Before & After: Leadlighting isn't just for light bases

Hello!

You've seen the lead-lighting technique here on my blog and elsewhere. Normally, you use a light-colored base (usually white), stamp in black, and then put nearly translucent polishes over the stamping to color it in.

Well, I just can't leave well enough alone, and I decided I wanted to try it with a base other than a light-colored base, because, well, I'm stubborn like that. So I've been playing around a bit, and wanted to show you something I think you'll like.

Here's the base I started with, it's Misa Lash Out, from their Blink Of An Eye collection--if you haven't seen this collection, take a look. There are three polishes in it that I've never seen anything like: wax-finish matte polish with a crazy sparkle that's almost like a scattered holo; in the sunlight, it's insane. Lash Out is a blue-leaning teal:

Misa Lash Out

Misa Lash Out

Misa Lash Out

Misa Lash Out

 This also looks beautiful with topcoat, as you'll see below. I'm not sure which way I prefer it.  :)

To decorate it, I first stamped using MoYou London's Sci-fi plate 04, with Sally Hansen Silver Sweep. I added a star rhinestone to the index finger (more about this below), and I used the leadlighting technique on the pinkie finger. I filled in the planet with ALIQUID Lake Michigan Sunset (originally sent for review) with the lead-lighting technique--I applied it over the planet with a dotting tool:

Lead-lit galaxy!

Notice that the effect is subtle here--I wanted to highlight the planet, not necessarily make it jump out. The gentle difference in color makes it appear slightly three-dimensional in person, and as you can see in the close-up, I chose this polish so the little flakes in it would catch the light:

Lead-lighting over a colored base

Two more things I want to say about this. For the constellation on my index finger, I was really surprised that I found it nearly impossible to get a clean image from it. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with my plate, so maybe I was just having one of those days (although everything else stamped easily). I hadn't originally intended to use the star rhinestone, but because two of the stars just wouldn't come out right, I used it to cover one of them, and it ended up giving a good balance to the manicure. So this is one solution to use if you have a smudge or something in your stamping--throw on a well placed rhinestone, stud, or glitter.

The last point I want to make is that I really want to encourage you to use lead-lighting over other colors. If you do, test out your color combinations to make sure you're going to like what you get, and don't forget those kindergarten paint mixture rules: if you put blue over a yellow base, you're probably gonna get green. Play around, have fun, and bring the leadlighting out into the full range of color!

Hugs, and I hope your week has started well. :)
M.