Summer Cocktails

Hi everyone!
I hope you are enjoying the start to summer!
I have always wanted to try "cocktail inspired" nails, but have never quite figured out how to do it.  This isn't exactly what I had in mind, but I'm enjoying this combination.

For this mani, I started with a base of Maybelline Color Show Orange FX.  I made a gradient including Sally Hansen Insta Dri Man-Go Team and Sally Hansen Insta Dri Lickety Split Lime.  To give it a fizzy, cocktail look, I stamped it with NYC French White Tip using a design from the Cheeky Summer Holiday Jumbo Plate.  I haven't done a three color gradient in a long while, but I really love the look.

Hope you are having fun and staying cool and refreshed, Konaddicts!

Kaleidoscope

Hi, everyone!  This awesome design from CICI & SISI 01 was the deal sealer for the Cisis & Sisi plate set.  I love this design and I love how this mani looks - even though it was a super easy and quick to do.

I started with Insta Dri Mango Team and sponged with sponged with Wet n Wild Lavender Creme, Kleancolor Pastel Purple, and Kleancolor Lavenbaby.  I stamped the full nail design with Milani Black Magic (which stamps well and doesn't smear - why do I keep forgetting about this gem?)  and dotted with Essie No Place Like Chrome.

It looks like one of those fun designs I used to create with my Spriograph!  Anyone remember that toy?

So far, I'm loving these plates!  I can't wait to try out new images.

BTW:  A huge shout out and thank you to Nail Art Canada for sending me a nail plate Valentine!  They were kind enough to send a plate from the Bundle Monster Holiday plate set - one I don't already have!  Yahoo!

Thanks for reading, Konaddicts!

Jenkies! I'ts Scooby Doo!

Hey, everyone!  I couldn't wait to show you my latest nails.  I finally got around to trying out Scooby Doo pattern from the MJ Special Edition plate!  I love classic Scooby Doo - I own the first couple of seasons, along with the movies, and the Dynomutt and Batman episodes - so I knew I wouldn't be happy with this mani unless I had time to get it exactly right.

It was so much fun because I got to use some of the Halloween designs in it!  The ghost is from Winstonia W221, the bats from Winstonia W116, and the haunted house from BM224.  I had to incorporate those crazy psychedelic flowers, so I used Cheeky CH114.

I used saran wrap to create the backgrounds.  I started with darker versions of the blue and purple - Sally Hansen Insta Dri Brisk Blue and Insta Dri Urgent Orchid.  I used saran wrap and a lighter color over the top - Kleancolor Pastel Blue and Salon Perfect Lavendar Fields.  When I needed contrast for the stamping, I added a little darker color - Rimmel Blue Eyed Girl and Kleancolor Love Affair.

Scooby is a decal made with Konad Special polish in black and Kleancolor Mocha. The plate is the oh-so-cool MJ Special Edition from My Online Shop's facebook store.

Thanks for stopping by!  If Scooby Doo teaches us anything, it's that things are rarely as scary as they first seem and that there are few situations that you - along with help from your best pals - can't make it through. :)

Think Pink: Pink Panther Nails

 Hello, everyone!
When I was doing my Raggedy Ann nails, I noticed that the MJ XVI plate also had an image of the Pink Panther!  I was inspired by that and by all of your kind comments on the rag doll nails to give it a go.  What a fun walk down memory lane!

Essie Fiji (of course!) is my base coat.  Our perplexed panther is a decal made with MJ XVI and Orly's Sweet Temptation, a gorgeous chrome pink, as the stamped outline.  I filled in the panther's eyes with Sally Hansen Butterfly Stroke and filled in his body with Pure Ice Love.  Once I transfered the decal from the stamper to the nail, I used a pin to dot his eyes and add his eyebrows in black.

I went with a full nail pattern from Cheeky Jumbo Plate European Romance.  I stamped with Sweet Temptation and filled in random squares with Love and with Kleancolor Holographic Pink.

I don't know if you remember the cartoons, but the fun part of the cartoons was watching the poor, unlucky Inspector trying (in vain) to catch the Pink Panther.  I decided to make foot prints and a magnifying glass (I have been dying to use that!) to incorporate that into the manicure.

I used Sweet Temptation and Cheeky CH27 for the foot prints.  I used the magnifying glass from Gals GA 47 and Milani Black Magic for the magnifying glass.

Well, Konaddicts, thanks for stopping in.  I noticed I have 86 followers now!  How did that happen?  Thank you!  I appreciate that you let me share my polish obsession with you!

Where's my goldfish?

Hi, everyone!
I love the fish scale pattern.  It's one of my very favorites to play around with.  I normally can't get my colors quite right, but I'm in love with the way this one turned out (so expect  A LOT of pictures!).

For this mani, I used Color Show Sweet Clementine, Milani Metallic Mango, Orly Prince Charming, and Milani Blackberry Baby.

I used Milani Metallic Mango as the base and Prince Charming and Mash 39 for the stamping.  The metallic really adds to the scale-like shimmer.  I made little U-shapes at the bottom of random scales with a dotting tool and Sweet Clementine.

For the accent nail, I used a base of Sweet Clementine and a decal made from plate A48 using Blackberry Baby - darker and more metallic than Prince Charming - and Metallic Mango to fill in the fish's body.

I love the shimmer and the compliment of the lighter color.  I keep peeking at my nails to see whether it looks "really fishy" or just like splotches.

I think I'll be staring at this one for a while, Konaddicts!  Hope your weekend ahead is a great one!

Homage to Emerald - the color of 2013!

Hello, everyone!  I hope you're recovering from an amazing start to 2013!

I decided to start the new year with an homage to Emerald, the Pantone color of the year.

This is an easy gradient of Sally Hansen Lickety Split Lime and SH Sea Breeze.  It's stamped with that lovely holo Glitter Gal Lizard Belly using Red Angel plate RA-111.  I used a dotting tool and China Glaze Passion to add the gold dots.

Easy peasy!
And stamping with a holo is so much fun (especially since Lizard Belly is a very beautiful but very dark green all on its own).

Hope you're well, Konaddicts!  I finally received my new flocking powder set, so more fuzzy nails are on the horizon!

Also...I've added a few polls in the sidebar!  Be sure to answer - I'd love to learn from your expertise!

Moons & Stars

Today, I'm wearing moons and stars!  I love moons and stars; they remind me of my favorite pair of comfy pajamas. I have searched and searched for an image of moon and stars together and couldn't find anything that fit the bill, so, for this mani, I decided to improvise.

I started with a base of Sinful Midnight Blue.  I sponged on some Sally Hansen Insta Dri in Blue Blast. I added some glitter with Wet n Wild Shine Kaleidoscope.  I stamped the designs with Konad Special polish in White and China Glaze Passion.

I used images from Mash 32 for the moon, Mash 33 for the shooting star, and Cheeky 4 for the star cluster.

It's cosmic!
I really like how this turned out (despite the dent I managed to get on my thumb)...

Sheesh...my nails are getting longer.  I think I might try some french manicure designs before one of them breaks!

Thanks for reading, Konaddicts!

PS:  Guess what?  My new set of Cheeky plates finally arrived in the mail!  Hooray!  I can't wait to try them out!

Puzzled

Ah - what fun!
This is a gradient of China Glaze Sweet Hook and Kleancolor Lavenbaby.  I stamped it using XL Plate A and Sally Hansen Insta Dri Presto Purple.  I filled in the "missing" pieces with a black nail pen.

I love this one!  I'll be wearing it a while, I think. :)

31 Day Nail Challenge - Day 22: Inspired by a Song

The song I chose as inspiration for this mani is the classic "Stormy Weather" with that enduring chorus "Stormy weather / Since my man and I ain't together / It's raining all the time".

Here it is, sung by the elegant and beautiful Lean Horne in 1943.

For my "weary weather" manicure, I used the holographic Color Club Worth the Risque as the base.  I stamped my rainy background using the diagonal stripes and dots on Konad M65 and Pure Ice Kiss Me Here.

The umbrellas are stamped with plate Konad M8 in Konad Special polish.  I filled in the umbrellas using nail pens.  I picked neon colors since the polish was a kind of gel that didn't obscure the umbrella outline.  I used the silver nail pen to add a few dots around the nails as bigger "raindrops".

Here's the mani in the sun.

I love the holo base!  It adds a little 3D feeling to the design!

Take care, Konaddicts!  Next on the list is "Inspired by a Movie" nails!

31 Day Nail Challenge - Day 26: Inspired by a Pattern

Today, I was supposed to have "tribal" nails.  I turned to Bollywood - as I always do! - for inspiration.  I chose a movie filmed in Rajasthan, a part of India known for its beautiful folk art and patterns.  Instead of picking a nice tribal pattern, I was enthralled (as I always am) with this beautiful wedding costume that our heroine wears - that's her, peeking out from under her bridal veil.

Rani Mukherjee in the film Paheli

Her beautiful saree inspired this mani.

This is a base of Sally Hansen Insta Dri Rapid Red stamped with the lovely palm design on Konad M83.  I useed Sally Hansen Insta Dri Snappy Sorbet for the stamp.   I freehanded the tips with Snappy Sorbet.  My other golds or bronzes didn't stamp well over this combination, so I pulled out my "heavy".  I used the Sally Hansen Gold Chrome Nail Pen and BM 11 to stamp the accents.

Wow!  I love this!  It's simple and surprisingly quick (especially using the fast dry polishes).  Every time I look down, I want to start singing songs from the movie!

If I ever take this off (haha), another attempt at "tribal" nails is next!

See you soon (at least when this wears off!), Konaddicts!

Fresh Watermelon Nails

Hello, everyone!  Apparently, I can not resist Sally Hansen Insta Dri Fuchsia Flare this summer.  When I look at my polishes, my hand is just drawn to this bottle.

This time, I found it to be a perfect base for a watermelon mani.  Fuchsia Flare is the base color.  I freehanded the tips in Pure Ice Siren (it took two coats to make sure the pink didn't peep out).  I stamped the "rind" with Kleancolor Green Grass using one of the French Tips on Konad M45. The "seeds" were stamped using the polka dots from my Hello Kitty plate QA-12.  I topped it with a topcoat with Spectraflair.

Who's ready for a picnic, Konaddicts?

Zen Garden

I was aiming for a soothing, calming manicure (to counteract a very hectic week!) and I came up with this mani inspired by Zen gardens.

This is a base of 3 coats of Orly French Manicure Sheer Nude stamped with a swirly background using DRK-A plate and Cover Girl Boundless Color Bronze Beauty, a metallic bronze sparkle.

I used Revlon Top Speed in Emerald and Red Angel RA-115 to stamp the fern frond.  I used Bundle Monster BM-213 and Kleancolor Metallic Black to stamp the "rock pile".

It's a calming sort of look...now, if only I could get a massage, I'd be all set!

Have a relaxed day, Konaddicts!

Crazy for Paisley!

Why is nail stamping so much fun?  Because you can have paisley nails!  I had a lot of fun creating this mani and even more fun wearing it!

Here are the details:

I used China Glaze Kinetic Candy as the base coat.  I stamped with Kleancolor Military Green, Revlon Top Speed in Espresso and Revlon Top Speed in Stormy.  I used a dotting tool to add the gold and silver dots as accents.

The image plate is Cheeky XL Image Plate I.  I had some initial reservations about the plate because I got it at an "introductory price" of only $11.  When I got it, it even seemed to have a little bend in it .

Well...I gave the plate a try and haven't had any problems at all!  I do love the paisley designs and I'm always on the hunt for a bargain (which can sometimes backfire!).

Just when I got ready to give myself a pat on the back for coming up with such a nice color combination (always the hardest part for me!), I noticed my wall hanging from India.

Ah...the beautiful colors of India - always an inspiration!

Royal Purple

After a drought of purple, I've been on a bit of a purple kick these days! I was watching the movie Gambit - with Shirley MacClaine and Michael Caine.  In the background of one of the scenes was a lacquered box in deep purple and gold.  I immediately got my polishes (because what could be better than polish and a movie?) and this is the design I came up with.

The background is Sally Hansen Insta Dri Violet Voom (is a deep purple that's almost blue).  For the stamping, I used a Sally Hansen Nail Color Pen in Gold Chrome and Bundle Monster plate BM 206.  I used a nail pen to add a pale, pearly blue to the design and dotted on Kleancolor Metallic Orange for the accents.

The movie was funny and fun - an unexpected pleasure - and now I have nails to match!

Be well, Konaddicts!
PS: I hear Colin Firth is in a remake of this!  How did I miss that?

Oil on water

I'm not sure exactly how to describe this design.  Well, with its fanning and waving patterns, it looks to me a little like a drop of oil on water.  That was the closest to a name that I could come up with, so there we have it!

I got to use several of my absolute favorite colors with this mani.

L-R: Kleancolor Jazz Olive, Metallic Sapphire, Fashionista, Metallic Purple

The base is Kleancolor Jazz Olive - a color I love!  I stamped using plate A59, Kleancolor Fashionista, and Kleancolor Metallic Sapphire.  Fashionista must be one of the strangest colors that I've ever picked up (I've heard it described as "swampy").  I was excited to finally work it into a design.  Finally, I used a portion of one of the designs of Konad Plate M78 and Kleancolor Metallic Purple to stamp the semi-circular accents.

I love the texture this combo creates!  Thanks for reading, Konaddicts!

Peacock Feather Nails

I love the peacock pattern on BM 212!  I had to experiment a while to get a look I liked, but I'm happy with my final result.

I started with two coats of Cover Girl Boundless Color in 603 Bronze Beauty.  I stamped the peacock pattern using BM212 in Kleancolor Military Green.

 I used a dotting tool to make a big dot in the center of each "eye" with Sally Hansen Insta Dri Blue Blast.  I used a smaller dotting tool to make another dot on top of that one with Kleancolor Metallic Sapphire.

What a beautiful and inspiring bird - and what a fun plate!

Strut your stuff, Konaddicts!

Leopard Nails

I should be doing my nails right now (especially after the week I've had).  Instead, I'm about to move furniture to prepare to have my carpets cleaned - argh! So, I reached into my archives and pulled out...a leopard!

This is my take on leopard nails.  Pure Ice Georgia Peach is the base (it's the same base I used for my Giraffe Nails).  I stamped the spots using Konad M57 and Milani Black Magic.  I filled them in using a pin and Revlon Copper Gleam.

I have to admit that I loved sporting my leopard nails!  They made me feel kind of fierce!

Be well, Konaddicts, and get your growl on!

Hello Kitty Nails

Today, I'm wearing Hello Kitty Nails!  You're never too old for Hello Kitty - or, at least, I'm sure I might be one day signing myself into a nursing home using my Hello Kitty pen. :)

Here's what I used for this design:

Two coats of Love My Nails Angel is the white base.  It's a pretty pearly and shiny color (although a bit streaky).  I stamped Kitty using Milani Black Magic and unbranded plate B87 (mine came from Beautiful Scratchers). I made the polka dots (and filled in Kitty's bow) with a dotting tool using Love My Nails Rosebud, True Lilac, and Berry Nice.

I hope you like it!  Thanks for reading!

Christmas Wreath Nails

This mani was inspired by all of the lovely Christmas wreaths around this time of year.  I started with a base of Sally Hansen Insta Dri Jade Jump.  I stamped the leaves with Kleancolor Military Green using Konad Plate M83.  I painted a stripe of Jade Jump over the pattern to serve as a background for my bow.  Finally, I stamped the bow with Insta Dri in Racin' Red using Konad M56.   

Ah...this mani reminds me of winter trips through the mountains and deep breaths of clean mountain air.  I think we could probably all use a deep breath in this holiday rush! Take care, Konaddicts!

My little dog, Barley, is also doing her impression of a wreath. :)