TATTOOS: Swan tattoo progress by Georgina Lilane

2015 has started off well with tattoo collecting, with my first tattoo of the year at Brighton Tattoo Convention. Then two weeks later I was booked into see the talented Georgina Jurd of Intense Colours in Bitterne, Southampton.

As with most of my tattooist discoveries, I found Georgina through Instagram, and also follow her on Facebook. 

Her unique dark, romantic style drew me in, featuring animals, lace, jewels and flowers. I just knew i needed a tattoo from her and decided her  style would look great  as a half sleeve.

Swans are one of my favourite animals. They are beautiful and graceful birds, and remind me of one of my favourite locations; Marlow in Buckinghamshire (also where my wedding reception was located). They are also the symbol of my home town and county.
The swans were furthered cemented as my ideal tattoo as they are one of few creatures who mate for life, which I love the idea of.

So after some back and forth emails, the day was finally upon us, and I was not disappointed. Georgina designed a beautiful piece.

TATTOOS: How I prepare for a tattoo session

So after many many tattoos in my seven year history of collecting, I've  learnt a few tricks of the trade when it comes to sitting through some of the longer, tougher sessions. 

I'm  pretty much a complete wuss when it comes to tattoos. My pain threshold is pretty minimal. I mean indigestion has me in tears... I am a huge cry baby. 

Anyway, in my time I have successfully sat for a number of tattoos lasting longer than three hours. In fact, I'm  currently writing this post whilst sitting through a three hour tattoo. My longest tattoo session was six hours. I'm  not going to lie to you.. it was f**king tough, and really hard work. I've  also cried during two tattoos (I did keep going) and have come close a number of times to just stopping midway through  a session (but I persevered through to the end!), so I do know what many of you will be thinking  and going through.

TATTOOS: Healing with Palmers Cocoa Butter

From my many years (OK seven) of getting tattooed I have been through the healing many, many times. From this post you can see I have a tried and tested process for healing my tattoos.
However, I'm  also quite happy  to try new techniques if advised by a knowledgeable person i.e. a tattooist. 

After my recent tattoo at Brighton Tattoo Convention, Jenna Kerr recommended using Palmer's Cocoa Butter (fragrance free) to heal colour tattoos. I decided to give it a try, and I'm really pleased I did.

Normally I  would go with the highly recommended Bepanthen and cling film combo, which does give the desired  outcome, but there were some big differences between Bepanthen and Palmers Cocoa Butter.

LIFESTYLE: Taxidermy and animals

It's almost a contradiction on the face of it. 

I'm an animal lover. I love David Attenborough documentaries, (is there anyone on the planet that wouldn't  want to listen to him talk all day, I think not) I have two pet cats whom I  love with all my heart, and just adore animals in almost all shapes and sizes.

But I also collect taxidermy. As you can see in this post, i have quite the collection growing, including stuffed birds, framed moths and butterflies and an assortment of bones and skulls.

Basically I love animals, dead or alive.

Many animal lovers don't agree with taxidermy because they feel animals shouldn't  be used for human display or entertainment. I can see their point of view, but I see taxidermy in a different way. I see it as a celebration of their life, and a way to teach others about animals. It almost seems a waste for the, to be put in the ground to rot away when they could be stuffed and their bones used for teaching. 

We intend to use our bones and skulls to teach our future children about animals and anatomy.
Our taxidermy birds and framed butterflies decorate our home and support independent businesses in the UK.

LIFESTYLE: A letter to my mum on Mothers Day

Lucky mums everywhere are being treated to flowers, chocolates and all manner of bathroom smellies today. And rightly so. Mums have a tough-ass job, so they deserve at least  a day a year to put their feet up and have dinner cooked for them for a change.

So I thought I'd  write an open letter to my mum, to share with you, and all the other mums who are like mine in their own way.

TATTOOS: Things and Ink Issue 10 featuring Cally Jo

I couldn't let another issue of Things and Ink go by without a little review, and as it features an old friend of mine, it makes it just that little more special.

The anatomy issue looks at the human body in all its  shapes and sizes. To quote editor Alice Snape:

"While you can't  easily alter your biology, dissecting or uncovering the structure of your being helps us to understand exactly who and what we are, and allows us to shape our appearances according to us."

Featuring stunning photography, beautiful tattoos and indepth and unique interviews, including inspiring bearded lady Harnaam Kaur and The Anatomical Man, Professor Richard Sawdon Smith; the Anatomy Issue is not to be missed.

As always, the cover is stunning, and I have to admit, this cover is probably my favourite of all featuring the beautiful and amazingly talented Cally Jo.

The fine artist, pencil sketching and drawing girl, and British tattooist currently residing in Manhattan is portrayed in a beautiful series of photographs, and features an indepth interview. This is the second time Things and Ink have featured Cally, which you can see here, which is as equally stunning.

TATTOOS: Ink from Brighton Tattoo Convention 2015

As you will probably know I was lucky enough to be tattooed at this years Brighton Tattoo Convention (read about it here) so I thought I would write a little post about the experience, and a little about the tattooist.

I'm currently working on leg tattoo collecting from a mix of my favourite artists, and Jenna Kerr has been on my list of favourites for a while. Her style is quite unique and easily identifiable as her. Her filigree frames are her tattoo signature, and I just knew I needed something from her.
After following her Instagram for a while, she announced she was taking bookings for Brighton Tattoo Convention, and as I knew I would be attending anyway I sent her an email asking for a spot.

LIFESTYLE: February in Review

We're another month into 2015 and it has been a busy one. After a slight set back mid month due to illness, it's been pretty busy all round, but I've never been happier.

So here is my round up of the month.