Proud to be British!

Rule Britannia

2012 is the year for Great Britain. The Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. What could be better than adorning yourself with the famous London sights to shout out to the world that you love your country? 

This design will show you a clever trick on how to antique your nails, making it look vintage. Perfect for the British flag as the background!

 Paint the whole nail with a water based acrylic paint, alternatively you could use polish. I am using blue from Be creatives paint range. 

Using white acrylic paint, apply a white band across the middle of all four nails. 

Then apply the diagonal stripes in white, this time half the width of the white strip. Only apply to the top half of the nails. 

This is an optional step, and perfect if you want to create an antique look to your flag. This is also great to use if you where creating an wooden surface for example. Paint the nails with a gel polish top coat and cure. DO NOT remove the inhibition(sticky) layer. Now apply the red down the middle of the white bands, you will find as the red paint begins to dry it will shrink away
from the inhibition layer on the gel. If you do not want to create this effect, apply a top coat or wipe away this sticky layer and then apply the red. 

Now you will need to reapply the gel polish top coat. Cure and wipe away the inhibition layer. 

For the detailing, use the gel paint from Be Creative, this is perfect to be applied on top of the gel polish. If you prefer you can apply this detailing in acrylic. I think the best advice would be to research silhouettes of London on the internet, and find the shapes suitable for your design. Use the iconic shapes such as Tower bridge, London eye and Parliament, not to forget St Pauls either.
  

Now for the fun bit, apply a thin coat of gel sealer, this must be a sealer which does not leave a inhibition layer such as Intense Seal from ibd. Only apply this to the black areas of your silhouette. Use a small brush to apply to the details of your silhouette. 

Velveteen is a unique product from Be Creative, it is completely suitable for the surface of nails, it is water proof, solvent proof and extremely hard wearing, therefore it is with some surprise that is feels soft.
Simple sprinkle this fine material onto the wet gel and then cure for 2 mins. Brush away the excess and return to the jar. 

This design would be great to wear when heading off down the streets of London to show off your love for this country, or even if you just want something pretty and patriotic your nails.