Firecracker Lacquer - Parrot Procession

Hey all,

Hope your last weekend of summer was great!

I was a bit of a lazy bum but I tried something new!

Lucas and I made Macaroni n' Cheese from scratch for the first time and oh... my... god...

There will be many, many more. It was amazing!

Even the cat wanted some, but I don't think she liked the Sriracha sauce we mixed into the cheese ;P

I tried to tell her, it's not spicy, it's just flavour! But she wouldn't listen.
Kids. -_-

So, I don't mean to be boring but... I've got another stamped accent mani today (>.<)
Broken record or what? But this one is really awesome so shut up!

Featuring...
Firecracker Lacquer - Parrot Procession

Parrot Procession is a beautiful red holo. So classic! So sparkly!

The formula was divine! Easy to work with and no staining. This is two coats.

All photos are taken in artificial light. I did take some in the sun but for the first time ever, my camera totally freaked.

So I'll attribute that to the undeniable awesomeness of this polish, it couldna handle it Cap'n!!

I painted two coats of Zoya - Purity on my accent and stamped with MoYou London Tropical Plate 04

using Konad - Black and Sally Hansen - Lightening and Mint Sprint

I love how this multicoloured stamping worked out! 

Exactly how I had pictured it. ^_^  Beyond pleased!

I wish I could get a '57 Bel Air painted with this.
Then I'd go on a Selma & Louise road trip minus the crashing to your death thing.
But, you know, blow up a few semis for sure. 

It's all the rage this season, trust me.

jeebjeeb

Pink and Purple Dragon in the Clouds

  Hey all,

Welcome to the start of another glorious weekend! woot woot.

I wish I could take better advantage of Friday nights.

But once I get home I'm more of a zombie than any other night. 

By 10 my eyes are glazed and my attention span is gone.

If I do end up going out, you'll notice me because I'm the one yawning so hard my eyes start to water.

(._.) Life of the party right here! 

I may not be partying but you can bet there's a party going on on my nails.

Just like this one...

 

artificial light

The base is Model City Polish - Purple Dragon, a bright purple full of blue and purple flecks.

Topped with the fantastic Firecracker Lacquer glitter PINK! (previously swatched here)

I thought it would contrast nicely, and man was I right! These babies were made for each other!

I love it when indies go together like pie and ice cream. Warms my heart.

artificial light

But the party doesn't end there! They demanded more!
So out came Sally Hansen - Lightening and Bundle Monster plate BM312.
I've been neglecting my bundle monsters (bad girl) so I thought I would give them some love.
I've never used the cloud pattern before. For this manicure, it's just perfect!

sunlight

I really really love this one. 

Summery... bright... fun... a little wild and crazy... a match made in heaven. 

The twinkling flecks, the sprinkling of pink and the bold yellow lines.

I want to wear this forever!

However you decide to spend your Friday I hope you have a great one!

jeebjeeb

Let's Get Tropical

Hey all,

I need to get into a better posting groove.

I have so many awesome summer manis just waiting for their day in the sun.

But all I want to do when I get home is work on friendship bracelets.

My art is tearing me apart!!!!! And I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

I'm never bored, that's for sure.

Anyhoo... I'll try to get my ass into gear.

Starting today! Let's get tropical! 

 I recently picked up a few MoYou London Tropical plates.So in love!! 

Looking at all the images I knew it was time for me to try stamping with multiple colours.

I don't know why I haven't gotten into that yet, but hello, this is my gateway drug!

Zoya - Purity is the base for this flora and fauna from Tropical Plate 04.

I stamped with Essie - Off The Shoulder (pink), Sally Hansen - Lickety-Split Lime (green, duh) & Lightening (yellow)

I really love how the colours bleed together. Makes me think of sun bleached Hawaiian shirts.

I'm smitten with this manicure. Fresh, bright and colourful. 

And the fact that the white base made my hands look SO tanned. ^_^

I think I'll be wearing white polish well into winter ;P

I'm on my lunch break right now, and the clock is ticking... Got to get back at it!

Have a great hump day y'all!

jeebjeeb

Model City Polish - Electric Lemonade

Hey all,

All these fall collections coming out now are bumming me out.

I mean they're absolutely beautiful, but we still have a month of glorious summer left!

I may have graduated 10 years ago but I still can't shake my complete dread of fall.

And I don't know why, I actually like fall a lot!

But I also really really like wearing flip flops and not even thinking about jackets.

I wear flip flops to work everyday, even though I'm not allowed to wear them while I work.

So I bring a pair of socks and change into real shoes. I'm like Mr. Rogers, I even have a work cardigan.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Wont you be my neighbor?

Let's keep these hazy day vibes going with an amazing polish from this summer.

Model City Polish - Electric Lemonade

Electric Lemonade is a bright blue full of pink and blue flecks.

It's so incredibly vibrant it blows my mind! And the flecks give it such depth and intrigue. 

This polish just sucks me right in, gorgeous doesn't even begin to describe. 

Electric Lemonade is such a perfect name and inspired my accent nail.

I've been waiting for the right time to bust out Nail Vinyls Lightening Bolts. Finally! (/◕ヮ◕)/  

I used Model City Polish - Corn Maze and don't they make the most awesome couple?

I totally felt like a superhero wearing this.

All I need is a skin tight suit and I'm good to go (no, just no)

I hope you're all having a good week.

I've been on a friendship bracelet binge and it feels so good.

I may have bought over $40 worth of floss ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Oops.

Go big or go home. 

jeebjeeb

Fire Marble (with handy tips & tricks)

Hey all,
Today I have a super summer fantastic water marble for you!
But before I get into that a few of my blogger girlfriends have asked me for my tips & tricks.
By no means do I believe I have mastered this technique.
However, I try to learn a little something each time I try it out.

Ok, if you don't know the basic water marble procedure, or want to know how to make certain designs, go to youtube.
There are tons (TONS) of fantastic tutorials that will tell you everything you need to know.
My water marble musts are just little steps to make the process less stressful and more satisfying.

jeebjeeb's tips & tricks

Little cups work better!
The less your polish spreads the more intense the colour will be and the slower it will dry.
I heard about using shot glasses but I found them to be too small,
and often banged my nails against the side and ruined the design :(
Think Dixie cup size. What I use is about 2.5 inches in diameter and I find it perfect.

Use room temperature, not so fresh, water.
I've heard bottled is best... Filtered is best... Bah! Doesn't matter.
What's I find works best is water that has been sitting out for a day.
It's at the temperature you want and it's had time to let some of the crap in it evaporate.
If I don't think ahead and leave out a cup for myself, well... I use my cat's water! All good!

If it's summer, turn off your fans!
The more air blowing around, the faster you'll have to work.
I learned this one the hard way when I tried marbling underneath my overhead fan.
It just sucks. And you don't want to think that you're the one sucking when really it's your fan.

Tape your damn fingers!
Self explanatory. You will thank yourself for taking the extra time.

Organize your area.
Layout your work station before you start and make sure everything is within reach but not crowded.
Last thing you want is to knock things over while you're creating your marble.
Unscrew the caps of all your bottles, put your toothpicks in a good spot. Again, you will thank yourself.

Don't rush yourself.
You know what happens when you rush. You make mistakes and messes.
When you're playing around with the polish you have a lot more time to play than you think.
In some of the youtube videos I've watched they're manipulating their bulls eye for a good two minutes!
Think of it like yoga, be in the moment, breathe and concentrate.
Remember, you master the marble, the marble doesn't master you!

One finger at a time.
I've seen a youtuber do all four fingers at once.
And as amazing as that is, I've never been able to make that work for me.
All I got was a big mess and lots of frustration.
But I do believe in you dear reader, so if you figure out a great way to do it, TELL ME!!

Use newer/ less used polish
Unlike stamping, marbles don't work with thick polish.
Brand new polish has the perfect consistency, but who wants to buy new polish every time they marble?
I don't! So my rule of thumb is, pick polishes you haven't used very often.
Like the orange I used below. I've had it for over a year, but only used it once.
It's still fresh as the day I got it, and works great!
That being said, not every polish will work for marbling, no matter how new.
Be prepared to improvise a bit.

Blow baby blow! 
(maybe my most important tip)
I used to be plagued by little bubbles of air that would get trapped between the marble and my base colour.
And if you touch the bubbles they pop and expose the colour underneath. >:(
Not what I want after putting in all that effort.
The solution - blow them away!
Once your nail comes out of the cup - blow on it like you're 2 and it's a birthday candle.
For at least 30 seconds, huff, puff, blow that house down!
I promise you will never have a problem with those pesky bubbles again!

And that's pretty much it (for now) I'm probably forgetting something.
I hope this is somewhat helpful next time you try the technique.

Alrighty, on to the water marble! Or fire marble in this case...

left hand

As usual I laid down a base of white (Zoya - Purity) 

then marbled with Nicka K - Ripe Apple, Essie - Orange, It's Obvious & Sally Hansen - Lightening

right hand

After cleanup I covered it all in a generous layer of Model City Polish - Seize the Rainbow.

Because every mani needs some of this Rainbow love!

Marble practice is definitely making perfect. 

I think this may be my favorite so far, but I say that every time ;P

I love how flamin beautiful this is! Lava lamp meets psychedelic 60's concert background.

Wow. I feel like I've been typing up a storm! And now I need a nap!

But all for the purposes of education! 

I really hope this has been helpful. And if not, well dammit, some of you asked for this, so it's your fault!!

And if it is, and it makes you marble, SHOW ME!! Because I love me some water marbles :)

Have a great Friday night!!

jeebjeeb

Sweet Heart Polish - The Magpie's Treasure

Hey all, 

Today is a special day!
(And not just because it's my little brother's 13th birthday.)

Today is The Mercurial Magpie's one year blogversary! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧
And because Kirby is the type to go big or go home
she's put together an epic giveaway with 30 prize packs to be won!
In true Magpie fashion it's INSANE! So be sure to check it out here.
 

Kirby has been a really awesome bloggin buddy.

Always there to answer my dumb questions and mule me American polish. <3

Not to mention her killer sense of humour :)

When she said she was having customs made for her blogversary and would I like to swatch one

I was like, hell yes girlfriend! Anything you need! jeebjeeb's on the job for you!

So without further ado I give you...

Sweet Heart Polish - The Magpie's Treasure

This glitter topper is cra-zy!
We're talking blue, silver and black. Circles, hexes and... the best part? Mini stars!!
Just loaded to the brim with a cornucopia of awesome.
This polish perfectly encapsulates it's name.
I can totally imagine a bird finding this shiny specimen and taking it back to it's nest.

I was unsure as to which base colour would perfectly show off these glitters.

So I consulted my ascetic assistant, Lucas, and he instantly replied with "yellow".

He has some major flashes of brilliance, I tell you what.

My favourite yellow of the moment is KBShimmer - Chick Me Out

and I think it totally rocks as undies for this dazzling array.

Those little fricken star glitters! Do you love them? I sure as hell do!

As you can tell by the watermark, I swatched this a while ago.

It was my first time trying Sweet Heart Polish and I was super impressed.

This is ONE coat of glitter. Absolutely no fishing required. Easy peasy glitter-teasy!

It's been really awesome watching Kirby's blog grow. Exponential to say the least!
Even when she was working 65 hour weeks she was still consistently banging it out.
I'm so proud and awed at how diligent and... well... crazy she is! ^_^
What a remarkable year it's been for The Mercurial Magpie.
Here's to many, many more.
jeebjeeb

If you like The Magpie's Treasure it is available for purchase from Sweet Heart Polish.

 

Taxi Taxi

Hey all,

I'm sitting in my big comfy chair, with the cat perched on top

Wishing it was early enough for tea.

The cat was very good yesterday. Dad was over and she openly played with the toy he bought her.

Then we said "alright, now you have to give grandpa a hug and say thank you"

But that fell on deaf heartless ears.

She's like my angry teenage daughter.

I mean she does have a tattoo. And she wont tell me anything about it.

I swear, one day I'll come home and she'll have piercings and dyed fur.

What next baby? Why do you do this? You're beautiful just as you are!

And then the realization... I'm only mad at her because she reminds me of myself. 

 

*end scene*

 

Ok so polish!

Don't mind that piece of flash fiction.

That used to be my specialty in high school.

Back when I was in the writing club.

Now the only time I write is when I blog.

The absurdity builds up till I can hold it no longer.  

 

Tonight I have a super fun stamp mani featuring

Model City Polish - Corn Maze

 

Corn Maze is an amazing bright yellow holographic.

I love this shade of yellow. It has a coolness to it that's just perfect.

And the holo is digitalized amazement.

I stamped with Konad - Black using Pueen plate 52

I was feeling a bit all over the place so I went for a skittle look. 

My favourite is the middle finger, I think it's the most fun.

What about you?

 

 I was calling this the Taxi Manicure before I even started painting.

It could have been Bumblebee, but no.

Because then I wouldn't have gotten a Cher song stuck in my head.

Have you ever heard ... Taxi Taxi?
Thank me later.



Have a great night!
jeebjeeb

Conquering the Sugar Spun

Hey all,

 My friend Shade recently told me "I bought a polish for you. It's so ugly!"

And I'm like "bring it bitch! I'll make it work!"

Or at least make a manicure ugly enough to warrant a laugh.

To my surprise he gave me Essie - Lovey Dovie

Not nearly as ugly as expected. A medium pink crème. Sweet!

To his disappointment I can actually do a lot with it.

Better luck next time!

 

After seeing Tunay Na Mahal's Sugar Spun looks (so awsome!) I had the urge to try the technique again.

I hated it the first time but I had a feeling that this time would be different.

This time I would use a nail artists best friend! Sally Hansen Insta-Dr!

And wouldn't you know, it worked out.

 

I used Lightening & Lickety-Split Lime for my candy coated confection.

 I'm so happy with it and it was a lot of fun.

Patience is the biggest factor.

 

 



 What do you think of sugar spun? Have you tried it before?

 

Oh man, I came down with a cold last night and now I'm getting more congested by the minute.

Time for some myrtle tea and crochet. Need to zonk out.

Have a good night!

jeebjeeb

Pretty & Polished - Leaf Me Breathless

Hey all,

That's right! You're getting 2-for-1 today!

I was hoping to be more productive, blogwise, this long weekend.

And since I'm at the end of it, I might as well cram in as much as I can.

I have something very interesting for you today.

Pretty & Polished - Leaf Me Breathless

Leaf Me Breathless is a yellow jelly packed with brown, red, orange, green, gold & yellow glitter.

Definitely not for everyone, this polish compelled me since I first laid eyes on it. 

There's just something about the yellow jelly.

It's so weird, it works. What do you think?

I waited to wear it until after the leaves really began to change, and it was perfect.

All the colours create an autumn wind storm of wonderful. I kept looking at the trees, and then my mani.

They totally nailed the concept of this polish.

I used Zoya - Nina and some tape to create my accents.

I felt I needed some brown, but was a bit lazy :P

I used two thick coats. As usual with P & P, the formula rocked and the glitter was abundant.

What do you think? Like it? Or is it just too bizarre?

Here's the song I've been singing to myself for the last two weeks.
So good! Think I'll have to download some Doris Day movies now. :)

I'm spending the rest of my day off crocheting :D
Have a great day and an awesome manicure!
jeebjeeb

Dipping my Toe into Water Marble

Hey all,

I'm going to be having a bit of a busy week next week, so I thought I'd get another post out today :)

And I have a feeling that if I read or crochet I'll fall asleep, like Lucas on the couch.

So here I am again! 

You may notice I don't water marble often. It's been a love hate technique for me.

What started out easily more often became a frustrating mess.

But! All that may change.

I was reading ErinZi's Nails water marble tutorial and learned an ingenious and simple tip! 

Do your water marble in a shot glass!

Why have I never thought of this?? Absolutely brilliant!!

I had to test it out right away.

the two fingers on the left are my favourites :)

And I have to say, it worked perfectly! Although, working in such a small space requires patience.

 You will notice I dinged a few of my tips on the glass. Even so, I'm very pleased.

The polish nicely filled the circumference of the glass, and didn't dry out quickly, allowing for easy manipulation. 

This hand reminds me of sedimentary rock.

If you have trouble with marbles I 100% recommend trying out a shot glass.

 It makes me feel like an amazing water marble is once again achievable! :D

You can bet on seeing many more in the future. This was just a test.

I painted a base of Zoya - Purity, then marbled with China Glaze - Solar Power

Sally Hansen - Lickety-Split Lime & Grape Going!

Lucas actually picked out the colours for me, and I think he did a great job.

But right now he's sleeping on the couch.

And the cat is snoring on the chair.

And I'm wide awake.

6:17pm on a Saturday. -_-

Party time. Excellent.

Well for those of you who are awake, here's a clip for you.
From one of my favourite movies, The Big Lebowski.
A co-worker and I watched this a few days ago and laughed our asses off.
John Goodman is so amazing.

"This isn't Nam, this is bowling. There are rules."
Have a great night and an awesome weekend!
jeebjeeb

The Obliteration Room

Hey all,

How are you doing on this wonderful hump day?

I must say that I've been feeling really great lately. Despite life's trials and tribulations. 

Just because I'm mentally good, doesn't mean everything's been easy peasy. Life isn't easy. (Should it be?)

But I'm dealing better. I'm feeling secure in myself. And, my god, it feels great!

Even the dwindling sunlight and the creeping chill of autumn isn't getting me down.

But seasons are merely a temporal distraction anyway.

Because it keeps getting warmer and brighter inside my mind.

Today I would like to share a Yayoi Kusama art installation with you.

The Obliteration Room

The interior of a house was constructed in the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, everything painted white.

Children visiting the gallery were then given colourful dot stickers to put where they please.

Over the course of two weeks this is what happened...

I think it's quite a breath taking piece. I love the contrast of the blank sterility and the colourful chaos.

Perfect inspiration for a manicure.

This manicure was a lot of fun. I did it a month or so ago while hanging out with my little brother.

He said I matched the colours well and gave me a thumbs up, so I'm happy. 

What do you think?

I used Zoya - Purity as my base

And dotted with Sally Hansen - Lickety Split  Lime & Brisk Blue

Barry M - Dragonfruit & Satsuma and Nubar - Resort Yellow

Here's the song that's been stuck in my head all day.

Hope you enjoy the last 3 days of summer.

jeebjeeb

Vacation 3-for-1

 Hey all,

I'm back from vacation!
I got some much needed r & r in the country.
Swimming in the lake was the best part. I'm a water baby, but lakes are my favourite.
We made lots of yummy food and watched fun movies. I crochted like crazy.
And I managed to finish the book I started the day we arrived!
So satisfying. The book was a pretty meh Stephen King, but overall a fun read.

I went away with Dagadelic, so you know manicures were afoot.
Deciding which polishes to bring was a bit painstaking, but I managed to narrow it down to 7.
And wouldn't you know it, used them all! So pleased.

First up
Pretty & Polished - Tomboyish & Zoya - Purity

Tomboyish is a colour changing polish. I used it once before in this manicure.

It was so warm out I was unable to capture it in it's cold state. But you can see the difference from the bottle.

I love this polish either way. In the lake, however, I had an awesome gradient going.

Just the thing to space out on while drifting away.

Next up, I brought a few of my most summery shades.

piCture pOlish - Citrus

The Nail Junkie - Watermelon 

 Zoya - Reagan

I used citrus as a base and then sponged with all three

for the ultimate summer gradient...

I was so happy with this one. It's the gradient I've been dreaming of for weeks. Sunsets and popsicles.

Just a hint of Watermelon's shimmer running throughout. I wont soon forget this one.

Last but not least I have 

Enchanted Polish - Congratulations & Nubar - Resort Yellow

I LOVE this yellow. I have found my perfect shade.

Not too golden. Not too neon. Juuust right.

And Congratulations? Well I think "holy crap" is the best way to describe it.

This disco fantastic manicure knocked my socks off.

Resort Yellow took 3 coats, but look at how perfect it is!

I'd have to say this one is my favourite of the three. What about you?

I'm back to work tomorrow. Trying not to think about it.

At least I know I'll have nail mail to look forward to ;)

Have a great night and an awesome manicure

jeebjeeb

Show & Shine

Hey all,

How was your week? And how's your weekend going?

I've been neglecting my blog again -_- I'm a week behind! dammit.

I'm most happiest when my posts are current. Once it starts to pile up it feels like work.

But then again, posting as often as I change my manicure also feels like a chore.

I'll have to decide on some happy medium.

Last weekend Dagadelic and I ventured out to a fabulous Show & Shine vintage car show.

So many amazing cars and such great art inspiration!

This show has a special place in my heart because it marks the one year anniversary of my decent into nail art madness.

Last year I came back from a week of vacation determined to start mixing up my plain vanilla manicures.

The first thing I did was try my hand at a gradient. And the rest is history...

I wanted to celebrate that manicure, with a little something extra on top. :)

As soon as I started the splatter I fell in love. It all came together so perfectly.

It is amped up colour fantastic. Over the top summer.

The whole time I was creating this, all I could think was

"this looks like my childhood!"

Does anyone else born in and around 1986 agree?

I love all the really fine splatter I was able to create. 

I didn't want to overpower the gradient.

I used Nubar - Resort Yellow & Essie - Off the Shoulder to create the gradient

And splattered with Nubar - Pyramid Purple & Into the Wild

On the Turntable...

Since the B-52's concert I've been listening to a lot of... B-52's. (They were that good.)

And it turns out I do have one of their albums on vinyl.

Bouncing off the Satellites

 I've listened to it twice. :S Truth is, it's my least favourite album. 

The others are great. I urge you to check out Wild Planet or Whammy, both lesser known goldmines.

Turns out, shortly after finishing this album Ricky Wilson (guitarist and brother to Cindy) died of health complications due to AIDS.

Pretty tragic stuff for such a happy band.

This is Cindy's solo song Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland

Makes me sad seeing only 4 of them bopping around in the music video.

Enjoy.

Took my brother out to see Grown Ups 2 today. 

It was a lot of fun. We laughed like crazy, I definitely recommend it.  

Then we walked all the way home, it was such a gorgeous day. 

Tomorrow I hope to lay low. Stay home and work on art and secret birthday plans. Muahaha!

What are you up to?

Have a great weekend and an awesome manicure!

jeebjeeb