Zebropard.

Here's a new Jungle Jan-y mani!

I got this Konad plate a while ago, but this is the first time I've used it.  It has a lot of great images, but this one is the reason I bought the plate.

For this mani, I started out with Color Club Silver Lake, a pale blue-grey.  After two coats, I took Zoya Harley (a lavender-grey) and brushed just a bit, from the cuticle toward the tip, with an almost dry brush in a random pattern.  Then I topped the color off with a coat of INM Out the Door Northern Lights quick dry top coat.

I did all of that last night, and then let the color cure over night.  I've found that stamping works better on a well-cured base.  This morning I got out my stamp, plate and Wet n' Wild Black Creme - my favorite black polish for stamping - and went to town.

After stamping and cleaning up around the edges, I topped it off with another coat of INM Out the Door Northern Lights.  I started with my right hand and didn't put enough top coat on the brush for the first few nails.  You can see below how it smudged the design, especially on the middle finger.

But using plenty of top coat on the remaining nails solved that problem.  One thing I love about the INM top coat is that even if I use so much that it pools around my cuticles, once it's dry it all settles nicely into place and doesn't look like it's pooled.  I also love that it doesn't cause shrinkage like Seche Vite, and doesn't dry out when the bottle's half gone.  And of course, the speed:  with this top coat, I can literally paint my nails and be knitting 10 minutes later! 

I didn't do a whole lot of nail stamping or nail posts last year, and I'm hoping to do more this year.  Jungle January is giving me a good start, because a lot of my favorite stamps are animal print!

Two Things.

Here's the shirt, with buttons but before washing out the markings - mostly for the sake of putting it on my 2013 FO page!  Nothing to add, except that Hubby came home right after I finished sewing on the last button and immediately tried it on with no prompting from me!  Such a good boy!

And for fun, here are a couple pics of a mani I did the other day and really liked.  The base is Misa Baby I Love You, and the tips are Zoya Ziv.  I really like how Ziv worked on the tips - it's slightly sheer and very sparkly, and I think it's a different look from the chrome polish I would normally use for this sort of thing.

Adding these tips extended my mani by a couple of days!  But I've found that the Misa polishes wear pretty well on their own as well.  I think this one is my perfect coral polish.

More feathers.

This time on my nails!

The other day I decided to try out Zoya Minka - an opaque nude - with the Mentality Holo topcoat I bought a few months ago.  The holo topcoat shows up much better on darker colors, but I still like it on the nude:

It was nice and sunny yesterday, so I took lots of pictures:

This morning I was getting ready to take it off and try something different, but decided instead to use a new stamp I got in December.  This is made by a small, indie stamp designer in Israel.  She calls her line (and blog) Nailz Craze, and this is plate NC01.  (Which looks like it may be out of stock at the moment, of course!  Isn't that always the way?)  It includes butterfly wings in large and small for both right and left hands, a peacock feather and a dandelion, along with some assorted heart motifs. 

I found the quality to be excellent on this stamp, and the price was reasonable.  The shipping took a while from Israel, but the designs are so unique I felt it was worth it.  The images are nice and big, and the plate itself is larger than the Konad and Bundle Monster plates I have.  In fact, the peacock feather is so large that it doesn't fit completely on my large stamper!  I tried to use varying parts of the design and mix it up, but I could stand some practice!  I stamped with Essie No More Film:

Looks nice with the new sock I'm knitting, tease tease!

It's Complicated

This is one of the most labor-intensive manis I've ever done.  But I think the result is worth the work!

I started out with two coats of China Glaze Cheers to You, from the holiday 2010 collection:  the shimmery, silvery counterpart to Midnight Kiss.  Once that was dry, I sponged the tips with Zoya Danii, then applied China Glaze Fast Forward topcoat.  Finally, after waiting about ten minutes, I stamped on the "shattered glass" design from Bundle Monster plate BM208 with Wet N' Wild Black Creme.  One more coat of Fast Forward, and then all I had to do was sit back and admire my nails for a while!

(colors are more accurate in this picture)

Purple Polkas

Do polka dots have anything to do with the polka dance?  Which came first?

Anyhooo . . . I did this stamping a while ago to cover up the tip wear I was getting on my mani.  I thought this one was pretty cute!

But the next time I use this stamp, I'd like to try it with two very different colors - like black and white - to give it a more Op Art feel.

Subtle Stamping

Here's a recent stamping I really like.  I love how the copper mesh pattern adds subtle texture to the pale pink polish:

We're having a nice respite of cooler weather here the last few days, and it's making my mind turn toward fall polishes.  But I'm pretty sure this isn't the end of summer yet!

Achooo!

Somehow I ended up with a cold, so I'm laying low today.  But I did have enough energy to do a little stamping on my nails:

I've been wanting to try out this stamp for a long time - not really sure why I haven't used it before.  I really like it!  I just picked up two of the colors from Essie's new Mirror Metallics collection (Penny Talk and Nothing Else Metals, a lilac chrome), and like most chrome finish polishes, they're great for stamping.

Against this red-violet, Penny Talk isn't showing up as copper as it really is, but I do like this combination.

You guys will probably be seeing a lot more stamping around here soon.  In a couple weeks, my niece will be arriving to spend the summer with us again!  Since I'm not likely to get a whole lot of sewing or knitting done during that time, I think stamping will be my art form of choice!

Long time, no stamp.

Let's fix that, shall we?

I wanted to get another day or two of wear from the polish I put on the other day, Zoya Farah.  So this morning I stamped it with Essie No More Film and Bundle Monster plate BM204.  I really like the brocade look of this image, and I think the blue-violet of the Essie looks great against the yellow-beige of the Zoya.

It's been quite a while since I stamped my nails, but I might just have to start it up again!

Scottish Hillside

I finished my skein of Rose Quartz yarn yesterday, and decided to rename it Scottish Hillside.  Thanks, Kirsty!

I thought I'd show what's involved in finishing up a skein of handspun yarn, and at the end I'll show you why I was so anxious to finish it!  It's a picture-heavy post again, but most of it is eye candy.

You may remember I was making a three-ply yarn, so I first had to spin up 3 bobbins of singles, i.e. the plies that make up the yarn:

Singles Meet-Up.
Couldn't resist!

Faux-keh.

More faux-keh.
Maybe someday I'll get a real camera
so I can do real bokeh!

The bobbins of singles go onto a lazy kate . . .

which goes next to the wheel . . .

and about an hour later, it's all plied into a full
bobbin of  3-ply.
(Sorry this one is so fuzzy.)

Then the yarn is wound off onto a
niddy-noddy to make a hank.
This is my favorite niddy-noddy.
It's the first one my dad ever made
me, when I first started spinning.

After it's removed from the niddy-noddy, the yarn gets
soaked for about a half hour.  This sets the twist and
also helps the yarn bloom.

Then it hangs to dry.  And now the hardest
part:  waiting!!

I couldn't resist inspecting my work
every hour or so!

Finally, the next morning it's mostly dry, and I can
twist it into a hank.

I got about 320 yards out of this piece of sliver.

And the heathery color mix shows up a lot more
than I was expecting it to, so I'm happy about that!

And of course, you've got to admire my
nails next to it.  I did a French mani with
Zoya Purity and Laurie, and then added
some Rococo Gold Leaf topcoat.  I feel
strangely conspicuous in a French mani -
I have't done one in probably 15 years!

That hank of yarn took quite a bit of work.  Each bobbin of singles took about 2.5 hours, the plying took over an hour, and the finishing took another half hour or so. So, about 9 hours for one hank of yarn, and it's not even wound into a skein yet! Good thing I enjoy spinning!

I think this yarn will become another Wholehearted shawl.  I'm not really sure it's enough, but I have at least another pound of this fiber, so I can always spin more if I need to!

And now the reason why I was so anxious to get this off my wheel.  Last week when I went to Vogue Fabrics to get buttons for my sweater, I discovered a bin of spinning fiber.  Uh-oh!  Look what I came home with:

I got three ounces of this.

Ah!  Those colors!

Be still my beating heart!

Look at this cute little curlicue!

I actually have enough spare bobbins that I could have started this right away, but I was a good girl and finished one project before starting another.  But you better believe I'll be starting this today!

While the cat's away . . .

The mouse is having a crafting week!

Hubby has gone to a week-long conference, so I've set aside the whole week to get some sewing done and also try to make some headway on my Winnie and Ava sweaters.

I've been planning this week since I found out Hubby would be gone, about 2 months ago.  My original plan was to start the Peony dress from scratch and finally conquer that pattern.  But as the time drew nearer, I decided that I'd rather work on the Clover pants.  These are both projects that will take a fair amount of effort and concentration, so having a wide-open space of time is essential for me.

Before I get started on the pants though, I have a couple other things I want to get done.  I started a new Ginger skirt yesterday while Hubby was getting ready to go, and I got quite a bit further than I'd expected to:

I just have to insert the zipper, finish the waistband and hem it.  Then I'll move on to a blouse pattern I've had since about 1999 - just a plain, button-up convertible collar blouse, but I've got a cute floral fabric that looks great with both this skirt and the Madeleine I finished several weeks ago (that I still owe modeled pictured of!).   This blue twill and the floral lawn are off-list sewing - these fabrics sort of fell into my basket last month while I was ordering fabric for a couple of things that are on the list!

The first go of the blouse is actually going to be a muslin to make sure the fit is OK, before I use the beautiful Anna Maria Horner voile I've been sitting on for a few months.  I'm not sure if I'll start the second blouse before I start the pants - we'll see how things go in the next day or two.  It's a pretty ambitious plan:

1 skirt
2 blouses
1 pair of pants

Hubby comes home Friday night!  So I'd better get cracking!

Oh, but before I do, take a look at this color:

I don't think the photo completely conveys the neon magnificence of this polish, but it almost does.  I'm totally in love with this!  It's Zoya Ali; I got it on sale for $4 a couple weeks ago at Ulta.  I really just bought it because it was cheap and pink, but now that I've tried it, I'm so glad I did!  I think this color makes me look tan.  And it definitely puts a smile on my face!

This is taking FOREVER!

This is still the first side of the collar!  I've still got another one to do, plus the belt and sewing the whole thing together!    Gah!

Let's distract ourselves with some pretty nails:

This is Zoya Cho, from the spring 2012 True collection.  It's a very pretty French vanilla with just  a hint of shimmer.  Not quite enough shimmer - so I added CND Jade Sparkle.

When I put this on last night I really had trouble with the application.  It went on streaky and patchy.  I wasn't sure the second coat evened it out, but this morning everything looked OK, so maybe it was the light.

I added the Jade Sparkle this morning, as I've found that I can get away with adding other polishes and quick-dry topcoats to Zoya on the second day without getting shrinkage.  I was surprised that it doesn't flash as green against this color as it does against darker colors - it's flashing more yellow.  Still pretty though!

Victory is mine!

I finally finished my taxes yesterday, so I'm giving myself a sewing day today!  Yay!

I'm starting the Victory Patterns Madeleine skirt.  I'll be doing this without the suspenders, but with the pockets.  Pockets!  Big ones!  Hurray!

I printed out my pattern on Tuesday, and this morning I trimmed all the pages while watching an old episode of Dragnet on Netflix:  it had three vintage commercials too!  Two for cigarettes (!) and one for Grape Nuts.  Yummy.  (The Grape Nuts, not the cigarettes.)

While that was going on, I washed and dried the red cotton twill I'll be using.  And now I'm putting the pages together:

I'm hoping to get my fabric cut out today, and then I'll have to go to the fabric store for a zipper.  I'm very excited.  I've been wanting a red full skirt for quite some time.  I think this one will have just the right amount of fullness for me - I find circle skirts make me look poufy in my tummy.  Because I am!

And I did stamp my nails yesterday.  They didn't look as great as they did in my mind:

Zoya Cassi
stamped with China Glaze Millennium
and Konad plate m66

And I got significant shrinkage because I used Seche Vite topcoat.  I've found that Zoya polishes can take a coat of Seche Vite on the second day without shrinking, but if I use it on the first day, it's just asking for trouble.

Cassi

I haven't done many nail posts this year, mostly because it seems that any time I have a mani worth showing, I don't have enough light to take a picture!  But this morning I put on a new color that I love, AND there was sunshine!

Zoya Cassi

Until recently, I was pretty opposed to the color peach (and its sister, apricot).  I think mostly because it always calls to mind a particularly horrific sweater I knit when I was a teenager.  Imagine this:  a sweater in the best early 1980's faux-1880s style, done in peach acrylic sport weight yarn.  The body of the sweater is fan and feather stitch to just above the bust, where it becomes stockinette, transitioning into a high neck with keyhole opening at the back, closing with faux pearl buttons. Now, here's where it really gets bad. Leg-o-mutton sleeves:  fitted stockinette up to the elbow, poufing out in fan and feather and gathered at the shoulder.

I'll pause while you shudder and reach for the mind bleach.

So it's taken over 30 years for me to come back around to this color, but suddenly I can't get enough of it.  The only color I was interested in from the spring Essie collection was the peach.  I went to Walgreen's every day for half a week until they finally put it on the shelf.  And I got this polish when I ordered Zoya's spring collection, to put me in free shipping territory.

I don't think it's the best color on my skin tone, but I do really like it.  It has a subtle silver shimmer that doesn't go away when it dries, like some of the Zoya shimmers. It did take me three coats to get the color and opacity I like, but since I'm procrastinating about starting on my taxes, I didn't mind spending the extra time.

I'm thinking that later I may do some silver stamping over this.  Will report back.

Copycat

I totally copied this from something I saw on Pinterest:

Zoya Avery and China Glaze Electric Pineapple*

The pin I copied used pale grey and vibrant yellow, but I like the unexpected combination of putty and neon chartreuse.  I did this because I was wearing Avery and got permanent marker on one of my nails.  I decided to cover it up with the chartreuse, and ended up loving this look more than I expected to! 

Alternate color combinations are now running through my head . . .


*Sorry for the cuticle dryness; I conditioned my cuticles later and took more pictures, but by then the light had gone and this one shows the colors the best.

(Polish) Change is Good

It took me about five minutes to get tired of the blue nails.  I'm not really sure that periwinkle shade works for me.  So last night I took it off and tried out something that's been in my mind for a little while.  I started out with two coats of Zoya Christina, a sheer frosty white, and then topped that with two coats of Essie Luxeffects As Gold as it Gets:

LOVE!!  In addition to loving how it looks, I love that I've found a way to wear Christina that I like.  It was one of the first Zoya polishes I ever got, and I was pretty disappointed with it when I put it on.  It's supposed to have some silver shimmer, but it really just comes across as frosty white - very '70s.  It doesn't apply evenly either.  But I'm absolutely loving it with the gold on top.

This morning I decided to up the ante and add on some gold chrome tips:

Double love!  This is my favorite mani of 2012 (hahaha)!  On my right hand, I made some tip guides with tape and craft scissors (the "cloud" shape from Fiskars), but on my left hand (shown) I just did the tips freehand, and they actually look better than the ones I did with tape.  I'm pretty proud of myself to tell the truth - these are the first freehand tips I've done in at least 10 years.  I used to give myself French manis all the time back in the '90s when I had long nails, but it does take some practice.  Not sure I could do it on my right hand though!

One of the things I love about this is that the texture of the glitter shows through the gold tips on close inspection, so it almost gives it a hammered metal look:

Triple love!  Now I feel like I don't want to do anything because I don't want to mess up my pretty, pretty nails!  But I think I'll see if I can get Hubby's shirt finished, so I can clean up my dining room!

Can't help myself!

Just did my first nail stamping of 2012!  Yay!

Zoya Kennedy
Bundle Monster plate 215
China Glaze Millennium

I am really in love with Kennedy; I find it to be a very unique beige-pink.  And with silver:  even better! I wish I had some fabric just like this.  Wouldn't it make a fabulous blouse?

Golden Tiger

Heh.  Sounds like the name of a sushi roll.  The special kind, that has its own section on the menu and  costs twice as much as the regular kind.

But it's really my nails:

I started out with Zoya Tao, but got kind of bored with all that grey.  So I stamped on the tiger design from Konad plate m69 with China Glaze 2030.

Now I'm ready to pounce on the day.

Weekend Update

Hi Folks!  Back to the grind, eh?  I have lots of things I need to do today, but I wanted to show a couple of the things I accomplished over the weekend.

First off, I finished the first front of my 1958 sweater and started the second one! It's coming along so nicely:

I've already steam blocked these two pieces.

Yesterday, I finally sat down and began my muslin for the Peony dress.  A real, honest-to-goodness muslin, made out of actual muslin fabric!  My first time ever! This dress needs it; in contrast to most of the other things I've made, the fit is important on this one.  I'm only doing a muslin of the bodice though:

I traced out and cut a size two, and then ended up moving the lower front darts one inch out toward the side seams, and shortening the bust dart by one inch:

The fit is almost there, but there is a little poufiness in the stomach area that I'm not quite sure how to deal with.  I'm continuing to read the chapter on fitting in the Colette Sewing Handbook, so I'm hoping to find some info that will help me correct that.  This is the first time I'm making significant changes to a pattern, and I'm a little scared but also proud of myself!

Finally, after all the knitting and sewing were done, I sat down and put this on:

Zoya Kristen, Feel Collection winter 2011

Isn't that lovely?  The color changes depending on the light, sometimes leaning grey and other times leaning almost aqua.  I can't stop looking at it!