Born Pretty Nail Stamping Plates Set Plaid Flowers Leaves Lace

So freaking pretty absolutely love the patters and have some amazing plans

I bought this set of nail stamping plates specifically for painting miniatures, and they are absolutely brilliant for adding intricate details that would be impossible to do by hand. The variety of designs in this kit is incredible. I've used the plaid patterns for cloaks, the designs for decorative trim on armor. The images are etched clearly and deeply into the plates, so they pick up paint perfectly with a silicone stamper and transfer a crisp, clean image onto the model's surface. This has been a total game-changer for adding that extra level of detail to my miniatures. It's so much faster and cleaner than trying to freehand tiny, complex patterns. The plates themselves are high quality and easy to clean. If you're a miniature painter looking for an easy way to up your detail game, I can't recommend this set enough

*EDIT as of 8 September 2021* After walking away from these plates for several days and readjusting my attitude, I finally got them to work. I found some really old stamping polishes that had thickened up a bit more and I was finally able to consistently pull images off these plates. It appears that these plates only work with really thick stamping polish probably because the etching is so superficial as compared to other higher quality stamping plates I own. Other polishes won't lift, aren't consistent, or will not work. I've adjusted my review from 1-star to 3-stars because I was able to get these to work eventually, but there are better quality plates available online that I would purchase and use before these ones. *Original review* These are hands down the worst nail stamping plates I have ever used. Which is unfortunate because there are so many cute images I desperately want to put on my nails. Half the time, my stamper won't pick up the image. The other half of the time when my stamper does pick up the image it's either incomplete or smudged or picks up the images next to the one I'm trying to pull. When I was able to successfully pull an image, I couldn't duplicate it. I spent 2 hours trying to use several of the plates in this kit, using regular polish, gel polish, and stamping polish and only got progressively more and more angry. I even used some stamping plates I already owned to see if maybe it was user error, but nope. My other plates worked just fine. Absolutely unusable.

I love the variety of designs on these plates. They stamp very well but you may have to prime your stamper for the images to transfer properly. Yeah, I had never heard of such a thing either! I have 5 stampers and after much frustration over the fact that only one of them would work I did a google search to see if anyone else had this problem. That's how I found out about priming the stampers, most often necessary with the clear jelly kind. It's very easy to do, you just have to ever so lightly scuff the surface of your stamper with a nail buffer (FYI a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works awesome for this) until the surface is a dull/matte in appearance. Takes no time at all, just be careful not to scuff too aggressively and watch out for your fingernails as the surface of the jelly stamper can tear or puncture. Once done, a quick wash and dry and you are ready to stamp away!. The best part is, since priming my stampers, I have yet to find a polish that will not work for stamping. Even the very cheap ones from the department store have worked for me! Hope this saves you some frustration and agony, it sure change my stamping life!

I was really excited to get these plates. The designs are beautiful. There are also several designs that can be used for some holidays too. It’s a really nice collection of images on 12 rectangular plates. Each plate comes in a nice cardboard sleeve for protecting the plate from scratches. The con to this set is that some of the plates in this collection weren’t etched deeply enough so the design doesn't pick up or pick up completely. I’ve used different stamping polishes, different stampers and every method from rolling to pressing, to dabbing, touching and smashing the stamper. Still no good image or I’ll get a broken up image. Some images on a plate work perfectly while others on the same plate won’t pick up at all. The designs on all four corners are hard to get because the plate has cupped corners so the polish doesn’t scrape off evenly. I still chose to keep this set because most of the images I like will at least work with stamping polish. And many will work with regular polish. I just wish they all worked but I’ll keep trying!

The patterns aren’t nearly large enough to cover even a medium sized extension. I've tried three different stamping gels with these plates and been unsuccessful. The pattern comes out messy and not crisp, no matter what way I try to work with the plates.

This was my first time ever doing stamping. There is definitely a learning curve and I am by no means a pro, I still have a lot to learn. That being said, it was easier than I thought, after I got the hang of scraping (only scrape once!) and picking up with the stamper. I used a stamping polish which dries quickly, and then used a gel top coat. Overall I’m really happy and can’t wait to get more plates and keep experimenting.

I am obsessed with these! I love doing my nails and being able to express my creativity this way. These plates are super solid and well made. Some of the designs could have been engraved a little deeper, but they still work. I get compliments all the time on how cute my manicures are. There are so many designs to choose from you can go subtle or bold and anything in between! You will not find a better deal (trust me, I've looked)!