The Things&Ink Wedding Competition Finalists – The Engagement Shoot

Are you linked by ink?

Back in December 2013 (issue 5, The Celebration Issue), we launched a competition to win wedding photography for your big day. The best, tattooed love story would win… And the entrants were amazing  – so amazing that we have picked three finalists (they’re so cute).  The engagement shoots in this blog post, by photographer Heather Shuker, of Brighton-Photo, will help us pick the ultimate winner. Who is your favourite couple? Let us know on Instagram @thingsandink.com or facebook.com/thingsandink

The final winner will be announced on Christmas Day! Watch this space…

Vicky Morgan & Lee Withey – 31 and 27 from Nottingham

Where did you meet? Vicky: ‘He bought me a drink to congratulate me on getting a receptionist job at the studio he worked at, that was 10 years ago.’

 

How were tattoos involved? Vicky: ‘We worked together for over 10 years in a tattoo studio, and he also played a big part in helping me learn to tattoo.’

Have you already planned your day?  Vicky: ‘We are getting married in Phuket, Thailand, on the 4th of February 2015.’

How do you see your wedding day? What are you most excited about? Vicky: ‘I want it to be magical. We got engaged in Phuket under a full moon and it will be the same for our wedding, but with our closest friends and family, a baby elephant and fireworks. Every Disney princess needs fireworks!’ 

ROXANNE DONOVAN & GREG FURBER, 28 AND 31, FROM LONDON 

 

Where did you meet? Roxanne: ‘On a film set. My first job was on Fantastic Mr Fox and Greg was one of the assistant directors on the film.’

How were tattoos involved? Roxanne: ‘On my first day, Greg was asking me my interests and at the time I was reading this book about dragons (which I thought was a bit dorky). A bit embarrassed, I told him about the book, to which he replied: “I have two large dragon tattoos on my back.” Call me weird but, SWOON! We also have matching tattoos that we got while in Coney Island, NYC. It was Halloween and we were a bit tipsy (read: drunk as a skunk). We ended up in a bar called Tattoos and Shots, you can see where this story goes… Needless to say the next morning we woke up with two matching skull tattoos on our wrists with no recollection of getting them. The weekend after that Greg proposed!’

 

Have you already planned your day? Roxanne: ‘We are getting married on 28/08/2015 at Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. The wedding has snippets of Romany Gypsy traditions in memory of my granddad. Also Spanish Culture as we are travelling South America for our honeymoon and we love everything Spanish.’

How do you see your wedding day? Roxanne: ‘Our wedding is all about partying and rum. On the morning of our wedding we’ll meet at a tattoo parlour and have our wedding bands tattooed onto us. We wanted to make sure in all of the wedding crazy, we had a moment to be together and really make a mark on our day.’ 

 

TANYA MAYOR & CHRIS BAKER, BOTH 26, FROM STOKE-ON-TRENT AND BARNSLEY

 

Where did you meet? Tanya: ‘We met on Instagram.’

How were tattoos involved?  Tanya: ‘Chris had been asked to draw a pin-up burlesque dancer (he’s a tattooist), so he searched for reference on Instagram and I popped up in the results. He contacted me and asked if he could draw me for a tattoo on a client. Since that moment, barely a day has gone by that we haven’t spoken to each other. Chris even came to live with me while I nursed my sick nan and he worked at a studio in Stoke-on-Trent to support me. After this, we began to look for our own studio, so that we could grow artistically as a couple. It has been the biggest struggle of our lives, but we now run a studio together. Tattoos are what brought us together.’

 

How do you see your wedding day? What are you most excited about?  Tanya: ‘We would love to get married in a low-key ceremony with a few select close friends and family. We want to custom make most things for the wedding, including the outfits and wedding favours, and we want candles and fairy lights. It’ll be romantic and based around a twisted theme, taking influence from Tim Burton and Sailor Jerry. We are most excited about getting married and making the further commitment to each other.’ 

Let us know your favourite couple… and the winner will be announced on Christmas Day.

 

Tattooed Christmas Gift Guide

Here’s our gift guide for the loved-ones in your life who are as obsessed with tattoos as we are!

The perfect tee for everyone, show your love for Things&Ink wherever you go!
Mister Paterson Unisex T shirt £15

What more could you want than pugs? Tattooed pugs, doh!
Pug Love Cushion Cover £14

Pug Love Cushion Cover

The new ‘it’ bag!
Mister Paterson Canvas Tote Bag £10

For the bearded men in your life, this luxurious oil will tame any unruly mane. Use discount code: THINGS&INK to get the Ultimate Gift Set (rrp £60) for £56.50 
Bear Face Beard Oil 
 £18.50

 

Channel your inner rock god with this stunning statement ring!
Freedom Ring Set with Onyx by The Wildness Jewellery
 £195

We couldn’t pick just one piece of art from Atomica Gallery, get yourself to their gallery in London to view even more beautiful art…
Exclusive to Atomica Gallery “The Chair 2” £130

Image of "The Chair 2" FRAMED

Looking for a bit of inspiration, then this is the book for you, get your pencils at the ready!
The Tattoo Colouring Book $15

The perfect gift, need we say more?
Bundle of all 3 Covers, Issue 9, Stripped Back, Things&Ink magazine £16

 

Accessorise everything with tattoo inspired things, including this handmade cosy.
Tattoo Style Knitted Tea Cosy £55

Swallow Tea Cosy

 

What’s on your Christmas list?

Illustrations by Iain Macarthur

Today on the blog, we’re lusting after the work of Iain Macarthur …

My work can be described as surreal and unique in its own way. Using mostly pencil, watercolours and pigment pens, I create portraits of ordinary people but create them in a unusual way by, embellishing patterns and watercolour effects into the portrait to give a vivid explosion effect — transforming their faces from something plain to something entirely bizarre and wonderful at the same time.

Says Iain about his beautiful work.

exploding-face

All images via iainmacarthur.com

 

 

Issue 9 stripped back – what’s inside?

Our editorial assistant Rosalie Woodward reviews issue 9 of Things&Ink magazine #strippedback – out now, with a choice of three different covers. Pick your favourite cover and buy your copy here!

Miniature Ink – Page 10
Meet the buyers of ‘Miniature Ink’, an exhibition of artwork donated by over 100 tattoo artists from around the world to raise awareness for cancer charity Sarcoma UK. Editor Alice Snape met the lucky art owners when they collected their original framed pieces from Atomica Gallery. If you were wondering who nabbed your favourite and where they ended up then look no further than the latest issue of Things&Ink.

 

The New Normal – Page 29
Things&Ink presents an array of colourful characters, a spectacle of human oddities, here to shatter social norms and break the rules of attraction. We bring to you tattoo artist Freddie Albrighton caught in a gender divide, one which reflects his tattooing and fashion style. The beautiful two-headed Sophia Bickerton, who openly shares her life on social media and is an avid believer in self acceptance. The stunning acrobat Ermine Hunte with a moving tale of transplant surgery. The smouldering one-legged pirate Taylor Crisp, daring to explode social ideals of beauty…

 

Phantasy Homes – Page 46
We step inside the home of tattoo artist Lianne Moule, which she shares with her tattooist husband Jason Butcher, who both work at Immortal Ink, Chelmsford. The pair have collected quite an array of curiosities and interesting items that reflect their creative tattooing styles and colour palettes.

To read these features in full order your copy here

 

Which cover will you choose?

Things&Ink presents: The New Normal – promo video

 Things&Ink Presents: The New Normal – promo video

Feast your eyes on our collection of human curiosities here to challenge what society deems as acceptable, to shatter the boundaries of attraction and redefine what we see as beautiful. We proudly present the changing faces of beauty and the natural fluidity surrounding gender, sexuality and the human body in all its radiant glory…

This is an exclusive  video preview of ‘The New Normal’ photo shoot featured in Things&Ink Stripped Back Issue 9, out now and available to order from www.thingsandink.com. The feature stars Ermine Hunte, 35,  Freddie Albrighton, 23, Sophia Bickerton, 20, and Taylor Crisp, 19, transformed into human curiosities in the circus, alongside their frank and honest interviews that tell their individual stories and how they feel about beauty.

Editorial by Josh Brandao and video by Josh Brandao & Nicolai Kornum 

Photography and Art Direction by Josh Brandão
Bespoke Costumes by Bridgette Cocchiola
Styling by BlitzHaus / Shot at BlitzWerk Studio, London
Hair and Makeup by Bella Noell, using Urban Decay and Bumble and Bumble,
and Anna Wild, using Nuxe skincare and Yves Saint Laurent
Words by Rosalie Woodward / thanks to Anita Bhagwandas

Ermine
Ermine

 

Freddie
Freddie

 

Taylor
Taylor

 

Sophia
Sophia