Rubber stamped nails

When I came across this article on Craftzine, my initial reaction was, "Wow, you can use ordinary rubber stamps on your nails!", before realising that it was about the Konad nail stamping system that consists of plates that are used with nail polish. But the rubber stamp idea stuck in my head, and I decided to see if ordinary rubber stamps and stamping ink would work. And they did!

This is how I did it - and a few tips:
1. Cover nails with base colour and allow to dry completely.
2. Stamp the design on using a rocking motion across the nail. I used a small stamp and Stazon permanent ink. But I experimented with pigment inks later and they also worked.
3. Allow to dry completely.
4. Remove any stray ink with a cotton bud and nail polish remover.
5. Quickly and gently apply top coat. Don't go over any area more than once or it will smudge.

I also found this video by someone else who has had the same bright idea!

For my first attempt I used a small square cherry blossom stamp over Jermyn Street by Nails Inc. I was inspired to use this by the colour used in the Craftzine article. For my second experiment I used a larger cherry blossom stamp (and added details with an embossing tool dipped in gold Winsor & Newton ink) over Sexy Lady by China Glaze. This is my first bottle of China Glaze, but I have For Audrey and Kinetic Candy on their way!

Now I have the huge variety of stamps in my collection to try out! I'm pleased to have found a way to use some of the craft supplies that don't get used very often.