A Simple way to DIY and re-use pretty wrapping paper: Hand Made Cards

I have some hoarding tendencies and one thing that particularly brings it out is pretty wrapping paper! It seems like such a waste of good paper to just throw it out after unwrapping a present. So I have a neat little stack of paper, that I collect with then intention of re-using in some way. They're not usually in good enough condition to use as wrapping paper again (unless it's a really small present), but they are good for using with craft projects, including DIY cards!

Below I used:

• Some old wrapping paper
• Greeting stamps from Kikki-K
• Daiso origami pages
• Blank card

End of Law School Celebration Nails!

I always thought I'd be full of energy and excitement and sprint to the finish line. But what really happened was that I dragged myself to, and stumbled across the line. My last exam ever (fingers crossed) was an overnight take home exam. It was released Monday at 9am and due to next day at midday. It was for IP, with questions about Hello Kitty copyright, Kiss songs and stupid exercise equipment patents. Let's just say it was not a rock and roll all night kind of exam. 

I was determined to do something on Tuesday to mark to end of it. I had a glass of wine, and made my nails sparkly. I may feel flat, but at least my nails was bright.

Below I used my pink and gold Maybelline sequins polishes. The yellow is a new glow-in-the-dark polish from the Born Pretty Store. The insta-dry top coat caused some shrinkage. Very annoying. 

31 Day Challenge 2013 - 20 Water Marble

This was only my second attempt to experiment with wate rmarble nails. Despite the air bubbles and bumps, I am calling it a success. GO ME!

I used Ulta3 violet, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Turquoise and Mint Sorbet, topped with Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat.

But of course, I wasn't satisfied with how messy them looked, so I had another go. I still had major trouble getting any sort of pattern, but I did get the air bubbles and smoothness under control. I also decided to protect my sanity a bit and only did two marble nails on each hand.

31 Day Challenge 2013 — 19 Galaxies

So this is the first time I've actually tried to do galaxy nails. It's been on my to-do list, but other ideas always end up taking precedence, and I say 'later' to the galaxy.

They're so much fun, and because you use such light layers, dabbing on just a bit of every colour, they were well along the way to dry before I even put on my HK girl top coat. I was happy to see that despite the many dabs, it mostly only needed one coat to smooth out.

31 Day Challenge 2013 — 18 Half Moons

I got a little swept up with the Halloween/Dia de los muertos (Day of the dead) holidays, though neither are celebrated to any great extent in Melbourne. I wanted to do a sugar skull candy mani, but I didn't want to take another break from the 31 day challenge. So I tried to incorporate both into the one mani.

I ended up wasting so much time doing and redoing everything when I should have be studying and I still didn't love the end result.

But here it is, Essie Blanc with a bunch of Ulta3 in yellow, orange and purple, and the mint green was Sally Hansen. I used a dotting tool and a small brush. In hindsight, I should have taken out more than one dotting tool to save myself the hassle of cleaning it between colours.

 

In direct sunlight

I used my new Essence Express Dry Drops to hurry things along. It worked pretty well, though it gets a bit greasy! I grabbed it when I finally saw it available in a priceline store, — they are usually all gone when I go past an Essence stand. No wonder for only $3.50!

Might be do a comparison post after exams, with the various fast dry items I have.

31 Day Challenge 2013 – 17 Glitter (Doubles as Celestial Cosmetics Liquid Lawn Swatch)

The glitter day was the perfectly timed for me to use my lemming (as they say in the nail art world) polish, Liquid Lawn. I don't think I have been this careful with a manicure for a very long time. It's as gorgeous as it looks. I am not sure how others did it in a few coats, I needed about four.... I played with just the polish and a dark green polish as undies. The one without the base colour was perhaps a tad lighter, but not that noticeable. A generous layer or two of HK Girl to smooth out. Love it, dark without being vampy, this totally lived up to my expectations!

So sad was such an overcast day

With built-in flash

Trying to get closer to the window for light

31 Day Challenge 2013 – 16 Tribal Print

Tribal is not my thing, but decided to freehand something on my Arya Stark. The prints were loosely inspired by pictures in my Andean art book, which my friend Bronwen gifted me for no reasons whatsoever. I say loosely because they are nothing like the patterns in the book.

I absolute love Arya Stark, though it was fairly sheer. I run pretty warm as a person, so it was pink pretty much all the time, except when I ventured out to try jogging... Winter hasn't quite left Melbourne!