimes you just gotta go with it... Blog Update July 2014

WARNING: This post contains no nails or nail art in any form. Gasp!!

Hey everyone! How's your summer (or the season you're in now) going? I can't say that I remember a summer like the one I've been having this year. What I mean is, as soon as that warm day in June came around, I've been sooooo lazy. And, you know it's bad when I don't want to putter around in my Kolor Kave!! I seem to just want to lay low, read a book or a magazine, watch TV, sit on the porch... or visit the beach, maybe...

Fan-tasy Stripes

There's a common itch among nail artists, as felt by artists of all types, to broaden their tool kit and use uncommon items in the making of their art. The fan brush is one such tool. It's odd looking at first and doesn't seem to have a purpose. Seeing it used in some very intriguing nail designs - I was excited to give it a go myself.

The Born Pretty Store kindly supplied this fan brush to me to play with, and so you could see for yourself some of its possibility. Read on to find out what I learned from putting this uniquely shaped brush to the test.

Glitter Covered Nails...with Stamping!

Conveniently, I stumbled upon fantastic nail design in a Facebook group at the same time as a magical pot of glitter was on its way to my mailbox from the Born Pretty Store.

As soon as the rainbow colored glitter arrived, I knew that this design by Beaching Nails was the one I wanted to imitate. Using loose glitter, rather than a glitter polish, is the key to the dimension and reflection that this design shows off. With or without the stamping, this is a fun look that would make any special occasion that much more festive!

I hope you'll read the entire post to find out how these glitter nails were done and where to get this great glitter (it comes in 8 color varieties!)

Super Simple Summer Strawberry Stamping

Just outside my window above where I paint my nails is a patch of wild strawberries growing on the side of the terrace. They are so small and cute compared to the giant-sized strawberries we get in the grocery stores these days. They inspired this easy, peasy summertime design.

Recently, the Born Pretty Store accepted me into their Blogger Program - how cool is that!! I received a few items including a stamping plate with this strawberry image.

 

Make sure to check out the whole post for all the details, a simple step-by-step, and for my special 10% off discount code (for regular priced items) you can use for all of your purchases at www.bornprettystore.com.

Theme of the Month: June Birthstones and Roses

Hey there. Do you know whose nails these belong to?
When looking at the pictures, or even, down at my hands, I'm wondering what strange being of femininity has possessed my body and encouraged me to create such a ladylike design? Huh.

Oh - yeah. Now, I remember: It's because it's time for my Theme of the Month post. Silly me.
All strangeness aside, these nails are my way of celebrating all whose birthdays fall in the month of June inspired by the flowers and gemstones of the month.

Lazy Sunday...Playing Around With Floam

So, yesterday, being a nice warm and sunny day, brought lazy feelings of taking it easy to my doorstep. I suppose this was appropriate, being the first day in June...summer is upon us in this part of the world now. Despite my body's desire to go sprawl out in the sun, my inner artist still wanted to paint. A compromise was made. No planning, just grab a color and go. Sometimes this lackadaisical method brings out a winning design...and sometimes....not. But...since the first polish bottle I reached for was the infamous, Floam....I couldn't not show you what I came up with.

Don't know what Floam is?..Stick with me and I'll tell ya' all about it and show you a couple looks I tried out using Floam as accent nails.

Patriotic Brushstrokes: What I Painted on Memorial Day

Good afternoon, all. Even though I wasn't able to share this post with you on Monday, when we celebrated Memorial Day in the US; I still wanted to put it out in the 'verse to commemorate all of those brave people who serve(d) on behalf of our country.

 

As a bonus: I summoned the discipline to *stop and take pictures* in between each step and used them for a little slideshow included in this post. I owe my design inspiration to two top nail-art bloggers' looks, links included at the end of my post. Hope you enjoy!

Theme of the Month: May Emeralds Framing Lily of the Valley

Happy May Birthdays! 

Kimett is celebrating May birthdays with a design that combines the birthstone Emerald and the birth-flower, Lily of the Valley.

In case you missed any, you can read what's up with these monthly Birthday designs on Kimett Kolor with the links below:

• January: Garnet & Carnations
• February: Amethyst & Violets
• March: Aquamarine & Daffodils
• April: Diamond & Daisies

Turtles & Sea Foam for World Turtle Day

May 23: World Turtle Day!

I'd been waiting for a good time to use these awesome turtle stamp images...

Kimett's 50th Post! Reader's Choice: Multicolored Stamping

Excitement has been building, ladies and gentlemen. A quick recap: Late last month, you voted in the poll to choose the design type for my upcoming 50th post milestone. And, by a small landslide, multicolored stamping was your choice.

Once the poll closed, I had (too much) time to dwell over this special design. Did you know that there are SIX kinds of multicolored stamping techniques? Yeah! So cool!! Kimett is all about the Kolors! (There may be more, but these are what I know of so far.)

So...lightbulb moment...this is an opportunity to do a series of multicolored stamping techniques. Today, I'll share the first type today and, then, I'll utilize each of the other techniques in separate posts to come soon. Sounds fun? Right? Right!

Multicolored Stamping Technique #1 - LeadLight

"I Love You, Mom!"

A short (and slightly mushy) post for Mother's Day.

I thought the petite sized glitter in red & pink colors was a nice feminine polish appropriate for Mother's Day. I didn't have a plan after that, this one just came together one step at a time all around the color theme. When all done...

Theme of the Month: April Daisies & Diamond Tips

Well, the germs-vs-humans battle has been going on in our household this week. You know, the fight with the cold/allergy/sinus warriors...yeah, all winter long we think of the sunny and warmer weather of spring while conveniently forgetting these guys.

But during a brief interlude after Mr. Kimett had won his battle and before I fully embark on mine, (it seems no amount of vitamin C and hand sanitizer has been able to keep it at bay), I was able to change my nail design yesterday. It's (almost past) time to celebrate April Birthdays!

31DC2013 - In Review

Like so many other 31DC2013 challenge finishers - I am excited to look back through the designs and provide a little re-cap of the adventure. It's a great feeling to have completed all of the designs; although, I can't say that I officially completed it as intended since I did not do a design each day for 31 days. All of my hats go off to those that did that!!

Thank you to everyone who gave me encouragement and feedback along the way (you know who you are. Yes, you!). And, to Mr. Kimett - who never looked bored (on the outside) when I was constantly barraging him with a bazillion questions about design ideas. I hope you'll read the whole post to see the collage of all of the designs together, find out what designs were most popular with you all and which was my favorite. Oh, and there's a celebrity photo...

Final Challenge Design: Honoring Nails of Oooh, Shinies!

There are a few more bubbles of happiness than usual rising up from the keyboard as I type this post. Not only have I "done it" and finished the 31DC2013, but in doing so I get to honor one of my long-time favorite polish bloggers, Bregje of Oooh, Shinies!

Bregje has inspired thousands of fans all over the world, myself included, of course. She also has been personally helpful to me and my little blog. Last year, she graciously took time by guiding me with blog set-up and navigating social media (Thank you, again & again!). As you can tell from the number of positive comments...

Friday Night Special - Giveaway from Swatch and Learn!

Hello again (twice in one day! Yikes!).

Mary of Swatch and Learn will always be a special blogger to me - I hope you'll read my post and find out the very significant thing which ties us together. (It's worth the read! :))

GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT 
(Click to READ MORE below to find out the details and see what you can win!)

April Showers: Following a Waterfall Tutorial

Wow-ie! Almost there...

The second-to-last design of the #31DC2013 challenge is to follow someone else's nail art tutorial. I have yet to become comfortable with different nail art brushes and need LOTS of practice with them, especially drawing lines. For this reason, I chose to go with a waterfall design tutorial. This is a common design that has been particularly made famous by the talented Nailasaurus (aka, Sammy). Now, hers look especially splendid, made with skill and precision. Since she's been at this for over 4 years, I was in no way expecting mine to resemble hers. And, I just love her video tutorial style. She is one of the nail community's "Great Ones" for sure! I've included links to her waterfall picture and video tutorials, a link to her tutorial library, AND links to see ALL of her waterfall designs in this post - make sure to check them out!

Now...onto my very first waterfall...

My Inner Dragon Likes Crows Toes

If you haven't already experienced it - let me tell you one of the many cool things about nail polish art. The ability to express many moods at whim, and then, change. See, my art in the previous post shows my more serious, contemplative self. But today's art, well, let's just say shows one of my sillier sides.

If I allowed my inner dragon to paint my nails...

Flagged As...

...Intentionally Messy.
Or, another appropriate title for this post might be: Abstract Flag.

Regardless of picking the right title for these nails - I'm thrilled to pieces with the outcome. This may surprise you...hope you'll read the whole post to find out the details to this odd looking nail design. Can you guess which flag was my inspiration?

Abstract Watercolor Painting - On My Nails!

Pure glee! Yup - that was the mood in the Kolor Kave when I was painting these nails. There were sounds that included, "Squee!", "Oooohh", "Ahhh", and "Yesssss" to be heard. There was a smile on my face from ear to ear. What fun!!

Maybe someday, I'll have a video camera recording my nail design sessions (with lots of editing, of course) - but until such time...

Theme of the Month - March

Today, for you, my wonderful "Kimett Kolor-kins" (or "Kimett-aphiles"? Oh no, not that one. Um - "Kimett-icans"?) Anyway; with or without a title for all of my devoted readers, and passers-by as well; it's (almost past) time to send out wishes for, "Happy March Birthdays!"

I hope you'll read on; there is wisdom and some giggles to be gleaned from this post. Oh, and if you missed the background as to what my Theme of the Month posts are all about, you can read January's here.

Band Geek

Patterns are everywhere. There are so many gorgeous patterns in prints and fabrics that can provide inspiration to beautiful nail designs. So many in fact, that I couldn't chose just one for the 26th design prompt, "Inspired by a Pattern" of the #31DC2013 challenge.  Besides, we have five senses after all - right?

I got to thinking about inspiring musical patterns and...

Four Squares For Fashion

Inspired by Fashion. Huh. OK. But whose? I suppose I could have gotten one of those magazines from the check-out at the grocery store for the basis of the Design No. 25 in the #31DC2013 challenge. Or... I could be inspired by my own fashion. Cough, cough. Hmmm....opening one closet door, and then shutting it. Hmmm....staring into another closet at the clothes hanging there. Hmmm...maybe I'm not so fashionable. Oh. Oh! I know! I could be (and was) inspired by a fashion accessory!

I know, I know - most of us in the northern hemisphere would really, really like to not think about winter anymore. But, I hope you'll forgive my wanting to show off this handmade scarf and read about my trying time creating a fashionable nail design to meet the challenge.

Copy Cat: Melinda's Cosmic Design with Nail Party Shares

My Kolor Kave saw lots of action this past weekend. (Oh - that could have sounded a bit off color if you didn't know what I was talking about. Color pun intended. LOL.) At my Mom's request, I hosted a surprise birthday party on Sunday for her close friend Marcy (the birthday gal), Marcy's daughter - Melinda, my Mom - Cindy, and of course - me. The party guests got to pick from my polish collection and enhancements to have their nails done by me. (They were brave!) The time together was incredibly special and loads of fun. We took a few pictures after nails were dry; you'll see them later, first up is my copy-cat design.

Red Moons and Gold Tips

OK, back to the #31DC2013 challenge. This prompt, Inspired by a Book, was a toughie for me. I think everyone who's done this challenge has experienced the anxiety of one prompt that just baffled & blocked creativity. I was surprised that this one presented an issue for me, as I love books! Oh well. After a lot of hullabaloo, I sought out a simple & classic design to "get it done" and move on. And, I'm happy to report success!

Can you guess which book was my inspiration? I hope you'll keep reading and find out.

Theme of the Month - February

Here I am to say, "Happy February Birthdays"! It's time, once again, to honor all whose birthdays are celebrated this month with appropriately designed nail art. (If you missed the start of this Kimett Kolor monthly ritual, you can check it out here.) Once again, I focused on the birthstone and birthflower; for February they are Amethyst and Violets.

 

Well...these nails are a loose "artsy" interpretation of them anyway.

Love and Steel

Hi, my name is Kimett and I like romantic comedies. So, it is not surprising that I chose one for my "Inspired by a Movie" nail design in the #31DC2013 challenge. But what is a surprise, and will stay a surprise if I don't type it somewhere in this post, is why I chose THIS movie. I haven't yet decided if I will confess the reason...hmmmm....will I?

Kimett Kolor Blog News: Feb2014

I'm excited to be back in the Kolor Kave today, following a tough spell with higher-than-usual pain. But, now the sun is shining and I'm hoping to not have as lengthy an event again for a long while. 

Sun shining over the icy Resolute Bay in Canada

Like the sun we will live to rise.
Like the sun we will live and die
And then, ignite again.
Like the sun we will live to rise again,
Again.
         ~Soundgarden, song: Live to Rise

I'll have a nail art post up soon, likely tomorrow. In the meantime, I thought I'd share a little Blog News.

News:
Recently, I was blown away when I received an invitation to feature my nail art designs on NailPolis.

Congratulations Kimett,
You've received an invitation to showcase your nail art on Nailpolis. Nailpolis is the first online Museum of Nail Art, showcasing talented nail artists from all over the world.
Our curators were impressed by your passion for nail art, and selected you as one of the earliest members of our museum.

Wow!! I'm at a loss for words that I was picked to join this group of talented nail artists. And, in just a short time, my Metal Meets Matte design has already been included in their featured gallery. You can see my exhibited designs here: http://www.nailpolis.com/artists/KimettKolor. 


New Followers & Thank You!!
I'm pleased to see new Kimett Kolor readers & followers on the blog lately. My days are extra bright when I see new fans and likes on Bloglovin', Facebook, Google+, etc. All of your readership and comments are delightful and make this hobby of mine that much more enjoyable. While there will sometimes be longer gaps between my posts (out of my control), I appreciate your sticking with me.

So, here it is, the most important words in this post - a great, big giant:

THANK YOU!!!!

Till next time,
Kimett

Love is...Green!?

Oh, hee-hee, this is a FUN one!!!

With Valentine's Day coming soon, love extra thick in the air and all, it makes sense to incorporate a romantic theme into the #31DC2013 challenge prompts. Right? Of course, right. So, naturally, you'll see loads of pink and hearts and....
Ogres?

"Darling, I do...see you"

Today's post is my entry for "Inspired by a Song". And, this love song written for the final chapter of the Shrek adventures makes me all gooey. It is a lovey-dovey poetic duet about how much better life is with "you" in my life and that "I do see you" for who "you" are even if others don't. Now, I'm not flat-out admiting that Mr. Kimett & I are ogres....even if there might be some similarities. Well, we do like to keep our muddy swamp to ourselves...LOL.

So, before we get to see more of Shrek & Fiona on my nails; I've included the music video with some clips from the movie sprinkled occasionally in the background.

Theme of the Month - January

There was a time, in my "past" life, in which I rallied my fellow work colleagues with a birthday celebration each month. I put out a newsletter announcing whose birthdays we were celebrating and I baked a smorgasbord of goodies around those people's requests. In the newsletter, I would write about anything and everything interesting about being born in that month, facts about the gemstones and flowers attributed to that month, and other fun things, like crossword puzzles or trivia quizzes. I really enjoyed baking all kinds of treats and looked forward to my kitchen frenzy each month.

I have missed that activity. So, I thought I'd try recreating that giving feeling on a smaller scale by creating a Theme of the Month nail design series. I came around to the idea a little late this month, but it's still January - so it counts! 

Happy January Birthdays!!

Blue Ombre First, Then...

When discussing the "Inspired by a Color" #31DC2013 prompt with Mr. Kimett, we settled on the color blue. According to Color Matters, Blue has more complex and contradictory meanings than any other color. Yup, totally fitting for us to pick a complicated color. To interpret this fact, I chose to use multiple shades of the color for my challenge entry. I always wanted to try out an ombre' design (where each nail is a shade lighter or darker than the nail beside it). Using just one blue cream polish, I lightened and darkened it with white and black polishes mixed in for a different shade on each nail.

But, I didn't stop there...I hope you'll click to continue reading on to see what design I added to these blue shades.

Winter Pastels in Water Play

You know when you're wading into a pool and there's a point where your belly is about to feel the cool water...so, you take the plunge and jump in quick. That's sorta what it's like to do water-marble nails the first time. At least it was for me anyway. I was slow and hesitant at first...and then, dove right in.

When all dry, I was quite pleased with myself for my 20th challenge design using the water marble technique. (Oh, if you've just joined and want to find out more about the challenge I'm following: click here.) For these, I used soft pastel colors and white for a winter color theme. Even though I ended up with more of a skittle look (each nail different) - I smiled every time I peeked at them.

Holographic Stars in Colorful Nebula

OK, back to the #31DC2013 challenge. Even though there are many newer challenges making their way around, I am determined to finish the one I started. So, here is my design for the 19th prompt - Galaxy Nails.

For my first time with this outer-space nail art technique, I chose to go the less-realistic route. Instead, I went for it with bright colors and mesmerizing holographic glitters. I even included accent nails with the aptly named glitter-bomb, Nebula. Read on to find out how I made these nails and more on the fascinating polishes that give it extra oomph.

Knitted Gnome Sweater

Brrrr! Boy, is it cold! Good thing I have sweater on my nails. Hah! Seriously though, this is the only kind of knitting that I can do. I am in awe by those folks who are able to take two long, pointy things to create wearable magic using yarn. A lot of ladies in my family are quite talented knitters, including my sister (who's made me very cozy socks) and my aunt whose recently made holiday decorations inspired these nails.

Isn't that ball of yarn on my thumb adorable? I hope you read on to find out more about not only these nails, but also to see the cutest holiday gnome, ever!

Oil Slick Recovery -- A.K.A. Nail Care 2013 continued

Confused by my title? Thought I was going to talk about an oil spill in the ocean showing poor birds or seals needing to be cleaned? Nope. It started with another kind of catastrophe. My nail break. However, I am in no way comparing the two types of accidents as if they are remotely similar in seriousness! Although, admittedly, both events do make me want to cry, a little bit.

Stock Photo purchased thru PhotoDune (found here)

This little guy is too young to understand either tragedy...but I couldn't resist adding a visual aid. Anyway, back to ME and my, "I broke a nail!" dilemma. It sparked my use of lots & lots of oil and other slick-ery products. Ahh..now the title is making some sense. I'll show these products and a couple photos of polished nails after telling my story. If you're brave or curious or both...click to finish reading this post...