New Discoveries- Candy Foil Nails

I have a problem, I think- I'm always looking at things and thinking, "I could use this for something." I have several boxes of craft goodies that I'm holding on to, knowing that I'll use them for something one of these days. Sure, some people call it hoarding- I call it recycling! ;)

Seriously, though, I've had three Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Minis wrappers in my nail art box for several months now. At the time I saved them, my family thought I had totally lost my mind! I wasn't sure what I would use them for, I just knew that I would use them. Then a couple of weeks ago I got an invitation to be part of the BzzCampaign for Elmer's CraftBond adhesives and X-ACTO cutting tools.

I cannot even begin to tell you how quickly I hopped over to sign up. I was giddy, and couldn't wait to see what they would send. Well, I wound up receiving my package yesterday, and boy, was it fun! Included were two pairs of decorative edged scissors, a corner rounder, and various adhesives. But the scissors are what excited me. As I opened the package, I was hit by a moment of inspiration. Suddenly, I knew what I would be doing with those candy wrappers... they were going to become foil strips for my nails!

The first thing I did was smooth out the foil wrapper as smooth as I could. That worked nicely, and I was left with a slightly-crinkled foil that was really pretty. Then I tried to cut the wrapper with the scissors- it didn't do well. It sort of shredded the foil into things that wouldn't be very useful. However...

I remembered that in sewing, sometimes you have to reinforce a delicate fabric with a sturdy paper backing to stitch on it. I figured why not try it for cutting? I got a piece of plain typing paper, cut it slightly larger than the piece of  wrapper I was working with, and tried again to cut. SUCCESS! I had perfect cuts, making small slivers of foil I could then apply to my nails! I was excited and cut a lot of strips from half of a wrapper.

I also cut a few wider ones with one straight edge and one wavy edge. I applied one to a false nail with a thin thin coat of base coat, then used a small piece of plastic bag to smooth it down. This way I didn't get polish on my fingertips! The foil tended to slip a lot, so it might be better to wait for the base coat to get tacky.

Once it was tacked down nicely, I used an emery board to remove the edges of the foil by gently filing downward, cutting through the foil and leaving a smooth edge. I don't know how you could achieve the same look on natural nails, unfortunately.

Finally, I put a single coat of Seche Vite over it, and within 10 minutes or so I had a beautifully smooth nail with a gold foil applique. If you attempt this, be sure to wrap the tips, so that your foil won't try and peel up. I didn't have that problem, but better safe than sorry, right?

So there you have it- Candy Nails! I love the look, and will be putting some foil strips on my own nails soon enough. Currently, the strips are stored in small ziplock bags, with scraps in a separate bag. I think it could be fun to patch together tiny pieces of foil to make a fully-foil-covered nail! Besides, how many nail art techniques let you eat chocolate as part of it? Remember, if you try this, send me a picture, I wanna see it!

     ♥ Laynie

Elmer's CraftBond adhesives and X-ACTO cutting tools image provided by BzzAgent.com.

Dashing Diva Golden Nails... Are You Brave Enough To Rock A NY Fashion Week Look?

Photo credit:  Eric Yu from Dashing Diva

Mmmm, New York Fashion Week, I love you. For anyone interested in fashion, this is like Christmas! Take this nail look that was done by celebrity nail technician Pattie Yankee and the Dashing Diva nail team for the Cushnie et Ochs show on September 9th at Lincoln Center. This is absolutely LUSH, and I think anyone could wear it: male, female, long nails or short. All you need is a powerhouse attitude!

Wondering how they created this look? Believe it or not, it's something you can achieve at home! All you need is a metallic nail foil and something to adhere it to your nails with. Simple instructions can be found all over the web, like at Transdesign.com's nail foil information. You can also search YouTube for nail foil tutorials, and you'll find a ton!

Photo credit:  Eric Yu from Dashing Diva

For those of you trying to get the most bang for your buck, I can't recommend Dollar Nail Art enough. I know lots of people who've shopped there with fantastic results, and everything on the site is one dollar! I know, that's nuts! Try classic in gold or silver, understated with pastels, or go wild with some of the crazier patterns! This stuff is tons of fun, and if you don't quite get it right the first time, keep trying. It gets easier!

Have you ever used a nail foil? What did you think of it? Would you do it again? Leave me a comment, and tell me all the details, I wanna hear more!

Information and photos provided by Dashing Diva PR.