Alice Snape, Author at Things&Ink

June 16, 2015

Corpo Sancto Candles

An interview with Annelie Bystrom-Turner, 37, Hove, co-owner of Corpo Sancto, make-up artist and manager of Into You Brighton

What is Corpo Sancto? Tell us more about the ethos and why you started the business.

Corpo Sancto is a Brighton-based husband and wife team who make artisan, eco friendly, biodegradable luxury rapeseed wax candles – scented and unscented – and a range of other products such as industrial candle holders and lamps.

It all started last Christmas almost by accident, I had made a couple of candelabras using reclaimed pipe bits and my husband was staring at the overpriced taper candles I had bought while drinking his morning coffee. “I could make them” he said and then announced that he was going to make candles, much to my annoyance. The rest is a bit of a blur now, we have been working non-stop ever since while juggling two other jobs each and two children, Chris is the drummer in Orange Goblin and tours extensively at times, which makes life even more hectic for me. Sometimes it feels like Corpo Sancto is our third child, we are very passionate about what we do.

What’s it like running a business with your husband? Are there arguments or do you always agree?

Working with your partner isn’t always easy and yes there are arguments, probably more so in the beginning when we were trying to establish the company identity. We still disagree from time to time and it can be terribly frustrating when you think your ideas are brilliant and your partner disagrees. Communicating in writing works well for us.

What is your background?

I’m a Swedish ex-pat and a freelance make-up artist by trade, I came to London in 2002 after having met Chris, and in 2006 we moved to Brighton after the birth of our first child.

Annelie Bystrom-Turner. New chest piece (not finished) by Jason Mosseri

And your connection to the tattoo world? Can you tell us about your own tattoos?

I got my first tattoo when I was 18, in Sweden, it’s now covered by a Japanese goddess by the late Jason Saga. I went to him in 2002 when he worked at Evil from the Needle for what I thought would be a fairly small cover up and ended up with a back piece. He left Evil from the Needle and started working at Into You, which is when my love affair with Into You started. I now manage Into You in Brighton three days a week.

Pretty much all my tattoos are from Into You artists: Back by Jason Saga · Arms by Jason Mosseri · Forearms by Jim macAirt · Fingers by Adam Sage · Snake & Eagle on legs by Jason Mosseri · Knee by Jack Newton · New, Unfinished chest piece by Jason Mosseri · Ribs by James Woodford · Feet by Lucy Pryor

Arms by Jason Mosseri
Forearms by Jim macAirt
Fingers & Behind ear by Adam Sage

What is your favourite Corpo Sancto candle and why?

My favourite scented candle is the Oriental Fire, it smells of incense and the Orient without being over powering, it’s a fresh yet musky scent.

What has the reaction to your candles been like at tattoo conventions and are you planning on attending more?

We did our first convention earlier this year, the Brighton Tattoo Convention 2015, which was a success, so we have just signed up to do the London Convention in September.

Any advice on how to the perfect candle scent?

Scent preference is a very personal thing, we try to cater for everybody, so in our nine scent range, there will probably be three scents you love, three scents everyone loves and two or three scents you’ll hate…

Corpo Sancto have very kindly offered a Biker Jacket candle to one lucky reader! To win: simply share a photo of the Biker Jacket candle on Instagram, follow @thingsandink and @corposancto, tell us why you want to win it and hashtag #corposanctocomp

June 10, 2015June 10, 2015

White Ink Tattoos

Our guest blogger is psychologist, freelance writer and creator of the blog Dream Electric, Ally Richards. In this post she is asking the question are white ink tattoos beautifully “barely there” or barely worth it?

Tattoos entirely in white ink have become particularly popular. Part of the appeal may be their subtly for those unwilling to commit to a very visible piece. They’re discreet and often easily hidden. Celebrities such as Cara Delevigne and Rihanna now have them.

An oft quoted criticism is the perceived pointlessness of getting a tattoo that isn’t especially visible or durable. My own interest developed after discovering images online of delicate, filigree-style designs that had an almost “secret” quality to them. I have other tattoos so I don’t personally see white as a “soft” option and like the scar-like quality of the ink, so I made plans to get my own.

Trying to find reliable information on white ink proved both challenging and discouraging. I was unable to find artists who advertised as being experienced in white ink. Artists told me it was a difficult job that they were reluctant to take on, that the design would fade and wasn’t worth the effort. I saw images of designs that barely showed up or had blurred into an off-colour smudge. Many articles on white ink frequently confuse it with images of UV tattoos and even scarification and warn customers off.

Eventually I took a studio recommendation and the artist assured me they had experience, although they weren’t able to show me any of their white work. The design was a lace heart, inspired by mandalas and also the doilies of a traditional cream tea.

I had read that the stencil ink can bleed in and discolouring the tattoo and was particularly concerned about this. A blood-line technique is often recommended. The artist was confident that their stencil was suitable.

As soon as the tattoo was finished a lilac colour was very evident, which I was assured would go away during healing. The colour did fade but a blueish tinge stuck to parts, giving a bruised colouring. The artist did a free touch-up on the bluest parts. This did decrease the blue, but it was not entirely removed.

Over a year has passed since and my tattoo still has several blueish patches. Positively, the white does show up on my very pale skin. It’s slightly raised in an appealing way. I apply sun cream to prevent it yellowing. One edge is becoming fainter and I have accepted that it will require future touching up to maintain its visibility. Though others usually only notice it when very close, my tattoo regularly receives very positive responses. People frequently tell me they love it and they’ve never seen one like it. Other artists have told me it is actually a particularly good example of white ink, which is some comfort.

I do however feel disappointed with the outcome. At this point I plan on letting the entire tattoo fade then getting it all retouched. Another possible option is going over in light blue for consistency. I still love the look of white ink but I would probably think twice about getting another, due to the unpredictability of the outcome.

Do you have a white ink tattoo of your own? Have you encountered the same problems as Ally? Comment below and let us know your experiences…

June 3, 2015June 3, 2015

“Call Me Caitlyn” Caitlyn Jenner On The Cover Of ‘Vanity Fair’

Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner, has made her debut on the cover of Vanity Fair.

The first portraits of Caitlyn were photographed by Annie Leibovitz. In the cover image Caitlyn wears a corset by LA shop Trashy Lingerie, with the cover line: “Call Me Caitlyn.”

Jenner came to international attention as a track and field athlete, winning the gold medal in the men’s decathlon event at the 1976 Summer Olympics, and setting a world record not beaten until 1980. Jenner was married to Kris Jenner (formerly Kardashian) for 23 years, and the couple and their children appeared on the TV reality series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Following their divorce in 2015, Jenner came out as a transwoman in a TV interview, initially preferring male pronouns until her transition was more complete. In June 2015 and with the launch of the Vanity Fair cover, Jenner revealed her new name, Caitlyn, and the change to using female pronouns.

“I was a dyslexic kid, I was suffering from gender dysphoria, I had all these other issues in life, but when I latched onto this thing called sports.I probably latched onto it harder than most kids did,” revealed Caitlyn Jenner in her Vanity Fair interview.

Caitlyn broke also Twitter records, becoming the fastest growing account ever – beating previous record-holder Obama. She reached 1 million followers in just four hours and three minutes. Her bio reads:

I’m so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can’t wait for you to get to know her/me.

June 1, 2015

Ladies! Ladies! Art Show

Ladies! Ladies! Art Show, curated by Miss Elvia, Emma Griffiths and Pat Sinatra, promises to be extra special this year (it is now in its fourth year). It recognises generations of women tattooers, and a portion of the profits will go to a great cause.

miss elvia ladies art show — Art by Miss Elvia

Here’s what Miss Elvia had to say about this year’s LLAS:

This year especially we made an effort to contact a few more women who have been tattooing 20+ years, such as Vyvyn Lazonga, Debra Yarian, Jennie Peace, Debbie Lenz, Miss Roxy, Judy Parker, Bev Robinson (aka Cindy Ray), Shanghai Kate Hellenbrandt and more. Along with them, works by other well respected names in tattooing include Jill Bonny, Hanna Sandstrom, Monica Moses, Virginia Elwood, MaryJoy, Megan Kargher, Anna Waychoff, Miranda Lorberer, Sabine Gaffron, Titine Leu — and more, including new upcoming talents.

We are also very excited because this year’s art show is also a fundraiser to help Charlene Anne Gibbons — daughter of the famous Charles and Artoria Gibbons — raise money to publish the book about her parents true story. We will have many prints priced to sell, as well as originals, and other items for tattoo collectors, for example, […] original Sailor Jerry acetates, courtesy of Kate Hellenbrandt. So this is a chance to get together, meet some of the artists, view and buy tattooers’ art and support a cause!

The opening is on 11 June and takes place Forget Me Not Tattoo in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, from 7 to 11pm. It’s free and open to all. The works will be on view and for sale every weekend until mid-July. For more information visit their website.

May 30, 2015May 30, 2015

Feminist Flash Day Sunday 31 May, start time 11am

Things&Ink and theFeminist Library present:

FEMINIST FLASH DAY
Sunday 31st May 2015
At: King of Hearts Tattoo Studio
137 New Cross Road, London SE14 5DJ

Things&Ink magazine and the Feminist Library are delighted to announce Feminist Flash Day, a day celebrating feminism, females and tattoos. The day is being held to raise funds for the Feminist Library, with the aim to buy a new building to house their growing collection.

The day will bring together tattooists and enthusiasts alike to discuss the bonds between the female body, feminism and the empowerment and ownership that tattoos can afford women. The day will start with the opportunity to get a tattoo of feminist flash from one of three talented tattoo artists: Dexter Kay, Julia Seizure and Lou Hopper. This will be on a strictly first come first served basis, and all designs will be priced between £60-£100.

This will be followed by a panel discussion comprised of some of the industry’s most knowledgeable individuals, including renowned tattoo artists Dominique Holmes and Claudia de Sabe, who curated the Time: tattoo art today exhibition at Somerset House, performers Maxi More and Ruby Jones, and feminist cultural critic Doctor Jane Elliott. The discussion will be lead by art historian Dr Matt Lodder and cult tattoo figure Blue from Into You in Farringdon.

RubyyySkypeStretch — Performer Ruby Jones will be part of the panel discussion on tattoos and the female body.

Originally set up as an alternative to what founding editor Alice Snape felt was largely sexist tattoo media, Things&Ink magazine has worked hard to promote a variety of alternative lifestyle choices, by challenging beauty and body standards, and exploring themes such as sexuality, gender and feminism throughout its back catalogue.

Performer Maxi More will be part of the panel discussion which starts at 4.30pm.

As the Feminist Library has reached its 40th anniversary this year, this is the perfect opportunity to celebrate how far the library, and the feminist movement, has come as well as setting sights on securing its future.

The event will showcase the history, progression and future of women in both the feminist movement and the tattoo lifestyle, and it hopes to highlight topics such as the female body, ownership, notions of beauty, societal reactions and equality within both worlds.

Feminist Flash Day is also supported by award-winning Sacred Microdistillery. It is the first and smallest commercial distillery of its kind, and the only one based in a residential house, in north London. Sacred Spiced English Vermouth, made with English wine from Three Choirs in Gloucestershire, and Sacred Rosehip Cup – the English alternative to Campari – all of which can be enjoyed together in a Sacred Negroni, served from 3pm before the panel discussion.

For more information email hello@thingsandink.com, or head over to the Things&Ink social media pages, @thingsandink | facebook.com/thingsandink.