Make It Fancy Giveaway Winner!

Hello ladies,

Today I met with a well known connoisseur of fine dining and all things fancy! She was the perfect choice to make the winner's selection for the Make It Fancy Giveaway! She offered input on every part of the process. Let us first learn a bit about her qualifications. 

My name is Tilda. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. 

My skills include bird watching. 

And meowing.

A crystal bowl containing 780 contest entries and a fine pate were presented.

My, what prompt service. 

A bit too much garnish...

But the crystal is exquisite!

And the tasting menu, superb!

Delectable!

My compliments to the chef. 

A deliciously scented wind spirited away an entry into the topiary.

Tilda finds the winner to be quite fancy indeed!

The establishment passed the white glove test and Tilda relaxes, waiting for dessert.

Congratulations to purple-princess!

Many thanks to our giveaway sponsors: Overall Beauty, chez-delaney, Ginger Kitty Designs and
Reviva Labs.

A special thanks to Laura for escorting the esteemed Miss Tilda to the cafe.

I will be judging the Starry Temptress Giveaway soon as well as posting a new giveaway in the very near future!

Happy painting, ladies!

Felines, science and wristlets: A conversation with requited love

Hello ladies,

I had a chance to chat with fellow Philadelphian, Reesha, about her creative endeavors and her shop, requited love. Our conversation included talk of purses, cats, rotary phones, bees, thrift shops, science, and baked goods. We will explore some of her versatile designs and get acquainted with her feline companions.

Fred Astaire prepares for an afternoon of sewing.

Diana: When did you learn to sew? At what point did you

venture into making accessories?

Reesha: My granny taught me how to hand-sew when I was very small, and among my first projects were handmade clothing for the tooth fairy. I had written her a letter to ask if she was about Barbie’s size (she was) so I would use my dolls as dress-forms and make little fur-lined coats with teeny snaps and wrap dresses. I’ve always loved making small precious things, and as an adult, that brought me to accessories.

I took an accessories design elective in college where I fell in love with sewing on an industrial machine. I was a graphic design major and my fashion classmates would comment on the “graphic” style of my work. I made a handbag entirely out of zippers… with no closure. I still like to bring subtle tongue in cheek humor to my work, like using rotary phone fabric for a smartphone case

pink rotary phone ipop tech case

Diana: I think that fabric typifies my relationship with technology!

What are some of your hobbies and interests other than

sewing? How do they inspire the creations in your shop?

Reesha: I love science! I am working on a Biology degree and hope to (some day soon!) become a middle school science teacher. I think the science comes through in my fabric choices- most everything I make has some kind of flora or fauna on it.

golden rose ipop glasses case

opinionated owls two-zip wristlet

I’m a huge fan of sea-life and pollinators.

turquoise octopus anchors away zip

Recently my boyfriend and I collaborated on a project where we made flower presses to raise money to support research concerning our nation’s failing bat and bee populations.

bats and bees small flower press

Besides being a naturalist, I’m a vegetarian, a bicyclist, and a vegan baker.

Diana: Flora and fauna are popular with readers of painted Lady fingers, as are baked goods. If I walk by and smell cupcakes, you may hear a knock on your door.

You feature some pretty vintage fabrics in your designs. Do

you find inspiration from retro looks and fashions of past

decades?

Reesha: My first foray into buying my own clothes was in high school, and I quickly learned the thrifting was the way to go. I grew up in the suburbs and we would take the train in to Philly, find our way to South Street and get lost in the two floors of clothing at Thrift for AIDS.

As a seamstress, I was able to alter things to fit, and I was quickly enraptured by the thrill of the hunt. I loved the surprises I would uncover, and the patterns I would shock myself by being drawn to- insanely patterned floral party dresses are a lot easier on the eyes in a vintage palette!

retro floral checkbook cover

I still like strange combinations and surprises; you can see it most in my two-zip wristlets. I lay out all of my fabrics just to see who jumps out as an oh-so obvious odd couple. Then I choose the lining for the pocket. That’s where my favorite secrets are kept. I still like the linings to coordinate, but you don’t have to see them for more than a moment, so they can be seriously wild pattern combinations.

bluebird heart two-zip wristlet

Diana: I think it's one of the qualities that really attracts me to your work. There's obviously some whimsy in residence in your sewing room!

Which of your accessories do you end up using the most?

Reesha: My tastes are pretty simple when it comes to handbags- I require something big enough to fit all the necessities, but small enough to wear tucked under my arm so I feel safe wandering in our fair city. I have a wristlet for going out, but for everyday, I need a shoulder bag that stays in place while I ride my bike.

deer floral handbag

Being a maker of things, I end up keeping quite a few for myself. I use one of my tech cases for my camera and a loopzip to protect my cell phone’s touch screen. I have two glasses cases, one for my sunglasses and one for goggles for my bio lab- that case is an insanely realistic opossum print fabric. I am one of the few people in the world who thinks opossums are cute!

Diana: Opossums are adorable! I've always hoped one would pop out and greet me the way other animals seem to!

Speaking of fauna a little closer to home, I know you have a bit of a cat fancy. Can you tell us a little about your feline companions?

Reesha: My boyfriend and I have four perpetual kittens. Here’s the rundown:

Vibrissa: tough as nails, built like a brick house. She has had three lives so far: “Bobby Sue” as part of the famous South Philly Home Depot cat colony, ruled our backyard for 5 years as “Scootch,” before finally coming inside. She's missing a canine tooth, fearful of strangers, and impossible to capture on film.

Moonunit: the alpha-female. She sprung from a pet-shop at 12 weeks old, has no manners and is insatiably curious. She especially loves stinky things, like the bottoms of shoes and boys in bands. Her appetite is never-ending. She moves like a monkey and she rules with an iron paw.

Moonunit conquers the fuzzy blanket.

Fred Astaire: our handsome man, the only true lover. He showed up on our doorstep one day, scrawny, dirty, and cuddly. He has a high-quality patented move where he maintains eye contact while twisting 180 degrees and landing with a thud just within reach. He has a voice like a canary, yet he's soft as a bunny.

Violet and Fred Astaire take note.

Violet: a.k.a. Kitten Grayskull, the great uniter. She was abandoned as a kitten in our yard, an orange striped cat wearing a sooty grey body stocking. With great patience, she has managed to get Vibrissa to play and Fred to bathe her… She’s still working on Moon.

Violet displays her determination.

Violet and Fred Astaire put their feet together.

Diana: I think Violet and Fred are hinting that it's time for me to walk back to my home in our fair city. Thank you so much, Reesha, for sharing your work, your inspiration and the stories of your felines in residence.

Stop by Reesha's etsy shop, requited love, to see a greater assortment of her work. For the next week, readers of painted Lady fingers will receive 10% off all items in her shop with code: love10.

Happy painting, ladies!

Bats in flight

Hello ladies,

I have my last Halloween manicure of the season to share with you, along with some flora and fauna. My friend David and I journeyed to Longwood Gardens today to revel in the fall color. My festive nails added a bit more paint to the landscape.

Purple goldstone skull

Color Club: Bewitching, Cast a Spell Kit

Art Club: Bewitching Halloween Gems

Look who came out to the meadow to greet us! One of the feline workers at Longwood Gardens pauses during a hunting expedition.

My striped and bejeweled manicure was created using the Cast a Spell Kit from Color Club and the Art Club Bewitching Halloween Gems. I began with a whitening base coat, added two layers of Spellbound (neon orange), and sealed it with top coat.

I then painted two coats of Charmed I'm Sure (purple shimmer) at a diagonal across the upper two thirds of my nails. I wrapped the tips throughly and added topcoat. I layered a stripe of Hocus Pocus (holographic glitter) in the center. Hocus Pocus has a fast dry time.

I waited a bit for the glitter polish to become thoroughly dry and then placed bat stickers along the stripe. I alternated solid bats with bat outline decals. The kit has a great variety of Halloween designs: haunted houses, ghosts, ghouls, moons, stars, spirals, gravestones and glitter dots. The Gothic ladies among us would be enchanted by Cast A Spell all year long.

Because I can't keep away from rhinestones, I positioned a silver dot over the orange polish and an orange dot over the purple. The Bewitching Halloween Gems wheel also has pearls! Although they didn't appear in this manicure, you will be seeing the pearls in future designs. I also have plans for the miniature black and orange beads.

I hope you enjoyed my Halloween fun!

The Color Club Bewitching Cast a Spell Kit and the Art Club Halloween Gems were sent to me for review. These can be purchased at victoriasnailsupply.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

Fire witch

Hello ladies,

This Halloween, a Fire Witch takes flight. If you see a sunset that flickers orange and gold, it may have been created by the whisking of her broom as she traversed the sky.

I began with Nubar Orange Crush. In black Konad special polish, I stamped the flying witch from image plate T29. I placed an orange Moon overhead. On the lower portion of my nail, I painted a thin coat of Nubar Tiara to add some sparks to the fire.

Mookaite crystal skull.

A Bengal cat.

I was taking photos in Rittenhouse Square and I felt a familiar tap at my ankle. I looked down to see this Bengal cat communing for my affection. His owner was walking him on a leash and a harness. He pulled in my direction. The kitty decided to jump up next to me for admiration, compliments and a modeling opportunity. He sat for a spell.

Orange Crush has a gorgeous pearl finish. I painted three coats for opacity. There is an appearance of brushstrokes that fades after top coat has been applied. This shade looks peachy when wet and then becomes fully orange and aglow after a layer of topcoat. This is one of my favorite orange polishes!

Tiara is a wonderful glitter topping. It's useful when trying to work around a design because the formula is on the thick side. A thin coat plus some light dabbing for touch ups will provide an even layer of sparkle that's easy to place with accuracy.

Orange Crush is from the California Dreamin' Collection. Tiara can be found with the Royal Gems Collection. These polishes were sent for review. Both shades can be purchased at bynubar.com.

Image plate T29 was provided for my consideration. To view the full line of nail art stamping plates, please stop by chez-delaney.com.

Happy painting, ladies, and happy Halloween!

Scaredy Cat

Hello ladies,

With his back arched and fur on end, the Halloween kitty tries to give the Moon a fright. In response, the Moon emits a purplish glow. Kitty still has many more tricks to play...

I began with Nubar Arencia, a coppery orange shade. Using Konad black special polish, I stamped the scaredy cat from design plate T13. I hung a purple Moon in the sky. With the striper in the Nubar Royal Amethyst two in one nail art pen, I tipped my nails in a coordinating purple.

Arencia looks like embers in bright sun.

Pyrite.

Here comes Rebus, ready to receive affection. Rebus belongs to my sister's neighbors. He's a gregarious fellow.

Arencia is the perfect shade for fall. The flashes in the glass flecked shimmer mirror the color of leaves turning. If your climate doesn't allow all four seasons, you can replicate one on your nails. I am showing three coats.

I rather love doing Halloween manicures. Any excuse to put a black cat on my nails works for me!

Royal Amethyst is from the Bejeweled Nail Art Pen Collection. Arencia is part of the Venetian Glass Collection. These polishes were sent to me for review and can be purchased at bynubar.com.

Image plate T13 was provided for my consideration. Please stop by chez-delaney.com to see the full line of nail art stamping plates. The popular H series was just restocked!

Happy painting, ladies!