The Bell Jar Nails

Hi everyone! Trying to get caught up here. I've got lots of posts backlogged that I just need to sit down, edit and share. Here is the first of many.

A week or so ago, I submitted an entry to a nail art contest on Reddit. I've liked doing these from time to time to push myself to think outside the box. I really ended up liking this contest, because the idea was to create a mani inspired by literature. I LOVE reading, and I knew as soon as I read the contest which book I wanted to do: The Bell Jar.

The book (my inspiration)

This book has gotten me through a lot. I feel like reading it while I was in high school while I was going through a really tough time and fighting with depression, is actually what got me through it. Sylvia Plath is my favorite writer - I just love her unique style and at the time, I felt like she somehow put into words exactly what I was dealing with. 

Now onto the nails! If you've read the book, you might remember this quote; it's fairly well known.

"I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am."

That quote was the inspiration for the nails. I also attempted to recreate a butterfly stuck under a bell jar, since that trapped feeling is how she described her depression - hence the name of the book! :)

The Bell Jar inspired nails - left hand

The base color for most of the nails is Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Wet Cement and the accent nail is SH Insta-Dri in Presto Pink. I did the lettering using Wet n Wild Black Lace Creme and a toothpick. The stamps are from Bundle Monster (not sure of the exact plate at the moment, sorry!) and I used SH Insta-Dri in Silver Sweep to stamp the accent butterfly. Topped with HK Girl.

The Bell Jar inspired nails - left hand

One of the rules for the contest was that both hands had to be done. I knew I couldn't recreate the lettering on the other hand, so I just kept up the color scheme and did some butterfly stamping. :)

The Bell Jar inspired nails - right hand

The Bell Jar inspired nails - right thumb

The Bell Jar inspired nails - right hand

So what do you all think of my Bell Jar nails? Can you see where I drew inspiration from? What are your favorite books to read? I'd love to hear about them! :D


<3
Kelly