Nail Olympics - London 2010...My Experience

I have returned from the show full of inspiration and drive, working with the fantastic team from Grafton's International. The Ez Flow and IBD stand was rocking...boasting record sales. I was demonstrating Gel design nails and working with the new Artistic range which includes those wonderful colour drops...wow how fantastic they make the free edge...with a brilliant transparent stained glass effect.

Black n Bling - Vikki Taylor Dodd won 'pimp your nails' with me

We had a charity auction on the stand, where people could bid on a set of nails done by myself and Antony Buckley. Raising money for Breast Cancer research and WWF, these where the nails I did on the highest bidder. Vikki Taylor Dodds. Bling encrusted gel stilettos with ink stained tips.

Scratch shoot out photographic entry

                                                    I  managed to catch up with a lot of friends, and some from over seas who came over to compete...Alex Fox, editor of Scratch, told me that they also saw record entries of over 350 throughout the competition. From Pink & white, encapsulation, mixed media and fantasy... Korean, Maltese, Japanese and Italians, to name but a few,  all came to our shores and spent hours bent over a desk creating the most perfect nails.  Wow Wow Wow...there are some incredibly talented nail technicians out there...stunning work...the amount of time people have spent on creating some of the intricate designs....it just goes to show the level of passion they have for their craft. A fair few of the girls come over to the stand and show me their fantasy work, but I have to say they have far exceeded anything I would dream of producing. CONGRATULATIONS to you all, for entering regardless if you placed or not. 

I too dipped my toe into the competition circuit once again, the first time in 3 years. The Great Scratch Shoot out. There was so many entries, from all over the world....goodness knows how the Judges managed to decide, I know when I have to Judge it is hard.

My nails for the show

The nails I struggled with the most were my own, and with a long debate the previous week on Face book, I finally decided what to do. Choosing from stained glass windows, poppies or a more abstract, I finally decided to create these abstract nails which where very blingy. I will finish the stained glass window nails and show you the poppies later.

STOLEN - my design board!

The only really sad and disappointing thing to my whole adventure was the loss of my design board. Some one in the last 30 minutes of the show swiped my board from the stand. I can't tell you how disappointed I feel, and surprised at how personnel it felt too, although rationally I know it isn't. You know I am happy to bring my designs and share new techniques at the show, giving visitors to my desk everything I have learnt for free..so why then take something. Part of me wants to know who or why they took it, another more sinister part of me wants to oust them in the days or weeks to come...but I have to remember there are more devastating things happening on the earth today...so I have now 'let it go'  feel thankful  that I have the oppertunity to spend time re making my designs and there fore improving and perfecting my skills. But if you do happen to see this board on your travels peeps...shout out....THEIF! LOL 
All in all it was a fantastic show, and I am thrilled to be part of it, the wealth of information, talent and ideas buzzing around a beautiful hall at Olympia is contagious, and this event goes from strength to strength. Brilliant!