Top 13 Favorite Nail Art Posts of 2013

I've finally decided on my 13 favorite nail art manicures of 2013! These selections are based on my personal preferences, not post popularity. Unfortunately, I just couldn't bring myself to put them in any special order this year. So I've just put them all together in a collage, and included the links to each of the posts below. Which one is your favorite? Do you think I missed any crucial manicures?

1. Cattails at Sunset - Guest Post on All Lacquered Up
2. Hipster Mix and Match - China Glaze Sunsational Nail Art
3. 31DC2013 Day 03: Yellow Bee Silhouettes
4. 31DC2013 Day 07: Black and White Midnight Smoke Nail Art
5. MINIONS!! - Despicable Me Nail Art
6. The Tadashi Shoji Nail Art Challenge - Final Clutch Design and Matching Nail Art
7. TUTORIAL: Sugared Stars and Stripes
8. Pantone Color of the Year 2014: Radiant Orchid Nail Art
9. TUTORIAL: Distressed Nail Art (Punk/Grungy Effect)
10. Trippy Drippy
11. Citrus Watermarble - Zoya Stunning Nail Art
12. Yo Dawg I Heard You Like Nails
13. Succulent Plant Pattern Nail Art (Inspired by Lindsay Nohl)

2013 was a great year for Chalkboard Nails. I won the Tadashi Shoji Nail Art Challenge and got to provide input on a limited edition clutch, one of my photos was on The Today Show, I flew to NYC to judge the Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art finale, a couple of my manicures were published in Redbook Magazine, I got to do an interview for Nail It! Magazine, and I participated in a video interview series for Nicole by OPI. I got to work with great brands, meet great people, and push my limits as a nail artist. I hope my good fortune continues in 2014!

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My Top 12 Favorite Nail Art Posts of 2012

I wasn't planning on doing any sort of countdown post this year, but seeing everyone else's really made me want to do one! I've decided to do a countdown of my favorite nail art that I did in 2012. You'll see that all of the selections ended up being freehand nail art, I guess freehanding really has my heart! If you click the link next to each of the countdown numbers, you'll find more photos and more information about each of the manicures.

Read on to see my list and find out which manicure got placed at #1!

#12: Neon Starfish (+ Tutorial)
I'm not sure why, but I'm always drawn to this manicure. Perhaps it's the full nail pattern on the neon yellow base? I don't use yellow as often as I'd like and it paired well with the little starfish buddies.

#11: Chalkboard Nails for What I Wore
I did this one alllll the way back in February as a collaboration on the style blog What I Wore. I love the mix of patterns and am still proud of the execution today!

#10: Inspired by a Book: The Missing Piece
This book has a lot of emotional significance for me, and I was pleased with the sketchy style that I was able to achieve with the black striper.

#09: Valentine's Owls
Everyone loves owls, and these little guys are just so friendly! Fun fact: this is my number one most stolen photo on Instagram.

#08: Bulbasaur
What can I say, I love Pokemon!

#07: Ron Swanson/Bacon and Eggs

Not gonna lie, I was pretty proud of the idea to make Ron Swanson out of bacon. I love the way the eggs turned out, too.

#06: Beauty and the Beach

The combination of the sandy accent nails, the baby starfish on the pointer, and successfully representing the reflections in the water made this one a winner for me.

#05: Ocean Scene

This one took forever but it was totally worth it.

#04: Ivory and Turquoise Antiqued Baroque

I think the color combination in this one really pushed it up the list for me, and you can't go wrong with intricate damask swirls! 

#03: The Eye of Sauron
I am so proud of the way the brushiness contributed to the look of Sauron's flaming eye, and c'mon, it's Lord of the Rings.

#02: Adventure Time
Maybe less impactful if you don't watch the show, but I put a lot of effort into this one and think I did well at capturing their cartoon essences!

#01: Blue and White China Floral
The intricate and delicate pattern plus the simple combination of two contrasting colors really made this one a favorite for me. It's hard to explain why it got the number one spot... I guess it's just a gut thing.

So there you have it! My top 12 favorite nail arts of 2012. Are there any that didn't make my cut that you guys would have chosen?

Best of wishes from Chowder and me to you and your families in 2013! 

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