Summer Challenge Day 26 - Euro 2012 Football (Soccer!)

Hey Everyone.  Let me warn you now, not having much lunch lately with the Challenge, this one started out with so much potential but quickly all went down hill.  I had a really good idea of a flaming soccer ball... what I got was a globby mess.  But if you can look past that, I actually don't mind the rest of the design.  I was going for a impressionist feel for the green field and lines.  Then the flaming soccer ball glob of gooey mess... It also reminds me how much I really need to get another green polish.

Colours used was Ulta3 Lagoon and Bundle Monster Image plates BM-312 (flaming ball) and BM-316 (lines)

I hope you can see what I was trying to achieve here.

Thanks for looking, see you next time.  I promise the next one is heaps better!

xx Karen

Next...

Day 28 - Independence Day (Stars & Stripes)

Hi again,  just thought i needed to add a disclaimer here... I toyed with the idea of leaving these last two posts out.  I didn't like them one bit, but felt I still needed to share them.  I guess what I'm trying to show (and using my own fails as an example) that no one is perfect.  It's all part of the fun of nail art.

xKaren

Summer Challenge Day 21 - Picnic

Hello!!

I am soooo far behind in this Summer Challenge. But here is the next installment, my version of a Picnic theme...

I was thinking of a pink picnic cloth and this was the closest stamping plate I had with a plaid pattern. 

What do you think?

I used OPI Mod About You and Ulta3 Plum Violet to make the gradient base. Then stamped with OB24 plate to get the plaid (purchased at this blog sale) and the Cherry was from a plate which was a complimentary gift with a scrapper I purchased ages ago (sorry, dunno the brand).

Well I hope you like it.  I actually like the final look of this one.

xx Karen

Next...

Day 22 - Wimbledon

(anyone for tennis?)

Summer Challenge Day 16 - LadyBird

I present to you...

The Ladybug? or Ladybird :P

Personally this is one of my favourite reds - OPI's Vodka & Caviar, I used two coats of this.  And on my on my ring finger I used two coats of Ulta3 in Lagoon (picture below).

I used Konad Image Plate m79 (the dots), Bundle Monster Image plates BM13 (the lady bug) & BM19 (the leafy background) for the ring finger.  I used Seche Vite for my top top.

And that's it.  I was disappointed the ladybug didn't turn out the way I'd hoped. It was a stamp! how could I possible get that wrong!? well I did, and it's there, just looks very dark in the photo's.  On the brighter side I did like the other nails, they turned out well :)

So let me know what you think. 

Next ...

Hippie / Retro / Summer love

(I'm not generally a rainbow fan, but this was fun)

See you next time.

xx Karen

Summer Challenge Day 13 - Summer Fete

Wow... I tried a new technique that's been floating around lately.  Have you heard of Sugar Spun?

I first saw this technique by xoxoalexisleigh and she has a really good YouTube tutorial, however I don't think my nails turned out quite as nice.

The idea behind this design is Fairy Floss, because whenever I thinking of Summer Fete's, I think of the Pink Fairy Floss machine :)

Try not to look too close, and it makes me feel better if you squint your eyes, so the pictures blurry... here's the end result:

Colours I used for this design were:

Sally Hansen Yellow Kitty and

Ulta3 bo peep (which I picked up for $2 at the post office shop)

I chose not to put top coat on, because even the end result was a disaster, i like the 3D affect.









It was sure interesting trying to learn the new technique and I found it did waste a lot of polish (hence why i went for a cheaper pink), my first attempt I used OPI's Kiss Me on The Tulips, that was even worse (can you imagine!) and so reached for a cheaper bottle on my second attempt.

Well i hope it wasn't too difficult to look at. Let me know how you've tried this technique and what you think of it.

Next...

Day 14 - Gardening 

(had a lot fun with this one, lotsa stamping :D )

see you next time :)

xx Karen