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| When Colours Collide - Red and Pastel Blue |
I've had some ups and downs lately; or rather (falling) downs and (getting) ups. And, these nails have given me some needed smiles in the subsequent recovery time.
Anyways...
You just know there will be lots of photos in this post, as well as the usual details and links, but also some bonus stamping tips as well....keep reading my friend...keep reading...
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| Did you know there is a real life, red salamander called a Spring Salamander? Yup. But, not for the season. It is because they prefer cool springs as a habitat. |
Today's post title is a mash-up of the When Colours Collide challenge colors, the image I chose, and a polish name.
- The challenge (although you probably already guessed it) was to combine red with pastel blue.
- I wanted to chose a nature type design and somewhere in the deep....deep....deep recesses of my mind were images of red salamanders. Maybe I saw some when I was a child. Or maybe I had a t-shirt with them on it. I don't know, but it's what I thought of - AND - Eureka! I have a stamp plate with salamanders! Fate.
- Finally, that pretty blue base polish is a squishy crelly named Blue Moon. Since salamanders mostly stay hidden during the day and come out at night to forage - this was a good pairing. Also, I think my little salamanders appreciated a soft and jelly like surface - LOL.
So - there you have it - the backstory of the this post's title. OK. I am an over-thinker. There, I've admitted. Moving on...
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| Fresh pastel blue with a touch of glow and glitter that is very camera shy. |
True pastel colors are a bit tricky for me and my washed out skin tone. So, you'll have to trust me that this polish is an absolute joy to wear. It just pops, but softly.
Carolina, the fabulous gal behind the blog and polish brand Colores de Carol, has been a staple in the nail community for quite some time - one of the first bloggers I started following. She is very talented and loves color. We must be related. :)
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| The naturally cool temperature of outdoor shade brings out the blue pigment in the polish. |
If I think too much about it, salamanders in real life are not exactly my cup of tea. Well - when you see one (just one) sun-bathing on a rock - maybe he's cute. Or, like in this picture below...harmless looking.
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| Doesn't he or she look just like the one on my nails? Photo Source |
After a brief time, I had to stop googling pictures of salamanders. Because, I remembered how much I am not a fan of wet areas with little creatures who move quickly through them. Keeping those thoughts out of my head...I got a lot of enjoyment from these nails.
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| Simple red stamping made such an impact in this design Stamping polish used is Mundo de Unas #32, Reddish |
Stamping Tips
Lots of folks are getting into stamping these days - so I thought I'd share a few pointers relevant to this design.- A lot of red nail polishes (even some made for stamping) don't have a true red base, rather it leans pink. These often "change" in their appearance to a fuchsia or magenta color when stamping with them over certain colors - especially blues, greens and yellows. Definitely test the polish/stamping combination before stamping on your nail - unless you like surprises.
- Mundo de Unas stamping polishes are unique and not at all created like other stamping polishes - however, they stamp very opaque and true to their color. Because of their different chemistry, they offer some advantages - these three are my favorite:
- They dry VERY slowly - giving you lots of time to go through the stamping steps (in fact, if you have trouble you might need to slow down).
- If you topcoat your base first (and make sure nails are dry), you can remove a freshly stamped image with scotch tape if you aren't happy with it. I did that with my middle finger in this design.
- You don't need to use a skin barrier (latex or tape). Simply use scotch tape and/or NON-acetone polish remover and a clean-up brush and it comes right off of your skin without staining or over drying.
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| Bottle shown: All Your Base - ridge filling base coat (my current favorite) Brand: Pretty Serious Cosmetics (Australia based - with US distribution center) |
As mentioned in my previous post, clear stampers are now making their way to the stamping hall of fame. Although there will be times that I'll choose one of my (many) other conventional stampers, I can not say enough good about this one from Fab Ur Nails.
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| For my finger nails - this Clear XL stamper head is plenty big enough. |
I used two images from the Vivid Lacquer stamp plate VL 012 - the single salamander (on my index & pinky) and the full image with multiple salamanders and foot prints (thumb, middle & ring). (See image of plate in my product photo further down in the post.)
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| Those salamander foot prints are just too cool! |
Stamping takes a bit of patience and the more often you do it, the better it gets. Although, even still, there can be a day where it just eludes success. So if you're new to it - keep playing with it. I had gone a bit of time without doing it and after about three or so times doing stamping designs now this year, I'm feeling close to the comfort level I was at with it in previous years.
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| Looks like the little guys are creeping on and off my nail from this iris plant leaf. |
Fortunately the day that I made these nails, I was doing OK enough to go outside and get some photos - seems fitting for these little guys, right? Although, I didn't trust myself with one of my big cameras, so these two are taken with my cell phone.
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| This was Mr. Kimett's favorite photo of all that I took. |
In hindsight, it would have been smart to have trimmed the leaf and the tulip, brought them inside, and took the photos properly. Huh.
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| Products used in this design (Without the boring or messy stuff; e.g., polish remover, acetone, scraper, etc.) |
Although not easily seen, there are two brushes in this photo. The clean-up brush that you see just the tip of (on the left, peeking out from behind the stamper) is the one I prefer to use when cleaning up the stamping (as mentioned in the tips above). I bought mine from Jolie Polish. It's wide, thick, soft and rounded. Whereas, the other brush shown from Fab Ur Nails is a sturdier and straight angled brush that I use for my polish cuticle clean-up. To be honest, I didn't need that one much this time as the Colores de Carol polishes apply like a dream.
And, finally - because I'm blown away by their talent each and every time - I want to share the collaboration collage for this past When Colours Collide challenge:
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| When Colours Collide - Facebook group collage |
So, what are your thoughts? Would you wear salamanders on your nails? Cool or creepy?
Till Next Time,
Kimett