From the nail art guide I chose the the design Geo Ginza from the Geo Metric section. Peach and black is one of my favorite color combinations and I loved the modern clean geometrical look of the design. I knew it would be tricky to create an avant-garde look from such a simple design so I put my thinking cap on. I also needed to exercise self-restraint to not over do the design making my inspiration indistinguishable and loosing the charm of the original.

Avant garde is new and unusual experimental ideas that are often considered controversial. I wanted to emulate this with my nail design and create an NTNA first with the shape. I tried a controversial square/ rectangle shape to coincide with the Geo Ginza design I chose. I wanted the design to be simple and clean like the inspiration so I had to think of ways to do this. The nail is more than the canvas and it should be incorporated into the theme as well. The shaping and form placement is extensive but I feel the nails go hand in hand with the design I chose. I didn’t want to do something common like a stiletto for an avant-garde challenge.

Making the little cubes was time-consuming, but the dip system gave my squares a really cool texture. I enjoy playing with matte and shiny combinations.

I think you can clearly look at my design and see the inspiration in an elevated way. I hope that I did the original artist proud. Avant-garde should make you feel and make you think. I hope I achieved that with my work as well.

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I knew this was a perfect challenge to show a new shaping skill that I learned the “ Russian Almond”. This is a very angular shape and you need to have your parameters correct in order for it to look right. The shaping was very time consuming, but I’m learning that if the shape is beautiful it speaks volumes itself.

I wanted to show some of my most favorite color techniques because they are so fitting for this challenge and I love color! It can be tricky to incorporate so many colors without the set coming off noisy. I used 21 lucky OPI colors to complete this crazy set.

I’m also a lover of bugs, so when I tried to think of something that’s colorful but not overdone, they were the first things to pop into my mind. I was always that weird kid playing with bugs. Insects have the most beautiful colors and I love the all their intricate details. I love to take things that people may find unappealing and make them pretty. I did the bugs in low profile 3-D, using gel and used a variety of hand painting techniques. I flocked my bees to make them more realistic and I find texture really pleasing. I added some flower embellishments to keep my theme cohesive.

Some may say that this set is not wearable. A quick scroll of my social media will give you a glimpse into myself and my clients lives and how we wear our nails. I almost always have stilettos on and I actually find it more difficult to function without my built-in tweezers. My clients and I are also not strangers to some big embellishments.

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For this challenge OPI asked us to choose a landmark or iconic image based on one of their many location-themed collections. I gave the list a glance and quickly decided on California Dreaming. I absolutely love California! I’ve been fascinated with the state ever since I was little. I made my first journey there in 2013 When I was apprenticing to be a nail tech. I attended my first industry trade show in Long Beach where I watched Lavette be crowned winner of her season. I’m a huge fan of Lavette and had been following her in the competition. I was hooked on NTNA!  I won tickets through a play at home challenge (which I diligently did weekly!) through NAILS Magazine. I met Beth who is one of the most warm, kind, and supportive figures in this industry.

I looked up the 2017 collection and noticed the name Santa Monica Beach Peach, which made me think of my second journey to California. My husband and I took a most amazing and monumental trip to the golden state. We stayed  just off the Santa Monica Pier where we had such a good time. We rode the ferris wheel which had the most amazing view of the beach. We bought T-shirts and ate great food and went on many warm beautiful walks. We met amazing people and it was just a beautiful time in our lives.

This is why I chose to honor it though my work this week. It was a tricky most tedious piece, but it brought back amazing memories of my favorite state. Ferris wheels, T-shirt stands, sand, beach balls, and plenty of fun! California quintessentials! I hope my recreation brings a sunny smile to your face! I’m always California dreaming especially when it’s -33° here in Alberta.

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For this challenge we were asked to choose one of OPIs most iconic colors. We received an email stating that there would be one color per person. I jumped on Cajun Shrimp and didn’t give it a second thought. I’ve always loved the color and the silly name. I hope you enjoy my spicy take on this bright and fun color.

I knew it would be tricky creating a set surrounding shrimp but I also knew it would be fun! It’s so much easier to create when the theme moves you. I love things that are a little weird so I naturally wanted to take my theme in a literal direction to build some shrimp at a Cajun cook out. I wanted to really focus on creating the most perfect structure I could possibly create because NTNA is about challenging yourself and pushing beyond your comfort zone. I have never sculpted competition shapes outside of a class. I was happy that All Stars gave me the opportunity to do so. I also know my smile line game needed improvement so I wanted to force that out of myself. The nails themselves took me quite a long time to create but I was so pleased with the results.

Each shrimp took around 3-4 hours. I had to include a napkin print and some cutlery to help bring the scene to life. The little veggies were tedious but added the right amount of spiciness to the set. Acrylic is not my dominant medium but I learned a lot working with it for this challenge.

I hope this set spiced up your life, made you giggle, and say wow all at once. It was a great way to start my All Stars journey.

Click here to watch her video diary.