 |
| Marble: with the blues... |
Here's betting that you'll keep reading....why? Because I will reveal the "secret ingredients" (then they won't be secret anymore...hmmmm); and...there are MORE pics, details, bonus collages and well...that's enough, right?
I was able to sneak in and join the fabulous When Colours Collide group again...it is always so fun to see everyone's unique designs based on the same color prompts. I know these are hard to see all together like this - so if you're interested, you could follow the #whencolourscollide tag on Instagram.
 |
| Blue - Tone on Tone |
Tone on tone designs are always a favorite of mine, they can be fancy and even exotic, yet from a distance they usually don't scream nail art. Which I know that sounds a bit odd coming from me, but it's just one of the many nail design outcomes that intrigues me.
On the other hand...in these close-up and in-your-face pictures -- they can still stand out some, eh?
 |
| Taken outside in morning light (indirect) - these were hard for my phone to focus on, but I still really liked this shot. Here, they remind me of watery swirls instead of hard stone in other shots. |
I'm really getting addicted to all these swirling marble designs - water or no water. There is something very freeing about adding polishes to a surface and then wooshing them about. As I get some of my kinks worked out and can do these a bit quicker, I am looking forward to adding to them with stamping too!
 |
| If there was a counter top in this blue marble, I'd have it!! |
Design Details
 | ||
| Tip: Always make extra! Then you can pick and choose the best ones. ;) |
- I applied a coat of non-quick drying top-coat by pouring it onto my mat and just lightly spreading it into the full space I wanted it. I learned this from Kim (remember her - the Decal Diva from this Facebook Group) - who says it cuts down on the bubbles. She, of course, is right. The less brush strokes, the less chance of bubbles.
- Once those were dry, I was ready to make the decals.
- I applied a liberal layer of Secret Ingredient #1: Clearwater and while it was still wet, I added drops of each of the three blue polishes randomly.
- Still while wet, I used the water-marble tool to create random swirl patterns through the colors.
- When the decals were dry (well, by the time I used them they had been dry for over 24 hours), I removed them carefully from the mat with an orange stick, trimmed them to a rough scale, and then placed them on my nail over a tacky layer of sticky base coat.
- I took my time to press and bend and stretch the decals over each nail, while trimming closer with tiny craft scissors. This wouldn't have taken as long if I had used the decals sooner (I think - I plan on testing that theory soon-ish). The most difficult part of this is wrapping around the tip of the nail and getting a smooth straight edge. During this step, I had a few woops moments when my decal smeared and/or ripped. Plus, I had a few bald spots in my decals (also something to test some theories on...).
- Then I applied a glossy top-coat. My woops were very noticeable. (See photos below)
- To save the day, I applied one coat of Secret Ingredient #2: Holo Blast (not pictured above). This softened the look and helped hide the blemishes. And then, another glossy top-coat to finish it all off.
 |
| Picture taken after step #7 - wrinkles and bald spots very noticeable |
 |
| The Holo Blast top coat saved these nails! |
 |
| Left to right: Revlon - Indigo Night, Pipe Dream Polish - Clearwater, Colores de Carol - Holo Blast, Picture Polish - Sky, Supernatural Lacquer - Sticky Base Coat, Orly - Snowcone and the watermarble tool. (Glossy top-coat not shown.) Bliss Kiss - Simply Neat mat shown 3 photos up. |
Secret Ingredients - Revealed
#1: This one is like an invisible super-hero. You can't see that I used it, but by doing so it really helped these polishes swirl and move about - especially for a novice like me. Clearwater isn't your average top coat or even clear polish. It was made just for watermarble patterns when you want to have blank space in between colored polishes. I've yet to use it for that purpose, but I can say without a doubt, it will work great.#2: You've seen what amazing results the holographic top-coat, Holo Blast can provide. It was the first time I've used this gem. I was very impressed that it didn't dull the colors underneath and applied very easily. It truly is a staple for any nail artist!
Both of these are still available at the time of this post!! Go....buy them...you'll thank me. ;)
 |
| Used halogen lights and flash to capture the holographic shift in this bottle shot of Holo Blast |
While these were still far from perfect - they were still very fun to wear. Before I had settled on the title imagery of marble, I had some fun with the namesake of the lightest blue polish and pictures ---
 |
| The colors of a pretty blue sky with jut the right puffy cotton-ball clouds... |
When I posted my solo shot for the group's collage, one of the gals mentioned these reminded her of a geologic pattern like in a rock. I instantly liked that reference and see them as marble now. What do they remind you of?
 |
| Funny how at different angles the swirls seem to move about... |
Now, a couple posts back (here), I had fun showing off a few of the flowers in my yard and around my house. Well - I hope you liked them, because I did it again! It was so fun to walk around after hiding in my house from the pollen of so many things growing and blooming lately...there were a few extra sneezes experienced the rest of that day, but it was worth it.
 | ||
| Remember that round bud from before - that was one of these beautiful pink peonies (bottom left) now full in bloom! |
Sadly, as I write this post, these flowers are all past their prime - we've had such a jump start into Summer weather so fast....I'm glad I have these photos to remember them by.
 |
| One more photo showing off Holo Blast again because she's worth it! |
Well, it's that time to stop gushing over this design and to get ready for the next. I'm a little behind though ... here's a less than subtle hint as to why:
Ain't I just a lucky girl!!! I'm so excited that my Kolor Korner is getting a face-lift! So far, I haven't damaged any nails while moving stuff around....hope to have it ready to paint and photograph my next design tomorrow....
Till Next Time,
Kimett