Playing with polymer clay techniques - without polymer clay-

I had never considered combining polymer approaches with nail art, because of the treacherous incompatibility on the long term between many nail polish and polymer clay. I don't care much for cutesy cane slices on nails. But then I saw the beautiful false nails Claire Wallis made (found them through an "Other things you might like" link in The Polymer Arts blog), and started to think about what polymer clay could be used for in nail art. I am at best a dabbler in nail art, and I can neither reach Claire Wallis's wonderful precision in caning, nor draw correctly, especially on such a small surface.

But maybe I could use some of the many other techniques available ?

As you might have guessed from my gallery, I love imitative techniques.
This is my adaptation of Lynda Moseley's Diva Design Masterful Faux made easy tutorial (I can't seem to get the color right on the pictures):

It is a tutorial I cannot recommend enough, it made me try and adopt polymer techniques and materials I had not considered (and maybe would never have on my own). Took three tries to get the effect on nails right-ish (much to ameliorate though), and it gave me ideas of little twists to try, back on clay... Removing the constraints from the polymer as a material and replacing them by the constraints of nail art (size, air drying, material resistance) forces to think differently.

Plus, for the first time ever, I will have nails assorted to a dress this week-end...