Victorian Flowers

So I'm cruising around Google images looking for inspiration when I came across this photo. Isn't it pretty?  Being spring and a lover of lilacs I have found my inspiration.

This photo kinda reminded me of a newspaper nail/pink rose tutorial by Robin Moses which I promptly checked out so shout out to Robin for some of the inspiration of this manicure.

I painted the pallet last night.  That is the base for this design.  Two coats of a noname white polish then a frankenpolish mix of browns and golds to give  the white an antique look.  Other than the base, all the rest of the painting was done with acrylics.

I did do the newspaper deal to the nails but with all the painting I did you really can't see.  

I started by painting brownish stems for the roses and greenish stems for the lilacs.  A couple of color coordinated leaves where painted in too.

Some of the newsprint is visible on this nail.

The roses were painted with pinks and the lilacs with purples.  Duh.  Job finished with a clear coat to seal in the design.

I am just tickled pink over this mani.  I can't get over just how gorgeous it looks in person.

Notice my cuticles are not yet fully recovered from the massacre.  :-(

Crocus Inspired Concrete Nails

Crocus, concrete?  crocus, concrete?  crocus, concrete?  Um yup!

Originally I was thinking Spring when I saw the crocus in bloom next to my front porch.  But I wanted to use the sand again because I really like the way the texture feels.  I know, it is the damnedest thing since I'm such a buff for a simple creme colored mani.  Anywho I decided "to hell with it" and just rolled with it.

Enough of the jabber, here's a list of the supplies used;

Base Coat
White Polish
Acrylic Paints
White Crafting Sand
The Best Glue Ever
Top Coat

Follow the jump for more....

Cherry blossoms

More like implied cherry blossoms. Did this mani 6 days ago and forgot to photo then so there in lies the explanation for it looking worn. (I've been a bit busy with my zoo.)

 I started with a base coat and two coats of white/black. I used two pink polishes and my fan brush to make an angled french tip then hand-painted on the branches and cherry blossoms. Shout out to Robin Moses for making this look simpler than it is!!!

Peacocks Nails

This was my first and so far only attempt at peacock nails.  Standard black base and the feathers were done with acrylics.

While they are far from perfect I did find this to be an easy design to paint once I got in my groove.