By Lamplight


Today's nail art is special to me because it is inspired by my late grandfather. He was awesome in every way a person could be awesome. He was funny, and crafty, he could fix anything, or make anything you could put in front of him. He didn't retire until he was in his late 70s, and get this, he was a Construction Worker. In his seventies. Seriously. He was a man who never showed pain, and to me (and I'm sure the rest of my family) he was invincible. Six years ago he passed away after discovering he had lung cancer, and I was devastated. I still cry every time I talk about or think about him, it just goes to show that life is short, and we need to appreciate the time we have with people we love. I remember every Christmas he would allow all of us kids to go into his stained glass workshop, and he would help us make Christmas ornaments from shapes cut out of his scrap glass. Before he passed away, he asked if I wanted to have his stained glass tools and everything, and of course, I did. I've taken classes and practiced, and I hope that ONE day, I'll have an ounce of his talent at it. Today's nail art was inspired by one of his hobbies, stained glass, and is actually the design from a lamp that he made that I inherited.






I used Sally Hansen Moonstone as a base, with a mixture of butter LONDON Minger and CND Electric Orange picked up on the brush to create the stained glass marbled/swirled effect. For the flower centers, I used Barielle Unravelled Rust, and for the leaves, I used L.A. Girl Army Green, and Pure Ice Wild Thing. For the soldered lines, I used American Apparel Hassid. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

33 comments

  1. Those are beautiful nails! I myself have enjoyed making stained glass for several years....and your grandfather's pieces are absolutely beautiful.

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  2. Very beautiful. I miss my grandpa, too. He was one of those guys who could do everything and always had time for us monkey children.
    *sniffle*

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  3. The design and the lamp are gorgeous! You really did a great job. And your grandpa sounds like awesomesauce. It's great that you have such beautiful memories of and keepsakes from him.

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  4. Ohhh, it's beautiful, and it's a lovely way to remember a great man. Your grandfather sounds a lot like mine. There's nothing he couldn't do. He pulled his own teeth and made his own false teeth, he built his own house, he made my great-grandmother's wedding band. (I now have that band, and will wear it again if I can ever get it fitted or lose enough weight to fit again!)

    In other words, you brought back great memories for me with this design. Thank you!

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  5. OMG, your nails look just awesome =D And it's such a lovely way to honor a loved person. My uncle got stomach cancer lately =( I can understand how you feel. Just think, how better it is for him, without pain ;) It works for me.

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  6. Love the manicure and the thoughts behind it. The lamp is stunning.

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  7. Lovely story, thanks for sharing. And great job with the stained glass nails

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  8. This is so pretty! You did a great job!

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  9. IT'S INCREDIBLE! I don't know how you do it ... you are amazing.

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  10. Beautiful nails and amazing story. =]

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  11. Awesome job! I love the dragonfly tiffany lamps, too. Don't have one yet but have been eyeing them for years. Great inspiration...

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  12. Beautiful. Hearing this story ade me tear up a bit. :) Thank you for sharing. Sounds like talent runs in your family. Your Grandpa's lamp is very pretty.

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  13. Very nice! I love the story that goes along with this. It made me a little misty eyed, even. :)

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  14. Well Melissa you dont have to worry the talent dad had was passed down and I think you got the art factor of it you are awesome and dont forget it. Love you Kim and Uncle John

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  15. I love the inspiration! Well done :)

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  16. i loooooved , beautiful, beautiful, , beautiful, you have excelled

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  17. Your nails look great as usual and that was a touching story about your Grandpa. The lamp is very pretty too.

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  18. Beautiful nails.
    Much more beautiful story.
    My grandpa passed away 3.5 years ago from lung cancer as well. He was completely active until he got the lung cancer too.
    He was one of my favorite people and every time I think of him I still cry.

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  19. Beautiful mani and beautiful inspiration.

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  20. His nails are perfect.faz a few with polar bears (I love polar bears) .Love the way that you make yourself up the nail.Love all

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  21. Somewhere out there your grandfather is smiling right now. Nice work on both your parts, the nails and the lamp.

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  22. These I have to say are my by far FAVORITE nails...You have been blessed to get Grandpas taltent in art! I loved Christmas when all of us girls would SQEEZE into Grandpas little room and decorate some of the then to us coolest things! I actually have the diamond he helped me to make our first Christmas with you guys...and if I have never said it before THANK YOU for accepting my as a "cousin"....I love you all! and ALL of your nails!!!!!!

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  23. Such a truly inspiring manicure and story. I have been wanting to do something like this in honor of my grand mother, but I can't figure out how to do it just yet. She was a quilter and made some of the most amazing quilts by hand. She taught me how to swe some of the squares together and I would do that while sitting under the horses and the quilt while she worked her amazing magic above me.

    These kinds of memories...they are fantastic.

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  24. Totally one of my favorites that I've seen on here! (ok, so I probably say that at least once a week, but this ROCKS!)

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  25. Your nails are again, really pretty. I don't have grandparents anymore and I have little memory of any of them because they all died when I was still too young to remember things. This post makes me wonder how it feels like to be close to a grandparent.

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  26. Your work is amazing! Thank you for listing the nail polishes you used. I would love to read more abt how you are creating the designs... I am right handed & I dnt know if I could create a design on my left hand... or my right for that matter :-)

    Wonderful tribute to your grandfather!

    @BJalamode

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  27. Great Story! He sounded like a wonderful man. I love the way you used somethig he made! I like th base color and I like the orange!

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  28. Such a beautiful manicure, and the story behind just makes it better. I'm sure your grandfather would like it! :)

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  29. an ounce of his artistic talent?! are you kidding me?! your nails ARE art. i look forward to reading this thing all the time. i could never even trace half as well as you do nail. they seriously always look amazing and that IS art. you got his gift. :) and you'll always have that. your nails are beautiful, as always. and that lamp is so precious. :) thank you for always posting! :)

    <3 Twiggy R.

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