Remeber To Tip Your Dealer
July 22, 2008
I can’t stress this enough people…You have to tip your dealer. Or, in this case, your piercer. I went with a friend today to the Body Gallery so that my friend could get her nose pierced. Yes, it only took ten minutes, but it was ten minutes of labor. At the end of it all. No tip! I know that times are hard out there, but if you can spring for a piercing, you can spring for a tip.
Celebrity Tattoo News – 7/11/08
July 11, 2008
Angelina Jolie. Tattooed Goddess. Absolutely adore her. I was reading the other day that usually (of course), she has to cover her tattoos for whatever role she’s doing. Well, according to several news sources, she not only kept her tattoos in view, she also added to them. In her new film, Wanted, she plays a sexy, tattooed assasin with ink inspired by Winston Churchill. From Churchill’s speech “We have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”, she had “toil” and “tears” added to her upper arms.
“Instead of taking mine away, which we have to do in every film, we ended up leaving mine and adding more,” she said.
“I have ’strength of will’ in one language, and we added it in four other languages on my arm. ‘Know Your Rights’ is printed in English on the back of my neck, and again in Latin as well.”
In other news, Pharrell (popular producer, songwriter, founder of the Neptunes and N.E.R.D.) is having his tattoos removed in a new way. The new procedure involves new skin being reproduced over the tattoo’s location. Apparantly, you give the doctors a sample of your skin, they grow it in a lab, and then sew it over your existing tattoo.
I don’t know about any of you, but that actually makes my skin crawl just thinking about it. What if the procedure failed? What if your body rejects the new skin. Even though it is your own skin, you never know. I can just imagine sitting in a restaurant and all of a sudden, this big patch of skin falls off. And is it restricted to smaller tattoos or can you have this procedure done on a large back piece? And will it be smooth or bumpy? Like putting a slipcover over a sofa? I don’t know. It freaks me out.
Tori Amos – Comic Book Tattoo
June 30, 2008
I’d heard some buzz about this last year sometime and it looks like it’s on it’s way. Tori Amos will debut her new Comic Book Tattoo at Comicon this year (If you’ll be in San Francisco during July, you can get tickets to see Tori by purchasing a copy of the book. The signing will be held on July 26th at 2pm). Her website describes it as being “a 480-page, full color anthology adapting the themes and ideas behind her songs into a lush volume of sequential art.” The artists included in the book are Pia Guerra, Leah Moore, John Reppion David Mack, Hope Larson, Ryan Kelly, Jonathan Hickman, Colleen Doran, Eric Canete, Ted McKeever, Jock, Anthony Johnston, Dame Darcy, Carla Speed McNeil, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Mark Buckingham, Ivan Brandon, and C. B. Cebulski to name a few. It also includes and introduction by longtime friend and Sandman creator Neil Gaiman. Check out Tori’s website for more details. The book is set to be released on July 23rd, although Amazon says July 16th.
I, for one, cannot wait until her book comes out. I’ve been a fan of Tori since Little Earthquakes. I was watching VH1 once day and saw the video for “Silent All These Years”. The moment the video was over, I knew I was a changed person. I looked at everything differently from that point on. I’ve seen her in concert a few times and her shows are some of the best that I’ve been to. She captivates her audience and pulls out emotions you never knew you had. She invokes shock, fear, love, and anger.
Will there ever be acceptance?
June 24, 2008
Do you think that tattoos will someday be more accepted in mainstream society? I know that tattoos are becoming more and more “normal”, but you still don’t really see tattooed people in soap operas or sitcoms. There still has to be that separation between the tattooed and non tattooed world. Will they always be just a little bit taboo or will we see four friends sitting in a cafe with sleeves and chest pieces? I wonder about that sometimes.
What are your thoughts?
Celebrity Tattoo News
June 18, 2008
It seems that Kat Von D is no longer a Guinness World Record holder. If you didn’t know, last year Kat Von D set the world record for the most tattoos done in a 24 hour period. 400. The whole event was chronicled on her show L.A. Ink. This month, her ex-husband, Oliver Peck, has now taken that title completing 415 tattoos in 24 hours. Check out her Myspace page to read her thoughts on the event.
In other celebrity news, Heidi Klum showed off her new tattoo at the Peabody Awards in NYC this week. The tattoo apparently spells out the name of her husband, singer-songwriter, Seal. Now, I love Heidi and I love Seal, but getting your significant other’s name tattooed on you is like the kiss of death. Hopefully, because you can’t really tell that it’s his name, they’ll avoid the fate the rest of the world endures.
Also, rapper, The Game, is letting his fans design his next tattoo. The theme is LAX and you can upload your pictures/ideas at imeem.com
Scissor Spiders
June 16, 2008
For all you people who read Playboy “for the articles”, check out page 34 of the July issue to see my friend Chris’s sculptures. He takes the scissors confiscated from the TSA and turns them into works of art. So the next time you go through airport security with a pair, they may end up in one of his pieces.
Are you a tattooed scrapbooker?
June 9, 2008
I’ve been scrapbooking for a few years now and since the beginning, I’ve always been disappointed at the lack of tattoo inspired products out there. In the last year, I’ve noticed that the scrapbooking companies are starting to notice that “hey, tattooed people scrap too!”
Creative Imaginations has a new Love Struck Collection out by Marah Johnson that’s very tattoo flash inspired. There’s 12×12 paper, cardstock stickers, epoxy stickers and ribbon.
For the digital scrapbooker, check out the Skin Deep collection on ScrapGirls.com.
Honorable Mentions….
A Cherry On Top
This Next (for the Rubber Stamper)
Since we’re talking about being creative, I wanted to show you someone who inspires me. I first saw one of Silje/Vanilje’s scrapbooking layouts on Flickr and from then on, I’ve been hooked. She’s a tattoo artist and a scrapbooker and her creativity inspires me. I strive to be as creatively free as she is. Check out her stuff and grab some inspiration!
Tattoo Trend or Tattoo Evolution?
June 7, 2008
When tattoos first started getting mainstream attention, it was cool to just walk into any tattoo studio, pick some flash off the wall, and sit down in the chair. I’ve noticed more and more that people want something more. Something with meaning. Something individual. Either to remember a loved one or a moment in life, getting tattooed has become a cathartic experience for some.
Memorial
Most everyone in the world has had someone close to them pass on. If not, you at least know someone who’s gone through a difficult time and come out stronger on the other side. One way to pay tribute to them is to get a memorial tattoo. One way to do that is by getting a portrait tattoo. Do you have a favorite photograph of your loved one? One that captures the true beauty of their spirit? There’s a wealth of portrait artists out there that can do amazing things with your tattoo. If you’ve ever seen Miami Ink or LA Ink, you’ve seen Kat Von D work her magic making a photograph come to life on skin. Another way to remember someone is to get a symbol of the relationship that the two of you shared. A favorite song, place, or article of clothing? A favorite quote that you both lived by? There are a million possibilities.
Heritage
This one is on my list to get. A heritage tattoo. My family is planning to take a trip in either 2009 or 2010 to Africa to explore the land and culture. To see where my ancestors came from. I have a few African friends that moved to the US several years ago, but there’s always that pull to go back. I think that every one of us has a desire to go home. To know where we came from and to know how we became the people we are today. Where did you come from? Who are your ancestors? Do you feel a connection with your Italian grandmother or your African mother? You can design a tattoo around those experiences with your family crest or the country’s flag.
Religious
I’ve struggled with whether or not I want a religious tattoo. Will I change what I believe later in life? Will my values change? There are others that have unwavering faith and I admire that. They choose to get symbols of their faith because they know it makes them stronger. It reminds them of who’s watching out for them or it reminds them to keep the faith.
Special Interest
This is my favorite category because it includes anything and everything…biomechanical, rockabilly, japanese, ghetto fab, gangsta, emo, goth. Whatever your lifestyle includes. Are you into vintage cars and rock & roll? Do you love the look of old style Japanese art? Know what you like and what you’re into and choose a tattoo based on that.
Fun
Not all tattoos have to be serious. Just because it’s permanent doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun. I’ve seen cupcakes, Alice In Wonderland, even a Pon & Zi tattoo. A friend of mine even got a Tetris tattoo. It just has to be something that you love. Don’t be afraid to experiment with a bold design and bold color.
Whatever you choose, your tattoo artist can make it a reality. Remember to be flexible in your design. Your artist will know what works best for your design, whether it be size or placement. And don’t be afraid to change some elements in the design as long as it’s still true to feeling of your original design.
Are you looking at me?
June 5, 2008
How do you react when you’re out in public and people turn and stare? Do you just ignore it or do you say something?
I was out a couple days ago to pick up some dinner. It was a nice day out, so my tattoos were showing. As I walked into the restaurant, this guy looked me up and down as I was walking to the bar. Was he just curious? Or was he judging me? I know it comes with the territory, but I always wonder what people are thinking when they blatantly stare at you.
What do you think?
