arts – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

Tattoo Tuesday – Amsterdam Tattoo Museum & Calling all Tattoo’ed Writers

Published on February 26, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle12 Comments

Amsterdam Tattoo Museum

The connection between tattoo’s and writing for me is all about the sacrifices related to creating something out of nothing and the pain that goes into doing just that. If you are a writer and haven’t experience some pain regarding the process, well, keep going. And, just like a tattoo, yeah it hurts, but when its over, their is this unique and permanent piece of art in the world.

The Amsterdam Tattoo Museum demonstrates the creation of art.

I am super excited to announce they have a new location

OPENING NEW AMSTERDAM TATTOO MUSEUM SHOP:

February 28th, 4pm.

van Woustraat 78, Amsterdam. BE THERE!!

They are still seeking donations, so if you would like to help, please visit here and here for more information.

Check out The Amsterdam Tattoo on Pinterest and see why this is a special collection and a special place.

Calling all Tattoo’ed Writers

I created Tattoo Tuesday to feature writers who share my love of tattoo’s and want to show off their ink. If you have a tattoo story to share along with some beautiful work and want to be featured, please let me know in the comments. It’s easy, just answer five questions and provide me good photos of your tattoo’s. And, if you have something to promote, this is a good place to do it. Tattoo Tuesday’s are my highest viewed days.

If you have been featured before and have some updated ink, please let me know that, too.

To view past Tattoo Tuesday featured writers, please click here.

Tattoo Tuesday – Badge Revealed & Good News for Tattoo Museum in Amsterdam

Published on December 18, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle1 Comment

Tattoo Tuesday will be a constant feature on my blog, if only for my own amusement. I welcome anyone with a great tattoo and/or a great tattoo story to share them with the world. My tattoos are inspired by my life and at the same time inspire my life everyday. Maybe yours can do the same for others. Thanks so much A.M. Schultz for creating the Tattoo Tuesday Badge. Click on the badge to read past Tattoo Tuesday posts.

Amsterdam Tattoo Museum

Every since I heard about the Amsterdam Tattoo Museum, I have been planning a trip to see it. Sort of like the trip to Mecca for tattoo lovers. A few weeks ago, the Amsterdam Tattoo Museum was shut down and the building owners were preventing the museum owner to operate any long and the collection of tattoo history was being held hostage.

Several events across the world by some of the best tattoo artist in the world were held to raising money to help the museum and protect its collection.

It looks like the campaigned worked and the museum is going to re-open. I wanted to share this because I love the way the tattoo community rallied together to support and save a piece of their culture and history. People coming together to help each other is a beautiful thing.

Check out the related post for more information and see how you can help.

Save the ATM

Amsterdam Tattoo Museum SOS

Amsterdam Tattoo Museum Needs Your Help

Amsterdam Tattoo Museum Winning Battle to Regain Access to Collection and Facility

F*ck Cancer! Fundraiser Next Month

Tattoo Tuesday – Ava (Jordanna East)erby

Published on November 20, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle3 Comments

I am so excited to introduce you all to Ava (Jordanna East)erby – love her name.

Five Questions:

1. How old where you when you got your first tattoo? I was 16. The legal age you can get a tattoo is 18, but if you have a parent/guardian sign a waiver you can have one done at 16. The deal was I had to continue to keep my grades up and it had to be done in a location where it would never be seen at school. My mother took me to the tattoo shop, signed the form, and left to get her hair done. Yes, she LEFT! I was alone with a 300lb man covered in tats for my very first tattoo. I impressed him though. He said he’s had grown men not sit still for the entire duration of a tattoo. That day I got a black and gray tiger on my upper back holding a red rose in its mouth. It’s kind of faded now, so I’ll be having it touched up and incorporated into the large back/rib piece that I have planned.

2. What made you want to get your first tattoo? I grew up rather self-conscious of my body, but as I grew into it, I wanted to celebrate it. I wanted to adorn it, like a new home. I got my belly-button pierced the year before (also signed for, haha), then I graduated to tattoos.

3. How many tattoos do you have? 6/7. Weird answer, right? If someone else is looking at me, it appears I have 6 (both wrists, upper arm, upper back, lower back, and hip), but one of my wrists is actually two tattoos. While in Tahiti, my husband and I got traditional Polynesian tattoos; mine was a Polynesian gecko around my wrist. When we returned to the states, I had my artist add several Tiare flowers around it, the Tahitian national flower.

4. What is your tattoo story? If you have more then one tattoo, tell me your most recent or your favorite tattoo. My most recent tattoo is the one described above. My favorite tattoo is my arm. I originally had a paw print and a nickname from my youth. It was an awful piece of crap. My current artist covered it up with a Bengal tiger and several tiger lillies. If you’re looking for it you can still see the paw print and, believe it or not, I like that.

5. Tattoos on a significant other, like or dislike? Why? Love! So much in fact that my ex got a tribal sleeve done to try to impress me. But he ended up passing out as soon as the needle touched him. Very embarassing. But my darling Hubby-pants has several, with plans to get more. I really want him to get wording around his collar bone. That’s the sexiest tattoo a man can get. Doesn’t even matter what it says. It could say something about green eggs and ham for all I care. (You hear that Hubby-pants?!)

Bio: Jordanna East is currently working on her first novel, Blood in the Paint, as well as its prequel novella, Blood in the Past, due out in March 2013 (with the novel to follow in Summer 2013). She lives in New Jersey with her awesome-sauce husband and their freakish love of sports. She looks forward to at least four more tattoos. Don’t worry, it’s just art.

Connect with Ava at:

Blog: Journey of Jordanna East

Twitter: @jordannaeast

Facebook: Jordannaeast

Thanks so much Ava. Beautiful ink. If you would like to be featured on Tattoo Tuesday, leave me a message in the comments.

Tattoo Tuesday – Featuring Kate Byrne

Published on July 17, 2012July 17, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle9 Comments

I am so excited to have our first tattoo tail on Tattoo Tuesday. I promise, I am done with the alliterations. My first guest is Kate Byrne. Here is how her beautiful back piece came about (That one was unintentional).

The first is a piece of Bahraini street art from early on in the Arab Spring. The Arabic in the corner roughly translates into “our weapons are but flowers”. You’ll see the English in the petals of the rose in picture two and the antique rifle barrel in picture three.

I went to my tattoo artist with two different ideas. I knew I wanted a book (books are an integral part of my life and being) and I knew I wanted Yggdrasil, the Norse tree of wisdom, but I didn’t know how or where. It was my artist’s idea to incorporate those two into the piece on my back.

One of my favorite things about the experience of getting tattoos is taking your ideas to an artist you trust and then watching him bring your ideas to life in art.

Tag: arts