A collection of designs that didn't make it into Nails Magazine

I was excited when I saw Nails Magazine make a call for submissions on their Facebook page. I left a link to my blog and got a response very quickly. Turns out they wanted a nail design using the spring colors I discussed last time. I could submit more than one if I wanted, but that was entirely up to me.

Of course, once I got started mixing I couldn't stop at just one nail. I made a few, and submitted three. Only one was selected, but I figure I may as well share the others as well, right? Even if they didn't turn out all that well...

First, let's start with the one I didn't send. I had all sorts of ideas for this one, but none of them actually seemed to work. I eventually spangled the heck out of it, but I still need to get photos of that one. This is a simple pieced design outlined in black. I like the poppy red on the right bottom corner of the photo, and I really like the peapod green. I'm just not sure about all these colors together on one nail like this! Still, it could be much worse... I've worn much worse!

Then there's this one, and I'm not even sure what to call it. A bizarre rethinking of French tips? I really like the butterscotch color, even if it doesn't seem to like me back. That poppy red again really works well with it, too, even if the peapod green sort of vibrates oddly between them.

It's not that I don't like this one... I do. I'm just not sure about it. It's not a style I do and then think, "WOW, I love this one!!"

However, this last one? Yea, I love this one. It's my favorite of the bunch, although it's pretty obvious why they didn't pick it for spring...

 A black base coat made those spring colors absolutely pop. What can I say... I love the way they look against that deep background. They almost reminded me of candy, somehow! Maybe black isn't a color one  traditionally associates with springtime, but I think this totally works!

So there we go... the other nails I did and submitted. What do you think... would you wear any of them? Leave a comment with your feedback, I'd love to know what you think!

Mixing colors is so much fun!

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So Excited! I've Been Published! :D

My husband came in this afternoon and totally made my day. He started by telling me, "I've got something that's going to make you REALLY happy!" I had no idea what he was talking about, but he can make me happy just with a hug. I smiled and told him, "Oh really... what's that?"

"This!" He handed me a large flat FedEx envelope, and I raised an eyebrow questioningly. I wasn't expecting anything in the mail, and I certainly wasn't expecting anything this size or shape. I turned it over and looked at the return address and saw that it was from Nails Magazine!

A while back, I'd tweeted that I was working on a project that hopefully I'd be able to share with you soon. Well, this is that project! I've been published!!

Ok, it's not like I wrote an article or anything. I didn't even get paid for it, but let me tell you, getting this copy in the mail complete with the page marked to my submission felt amazing! Seriously, I squealed in delight and immediately tore into the packaging (delicately, since I recycle packaging) to see what they chose!

I flipped to the page carefully marked with a post-it note, and there it was: my nail design on page 57, complete with my URL and everything! I'd actually submitted several nails using that color scheme, but they picked my favorite. There's something exciting about seeing my stuff in a magazine that people read!

So- since I sort of cropped the page and covered up most of it, I'll give you some background information. Basically, designers plan color schemes ahead of time, so that everyone from clothing and cosmetics designers to home interior manufacturers can plan out their lines and incorporate the same colors. This lets people be sure their items can coordinate.

This year, the Pantone Fashion Color Report for Spring 2011 has shown ten colors they think will be the basic palette for the season. Included in these colors are honeysuckle, a vibrant pinkish-red, coral rose, a sophisticated orange, beeswax, a warm, honeyed yellow, and peapod, a fresh yellow-green. Overall, the selection is pretty nice. You can see the full report at Pantone's web site.

I'm also sort of amused by my photo. I can tell you that while they photographed my nail tip themselves, they did not remove the bit of streaking that happened when I put my topcoat on. I was so annoyed by that! I was using Seche Vite and trying to float it on, so as not to disturb the dots. I even waited a day after painting the dots to make sure they were dry! It just goes to show that sometimes your art is going to streak no matter what you do. Accept it and move on- it's just nail polish!

The fun for this attempt came in trying to mix the colors to match the pantone values. First off, it's really hard to match paint to a computer screen! Then it was even odder trying to get that particular green or that particular orange. I went through several mixing cups, attempting to get exactly the color I wanted.

It was a great learning experience, though, and overall it was a lot of fun! It's a good reminder that if you don't have the exact color you want to wear, don't be afraid to mix and adjust your polishes until they're perfect! You might end up with that perfect shimmery army green like I did!

Hug someone special to you today. You probably need it as much as they do!

See my disclosure statement for more information.