Happy Holidays!

I just wanted to wish everyone happy holidays! I cant believe how fast this year has gone by. Also don't forget we have some strange hours over the next week due to renovations to the shop. The holiday schedule will be as follows:
Friday Dec 24th, Open 12-4
Saturday Dec 25th, CLOSED
Sunday Dec 26th, CLOSED
Monday Dec 27th, CLOSED
Tuesday Dec 28th, CLOSED
Wednesday Dec 29th, CLOSED
Thursday Dec 30th, Open 12-8
Friday Dec 31st, CLOSED
Saturday Jan 1st, CLOSED
Sunday Jan 2nd, reopen 12-8
Please be safe everyone!

Crows

I'm sure all those who get tattooed by me have noticed my crow obsession, They are all over my room here at mandrake. Keeping this in mind, I wanted to post this cool tribalized crow piece. It was difficult to photograph because it wrapped around the forearm but I captured the majority of the piece in this shot.

Baby feet

I think a great way to signify the birth of a child is to get his or her birth certificate foot prints tattooed on you. They are classic and will never go out of style. Many parents ask about these because they have seen foot prints done which were black and poorly done, and thus have swayed away from the idea of getting them. The prints should be treated as a portrait would be treated including all the imperfections and grey variations in the print...after all this is what makes it unique to YOUR child. Some parents will try to "fix" imperfections in the print as it might be smudged...or maybe a toe didn't come out etc......BUT this is a bad idea. The print marks a precious moment in time and should not be tampered with. These are two examples of this where the parent left the prints as is even though it had imperfections in it, But he will proudly wear the exact replica of the original hospital print.

More Owls

 Yup! As promised some more owls...as you can see there is a huge divertity in the styles depending on what the client is interested in.

Crazy Holiday hours:

A few of you that have been into the shop recently have heard the rumors of the possibility of renovations. Well I am here to let you know the rumors are true! We will be closed both for the holidays AND for renovations from Saturday, December 25^th until Wednesday, December 29^th. We will be open Thursday, Closed Friday and Saturday then Reopen on Sunday, January 2nd with a whole new look for the new year! So get to booking your 2011 tattoo!

Owls

Everywhere you go all you see are owls these days! They are hugely popular. The first thing anyone thinks of when they think of owl tattoos is wisdom. Owls, however, are also associated with psychic energy and spirituality.

Military experience

 I absolutely love this piece because it is a unique portrayal of this clients unique experience in the military. We have been working on this one since the fall and we were finally able to complete it.

Another Beautiful fan!

As promised, here is another picture of an Asian inspired fan piece! This client sat like a champ even though this piece is on a difficult area!

The symbolism of the fan

I have recently done some beautiful asian fan tattoos. I thought after discussing the meaning with one of my clients that I wouls post a brief description of the fan in asian culture as well as the link where I found it. This picture is one of my favorites, I just completed another this weekend that I will post asap!

Significance

1. The Chinese calligraphy character for the word "fan" has the same sound as the character for "kindness" or "good." Thus, fans are viewed as good luck charms and expressions of generosity.

Types

2. Flat Chinese fans are round and made of silk stretched over a frame. Folded fans are made of silk, paper, feathers or leaves. The handles can be bamboo, sandalwood, bone, tortoise shell or ivory.

Symbolism

3. The round fans symbolize union or reunion and are often inscribed with romantic poems, Chinese characters or floral designs representing wealth and longevity. The folding fans have a history of symbolizing scholarship.

Function

4. In the past, Chinese fans were used to signify a high social status. Today they are used to display grace in dances and personality traits of characters in theatrical plays or storytelling. In connection with the annual Dragon Boat Festival, Chinese fans have also been used as memorials of people who have died.

Fun Fact

5. Traditionally, men and women use different folding fans, based on the number of "ribs" between folds. Women's fans must have at least 30 ribs, but men's fans can have nine, 16, 20 or 24.

Read more: What Is the Meaning of the Chinese Fans? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5647816_meaning-chinese-fans_.html#ixzz17HuSQ6cb

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5647816_meaning-chinese-fans_.html