Pastel Paradise: Lemon Freckles

Toni or Lemon Freckles is a 30-year-old illustrator and blogger from Sheffield who lives in a pastel paradise of pink hair, her pugs and girl gang inspired drawings. We chatted to Toni to find out more about her fashion and artistic style, how she became a blogger and her tattoo collection… 

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When did you start blogging? How did you get into it? I originally started blogging around 10 years ago under a different name but Lemon Freckles is around five years old I think. At the time I was working full-time in mental health and in need of a creative outlet, blogging seemed like something I was able to do while working full-time, I didn’t really think anyone would ever read it.

What things can people expect to see on your blogA mixture of things, I like being able to share what is happening in my world; from my latest cute find to things that inspire me. I want Lemon Freckles to be a positive place, full of colour and silliness.

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Do you have a background in art? No, my degree is in mental health but I have always been a doodler. After 10 years of working in the mental health industry, I decided to take a step back and reflect on what I enjoy doing and last year I enrolled in a year long course in design. A few months ago I went self-employed full-time and it has been one of the best decisions I have made.

What inspires you? Colour and my ever so slight obsessive collecting of cute toys from my childhood. I want to bring back a little bit of that magic I left at the school gates sometime between the late 80s and early 90s. I am a firm believer that just because you’re an adult, it doesn’t mean you have to act like a grown up.

What things to do you like to draw? The more colour the better in my eyes. I love doodling toys and making characters out of everyday objects.

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What medium do you use? Pen and paper, Illustrator, whatever is to hand.

How would you describe your style, both in art and fashion? I think they are both the same, eclectic. It’s all in the detail, from the Polly Pocket earrings to the denim jacket covered in patches, the more cute the better!

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Can you tell us a little bit about your tattoos? Of course! I actually only got my first tattoo last year, which was a pug (a forever reminder of my two furry pug babies, Doug and Lola) and since then I have got three more; a My Little Pony, a Lefton, Miss Priss Kitty tea pot and a sewing related one. Sam Whitehead of Blind Eye Tattoo Company in Leeds has done all of mine and also has the same love of cuteness that I do, which makes her wonderful to work with.

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Do you think they have to have meanings? Nothing deep and meaningful I’m afraid. I get tattoos of things I love, things that make me happy and of course, the more colour the better.

Do you have any future tattoo plans? I’ve got one later this month actually, a Roly-Poly doll, which will be going on my arm. I’m wanting to get my full arm covered in cuteness over the next year, much like my style, eclectic and cute.

Come and take a seat…

Come and take a seat… in the Things&Ink pop-up photo studio, exclusively at London Tattoo Convention 2015.

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Become part of London Tattoo Convention history in a very special portrait project by Things&Ink magazine. The pop-up photo studio will be located on the upper floor in Tobacco Dock and will be set up for the duration of the convention from Friday 25 September – Sunday 27 September.

Floor plan convention

London Tattoo Convention Floor Plan

Come and see us at the Things&Ink stand to grab a copy of The Horror Issue, as well as back issues of the magazine.

A selection of kewpies from Miniature Ink II, a collaborative exhibition with Atomica Gallery, will available to buy at the convention in the Sailor Jerry room down in the basement, with proceeds going to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

The convention address is Tobacco Docks, 50 Porters Walk, London, E1W 2SF and the closet tube station is Shadwell.  This year the convention are providing free travel on classic London Routemaster buses, taking you from Tower Hill to Porters Walk everyday of the show from 10am- 2.30pm.

Advance tickets are available online until 12pm tonight, get yours here. You can also buy tickets on the door.

Nick Knight’s fetish inspired photoshoot

The photographer Nick Knight has created a beautiful shoot with the London based model Tessa Kuragi for AnOther magazine which has a focus on inspired realities and a persons ever changing sexual fantasies.
Knight discovered Kuragi via Instagram and became intrigued by her fascination with shibari bondage and psychoanalysis.  He then relied on her expertise and narration throughout the shoot which chartered an interesting collaboration between photographer and model.

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The most intriguing shot is of Tessa adorning some piercings over her left shoulder which were done by the talented Sean Ebb from King of Hearts tattoo studio in New Cross.

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FullSizeRenderThe entire shoot can be see over at the Show Studio website.

The Horror Issue starring Emily Alice Johnston

She’s recently moved to London to work at Into You, and now tattoo artist Emily Alice Johnston, 26, is star of The Horror Issue in a photoshoot that emulates the essence of one of her bad-ass babe drawings come to life… 


The Horror Issue Cover Emily Alice Johnston

Issue 12 of Things&Ink magazine features the full set of ‘Femme Fatale’ images and an interview with Emily about how she got into the tattoo world, her favourite horror films and how she felt about the photoshoot we created for her… order your copy now from our website: thingsandink.com

PHOTOGRAPHY » PROKOPIOUSET AND PROP DESIGN » PANAGIOTIS POIMENIDIS | MAKE-UP » KEELY REICHARDT using Nars cosmetics | STYLING » LUKE ANDERSON  | HAIR AND WIG DESIGN » DORIS DESIGNS | CLOTHING » supplied by FLORENCE DRUART florence@torturegardenclothing.com |  Swarovski X McQueen ‘Savage Beauty’ claw by Dennis Song | Shoes by Natacha Marro | JOROGUMO corset, Torture Garden Clothing

Front and back horror issue

Reading Festival Street Spotter

Our music writer, Amber Carnegie, had the time of her life at Reading Festival 2015… and she spotted this awesome lot (Reading Festival attracts a cool, tattooed crowd) and their horror themed tattoos while she was there (all in honour of our upcoming horror issue due out next week). She also asked them to reveal their favourite horror film of all time. What’s yours?

Name: Amy Azarinejad
Age: 25
Job: Public Relations
Tattoos
: Devil – Harry Harvey at Vagabond / Candle Skull – Harriet Heath at  The Dungeon / Snake Jar – Phillip Yarnell
Favourite horror film: Texas Chainsaw Massacre

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Amy
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Name: Holly Montana Devine (Brunette)
Age: 27
Job: Retail Management
Matching tattoo by Viktor Nagy – Custom Tattoo in Kingston
Favourite horror film: The Exorcist

Name: Emma Gisby (Blonde)
Age:27
Job:
Hairdresser
Matching tattoo by 
Viktor Nagy at Custom Tattoo in Kingston
Favourite horror film: 
Dawn of the Dead

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Emma and Holly
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Emma and Holly
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Emma and Holly

 

Name: Matt Reynolds
Age: 26
Job:
Vocalist & Guitarist in HECK and Bar Tender
Tattoo by Tom Hayball– Ginger Toms Southampton
Favourite horror film: The Shining

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Matt
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