We’re desperately hoping that spring is soon on its way and with sunshine comes birds…
Heres our pick of some bird tattoos we’ve seen flying around Instagram, see what we did there? Anyway here they are and don’t forget to share yours with us!
Tattoo Inspired Furniture Upcycling
Here at Things&Ink we love all things tattoos! On discovering Taylor Made, a small business located in Fife, Scotland, which specialise in upcycled furniture inspired by all things tattoo, we had to talk to owner and creator Grace Taylor.
How did you first start upcycling furniture? When my partner and I moved into our first proper home together we had to start from scratch. A lot of our second-hand furniture wasn’t completely to our taste, or was looking a bit sad and unloved, so I decided to try and transform it and give it a bit more life to suit our new living space. I started doing more pieces when I had to take some time off work for health reasons, and found that it was a great way to pass the time!
Have you got your own business? I never intended on this being a business and so far it has just been a hobby. However, I have had such a wonderful response from my facebook page that I am now currently in the process of turning this hobby that I love into something more. I have had lots of exciting opportunities arise from this so far and one day I hope to have my own quirky wee shop.
How did you learn how to do it? I am completely self taught, I started from scratch and hadn’t a clue about paints, techniques, decoupage, or different products you can use. I have spent countless hours and a small fortune trying to discover what is out there and what I like to use best. It’s been a fantastic learning experience, but also rather frustrating at times. I guess you have to start somewhere, so I started from the bottom. I am still learning – with every new piece I learn something more so it never gets boring.
Where do you find the materials? All over the place! I get my furniture from a range of different places. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s vintage or a modern reproduction. If I like it, I take it. I buy all my materials from all over the place, I pick up things on eBay, online shops, high street shops, charity shops and car boots.
What inspires you? I like quirky things and I have a passion for tattoos, so a lot of my pieces are inspired by old school tattoo flash, in particular Sailor Jerry. I use a lot of fabrics with skulls and I like to try and do something a bit different as opposed to the ‘shabby chic’ style of upcycling. I also love stags, so I uses a lot of stag designs such as fabrics, paper and stencils. I can’t stand boring, straight out of the catalogue home decor, so I strive to make things unique.
Do you have any tattoos? I have quite a collection! Though not nearly enough.
I have a half sleeve on my right arm, which is a beautiful portrait of my mum surrounded with flowers, in the style of our favourite artist, Alphonse Mucha. This was done by the awesome Marcus Maguire of Custom Inc/BathStreetCollective, who has also done a large, beautifully coloured peacock stretching from my hip to my knee. This is a tribute to my Dad, along with my of my other tattoos. I have a portrait of him on my other arm, my feet are covered in script with an old saying of his, ‘Far Out!’ done by Stephanie Scott of Old Town Tattoo, and I have two wee chicks on my ankle as he called my sister and I his chickens, by Jamie Adair of Crossroads Tattoo.
I have an awesome large mandala and stags head on my thigh by Ema Sweeney of Custom Inc/BathStreetCollective, and a cute wee bird with hydrangeas on my calves by the wonderful Amanda Grace Leadman, amongst others. I may also have an L and R on my thumbs, as I’m not the quickest with direction…
Do you have any tips for people who want to upcycle? Just go for it and have fun! Make sure you are prepared with everything you need before you start, and don’t wear your best clothes like I always do, or you won’t have anything decent left by the end of it. Painting a piece of furniture and transforming it can be such a therapeutic and rewarding thing to achieve, so don’t let yourself get stressed out. Sometimes if you make a mistake, it just adds to the overall character of the piece you are working on. Enjoy every moment of it!
Follow Grace on Instagram to see more of her tattoo inspired creations!
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Freelance illustrator and project manager Ruth Bridges, 30 from West Yorkshire is the creator of fashion illustration blog x+y=. She has exclusively drawn three unique illustrations for Things&Ink influenced by tattoos and fashion.
What inspires your illustrations? I love slightly off-beat street fashion. Style has always been much more influential to me than trend. I find drawing people with striking faces really satisfying, especially edgy women. I’m not into overtly pretty things, much preferring a grungy feel – minimalism with a twist. I do also have a soft-spot for slightly bonkers high end fashion – I’m a fan of Pam Hogg, Louise Gray and KTZ.
What medium do you use? Nearly always pencil, with paint, colour and photography occasionally collaged in digitally.
Do you have a background in art? Yes – I studied Fashion at BTEC level, then went on to complete an Art Foundation and, after taking a gap year to travel, a Degree in Fine Art for Design. I’ve always known I wanted to work in the visual arts but until now the time hasn’t been right. I’ve been freelance for about 3 months now, and so far it’s going well.
Where can people see and buy your work? I have a website – www.xplusyequals.co.uk and I also occasionally contribute to Amelia’s Magazine and Guys and Girls Directory. Since going freelance, I’ve mainly been working on commissions so I don’t have prints on sale at the minute but I’m looking for opportunities to exhibit. I’m currently working on a collection of drawings that complement each other that I can sell as limited edition prints.
Have you been published? I’ve been featured in digital magazines for a while now but have just been included in a published collection of illustrations and articles, published by Amelia’s Magazine called ‘That Which We Do Not Understand’ – it’s out any day now.
Tattooed Christmas Gift Guide
Here’s our gift guide for the loved-ones in your life who are as obsessed with tattoos as we are!
The perfect tee for everyone, show your love for Things&Ink wherever you go!
Mister Paterson Unisex T shirt £15
What more could you want than pugs? Tattooed pugs, doh!
Pug Love Cushion Cover £14
The new ‘it’ bag!
Mister Paterson Canvas Tote Bag £10
For the bearded men in your life, this luxurious oil will tame any unruly mane. Use discount code: THINGS&INK to get the Ultimate Gift Set (rrp £60) for £56.50
Bear Face Beard Oil £18.50
Channel your inner rock god with this stunning statement ring!
Freedom Ring Set with Onyx by The Wildness Jewellery £195
We couldn’t pick just one piece of art from Atomica Gallery, get yourself to their gallery in London to view even more beautiful art…
Exclusive to Atomica Gallery “The Chair 2” £130
Looking for a bit of inspiration, then this is the book for you, get your pencils at the ready!
The Tattoo Colouring Book $15
The perfect gift, need we say more?
Bundle of all 3 Covers, Issue 9, Stripped Back, Things&Ink magazine £16
Accessorise everything with tattoo inspired things, including this handmade cosy.
Tattoo Style Knitted Tea Cosy £55
What’s on your Christmas list?
The One Love Project
THE ONE LOVE PROJECT
The One Love Project aims to provide a safe and creatively stimulating learning environment for the children of a traditional Rajasthani gypsy community located on the perimeter wastelands of Pushkar, India.
The One Love project was born when five friends journeyed through India and experienced firsthand the desperate need of the children there.
Background to the project: It was while volunteering at Pushkar’s Joshua Play Project, that they discovered there were more children in gypsy encampments in the area. These children were sent by their parents onto the streets, to support not just themselves, but their families by begging from the numerous tourists. The One Love Project hopes that instead of a career of begging on the streets of Pushkar, the children will be both educated and stimulated in a creative way. Music, dancing, happiness and laughter are right at the heart of One Love.
The name of the project has been taken from the famous Bob Marley song, as he is revered with guru status by the locals, and the project aim is to keep sharing his message of love, peace and equality. The aim is to bring hope and a brighter future to these children, create a safe space full of fun, music and laughter. Secure with love and support the children will rise above their social circumstances and look forward to making a great contribution to Pushkar’s future.
The Project Now: The One Love Project has been running for one year and currently has 18 children, funded by sponsorship, to attend the town’s local private Parasha School, where they receive a rich curriculum and support in all core areas of learning. The children are accompanied, after their formal morning lessons at the school, to the One Love Project, where they are provided with a healthy midday meal and a teacher gives them further assistance with their homework. There are plenty of opportunities for children to play and explore their own culture in visual and expressive arts.
The cost of running the project: Charitable donations by the founding friends and supporters have provided the project with a building and monsoon proof covering, gas and a fresh water tank for cooking wholesome meals and providing clean drinking water for the children. A local teacher has been employed for homework help and further educational support. Art and music supplies, blackboard and learning apparatus have also been purchased with donations.
It currently costs £50 a year to keep each child enrolled in Parasha School and an extra £220 a month is needed for the running costs of the project – this is to cover food, water, power and payments to the project manager, teacher and cook.
Current funding status: One girl who helped with the build contributed to the start up costs by donating all her money she had earned from teaching Yoga in the town. Members of the One Love team run a jewellery company called Gypsy East and during the build they designed a One Love pendant. All of the profit from the £10 necklace went directly to fund the project. The project also receives donations, money from sponsored runs and they are also looking to hook up with The Pipe Dream Experience to raise some money from a one-off event in London.
Future plans for the project: The primary plan is to move The Project’s site, currently at the base of the gypsy camp, to an official location where the children can play, learn and develop with greater protection. The aim is to establish a recognised charity that will provide the children with the basic rights of every child: education, play and staying healthy. The entire team are heading back to India over the next few months to work on relocating the project.
Follow the One Love project’s progress on Facebook and Instagram or email the team at theoneloveprojectpushkar@gmail.com.