Australian director Angie Bird has created a short yet heart-warming documentary, ‘You Won’t Regret That Tattoo’, that shows the stories and memories connected to the tattoos of an older generation. The film seeks to challenge the idea that ink is something that people will come to regret. The tattoos are there to commemorate occasions, whether good or bad, show love for those in their lives both past and present, and some of the tattoos are simply for fun, to make people laugh.
To hear more tattoo stories watch the documentary below:
If you’re anything like this group of interesting people you certainly won’t regret your tattoos later on in life…
I’m Rosie and I’m editorial assistant here at Things & Ink magazine and this year I was lucky enough to travel to Vietnam. This post details how people reacted to my tattoos – and it wasn’t in the way that I though it would be…
In April 2015 I travelled to Vietnam to visit my friend, Sarah, who’s living in Saigon teaching English. Two more of my friends, Cath and Ben, joined me a few days later, we all lived together at university, so our holiday was a family reunion.
Compared to my friends, I am heavily tattooed, although a couple of my friends have small matching tattoos. I didn’t really know what kind of reaction I would receive towards my tattoos from people in Vietnam, but I based my expectations on what people have said here in the UK. Comments have not always been positive, with lots of dismissive stares.
Having lived in the city of Saigon for a year, Sarah had learned a little about the Vietnamese people and their culture. Many of them bleach their skin to lighten it and cover up as much as possible, we went to the beach and people were in the sea in jeans and hoodies. People driving mopeds would stop further back at traffic lights so that they were in the shade.
People mainly stared at us for our pale skin, I had people touching my white arms, and Cath would get kisses blown to her by women. In their culture, staring isn’t rude, but it was hard to shake off the notion that it is. I’m not sure whether I was stared at more for being tattooed or for being pale.
While at a pool, a group of children walked past staring at my tattoos and shouting nice tattoos. Most of the responses were positive and people who also had tattoos were eager to talk about them. Plus, my friends – who I hadn’t seen for AGES – were eager to see my tattoos, as my collection has grown a lot since I last saw them.
Ladies in the Bến Thành Market, would compliment and comment on my tattoos so that we would stop and buy something from their stall. I talked to a couple of stall owners who were interested in how much my tattoos cost. I estimated how much they cost in US dollars for them. And the women were shocked, each tattoo on my arms cost a lot more than they would make in a month, perhaps a year. Which made me think about the different ways we live our lives and spend our money. I felt pretty guilty, and it made me see my tattoos as obscene… but that hasn’t stop me getting more since I’ve been home.
The seven sheet set includes knuckle wraps, name plates, arm bands and chains. The duo have included the alphabet in Gothic lettering, so that fans can spell out Rihanna’s lyrics on their bodies. These bold letters are a contrast to softer delicate designs that mimic Jacquie’s dainty jewellery designs.
In a release Jacquie explained:
‘Creating the tattoos was a really collaborative process between Rihanna and myself, which we feel is so evident in the final designs’
Keep an eye out for further tattoo inspired collaborations between Rihanna and Jacquie Aiche in the future.
The printer has been combined with a tattoo needle to create any design onto skin. The needle punctures the skin at up to 150 times per second.
Perhaps it would be more accurate than a tattoo artist, but would it be able to cope with twitching skin or wriggly customers? It would also feel like much more of a mechanical and sterile process, losing part of the heart that goes into every tattoo. You couldn’t have a chat with the printer, it wouldn’t make you a nice cup of tea or put you at ease.
The machine could possibly work for logos and graphic designs that are not hand drawn by tattooists. Or for designs that customers have drawn themselves.
The short video below shows a printer tattooing fake limbs.
What do you think? Would you get a tattoo from a 3D printer?
An interview with Annelie Bystrom-Turner, 37, Hove, co-owner of Corpo Sancto, make-up artist and manager of Into You Brighton
Husband and wife candle making team
What is Corpo Sancto? Tell us more about the ethos and why you started the business.
Corpo Sancto is a Brighton-based husband and wife team who make artisan, eco friendly, biodegradable luxury rapeseed wax candles – scented and unscented – and a range of other products such as industrial candle holders and lamps.
It all started last Christmas almost by accident, I had made a couple of candelabras using reclaimed pipe bits and my husband was staring at the overpriced taper candles I had bought while drinking his morning coffee. “I could make them” he said and then announced that he was going to make candles, much to my annoyance. The rest is a bit of a blur now, we have been working non-stop ever since while juggling two other jobs each and two children, Chris is the drummer in Orange Goblin and tours extensively at times, which makes life even more hectic for me. Sometimes it feels like Corpo Sancto is our third child, we are very passionate about what we do.
What’s it like running a business with your husband? Are there arguments or do you always agree?
Working with your partner isn’t always easy and yes there are arguments, probably more so in the beginning when we were trying to establish the company identity. We still disagree from time to time and it can be terribly frustrating when you think your ideas are brilliant and your partner disagrees. Communicating in writing works well for us.
What is your background?
I’m a Swedish ex-pat and a freelance make-up artist by trade, I came to London in 2002 after having met Chris, and in 2006 we moved to Brighton after the birth of our first child.
Annelie Bystrom-Turner. New chest piece (not finished) by Jason Mosseri
And your connection to the tattoo world? Can you tell us about your own tattoos?
I got my first tattoo when I was 18, in Sweden, it’s now covered by a Japanese goddess by the late Jason Saga. I went to him in 2002 when he worked at Evil from the Needle for what I thought would be a fairly small cover up and ended up with a back piece. He left Evil from the Needle and started working at Into You, which is when my love affair with Into You started. I now manage Into You in Brighton three days a week.
Back by Jason Saga
Pretty much all my tattoos are from Into You artists: Back by Jason Saga · Arms by Jason Mosseri · Forearms by Jim macAirt · Fingers by Adam Sage · Snake & Eagle on legs by Jason Mosseri · Knee by Jack Newton · New, Unfinished chest piece by Jason Mosseri · Ribs by James Woodford · Feet by Lucy Pryor
Arms by Jason Mosseri Forearms by Jim macAirt Fingers & Behind ear by Adam Sage
What is your favourite Corpo Sancto candle and why?
My favourite scented candle is the Oriental Fire, it smells of incense and the Orient without being over powering, it’s a fresh yet musky scent.
What has the reaction to your candles been like at tattoo conventions and are you planning on attending more?
We did our first convention earlier this year, the Brighton Tattoo Convention 2015, which was a success, so we have just signed up to do the London Convention in September.
Any advice on how to the perfect candle scent?
Scent preference is a very personal thing, we try to cater for everybody, so in our nine scent range, there will probably be three scents you love, three scents everyone loves and two or three scents you’ll hate…
Corpo Sancto have very kindly offered a Biker Jacket candle to one lucky reader! To win: simply share a photo of the Biker Jacket candle on Instagram, follow @thingsandink and @corposancto, tell us why you want to win it and hashtag #corposanctocomp
Biker Jacket candle. ‘The manly scent of a worn, black leather jacket mixed with overtones of motor oil and 1000 miles of hard road.’
