Dragon Lady Nails

Giveaway extended!!

Sorry I didn't realize that Rafflecopter times end EST. DOH!!! I reset the time to end 4/2/12 at 12:01 EST, it was supposed to ends 4/1/12 at 12:01 so you will get a few extra hours of entry time out of this. You can enter here. Again sorry, will keep this in mind for my next giveaway which should be coming up soon. I am just 31 wonderful followers short of 750 so I'll start gathering up some stuff for that giveaway.

I think I will start a poll to see what people want a giveaway or a contest....hmmm. And maybe I'll let you guys choose the prize too. Could be fun!?!? ;)

Good Luck & Much Love, The Dragon Lady

11 Questions Tag x 2 and Kreativ Blogger Award

Wow, I received these tags & award from these two lovely ladies over a month ago and I suck because I am just getting around to posting them!

First up, I received the 11 Questions Tag from - Cathy@Need More Nails and by Ana @Fairy Ana. These ladies are awesome you should totally check out their blogs if you don’t already!

Rules:

Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog
Answer the 11 questions the tagger set for you in their post
Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
You have to choose 11 people to tag and link them on the post
Go to their page and tell them you have linked him or her
No tag backs
No stuff in the tagging section about "You are tagged if you're reading this", you actually have to tag 11 people.

11 Things About Me:

I am addicted to coffee, nail polish, my computer, and video games.
I have 3 daughters who I am passing my nail polish addiction onto – oldest is 12 in one week, middlest is 9 & a half, and the youngest is 2 & half.
My hubby and I have been together since I was 18 and he was 20 and we celebrate 14 years together in July but our 9^th wedding anniversary in May.
I LOVE DRAGONS! I collect them…stuffed ones, statues, figures, etc.
I am placing myself on a polish-no-buy until further notice as I managed to “collect” over 200 polishes in 3 months according to my last stash count (and that’s not counting all the ones I bought for giveaways)!
I go through a 32 ounce bottle of pure acetone nail polish remover a month.
I just bought polish making supplies because I thought it’d be cheaper to make my own…it has yet to be determined if it’s cheaper.
I am thinking of taking a small hiatus from blogging to play with said polish supplies, but don’t worry I’m only talking a week or so – and I’ll probably crank out a week or so scheduled posts so you won’t even notice.
I love video games but haven’t really played one since I started blogging back in October.
I am starting a new blog about an exercise challenge…stay tuned.
I have 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 fresh water puffer fish, 2 plecostomus, and 1 beta…and a lot of plants (hubby is a horticulture major).

11 Questions From Cathy:

1. If you had to survive the rest of your life wearing only ONE polish, what would it be? (this means a specific colour from one brand - regardless of how old or HTF it is)

Nubar Violet Sparkle – I could stare at that forever – sparkly and my favorite color!

2. How do you organize your nail polish?

I organize by color mostly: reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, purples, pinks, whites, grays, blacks, browns & golds, etc. I do however keep my metallics, holos, and stamping polishes separated from my normal polish. Also the clear based glitters are in their own category.

3. What colour of nail polish do you own the most of?

Pink I think, which is funny because purple has been my favorite color for years but now I am leaning toward pinks.

4. Are you as interested in makeup as you are nail polish?

Yes, but I am not as comfortable with it as I am polish.

5. What is your 'go to' nail polish?

Usually one of my metallics or holos because the formula is good and they go one with only one maybe two coats.

6. Accent nails - yay or nay?

When I first started blogging they were nay, but they have grown one me so YAY!!!

7. One polish/trend/collection/finish that everyone else seems to love but you don't

Um, this new Ciate Caviar mani…I’m not too sure about this one. Is the point to look like you pigged out eating caviar with your fingers? Also I still have never used a crackle – I own several but I bought them mostly for my daughters. I may have to break my crackle-ginity here soon. Still don’t know about that caviar mani for sure isn’t worth $25 – craziness!

8. What do you think you'll do with your stash when you outgrow nail polish?

Bite your tongue! I’ll never grow out of it. The closest I have come was when my older daughters were little and I never had time to do my nails, all of my polish was packed into an old Caboodles makeup box (one of the big ones). Besides my girls are already calling dibs on their favorites! LOL

9. Have you converted any friends/family into nail polish addicts?

My 3 daughters and my mother.

10. Which brand of nail polish do you own the most of?

I have the most Color Club with Sally Hansen & China Glaze a close second and third. I have a good source for all 3 nearby so they are usually the ones I pick up.

11. Quick! Name the first polish that you can think of!

Color Club Electro Candy – I just took it off.

11 Questions From Ana:

1. How many nail polishes do you have?

Some, not as much as others…current count is 558.

2. How do you imagine perfect vacation?

No rushing, no worrying, all fun.

3. What is your favorite makeup brand?

Right now, Hard Candy – they have some cool stuff…my current fav FLAKIE LIP GLOSS! Yep, flakie lip gloss (maybe I should do a post on it). Mmm, flakies.

4. If you have to choose only one makeup product to use what would it be?

Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm – LOVE IT!

5. Cats or dogs?

I have & love both but if I have to choose…cats. They are easier to snuggle, don’t take up as much room on the bed and usually their breath is better smelling. LOL

6. Who is your favorite fictional character?

Temperance Brennan from Bones. I love her, she’s hilarious!

7. Book or movie?

Depends on my mood, but usually book.

8. When you look back 5 years ago what do you think about yourself?

“Dang, I was young.”

9. Favorite TV show?

Bones.

10. If you could meet one celebrity in the world who would that be?

Um, I never thought about it. Celebrities are people too. I guess I just don’t see it as all that exciting. I don’t really care which celeb broke up with whom, who is hiding a baby bump, or who got arrested for what. I mean it’s not really our business is it? The only reason I know how to spell Kardashian is because they came out with a nail polish line. LOL! I know not very Californian of me, right?

11.Why do you like blogging?

I like meeting new and interesting people and I get to do that every day with blogging!

My 11 Questions for You:

How big is your polish horde? Do you think it is big enough?
How long have you been blogging for?
What is your favorite type of polish? (Crème, glitter, jelly, crème with glitter, flakies, holo, color shifting, etc)
One polish/trend/collection/finish that everyone else seems to love but you don't (borrowing this one from Cathy)!
What shape and length do you like your nails?
Konad or nail art or both?
What’s your favorite thing to find or read on a nail blog?
Name the best hand lotion or cuticle cream you have used.
How many frankens have you made?
Nail polish jewelry - Yay or nay?
Is your polish addiction a recent or ongoing ~~problem~~ love?

11 People I Tag:

11 More People I Tag (‘cause I got it twice):

Another thing that I got from Ana@Fairy Ana is the Kreativ Blogger Award.

1. Post the link to who gave you the award.
2. Answer the questions.
3. Share 7 random thoughts about yourself.
4. Pass it to the 10 blogs and inform them.

**Warning**I am very sick, feel miserable, and I am slightly delirious from cold & flu medicine and lack of sleep…some of this may contribute to some strange answers.

7 Questions:

1. Favorite song.

Far From Home by Five Finger Death Punch
2. Favorite dessert.

Right now? Ice cream or popsicles for sure.
3. What drives you insane?

Being ill. My children. Sometimes the hubs too.
4. When I'm mad...

Yell, leave, sleep, cry, blog, or some combination. Sleep blogging can be a terrifying condition in its own right.
5. Favorite pet?

My dog, Luke and my cat, Sokar at the moment because they are both cuddly when I’m sick.
6. Black or white?

Whack (white+black=whack) aka gray. Just kidding, black.
7. Biggest fear?

An earthquake resulting in broken polish…Horrifying!

8. My daily attitude...

Today? Bleh. Meh. Or Bleargh.
9. What's perfect?

Perfection. Everything else has flaws.
10. Guilt?

No thanks, I’m full (of ice cream and cold meds).

7 Random Thoughts:

Being ill sucks!
Hubby and I will have been together for 14 years later this year…doesn’t seem like it’s been that long.
14 years…man I feel old. I was 18 and he was 20 when we started dating.
Genetics are weird!
I suppose you want more detail on the last one? Ok, hubs is blonde with blue/green eyes, I am a redhead with brownish eyes (been told my eyes are the same cool as my hair – weird right?). We have 3 kids – 2 redheads (a recessive gene) and 1 blonde, 2 have blue eyes, 1 green (both recessive genes) none with brown…WTH?
I need more polish, but I really don’t. Conundrum.
I need to go play a video game or watch a movie.

Blogs I nominate are:

Be sure to check out these awesome blogs/bloggers and show them some love if you don't already! Off to notify everyone of their nominations! Much Love, The Dragon Lady

Final Review: SHANY Image Plates

Once again, I purchased these myself a few months ago and I have used a few of the images in some stamping, but I figured it was time for an all out review of all 25 plates. I bought my SHANY plates from Amazon.com here.

My final take on the SHANY image plate set, a total of 181 images from 25 plates – four of these being repeats. I have to say that the four repeated images kind of ticked me off. They couldn't make four more different images? Really? I expect the occasionally duped image among different brands of image plates but this is my first experience with dupe images in one set from the same brand. Other than that, I was happy with how most of the images came out and how easy most of them were to pick up. Most of the image were pretty crisp as well. The images themselves seemed to be deep enough that I didn't experience that “insta-dry” problem as with some other plates. It is very frustrating to scrape an image and discover it dried before you could even pick it up. Happily that wasn't the case here! I tested these plates with Konad special polish in black and also China Glaze Joy. They stamped well with both.

I was even shocked at how well some of the more detailed images came out! I would look at an image, like the last image on SH25, full nail spider webs and think, “No way! This is only going to be a partial pick up or stamp.” Then imagine my surprise when I got every single little web line. Awesome sauce!!!

I definitely think I’ll be using these plates more now that I have tested all 181 and only had issues with maybe 3, and that was fixed with a simple change of scraping direction. I have no qualms about buying a set down the road for a giveaway now. But you probably want to see some images stamped on nails, right?

Here you go, I embellished my Pink Wednesday mani with scroll work (SH03) using China Glaze Admire and then again with the scroll work butterflies (SH24 & SH12) using Konad stamping polish in black. I am loving this!

Don't forget to enter my current giveaway here! It ends at midnight on 4/1 so hurry!

Much Love, The Dragon Lady

Review: SHANY Image Plates – Part 5

Again I am not a 100% sure of what some of these designs are on these plates but all the images below are shown one the first stamp (no test stamping) in Konad Special Polish in Black onto white 3x5 index cards, until SH23 when I realized I was running out of my Konad black polish and switched to China Glaze Joy.

Plate SH21:

Scalloped lace strip, scalloped lace bow strip, flower whole nail design (same as SH20), flower whole nail design, whole nail design, butterflies (same as SH13)

Plate SH22:

Tip design, whole nail design, circle/oval whole nail design, grape? whole nail design, abstract triangle whole nail design

Plate SH23:

Crosses curved stripe tip design, dots whole nail design, whole nail design, stripes whole nail design, bubbles? whole nail design

Plate SH24:

Star-shaped flowers, scroll work butterfly, scroll work design, feather, flowers, heart/scrolls (ivy leaves)

Plate SH25:

Fancy tip design, whole nail design, flower whole nail design, cheetah print whole nail design, spider webs & spiders whole nail design

Much Love, The Dragon Lady

Review: SHANY Image Plates – Part 4

Plate SH16:

Flower, eye, flower?, flower, flowers, flowers, squares

Plate SH17:

Flowers (same as SH13), leaves, star design, hearts, flowers, hummingbird, snowflake

Plate SH18:

Flower (similar style to one on SH16), flowers, flower, tribal? Design, flowers, flowers, flower whole nail design

Plate SH19:

Music note, lips, kite, fish, palm tree, wave design, strawberry

Plate SH20:

Heart nail tip design, whole nail design, flower whole nail design, flower whole nail design, flower whole nail design

Next up the last five plates from this set, SH21-25…Much Love, The Dragon Lady

Review: SHANY Image Plates – Part 3

Plate SH11:

Scroll waves?, flower, flower, flower, paw prints, tribal scroll design, striped heart design

Plate SH12:

Flowers, happy face, heart/clover design, ladybug, stars, flowers, butterfly

Plate SH13:

Dot design (firework burst?), butterflies, flowers, deer (reindeer), gecko, stars (same as SH12), star (flower?)

Plate SH14:

Zodiac symbols x 12 (in stamping order: Taurus, Aries, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Libra, Virgo, Leo, Cancer, Gemini), pirate skull with swords

Plate SH15:

Tribal double heart design, leaves, scroll work cross, scroll design, tribal design, flowers, tribal-ish heart design

Next up SH16-20…Much Love, The Dragon Lady

Review: SHANY Image Plate Review – Part 2

Again I am not a 100% sure of what some of these designs are on these plates but all the images below are shown one the first stamp (no test stamping) in Konad Special Polish in Black onto white 3x5 index cards. I did have trouble with a couple images getting a clean scrape so you’ll notice a second stamp with that design (SH06), I just changed the direction of my scrape and all was fine…we’ll chalk that up to user error. LOL!

I also want to mention that although these plates are rough on the back (no backing) and they snag on a paper towel, they aren’t really sharp and the designs themselves are not roughly cut. I can clean them with a cotton ball and the fibers don’t stick.

Plate SH06:

Six different tip designs