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Hello!
Have you ever wondered what to do with images on your stamping plates that aren't the typical rectangular/square shape? If so, you're in the right spot--I'm gonna show you fast, simple ideas for three odd shapes in today's post.
I chose Messy Mansion's Valareign 04 (also available from Amazon) for demonstration purposes, since it has several different shapes on it. First and foremost, I find that using some sort of image selector is super helpful for finding the full potential of images, so I say pull that sucker out and and see what you come up with!
Let's start with one of the most common of the 'odd' shapes--the bar shape. These are great for stripes, or for super-easy French-manicure style looks:
For this design, I started with Zoya Liv (from the Summer 2016 Sunsets collection), and stamped the band across the top for a simple French look; I used Hit The Bottle Polish Peach Blow, which isn't currently available, but check out her other duochrome stamping polishes, because OMG):
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| Messy Mansion Valareign 04 over Zoya Liv |
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| Messy Mansion Valareign 04 over Zoya Liv |
Thanks to the clear stampers out there on the market, this sort of look is extremely easy--you can have a simple, classy manicure in minutes. Can't argue with that. :)
Next, let's take a look at a triangle image. My favorite way to use these is to have the point come down from the half-moon area, like this:
For this manicure, I started with Zoya Ness (also from the Sunsets collection), and stamped with Sally Hansen I-rush Luck. To mix things up, I also used the ivy image on my accent nail:
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| Messy Mansion Valareign 04 over Zoya Ness |
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| Messy Mansion Valareign 04 over Zoya Ness |
And finally, let's take a look at the house-shaped image in the center...it can be easy to get frustrated with images like this because they don't quite cover your entire nail. But what I like about these images is you get an edge to the design that you don't normally get from full-nail images, and I try to take advantage of that whenever possible. In this case, I wanted to preserve the pretty flourishes on the top of the nail:
For this mani I used Zoya India, and stamped with Messy Mansion Soft Gold (also available on Amazon):
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| Messy Mansion Valareign 04 over Zoya India |
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| Messy Mansion Valareign 04 over Zoya India |
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| Messy Mansion Valareign 04 over Zoya India |
This would be a beautiful design even if it covered the entire nail completely, but I think the pretty edge along the top just gives this an additional regal feel, like a crown on my nails. Elegant and fast--imagine how gorgeous this would be over red for the holidays.
So there you have it--three examples of how you can get the most out of those oddly-shaped images! Don't overlook them just because you can't cover your full nail. Take advantage of their awesome attributes!
Happy stamping,
M.
