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...
on this design from April 2012: "I love it when a plan comes together on my nails!", I'm not alone in my adoration. There are tons of her designs I would have liked to re-create, but this one is special to me. And, I happen to own the polishes and stamping plate, so I could make as exact a copy as possible.
The foundation of this design is the well known & loved turquoise cream polish by a-England, called Galahad (you've seen it used in my stripes design here). Gorgeous!!
Now, here is where Bregje soars above all the rest of us mere mortals...she is a master at picking stamping polish and plate combinations. In fact, so many of us ask her about it that she has written and published guides on her website (links at end of this post). If you've never done stamping, it's easy to think that there isn't much to it. But, there is. I suppose if you have an art or graphic design background, it would be easier...thankfully, we have Bregje to learn from.
As with many things, obtaining subtlety and simplicity with stamping can be deceivingly hard. But, doesn't this one look so good!! :) On top of Galahad, Bregje introduced us to stamping with China Glaze's Deviantly Daring, a duochrome of teal with blue and golden shimmer.
After seeing this combination, many of us immediately went out and purchased Deviantly Daring. (People who like to stamp on nails are always looking for those polishes that can double as stamping options.) Doesn't this design remind you of elegant wrapping paper? Or fancy silk curtains?
I could have run around and taken pictures of these in every light source possible - as they look amazing in all....but, alas, I'd never get to making more designs if I did that. You'll just have to take my word for it. Oh, and I noticed (the day after) that I stamped the image "upside-down" on my right hand....yeah, "I meant to do that." LOL
It was incredibly hard to pick from the many talented nail artists out there - even just from the group that I know about. But, once I made my decision to tackle something worthy of honoring Oooh, Shinies!; I was satisfied with my decision. Then, anxious. Could I do her justice? Well, aside from the differing levels of expertise...I think I did OK. I'd love to read your comments about it!
Random Fact: Bregje & her blog Oooh, Shinies! was the inspiration for my very first nail design posted - remember the paisleys in "Never Say Never..."?
Polish Palette:
Polishes (Left to Right): a-England Galahad; China Glaze Deviantly Daring
Stamping Plate: Mash-40
As mentioned above, the design prompt was to Honor Nails You Love.
Hands down (pun, intended), Bregje of Oooh, Shinies! is someone who's nail designs I have and will always love to see. She not only shows drool worthy designs, but as I mentioned earlier - she kindly offers lots of tips and resources on her website. Here are some links:
- A gallery of Oooh, Shinies! designs (you gotta check this out-even if you don't stamp)
- Her How-To guides of wisdom, including how to pick stamping combinations
- Helpful information about using regular polishes for stamping
- Reviews of stamping plate collections - and a size guide comparison
And, the "31 Design Challenge" (more info in my previous post here)
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| Image courtesy of Chalkboard Nails |
Am contemplating making a re-cap post including photos and reflection about it - what do you think?
Thanks for visiting!!
Till next time,
Kimett