Today's nail art was very nearly NOT meant to be.
Sounds like a philosophical dilemma, but in reality it was with pure perseverance that these made it to post. I promise I will explain...but first let's look at the finished design shall we?
Design Details
What you're seeing here is the final result of some pretty floral stamping, a mix actually of two different flower motifs, over the top of an abstract looking base.
But it didn't start out that way. I need to point out that I was having an extremely clumsy day when I made these. One of those days where you do the dumbest things ever - like walk out the door forgetting there is a step. (Fortunately I didn't fall, but it stunned a bit.) Yes, it was one of THOSE days.
But the clincher as it relates to these nails was spilling acetone all over my desk Including, getting it all over one of my in progress nails!
Let me back up and explain things a bit more... I intended to do pale stamping over a multi-colored background. I used three pastel neon polishes, randomly sponging them all over each nail.
Aren't those a pretty mix of colors for Spring? They would have made for a lovely nail art base...
But...they didn't last this way very long. My pinky took the brunt of the aforementioned acetone spill. It washed away most of the colors leaving behind the gel base (creamy nude) to show in parts.
Now, had I been having a smarter kind of day, the thought of re-doing that pinky nail with the colors would have occurred to me. But it didn't.
Instead, I re-created the accident on purpose with the other four nails. I took a piece of sponge, dipped it in acetone, and removed portions of the colors from the other nails. Yes...that is how my brain worked (or didn't) on that day.
Ironically, there is a technique I've seen referred to as Acid Wash, where you take a Qtip or brush with acetone to remove parts of the color, often used in creating a worn dungaree look. I just did it on a larger scale....when I was finished, I said to myself "Yeah, I meant to do that."
Also, had I been having a smarter kind of day, I would have taken a picture of this new accidental/on purpose base before stamping on it. There were several palm-to-forehead moments that day.
My nail goof-ups didn't end there though. I had a particular floral image in mind and I did get it to stamp just fine. But after stamping on the next finger...I realized I had picked up a different floral image instead. ﹗Ay Caramba!
So, again, not thinking that re-doing the mistaken one was an option, I just carried on using a mix of the two images on the rest of my nails. Phew!
Even though the outcome was not what I had in mind at all, it was a thrill to have pushed though and finish with something presentable.
Below is a scanned image of the stamping plate (source DRK Nails). I drew an outline around the two images that you see mixed on my nails. Originally, I was just going to use the one on the left.
Polish Palette
Nail Prep
Beauty Secrets (Sally Beauty) - Base Coat
Melody Susie - 2-in-1 Base & Top Coat
Foundation
**Madam Glam - Cafe Au Lait
Madam Glam - No Wipe Top Gel
Note: Once more, I used non-acetone polish remover to remove the previous design, leaving behind the same base (above listed items) in tact to use again. This time though, the base color is visible.
Polishes
Virtuous Polish - Miriam, Naomi & Deborah
Stamping
Plate: DRK Nails - XL Designer 1
Stamper: Bundle Monster - The Monocle Stamper
Polish: Clear Jelly Stamper - Wild Child #5
Misc./Tools
Bundle Monster - Poli-Peel Cuticle Protector
Final Seal
Madam Glam - No Wipe Top Gel
**PR Sample Product(s)
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| Using the back side of the stamping plate as a surface for photographing the bottles gives you an idea how big it is. |
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These nails were my "costume" for another Birthday party on Instagram yesterday. What I find funny, in hindsight, is that they remind me of the style of the honored guest, more so with this accidental look than what I would have created without the flubs.
Iva, known as @secretjewelgarden on Instagram, loves flowers and her friend asked us all to make floral designs for her surprise collage. While doing my thang, wandering around my house/yard for offbeat photos, I had the particular theme of garden in my mind.
And, how about some outdoor gardening shoes -- I do love my Crocs.
Well....I hope I didn't thoroughly confuse you with this post. It's hard to write about a brain dead day's events with clarity!
I'd be interested to hear what you think of these? Would you have liked the post better if I had left out all of my antics?
Thanks for visiting!
Till Next Time,
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