Saturday, November 19, 2016

frankenpolish "at last I see the light" {inspired by Tangled}

And at last I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light
And it's like the sky is new
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once everything looks different
Now that I see you


I for sure cried during this scene the first time I watched "Tangled"; thousands of floating lights over the water and one seriously great song, it's just too beautiful to be believed!!  I was a freshman in college at the time, and no, I wasn't drunksy-faced in the slightest.  I was seriously completely sober, crying tears of the purest joy over a children's film.  This is not an uncommon occurrence for me, if I'm being honest.  I cry all the time (ALL THE TIME), and I don't even know if I mind; feeling things strongly makes me feel awake and alive to the world, you know what I mean?

This might be my favorite franken yet; or at the very least, its easily top three!  I'm not confident that I captured it completely, and then there are some elements like the "Fairy Violet" flakes that almost over-express copper in photographs, but overall hopefully you get the idea!  I didn't actually have this inspiration in mind while I was mixing, just an instinct that these components belonged together. ♥️ 

I might not have been really seeing the light before but I'm certainly seeing it now!

>>> at last I see the light <<<



Flynn Rider & Rapunzel

Friday, November 11, 2016

franken-polish "Molly Weasley" {inspired by Harry Potter}

The other day I randomly, without searching or planning or really even thinking about it, pulled China Glaze "Glimmer More" and Wet n' Wild "Undercover" out of my "for frankening" box together, and I thought, PERFECT.  It was immediate chemistry.  A beautiful blushing fall bouquet!  I'd been intrigued by "Glimmer More" as an autumnal component, but hadn't quite thought about how I might use it, and then it all came together at once.  I added China Glaze "Material Girl" for rosy sparkle, and Milani "Golden Romance" for a luminous glow.  It turned out exactly like I hadn't yet imagined!

After I was done, I thought about what I should name this autopilot franken, and the retrofitted inspiration came to me as quickly and effortlessly as the creation had: Molly Weasley!  Molly Weasley, the magical mother of six assorted wizards and one brave witch; warm, generous, fiery Molly with the heart of a lioness.  She is a woman brimming over with cozy sunshine and a fierce protectiveness for those she loves.  It's a glowing love that I thought this franken exuded with great joy ♥️

>>> Molly Weasley <<<



Molly Weasley

Monday, November 7, 2016

franken-polish "Fireside Dreaming"

For my very first frankens, I relied heavily on creative prompts such as favorite books and Pinterest boards for inspiration.  I found that an image helped guide my selections amongst the hundreds of polishes that I've given up to frankening, a task which was rather overwhelming at first.  I've also found that it tends to make those frankens more complicated, with more components, which I wouldn't have expected.

Then, about a couple weeks in, something I'd hoped for starting happening: I started to flow into my frankening, making a polish purely from creative impulse.  They didn't come from anywhere, and yet they did: they reflected the amalgamation of my moods and memories from the day or week or month or year, a translation into color and sparkle.  I find it to be a freer, looser, somewhat more relaxing way of creating; there are no constraints, no benchmarks, no right or wrong answers!  Sometimes it's fun to create something just for the joy of creating it.  This franken was one of those. :)


>>> Fireside Dreaming <<<



Sunday, November 6, 2016

franken-polish "Laughing Aspen"

Happy Fall-Back Day!  No matter how many times it happens, I still find this day so bewildering.  It's such a strange thing to do, really.

I've been very much into the seasonal vibe when I've been frankening so far, and one of my favorite things about autumn are yellow aspen leaves!  We don't have terribly many aspen or birch or poplars right here in Western Montana, but I treasure the golden autumn laughter of each one.  Aspen are my very favorite trees, and I've been stockpiling an improbably long list of polish ideas inspired by their autumnal state alone.  This is my first attempt, guided and inspired by the image below!

"Autumn Gold" by Adam Schallau

>>> Laughing Aspen <<<