Posts Tagged ‘fashion statement’

South Lakeland sees rise in popularity of tattoos

3:50pm Wednesday 6th April 2011

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SOUTH Lakeland tattoo artists have seen a boost in business as firemen, pop fans and grandmas all succumb to the body art craze.

Owners of Sweeney Todd in Kendal say they have seen an increased interest sparked by celebrity endorsements and more open industry practices.

Their appointments register is currently booking up a month in advance — and it is not just men who are opting for ink body art.

“It’s become a fashion statement,” said the shop’s co-owner Harmony Keenan.

“We’re seeing an influx of young women and we’re even starting to get people as old as 80.”

“Now we’ve had Rihanna and David Beckham in the press, we get 20-something women and Lake District businessmen wanting copycat designs or their own bespoke pieces done.

“The industry has lost the stigma it once had — where you go into a back room to get them done.”

mrs Keenan, 36, along with husband and tattoo artist Tam Keenan, 41, work up to 12 hours a day to keep up with requests from customers seeking Japanese and Chinese symbols and Celtic knotwork.

the pair have created full colour scenes that can take several months of four-hour sessions to complete.

Their Kendal firm’s success follows a national tattoo trend, with an estimated 20 million people in the UK now inked. Sweeney Todd’s co-owner Luke Babester, 37, said it was the sign of a generation who viewed the tattoo as an art form and fashion statement.

“I’ve lost track of the amount of tattoos I’ve had done by the pair I work with. It’s certainly something people become addicted to.”

Tam Keenan studied art in Glasgow and worked as a graffiti artist in New York before moving to Kendal to begin a career as a tattoo artist.

“My sketch books are full of work I’ve done for people. Our designs are custom, we can do much more than just a copy.”

Paul Shuttleworth, 38, came to Sweeney Todd’s on a friend’s recommendation to have a previous tattoo covered up.

the Morecambe fireman had writing on his arm, which he wouldn’t reveal but said he now regretted, covered over with a custom full-colour sailor scene, which took nine hours to complete.

“It’s not about being hard, it’s really great to see unique art being hand-designed,” he said.

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Women tattoos were at one point in history thought of as a bad thing and were not accepted in the circles of society in those days. Tattoos have always been thought of for men and there were also many negative related aspects to them. however all this has changed over the last few years and they are now looked upon as a way of expressing ones self and as a fashion statement. Tattoos among women have grown to become socially accepted and there are a growing count of celebrity women who are freely getting covered in visible tattoos. it helps women display their devilish streak and or confidence.

There are many younger women these days who have gotten tattoos, and not just for the reason of expressing themselves, but to give them a look that increases their sex appeal. a tattoo which is tattooed in certain places on the body can enhance the appeal of the person and no one knows this more in depth than a woman. the designs drawn up especially for the woman’s body are designed with vibrant colors and intricate details that curve with their bodies.

Women prefer to have their tattoos in certain spots on their bodies more than others. one of the most popular spots to get tattoos for women is on the lower-back potion of their bodies. Getting the tattoo-art in this place on the body gives you the option to both show the artwork or to hide it depending on your preference. If your job will not allow you the freedom to proudly display your tattoo, you could cover it up and when it is time to get down with your girlfriend’s you can then wear something that displays your sexy tattoo-art on your lower-back area.

The foot and toe is another favorite spot and there are many gorgeous tattoo designs to decide on with the thousands available. Based on your personal likes and wants, you can either get a detailed design or something a little more on the simple side. Tiny wrist tattoos are also very common. you can easily hide this tattoo with a watch or some sort of jewelry. Neck area tattoos are also becoming popular but they are much harder to hide. Apart from these areas women like to get tattooed on their behinds, legs, arms and even breast areas.

There are many websites with tons of cool tattoo designs if you don’t know where to look for one. Make sure you get your tattoo art in place that best suits the design and you. there are hundreds of diverse tattoo ideas for women and these can all be altered to your needs. These days women are using tattoos like an accessory that goes with the latest dress, it gives them sex appeal and they love it. a tattoo that’s been tattooed properly can truly enhance a woman’s beauty.

The Rich Heritage of Traditional Maori Tattoo Designs…

You may be aware that many people make mistakes when they decide to choose the most suitable traditional Maori tattoo designs for their skins.  by reading this article, you would be able to avoid and correct these common mistakes encountered by a lot of people these days.

Since tattoos are very popular nowadays among tat enthusiasts in different cultures, these tat designs are more preferred by them to be etched on their skins.  With the continuous development and increase in multi-cultural community, these traditional tat designs are becoming the top choices of people in fashion statement.

It seems unbelievable, but there are existing tat designs that have been created 2000 years ago as recorded in Maori history.  the traditional types of Maori tats and their art of tattooing are very unique.  in fact, they possess their own identity along with their special meanings among other Polynesian cultures.

To give you a brief background of the amazing tribe of Maori and its traditional Maori tattoo designs, it is an ancient culture that originated in Polynesia found in New Zealand.  you can see in the dictionary that the term Maori means to be “normal”, “natural” or “ordinary”, which clearly describes the Maori tats as anything that is simple and ordinary.

These tribal people consider those that are tattooed with the traditional Maori tat designs as people who tend to insult Maori tribes or families.  by nature, Maori tats are bold, beautiful, but painful.  They consist of many designs that are embedded on the entire body of individuals.  They are made of beautiful shapes, dark and unique patterns, and meaningful symbols.

Among the most commonly seen traditional Maori tattoo designs are those that are created with gorgeous spirals.  these special designs are usually engraved on the legs, buttocks and face of the Maoris.  these attractive tats are interpreted as “Ta Moko” in the Maori language meaning to “tap or strike”.

These ancient Maori tats are engraved onto the skin using a small sharpened chisel instead of puncturing the skin with a needle which is applicable in the modern times.  the males are tattooed with these designs all over their bodies, while the females have their tats on their neck, back, chin and lips.

The process of tattooing is performed with the use of a chisel taken from an animal tusk or bone, and usually, it takes several hours up to a number of years to finish the task.  the ink used in tattooing is extracted from a caterpillar, and a natural vegetable-like substance.

For the face, the tat ink that is popularly used is taken from a burnt wood.  the art of tattooing traditional Maori tattoo designs was usually done at the start of adolescence for boys and at the stage of puberty for girls when they were already ripe for marriage.

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