Monday 15 December 2014

12DOC: Christmas Decorations

Hey y'all!

Yup, it's Monday, again, and we're now halfway through December.  By now, neighborhoods should be filled with creative and festive light-up displays at dusk, where enterprising homeowners compete with one another for the most Christmas-y lawn display of the street.  This was the inspiration I used to complete today's 12 Days of Christmas prompt: Christmas Decorations.

Christmas Decorations nail art of icicle lights over a red brick background and a wreath nail charm over a stamped wooden door.

To begin, I used a coat of OPI A-Piers to be Tan on my ring finger, and two coats of China Glaze Ruby Pumps on all others.  Then I stamped the brick pattern from Cici & Sisi plate 04 on my red nails in OPI My Vampire Is Buff, and the wood grain pattern from VL019 on my ring finger in Barry M Mushroom.  I completed my backgrounds by outlining my ring finger and creating the boxed middle section of what I hoped would look like a door in Barry M Cocoa.

Christmas Decorations nail art of icicle lights over a red brick background and a wreath nail charm over a stamped wooden door.

I used a small striping brush and LA Colors Energy Source to create my hanging icicle lights over my red brick nails, and then added silver microbeads down the center of each strand, as well as 4 and 5mm rhinestones to create the "lights", and finished by adding the AB crystal "wreath" over my ring finger.  I know you didn't think I was done with the charms, did you?  This little pretty was found in a little jar with 4 other Christmas charms at Salon Services last week on a VAT-free sale day. 

Christmas Decorations nail art of icicle lights over a red brick background and a wreath nail charm over a stamped wooden door.

While I'm satisfied that this is definitely a sparkly look, I am sad that I over-thought it a bit.  I didn't realize I would lose so much of my background detail by the time it was all said and done.  I was convinced that I had some 3mm rhinestones hanging around but I couldn't find them, so I felt like the light strands had to be made a little bit bigger and it all just completely overwhelmed and covered my red brick walls.  Likewise, by the time I'd added the door frame details, you can't see the wood grain stamping.  This leaves me decidedly on the fence about the whole design, and I kind of wish that I'd had time to take it off and start over.  However, I don't, so I won't, and this is what you get.  At least it's blingy. 

For more Christmas decoration looks, be sure to check out the inlinkz below!






I hope you're all off to a good start this week, and I will see you Wednesday!