Kelcie's Tips
1. To keep the toes separated while the polish dries, place your
thumb on the bottom of the foot, between the pad and the
toes.
2. For the polka dots, I like to use polishes that contrast one
another or are two different shades of the same color.
3.
4.
Avoid using too much polish for the dots, as they will take
much longer to dry.
For less patient dogs, omit the base coat and apply the dots
directly to the nail. If the dots are too messy, the entire nail
can simply be painted over using the same polish, making
this a great alternative when time is limited.
5. Practice makes perfect. Do not be discouraged if your first
attempt is not what you had in mind.
6. After mastering the basics, try using the dotting tool for
more advanced shapes or designs.
While painting dots on a feline toenail would be next to impossible,
here's a cat creative "How-To"
from Danelle German, President of the NCGIA
Monica, my red tabby and white Persian, sported some vibrant flowers
made by painting on semi-permanent hair dye into a flower shape. The
edges of each flower were then etched out and defined by using a
trimmer with a fine blade. Due to time constraints in the competition,
I elected to blow pen the green swirls rather than cutting swirling vines
into her coat with clippers. Next, silk leaves were tacky-glued next to
the flowers for added dimension. The entire design was made on a coat
shortened by doing a comb cut on her normally long, flowing locks. A
face trim and application of Softpaws® added the final touches.
A design like Monica’s (minus the glued-on leaves) could be done in a
salon setting on any cat with a light undercoat. A design such as this
would normally take an extra 45 minutes to an hour, allowing time for
the dye to be applied and set. Because it is being done on a cat
means the up-charge can be a healthy one. And the return business
generated from the ‘buzz’ can reap some amazing rewards!