designs by moi :)

I started off really simple and as I got into it, I began creating a bit more detailed designs. My hand hurts really bad now. But it was worth it :) The last one is my favorite. It took the longest too. The pictures really don't show the detail that well, but it's the best I can do for now.


ps. I'm not an artist so don't laugh at me :)

:)

Since the last post, I have tattooed a few of my friends. The pictures for Kayla Elkins, Melanie Edwards, & Shelley Upton can't be posted on here because I didn't have a waiver for them to sign, but the pictures of my grandmother and mother are okay because their faces aren't in the picture. Tattooing other people is fun, but scary because I really didn't want to mess up. When I am tattooing on myself, I take my time and get every little line straight, but it's harder when you're tattooing a shaky, jumpy person. I have never before realized how much the human body shakes (including my hands)!

I have also created some original designs, but I still have a few left to finish, so I will scan them and post them on here later tonight! Hooray for almost being done!
Oh, and a random picture with my lovely mentor :)

Hours are Complete :)

At this point I have completed 16 hours with my mentor, Courtney Zepeda-Hawkes. Mrs. Zepeda-Hawkes has truly been an inspiration to me, as well as an amazing source of guidance for my project. We have actually formed a really nice friendship, and I have bonded with her children as well. I'm sort of sad about being done with the hours! In our last meeting, I attended an event with her at the Jewish Community Center in Charlotte. It was the center's "Israel @ 60" Celebration. Mrs. Zepeda-Hawkes was hired to do henna there and she invited me to be her assistant. The Jewish community enjoys henna tattoos because they cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery if they have a permanent tatoo. Therefore, henna is a temporary alternative. During the day I was in charge of setting the tattoos with a lemon juice and sugar mixture. The little kids definitely made for an interesting experience. We heard a ton of "My brother smeared it!!" or "Is it gonna hurt?!" Although it was extremely hot and I was very tired (prom was the night before), I had a great time and learned a great deal about how to efficiently handle a large henna event.
I also taught a class about the history and art of henna last Thursday, May 8th. My audience were some of Ms. Miller's students who intend on working at the henna booth at the yearbook carnival coming up this Thursday. The students were very attentive and seemed to be interested in what I had to say. Their creativity really helped them ease through the process of henna tattooing. They were even better than I am! I supplied them with some henna I had prepared a few days before and they created some really beautiful designs! I am glad that I was able to educate such a nice group of students. I hope they enjoyed my company as much as I enjoyed theirs! I also am very thankful to Ms. Miller for allowing me to use her classroom and time! I have been invited to accompany the students at the yearbook carnival on Thursday and I am really looking forward to tattooing some of my fellow students!

First Post!

I have officially completed all of my hours with my mentor. Throughout these hours, I have learned many essential things that are a part of the process of a successful henna tattoo. The first thing that I learned on my very first meeting with my mentor, Courtney Zepeda-Hawkes, was how to make a henna cone. Mrs. Zepeda Hawkes made it look so easy! I had a really hard time with it at first, but after a LOT of practicing (about two hours at work the next day) I finally got it. The key to a great cone is to create one with a sturdy body and an extremely small, needle-size hole for the henna to be squeezed out of. A cone is made of a simple plastic freezer bag cut into four triangles. The cone is held together with clear packaging tape. A good cone is the first step to a good tattoo, because without a good cone one cannot get a thin, straight line.

The second step I took in the process was to sift the henna. This was EXTREMELY messy, so I did it outside. My hair, hands, and pants ended up being completely covered in yellow henna powder. Sifting is important to do before mixing the actual henna paste because henna powder is created by grinding up the plant into a fine powder, which in turn leaves debris in the powder. I sifted the henna by pouring it into a cup along with a few quarters, pulling knee-high panty hose over the cup and shaking it into a bowl. I sneezed a lot.
I then began mixing my own paste. The recipe I used was 4 tablespoons of henna to every tablespoon of tea mixed with a tablespoon of sugar. I used an electric mixer to mix the henna. It was really messy and really stinky. Many recipes suggest using essential oils such as lavender or tea tree oil to add to the henna to help nourish the skin along with masking some of the smell. Mehndi artists are weary of which oils they use because many people are allergic to certain oils. Then I squeezed the henna paste into the cones I had previously made. The pictures below are of me using some henna that my mentor had made earlier that day for a job she had.