Filigree, and the Operation Straight Edge Challenge

In keeping with the spirit of the past few manicures, today's nail art is filigree accent nails. It's a look that I love, but haven't really ever worn. Unlike my nautical and double helix nails, which I just hadn't gotten around to, I don't wear a lot of filigree because I'm not very good at it. I'm still no expert, but I saw a big improvement this time around.

My base color was Julep Nan with Julep Love for the swirls. I used a toothpick to hand etch the filigree pattern, waiting impatiently for Nan to dry before I applied them. In the past, I think part of the reason I didn't love my result was because I separated out each individual swirl, making a little candy cane cluster with no flow. This time, I focused on building each swirl out from the next. This created a more flowing, elegant pattern. Maybe I won't give up just yet...

In other news: Those gorgeous double helix nails chipped after one day-I was so disappointed! But the real reason I wasn't as in love with them as I could have been and they didn't last was the rough edging. My designs are not living up to their potential nail art destiny- this will not stand! As I've mentioned before, messy edges are my white whale. I started to accept that as a fact of life, but you, dear reader, have inspired me to be better. As a result, the mission for my next post is a straight up old school mani with crisp, defined edges. It will be a pure swatch with a basic creme polish- no gradient, no glitter, no polka dots, nothing to cover it up if I take shortcuts. I don't think I remember the last time I did "normal" nails, so that will be a challenge in itself. The main objective, though, will be to get beautiful, crisp edges and tell you how I got them. Hopefully this personal challenge will bring me a little closer to conquering the beast.

Tips? Suggestions? What do you think- are the edges no big deal if the rest of the nail looks good, or do they make the mani?