One of my t-shirt designs is up for voting at design by humans.

http://www.designbyhumans.com/vote/detail/64319

It only takes a second to sign up and vote so please please please do so! I REALLY wanna see this become a shirt!

In just over a month I am going to participate in the "Weekend To End Breast Cancer."

And walk a grand total of 60k in two days.

But only if I can raise the appropriate amount of money in donations!

2,000 to be exact!


Please help me reach this goal and sponser me here:

http://www.endcancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Toronto2009?px=3135643&pg=personal&fr_id=1323


ALL proceeds go towards the good cause and I would really appreciate the support! :)


If the first link doesnt work you can always go here:
http://www.endcancer.ca/site/TR?pg=pfind&fr_id=1323
And seach for my name: Kristen Balmer

So I have discontinued my tattoo apprenticeship.

I had only been working there for two months and there were some...seriously complications that made me uneasy about were I was working.


In the end, as sweet as it would be to be a tattoo apprentice, I look out for number 1.

I wish you all the best of luck. I know I'll find something else to do, tattooing or not. :)



Love, peace and chicken grease!

Boyfriend's birthday today!

painted him a little picture...there's another to go with it. finishing that off tonight while he's at work!

( back here! )

Boyfriend downloaded the entire first season of Survivor for me (Oh yes, I watch that show...im horrible I know) so I spent the entire day watching it...

( AAAAND PAINTING )

Once again not much to update!

The shop is switching locations June 1st. First week of the month is painting and organizing the place and cleaning and whatnot Im sure.

Other then that I've kinda been on 'vacation' because my mother has been visiting. (She lives accross the country) So I've been having a pretty good time! Although excited to get back to work. Might not be for a week or two as it seems the guys have got a part playing some roles in the Scott Pilgram movie.

Will definatly update everyone with art soon. And the new shop location and the whole shebang once there is more information!

Sorry about the no posts!

The shop is switching locations. (better location here we come!)
So my art has kinda been on hiatus! (PLuss my mother is visiting from accress country this week.)

Will update soon!

Promise!

Today was the begining of being taught how to take apart my machine and putt it back together!

First, my mentor (named Glen) took it apart, showing me all the pieces, then putt it back together for me showing and explaining how things work, etc.

I know the named for all the parts but understanding how a machine run makes SO much more sence when you can see it in pieces.

Then, about an hour later he took my machine apart again, left it on his desk, and said to putt it back together while he left! (He had errands to run.)

It took awhile. Lots of cursing and dropping shims ALL over the ground. But when he came back I had managed to successfully rebuild it...well, mostly.

I had 2 washers in the wrong spot. BUT, other then that. VICTORY.

It even ran once I hooked it up.


I'm pretty pleased. :)


Also, I have some sketches too post and some more pig skin stuff. But none of it is scanned. Should probably have it by tomorrow night! :)

Till then! Take care!

Here are the pictures I promised! I DID get to play around on a pigskin BEFORE doing these tattoos. But I was literally scribbling and doing circles and trying to figure out how it worked...then I did these. Posted in order that I did them.

( PIGGY SKIN BACK HERE!! )

That's it! I hope you all aren't too mortified by it! Please don't be too cruel...first attempts and all. (So much different then cleaning up a drawing with pencil!)

P.S - These aren't my drawings. They are just standard flash I tattooed.

Got some photos of the 5 pigskin tattoos I've done.

They seem to be getting progressively better.

I'm still having a hard time getting the line quality I so desperatly want. (Nice thick even lines) But I'm being reassured that comes with time...and that pig skin doesn really hold ink very well. (What with being dead and all.)

Photos arn't on my camera so I'm hoping to get them posted tomorrow!

Should be interesting!


But don't judge me too badly on them. ;)

Ok I'm bad and haven't uploaded anything in a few days!

Instead of going back to my old post comments does everyone wanna just give me a bunch of ideas in this post? I would love love love some ideas! (Some easy sketches that fit on a 5x5" area are best...as thats the size of my current sketchbook.) I'm behind on replying to comments people have left for me...so any questions you had if you wanna repeat them that would be ideal! (I apologize again!)


Also! i start tattooing pig skin this week. (Which is pretty soon after only having worked there about a month...but they want me tattooing asap...i think?)
Would anyone be interested in pictures of said pigskin? (Cause I'll totally bring my camera and snap some if people are intrigued!)

In the meantime I'm gunna go be lazy and sleep! ;)

I just did a design for a cutsomer...

To ladies who are friends are about to get this on their feet!

( See it here! )

They love the design! :) makes me happy. Not bad for like...a 10 min sketch!

Going to start putting together and taking apart machines next week.

Pretty excited about that. :) Just gotta finish memorizing the part names! :)


( 3 more since the last post )

I'm going to get to requests sometime soon!

Pwomise!

Not much to show from the last few days as I've been working on a sleeve on the side.

( Back here! )

Thats all!

So I've been meaning to upate my Lj with something more substantial about my apprenticeship. (For those who are really curious.)

I don't really know what to say though. I go into work, I clean up the shop a bit. When thats done I draw/doodle hang out with the guys. If they are tattooing I try to watch a bit. (thout being too intrusive that is. It makes me feel a bit 'in the way', and I'm fairly sure that some people getting tattooed arn't pleased that this girl is just standing there WATCHING them. uhhh, answer phone sometimes but I'm pretty useless at that because I can't really give quotes for anything right now or whatnot.

i just started making stencils this last week. Practicing pages and whatnot. (They tend to draw theres out by hand using stencil paper, as opossed to printing it.) I like the idea of doing it by hand first. As one of the artist there says, it really helps you to get to know the pieces befor actually tattooing it. (Specifically if they bring in a picture they want done and you don't have to draw it yourself.)

Other then that, not much to say! I'm trying to draw a lot and absorb in the atmosphere.

In all honesty I'm absolutly psyched to actualyl start tattooing.

MORE!

(From last post till now!)

( Clicky clicky! )

Still wanting ideas for drawing stuff!!!


P.S - No that isnt the super cute awesome baby shark I am gunna draw...it is instead an epic failure!

Some more sketches between last night and this morning.

( Back here! )

Some stuff from the last week!
New sketchbook means I draw more... the sketchbook is 5"x5"

( The sketches )

If you want anything drawn for you reply here with your ideas! Although they must be simple! (Something that would fit in a 5" by 5" square please!

Thanks!!

(Will update eventually on all the stuff I'm learning...eventually! But for now just know that this is the greatest job in the world.)

Shop apprentice is awesome.

I've been meaning to update with something substantial after starting there.

Ummmm lets see.

I mostly clean stuff and hang out draw/observe the guys tattoo.

They are great and helpfull and all that good stuff. I thoroughly enjoy working with them.



Plussssss....they are given me this lovely bueaty.


Green monster!
it was hilarious reading all about it in the MachineGun magazines back from like 2001-2005 or something. just because in the first issue they talked about it running at 300hz...and then in the next magazine they like, clarify that was just to test how much the machine could handle.


Ummmmm...other then that? Life is great.

my only complaint?

i need to stop waking up at 4 in the morning and getting excited about going in to work so I cant sleep.




Oh yeah, feels good to actually say that.


P.S - Lots of art is being done....will post sunday which is my next day off.