Big T Ranch ~ Cat's Meow

Hello Dahlings!

 

Today I have another beautiful thermal

from da swatchables sent to me from

Big T Ranch Soap & Candles to show you!

 

 I loved Cat's Meow at first sight! 

I swatched it last so I could leave it on & art it up.

 

 After applying 2 smooth yet squishy jelly coats

with a bit of fishing for da chunkier bits,

I played around with the thermal properties to get my swatch pics.

This one is warm nail beds with cold free edges.

 

 All warmed up!

Robyn was very clever to add fine blue & purple glitters

to da pinky purple holo circles & dark blue leopard glitters

so no matter what temp your hands are there's something fun going on.

 

 Chillin

 

 This cold beds/warm tips pic was a happy accident

that happened while I was taking da swatch pics.

I had just done da cold pic

& stuck my hand in da warm water to do that pic,

but my fingers didn't warm up as fast as my nail tips

& my beds kept going back to da purple of coldness.

 

For da nail art I used Uber Chic plate 2-03 & Nanacoco White Snow

plus da most excellent Creative Shop Stamper

 

Uber Chic is a brand new indie nail art plate company!

I bought da 2nd set of 3 plates on the recommendation of

Bregje at Oooh, Shinies! after we chatted

about da size of da full nail images.

I am happy to report that these images

are just large enuf to fit on most of my nails!

Only my thumbs need to be stamped on da diagonal.

Uber Chic created images that will fit long nails,

but won't overwhelm short nails

& at 3 plates for $25US with a flat $5 shipping in da US

($10 for international orders)

you can have loads of nail art stamping fun

without resorting to eating ramen.

 

>^. .^<

These are pics of my Mom's cat, Missy.

She took a break from romancing Ciri

to help me with a bit of crafting...

 

 I has to taste dis!

 

 *sniff sniff*

 

Why dis stuff sticking to mah tongue?

 

Thanks for stopping by

& please go treat your self to

some pretty perfect polishes from Big T Ranch

& some super spiffy nail art plates from Uber Chic!

~ Inky

 

Big T Ranch ~ Hibiscus

Hello Dahlings!

 

A few weeks back I introduced y'all to a new to me indie brand

Big T Ranch Soap & Candles

in my NPB mani & my Tart's flowers & blue mani

where I showed you 3 of their awesome gitd polishes.

 

Well Robyn liked my mani pics so much

she asked if she could use them on her site

& da next thing I knew I'd offered to swatch for her.

 

So today's Big T polish was sent to me for swatching & review!

 

Last week was a Stamp Camp prep week

& while I liked da 2 Tarts manis I had on,

by Friday I was so ready for something completely different...

 

 I was seriously loving this mani!

This is Big T Ranch Hibiscus with a bit of stamping.

 

 When cold it was a rich blue violet...

 

 ...& when warm it turned a dreamy shade of teal blue.

I also shows da blue seen in the bottle as it transitions.

These 2 coats went on very smoothly

considering they were chocked full of bright pastel small hexes

swimming in a sea of smaller sparkly bits.

No fishing required!

 

 I used Born Pretty Store's plate BP-43...

 

 ...with JLB silver to stamp & there was so much blinginess going on

that I couldn't make out the stamping.

 

 So after adding my regular tc of Seche Vite

I added a coat of Kleancolor Madly Matte tc

& not only did da stamping show better...

 

 ...it made da glitters POP!

 

I don't make da offer to swatch lightly

as I've already turned one hobby into a job

& don't want to loose the fun of polish

under a burden of commitment.

So when I do agree or offer to swatch,

it means I love da brand & want to help promote it.

I am LOVING Robyn's polishes for both the uniqueness of da colors

& da glitter combos plus she does fab gitds

& while I haven't tried them yet, her holos look dreamy too.

 

I have a Sunday Swatch-o-rama post

of all da Big T polishes Robyn sent coming this weekend

plus a couple more nail art posts featuring some of those polishes.

 

So do your nails a favor & treat yourself to some new polish pretties

& maybe some soaps, candles & cosmetics while you're at

Big T Ranch Soaps & Candles!

 

>^. .^<

 

Me likey your claws...can I has pretty claws too, peas?

 

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Inky

 

 

CNT 52 week PN'M ~ Houndstooth & Orange, Red & Yellow!

Hello Dahlings!

 

This week da Tarts are doing hound's tooth

&/or red, orange & yellow manis.

 

I did this...

 

 I started with a yellow base,

then did da Saran Wrap technique over it using orange & red.

I finished by stamping over everything with a hound's tooth pattern

& a coat of Seche Vite.

*le sigh*

I've reached da point where many of my full nail stamping images

aren't big enuf to fit my nails if I use them straight on.

Most of da time I can fit da images if I stamp on a diagonal,

but that wasn't going to work for me this time.

I have been getting more plates in da collage style

&/or with bigger full nail images,

but as most plates are designed to accommodate

shorter nails than mine,

I just have to get creative cuz I ain't chopping my claws.

Nuh uh, ain't happening!

 

 Da line up ~ Orly Day Glow (and a hot streaky mess it was!),

Savvy Orange Overload,

Nail Savvy Wild Purple Sizzle (I've had this bottle for 20+ years!),

Vivid Lacquer Plate VL 005 & Ruby Kisses Poison Apple for da stamping.

Not shown, but never out of reach ~my Creative Shop Stamper

 

>^. .^<

 

 Dis paper makes loud crinkly noises...

 

...where dey hiding da speakers?

 

Thanks for stopping by

& please check out da other Tart nails!

~ Inky

An InLinkz Link-up

Showing Da Love for Whimsies!

Hello Dahlings!

 

Last week, one of the admins of the World Of Whimsy FB group

PM'd the lot of us & set up a Valentine's Day show of love for Pam,

the heart, hands & mind behind Whimsical Ideas by Pam aka Whimsies.

 

Pam's Whimsies were my very 1st indie brand!

Her creativity using glitters is well known in the polish world.

 

I already had plans to wear one of da polishes Mr Inky got me

& they made da perfect undies for da Whimsy I wanted to wear.

 

I didn't go for da traditional VD colors,

but I think I showed my love of Whimsies.

 

Da line up ~ Butter London Airy Fairy, Whimsical Idea by Pam Pippin,

JLB silver & Different Dimensions

Imitation is the Most Sincere Form of Flattery

plus Bunny Nails plate HD-A

not shown ~ my Creative Shop Stamper & tiny dotter

 

 I started with 2 smooth metallic coats of Airy Fairy

& added 2 coats of Pippin to my ring fingers & thumbs.

Minimal fishing was required

to get those big teal holo circles on my nails!

 

 Looky...sparklies!

 

 I applied a coat of liquid latex around my nails

to make clean up after stamping easier.

I love the JLB metallics for stamping, but like many foil polishes,

they tend to leave lil bits of themselves behind after clean up.

I got my latex on Amazon. A 4oz jar is around $10US.

I decanted some into a clear polish bottle for easier use.

Yes, the jar seems huge, but it will last for years &

is a much cheaper option

than what several indies are currently offering.

Plus it comes in so many pretty colors!

 

 Airy Fairy is a multi chrome & I had wee bit of trouble capturing

da colors, but da shade sure shows all da pretty glitters in Pippin.

 

So pretty!

 

 I used IITMSFOF with a tiny dotter to fill in da lil hears I had stamped.

Yeah, It glows. Do you really think I can go very long with out my GITD?

 

So I had this thought while planning this mani...

...would painting da underside of my nails with gitd polish work?

Yep!

 

This mani was so much fun to wear!

 

>^. .^<

 

Ziggy (on da right) shows his love for his sister, Jazz (on da right),

by washing her ears & she often returns da favor.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Inky

My Birthday Hair & Nails!

Hello Dahlings!

 

Yes, I had another birthday last week 

(my 47th if you must know)

& I do believe this is a good thing.

At least, it beats da alternative of not having them at all.

 

So my most beloved Mr Inky took da day off work

so we could hang out together!

 

1st stop...da post office.

I know, not da most exciting thing to do on one's b~day,

but I had a pile o' packages to get to peeps

& it this trip was WAY overdue.

 

Next we headed for downtown Seattle

where we meandered thru a couple of high end mini malls & Nordstrom's

& Mr Inky voluntarily played my spotter & my shopping basket.

 

Here's my loot...

 

 

 From da left ~ The Body Shop Frosting Fancy, A Grape Affair & Berry Gorgeous

I didn't know that they carried polish before this, but I do now!

 

My Butter London booty from Nordstrom's ~ Airy Fairy, Princess Plums,

Stroppy & Stardust plus da nail treatment kit

featuring ~ fast dry top coat, matte tc, base,

nail strengthener, cutie oil & cutie eraser

 

Mr Inky found 3 of these plus da kit & insisted I have them

& did I want any other colors?

He also helped me look for a Dior to call my own,

but da gal working that counter decided to ignore me

in favor of an older couple that as far as I could tell

didn't actually buy anything. Serves her right for ignoring us.

Da nice gal who came over from another counter to ask

if we needed assistance finding anything

got da sale on all this BL goodness.

 

He also found a pair of black cotton lacy crochet over the knee highs

while I was browsing another new to me brand

hat he had spotted from across da room,

BP Nail Color in Moonbeam & Island Pink

plus a box of peach sugar coated gummies

he said I needed to have at da register. 

 

 

Yeah, he's awesome & he knows it! 

 

After shopping, we went to my all time fav restaurant

da Blind Pig Bistro

where we gorged on fab nummies

with my all time fav chocogasm dessert!

 

We then had da brilliant idea of getting massages,

so when we got back to our area

we went to Happy Feet & got a combo of 30 minutes on feet

plus 60 minutes full body.

 

We went home & slipped into happiness comas I

n front of da telly til bed time.

A most excellent birthday!

 

Speaking of excellence...

 

 

 ...looky at da excellent beauties 

my Dahling Polish Daughter sent me for my birthday!

My Swishie girl nailed it with Too Fancy Positively Pink,

Picture Polish Imperial & Barry M Pink Punch

My 1st Too Fancy & Picture Polishes!

 

I decided to do my nails to match my latest hair color... 

I do luvs me some pink & purple hair!

 Da Too Fancy Positively Pink sent by my DPD
was nigh on a perfect match!
this is 2 butterlicious coats.

 I stamped using my Gray Glows Blue stamping foil franken,
 Creative Shop Stamper & Mash-70 plate.

Da thin layer of polish applied when stamping
wasn't showing as well as I wanted
& I had a few small voids,
so I used da tiny dotter & small detail brush
from this Kiss Nail Art Kit I found at Walmart for around $7.
The handles on these tools are maybe 4" long,
but so far they've worked well.

Oh yeah...they do this when da lights go out! 

Also part of my Me day fun,
my mom sent me some Hello Kitty Duct Tape,

paw print crafting embellishments

& a Grumpy Cat magnet
along with a nifty card made by her!

 

Yessiree...add da goodies to all da well wishes

& I feel very loved indeed!

 

>^. .^<

 

So every once in a while, Ciri escapes into da garage.

He finds a way to get into da rafters & then can't get back down...

 

 I likes da view from up here!

 

 Meowmy? Hows do I gets down from here again?

 

 You want me to jump all da way down onto da truck roof?

 

I dunno...dat looks really dangerous...

 

Eventually, Ciri either makes da jump himself

or Mr Inky gets da step ladder & gets him down.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Inky

CNT 52 week Pick N' Mix ~ Geometric & Yellow/Green/Blue

Hello Dahlings!

 

Ugh! I think I may be coming down with something icky.

I spent most of the night blowing my nose, when I wasn't choking.

I have persistently annoying minor allergies that mess with my sinuses.

So It's either a cold or a sinus infection & if it is a cold,

it may be followed by a sinus infection

Oh Happy Day...NOT!

 

At least I got today's & next Monday's Tart challenge nails done!

 

This week we're doing geometric &/or yellow, green & blue nails.

 

I did this...

 

 The stamping could be a bit better, but overall...me likey!

 

 Da line up ~ Pure Ice Excuse Me & Free Spirit, Savvy Totally Teal,

Konad blue, Cici & Sisi plate 04.

Not shown are da Creative Shop Stamper

plus da bit of sponge & reverse grip tweezers I used to do da gradient.

 

>^. .^<

 

Is no fun when Meowmy gets da ickies.

 

Thanks for stopping by

& please go check out what da other Tarts are up to!

~ Inky

An InLinkz Link-up

HPB Presents ~ February Link-Up feat. Valentine's Day manis!

Hello Dahlings!

 

This month the Hobby Polish Bloggers are showing off their VD manis!

 

I did this...

 

 I call it da Last Kiss.

 

 Da line up ~ Smitten Polish Nimbus & Cauldron of Rainbows,

Paint Shop Polish Blackheart, Color Club Berry & Bright,

& Mentality White Opaque

 

 I started with 2 coats each of Cauldron of Rainbows

with an accent of Nimbus.

I then added stamping using Berry & Bright
& Opaque White on da black nails.

I added minimally fished for coat of Blackheart over Nimbus.

I luvs me some skull glitters!

 

These are the are nail art stamping plates I used: 

Bundle Monster BM-303, Cheeky CH27 & Vivid Lacquer VL 001

I also used my Creative Shop Stamper

Duh!

 

 

>^. .^<

 

Ciri & Missy enjoy a last view out da window before we headed home.

 

Thanks for stopping by

& please go show some love to da other

Hobby Polish Bloggers!

~ Inky

An InLinkz Link-up