tattoo.about.com's 2010's Most Interesting and/or Bizarre News Stories

I came across this site years ago and like to check in to see Karen's blogs and thoughts. I see whe has the reflection of past stories and comments and the best is the most interesting/bizarre stories....check it out!

Stories include...

January: Book Made of Man's Skin Found at Sale

February: Woman Who Sold Pierced "Gothic" Kittens on eBay Convicted

March: Teen Assaulted, Forcibly Tattooed On Forehead

April: South Carolina Finally Lowers Tattoo Age From 21 to 18

May: Busted: Mom Walks In On Teen Getting Tattooed (Illegally)

June: Six Flags Over Texas Denies Tattooed Patrons Entry

July: Tattoo Shop Owner Victim of Heinous Murder Plot

August: Study Determines Top 10 Most Tattooed Cities

September: Court Rules Tattoos Are First Amendment Right

October: Court Rules in Favor of Suspended Girl, Church of Body Modification

November: Kat Von D's House Burns, Pet Cat Inside

December: Piercing Implant Technology Used in Unprecedented Medical Procedure

http://tattoo.about.com/b/2010/12/26/2010s-most-interesting-andor-bizarre-news-stories.htm

Tattoos & Piercings...why so addictive??

Tattoo and piercings...why so addictive?

We joke that if you are a tattoo virgin and come into the shop for your first tattoo be careful and buckle your seatbelt because once you break the skin you’ll keep coming back…good for our business anyway!

So why are tattoos and piercings so addictive, especially since they hurt so much??!!! Is it because once you experience live art it boosts your self esteem? Or is it because once you get a tattoo that means something to you it heals something so down deep you just want to keep the healing going? Could it be that it’s a competition of pain thresholds? Look I'm a badass-tattooed and dangerous and can kick you ass! The more tats and piercings you get the more it shows you can handle the pain. Maybe it’s because it separates you and makes you more unique!

I laugh when people ask “did that hurt?” Really are you asking that? And if I said “no” would you believe me?? And when I see our dear and beloved clients in the chair wincing in pain I try to remind them…it's just like labor-a few hours of pain to have something beautiful for the rest of your life and you don’t have to feed or change diapers for this new addition!

I know I have quite a few. I have people ask me “so how many tats do you have?” I reply “Almost one.” They just keep growing together and a whole new one can become a part of an existing one or series. I am not sure of why they are addicting. I am so excited to get a new one and then in that moment the gun starts up and I feel its shrieking vibration start I silently ask myself why am I here again???

But I always go back. And I have quite a few in progress and a list of several others I want. Maybe it’s a control thing…you can chose what you want, in what colors and where on your body. When other things seem out of control at least tattoos and piercings you can be in charge.

Who knows the real reason they are addictive and it probably ranges from person to person. We would love to hear your feedback on why you think you are addicted to ink…..

Russian Gypsy Card Readings…

Russian Gypsy Card Readings…

Ok so everyone knows that I am a self proclaimed witch (my license plate does say “BRUJITA”) but not everyone knows what that entails. One of my many magical talents is doings various readings one of witch (intentional misspell! ;o) being reading the Russian Gypsy Cards.

These cards came to me in the Dark Night of My Soul. When I could find comfort nowhere they came to me to change my life and help me to help others find a way to change theirs.

I have to explain more about these cards and my idea of oracle readings. They are NOT Tarot. Not that I have anything against Tarot, I love getting Tarot readings but these are and Oracle set. Tarot is an Oracle but not all Oracles are Tarot. (Did I confuse you yet?) Ok here goes…

For me a reading is not a glimpse into your set-in-stone future. For me your future is ever changing depending on every word, thought and action YOU decide to take. So there is no fear in getting a reading. It is a birds eye or what I like to say an angels eye view of your path. Where you are right now and where you are going with the current decisions you have recently made and are making. If you do not like your reading for any reason YOU can change it! That is the beauty of knowing where you are and what direction you are headed.

Its like if you do not like your current situation in life…change it! Only you can.

So the Russian Gypsy Cards are 25 cards with 4 half pictures on each card. There are 25 pictures that can be read in 4 different meanings depending on how they lay (rightside up, upside down or to either side). First step is to shuffle the cards and ask “What do I need to know?”, because they are tricky they can only tell you about your life according to Free Will (with your permission) and if you ask too precisely, such as about love, you may miss something you NEED to know about but they can’t tell you because you didn’t ask. From there we lay out the cards and see how many full pictures you get. Readings can range from 20-30 minutes to 1-1.5 hours depending on how many pictures you get and how in depth we get into your situation.

Again if you get anything you don’t like now you know to change it. Also they may give you some things to think about. Because you ask “What do I need to know?”, they may tell you something that knocks you off your feet. Sometimes we are so focused on our goals that we have blinders on and we cannot see what may be coming at us such as someone trying to sabotage us. So they cards can give you warnings to this. This is GOOD. I would rather have a “suspicious” reading of things to look out for than to have an-everything- is- perfect reading (because it never is!). THEN you can be prepared to handle whatever it may be that is brewing outside of your peripheral vision.

And sometimes the little buggers will tell you stuff you have NO idea what it is. That is normally when it’s a bit ahead in the future and you don’t know what that thing is. Often if you are intuitive you have an idea of the unfolding of events or of what they are related . Or in three days at 3:34am you will shoot up in bed and remember what the reading said and what it is connected to waking up your spouse with a shrill “YES! Now I know!”

So there is no reason to fear a reading and every reason to know where you are like landmarks on the road to life. So call or write to make your appointment via skype, phone or chat or even better in person. So be it.

Crystal Mitchell Hinojosa

984-131-2328

Implementing Scars into your Tattoo Design

Implementing scars into your Tattoo Design….(thanks Matt)

So Tattooluum has done a piece on how tattoos can hide scars but what about embracing them into a tattoo?

We spend so much time trying to be perfect but isn’t what makes us imperfect what defines us? If we have a scar it’s a landmark or better bodymark of where we have been, what we have done, or what we have been through. Lets embrace it an celebrate it with none other than a …..tattoo..after all that is what we do!

A friend of mine opened my eyes to this when we were discussing his keloid scars he has on his body. These he wants to make into a background or a topic for his tattoo, and why not? Scars can give a tattoo texture and make it come alive. We can dress up scars and celebrate them. Why not join the two forces that individualize us..scars and body art….into a more detailed roadmap of our lives outlined on our body??

Ok so let’s hear it..comments anyone? And feel free to leave comments on our other blogs as well…..thank you for your time.

Tattooluum´s tats heal inner scars and hide outer ones

Many of us dangerous tattooed people already know the healing power of tattoos. Inner scars are literally far deeper than outer scars but sometimes in covering the outer scars inner ones can heal too. A tattoo by a good artist can help. Covering scars is not an easy task..depending on the type of scar and where it is and its texture really determines if it can be covered. Especially here in Mexico many women have scars from childbirth after having a Cesarean birth. This can lead to shame or a low self esteem when it comes to wearing a bathing suit and here in the Mexican Caribbean its like our uniform.

Martin has been able to help women like this and others through scar covers. It really points to the talent of our artists when they can handle such a multi-faceted subject, because with a scar appointment you must be sincere but sensitive to the client. Then you must be able to determine the type of scar and if this tissue will be able to be tattooed. There is nothing worse than a client hoping to better their deformity than to make it worse. Its important too that they do not expect a miracle, that way when one happens they are pleasantly surprised!

Tattooluum is proud of the clients that take the time to face their physical deformity as well as the inner scar in order to cover as well as heal. None of us are perfect and we all have battle wounds inner and outer but if we can make the outer ones just a bit prettier and ease the inner torment and make the person feel better about themselves, well that is just priceless.

completion.....

Completion....according to Merriam-Webster is...the quality or state of being complete.

I am a work in progress like many of my tattoos. When one of these is completed I feel a bit more completed. I do know that I will not be complete until death but until then I can appreciate the road to completion and evolution as each piece of my body art is completed. I just recently finished a sleeve, well the outside part of the sleeve, hee hee. Wow! It was a 7 month process. Not because I have to travel but because I own a tattoo studio Do you eve have any idea how hard it ts it get an appointment at your own studio??? Even worse with your dear hubby! ha! Luckily with this sleeve it was my Goddess sleeve and I devoted my arm or more like donated my arm to our goddess artist Carla Daniela. (Dany). Thing is she moved away about 30 minutes up the road about a month ago so there was a bit of a crimp in our plans but it worked out.

Not meaning to we started this goddess sleeve of a phoenix on the full moon after the spring equinox...very meaningful to me. I am turning 40 this year and it meant the world to me to get a symbol of the inner transformation that I feel. Each consecutive session ended up being on a full moon without meaning too. Several times I walked out and saw her in her full beauty (the moon not Dany.haha) I was amazed that once again we had a session at this powerful time of the month.

Cherry blossoms are carried by Japanese winds from my wrist to lifting the reborn phoenix to another dimension of life (to be continued on my backpiece of a Ganesha in another fantasy galaxy plane). To have this piece finished was a threshold for me. Its almost Samhain which is a Celtic holiday that is very special to me and also Day of the Dead here in Mexico. This is a time to touch base with your ancestors as well as your inner self. For me to complete this design and sleeve was a completion of inner work I am doing for myself this 40th year of life (as well as the 11th year of being with my soulmate).

I believe anyone who really creates tattoos as a ritual for themselves with a deep inner meaning can relate to this. Its an outer landmark of inner progress. I wish it for all with or without tattoos.

Still time to get Mart-INKED!

Tattooluum has had the fortunate luck to still have Martin Avila in the house. I was lucky enough to get my moon over my faery tattoo finished by him. The moon ended up being much bigger than I thought but as we in the tattoo world know that leads us to have a better more detailed tattoo. I let him have the reins with good reason. Its funny because in the design there were just 2 faces but when Martin did it it became three. When it was two it was gonna be the dark and light side of the moon and I want to embrace both sides of myself. But now that it became three for me its the trilogy of goddesses...Crone, Mother and Maiden...or my mom, me and Akashana. It means the moon to me! ;-)

So don't miss your chance to get Mart-INKED......come by soon before he leaves.

Attempted fraud against Tattooluum....keyword ATTEMPTED

How exciting is it to receive an email asking for a quote for ten back pieces and 10 chest pieces???? Being in the midst of low season we were thrilled.

After a thread of emails back and forth I never received an answer of where they were located. So I took the phone number and researched it and found it was on a Scottish fraud investigation site. It was however for a scam for a group for a hotel. So I googled the author of the email and interestingly enough the name did come up for an offshore oil drilling journalist. That made sense since the company was in offshore drilling. So I thought ok great...but alas...

I searched the name again and it came up for the author of the scam you get that someone has died and there are no forwarding relatives so a bank is contacting you. Big flag there!!! Then I searched scams against tattoo studios and low and behold there was the exact same email word for word thatI had received but with a different name.

While all this searching was going on I was still sending them the proposal since I still held hope this could be. This was going to be well over $8000US of work! So I received the fact that it was approved and the company was paying for all of it and he wanted to get the info to send the money. He asked if we took cardit cards and we do through paypal so I thought that was another layer of protection since they have fraud protection for their clients. Meanwhile I am sensing something is up and I was trying to figure out how they could fraud us if they were using a credit card. It wasn´t a check so I was baffled.

Come to find out they have a "company" that does all their travel plans (ie. flights, transportations, hotel accomodations, etc) but they do not accept credit cards...(hmmm?). So I was asked if they could charge another $5000US in addition to our proposal and then I could send it back to them!!!!!! Well one that won´t happen as I don´t have an extra $5000 sitting around but also that just doesn´t work with me. I am not sure the details but somehow they must send you a cloned card that works and posts in your account and you send the balance back to them and then your bank figures it out and you are out of that balance that you sent back.

So I very nicely explained to him tha we couldn´t do that. Interestingly enough but not surprisingly, I never heard back. I did have one email after the request that "pleaded" with me to help them out and they really wanted to do business with us. Thanks but no thanks. I explained that once they arrived here they could bring in the cash or they could just pay the approved deposit with us with the credit card. Never heard back.

So just wanted to post this blog for any of you out there that are not aware of this. It began with the hotel and yoga groups and now they approach tattoo artists since they are very lucrative too. But I am sure there are many different branches of this scam..just remember.. if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Happy tatting!

Incredible pieces....

Incredible pieces...

This can describe several things as of late at Tattooluum....

new tats! Although its slow season the creativity flowing between our three artists, Dani, Martin and Puga, they have delved deep with in the creative unconscious to create some of the best work I have ever seen....even if most of its been on each other...haha. Puga is in process of getting a very elaborate chest piece he designed from Mayan markings that is gonna be a stunner. These are just a few of the examples.

new art! Alfredo Hinojosa is creatively adding to his collection and to the gallery. Its amazing how he can make a piece of drift wood into a spectacular mythical creature. He is also working his potential acting skills in trying out for a German tv mini series that is filming here..good luck! You can see his art on fb... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=332&id=100000301116259&fbid=100253099994727&ref=mf

Tat-tat-Tattooluum with Victor Puga

Tattuluum has all been a-buzz with guest artists. We still have Martin Avila with us and now we have Victor Puga from Cancun. Puga is an old friend of the family and has grown up with art very similar. Puga gave several of his first tattoos as well as a cover of his very first...which we won't talk about..haha!

Tattooluum is exploding with excitement even though the season is slow. Lots of inquiries and two to three machines going at once. Its a wonderful sound to hear and see the artists working in tandem spreading the Tattooluum talent and reputation.

Even is getting to look more like a tattoo artist actually getting some ink on him!

Martin Avila is in the studio now!

Tattooluum is pleased to announce Martin Avila here in the studio! He is from Guadalajara and is visiting the Riviera Maya until the end of August. His talent extends past just art on the skin but includes creativity in graphic design as well as murals and 3D street designs. He is considered a multidimensional artist.

He has worked in a number of studios including Garage Ink, Monster (Coyoacan, DF), Hikuri and Modificarte both in Guadalajara. He graduated from Condesa and Universidad DF and Guadalajara. He has has a lifetime of experience delving into many different types of art including watercolor, pastels, color pencil, graphite, charcoal, chinese paints, photography retouching, arcrylic and oil paints. He has had over 15 exposition both individual and collective and some in the Gallery of Moderna Art in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

We are honored to have Martin with us, teaching us, tatting us and leaving his mark where he goes. We are working on several projects with him like 3D street art as well as wall murals. Tulum is Blessed to have him leave his footprints behind here with us.

Check him out on these following sites.....

http://www.myspace.com/avilart

http://web.me.com/modificarte/Modificarte/Modificarte.com.mx.html

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000739716409&ref=ts

Tattooluum..adapting to the seasonal changes

We sadly say a farewell to Robert Foltyn and thank him for all that he showed us in techniques for both tattoos and life.....thank you Robert!

We are at the precipice of "dead" season which I hate the name of. We are transforming from slow to dead but seems a bit harsh this description. The main theory is to change your words and thoughts so here I go. Okay slow season is acceptable but not dead season. We are not going to die although the traffic in the streets have. This is a time to shore up our energy and pinpoint our focus. This is a time to really decide which is most important to buy to use our energy and money (a form of energy) to its very best use. Being in this small town you learn to adapt to the seasons. Maybe it should be called..adaptation season. Its also nice when the whole town comes together to help each other out. We all understand the seasonal influence and locals help others out with delayed payment dates payments..too bad big companies like the light and water company do not do that..;-)

So lets flip our thoughts and think of this as a time to cut away the unnecessary. Lets focus our thoughts like a laser to manifest the abundance that is still there but just commanding us to command it more. And when we ask for something for ourselves lets ask it for everyone else too. I read this the other day and imagine if you had 6 billion people asking for something for you. So if we widen our scope to healing the planet and if the planet asks for our healing boy will we feel great!!!

So thank you for the slow and adaptation season to show us what is truly important in our lives and to focus on what we really need not just excess of wants. Its fine to want things when the abundance is there. But isn't it always there? Its just disguised as lessons such as adaptation season....ah the lessons of life. Just remember that abundance is always there...there is enough for everyone to be rich. The birds do not wake up being afraid of having abundance. So lets dance to the dance of abunDANCE! As we connect with it is will bless us infinitely...love and light to all!

Robert Foltyn in da house...........

We have been greatly honored to have dear Brother Robert Foltyn here this week in our lil Tattooluum. Robert from the Czek Republic has been traveling around Mexico and found his way to Tulum and our studio. From the first hug I felt like I knew Robert for lifetimes. A gentle soul with immense talent Robert will make your heart smile. He studied with the best, Filip Leu, and has graced us with many of his world wide adventures including interesting stories from New Zealand. We have introduced Robert to the wonders of Tulum starting with the breathtaking unique to the area Cenotes and of course the world famous beach. He was a hit with the kids making spirals on the beach and tossing them in the waves. His gentle spirit calls to nature and to the little ones. In the studio his talent emerges from creative mind to permanent art. His world travels appear through his designs as he transfers his experience to the clients ideas and a fusionof art is created. Sadly, we must say goodbye on Monday, as the rest of the world calls for a bit of Robert too.......

Tattooluum respresents at the Cultural Center's Annual Show

Our very own darling babies will be representing Tattooluum and the culture found here in Tulum in the Annual Festival de Madre Tierra tomorrow night. Dreyken will be the main part in a very serious and deep story of a young boy who discovers the natural elementals and converts his tiger hunter father to someone who respects nature. I know I will be bringing the box of kleenex and the waterproof mascara! Akashana will be a faery who helps to adopt Dreyken along with her elemental family. Not many know his talent for dance and that he was at the point of professional dancer before his path took him another way. So come on out tomorrow July 9th at 6pm to see Dreyken in his tights and tutu! ha! Photos to be posted soon!

Tattooluum's concern over BP incident...con't

I am not so concerned with Mother Earth as I know she has the power to heal herself but is she so fed up with us that she will shake us off like fleas???? Do we deserve to be pardoned for this disaster like so many int he past? The Universe is a very forgiving entity but we do not learn from our mistakes. What are we doing for our beautiful Crystal and Rainbow children that are coming here to show us what to do? We are destroying THEIR world! And not stopping to listen to them and to learn from them..they are the real teachers.

Being in a Mexican coastal town that thrives and survives on tourism, the effect of the spill is frightening. If our waters and beaches are destroyed, life here will be extremely difficult. We saw a glimpse of that last year with the fictional Swine Flu. The area closed down, people were on the brink of starvation and it was all media hype. Of course how can I be concerned with just Tulum when this is something that is destroying the world???? How is this going to affect my babies? Why did I bring them into such a world? Did I really think that Humanity was going to evolve and make this a better place? Maybe not but I did have hope.

I can only hope this is the Universe's way to smack humanity upside its swollen head to show what idiots we really are. Could this be our last reprieve to become humble and take care of our planet and put money in its place OFF the pedestal????? I hope that the Mayan Prophecy of the end times is not actually the end times but the end times as we know it. A change we consciously make to really evolve this time.

What can we do? I do not have the answer. Like in the earlier post just send love and light to the area and pray and a little Ho'oponopono in the plural might come in handy here (look it up it will change your life!)

We are sorry.

Please forgive us.

Thank you.

We love you.

Tattooluum Team extremely concerned over BP Oil Accident

I have to be honest, living in the jungle in the Yucatan Peninsula I have been able to be blissfully ignorant.

We live in a palapa with no cable or satellite tv whatsoever. Of course FB (Facebook) fills you in just by people's status'. So of course I knew about the BP accident, even knew it was BP but to be honest I just don't like to watch the news because its so depressing. I thought it was an oil rig that had exploded not a deep fissure in the oil source. For me, I would rather send love and light to the area and not see photos of burning turtles. But the Universe brought it front and foremost in my mind yesterday.

On my way back from PdC (Playa de Carmen), I stopped at the studio. My son, Dreyken came running up to me and told me something really bad had happned so I was freaking out. He started to describe the oil spill. I wasn't exactly happy someone had brought it to his attention as he is very sensitive to nature and animals. Then I went to the studio and they are watching the youtube.com videos..not pretty. came out with tears in his eyes and I was puzzled why he was so upset..thought is was unrelated. Then I realized that it was because of the spill and he just kept saying.."Its really bad. Its really bad." Crap, now I am involved.

So my ignorant bliss went out the window. wants to do something and I am not sure what that can be on an individual level. We don't have $$ we can donate and at this rate can $$ help? I feel all we can do is too send love energy there. I tell my kids to send their soul depth love to Madre Tierra's boo boo and the animals there.

I guess I am going through all the emotional phases as now I am learning more about it..2 months later but 2 months less of stress. The biggest thing is anger. Honestly, I do not have a lot of respect for humanity. We seem to think we are the "evolved species" BA-hahahahahaha! Would you see a pod of dolphins letting this happen? Our greed and stupidity is what prevents us from seeing our divinity and our connection to Nature. I just over and over get more and more disappointed in humanity. Just when I think we might be going in the one direction, we do something so stupid we make history.

From a website that I found, http://www.711net.com/ it was clearly such stupidity that led to this event it seems intentional. Many manmade mistakes and ignored precautions led to this horrible disaster. I won't list them our for you but I recommend you go to this site and check them out.

Interestingly enough, this has happened two other times in history, Exxon did this in 1978 off the coast of Mexico and it took 9 months to close it off. And in 2008-9 near Australia which took under 3 months. But this runs much deeper. A phrase that punched me in the stomach from the site was

"It is possible that this spill, if it continues, could kill the worlds oceans and end life on Earth as we know it."

Wow, maybe the Mayans were right!

With past incidences occurring it give a little bit of hope we can recoup from this. But we know things are changing in the world. And this can change the Universe. According to the article, the only was to save this is through time travel. to be continued.......

Seth and Suz go bye bye

It was such great fun while it lasted until Seth and Suz left yesterday. Unfortunately Tropical Storm Alex had the same vacation schedule stopping over in Tulum for the same days. But we made the most of it. We kicked it off with a welcome party in the jungle. Then after letting them enjoy a few days on their actual vacation, we stole their time away in the studio. Even though the season is coming to a slow crawl Seth got to leave his mark on several people including Olmo! Olmo is working towards having as many tattoos as his wife! HA! We want to take the time to really that Seth and Suzie for coming, its was great meeting you guys and hope to see you in Merida! PS thanks for being our mule!

Seth and Suz go bye bye

It was such great fun while it lasted! Seth and Suz left yesterday. Unfortunately Tropical Storm Alex had the same vacation schedule stopping over in Tulum for the same days.

2 day countdown until fugitive tattooist Seth Jordan arrives to Tattooluum....make your appointment now before he is discovered in Tulum!

HURRY! Make your appointment now. Fugitive tattoo artist Seth Jordan is escaping to South of the Border before his paparazzi and fanatics come to hunt him down for exceptional tattooing. Hurry and make your appointment before the Federales find him here in lil ole Tulum! 984-804-2312 and check him out at www.idiaink.com or IDIAINK on facebook and myspace!

2 day countdown until fugitive tattooist Seth Jordan arrives to Tattooluum....make your appointment now before he is discovered in Tulum!

HURRY! Make your appointment now. Fugitive tattoo artist Seth Jordan is escaping to South of the Border before his paparazzi and fanatics come to hunt him down for exceptional tattooing. Hurry and make your appointment before the Federales find him here in lil ole Tulum! 984-804-2312 and check him out at www.idiaink.com or IDIAINK on facebook and myspace!

Seth arrives in a week!!! Come see our guest artist!

Seth Jordan arrives in a week and we are excited to host him here at Tattooluum. Seth, owner of IDIAINK in Lakewood, Colorado flies south for the summer to spread his living are to the Riviera Maya and to exchange tattoo tips with Olmo and Dani. We look forward to meeting Seth and his wife Suzie. Be sure to come by and run your design idea past him. See our earlier post for more info on Seth and IDIAINK or see his website www.idiaink.com

New fun Tattooluum hang out! Las Iguanas Tulum

Tattooluum has found a new fun place to hang out. Las Iguanas Tulum is a fun restaurant at the southern end of town. We went for the grand opening and loved the signature drink La Cazuela with tequila, orange juice and fresh squeezed orange, lime and grapefruit. Its a very Mexican theme with local art and music often live. They have a theme for almost every night such as Goddess Night, 80's night, underage night for the kiddies on the streets which I think is great, and sports events as well plus a great sunday brunch. We dominated the grand opening with a huge table of 20 people. If you are a local or are coming to Tulum its a must to spend some time at Las Iguanas!

Tattoos a sign of change.....

Just as a snake sheds its skin to reveal a bright, new being, so can a tattoo. A tattoo can serve as a marker to a stage in life whether is be a positive time or hard time. It can heal you through hard times or give you inspiration to move forward and to leave the old behind. Although some see a tattoo as graffiti for the body temple, it can for some create a deep healing that goes beyond the skin.

The entire process is a growth not only literally for the tattoo but for the owner. First you must decide to get one which is in and of itself a task. Then you must decide what. This is the most important as you must seek a design that moves you. It has to be something that means something to you now and down the road. So not only do you need to know what but you need the design...a tree isn't just a tree..there are millions of designs of different artists. Its best to think of in your mind what you want then describe it to an artist with whom you connect. Its best to do this as at least when I do it, look for something I have in my head..I never do find just the right thing. And of course you need to know where you want to put it. Should it be private that only the ones closest to you see it? Or bright and loud for all to see?

Once the tattoo design has been born the appointment is made. This should be a continuation of the ritual. For me, I make it like an actual ritual. A tattoo hurts and anyone who says it doesn't is lying. However, you can dedicate this pain to something....someone who has passed, to a goal you want, or to an inner healing, etc. This makes a focus for the pain. I like to say getting a tattoo is like labor, you have hours of pain for something beautiful for the reast of your life and normally once the memory of the pain fades, you are ready for another! ;-)

Once the tattoo is done, its not over. As the tattoo heals over the next few days you can imagine that the healing is occurring in you if you have dedicated this to an inner healing. As the ink stiffens to a light scab its like your shell preparing to shed, like a snake's. As it begins to transform from a dull dark color to a bright shiny clearer color you can feel the inner healing shining through your skin from you inside. Its the evolution of the tattoo that represents your evolution through this stage or issue in your life.

And finally you have a healed but beautiful piece of work that will go with you anywhere and you will remind you to continue on the journey you started with this stage or something that you put in the past...whatever your journey is you have a permanent souvenir.

Ignorance and Stigma still alive today for the tattooed

Can you believe in 2010 that there is still a stigma on tattoos? In a world where its often rare to find a tattoo virgin body there are still negative connotations for the living art of tattooing. Its like the wars that begun in the dark ages over religion. Come on we are in the 21st century...wake up. There should be openness and tolerance in today's society..oh wait if there was then we would be living in a completely different world! A world without violence and hate and war.

I have added three links here..the first from tattoo.about.com about a very open minded Taylor C who has his viewpoint and well you just read it....

http://tattoo.about.com/b/2010/03/07/thank-you-for-your-wisdom-taylor-c.htm

These next two are from my friend's blog. Not only is she a great friend but one of our best customers at Tattooluum. Its just sad to read through great positive comments. Notice the only negative comments on her blog are by the same person..."anonymous". Please at least own up to your comments if you feel you must force them upon us......

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=56392795534428327&postID=6122743722155509323

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=56392795534428327&postID=4876946068574558139

Seth Jordan, Guest Artist arrives June 22nd at Tattooluum!!!!

Tattooluum is proud to present Seth Jordan from IDIAINK, Lakewood, CO to guest spot at Tattooluum from June 22nd to 25th. Here is a short bio on Seth and his work.....

Seth Jordan, Owner/Artist IDIAINK Tattoo, Lakewood, Colorado

"Being raised in a smalll town is usually not the best environment to grow a creative mind however I found it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I developed much of my artistic style getting yelled at by teachers as I scribbled on the back of tests and the margins of notebook paper.

I never did have a stylistic influence growing up so to speak, I always looked towards nature for my inspiration. I enjoy breaking down colors and textures and always try to find a way to bring more value and contrast to my art. I was taught the trade of tattooing through a formal apprenticeship and truly do respect tattooing as an art form. The human canvas is amazing to work with. Some prefer a # 2 fan brush and acrylic paint I prefer a 17 curved magnum needle and tattoo ink.

I enjoy all types of tattoo styles from bold lined traditional pieces to photo realistic floral pieces and everything in between. I am comfortable tattooing color or black and gray and will always work with my customers to develop a lasting piece of art they can take with them their entire lives."