British Nail Art - Using Scotch Tape

I've not really been fazed by the the Olympics being in London this year but this week we had the Olympic Torch pass near where I work. With it being the Diamond Jubilee next weekend and seeing the torch in the flesh, I did actually feel a little more excited and quite patriotic.

I've also been writing for a website created to help promote Jubilee events happening in Bristol and one of the posts I'd written for the website, I thought I would share here in honour of all things British.
I decided go down the popular nail route and go a bit red, white and blue with my nails and paint the Union Jack.

Now I'm not particularly good at painting in straight lines so I thought I would try a technique I've seen around on the blogosphere and try using Scotch tape.

The results actually were much better than I thought they would be, especially for a fist attempt. But i think the results are quite largely dependant on what kind of nail polish and tape you use.
But give it a go and I think it would work really well using pastel shades, neon or even try doing the American flag.
I'll post the written instructions later this week.(UPDATE: which are now below)

• Buy some tape on a dispenser –  Scotch Tape or Magic Tape seem to be the best. It’s not too clear or too thick, comes on a dispenser and I know it worked for me. However, feel free to try any kind of tape and see what results you get.
•  Paint two thick strips, one white and one red. Make the strips a tiny bit longer than your nails – you’ll be cutting them shorter.
•  While that’s drying paint your nails a shade of blue.
•  Once all nail polish has dried, cut strips of white and red from the tape (make the white strips larger than the red so you can see them beneath.)
•  If you find the tape is sticking to everything in between using it (as I did) hang each strip off the edge of a piece of grease proof paper, or anything that won’t pull apart when you take the tape off to use.
•  Once you’ve cut your strips, you can start to make your flag shape (I had a picture of the Union Jack in front of me for reference, just in case)
•  Start by making a cross with the white strips and then diagonally lay another set of white strips over the top of your first cross.
•  Then do the same with the thinner red strips.
•  Don’t worry if the strips over lay onto your fingers or the top of the nail. Just trim the sides with nail scissors then fold the top ones over the back of the nail and use a nail file, filing downwards until they come away.
•  Once you’ve done that you should have something that resembles the Union Jack and then to finish, put a clear top coat on top.

You don’t have to stick to the traditional blue, white and red. Try pastel shades, neon or match them to whatever you intend to wear.
 If you find that it looks too 3D for your liking (which will depend on what thickness of tape you used), paint the white and just use the red strips or vice versa.