52wkCrumpet36: Plaid - red, orange, green

This is a red-orange-green based gel mani with accents nails in plaid. Kind of a skittlette, am enjoying the mix-up of patterns and ideas (as long as the colours flow together).

I chose a nude shimmery base for the floral pattern. These nails were matted when done.The plaid has the same base but then layered up with red, green and yellow (overlapping to make the orange).

A couple of nails I left in the dark green, and tried out some studs as well. I like it!

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52wkCrumpet35: Patchwork

This is my interpretation of patchwork! Deliberately not exact with patches of colour. I seem to be in to non-matching manis at the moment, could be a time thing. I am also trialing new products and ideas so need to guinea-pig myself sometimes!

This is all in gel, the base is a light grey and I used forest green, dark grey, crimson and pastel yellow for the patches. I added some gold flakes and Swarovskis on two fingers. I mixed and added some gold glitter before outlining the patches in black. These were then done in relief with gel powder.

My other hand has a similar base but I wanted to try my new Options Aurora pewter sparkle gel! So groovy!

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52wkCrumpet34: Lilac and teal

This is a very hard mani to photograph, hence only two somewhat useable pics. The colours are not as pink, definitely more lilac. In the photos and in some natural lighting, this pink lilac makes your cuticle area look bleedy. Maybe it is just my skin tone.  I did some fine line mermaid stuff on an accent. This is a gel gradiant mani.

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52wkCrumpet33: Taupe

This is week 33 of Crumpet's 52 week challenge! The "rules" are very flexible and you have all week to accomplish the mani. As always, must be done on your own nails, using the colours suggested (or parts thereof).
This week's prompt: Paisley and taupe (either each alone or combined). I chose taupe and did a floral skittlette.

First off, this is a difficult mani to photograph! Don't know why, but almost all the pics are out of focus. Must be the white flowers goofing everything up. the base is China Glaze Foie Gras. Basically You Don't Know Jacques from another label. I have that one, too, but this bottle was in front on the shelf!!

One nail on each hand has a coat of China Glaze Electrify glitter. The flowers are in white with accents in SpaRitual Golden Gleam. There is some Electify thrown around the flowers as well. Top coated twice.

I really like this and it looks much better in real life without a macro lens!!Nice for autumn but with some happy flowers!!

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52wkCrumpet32: Outline and orange

This is week 32 of Crumpet's 52 week challenge! The "rules" are very flexible and you have all week to accomplish the mani. As always, must be done on your own nails, using the colours suggested (or parts thereof).
This week's prompt: Outlines and orange (either each alone or combined). I combined both.

The base is Sephora by OPI beige. I needed something for shadowing. Then black and orange (Orly Holla) was sponged over the nail randomly. This was topped very very gently with Orly RIP (a black jelly orange glitter). Really only to soften the beige. The whole nail was then topped with Nfu Oh 49, an orange flakie.

Using acrylic paint I drew frame outlines on one hand. Just not enough time to do both, very time consuming on the none dominant hand. I think outlines are difficult on yourself regardless. Or I am just too busy and need to get it done!

I like how the flakie adds orange dimension and resembles falling leaves here in autumn. Don't know if I'll wear this long, though. Really miss my last neon mani - still looked so good, hated to let that one go!

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52wkCrumpet31: Three neons

This is week 31 of Crumpet's 52 week challenge! The "rules" are very flexible and you have all week to accomplish the mani. As always, must be done on your own nails, using the colours suggested (or parts thereof).
This week's prompt: Oceanic and three neons (either each alone or combined). I chose the three neons and did a gel gradation skittlette design.

The base was a Luxio nude. On my left hand, two nails were painted in black then topped with a matte top coat. The inverted French were gradiented painted in neon pink and orange and I used the same technique for the flowers. The pinkie is a gradation of neon blue and black. Then I used a 3D technique to add some relief to the flower outlines and the French smile lines. And added Swarovski crystals for good measure!

On my right hand I created a full gradation mani from black through orange (and the tiniest bit of yellow). Note the big groovy heart crystal!! This is the first time for me to wear a larger crystal. I embedded it in clear gel and hope it will last! Though not soooo autumnal, I like the brights!!

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52wkCrumpet30: Indie

This is week 30 of Crumpet's 52 week challenge! The "rules" are very flexible and you have all week to accomplish the mani. As always, must be done on your own nails, using the colours suggested (or parts thereof).
This week's prompt: Neon and Indie (either each alone or combined). Since there is a neon prompt next week, I chose Indie polishes and created an Anzac Day skittlette mani for this holiday weekend.

That base is a natural gel. The white is Mayonnaise from ManGlaze. I love this white and hardly use it as I only have one bottle. You can only buy it in the States and they do not ship overseas. The white has a gorgeous shimmer to it and dries matte. But the top coat really brings out the shine! I wish I could get another bottle as this one is getting low.

The red is piCture pOlish Frank-n-Furter from their Rocky Horror collection. A great tomato blood red. The tips are freehand, the poppies are a mixture of Frank-n-Furter and white and dabbed on. Basic black for the lines. I am set for the Anzac Day weekend – don't know if I will be up at dawn, but we will remember.

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52wkCrumpet29: Negative space and pastels

This is week 29 of Crumpet's 52 week challenge! The "rules" are very flexible and you have all week to accomplish the mani. As always, must be done on your own nails, using the colours suggested (or parts thereof).
This week's prompt: Negative space and three pastel colours (either each alone or combined). I chose the combo and this is in Luxio gel polish. I am off to a Luxio Nail and Art Workshop this coming weekend and needed a gel mani.

The base is a nude gel. Next came the handdrawn French tips, with a negative space (line) created within the French.

I drew some simple flowers in alternating colours of the pastels, and in random spots on my nails. All was topped and cured and I am ready to go for this week!!

If you are wondering, I am holding a quince. We have a very old quince tree on our property and the fruit is massive, yellow and smells wonderful.

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52wkCrumpet28: Burgundy-maroon

This is week 28 of Crumpet's 52 week challenge! The "rules" are very flexible and you have all week to accomplish the mani. As always, must be done on your own nails, using the colours suggested (or parts thereof).
This week's prompt: Needle drag and Burgundy-maroon (either each alone or combined). I chose Burgundy-maroon as it is harvest time on all the vineyards – lots of pinot grapes being picked! And it is autumn and I felt like a more luxurious colour combo.

This is a Luxio 100% gel mani and untrieds for me. The burgundy is deep pigmented but with shimmer. Really pretty when it catches the light. On four alternating accents I applied a concrete grey. Two coats each.

Using fine brushed I drew a diagonal French on the grey nails. Then I added a fine line in a glittery blue and some petals. Then I topped with a Swarovski crystal and cured with top coat. I am starting to embrace and enjoy all the rhinestones-crystal-embellishments. Curing in gel really 1) makes them stay on for weeks and 2) leaves no edges to catch on hair or sweaters or anything else.

Am becoming a gel nail art snob!! Am getting addicted to the smoothness of the gel and all the possibilities with the gel. Bye girls till next time!

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52wkCrumpet27: Not worn enough

This is week 27 of Crumpet's 52 week challenge! The "rules" are very flexible and you have all week to accomplish the mani. As always, must be done on your own nails, using the colours suggested (or parts thereof).
This week's prompt: Music and Not worn enough (either each alone or combined). I chose Not worn enough as I had spied this old green a couple of weeks ago and thought "I need to use this again sometime". Today is the day!

This is a one coat base of China Glaze Agro (Hunger Games collection). I love this green!! The hue is an antique metallic shimmer, going into olive green. Fab fall-autumn colour. Very rich and a bit medieval (go Game of Thrones!). I wore it heaps a couple of years ago then stopped. Too many polishes, not enough days.

When this was dry I used acrylic paint and drew flower-fronds in grey shades all over. I like the grey-green combo. Out the Door sealed the deal. This is one of those manis I really like on myself and others. For some reason, painted flowers always look elegant and in some way artistic. I try other things, but always come back to something like this.

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52wkCrumpet26: Mosaic-Stained Glass

Yay!!! Halfway!
This is week 26 of Crumpet's 52 week challenge! The "rules" are very flexible and you have all week to accomplish the mani. As always, must be done on your own nails, using the colours suggested (or parts thereof).
This week's prompt: Mosaic-Stained Glass, and pink and orange (either each alone or combined). I chose mosaic. It is getting very cold and autumnal here so not much in the mood for pinks.

I started with a kind of skittlette of alternating CND Blue Rapture and CND Dark Lava. I haven't worn CND Vinylux for a while so thought I would bring it out again. From the start I had decided to do mosaic-stained glass on only my left hand. We had a holiday yesterday so another short week and I have too much to do to devote heaps of time to doing my nails. Oh well.

I wanted to do a bit of a churchyard scene so first drew the outline of the church and yard in black acrylic paint.  Then I added the colours for the stained glass windows, crossed the crosses and added sky. When all was done I added some Dark Lava to the church to tie the colouring together. Two coats of top coat on the painting as the acrylic paint was bumpy, otherwise one.

As almost always, from a distance the stained glass looks much better than in close up scrutiny! And I love the regal purple shimmer, works well with the smoky blue. I probably should have done mosaics on all nails but honestly didn't feel like it and wanted to do a landscape this week. Hope all is well, girls! Thx for reading!

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