Be Strong!

Hi everyone,

Today something special that is inspired by a song  from Delta Goodrem - Be Strong

"And when you're like a single flower, Whose colors have turned to shades of grey, Well hang on, Be strong"

I have made these for the Empowering Woman contest on  Lacquer Or Leave Her. She has this contest to raise awareness about Inspire me 2 Aspire and is looking for women from all walks of life to be mentors for a chat event on International Women's Day (March 8th) Click link for more info. I wasn't planning on entering since I don't feel like I can inspire anyone and see my self as a failure when it comes to career. Plus English isn't my native language so I am always afraid that can cause problems in a chat. But then I thought I can help raising awareness by entering and writing this blogpost about it ;) (maybe some of you want to be a mentot in that chat) So I made an entry for this contest, my entry is totally different from all the amazing entries she already received. But I thought this song and the story behind it is inspirational (see the rest of my blogpost).

I find her songs/ lyrics especially this one beautiful  and inspirational when you feel down for some reason it will gives you power to be strong and hang on and don’t give up. And Delta is a beautiful empowering woman who overcome Hodgkin's Lymphoman cancer at the age of 18. Be strong is inspired by that period of her life. She was strong did not give up and now is a beautiful strong adult woman with an amazing music career. And she got strength and inspiration from her bad period in life.

"And when you're like a single flower, Whose colors have turned to shades of grey, Well hang on, Be strong"

Base a gradient of Catrice Pebbles Beach and Konad SN pastel violet with China Glaze Wireless holographic topcoat on top, stamped with Konad SN black, SN green, Color Club Wild at Heart, Color Club Revvvulotion and Konad SN white and SN yellow for the dots. Imageplate M25 for the flower stalk with leaves and XL F for the flower.

From thumb to pinkie the flower turns in to shades of grey but from pinkie to thumb the flower gets his colors back :)

I used purple colors because I’ve read that purple flowers can represent dignity, mystery, success, magic and pride. Overall, this color represents admiration and accomplishment. So I felt that fits the theme of empowerment too. You can admire other women /men /things in live /songs… and they can inspire you to accomplish your own hopes and dreams.

Some more pictures of this creation in different lighting.

You can see the grey colors slowly fade away more on each finger and that the flower gets his beautiful purple and green colors back :)

I’ve read Delta Goodrem wrote this song for a fellow cancer patient who unfortunately died a couple of years later (it means a lot to me since my mom died a bit more then a year ago at a very rare type of non Hodgkin’s Lymphoman Leukemia cancer) and I am glad to read there are people who overcome cancer... well not exactly the same type my mom had but something a bit similar. And it makes me happy she survived at her very young age of 18 and makes beautiful songs. To be completely honest listening to this song also always makes me cry a bit because then I have to think of my mom who was also very strong but did not win the cancer battle. But kept believing in a miracle until the very end. And even I sometimes have to cry when I hear it also gives me strength.

So no matter how bad things seem, never give up, be strong, keep the faith, have hope and pursue your dreams!

I know it is easier said then down, but it sure is something I want to believe in or/and try.

"And when you're like a single flower, Whose colors have turned to shades of grey, Well hang on, Be strong"

Thanks for reading.

xoxoxo

Funny .. 15 oldies from 2008 :)

Hi Everyone,

 

I still can't add photos :( Hope this problem will be solved soon. So I thought lets show a lot of oldies from 2008, when I just started stamping. I have those on a Dutch page of my mine, so I can link them and doesn't have to add new pics, since that isn't possible at the moment unless I first upload them somewhere else.

Back then I was also still struggling with my nails and trying to stop biting them completely. So my nails aren't in the best state, but I find it fun to show you those oldies too :) Although some are ugly hahaha and very bad cuticles and stuff. But it makes me laugh to see those oldies :)

 

I don't know all the base colors anymore, but I do know the plates I've used.

 

Stamped with Konad M2 and M9 using PSN gold black, SN whte, SN violet pearl and SN silver.

 

Konad M31 stamped with PSN cool red, SN yellow, SN green and SN dark orange.

 

Konad M15 stamped with SN dark orange.

 

I actually did liked these, and it was a holo from a Essence LE. Stamped with Konad M35 and SN white.

 

Konad M66 stamped with PSN chocolate, SN pink pearl and PSN light gray.

 

Konad M24 stamped with SN white.

 

Konad M8 stamped with PSN psyche pink.

 

Konad M25 stamped with SN green and PSN gold black.

 

Koand M24 and SN violet pearl.

 

Konad M8 stamped with SN pink pearl.

 

Konad M9 stamped with SN violet pearl.

 

Konad M24 stamped with SN white.

 

Koand M15 and SN blue.

 

Konad M66 stamped with SN blue, SN green and SN violet pearl.

 

This was actually the first time I took a picture of my nails in the beginning of 2008. But I like these much more then some other ones I made after that hahaha. Also my nail shape looks much better, but sometime I did start biting again, so I guess I did that after these too. Konad M29 stamped with SN green, SN red, SN yellow.

 

Hope you liked seeing my oldies haha.

 

xoxox

Inspired by music/song challenge (Bon Jovi)

Today I'll show you my creations I made for the inspired by your favourite music/song challenge. I don't really have one favourite band or music style but I do like these songs for many years now. And my mom also liked Bon Jovi especially the song Bed of Roses.

This is my 1st for this challenge inspired by these lyrics:

  

It's been raining since you left me
Now I'm drowning in the flood
You see I've always been a fighter
But without you I give up.

Bon Jovi - Always

I actually found this one funny... it tells a story ;) But not pretty and I only had this on one hand and went out the door with it, with on my other hand something completely different ;)

It's been raining and the water level is rising on each finger. On my ring finger a girl who's been left by her boyfriend looking sad waving goodbye with a broken heart. And the water level keeps on rising and on my thumb it's at the top. And the girl just gave up looking sad/angry she is drowning in the flood (all the bubbles of her last breath).

Base China Glaze Moody Blue, water sponged with PSN sky blue on top a layer of Maybelline Bolt of blue 140 for the glitter. Rain stamped with Konad SN blue and M13, waves to make it more look like water from H20 (SN pastel blue), broken heart from M18 (made it broken myself) girls from Coraline C02 and C05 (SN black pearl), bubbles from M16, M34 and M35 (SN blue, black pearl).

My 2nd creation was also from a song from Bon Jovi and I did these because it was also one of my moms favourite songs.

I wanna lay you down in a bed of roses
for tonight I'll sleep on a bed of nails
I want to be just as close as, the Holy Ghost is,
and lay you down on a bed of roses.

Bon Jovi - Bed of Roses

These I found a lot prettier ;) and did it on both hands and I'm still wearing it.

Somehow I really love blue and I was in a blue mood so I chose for a blue base again. Base is Teeez Cool 02 a blue holographic polish and on my ring finger Nfu Oh 65 a light blue holo. I stamped some roses from M65 with SN black pearl on them and on my ring finger a love couple (self made water decal) from a guy who'd love to lay his girl on a bed of roses ;) also stamped a blue rose from M25 with SN blue and SN black pearl above them.

I know there is a lot more to the song then just that one sentence, but I only used the Bed of Roses part literally for this creation ;)

I hope you like my music inspired creations :) 

xoxox

Queensday nails from 2010 & 2009

On April 30th we celebrate Queensday here in Holland. And ofcourse I always make some matching nails. I will make my nails for this year tomorrow, but today I'll show my Q-day nails from last year and the year before that ;) Our national color is orange and the color of our flag are red, white and blue. So these are the colors you see a lot on Q-day.

This creation I made in 2010:

Base China Glaze Peachy Keen with China Glaze Orange Knockout (this one is quite sheer so that's why I used Peachy Keen under it) it was sooooo bright, almost needed sunglasses to look at it. I stamped some crowns with Konad SN red, SN white and SN blue imageplate M40. Also in the same colors the dots from M79.

Here sort of a swatch from Peachy Keen with Orange Knockout:

It was soo bright so I had trouble to capture it's true color.

And now the ugliest nails you have ever seen!!!!! I made this in 2009 I find them horrible (people really liked them that day but looking back I can't imagine I had the courage to walk around with these nails ;) hahah)

I sponged the red, white and blue nails with Konad SN polish and rainbow glitter. Stamped the orange crown with M40. My ring and index finger have an orange base color (don't remember which one I believe it was a color of L`oreal) the tips I stamped with Konad SN pastel orange and rainbow glitter. The flowers I stamped with SN red, white and blue and imageplate M25.

I also wore this horrible matching ring that day, especially young children really liked that one :)

Tomorrow I will make my Q-day nails for this year!

Catrice 420 Dirty Berry swatches (+ nail art)

In Germany I bought this polish it's one of the new colors from Catrice. I really love this one, it's a bit lilac with some sort of holo in it.

First I'll show the nail art photos below are the swatches.

Catrice 420 Dirty Berry, I stamped flowers from Konad M20 with SN white, and 3 colored butterflies from Konad M25 with SN pastel pink, pastel blue and white. Photo with flash.

Photo without flash under artificial light.

Photo with flash under artificial light.

Now here the swatch photos you can see the sort of holo effect in it ♥

Photo with flash.

Photo without flash under artificial light.

Photo with flash under artificial light with lighter settings.

Photo with flash under artificial light normal settings.

Close up, so you can see the slightly colored  holo effect.

 It's spring and my butterfly decided to fly away to freedom :( 

I was having a bad day and then this happend, I was combing my hair and my nail was stuck in it. Then I saw this hugeeeee tear in my nail. It was already up to the middle, so I just took it all off :( Now I have this really sad short nail. Don't know how it teared, my nails almost never tear (it's been more then 2 years since I had something similar).

I've cutted them all now but not as short as my middle finger, that hurts. So you probably see some short nail creation from me, I'll hope I can take photo's of my right hand, otherwise it look so sad one really short nail in the middle (fortunately I have also a lot of older creation to show you when I didn't had a blog yet).