Nice Caboose!

I'm glad this week is over.  It has been a long week.  It definitely felt like I was burning the candle at both ends.  Too many projects and events, and what felt like no time to do them.  Tonight I am relaxing at home, cuddling with my dogs, and watching some TV.

This week I wanted to do something for Halloween.  I started with two coats of China Glaze Nice Caboose!  It is a great berry red color.  Perfect for fall or winter.  On top of that, I stamped the different images using Konad special polish in black and plates BM13 and Mash-38.  However, the spider image from Mash-38 isn't in the image here, as it is on my thumb.

I love this one.  The color is fabulous and the image is rather subtle.  You don't notice it until you are really close.

I already have an idea for this next mani.  Check back later to see what I come up with.

Until later,

Chess

For Audrey

This has been a crazy week.  I got sick this last weekend and ended up calling off work Tuesday to go to the doctor.  She didn't really have an idea of what the problem is, and gave me a prescription for antibiotics and an antihistamine.  I'm feeling only marginally better.

Then we had our steampunk meeting and had great discussions, food, and I sold a piece of jewelry.  I am a tiny bit closer to paying for my General Skills training in August.

Friday night I taught my first yoga class!  It was fabulous!  I really appreciate my students who allowed me to test out my first class on them.

This week I ironically did a mani that celebrated Audrey Hepburn's 85th birthday.  I started with two coats of China Glaze For Audrey.  It is a perfect Tiffany's blue.  Then I stamped on the dots using plate Mash-25 and Mash special polish in white.  Then I stamped on the bow image with plate BM-317 and Mash special polish in white.

I'm very happy with how this one turned out.

Until later,

Chess

Can't Find My Czechbook

This week has been rather long a frustrating on many levels.  I think I really need to take a vacation, but I always hate coming back to a huge pile of work.  It doesn't truly feel like a vacation. I found out some rough news at work, that really simply forces me to continue looking for something else, so any well wishes and such would be appreciated.

Now, on to better things.

I have been so exhausted lately that I haven't felt very creative when it comes to my manicures.  It's all I can do to figure out which color I want to wear, and then try to figure out something to do with it.

This week I decided to go with a bright blue, as I am experiencing some pretty strong spring fever.  The color is gorgeous, but I was having a rough time getting the image to transfer.  Maybe it is the special polish I used, or maybe since I'm not really feeling it right now, it was just fighting me.  The reason I tell you this is that maybe someone new might experience the same problems.  Even someone more experienced has problems with the stamping plates.  Keep practicing and it will get easier.

I started off with three coats of OPI Can't Find My Czechbook.  Then, I stamped on the two different images using plate BM-317 and Mash special polish in white.

I am hoping this next one I do will work much better.

What do you think?

Chess

Fancy Pants

I am starting off my weekend right.  I already went to yoga and picked up some fresh, yummy food for the weekend.  It will be another long weekend of belly dance and yoga, with the usual chores in between.  On top of belly dance class, we also have rehearsal for our upcoming performance.  I'm excited to finally be able to perform, and now all my friends and family who keep asking about what I do can see it too.

This week I wanted to use a slightly brighter color.  I'm extremely ready for summer and the warmer weather that comes with the season.

I started off with three coats of China Glaze Fancy Pants.  It is a bright blue with a red shimmer that turns the color more purple in some light.  Then I used plate Mash-49 and the Konad special polish in black to stamp on the image.  Finally, I topped it all of with Diamond Dry.

I really like this color.  It is the perfect blend of color and shimmer.  What do you think?

Until later,

Chess

Charmed, I'm sure

Yoga is going quite well.  I'm doing great with the memorization now, and I'm excited for the upcoming weekend.  We are going on a mini retreat so I will be able to get away from everything for a couple days.

Work has been stressful once again.  Quite frankly it is time to get out of there, but I have had no luck with any applications I have put out there.

This week, my inspiration was actually more from yoga.  The images I used remind me of some things that we have been talking about in classes.

I started off with three coats of China Glaze Charmed, I'm Sure.  After that dried I stamped on the two different images using Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Silver Sweep and plates Mash-35, for the lotus flower, and BM-409, for the tree.  The flower had a little more to the image, but I strategically placed the polish on the plate so I could get just the flower part.

After everything dried, I used the Diamond Dry, like usual.  Unfortunately I forgot to not drag the brush across the image heavily, and it smeared the image on my little finger.  Better luck remembering next time, I suppose.

I hope you like this one as much as I do.

Until later,

Chess

Custom Kicks

This week, I tried very hard to make my mani match a teal green shirt I own.  It is one of my favorites.  I came pretty close, though the pictures just don't do it justice.

I started with a couple layers of China Glaze Custom Kicks.  Then I added a layer of Icing Peak A Blue.  Custom Kicks is a green teal and Peak A Blue is a light blue with micro sparkles.  The color matched the shirt  almost exactly.

After that dried, I stamped on the lotus image using plate BM05 and Mash special polish in white.  I topped it off with the Diamond Dri.

Until later,

Chess

Beads and Jewels

I'm glad this week is over.  It was slightly shortened from my time off over the long weekend we spent working on our main bathroom.  It looks so much better now, but I would love to have more time off still.  It didn't feel like time off because we were so busy the whole time.  I am very proud of what we managed to accomplish though.

This week, I wanted to go with something blue, and I had just received my new plates and special polish, so I figured I would use some of that, as well.  I started off with a couple coats of OPI I Saw...U Saw...Warsaw.  Then I stamped on the image using Konda plate m62 and Mash special polish in white.


I think I like the Konad special polish better than the Mash polish.  It wanted to dry a little too quickly, much like the issues I was having with regular nail polish.  However, the Konad special polish in white is harder to find, and more expensive.  So I will try a few more times before truly deciding.

I hope you like it.  Please let me know what you think below.

Until later,
Chess