Going Cross-Eyed

So whose idea was it to embed these little clay cane slices in the nails? I want to hurt you.

In case you've been out of the loop, I guess it's been a year or two now since someone got the keen notion to start embedding little fimo cane slices in nails. It started with little citrus fruit used for dollhouses. It didn't take long before some Internet searching turned up several very talented clay cane artists who have been more than accommodating with the trend and now supply the nail art industry with everything from fruit to skulls.

Thing is, these things are just too stinkin’ cute when they're embedded in nails. Problem is, they come in cane form. Little — and I mean little! — pieces of clay about an inch or so long that you have to slice yourself.

This is what I've been doing during my spare time today. And, of course, the darn things are tiny! They have to be in order to fit on a nail. And you want to slice them really thin. Really, really thin. But not so thin that you inadvertently cut the whole thing in half and screw up the little design.

Also, when you order up clay canes, be prepared for how fast your total adds up. All I really wanted was find some Easter eggs. Next thing I know, I'm hitting "submit" on a $69 order. Seeing as how I ordered from Beautytech and I knew who would be processing and packing up my newly acquired little clay treasures, I added my thoughts to the comment field of the online order form — I wanted to know how I'd just spent so much money on little pieces of clay!

Which is how it was brought to my attention that I'm supposed to be getting at least 60 slices per cane! And I'm supposed to be charging $2 a nail for using these buggers.

Oh. Well, I'm still managing to recoup my costs and all, but now that I know I have a 60-slice goal per cane, I've been counting

Forty. On average. That doesn't count all the tiny pieces of slices that are littering my floor now. But I'm good to get 40 actual, usable slices out of each cane.

All I know is at this point I am feeling old and semi-blind, my hands are cramped up from holding the razor blade steady, the floor is covered in little half-bunnies and skulls, and I'm none too happy with this trend at all.

Not to mention the price of embedding fimo slices just went up at this salon!