Sam Biddle

What others say about you

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 11:44:00 +0000

There are times you read something and just weep. I am for ever humbled in this job of mine and thankful that I can touch people in the way I do. I really wanted to share this email with you from one of my members, who wrote her story about the online course for the website.

"After qualifying in college for my level 2 last year, I was so nervous, being on your own, after the year at college you always had a back up from my tutors, Natasha Carpenter and Danni Hibell, its a scary realisation that I had to do it alone.

I eventually took to social media, looking at all the amazing nail art available, and structures, its over whelming, the amount of talent, and skill of other nail techs, it soon dawned on me, how little I actually new, which for a new tech is not a nice feeling, all I wanted was to be able to create these amazing nails, and I knew I could never do something like that.

I was talking to an amazing friend, who is also a nail tech, Anthea Thomas, and she told me to give Sam Biddle's online lesson's a look. OMG seriously, I have never looked back since! Other than to see how far I have come. The confidence this amazing lady Sam Biddle gave me, just by talking to me like another person, in the comfort of your own home. She made it easy to learn, breaking down all her lessons into bite size pieces of information, then laying all those pieces onto a nail. It was like pure emotion for me, my 1st proper nail art piece and I was so proud of it. It made me cry, knowing I could achieve something so beautiful, and the best thing about it, was that I done it all myself. Sam's course not only teaches you about art, colours shading, and letting your imagination free, she helps you understand how to trust your instinct, I was very passionate about nail art and structures before but now there is no stopping me.

The amount of hours of training and love, that goes into every individual nail lesson she provides in the course, Sam has given me a stronger understanding, about being a nail tech teacher, and the journey they have been on to get this far and to be so talented It has given me so much respect, for Sam Biddle and other tutors and teachers in the industry.

Being a nail tech isn't just a job, it's a passion, and you do not get this kind of support, confidence, passion, from watching demos on social media. Online Sam has created a loving family environment, and encourages everybody to be themselves, and love their own individuality.

I have now finished my level 3 in college and just started Year 2 on Sam's online course, for me her support and knowledge, from the very start has been invaluable, and getting to meet Sam herself on her course held in Cornwall, was like meeting a famous star. She has been such an inspiration and idol for me, from leaving college up to now, it has given me the confidence to take constructive critique, and turn it into something beautiful and I have the up most respect for Sam Biddle and other teachers in this industry. Such a tough job to do, so thank you Sam for helping me become, truly inspired and allowing my imagination to be my friend and not my enemy."

Sarah Zinnotti

So much to choose from...

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 11:36:00 +0000

One thing I get asked a lot when someone is booking a workshop is;

How will I know you will cover something I want to learn?

You know when you go into a candy store and you end up walking away with nothing, because there is just too much choice you want it all!

You end up looking for something you think you want, and ignoring all the other wonderful, mouth smacking, lip licking delights in front of you.

I am like a candy store!

I have so much information to share with you, some of it you don't even know you need it yet.

The best thing on any workshop is to go and learn the TECHNIQUES and APPLICATIONS, not the specific designs. In my courses I will show you HOW to do something. Who cares if it is on a Swan, butterfly or flower....You will learn How to use what I teach you on any picture or design you want.

That is the secret to Be Inspired.

there is an air lock in your brain.....

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 15:33:00 +0000

So you have your design idea and your all set up, you have collected the inspiration, paints and brushes ready!

OH NO...... it is just not flowing as planned. Isn't It is the most frustrating feeling in the world. You have the idea in your head, you know just what you want your nail to look like but nothing is flowing, nothing is working right.

What do you do, throw your brush down in a tantrum and leave it, never to return to this idea at all. Do you beat your self up and persevere until you have something that look vaguely like the plan in your head, and then throwing it in the 'nail art disaster draw', so it can live in the back in disgrace.

When you come to your nail design and find your fingers are just not doing what your brain can see, then you need to take a step back. Grab your self a nail tip and apply just one element of your design, practice it over and over again, this tip you can throw away I give you permission.

Having a fall back tip will go along way to getting you warmed up. Imagine you wanted a glass of water, and put the glass under the tap. But didn't turn the tap on. Your glass is not filling up at all right. But you have started the journey towards ending your thirst by placing the glass under the tap.

Imagine you have a nail idea but never sit down and do it, your idea will never be realised. So now you switch the tap on but there is an air lock and the water goes everywhere, but it still does not fill up your glass. Starting a new nail design is like an air lock, you have all the pressure or in your case the ideas in your head, but your hands don't understand it.

In order to fill the glass with water you need a steady flow from the tap, the same applies with creativity. You want to have a steady flow of creativity flowing from your head to your fingers. Get the air lock out of the way with little practice on an old nail tip and eventually your brain will calm down and you will have the muscle control to do what you know you can.

Building confidence means understanding how and why...

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 17:00:00 +0000

I really wanted to touch base and explain something to you. The way I teach, the method, the process of application the content is very very very different to any other class you will attend.

Salon Viable or making trends work shop is one of the most popular workshops I do, and this is why.

You will walk away with at least 6-8 nails under your belt, my aim to is leave you with 10 new ideas and designs in just one day. How can I get so many in the class?

IT IS NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE EASY!

I know your thinking, if there is so many they must be easy, so why bother spending out £95 to attend a workshop learning stuff I already know.

What I will show you is how to work SMART, how to create jaw dropping designs, intricate twists and turns in your art work and pull together a look which sings like a choir at London opera house. (not sure the equivalent in the USA).

You will also learn HOW & WHY.

My philosophy is that if you understand something, you have confidence in it, when you have confidence you build competence.

How many times have you tried to learn a design, by looking at the picture or watching a video, but not understand how that petal or nose or wing manages to sit perfectly in proportion, but on your nail it looks like a child's painting. I am going to explain in detail why every thing you do in my class produces what it produces. From the Aquarelle to the fantasy and yes the salon viable is where we begin.

Now I am an English girl from the south, that means we Brits hate to tell you we are good at something, or brag about stuff, (a major handicap in my opinion) but hold onto your hats because I am going to do something really brave.

`I am pretty awesome at my job, that job is not nails, nail art or even marketing, it is education. I can see you and what your doing wrong, I can help you realise your creative potential and I can show you just what you need to take that next step in becoming a 'name' for nail art and design."

Can you believe a Bottle of perfume can give you a life lesson?

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 11:06:00 +0000

I have had so many adventures looking for this illusive perfume, mainly when I visit the states. I have given up looking any where else. It is this bottle of perfume which has taught me one of my most valuable lessons, not just in life but in my art work too.

I believe determination is key to getting what you want, but when your too busy looking for it, you waste so much effort and energy trying to achieve something which ends up being right under your nose all the time.

Let me explain myself. I walked for miles looking for this bottle of sweet heaven on one of my trips. Up the Las Vegas Strip, I dragged my friend into every mall and store, sure I could find it. I was exhausted and after 3 hours searching every where, I came back to the Paris hotel, and thought "one last look in the hotel perfume shop and then I am going to bed to sulk"

There is was! Can you believe it. Not only that but they also had an after shave my husband loves too, which is also not available in Europe.

BONUS!

What was the lesson? Don't over complicate stuff, the obvious solutions and answers to what you need are generally there right in front of you. You see I walked past that perfume shop on the way out, and my friend said, "shall we look in here first" NO I said, it will definitely not be in there.

Yeah I am ashamed to say it, I really did say that.

The answer you need to change your business, propel your nail art career or ignite that passion for design, IS ALWAYS JUST THERE IN YOUR REACH. Don't think that because it is easy, it is not right, don't think that you should walk for miles until your feet bleed to get what you want. Life is not like that, business is not like that.

Don't make the same mistake I did and miss something right under my nose because it seemed to easy. Look around you right now, ask for what you need, and hay presto, the answer, solution or item will be there!

Self worth does not depend on competition.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:42:00 +0000

There is something I learnt this morning which I want to share with you. A quick blog post which I think might just change everything. Changing the way you view the world and others, could change your life....I know, it's deep!

When we compare ourselves with others to feel special and good and to raise our self esteem we fall into the trap and become competitive.

If your self worth is dependant on your most recent successes you fall into a deadly trap and will never give your self the credit you deserve.

If you start to compare your worst moments with other peoples best ones, you will never find peace and be able to offer self love and self worth.

Take social media for example, we only see the positive parts of peoples lives, their successes, achievements and accolades. What we don’t see is their struggles, issues and stresses.

We are not the sum of our success or failures, we should not look at others and compete or compare with theirs.

Take the skinny model on the cover of the magazine, we see a beautiful body and compare, lowering our self esteem. But we don’t see the struggles with food, the stress to maintain that shape, the loneliness she might feel or what she might have suffered.

We might look at the larger woman on the train or plane and judge her, think to ourselves she is out of control and doesn’t have a healthy outlook on life. But we don’t see that with every pound of fat she carries is a pound of pain. We don’t see her suffering, and for the most part that suffering enables empathy. We don’t allow ourselves to get to know her.

With a competitive mind we see success and failure around us all the time and judge it, compare it to ourselves. What we don’t realise is the see saw action this has on our own self esteem.

The more success we see lowers our own self esteem, and we dismiss and devalue our own self worth.

Don’t compete, compare or judge. Just accept what you see and look within to find your self worth. It is all there. I promise you.

Are you a bully?

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 10:35:00 +0000

How many times do you take a base ball bat and beat yourself up each day.

So far this morning I have told my self the following;

your miserable
your fat
you don’t eat the right food for your body
your abusing yourself by not exercising
if you took care a little more of your house you would find that top your looking for
your so untidy
your lazy
your too old
your not good enough
your fat….did I forget to mention that
how much weight are your gonna pile on before you stop eating that shit

I know right, I would be arrested I told someone else all that in a matter of an hour, would you say that to your best friend, daughter or even some stranger in the street? NO! because it is called abuse. So why do we do it to ourselves?

We have a very large and complex brain that seem to just seek out drama, repeat negative self-talk and create false illusions.

The worst thing, it seems to pile on the fear and hate daily, every complaint, every dissatisfaction, every problem is drilled down into our brain so it can spin it’s own story, our brain bullies us to be exactly where it wants us to be.

Because our brain’s job is to keep us safe, it is constantly acting from a place of fear. (like all bullies) Its primary job is to ensure our survival. and not to allow us to have the blissful experience of life.

Even when everything is going well, a little voice in our head will say, “Watch out! Something bad is going to happen.” Then panic sets in, and we experience that unnerving anxious feeling of possibly losing all the good we have going for us.

Our brain is a marvel, and expert at telling us engaging stories that are so real and convincing that it’ll influence us to act out of fear and irrational anxiety. As well as being able to spin a good tale it can vividly replay emotional stories in our mental theatre over and over and over and over.

It’s torture, abuse and self sabotaging our happiness

Before you know it, you’ll start to believe in the stories and trusting them to be true. It becomes a belief, solidified in your mind, yes even the lies. What happens is that we continue our journey in life and start to make choices based on this belief, and then we end up suffering.

We suffer a lot and sometimes we suffer for a long time because we don’t realise that we are the problem. But there is good news, we are also the solution.

I am a believer we have 2 voices in our head, the loud, vicious one - that school bully, that rages and causes fear and terror in order to gain control of the situation. We also have the quite gentle one, the delicate flower, who waits patiently for the right time to blossom, with some watering and sunlight it will grow and become strong.

So what do you do, water your flower, and wait for it to blossom, or is the noise and terror of your bullies voice so loud you can’t help but listen to it and believe the stories.

Now here is the hard bit, we have to learn to ignore the bully, and every time we hear that negative self talk to turn away and look at the real truth.

You have a choice today to believe the ugly lies we all tell ourselves. Or start to believe in the truth. and here is how you can do this….

Every day think of 3 things to be grateful of…….think of 3 things which make your life wonderful…..focus on those things all day and keep saying - I am so blessed to have…..

a beautiful family
amazing cleavage
blue eyes
a garden which his alive and filled with flowers
a sexy man/woman in my life
love
children
a home
warm clothes
food in my fridge
electricity
a job
great skin

and so on.....you know what your grateful for.

Every time you hear the ugly lies, say right back, ahhhhh that is not true because I have ‘***fill in the blank****’ so I am in a better place today.

Argue back, tell your brain you are not afraid and it is not in control of how you should be feeling today, tomorrow and forever.

Take back the power and feel blessed…..play the glad game.

Rejection - how do you take yours?

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 10:17:00 +0000

I just read a blog post on social media, about a nail tech who was upset that one of her long standing clients called up to say she is going to someone else because they are cheaper. It happens to all of us and it is a sucker punch to the stomach when it does...but why?

The client was made redundant and the justification for the move was plausible, she is doing what is best for her self and her life. We have all done it, found a different hair dresser which is closer, or cheaper, changed educator because someone else offers something different, we have even changed brands of coffee cause they have been on offer or shopped in a different super market.

The tech who posted about her customers betrayal on the social media post went onto to say that she was worried for her business, that it kept her up at night.

I totally related to this, understanding the tortured and torment we put ourselves through when a client decides to go somewhere else. What we have to realise is essentially we are feeling rejected!

In Latin rēicere, rejection means "to throw back," and is the ancestor of the word rejection. Nobody likes to feel rejection, to have something thrown back at you, because it makes us feel as if we are not good enough.

If you are confident that you do a great job, that your up to date with education and offer the latest application methods. Then there is nothing more you can do and you should accept it and move on.

But it is hard right? Not taking this as a personal rejection, we put our everything into our craft, so how come someone else can't appreciate it. Put yourself in your clients position, think about the times you have gone for something better, brighter or cheaper. Did you worry about how the person who used to provide you with a service would think, did you personally reject her or where you thinking about your own self and how to better your own situation.

You client is never rejecting you when she leaves, she is thinking of her self and how she can manage her life the best way she can. It is nothing personal, and when you start thinking that way you can move on and sleep better. It has taken me 45 years to understand that human nature is essential selfish and we are only ever considering how we personally feel about something.

How can you make your self feel better in that moment of rejection? How do you change the negative thought process?

Well I zoom into the other persons shoes and look at her position, I begin to realise she is not even thinking or considering me at all. She is doing what I am doing thinking about what is best for myself and how I FEEL about it.

Nail education...how do you like yours

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 15:16:00 +0000

I had a conversation with my mum the other day about the different opportunities today for nail techs to learn something new. We have the actual face to face workshops and seminars, DVD's and downloads, online subscribed learning. There is also the FREE stuff on YouTube too. But which one is right for you? Have you thought about how you learn, absorb the information and how you can improve this?

Studies show that online educational programs work. In fact, students today are so used to using the internet that more and more education is now being provided online as it is effective and efficient, it facilitates an easy transference of information where as in the class room the student has more of a passive learning experience and individual learning styles could be ignored. The class structure is stricter with less freedom to absorb and practise when you're ready.

Face to face learning and online learning is down to personal preference, and I feel the future of the nail industry will hold a place for both to be accessible readily so that your education could become a blended learning experience.

Heading off to a workshop or class may help to commit to learning at that moment in time. You are also surrounded (we hope) by like minded people and you are encouraged by the tutor being available if you have an issue.
Online learning, on the other hand, may be better for certain learning styles as the learning is at a practical rate for the student. So, for instance, someone like me who likes to work quickly and prefers to work along side a demonstration, online learning means I have control of the fast forward and pause buttons.

Any profession requires a level of re-investment; your continued learning, improving and skill building is what will make you one of the best. It is how you re-invest which is important. Online learning and face to face education should be a considered investment, and if your going to learn anything worth while it is never going to be FREE!

But what saddens me is that there is a lot of nail technicians right now spending a lot of time looking for FREE education. With the motivation to save money by making do with the snippets of nail tutorials and half explanations through YouTube videos. Generally those free tutorials are there to highlight a product, technique or promote a person - the FREE stuff never gives you the whole story! I will let you into a little secret; it is a marketing tool in order to promote and encourage you to buy into the actual focus of the tutorial. There is nothing wrong with that, I do it all the time. Personally I think some of the cup cake tutorial videos on Face book are mesmerising. But if I wanted to make a cupcake look like a puppy dog, you can bet I would be signing up to a class.

Surely that time and effort searching for FREE education could be put to better use? What if you had someone on hand to explain where you could improve and get better after you have learnt a technique? Wouldn't that type of education be invaluable? I know there is not always the money, time or resources to re-invest in yourself. My suggestion is to spend your time and money more wisely.

There is a simple equation you should consider in order to make you and your business successful.

TIME + MONEY = GROWTH
and here is what you should concentrate on;

TIME -spent looking for the free stuff verse's time working at good stuff?
MONEY - spending £100.00 on your education should give you a £1000 return

It doesn't matter how you prefer to learn (face to face or online) both ways of learning can work hand in hand and reinforce nail education on a whole. But the one thing to consider is; learn the right stuff the right way.

Monday Morning Moan

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 10:08:00 +0000

I received a comment on a post this morning...

which wound me up something rotten, I have to tell you, it stopped me in my tracks for a few hours.

I took a breath and understood that, of course this person does not intentionally want to wind me up or insult me and would be horrified if she knew. I also had to remember; she does not know that I have just spent the whole weekend working on tutorials, free films and steps to help nail techs 'learn new techniques' and that I am tired.
How could she know of the past 10 years worth of content I have published for real techs doing real nails.....and just because it might seem difficult she doesn't know the lessons within a lesson are the most valuable!
So, on reflection, I am very happy I did not reply..... to her comment.

"Sam, do you ever teach for real life nails"

I am taking this 'life lesson' as a positive; I do teach nails for real clients, I have a wealth of content available for FREE for 'real nails' You just need to spend some time and find out what is right for you. YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK VIDEOS and more....pictorial steps (before we knew how easy it was to film) and then there is always the online learning. Which, yes, is not solely for 'real nails' but there is a heck of a lot of techniques and applications you can use in your own work.

What I am trying to say is, you need to get what you can for each lesson; take it and turn it into something you can use in your own work.

DON'T

rely on other peoples designs to just copy, reproduce and pass off as your own inspiration.

So why out of all the comments I get, did this one touch a nerve?

I think I felt a little used.

I do give away a lot of FREE stuff, I do work hard to bring everyone something they can use in their salon work and I do think about the nail technicians and their clients before anything else.
As much as I want to, I can't make things cheaper, easier and free'er than it is already!

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 14:22:00 +0000

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I would have to disagree, it not only becomes frustrating but creates a negative feeling, tempting me to start keeping things close to my chest.
I am not alone with this gripe, I know a lot of you have also felt the whip of imitation within your career, but look at it this way, if your doing something right, you will be copied.

Throughout my career I have always been questioned for giving too much away, people rarely understand how I can give away freely some of the things I have learnt on my travels and my answer to them is this; "I share freely because it is my role as an educator to help others expand their knowledge". But when things are taken from you, or your good will is misused you are pushed into a place where you ask your self 'sharing freely might not be such a good thing'.

Life is not FREE, we all have to make a living and I understand we are all trying to carve our own empire with original innovation and inspiration available to us. I am not blind to the fight to be the best, but lets all take one step back for a moment. This is about the clients and not our own careers, think about the bigger picture and before you dilute your business into many different avenues because it is working for the competition, look at what your business actually needs to grow. Perhaps there is something unique and distinctive of your own you can develop instead of ripping off someone else hard work and ideas.

For me to stay healthy, my approach to education won't change and I will keep innovating and developing my own original ideas and share freely, I know I have touched a lot of nail technicians worldwide and my actions of sharing have helped them move forward.

Do the same and be a leader, let the others follow, they will always be one step behind anyway.

It is not the action that is important but how we feel about it that will make the difference!

I know what your biggest nail art hurdle is.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 10:41:00 +0000

Because I have faced them myself! One of the biggest stumbling block to creating Nail art is finding inspiration. The second hurdle for many of my students is the lack of skills to translate this into a nail design.

Inspiration is every where, all around us we see colours, shapes and designs, but the skill is translating that onto a nail and coming up with a design.

The one thing I see nail techs do over and over again is over compensate because of their lack of confidence and just keep adding more! The skill of becoming a great nail artist is working out how to translate your inspiration and put the design together over 10 different nails to make it look complete.

What I am noticing is that there are a lot of nail techs looking to social media for inspiration, in fact lets loose the word social media - nail techs are looking at other peoples work and trying to recreate the looks they like.

This is where their problems start! STOP right there! Copying other peoples looks and designs will not only stunt your creativity and hinder you, making you doubt your abilities and leave you frustrated!

What you need to do, is find a design you like, and think about the actual application.

Ask your self....HOW?

What did they use to create the look, was it pigment, did they get the fine lines with the nail art pen or a brush, was using alcohol and ink how they got that effect. Learn HOW, and then put forget the image. Instead draw from your inner creative and use what you have learnt to develop your own unique style. Pull two or three different nail looks together, use a technique or application from one, and colour combination from another. Perhaps the lines and patterns from a third.

Then you have a brand NEW look in your own style, and you feel good about your work!

Remember one thing I always tell my students above all else!

You need to K.I.S.S your nails.

"Keep them simple & sexy"

The wisdom to say nothing...

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 10:26:00 +0000

The other day I overheard conversation, which turned into a little debate, both parties took it in turns to voice how they did things within their business, but getting nowhere in trying to change the opinion of the other.

Although it is important to stand up for what you think it is right morally, It is difficult to fight the urge to prove yourself and the temptation to explain your actions to others is hard to resist.

It is the wisdom to say nothing and have faith in what you are doing is for the good of your business and the industry, which will ultimately make you the
winner.
There is no point wasting your time trying to change another’s point of view, they will still make their own opinion of you and your business.
This valuable energy making sure everyone knows you are more than what they think you are is wasted.

Ignore this urge, don’t feed the ego, instead send your self some love and give yourself a break. As long as you can continue with good intentions who care what anyone else thinks, surely this is all that matters.

Have you been in a situation where you wanted to shout from the roof tops because you know they are wrong, trying to inform them of this fact, or do you let them continue to insist their way is right and keep quiet. I would love to know what you think? Please leave a comment on this blog and let me know.

INSPIRATION OVERLOAD

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 16:33:00 +0000

Is social media destroying our creativity?

Do you know the difference between inspiration and creativity?

Creativity - The use of imagination or original ideas to create something.
Inspiration - The process of being mentally stimulated to do something creative.

I have watched the industry grow over the last 15 years and the past 5 years have seen it become a tighter community, where everyone is available at a click of a button.

A blessing? Social media has enabled us to reach far and wide and speak to fellow nail techs on the other side of the world, making new friends instantly. It has expanded our businesses, allowed us to network and learn. We have had our eyes opened to new styles, products and application methods. The changing trends from different continents has given us knowledge we wouldn’t have had access to before. Social media has opened other avenues of awareness to help us build our own empires, like marketing and the beauty, hair and make up industries collaborating to expand what we offer to our clients and students.

Social media and our need to share and show the world what we know has opened up a whole new way of gaining information, expanding our knowledge and learning from others for free, instantly.

There is an influx of FREE video tutorials in abundance on the Internet. I have not only watched them, I have posted my fair share and I will continue to do so. I’ll be honest with you here; for me, posting free video tutorials is all about marketing my brand and getting my message out to you. I’m guessing this is the case for other people who post their videos too, but who cares its for free right?

Learning online for free is something we all do in general whilst traveling, watching TV or waiting at the Doctors surgery. However this new information and inspiration is all lost the moment we browse onto the next video.

So in reality, we learn nothing at all. We just watch a nice video and think to ourselves, 'must try that one day' or, 'I wonder where she got that brush from?’.

What we think and feel about other people’s nails, products and even the attitudes towards clients is shouted at us in big bold capital letters, with different social media groups for just about everything.

There’s a battle to be noticed, to shine brighter than the rest of the posts, to be innovative and come up with something new and different in order to stay ahead of the competition.

Because of this fight to be distinctive, our timelines have been filled with so many different things, the attention span of an individual constantly being diverted and tempted towards something else more exciting and glittery.

Nail technicians are getting drowned in self doubt as they look at art work and video tutorials they hope to recreate by watching a quick 2 minute video, with no practical step by steps on how to succeed.

There are so many new avenues to education today; when I started there was limited internet, no YouTube and definitely nothing like Facebook. My only source of new information was magazines, workshops and shows. With videos and images coming up on our news feeds everyday, are we at risk of inspiration overload? We are suddenly caught like a deer in the headlights not sure where to start when it comes down to doing the work. The mixed messages and techniques floating around our heads making no practical sense at all.

The questions I ask myself are, “Is our own inner creativity being stunted, are we loosing the ability to come up with our own unique ideas, style and be inspired by whats around us? Do we rely on our newsfeed and YouTube subscriptions to stimulate us and inspire, running the risk of not developing your own style?”

You will never be innovative or unique if you can’t learn to listen to your inner creativity. We all have it, the source of that creativity will not come out unless you’re sat in front of your nail desk, and not in front of your computer.

Stop looking to be innovating and different. Start looking for the right tools and information to build your own style, enhance the fundamental applications and develop the skills you need. That is what will make you unique and distinctive, standing out from the social media crowd.

I would love to know what you think about this article and how you find your inspiration? Does this translate to being creative?

I fell into the trap...

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 19:57:00 +0000

It was quite powerful to realise that the effort and energy you put into something based on fear and need is not going to reap the same satisfaction than if you created something based on truth. Oh dear, reading that it does sounds like some psychedelic hippy talk, but please bear with me because I am about to open my soul.

I am good at being an educator and that is not because I am good at nails. I do know my limitations and I am out shined by some amazingly talented artists out there, but the reason why I am a success is because I can see the abilities in my students and I can recognise what they need to grow and achieve. I named my business on the basis of inspiring others to be the best they can be.

But life takes you on a path, and down this path are many different turnings and obstacles, opportunities and temptations. I have diversified into products and lately concentrated on marketing those products. I have invested money, time and more, into different aspects of business and that means the focus has changed because the pressures and responsibilities have increased.

I started educating because of the joy I felt when I watched someone 'get it', that light bulb moment. The exchange of money for work was a by product, and something that just happened. The ultimate goal when I created the video’s and workshops was to watch fellow nail techs benefit and grow. It seems I have forgotten about this reward for the effort I put into prepping for a class or designing a lesson and this 'payment' was just not my focus any more. Because of other commitments I fell into the trap of looking at the perceived value; effort = payment. How do you measure that payment, is it monetary or something else much deeper?

Doing nails on a client is not about getting paid, it is about doing nails. Teaching a class is not about how many attend it is about how many will learn from you. Of course life is not free, you have to make a living, to give everything away without an exchange means I would be teaching from a card board box in the street. But what should I focus on, that which pays my bills or the exchange that makes me happy. I have realised today that money is a by-product of the exchange between client and tech, or student and educator, it is not the focus. It will happen anyway, if you’re good at what you do, and give and share with passion and truth.

We all have skeletons in our closet and a past that shapes us. I have my own demons and battle with them daily. My relationship with money and acknowledgment was shaped from past emotional pain in my childhood (no blame attached) I have only just learnt that I need to delete this thinking, this outdated programming, because today I am confusing my role as an educator and business woman, and working from a place of fear and need, based on the thinking that I am not good enough.

This year I decided to try something new in order to change how I work. This was so I could concentrate on what I do best and selfishly what I enjoy most. Travelling the world is an amazing experience and I love doing it but leaving my family every other week is not so much fun anymore and gets lonely. With an idea of reducing my time away from home down to every other month but still educating, inspired me to develop an opportunity for nail techs to have access online to inspiration and creative learning. Through the magic of technology I can be there for my students all the time without the pressures of travel and putting a value on being away from home. Starting my online learning program was purely selfish, and for no other reason than to stay at home.

As a business woman I was very aware that setting up the online learning, had to be viable as I was giving up a large part of my future and investing time, money and a lot of effort. I got lost in the bottom line. Hello! far cry from WHY I went into to education, I was no longer working from a place of truth, of giving and sharing inspiration. I had fallen into the trap of worrying that I would not having enough and losing something I had already built.

I had to change my thinking because to make money or become rich from other people is not going to give me the satisfaction I am looking for, earning an income from what I do is just a by-product that may or may not happen. Focusing on my financial well-being on the back of other people's investment is not healthy for me. It is not about the money! It is an exchange of energy between two people which will give me a far richer reward than a few pounds.

So I have now opened my soul to you and you have had a look at a small part of mind. How does this affect you? Your clients, no matter how rude, how inconsiderate, how un-organised they are, are part of a business you have invested in based on passion and creativity, and you did not grow this business based on a need for money or to build a retirement plan. I would hazard a guess for more than 75% of the nail techs out there you do what you do because you love your job. You have an opportunity to help each one of those clients express themselves through their nails, even if they have natural nudes or bright pinks. They are able to feel good and look good because of you and the time they spend with you.

You have affected them in a positive way.

How many of you started this job because it was easy money? Of course not, because you and I know the truth. When the focus on our passion becomes about money, either the lack of it or the fear of losing it, our passion and creativity is affected. We begin to resent our career and those important people who helped us shape it to begin with.

So remember who you are and why you do what you do, and change your thinking. Remember what you do for a living is more than just nails, you touch people every day in ways you can only begin to imagine. No matter what the financial situation you’re in, never make your focus about money or the lack of it. Your truth is always from an exchange of energy and not pennies.

I seem to expose myself periodically with this blog it has become my therapy as well as an opportunity to inform. I hope my honesty has helped today, being honest with mysterious elf has given me freedom.

The Inspired online learning

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 13:04:00 +0000

So it has happened...

The launch of the first on line video workshop happened last Sunday, and I have to say the response in the members forum and the nails they have been producing have been amazing.

Looking for creative input in today's on line culture, nail professionals can be found visiting you tube for a quick fix, trying to figure out how someone has created the latest look or nail application. Peering at their screen waiting for the outcome of some complicated nail, without fully learning the basics or the detail on the application, is this you, do you get frustrated with the limited information available.

Let me ask you a couple of questions first...

Are you looking to up date your nail art skills?
How much would pay for a days training?
Do you see the benefit in in-depth training and feedback?

The most common problem I have found when people are trying to book workshop is the issue of;

Time

Money

Schedules

Travel

What if you could;

attend a workshop in the comfort of your own home

watch and re watch the weeks lesson in your own time

tutorials which are supported with additional materials and steps

24 on line lessons, and as the member ship grows so does the amount of lessons

to have access to me to give you feedback and pointers on your application and designs

Benefit from additional discounts and offers through the year.

How much would you be prepared to pay for this...??

Be inspired On line with me Sam Biddle will cost you just

£96

this is NOT per month or even per sessionthis is for the 12 months of tutorials and access to the members page, plus a whole lot more.

Seems like a good deal...maybe too good a deal?

Yes it is an affordable subscription, just the cost of 1 days workshop with me, however my aim is to provide affordable on line learning which is accessible to everyone, This cost will give you the very best learning at your own pace.

Interested?

then visit the website now and sign up for the next tutorial - scheduled alternate Sundays at 4pm

CLICK ME TO VISIT WEBSITE

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN THE 12 MONTHS?

The workshops over the course of 12 months will cover most areas of nail art and design. The difficulty levels of each workshop will vary, but the aim of this program is to develop your creativity and skill set and push your limits. I will guide you every step of the way and the aim is for you to learn the new applications. Each film will vary in depth and will have all the information you need. Plus with the on line group for feedback we can iron out any issues you may have.

Not quite ready to sign up - no problem.

If you want to register your interest but don't want to sign up today - then please add your name to the list, and we will keep you updated as the year progresses.

PAY AS YOU GO VIDEO TUTORIALS

Currently we do not accept monthly payments, the cost of this on line membership is just £96 as a one off payment. If you prefer to pay monthly we do have an option to purchase each tutorial on an individual basis here: -

http://www.sambiddle.co.uk/beinspired/video-tutorials.html

These video's will cost between £8-£12 depending on content. You will not be able to access the online members group or benefit from the discounts and offers.

The uncomfortable truth about independent education.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 13:37:00 +0000

can't keep my mouth shut any longer

I have had a couple of days to think about what I am about to write, and be warned it may ruffle a few feathers. After spending a day with a lovely lady on a one to one, I felt I should address some flaws I am noticing in industry education. Previously spending a few thousand on training through independent education and private colleges, my new student had come away from them with very little knowledge and confidence in her application. Great for me you say, well no not really, my job is to bring someone on from the basics, not to re teach them and I am not only appalled but dishearten that the industry has developed a ‘side line’ and short cut to becoming a nail technician.

It has become an uncomfortable truth about independent education, and something I feel should be addressed. I am not alone in this opinion…..but wonder if this is the future of the industry or can we do anything to police it.

So what does the term ‘independent educator’ actually mean. In my opinion It means that independent education is not supported by a brand, a core line of products like gel or acrylic, nor is it accredited by any insuring body. Independent education provides further education in the form of workshops to existing nail professionals only and not to beginners.

I wonder if the title of ‘independent education’ has been taken by some and used as a licence to print money. New technicians like my student have booked onto a workshop which does not have a governing body, no guidelines or even proper teaching training. The structure of a class is as important as the content, and the content needs to be assessed and balanced. Who does check out these independent educators offering their own certification to training the future of our industry. Who cares enough to police and protect the new technicians against those nail techs who think because they can provide a good salon service they can teach a good nail.

Of course we have organisations such as The Guild, who for a fee will accredit your courses assuming you have a recognised teaching qualification, but this relies on the education provider to investing, and does this actually mean anything to that new nail tech about to venture into the world of nails.

My journey within the industry started 15 years ago and has not been without its highs and lows, I have gone through the ranks, from starting out as a mobile tech to running a salon and then owning one. I have educated for brands, travelled for brands and even educated in colleges, in fact I still do, but with a different hat on. I have done my teacher training, completed my NVQ twice and added to my CPD portfolio (continued personnel development) each year. I did carved my own job role as it is today in nails, as there wasn’t one already in place, and this role many aspire to have also, of course why not it is a great job. It took all of those 15 years and a lot of hard work and training to get here. Where I am today was not a quick fix! Being in the position of an educator and offering Independent training was not done so on a whim, or without planning. It was not something I did right from college or because I can’t be arsed to do nails anymore.

As a mentor and ambassador I get many emails and messages from techs who have just qualified asking me how to get into education and looking for different avenues within the industry; my response to them, is why do you want to educate, why do you want to run before you can walk? Surely you need to pay your dues as a nail tech first, isn’t that why you joined this profession in the first place? Why is it that men and women do not want to perfect their craft before sharing it with others, why are we hell bent on getting to the top, without building and honing our own skills.

There are many different roles within this industry from session technicians like Michelle Class and Marion Newman to college lecturers like Shelly Lee at South Devon College. Then you have educators which work in the private sector with brands which hold a core line, like CND, IBD and Crystal nails. You work for your self when you work with these brands and build your own education academy under the umbrella of a brands logo or name. But they give you the in-depth training, skill building and application advise you could never receive without being part of a great education team. These brands have a vested interest in making you the best you can be, and they encourage ambition and drive. The different directions nail professionals take within the industry requires hard work, effort, new learning and investment, it is not easy, certainly harder than doing nails all day, just an FYI if you think otherwise.

In my humble opinion the label of 'Independent educator' should go to those nail technicians with a specific skill set which will take those nail professionals with some experience and who have learnt the basics to the next level. Independent educators fill a gap in the market to improve skills and develop.

Independent or private education, unless accredited should not provide education to new nail professionals, beginners in their field who do not have the proper understanding of application. How can one educate a beginner without any formal training in education, have the experience in working for various brands and even have the backing of a core line, I mean what on earth are they going to be teaching with. Another point to realise is that they are basing the education they providing on that which they learnt. The questions should be; where was this, when was this and by whom? How many bad habits are passed on to the unsuspecting newbie.

I am generalising here, and will probably get some back lash from this blog post, I am not talking about those nail professionals who have done their time teaching professionally for brands or within colleges, who have got they're teaching certificates and have a wide range of experience in all areas of nail application. Nor am I including those private colleges and private educators who have launched their own academies and training solutions on the back of their time as a brand educator or college lecturer. Who have taken the steps to educate themselves and create a business with the correct qualifications to teach.

I am warning those out there, to check who is training you, if you are starting on the nail road, who has given them the licence to teach you. We talk about non standard salons every day, what about non standard education?

On Line learning

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 14:34:00 +0000

There seems to be a feeding frenzy for on line learning lately, looking for creative input nail professionals can be found visiting youtube for a quick fix, trying to figure out how someone has created the latest look or nail application. Peering at their screen waiting for the outcome of some complicated nail, without fully learning the basics or the detail on the application. Disregarding product knowledge and not learning the potential of the tools and materials they have in their hands. With step by steps and images posted daily on all forms of social media to share the knowledge or just sell a product, most nail techs would admit they have based their on going education through Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram. I hold my hands up, I am one of those people that say "if I don't know how, I you tube it".

I love technology, I love education this is no secret and I am right at the front of the queue when there is something available which combines both - but value for money is must, we don't just want the same old 3 min films we see on you tube, we are looking for information we would only get on a class. As a nail professional if I am going to watch a film, I want to seem like i am there right next to the educator sucking her dry of all the information I can.

Paying for a subscribed service which gives you a monthly or weekly learning tool has to benefit you in some way, payment to long to an exclusive group comes with benefits, there is always the option to pay as you go, but the added bonus of discounts, direct contact with your educator for feedback and critic and other informative information just not available on line has to be the plus side, all available right in your own inbox. The last thing we need is to be inundated with even more news letters, promises of being rich when you follow this or that program, and a lot of sales patter and offers.

Online learning should solve 2 problems;

in-depth learning which is inaccessible due to distance or time
in depth learning which is on hand night or day, with continued feed back and critic.

on line learning should give you something new to improve your business and general nail knowledge.
on line learning should give you a different insight into something you might already know, making you look at a nail application differently or give you a new method.
on line learning has the potential to revolutionise the industry if it is done properly, with a dedicated team to support the members and give them what they ask for.

On line should be value for money, every one is running a business and a healthy flow of funds into dedicated education, which is sought after and available regardless of the country you live or the time zone. I would personally be willing to pay for something that is available and accessible day or night, depending on my own schedule, I don't need to travel and I can attend a class in my PJ's, no make up with a big bar chocolate and a glass of wine.

With 2 online video workshops available today....you can see for yourself how you can update your skills without sacrificing time, money or other commitments which prevent you attending a real life workshops....don't stop your self from growing with the industry; check out this link for more info... http://www.sambiddle.co.uk/beinspired/workshops.html

As you can tell I am an avid supporter of on line learning, in fact any education in our industry is a must and I feel we should set aside hours to invest in our craft. updating skills and building our knowledge. I have been working on a solution which might just be just what your looking for too.
I can't say too much, but the launch is right around the corner, we tried with the NAIL-inar in November, which was a resounding success in some ways but highlighted problems in other areas. So I went back to the drawing board, and have come up with something stronger, simpler and more accessible, regardless of the time zone or our work schedules and finances.

Launch date is not planned until Funerary 2015, but I shall keep you updated, if you can't wait and want to be one of the first to find out what is going one, then please enter your details below and I shall add you to the list.

WTF is a NAIL-inar?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:07:00 +0000

You have heard of webinars right? Those boring power points which you listen and watch through your computer or iPad? Well this is better than that…..a BRAND NEW on line learning solution for the Nail industry.

For the past year I have been working on some BRAND NEW concepts for nail education, and just in time for Christmas we are ready to launch. I'm inviting you to join my NAIL-inar, which is an on line learning program. You can take a lesson in the comfort of your own home and watch live as I spend an hour with you in your living room, office or salon, on your computer, tablet or mobile. I am going to talk through the designs or applications right then and there You can ask questions and join in; live.

Don’t worry if you can’t make the monthly date…each session will be recorded and you can visit the link again to watch it later.

For one hour each month, I shall be organising this in depth training from just £15 per session. This is a great opportunity to invest in your craft, especially if you find it hard to justify the expense of attending a class, or just can't get away from the salon. A brilliant solution to raising your skill level! Of course, this will not replace the benefits of attending any workshops.

You can only learn so much, through YouTube and the free tutorials available on the internet, but with the Nail-inars, I plan to take you through each step live. You can stop me and ask questions or ask me to explain something further if it is not clear. Some sessions will have live demonstrations and some will have pre recorded demonstrations, which are edited to give you the very best view of the nails….but rest assured each time a Live Nail-inar is aired I am going to be right with you every step of the way.

There will be opportunities to book one to one sessions via the Nail-inars and we shall also be offering FREE Nail-inar events to cover 'hero' products and ‘how to’ workshops.

I hope you can join me;

DATE 10th November

TIME 7pm - 8PM

COST £15

VENUE - your Computer

TITLE OF NAIL-inar - Perspective in Pigment

To find out more about how to book onto the next Sam Biddle NAIL-inar visit www.sambiddle.co.uk/beinspired

Arabella Forms - the things you could do!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:47:00 +0000

This weekend I ran a fantasy workshop in Warwick, and it struck me as I was using the Arabella forms, just how popular this reusable plastic mould has become in the industry. I am delighted when I randomly see people on Facebook using the Arabella's to create their master pieces, or mention them in a comment.

This month (October 2014) on the Be Creative website, we have a great offer running - you can receive 25% off your set of Arabella's...nice savings we thought, and I wanted to high light some great steps for you which we have done using the forms. Just in case you missed them.

The reason the forms where created was to help produce fantasy art work, but it soon came apparent that these forms, with their in built C curve, could create some time saving stickers and embellishments too.

SWANS in gel

Using Gel paints we created both these designs, the swan and the rose, simply top with a gel polish top coat and peel off.

ROSE in gel

HOLLY in acrylic

Christmas is around the corner - and to help you start prepping! Here is a great acrylic embellishment step by step I created...I make these before my clients come, and they have them as a gift from me each year on their ring finger.

The Holly step by step link can be found on this blog - CLICK HERE

There are so many other looks, designs and inspiration out there, and I know I don't catch them all, please please share with me HERE on the Arabella form Facebook page what you have created using our Forms.

To buy your pack - visit our website www.sambiddle.co.uk - for October only receive 25% off.

Check out the website for a short film on how to create the rose, swan and an additional Blue butterfly, using one stroke. CLICK HERE

Mind over Matter

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 16:34:00 +0000

We have all heard that saying, right? Generally when we are on those last 10 squats or have another hill to climb, your repeating those words 'mind over matter'....but it means so much more than that.

As we get older we should in theory become wiser....hello...a bit silly as surely we need the wisdom when we are forming our career and deciding our life path? But it is the mistakes we make that forms our wisdom. The one thing I have learnt over the last couple of years is you can have all the wisdom in the world, you can talk the talk and even set things in motion. But there is something inside of you that stops the process, that prevents you from achieving those goals, dreams and targets, regardless of the knowledge and understanding you might process.

Why? Because you have yet to win the war of your mind, to control those thoughts which hold you back.

Right now I am working on 3 new exciting developments for my business, I have been developing these ideas for a few years now, but I feel now is the time to set the ball in motion. That said I am still trying to rationalise the reasons why I should do it, my mind is coming up with obstacles and restrictions. To counter act this, my wisdom is telling me i have all the tools and information and can achieve this, that it makes sense to move my business in the right direction. So what is going on here?

My brain is clouded with tiny pulses of doubt, and these are created because of fear! Remember fear is not a valid emotion, fear is a figment of your imagination. If I allowed those pulses of doubt to run a mock through my brain I would still be here in another 3 years building business plans and researching delivery methods.

Setting your mind to it means you're conquering something fear says you can't do. But fear is not real, it is just your imagination, and its express purpose is to feed your self doubt and negative self talk.
Your mind is what you need to control, you have all the wisdom and knowledge in the world, but unless you can control how your thoughts affect how you feel, you will always be stuck in the same cycle; worrying about the same things and not able to achieve the possible.

Today for just a couple of minutes imagine if you could achieve anything, what would it be; Loosing five stone or maybe entering and winning a competition? Starting your own business and learning a new skill or craft. Have you always wanted to write a book or go back to university and get a Phd?

What ever you want in this life is yours for the taking, I promise you can have it all, but unless you conquer your mind, all the knowledge and wisdom will get you no where.

Once you have established what you want to achieve then it is time to think strategically. Having structure gives you an element of control and understanding and stops those doubts taking hold.
This is what I do when I have an idea or project I am thinking of, even if it is planning a holiday destination or investing in a new home. If there is an element of doubt, then my mind will work hard to sabotage my dream.

Creating a SWOT analysis is not a HOW will this happen, this is a study you can take to identify the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the external opportunities and threats should you go ahead. This is one of the most meaningful exercises you can do within business.

Strengths are those parts of the business or idea which sets you apart from the competition. You must be honest and establish what is it that you do well. What advantages do you have over your competitors and what makes you different?

Weaknesses are areas in need of improvement. Can you do anything better or is there anything you do badly? What should be avoided and what causes problems or complaints?

Opportunities which can improve your business.

Threats can be external or internal, and are anything which can adversely affect your business, research what your competitors are doing, are there any changes in products, services or technology which could threaten your business? Do you have any financial problems such as bad debt or cash-flow difficulties? Internal threats could also be personnel, time management skills and other factors which may distract you.

Having done your analysis you then need to create an action plan, it is essential you think about the following points in order to move forward and eliminate the self doubt. This action plan will be the first step towards achieving your goals.

Your achievements are 100% mental; your business won't go where your mind doesn't push it.

I received this email!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 13:51:00 +0000

When people attend my workshops I am always nervous about what they are thinking and feelings, no one is ever truly honest to your face, and their expectations after investing in a workshops can either be raised or dashed, with the content or even the attitude of the educator. I received this honest and frank email from one of the ladies who attended the 2 day 'pushing the limits' workshop in Sydney,Australia.

This is an unedited email, I wanted to share with you, I am very thankful of her comments and thoughts on the workshops.

Melanie wrote;

Melanie Crowe - Center

1. I was always going to attend with the name Sam Biddle in the heading. I chose this class mainly because I have attended previous workshops with Sam & I have always felt at ease with her. Her teaching style & down to earth approach with everyone in the class is exceptional. I love how she never intimidates & always makes people feel comfortable no matter what level of expertise they have. I always drag the chain but she allows me to potter along at my own pace.

2. I am the first one to admit that I am no painter when I saw some of the designs I must admit to feeling a little disheartened because I actually thought it was an acrylic fantasy workshop but with some practise I feel as though I can achieve the same look especially the feather design & believe it or not I have been inspired to sign up for a painting class, which I am doing this coming Friday. Yeah go me !!!!! I feel the parrot was out of my league but again with practise it is simple enough to be achieved. Sams delivery of her classes is awesome she can laugh & have a joke & not be stuck up but she can also be serious & willing to help whomever gets stuck. Thats what I love most about her there is no airs or graces what you see is what you get a happy friendly person whom is willing to help. She is always engaging looks people straight in the face & tells it how it is. Her advice & friendliness is outstanding.

3. Attending this workshop I was hoping to improve on my fantasy. I didnt enter fantasy this year because in previous years I have built everything out of acrylic. It is heavy & hard going on my model. I felt that I could never get past the kiddie looking stage of my pieces. This year I have learnt how to build things from foil how awesome is that !!! It has definately given me hope & inspiration to enter fantasy next year which is what I really love to do. I really loved the second day of the workshop & thought I would never implement any of the designs or techniques from the first day but guess what today I used the brights & party pigments for the first time in salon. I was quite thrilled & chuffed with myself & said to my client this is something that I learnt to do with Sam Biddle. It wasnt much but none the less I was still happy to boost about & say look at what I learnt. I took away alot from those 2 days, made many friends & even surprised myself by retaining that information. I would most certainly do another workshop with Sam & I am hoping that with lots of practise that I could even surprise her with what I might achieve. That is my goal.Cheers to Sam Biddle you rock !!!!!Much love from down under, Melanie Crowe xo

Step by Step

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 10:24:00 +0000

Leah Light

I have been asked to teach and recreate this look time and time again, these optical illusion nails seem to capture the imagination of so many, so I thought I would re post the steps I created a while ago incase you missed them. These nails I created on celebrity manicurist and nail artist from New Zealand Leah Light....we simply updated her tired gel polish with a combination of Party Pigments; I used 'did you know' and 'gossip'. Combining white, gold and black is a favourite look for Leah and I have to agree, it certainly looks chic.

Party Pigments from Be Creative

Creating various colour fades using the glitter pigment pressed into the inhibition (sticky) layer, I then used a base coat to seal it. I wanted to use the nail art pen over the glitter without disturbing it, and by dry wiping the inhibition layer from the base coat, I was able to achieve the pattern with little problem.

Using your nail art pen and the be creative black paint, add dots down the length of the nail, make sure these dots are in line with each other.

Join each of the dots together starting at the top and sweeping the nail art pen down in a 'S" formation.

Now add another 'S' shape horizontally joining the dots to make the small tiles.

These steps are created on a white back ground to make it easier for you to see the shapes made with the nail art pen, if your having issues using the pen, check out my blog post HERE.

Find out more about the Nail Art Pen HERE

I have created this look on various back grounds, but non as simple and effective as pigments, by adding a colour fade in a clever way you can make your optical illusion nails even more powerful.

Diary of an International Nail Artist - Pt 2 Australia 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 15:19:00 +0000

Sat here at my desk in good old Blighty, it is time for me to recount the highs and lows of the second part of my trip....it is a far cry from Sydney and the land 'down under' and already I've been home a week! The trees are green and the promise of sunshine reminds me it is still summer here....I can never get my head around the seasonal difference and, of course, the time change. Just a little over a week ago I was saying goodbye to the nail family I had played, laughed and even tutted with.

Each year I take a trip to Australia and each year I think this will be my last, but it seems I am pulled back by the passion and enthusiasm of the nail technicians over there. This last trip was divided into two parts, with the 3 day break in between, (much needed and very appreciated) it was all too soon before Tracey and I where packing up our suitcases and heading into the city. I say suitcases, because Tracey took me shopping on our break, which meant I had to purchase another bag in order to carry home the new wardrobe!

The two day Be Inspired workshop kicks off with a packed class, another new lesson plan to work from and for me wondering if I have either made it too easy or way to hard. When you come up with a lesson plan for any workshop, it is not a case of pulling ideas and designs from the cloud of inspiration, but each nail covers a range of applications and techniques, and they take you on a journey through the day to the final ultimate look. It does take me a little time to develop and come up with something different and totally awesome to wow those who have invested on the workshop, and with that effort comes the nerves; Have I chosen right?

But as normal those concerns where unfounded....naughty I know, but I love the fact that you get the stunned looked on faces around the class, and the gasps of 'oh no what have I got to do now' when they realise they have to do the nail you just demoed...and then as they develop they achieve the most wonderful things. From feathers to hand painted parrots, we finished the day with some 3D fantasy tropical flowers ready for the ultimate nail day tomorrow.

Of course finding new friends on these trips is a bonus but hooking up with hold ones is a delight. Leah Light from New Zealand ended up crashing at our Sydney apartment...mix up with rooms and so forth meant we had a very lucky upgrade and view of the Sydney harbour bridge. Leah turns out to have a matching wicked side to my own, and I felt like a kid again, with mummy Tracey wagging her finger at us, because we were late or just down right rude! I do miss you Leah.

Day two of the workshop and today we aim to complete the rabbit everyone is so keen to do....this is not an easy job and my time management skills were on over drive; Each part of the day was planned to military precision.
Oh my goodness what a joy the day was! and yes for those who know me, I did get the giggles looking at some of these fellows being born. Cute and weird and for some totally Alien like. Is it wrong to say I have the best job ever?

Thrill of the day though wasn't seeing these cute and cuddly bunnies, but for Alex Fox editor of Scratch Magazine to turned up, totally nerve racking.
I was on my best behaviour, although I didn't need to be and the facade totally wore off after our 3rd glass of wine, and right now I am proud to have found another 'fresh friend' and like minded guru of life. This woman totally rocked my world and I had my own 'light bulb moments' in the wee hours.

The last of the workshops come to an end and I removed my educators hat and donned on the head judge hat... tomorrow it's Show time!

This is where I am in a whole knew world, my job is to facilitate and make sure the judging is fair, every one sticks to the rules and each nail is scrutinised for ultimate perfection....in other words that translates to Tracey holds me captive in the judges box with a ball and chain around my ankle and I am hidden from view. Did I say already I love my job...?

This is the third year I have worked with Tracey as head judge for the Australian nail awards, this year was super exciting as they had partnered up with Alex Fox and her team from the Nailympics. Each year I have seen this competition and the competitors grow, the quality of the entries and the standards have increased. It is so rewarding to see. I never do this job alone, and without others from the industry giving back and investing in the future we couldn't hold competitions like this. This year my team consisted of MaeLing Parrish from USA, Leah Light from new Zealand, Alisha Rimando from USA, Mindy Hamilton from Australia, Jai Harvey Lei from Australia. There are so many other names who also helped with the floor judging and nail judging, counting and marshaling, Rebecca Manz, Coleen Hindmarsh and Desiree Dowling. Thank you ladies for your support and dedication. Finally we must not forget Tracey Boyle who actually brings us the whole competition, with her persistence and devotion to running this event, she is instrumental in giving us an great competition.

I did get a chance to leave my judging cave and did a small seminar on the main stage showing of three simple and quick salon viable gel polish designs. I got a chance to try out some eye brow extensions...yes I didn't type that wrong: EYEBROW extensions.....totally awesome.

Tell me 5 years ago I would be presenting awards and hosting on a main stage and I would have laughed in your face (a nervous laugh at that), but there I find myself presenting to a sea of hopeful faces, congratulating winners as I call them onto the stage and dashing those who expected so much more. It is a bitter sweet job, and for everyone who entered having won or not you are all to be congratulated, the nerves and expectations alone is enough to put you off, but I hope to see everyone back for another go next year... and thank you everyone for laughing at my lame jokes.

Monday is the day I have been waiting for, it is time to head home to my family....I have a whole 24 hours before I get to hug them all...but it is a start. Now some of you might have seen on my way over to Australia there was an unfortunate situation on the aeroplane and someone died mid flight, with delays and mechanical issues during this whole trip I thought to myself what else could possible go wrong. Yet again on the flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi....just a few seats from me a rather elderly lady collapsed, this time I am very thankful she survived and with a little sweet tea and her diabetic meds she was sat back in her seat enjoying 'saving mr banks' within a couple of hours. But boy oh boy it is enough to put you off flying for a while.

Well.. until October at least.

Diary of an International Nail Artist - Australia so far….

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 13:20:00 +0000

So I am currently in the land down under, and the first part of my tour is behind us, I have to say I have been super excited by the response here of the 'making trends work' class, it seems the Australasia Nail Techs love the quick, easy and oh so effect nail designs, and of course my super exciting solutions to productive nail art. Using the nail art pen, having fun with the pigments and the gel paints have saved us all a heap of time and effort.

I took the long flight from London to Perth landing mid morning giving me enough time for a brisk look around and some dinner before bed. Pia Williams a total scream and the girl who hosted this leg of the tour, greeted me at the gates with a little 'Perth' goodie bag and of course Tracey Boyle. It was great to see Tracey again in real life, it had been a whole year. That said with the age of technology…Skype and FB means she is never too far away. She is the back bone of the tour, our Be Creative distributor here for Australia, Tracey manages to arrange every last detail of the trip, with the help of her nail fairies…..! I must not forget the 2 bottles of champagne and box of choccys left in our room from the girls! this trip is going to a good one I think.

Thankfully the next day was a day off, and we got to see the sunny sites, apparently we where lucky….visiting the beach and a quick stop off at the shops to buy some light weight trousers (Tracey told me it was winter here and cold!!!!!) I was all set to be a tourist for the day. Nudist beach visits, and a $20 bill for water, I was wondering what else was in store, then Pia took us to Prison!!!!!!! really?
It was a blast, and the three of us 'bad girls' lasted until 9pm…flopping into bed exhausted. That's just how we roll.

Bad Girls

Cruising

The first class of any tour is always slightly nerve racking, all the prep, pouring over lesson plans and thinking up the designs finally come to life in front of 15 eager nail techs expecting an awful lot….and there I am at the front of the class with a raging cold! Arghhhhhhhhhhh seriously? Voice was barely there , can you overdosed on honey and lemon?
I think I won them over, the designs where perfect and just as I promised, quick and effective, easy and enticing. You should have seen their faces when I gave them just 10 mins to practise the first design. Well why not…….you only get 10 mins in the salon to do all ten!

Perth Class

Illness aside this was a great start to the tour and the next day we where flying out to Melbourne. But before we caught the flight we had a quick stop off at the Orly distributor…..and a 3 hour Orly class. Goodness I love my job.

Orly Perth

Landing in Melbourne was quite a shock from the heat we had enjoyed in Perth, cold and wet we where collected by Australia's own Tess Hellier, we where both eternally grateful, thank you. It was late and we needed our beds, well past 9pm after all. Starving hungry, I was so happy to see a beautiful platter of cheeses and fruit, thank you Sue Hollands…it was very welcome…along with the bottle of wine or 2. How did you know? I am loving the way each hotel room has Sam Biddle goodies in the room…I think I might send out a list before every tip….no blue m&m please!!!!!

Thank you Sue Holland

So day 2 kicked off bang at 9am, we had 9 nails to cover after all and had to be out of the hall by 4pm to catch our next flight. Now I am going to be honest with you here, I was not overly impressed with Melbourne last year, but this year made up for it, every one on the class was so welcoming and excited about the designs and the applications. I so enjoyed the Melbourne nail crew, and made a mental note to come back for longer next time, after all I need to visit that neighbours set, now that my secrets out. So some of you might have seen the whole 'gathering in a circle' exercise I do at the end of the day….and you know what…I am not going to explain my self, you want to find out what we are doing, your just going to have to book onto a class with me. Trust me you will giggle.

Thankfully we where travelling back in time, so when we landed in Brisbane, it wasn't too late, time was on our side, but food was limited on our journey from Melbourne and as I am on this paleo eating regime…..it is not so easy to grab my self a bite when travelling, never fear though….I know Rebecca Manz would come to by rescue. Literally every time I see her she feeds me with some tasty goodies. I have a feeling I bring our her maternal instinct? Having spent two whole days cooking, she presented me with the best home cooked dish ever, pork and sweet potato….Oh my I could have kissed her….but thought that might have been too weird. Restored….we had a another couple of glasses (bottles) of pink….what is going on I seem to have a reputation I can't shake! Bed and what should have been bright and early for a mammoth day and a half of teaching……but with a frantic knocking on the door by Rebecca…it seemed jet lag finally caught up with us. Its amazing how quick you can get ready in the morning when motivated!

Brisbane was the smallest class and a great respite, loved the girls here, loud and chatty they where beautifully relaxing. I also had another Orly evening class, where we chatted gel polish and saved the nail world.

I think the next day was the worst part of the whole trip, with a 4am start we headed out to the airport in the dark….checked in for the first flight and raced to the gate….and waited….and waited….and waited. …..apparently the plane had a maintenance issue….what! Change of plane please….forget about fixing it! 5 hours later I took these whilst sitting on the plane for a further 40 minutes whilst they decided if they could sign the paper work….all the while Tracey was snoozing in the back! Guess who was chirpy and chatty when we eventually landed in New Zealand. Damn that was half a days sight seeing stolen from me!

Penny from Monaco nails is our Be Creative Distributor in New Zealand, and she certainly did us proud, the weather was a let down, but I will let that pass, as she made up for it with a selection of Paleo goodies including CAKES, and the best room of the trip. A double bed each, electric blanket!!!!!!!yes ELECTRIC BLANKETS! OMG its cold here, and did I mention the stack of Paleo goodies.

Penny thought of everything

I am not going to go on about the food….but Penny did put in a lot of effort with her restaurant selection….no menu re arranging necessary, thank you I am very grateful.

The biggest class yet, it seemed the seats where filling up right until the last minute, with the very last one taken up the night before. 21 is bigger than I like, but New Zealand apparently don't get too many internationals visit, in fact I think Penny is the first to bring one out, those New Zealand girls are starved and hungry for everything nail related. The class was amazing, those Kiwi techs know their stuff, the practise sessions although quick where timed perfectly.

Because of the big class Tracey and Penny also helped out with the practise sessions, so everyone had someone to help them if needed, Tracey was banned from watching the demo's….she could have quoted them word for word after listening to me in four different city's….she kept stealing my punch lines!!!!! She was tied up with a gag at the back and was only let out to play when the girls had practical sessions. We had a beautiful day touring Auckland and then playing nails before catching our flight back to Sydney…big sigh! end of round one.

So here I am in Sydney, preparing for the second part of the tour, we have a intensive design class for 2 days in Sydney CBD, totally different from the first leg workshops, which will include some salon designs…maybe a little more advanced, 3D and fantasy and some extra special treats. It is always going to be a class packed with nails and very little down time….so those attending be prepared to work your arses off. You will defiantly get your moneys worth when you come on a Sam Biddle class.

Working out the details of part 2

Then it is the Expo….to be asked to be head Judge each year is such an honour, and work along side Tracey who organises the whole competition. Working with the other international judges and my friends is going to be great this year. Leah Light from new Zealand, MaeLing Parrish, USA, Alisha Romano, USA and Jai Harvey, Australia. We also have Alex Fox, Editor of Scratch UK, Scratch United Arab Emirates and Organiser for Nail Olympia for the last 10 years, joining us. This competition is now Nail Olympia Australia's and is an exciting time for the competition circuit here in Australia, watch this space.
I shall be back with the send part of this diary entry, when I am home in the UK…..keep looking out for the photo's popping up on Facebook in the mean time.