Oh boy, oh boy!

Today I had some good fun in the sun... well, OK, in the stores and such, but still.  I had a meeting in town, so on the way home I got to stop at a few shops to check on polishes. First I went to Sally's Beauty Supply. I didn't find anything exciting, but of course I couldn't leave empty handed, so I left with some Seche Vite, my very first bottle, I might add (and I am in love with it, but I'll talk about that later).  Then I stopped at a few other drugstores and such, still nothing exciting per se, but again, couldn't leave empty handed. So I left with polishes I liked. I ended up with

• Sally Hansen - Xtreme Wear - Wet Cement
• Sally Hansen - Xtreme Wear - Lacey Lilac
• Sally Hansen - Xtreme Wear - Mint Sorbet
• Sally Hansen - Xtreme Wear - Pumpkin Spice
• Sally Hansen - Xtreme Wear - Rockstar Pink
• Sally Hansen - Xtreme Wear - In The Spotlight
• Sally Hansen - Hard as Nails - Ice Queen
• Sinful Colors - What's Your Name
• Sinful Colors - Mercury Rising
• Sinful Colors - Dream On
• Wet 'n' Wild - Eggplant Frost
• Wet 'n' Wild -  Tickled Pink
• Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat

 Wow, it looks like a lot more when I actually write it out. :)  Anyway, for now I am going quantity, later I will focus more on quality. I just wanted some colors to round out my stash, and then there were these shiny sparkly things and it's all a blur from there.  :P

OK, so I get home, check the mail, and my package of nail art tools arrived. I was so happy. So I have been playing ever since.  I got my stamper and plates, dotting tools, nail stickers, rhinestones, and striping tape. I just need my brushes, and I'm set. And yes, to answer your question about now, I am obsessed and I do go all out when I get an obsession. This is me restraining myself... I may have a serious problem.  But that's OK, 'cause I'm having fun!  :)

Of course I need to play with my stamping plates, and my dotting tools - the two things I was most anxious about. I painted my fingers mint sorbet, but had a bit of an accident before it dried, so then I used tickled pink instead.  (And yes, I DID by Seche Vite, but ya know how it is when you get excited about things... your brain doesn't always work right).  After topping Tickled Pink with Seche Vite (eh, see, I learned) I decided to try stamping. I see everyone stamping and I have been so excited to try.  Now let me warn you here... remember what I said about being excited earlier, and sometimes your brain doesn't work right? Well, here is an example.  So I get my stamping stuff ready... I've read and seen many tutorials... I know that not all polish will work, but still I opted to go cheap and not buy special polishes, and the stamping plates are a cheaper version also. (Sorry, even though I am obsessed, I don't have a lot of money) I also read that some stamp plates don't work as well if they are the generic type, but again, budget.... Anyway, on with the stamping. I've got my plate ready, my polish ready, my scraper ready (decided to use a credit card, instead of the metal scraper, to try to keep my plates in good condition). I've got my acetone ready... hmm... paper towel to wipe with, q-tip to clean plate and stamp in between... OK, I guess I'm ready. I decided to use black, since I am just beginning and I know black will show (and I love pink and black). I pick out my design... a pretty floral, and for my ring finger a butterfly. I figure the more practice the better. And so I begin my stamping. Now I know it's not going to be perfect, I know it takes practice to center the designs just right and all. But I'm not expecting or caring for it to turn out right, I just want to play (em, I mean practice).  So, I try to use my stamp, and I can't pick up the design. So I clean it and try again. Still can't pick up the design. I try a couple more times, and still nothing. So I think, well, maybe it's the polish. So I trade my polish for a thicker one. Guess what? Still can't get the stamper to pick up the design. This is where I get frustrated and think, this is what happens when you go cheap, right? But if I didn't then I couldn't have gotten all the stuff I needed (ahem, OK, wanted). At this point, I am almost in tears, so disappointed, I am.  I pick up my plate, clean it all off, clean my stamper, sit there being depressed. (yeah, along with being obsessive, I may be bi-polar).  So here I am, depressed, cleaning off my supplies, including my stamping plate. Stop and look at the plate and the pretty designs, that apparently I will never get to use. And I look closer at it. And closer still... and here is where I have my Uh, Duh moment, and give you some free advice...  When stamping for the first time, with a new plate, be sure to remove the protective plastic sticker that is most likely covering the plate, hence making it impossible for the polish to soak into the mold and be pick up by the stamper. Uh, Duh.

So after that everything else was great. Of course, it came out looking sloppy and uneven, and I also had to play with my dotting tool, so it ended up with stamps and dots... but I had fun and am back to my happy place. :)

By the way, there will probably not be pics of this mani, since it was just messing around... I may get a few pics of the nails I like, but no full mani.  I am going to go admire my pretty stamps and dots now, and maybe later put up some pics. (or maybe not, I don't know yet).  ;)