Lite-Brite nails

I just released the details on the fantastic nail art prize
I'll be giving away in my upcoming contest!

Check it out!

So, I got these rhinestones in the mail two days ago. When they got here, along with my first real dotting tools (I've been using bobby pins up to now), I told my boyfriend I might just start crying (but in a good way!). Well in the end I didn't cry, but I think something snapped inside my brain because OHMYGODLOOKWHATHAPPENED.

It didn't help that this weeks's theme in the 52 week challenge I'm participating in was "inspired by a game". To be honest, "inspired" wasn't a very accurate description of what I was. It's been more like "struggling". I had a few misadventures trying to come up with and execute ideas for this week, until it struck me. Lite-Brite.

When I was a kid, I used to play with that thing constantly! I loved it, and I remember being equally inspired and frustrated by its weird hexagonal disposition. Also, I was just in love with the pink coloured pegs. All of the pegs in fact looked like precious gems to me. I just adored playing with this game.

So I recreated it on my nails. Over the top? Maybe. True to the original? I like to think so.

I even painted small black dots on a greyer background to give the illusion of tiny holes in which the pegs must be inserted. Here, have a look at the original machine. This is exactly what mine looked like. I understand that the Lite-Brite looks much spiffier these days, and has even been converted into a mobile app. Meh, I say. This big chunky thing was way more exciting than any app version will ever be.

This picture is property of leahlariccia and was found through this webpage.

And here, you can see the original pegs that had to be pushed through the sheet of black paper in order to be illuminated. I actually only used rhinestones in the colours of the original set of Lite-Brite pegs. These pictures have been taken from this blog post. They do not belong to me.

I like how big and bulgey the rhinestones look because that's pretty much how the Lite Brite itself looked - like an image made of big pieces of plastic that stick out. Here's one last image, this one taken from this blog post.

EDIT: Someone pointed out that the "bumpiness" of the rhinestones is really what makes it ressemble the real Lite-Brite game, so I decided to take some pics that REALLY show just how clunky these things are! Hope you enjoy :)

  

 

There you go! I'm really happy in the end because I think this is a pretty original idea, and after struggling so hard to find something to do with this week's challenge, I think I did alright!

Did you have a Lite-Brite when you were younger?

The polishes I used:

• Base coat: Essie - All in One Base
• Shimmery dark grey: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure - Black Platinum
• Black dots: no name bottle of stamping polish labeled "nail paint", in black
• Top coat: Essie - No Chips Ahead

I usually post a picture of the polishes I use, but I'm in a bit of a hurry so I'll come back and add one later.

The technique:

I applied a base coat, followed by three coats (yep, you read that right) of Black Platinum because it just wouldn't become opaque enough! Guh!!! I then used some clear polish (by L.A. Colours) to glue my rhinestones to my nails. I took a dotting tool, dipped it in clear polish, then made a dot on my nail where I wanted to put the rhinestone. I picked up the rhinestone I was going to glue with an orange stick and placed it carefully over the dot.

After that, I took another dotting tool and used my black stamping polish to print dots that would mimic the Lite Brite screen. I left everything as is for a while because the rhinestones seemed pretty solid, but I got worried that I would lose them really easily so I added a layer of Essie's No Chips Ahead.