Making the cover.
The cover for the launch issue of Things and Ink encapsulates everything that the magazine stands for. Things and Ink is a magazine that celebrates female tattoo culture, both current and historical. And female tattoo artist of the moment, Claudia De Sabe, is posing as Artoria Gibbons, one of the original tattooed ladies.
Artoria the tattooed girl worked in circus side shows in the 1920s.
Let the Things and Ink family know what you think of the cover by tweeting @thingsandink or commenting on Facebook.
Things and Ink – A compendium of thoughts in ink, launching 1 November
So, it’s time to tell you all about what I’ve been up to for the past months. I’ve been busy planning photo shoots, fashion and lifestyle features, homewares sections and columns, looking at pretty pictures of tattooed ladies and chatting about tattoo history and magazine design. All for a brand new tattoo magazine called Things and Ink.
Things and Ink is about tattoos, art, culture, stories, diversity and emotion.
Things and Ink is a new style of tattoo magazine that embraces female tattoo culture. The aim of the magazine is to give tattoos more context, to give the point of view of not only the tattoo artist, but the wearer, too. Tattoos should be viewed where they sit on the body and the story behind them should be told. Things and Ink will satisfy the reader’s curiosity and tell the intimate stories. Things and Ink will be pretty and arty and shatter tattoo myths. It will welcome collectors and tattoo virgins alike.
And here is a sneak peak of a photo shoot with Laura of Babb Photo and Rachael of Marry Me Ink…but you’ll have to wait until 1 November to see what it’s all about…
What got you into tattoos? I’ve always been really fascinated by them, as I grew up all my friends were older than me, and I remember them all rushing out to get them. Mostly regretting them after. But since I was about 16, there’s been a folder of tattoo inspiration and a growing list of artists I love on my computer. Now it’s Pinterest! I guess I really enjoy how permanent they are. I don’t believe they have to be something that means the world to you – they usually just remind me of a good time.
Where did your inspiration come from for this tattoo? I always say that this tattoo is a way of saying “haters to the left”, without actually saying it. E.E. Cummings is a beautiful poet, and I am all about words. It just seemed like he said what I needed him to, but more eloquently. I am very much in love with this tattoo – the font blows my mind and it came out better than I’d ever have expected.
Who did it and where? It was done by Victor at Self Sacrifice, London. Sadly, the shop closed down mysteriously last year. It really is a shame, they were really chilled and I felt totally comfortable with them.
How would you describe your style? I definitely like a bit of everything. I don’t think I’d want words on me again – I think there’s such a thing as too much font. A picture says a thousand words, you know. I do aim towards the more traditional style, but recently I am finding myself reaching for the more fluid styles of artists like Amanda Wachob.
Are you planning more? Definitely. Aren’t we always? I’m aiming to start my inner bicep soon I think, but I realise this’ll probably spread to cover the top of my arm. I’m okay with that, although my parents will probably have something to say.
Is there any artists you would like to get tattooed by? I’d love one of Annie Frenzel’s women one day – it would mean a trip to Berlin, too, which would be lovely. I just find her style beautiful. I also love Rachel Jamie Baldwin’s work and Guen Douglas – another nice little European trip to Amsterdam there, too (Guen is moving from Brighton to Amsterdam in September). As always, Valerie Vargas is on the list as well as the aforementioned Amanda Wachob. I guess I really like female artists.
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
e.e. cummings
I fell in love with Cris Cleen’s work the moment I first saw it.
Cris Cleen – artist and tattooer
His work encompasses everything I love in art and tattoos, he has a very traditional and antique style that also has a softness and femininity about it. He has created a world of ladies, flowers and butterflies that instantly drew me in when I saw his documentary short on Vimeo last year.
In this documentary, Cleen talks about the history of tattooing and how the old guys impact the way he looks and what he surrounds himself with. For Cleen, tattooing is about the whole experience, the way you look and act make a big difference and he is dedicated to giving people unique tattoos. His work and his style are almost of another era, but at the same time they are timeless and romantic, even erotic.
I have recently emailed Cris Cleen about booking an appointment with him when I go to New York next year. And luckily for me, he said he would happily tattoo me. Now all I have to do is save my pennies… (luckily I have this – New York ink fund).
New guest blog post from Christina Owen featuring the cutest little Russian doll tattoos I have ever seen…here is the story of Christina and Jess’s matching tattoos.
Christina and Jess
My friend Jess and I live a couple of hundred miles apart. She lives in Cardiff, I live in London. We work busy schedules and we don’t get to see each other much. We also both love tattoos and don’t take ourselves too seriously. So when I found time to go and see Jess for a couple of days in June, we decided the best course of action would be to get matching tattoos, for no other reason than because we are great friends, and because it will remind us that we’re always there, even though most of the time we’re, er…not.
It’s common for couples to get matching tattoos, but what about the ‘buddy tattoo’ (I may have just coined that phrase…)? When Lord of the Rings finished filming in 2002, the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring got matching Elvish tattoos. Earlier this year, Adele and Joy Williams from The Civil Wars got a tiny matching friend tattoo after being on tour together.
Our friends mean the world to us. And we express that in different ways. Jess and I chose a little, girly Russian Doll tattoo, for no other reason than because we LIKED it (and that’s reason enough). Some of our friends shook their heads at us and called us silly, but to us (and to every girl out there who loves tattoos and is comfortable in her own – colourful – skin) it made perfect sense.
Jess headed to Physical Graffiti in Cardiff and spoke to Tasha Pollendine, whose cute and colourful style of tattoos we had looked up online and loved. Tasha drew us a pair of gorgeous pink matching dolls based on a picture Jess showed her. All that was left was for me to take the National Express to Cardiff and for us both to jump in the chair…
While we had our tattoos done, we both chatted to Tasha who was easygoing, friendly, patient and very talented. I grilled her, interview-style on how, why and when she got into tattooing, and made her snort with laughter and have to stop tattooing me at one stage, when I asked her if she’s ever sneezed and accidentally drawn a huge ink line down someone’s arm (probably better not to put a tattoo artist off like that when they are making permanent marks on your skin, guys). The atmosphere in the shop was relaxed, and we spent a fun couple of hours talking to the other tattoo artists and customers. Jess and I chose to have our tattoos in different places on our bodies (a nod to our own individual personalities) – she chose the back of her left ankle and I chose the back of my right upper arm.
I’m back in London now, and don’t know when I’ll see Jess next. But I now have mini-Jess on my arm to remind me that distance doesn’t really matter – good friends will always make time for one another.
I think that Mini-Jess is definitely the cutest tattoo in my collection so far. Thanks Tasha – I’m sure I’ll be back to get tattooed by you again!
