Nail Art Stamping!

So, this month, I tried nail art stamping for the first time ever!

One of my nail stamping experiments! 

Shopping for supplies... 

I purchased some supplies online at the after-Christmas sales - using the lists of included items from various starter kits to work out what I would need. (I could have ordered a starter kit - but I wanted to choose which image plates/pictures I would get - and the prices for kits and for the same list of separate ingredients weren't a lot different).

My supplies! 

The Konad 'special polish' =D

I ordered a double-sided stamp tool, a scraper tool, an image plate holder, some image plates, and a bottle of special polish (all Konad brand, as it seemed to have the best online reviews).

Stamping for the first time... 

I was so excited when my order arrived a couple of weeks later! I immediately began to experiment!

The first step in nail art stamping is to paint your nails with a base coat or regular nail polish. Once your nails are dry, you paint over your desired image on the metal image plate with the special extra-thick stamping polish, and scrape the excess polish off the plate with the scraper tool (so that the polish in the grooves of the image remains, but the rest is scraped off). Then you pick the image up with your stamp tool, and transfer it to your nail using either a gentle rolling motion, or by pressing and lifting.

At first, I found it hard to get the hang of stamping quickly enough - and the special polish dried on the image plate, or on the stamp before I could get it onto my nail! (I'm used to going slowly and carefully when it comes to nail art - but nail art stamping really requires you to race!) I got the hang of it after a few failed attempts, though - and the results really impressed me!

Stamping experiments!

Things I've learned...

1. The designs come out really detailed and perfectly flat - and once you get the hang of it, stamping is actually quite easy!
2. I have to say that I don't think the image plate holder works particularly well. You could definitely survive nail art stamping without one of these as long as you have a not-to-slippery surface to work on. 
3. I have also seen people recommend that you use a plastic expired gift card instead of the scraper tool (as it can scratch the image plate) but my image plate doesn't seem to be scratching so far. It would be useful to have a disposable scraper, though - as it accumulates a lot of polish!
4. One thing you really need to have on hand is LOTS of nail polish remover, as you will need it to clean your tools! (It's recommended that you clean the image plate after every 1-3 stamps - to ensure that the image details will transfer clearly. You also need to give everything a good clean at the end).

Some more experiments... 

When I ran out of space to experiment on my fingernails,
I moved to my toes! 

Anyway, I have enjoyed my experiments over the last couple of weeks - and have now ordered a few more special polish colours, and some more image plates, too!

~Ad =)

Happy New Year!

On New Year's Eve, I wasn't quite feeling up to going to the local park for the fireworks, but I could walk across the road from my house to watch them from my neighbour's driveway - so I was really happy! Ellenya and I wandered down in our jarmies - me with my drink in one hand, and my camera in the other =D. The fireworks were really pretty! Here are some of the pictures that I took:

Lots of other humans from our neighbourhood came out to watch the fireworks - and a drone came too! The drone hovered above us and watched - then when the fireworks display was over and the humans began to disperse, the drone casually turned around and flew home! It was noisy, and it made Ellenya suspicious... but I think it was kinda cool.

After the fireworks, we went home and ate chips and dip while watching The X Files for a while, before switching to the Sydney fireworks coverage at midnight. It was a perfect and relaxing night! =)

I hope everyone else had a good holiday season, and I hope you all have a good 2016, too! =)

~Ad =)

Merry Christmas!

I had an amazingly good day (health-wise and otherwise) on Christmas day! I was able to spend the day with my awesome extended family in Wangaratta (borrowing a bed for half the day when I needed to have a good long sleep)! =D

I dressed in a Christmas skirt, with Christmas socks, and a white top with a Christmas bow on the front - with Christmassy nail art, Christmas jewelry, and Christmas-coloured ribbons in my hair - because I LOVE CHRISTMAS! My wheelchair also had flashing battery-operated lights on the wheels again this year... and they are still on there... LOL!

My Christmas hair ribbons!

My Christmas day nail art!

I spent the next week recovering from my outing (and mysterious sunburn that I got even though I was never in the sun! Some of the medications I am on cause hypersensitivity to the sun, but it seemed a bit extreme - even areas that were under layers of clothes or in shoes got red and tanned :/. It annoyed me because I am usually really careful!)

Anyway, I had a fantastic Christmas, and I hope that everyone else who celebrates had an awesome one too!!!

~Ad =)

My Christmas Eve - with Cats!

Christmas eve was hot, but my cats kept cool by playing with (and licking) ice cubes =D. It was very cute! They like to push them around on a tray with their paws, and they drink the cool water as it melts =D. Now every time I go near the freezer, Jasper cat meows and wants an ice cube - and it is impossible to say no to him!

We also put a bow on Lily on Christmas eve - it looked so cute!!!

Lily with her bow - and her ice cube!

Lily cat licking an ice cube!

Ellenya and I spent the evening watching the The Simpsons/Futurama Christmas marathon on TV, and doing our nails for Christmas Day =). It was good!

~Ad =)

Christmas Nail Art!

During December, I tried out some Christmas nail art. I managed to get some really cheap bulk Christmassy-themed stickers from eBay - so I could try out lots of different designs without having to do lots of work!

Here are some pictures of some of this year's festive nail art experiments:

A present design!

More presents!

Santas with candy-cane french tips!

I eventually decided on a gold and white reindeer design for Christmas Day =).

Gold and white reindeer nails!

~Ad =)

Decorating for Christmas!

So, I had a wonderful Christmas!!!

Our lovely cats (Jasper and Lily) helped with decorating our Christmas tree - and Lily loved lying under it in a private cave among the presents during December! =)

Here are some pictures of our decorations, and when we were decorating the tree! (I wasn't really up to helping, so I watched and took pictures! =D)

Testing the lights for our Christmas tree!

Lily cat inspecting some decorations on the floor...

Lily cat hiding behind a train decoration, and looking wary...

Our finished tree!

The top of our tree!

I love our decorations! They have all been collected (or made) by our family over the last 35 years or so, and they mean a lot to us all =D. Christmas is the best time of year!!!

~Ad =)

Update and Thanks!

So, I haven't been around much lately... but do not fear - I am alive!

Things have just been difficult for me this year. Very difficult. I mean, I haven't been as ill as I was in 2010 (my worst year yet), but things haven't been good at all...

Apart from the period problems I had at the start of the year (which my doctors now believe is endometriosis), I've spent the last 6-8 months battling chronic sinus, ear and throat infections. (If this last six-week-long course of antibiotics hasn't completely got rid of it, I'll need to have scans - but my doctor is trying to avoid this as she doesn't think I am well enough to go through those right now :/. On the plus side, the antibiotics really helped the acne that developed when I had to switch pills earlier in the year!)

Infections really stir up my Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, heart and other issues - and the longer the infections go on for, the worse everything seems to get. My EDS symptoms have been worse than ever - with 10+ joint dislocations a day on average (which is around double last year's daily average for this time period). Apart from physio exercises, bracing/taping every part of my body, and being especially careful, there is not a lot that can be done about this. I'm hoping that things will settle down again once the infections clear up.

Anyway, due to my worse-than-usual health issues, I've been really missing my friends!!! I feel guilty for being away for so long, even though I know that my absence couldn't be helped. I just want to say that I'm really grateful to everyone who has supported me through my many illnesses. I am honestly more grateful than any words can convey! When I'm not around, I think of you all - and these thoughts really help me! When I return and read the beautiful messages that kind people have sent to me while I have been away, I am often overwhelmed with happy thoughts and cry happy tears because it is so amazing to know how many lovely people care! Thank you!!!

~Adrielle =)