AArrgghh!!

Busy, busy...
since the last post, one dandelion, one bird, three hearts (one red and lovely, 2 black and need filling in..) an anchor, a key, coloured in my pin up girls head, more old school stars, lots of text, another anchor and touching up the heart and banner i did.
more donations on Indiegogo - am now up to $300 - you lot are lovely and i will put some new photos up soon.
have had to miss loads because of bank hols, but i will be back in the saddle very soon.
M. xx

Got that tingly feeling....

It's Thursday night. Have been in work today. It's my three day stint, so am there tomorrow and Saturday. I love that! Can really get stuck in....I also had to miss Monday afternoon this week, due to a case of gastrically exploding toddler.... So, Rose's Birthday. She made me laugh and liked her pressie. We seemed to spend a lot of time laughing today...Glitter glue on a hat, fraggle rock does the Rolling Stones, Linda Nolan...all frickin hilarious. Also had to draw out a special tattoo, for someone coming in on Sunday...a frog, sitting on an apple. I don't know the story behind that, but hangover or no, I am going to drag myself in specially on Sunday, just to find out. The tattooist is holding a SEMINAR on Saturday..! Calm down, it's not open to the public, there's no tickets on sale. Myself and Kelly are cordially invited to attend an instructive session on the pitfalls and techniques of tribal tattooing... apparently it looks easy and is the very devil itself... I am hunting out my flip chart and pointer stick as props, as we speak.. Actually, I am looking forward to it. I love being taught the little tricks and bits I need to know. Whenever the tattooist tells me something, I always wish I had a handy practise punter there, ready, so I can immediately try it out. So, three booked in this week, tomorrow, a bird outline on the side of a wrist, Saturday, a black dandelion inside a wrist and an anchor thingummy on an ankle. I was going to do some toes but he changed his mind. Lucky really as the Tattooist told me today that I wasn't allowed to do toes yet! Apparently they blow and are really difficult. (Blowing - remember that? See previous posts for bitch bastard blowing....) Attempting that at this stage in my career could leave me a disillusioned, beaten wreck and drive me a job in a bank.. Tonight, I have to to start drawing up the flash sheets I am offering as a perk on my Indiegogo site. I have 7 donations so far and am SO grateful. Click on the link on the left, to see what that's all about. So, I am off to have inky fun for the next few days. I will take lots of pics, but don't come bothering me, I'll be busy. xx

THANK YOU!!

5 indiegogo contributions so far. You lot are great. xx

Latest photo up.

tattoo number 10 is now up - click on the tattoos link to see it. It was my first attempt at formal lettering. It is a bit wibbly - as ever, it could be a lot better. but, the man was happy with it - at least he said he was! This guy also had a bit of tribal at the top of his arm. Tucked away near his armpit, the colour kept dropping out. So i coloured it in for him! Just blocked it in and coloured it. Nice to have things thrown at me and have to get on with them. Also on Friday, I had to assist with some stretching!! The Tattooist was doing some tribal, starting under a man's arm and going across his ribs and down onto his stomach. when I got upstairs, i was told to put on some gloves and grab hold! The skin needed stretching across the guy's stomach, two hands, pressing down, pulling it taut. This enabled the tattooist to get a strong, even line. The poor guy was really feeling it - very delicate places, but he hung in there. After about 10 mins of being pulled about, he had to have a fag break and then under the arm! More pulling, stretching, pinching and pain!! And he's got to have it coloured in yet...... Next week, I have got some great work booked in. A black dandelion on a wrist, a bird shape on a wrist and "Life & Death" on some toes! am really looking forward to that one. Will let you know. Click on "Drawings" link to see the drawings for the next tattoos and other ideas. Have a good Monday. x

THANK YOU!!!!

WE HAVE OUR FIRST INDIEGOGO CONTRIBUTION!!! DONOR 1, I LOVE YOU. XXX That is amazing and means so much. have had a crazy day, full of mates, picnic, horses, ice cream and a new cd player for the boy. going now to draw "Life & Death" in old style script for some toes i am doing on Saturday.. xx

sunday....

Today I am going to Rudyard Kipling's House, having a picnic, going hores riding and hanging out with mates. Tonight I will be getting my house ready to have some other mates round for dinner tomorrow night. i love my boy and today will be good fun. I want to be at the shop....... xx

Thank fuck for that.

it's late and I'm tired but i wanted to share two bits of good news with you lovelies.
1. I did two bits of tattooing today on Jake.
One was my first bit of writing and the second was blocking in some old tribal.
I DID NOT BLOW!!!!
Thank you ladies and gentlemen....
It was the first time i had done a proper script and it came out ok.
Am over my blow hump..(if you see what I mean.)
Thanks Jake.

Second bit of good news, my INDIEGOGO fundraising site is up and running.
Doing this apprenticeship is proving financially very hard. I have started a two month campaign on Indiegogo to try and raise some money. You don't just give for nothing, there are some great perks and tattoo/design related goodies you can "buy" as well as donating any amount you like.
Please have a look and if you can, spread the word.

http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Tattooists-Apprentice?email=pickledchillis%40hotmail.com

Thank you so much.

Will post photos of todays tatts, on FLICKR tomozzah.

Night night. I'm off to sleep the sleep of someone who didn't blow....today, at least.
xxx

It's all about the blow......

Ok, so have done three tattoos this week.
I seem to have a problem with my length......

Although none of my tattoos have been perfect, I have never had the problem of blowing before.......
When a tattoo blows, this is because the needle is too long, the ink is being angled wrongly and has been pushed the wrong way through the skin.


I have apparently picked up all of these crap habits, just this week!
I did a cherry blossom branch today. I was really pleased with the second half of it - after the tattooist had told me to adjust the throw.

Have a look at the link to my flickr set of tattoo photos to see exactly what I am on about and a full description of what happened.
Kelly at work told me I would reach a point where I was thinking "I can't do it, I'm crap" and I seem to have reached that point today.

I don't have any more lined up for a while now and all i want to do is do another one and lose the blow habit!!

As well as that today, I am painting some signs utside the shop next door. Old fashioned curly writing - very nice. Got some sun on my arms......

Indiegogo fundraising site is almost ready - more details on that next time.
xx

Work tomozzah.

hey.
am sitting doing some drawings - got two tattoos this week. Going to attempt some lettering and some colour - oh yes, spreading those wings..
Just wanted to show you all this guy - Thomas Hooper. He is from Hastings, now lives in New York ..some of you might know him, I suppose.
His work is beautiful and I want some on me! Click his link to get to his website.
Will post pics of next tatts as I have 'em..
xx

THE WINDOWS ARE FINISHED....

Long, long long day, full of painting, arranging, nicky nacky fiddly bits, 1940's swimsuits, the Tattooist getting a ladies legs stuck in her gusset, art, fart, beavers, penguins, empty frames looking into your soul, white paint, chocolate brownies, dummies in the attic and beautiful windows.

Click on the naked, contortionist window dummy to the right, for the photos so far. They are only half the picture, lots more pics to follow.

Tired.....

Did my 4th tattoo today! did NOT start well. Machine not up high enough but i didn't pick up on it. The Tattooist shouted up the stairs at me that my machine was too quiet! and whaddya know - he was right! (of course, oh master!)
Made a few wobbly line cock ups. However, today I learnt the value of shading..felt like I was working on layers - 1st layer not so great, second layer, sorted a few lines out, third layer, shading. Sorted out loads of twiddly bits and suddenly, I was pleased! (ish..)
ben was pleased, god love him.
This tattoo took about an hour. Really enjoyed it. Took my time, built it up - had to make myself stop. I was enjoying it so much i was in danger of colouring the whole thing in black.

So, also did loads more mural - will be finished by tomorrow. Remembered I have a 1940's swimsuit for the model - The Tattooist has lovingly drawn tatts all over her arms and legs. Come and have a look - will look beautiful by saturday. there are also photos of progress so far - just click on the link.

knackered knackered knackered.

The puppy is wearing me out.

Click on the TATTOOS pic for a link to the tattoos I have done so far. Comments and criticisms welcome - i say welcome, make it constructive or I'll hunt you down.....

Sorry, but I can't be amusing tonight. am too tired.
xx

Hi Ho, Hi Ho......it's off to work I go...

It's Saturday. We started doing the window properly yesterday. (will post progress photos soon.)

I woke up at 6am and couldn't get back to sleep because I'm EXCITED!!

Doing a great tattoo (design) on my mate Ben today, going to paint the window and Kelly's in today.

Taking a bit of Janis Joplin with me to keep it all chugging along.

Got to go out and get some bits for my NEW PUPPY first!
Getting him tomorrow - I get to spend a whole day with him before the boy comes home. It's a suprise for him so I won't get a look in!

So, off to work to prostrate myself over a strangely androgenous model and parade my talents in Bada Bing's window.....just saying..... just in case you are passing.
xx

Things we like...

Tea.
Tattooing.
Chelsea Buns.
Crap jokes (how do you kill a circus? Go for the juggler..)

Things we don't like.

Mime.
Interpretive dance.
Tweeness.
Cheap biscuits.

Change is afoot............

Where do I start?
Brilliant day today.
We have been hatching a plot for a while to make the shop over (a bit..don't worry, Mr Tattooist...)
We have planned new windows and a few new things.
Today we started on it.
Cleaned out one window, Toby got his tools out and did all the man jobs (according to him) Two coats of white paint, trellis taken down, glass cupboard recycled, frames painted and light fixed.
Looking good......
Missy mannequin has had two coats of paint, her beaver removed(....!) all her bindis and belly rings taken out, her face blanked out and hairstyle refined. She now looks quite macho and a bit Gary Numan video.....
The whole window looks good and is only going to get better.
Working on the mural tomorrow as well as giving the missy a new make up job.

Check it out as you walk past and keep up with the changes....
will take photos and post tomorrow.

As well as that we cleared out upstairs - took (ripped) a shelf down, chucked rubbish, including an empty box. The box must have had sentimental value as it had been kept for months...I think letting go was a wrench.

We also managed to pull the speaker wires out and burn my finger on a light.

While we were working hard, the Tattooist only had two customers!
One had some writing on his arm and the other one, well, ok, the other one was a five hour job, Koi, Dragon, Cherry Blossoms, Waves you name it. Absolutely lovely. Can't wait to see it when the shading levels out. Just a few red touches, here and there.
Didn't photograph it but will when the guy comes back to show us.
The guy was great - sat all day, no moving or moaning, his arm was showing it by the end of the day. He had a bit of swelling - but so did the Tattooist! Poor hand..
So, as well as that, we are all booked up for tomorrow, I had another practise person come in and choose their design, i ate some biscuits and didn't smoke too much.
Toby didn't turn the computer on all day and we are all feeling quite pleased with ourselves!

After work, picked up the boy and went for a walk on the beach. Sunny, tide out, lots of laughing.
My life rocks.
xxx

Second Tattoo

hey all.
Have done my second tattoo! Oh yes, I am hurtling through now.....(err, not.)
My lovely friend Matt was my second willing victim. He chose a little fish, drawn by his son. I kept asking him for it, so I could check it out, but he couldn't find it!
So, my second tattoo was done as a walk-in, with no heads up...

It was great. Went through the whole thing from chatting it through, tracing it up and getting on with it.
I wasn't nervous this time..i had a few minutes to get my stuff together, I did some pigskins in the daytime, it was on a hulking great man, not my tiny little sister, my machine worked..it was great!
It came out really cute..I don't have a pic though. Matt changed his mind about the position, so the background was all covered in carbon. As soon as he sends me a photo with it all nice and clean, I will post it.
Felt brilliant while I was doing it. I completely forgot it was a friend's leg and it just became a drawing I was working on. Had to make a few additions along the way, filled in a few bits, added a few bubbles......afterwards I just wanted to get on and do another one!

Have a few more friends booked in for more in the next few weeks - have two little projects to work on.
My beautiful mate Phoebe wants an Art Deco rose (can't say where) and Ben has got a spare bit of skin "between my flaming skull and my spider web" and is happy for me to design something....brilliant!!

So, two down, thousands to go.

Found this guy today - BROM. Graphic artist, his work has been tattooed many times, twisted little fucker. Check him out. Click on his pic. Going now, got loads of drawing to do.
xxxxxx

Do you remember the first time.........

So, i have popped my cherry, broke the mold, no going back now.
That was an experience!
Nothing like running a SPACE party for 10 4yr olds to take your mind off scarring your sister for life! Up until 1.30pm I was dressed as a Thunderbird, running dance contests and picking party poppers out of my hair.
Then, quick change, grab the sis and walk down to the town.
I didn't think I was nervous, until I realised that I kept sighing and breathing heavily....

When I got there, I was all ready to have a quick whirl on the old pigskin, when the Tattooist came upstairs and told me that I was not allowed a practise! As he put it, "You've done 25 birds on pigskin and it's not going to be the same, so just get on with it!"
I did look to Kelly, for reassurance, but fuck me, she agreed with him!

Nerves kicked in, my machine wouldn't work......my gloves were too small, i could feel the sweat building up in the gloves.
Meanwhile, my poor sister is lying on the couch, hotpants on, at the ready.
I started, the line kept running out, machine lost power. The tattooist came up and fiddled with my machine - usually I would do it myself, but it seemed that the only things I could focus on were holding the machine and breathing.

Swopped the machine to another one....and that did the same! Was getting seriously pissed off with the machines and myself by now! My hand is shaking like someone with motor neurone disease, the Tattooist is telling me to calm down machine is making a weird noise.....

Rose came upstairs and gave me the best bit of advice I had heard all day - "Sometimes you've just got to grow a pair!"

Suddenly, the machine made it's proper noise. I did one line and it came out black, even and straight! Something clicked in my head and my hand stopped shaking....
After that, it was ok! I managed to cover up my first crap line with some shading, gave it a cute little beak..

I even went in for some shading on the wing and tail. I really got into that...and even managed a little chat with someone who came in to get some work photographed.

So, it's over. The first one is done. I think i will probably still be terrified the next time I do one. I learnt that I was not actually worried about hurting my sister, just giving her a shit tattoo....once I stopped over thinking and just drew, it was much easier
and i have learnt that my sister is even more brave and patient than i thought she was.

Today I learnt that Rose hates figs. and dates.
So, you see, it's a steep learning curve.

xx

TOBY

Toby is put out that he is not mentioned in the blog. Toby is the tattooists son. He is good at computer games and likes cars. He likes hanging out with his friends and annoying me. Toby likes it when I bring cakes to work and make him drinks...which he never actually drinks.
Toby is 30.
xx

What I have learnt this week......

I am too old for a canal boating holiday with "the crew"
1980's replica Russian tanks, in cute Russian boxes, aren't worth anything.
The colours of the snake in the Jungle Book are rubbish for a tattoo.
It is embarassing to stand in the middle of George Street making a film.....
Carboning a snake the right way around is not as easy as it sounds..
My hips are ample enough to hold a blunderbus....cheers Boss, oh you of the Olympian physique!!
If a tattoo needle splays out at the end, it doesn't hold the ink and you can't make a line.
Lots of my friends are willing to have me tattoo them. This I find the most amazing fact of all.

I should go - it is late, I have to transform my dining room into an intergalactic wonderland for a 4yr olds birthday party and tomorrow -
I AM DOING MY FIRST TATTOO.
My beautiful, brave sister is letting me tattoo her - in fact she asked to have my first tattoo. I can't work out if she really loves me or if she is somewhat - special.

Will let you all know what happens in the next few days. Wish me luck.

Oh and Kelly - thank you for my little pink lightening bolt...I Love It. xx

That Friday Feeling...

Gooood day.
Have found (Rose showed me!) some really cool new pin up girls.. have a look at my practice pigskins, my favourite one is in there. Am thinking of changing that one into a mechanic...

did some more pigskins and actually - upon thinking about it, I left my pigskins in a carrier bag in my bay....I really hope it's cold in there tonight or that sweet, sickly aroma I was talking about might be even stronger by tomorrow!
Mind you, it will have to compete with some of the aromas coming out of the back room today....boys, you know what I'm saying!

So, am building on my flaming dice tattoo on my right inner wrist.
Flames or wings....or wings with flaming tips.....decisions decisions...

They have decided to redo the nice old bay windows in the shop - part of the Spring spruce up. New flash books, new sign, oh yes siree, we are brushing up and looking sharp!
Have been asked to do some murals on the white walls, nautical tattoo theme, ships, swallows, compasses, pirates and wenches.....nice!

Gotta go ...have spent most of my evening faffing about on facebook. Want to do some drawing, have a shower, plan a special saturday outfit and snuggle in my cupcakes pyjamas......

Will fill you all in on my day tomorrow.........xx

Eye Ache.

Tattooed my poor pigskin for 3 hours today. Got eye, hand and neck ache!
Lightweight!

Someone was asking me about how you tattoo on pigskin, so here goes;
Place on desk, on some kitchen paper. Give it a good clean with dettol, to get rid of the grease...(nice! Apparently, this is very similar to holidaymakers who come for a tattoo and tell you they don't have any suncream on...but they do.)
Carbon up with design of your choice. Then tattoo as normal. Apart from, it's completely different to an actual human.

It is good to stretch. It makes a bit of a row if you push too hard and don't get the throw*
on your machine right, because then it presses into the stainless steel worktop. I am reliably informed that this doesn't happen with real people.

Pigskin smells - it's a subtle, sweet smell which at first, is not unpleasant. However, 3hours of pulling it, leaning on it and generally warming it up, produces a sickly, cloying stench, guaranteed to make you feel bilious.

Pigskin doesn't wriggle, wince, complain, question you, tell you how much better you could be doing it, scratch, move in any way, whimper or complain afterwards. It is also, perfectly flat.
But it also can't tell you when you are going in too deep, pushing or churning the fuck out of it whilst trying to colour it in.

Am going to try and find a tube, to wrap the pigskin round to make a little false arm....there's nowt creepy in that, is there? Maybe I'll just carry on and make a pigskin man......I can sit him on my sofa and tattoo him in front of the telly.....
Anyhoo.......

But today, i did a few things i liked. Some shading on my sister's bird came out nicely. Some lines on a woman's head were good and I did my first cherry blossom. ( all these are in my pigskin slideshow....click on the pic on the right.)

Sven and I had a little singsong to the radio. Rose gave me a nosestud. Good times.
Am there Friday and saturday, can't wait.

*Throw - technical term!! Means how far out of the grip, the needles protrude - and so how far they can dig into YOU!!

xx

Angelique Houtkamp

Found this book ages ago.
Didn't buy it.
Saturday tattooist turns up at work.
She has it.
Realised I can't live without it.
Return to bookshop.
It has gone.
Stalk the bookshop, infect it with the stench of longing. Worry the shop assistants.
Book comes back in stock.
I buy it, with barely a trace of my elation seeping out.
Get outside the bookshop.
Cry a little bit.
Click on the "Tattoo Mystique" pic for a link to Angeliqu'e website - a queen amongst women.
(p.s recognise my week 4 pigskin in there.....)
x

next tattoo

i have to get my foot finished (a world of pain...)
and i need to get my flames sorted out on my right arm.
This needs adding to and i have found the perfect thing. I need a LIGHTNING BOLT!!
Went to see Patti smith last week at the De La Warr pavilion and got a signed copy of her book, "Just Kids".
Am really enjoying it and have just read a part where she asked Vali Myers to tattoo a lightning bolt on her knee. I need a lightning bolt.
I frequency need a rocket up my arse, so maybe this is the next best thing.
For those of you who don't know who Vali Myers is, I will post a link. An amazing, self-tattooed woman who lived in the mountains and had a fox for a pet. An artist and a friend of Marianne Faithful. My uncle gave me a book about her 20yrs ago and it is still a favourite and an inspiration.
ok, lecture over, mundane house crap to do and then off to work!

SUNDAY NIGHT.

It's Sunday night.
Feel like I am back at school. Work tomorrow afternoon. Sorting out sketch books, pencil case, tracings, camera, flicking through SKIN DEEP.
All excited. Early night.
Sad cow.
xx