Greetings, Body Art Fans!

Welcome to the May edition of the newsletter! I'm back in Seattle after doing some camping in the CA and NV deserts. Good stuff. I had a fun moment out to dinner with my parents the other night. We were at a restaurant owned by some neighbors of theirs, a somewhat upscale Italian place in Ballard. It was during the recent heat wave, so I was wearing a sleeveless t-shirt. After pouring our wine, our waiter tugged the cuff of one of his shirt sleeves up just the slightest, revealing a swirl of color. He said he had them all over his arms, but had to cover up for work. The funniest part to me was how surprised my parents seemed to learn that, but having people share their ink with me is something that I've had happen regularly for the last 20 years. Who have you shared your ink with lately?

New and Recommended Articles:

The Ink, Not Mink Campaign Continues
PETA has continued their anti-fur campaign of tattooed celebs willing to take it all off in the name of animal rights. Take a look at some of the latest participants.

Removing A Piercing
Many people get pierced without ever thinking of what might happen if they have to remove the piercing for a short while, or wonder what will remain if they choose to stop wearing jewelry. Learn what can happen when you removing a piercing.

The Tattoos of THE NUMBER 23
Jim Carrey goes noir detective mystery-thriller 23. And he gets to wear some tribal tattoos too.

Break-Thru Tattoos
One tattoo style that goes in and out of fashion is the "break-thru" tattoo. With these designs, the illusion is of breaking the skin to reveal something else below.

Hot Links:

• Picking a Tattoo Shop or Piercing Studio
  Thinking of some new body art for the summer? You'll want to read about how to find a good shop first.
• Private piercings raising public alarm
  I was interviewed and got quoted in this recent article on MSNBC about the TSA's actions against pierced travelers. Check it out!
• Dragon Tattoos
  A bold dragon tattoo never seems to go out of fashion.
• Body Painting
  One fun thing that goes well with summer is body painting. Read up on some great tips and tricks for this fun form of body art.

You can upload your tattoo pictures to Bellaonline and then rate your favorites! It's fun and free, and you can upload or vote here.

If you have a body art question, please come on over to the online forum. It's a great place for chatting about body art and getting an answer.

I really love your feedback and welcome your questions, so if you have something to tell me, please send an e-mail or drop by the forum! Please pass this message along to family and friends who you know are interested.

Rae
Body Art Editor
http://bodyart.bellaonline.com