OPI, The Show Must Go On! ~discontinued

It's always something...I haven't been able to post due to laptop troubles.
I'm starting off here with the fact that I have been resistant to change. I'm still on an almost 10 year old laptop that runs Windows Vista and still use a flip phone. It took me years to use Facebook, and I opened an Instagram account that I mainly use to follow people. (It took me a hot minute to figure out that I cannot post a comment to IG from my laptop).

Rather than get better acquainted with my Samsung Galaxy Notepad, (or get a smartphone), I spent almost 3 weeks trying to repair my laptop. I've been in a battle with damage from AVG antivirus, that I won't spend any more time on other than to say -that program has sure acted like a virus to my laptop.

 Here's OPI, The Show Must Go On! from the Winter 2010 Burlesque Collection.

 

  It took 3 coats for even coverage...not sure if it's the formula or the jacked brush that I've been meaning to swap out. (It's extremely flat and floppy and has a tendency to splay out and split on the nail.)

I'm partial to metallics and shimmers and TSMGO is right up my alley. It's a really pretty rose-red with subtle or fleeting red, gold and purplepink shift in some lighting.  Mostly it looks like a cool toned rose-red, that flashes hot molten red with gold sparks. Looking at it brushed on a make-up sponge and through a jewelry loop, it's actually a rose red crelly base with goldish, iridescent flakes.

Bow, Nothern Lights...moving to a coffin nail shape

Gorgeous polish, though not the best choice to show an emerging coffin shape.
This isn't something I could have done without an enhancement, as my free edges start to go flat and twist or flare up or down at the smile line. Crooked fingers, uneven finger pads...It's always a struggle with overcompensating when I file. So, I'm going slow...narrowing the sides in steps as my nails grow longer, keeping my eye on my hand as a whole rather than individual fingers.

 Bow polish purchased at Beautometry

Multi chromes...am I missing anything?

I love multi chromes. I've been in buying mode these past 3 months, and seeing many indie companies making them.
I've been out of the loop, and am wondering - are they better than Sally Hansen Nail Prisms?
Here's a shot of Sally Hansen #16, Turquoise Opal on a nail tip, 2 thin coats over black, no top coat. This is an old school polish...it flows over black like melted butter- almost painting itself. No weird angles here...the chromatic display is stunning.

Brightech - LightView PRO (with magnifying lens)

I ordered this Brightech- LightView Pro in black from Amazon, and was supposed to receive it 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, something went wrong on Amazon's end, and they cancelled it the day after it was supposed to be here. I researched other mag/lights, but came back to this one for the 4.9 star reviews. I also went with white this time, and got it yesterday. Since my table is too thick to use the BrightView's screw clamp, I ordered a flat base, direct mount bracket, so I can screw it down to my table.

I thought I might have trouble getting used to looking through the lens, but I didn't. I removed my acry gels and reapplied with no problem. I could see so well, I had no skipped spaces due to the ridges on my nails...and was able to get the product right up to my cuticles. This acry gel application is almost flawless.

 Pic below is how it looks on my table. For those of you that remember my nail polish wall shelves- they are still there. I'm currently doing genealogical research and attached a very large cork-board to it with hinges. All I have to do to view and get to my polishes, is swing it out (like a door).

 (Next pic is through the lens...I really love the "framing" here...wished I had thought to center it better.)

Simple mani...tested Unt peel off base

Target's brand, Defy & Inspire, Purple People Eater over my acry gel enhancement and Unt peel off. China Glaze DV8 on pinky.
Pueen stamping polishes in Rocking Metallic- Cool Aqua and Twilight Magenta. Plates; CICI & SSI 02, Uber Chic 16-03, Chez Delaney D14 and CJS-14.
Mani was a test of Unt peel off. Stamping done on day 2.

Unt peel off....My boss likes to keep our change drawer full to the brim with coin. Instead of sliding coin out, I have to pick it out....lots of trauma to my nail tips. In addition to having to cashier, I also expedite food, which means my hands are under heat lamps with high temps, and the tips of my nails touch hot plates. I also garden, and while I do wear gloves, sometimes I use my hand to dig a hole rather than a tool.

I thought this mani would peel off at the tips, but it didn't. The above shot is after day2 at work and gardening. My corners get the most wear, and I really thought this is where using Unt peel off would give me trouble. I think I could have worn this another day.

My acry gel enhancement is still new to me. My current routine is to do an acetone soak every other week and re-aply. I'd like to extend it to 3 weeks, however, by week 2 my tips feel weirdly flimsy. I don't always paint my nails, and giving out coin at work chips the 2 layers of gel top coat on my tips.  I'm thinking that it's due to the acry gel being exposed to water and a possible mani and non acetone remover.

Now that I know Unt peel off works, the next time I decide to go colorless, I'll use Unt and a clear top coat.

Original Spectraflair franken

I made this 6 years ago with original Spectraflair. I don't recall what base polish I used...from the sweet smell, probably an old school, it may be a Nicka A. Really sheer blush with a soft gold flash. This is 3 thin coats over my acry gel enhancement. Aside from my gel topcoat pooling around some of my cuticles, I think this looks lovely on my nails.

I'll have to wait a few days for some nail growth to file down the pooling and apply another layer of gel top coat. I'm unsure as to why this is happening. I'm using thin layers, and it *looks good until I remove my hands from the UV light.
*Could just be my eyes...I'm expecting a Brightech Lightview Pro magnifier with led lights any day.

New project- organizer for round 7mm Chez Delaney plates- picture heavy

I have 128, round 7mm Chez Delaney plates that I want to organize in a folder type holder. Thus far, I have found one place that sells 7mm plate holders- here on Aliexpress. They are side loaders. I almost pulled the trigger on purchasing, but decided to make my own because I think top loaders would be better.
Finished plate holder;

My initial idea was to use upholstery to cover my plates, but switched to re-purposing an old bamboo placemat.
Supplies; 6 pocket picture protectors (leftovers from organizing my husband's family photos...purchased here), 1/2" screw posts from Hobby Lobby (in the leather section...they also carry 1/4" screw posts- great for repairing your existing folders!), sewing machine (you could hand sew), spring steel lacing bones (from my corsetmaking stash...can be purchased here...plastic washers would be a good substitute), polyester thread (is best), choice of cover, awl, leather hole puncher, glue (E6000), drill.

Tips:( I sewed my pockets 7mm.) Use the finest needle you can. Loosen both the needle and bobbin tension. Use the largest stitch on your machine. You want to keep the stitch holes small and spaced  far enough away from eachother with enough "give" to allow reaching into the pocket to remove a plate without it ripping like perforated plastic.

Moving on...The wide channel between the picture pockets will be the fold line...where the screw posts will be installed. Each page of the finished folder will have 6 plates, back to back...vertical.

The lacing bone will be running down the center channel between pockets. The screw post fits perfect through the holes...I used 3.  Assembly goes like this-bone (or washers), upholstery, photo pages, bone...all held by 3 screw posts.) The lacing bone will add stability in addition to keeping the pages from ripping away from the screw posts.

 It was at the above point when I realized that I didn't need a cover at all, and maybe using the upholstery I had in mind would be time consuming. It's embroidered, so I'd have to finish all my edges. Then I saw the placemat.

Shown already cut, binding pirated and re-worked (glued) on the new edge. Bonus- the binding is nylon...the edges can be burned with a lighter to seal. Drilled 3 holes through the placemat for screw posts. Also, I glued that last leftover bit to cover the spine (over the lacing bone) of my holder, and used a red hot awl to burn a hole where the screw post goes.

Above, awl is on the left. On right is a leather hole puncher, and what I used to make holes through the picture sleeves. Below- inside assembly.

Below are metal, decorative corners I found while shopping for the screw posts at Hobby Lobby. 3 sets of 4 in  a burnished finish-silver, brass and copper. I used the silver...Although a bit expensive, I think they add a finished look to my new holder.

Below is a pic with the embroidered upholstery I almost used.