31 Day Challenge - Day 26 - Pattern

This one is a bit of stretch.... But I knew at some point I would HAVE to do CatDog. So my coorelation is that there is pattern to the entire cartoon. Everything is half and half, like their house is half fish and half bone, the wallpaper will be part cat and part dog themed. And basically all of the plots revolve around the same pattern. Dog is silly and dumb, while cat is the mastermind. So just go with me here....

My cousin was in town visiting and she's been my gracious hand model for previous cartoon manicures. She volunteered again. Am I just delusional? Or do our hands/nails look similar? Even our nail beds are the same shape. I guess it just proves that we are in fact related!

Here I did the sign that is behind them in the intro shots. All done with acrylic paints. 

The base polish is Essie Navigate Her.

Then on the other hand I painted their body stretching across her nails. It made for a really cool french tip on the middle nail. :)

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IDOL MAGAZINE

The theme was kitsch..

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SPITALFIELDS MARKET!

Here is what our stall looked like at Spitalfields Market on Tuesday! Wednesday we had a slightly different (better!) set up - we had a long nail bar going along all one side of the stall - but unfortunately we were a bit run off our feet and didn't get a chance to take a picture! 

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PATTERNS

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Coral-Reefined with Striping Tape

I wanted to play more with the striping tape I received from Born Pretty. This time I used the silver tape and did accent nails with horizontal stripes down the entire length of the nail. It was very tedious, but totally worth it!

The polish I used is Coral Reef-ined from the Balm's line of "Hot Ticket" nail polish.
I picked it up on Hautelook last month for $5.

I switched up what nails were the accents on each hand.

This was my first Balm nail polish to try and I was really impressed. The formula was great! 2 easy coats and the coverage is perfect and self levels to this. :)

The striping tape did start to lift at the edges after 8 hours or so. I lost a few pieces of tape, they just curled up and came off. (Despite the fact that I had put a layer of Seche Vite over the accent nails) Every couple of hours a new piece of tape would come off, but I just keep going about my business. After 24 hours of wear-time, all of my tape was gone. Either it had curled up and off, or I picked at it and peeled it off. I can't seem to get striping tape to last too long. Does anyone else have similar issues?

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31 Day Challenge - Day 29 - Supernatural

Again, I'm going out of order, but just deal with it. I'll cover them all in the end.

A unicorn is supernatural correct? I'm taking it from the definition of  "being seemingly against the laws of nature." This is Buttercup the Unicorn from Toy Story 3.

This is the sweetest supernatural thing I've seen in...... maybe forever. 

I first painted my nails with China Glaze Lemon Fizz, then China Glaze Crackle Lightening Bolt. Then I did a coat of Sally Hansen Glass Slipper for an extra magical quality. I freehanded Buttercup with acrylic paints.

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Mash Up

I recently bought the M.A.S.H. image plates. I think they have released 2 sets, well I bought just the 2nd set. 25 plates for $12.99? Yeah, it's a great deal.

This is a look I tried first. China Glaze Shower Together with a gradient fade into Barielle Swizzle Stix. Then I stamped China Glaze 2030 using the MASH 43 image plate.

It  proved to be nearly impossible to photograph, but so is pretty much everything at my new place. I'm having a hard time finding the best set up....

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BOOM NAILS AT SPITALFIELDS MARKET!

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31 Day Challenge - Day 27 - Inspired by Artwork

I realize I'm going out of order, but I haven't had time to execute my idea for "inspired by a pattern" just yet, so rather than sit on these pictures.... I wanted to show them to you and I'll come back to Day 21 when I get done. ;) My blog, my rules. Lol

Artwork.... Cartoons..... Sonoma Nail Art hit the nail on the head when she suggested the Gargoyles from The Hunchback of Notre Dame! Wonderful idea! Thanks again Michelle!

The base polish is Zoya Kristen stamped with Barielle Coco Bar and the bundle monster pebble image. All of the Gargoyle art was done with acrylic paints.

Left is Hugo

Middle is Victor

Right is Lavergne

 So I haven't forgotten about the challenge, I've just been scatter brained.

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Born Pretty Store - Striping Tape - Design & Review

Reviewing another product from the Born Pretty Store. This time it's the Striping Tape you can find here in a pack of 12 different colors for $6.29. I've recently seen a lot of new nail art looks that are featuring striping tape, so I was excited to try it myself. 

I wanted to recreate this look in particular. Her's was much neater and better photographed, but this isn't a contest, right? Enjoy.

I used the gold striping tape from Born Pretty. The polishes I used were Sally Hansen Lavender Cloud, China Glaze For Audrey, and Essie Navigate Her.

As far as a review goes.... The tape was very easy to use. Same concept as using Scotch Tape on your nails, but without the pain of having to cut it into tiny strips. I just cut off a small section big enough that it would over lap the edge of my nail. Then I came in close with a pair of cuticle nippers to cut it exactly to the edge. The tape adheres well and lies flat under top coat. I didn't have any trouble until day 2 of my manicure when the topcoat had worn off some and the edges of the tape were exposed and started getting caught on everything.

I also got some Bullion Beads from Born Pretty, that's coming up next!

And you can get 10% off by using my coupon code!

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31 Day Challenge - Day 25 - Inspired by Fashion

What better cartoon fashion than Cinderella's Glass Slipper? I had no choice but to use Sinful Colors Cinderella and Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Glass Slipper! 

I used Color Club Starry Temptress Topcoat and China Glaze Fairy Dust for my little glitter swirls on the other nails. 

Here is a gif tutorial of how I painted the thumb nail.

And some pictures of Cinderella before the nail art, just because....Disney Princess Cinderella Night-Light By Idea NuovaDisney Princess Cinderella Night-Light By Idea Nuova

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31 Day Challenge - Day 24 - Inspired by a Book

My mother actually works at the local library in specialized program within the children's department. She told me about this book a while ago, and it's stuck in my memory. My memory was jogged, when a follower suggested any of Mo Willem's books because she's a school teacher and all of her students love his work. She mentioned the characters Gerald and Piggy, but I knew I'd have to focus on the Pigeon!

The book cover is shown below. "Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus!" basically, the entire book is the Pigeon just begging to drive the bus. Little kids love it because they catch on quickly and like to participate by telling the Pigeon, "No!"

Description from the website:

"When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place —- a pigeon! But you’ve never met one like this before. As he pleads, wheedles, and begs his way through the book, children will love being able to answer back and decide his fate. In his hilarious picture book debut, popular cartoonist Mo Willems perfectly captures a preschooler’s temper tantrum."   

I just love the muted color palette too, it's really nice! 

Lettering is always a problem with me. I barely managed to squeeze on that "S."

And Pigeon! The background color is China Glaze Sunset Sail. I also used acrylic paint in black, white, and yellow. Pigeon's body is China Glaze Sea Spray.

So remember, don't let the pigeon drive the bus! No matter what he says!

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