Retro Ubermat Decal

So today will mark my first tutorial using the Ubermat as a way to make decals. I loved making these decals, yes it is time consuming but I do think it is worth it. The design you have the potential to make are so intricate and detailed it just looks so great.

This design took a lot of time, not only because I chose to use so many colours but I also chose to do it on every nail. Talk about a big workload.

So step one is to simply paint a layer of topcoat onto the area where you would like to make the decal. I chose the part with the nail template as I knew my nails are smaller than that and so the decal would definitely fit on my nail if I used that space. Once the polish is dry the mat will slightly curve and you know you can start adding the design.

Next I stamped over these spots with a design from a plate I bought from amazon a few years ago. I found that the best way to stamp onto the mate was through a rolling technique, placing one edge the stamper down onto the mat and rolling to the other side, this I found produced a better image than when stamping straight on. But I encourage you to try with your own stampers to find which works best for you, as this may only be applicable to the type of stamper I have.

Next is the laborious stage. Getting each colour and colouring in the areas where you want that colour to come through. I chose four colours and so did each colour on each stamp before moving onto the next. I used a small dotting tool to that as I had found that using a brush may effect the stamping image that was just placed down. Once I went through all the colours I went back to the start to fill in the rest of the gaps.  Don't worry too much about getting it within the lines as it will barely be noticeable.

Now that the decals are complete you can transfer them onto your nails. I first painted my nails white as my decal isn't completely solid colour and thought a white background would be best for this design.

Once the white was dry I added a thin topcoat to one nail and transferred the decal onto it, being sure to place it topcoat side facing up. Once on top of my nail I then pinched the decal a little in order to make it stick to the curve of my nail. I then filed away the majority of length from the top of the decal simply using a nail file. Then using nail scissors I got rid of a lot of excess from the side of my nails. To remove the rest I used a little paintbrush dipped in acetone.

After I did this to all the nails, it was time to make the decals glossy again by added a top coat.

Being in the UK the delivery cost for the Ubermat can be almost as expensive as the mat itself, but I found SheSellsSeaShells very helpful for this. This is a UK nail art supply website that stocks beautiful vinyls and the UBERMAT, and only charges standard UK postage charges, bargain.