A Social Experiment…henna for tips

I'm not the first and I'm sure I won't be the last. Last what? A henna artist that works for tips. I admit that this isn't the first time I've done this. The very first time was about a year ago at a henna party. Everyone there came to have their henna done by moi, and I said name your price. Some were generous and of course you'll have those few who are stingy, but hey I did say tip so they tipped. 

Last week I set up a table at a street fair type event. It was free to set up, and there were plenty of prime spots (it was 80+ that day). I kept it simple with a sign on a tip jar. Grammar Nazis feel free to jump on my sign, I usually don't make mistakes like that but I was fasting so forgive me. 

It wasn't long before I had my first customer a whopping $9 for a $5 om symbol, a nice generous tip. I won't go tip by tip, tattoo by tattoo but by the end of the night I was happy. I pulled lots of bigger designs out of my festival design books but I must have missed one because I was on these large floral strips for about 20 minutes (I pulled it and tucked it away). I had customers pay $20 for $5 designs, and one stinker paid nothing for a $10 design. The average tip was $10/person, and I found the tips starting to thin out a bit by the end of the night. I made more than my normal hourly rate and had customers from start to finish. I'll probably try this again at this same event next month. 

If you're a budding henna artist, hennaing for tips is a great way to get started. 

Henna Fusion

When I was a child I wanted to grow up to be an illustrator. In one way that dream did come true, I mean henna is an illustration, isn't it? A few years ago I started drafting ebooks with henna patterns. My first books were awful, but my skills have improved since then and has become another creative outlet. 

For the past few months I've worked hard to complete an upcoming ebook release. I sketched, tested, re sketched, and then drafted in ink many designs. Some designs didn't make the final cut, yes I'm a little obsessive about my ebooks lol. 

Fusion henna designs have become my new passion. Fusion happens when I combine several different styles of henna into one design. The design pictured below is a mixture of Moroccan (the shape/outline), Indian (fillers), and Arabic (bold lines and accents). I've now decided to do an ebook just on fusion designs alone, but this is a great start. 

What do you think? What are your favorite styles of henna to mix? Join me on Pinterest, where I'll start previewing my fusion designs.

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14,000 subscribers!!! Thank you

From the very bottom of my heart, many thanks are do to my subscribers. All of you mean so much to me. Every comment, view, and video rating makes its all worth it. I've been at it since 2008 and after a two year hiatus I'm glad to be back. 

As promised I'll have a giveaway in August to celebrate this milestone. Whoo hoo! I love all of you. 

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Sifting your henna to prevent clogs

This ever important step is becoming unnecessary now that 90% of henna exported (Asia, Africa, and the Middle East) is pre sifted. However, it is important to be able to identify when your henna powder might require sifting, and also how to sift.

If you spot small sticks, leaves, and fuzzy bits in your henna, it's time to sift. Hope this tutorial helps. Enjoy!

Today I happened to be sifting henna for an upcoming event and filmed part of the process. This is one of many ways to sift henna. If you rarely sift, these three household items can help. All you need is a bowl, sieve with fine mesh, and a spoon. 

Scoop the henna into the sieve, use the spoon to move the henna powder around, and use the bowl to catch the newly sifted henna. You may have to repeat the process a few times before the sifting is complete. 

 

 

Iftar for those in need

For the past couple of years I've belonged to a group of Muslimahs (muslim women), who raise money for various charities. We usually pick an individual or organization and use our talents (baking, cooking, henna, selling goods, ect) to raise money. During this Ramadhan we're raising money for families in India and Sri Lanka. To do so we're selling sweets and finger foods from around the world that are handcrafted locally. If you're local (Portland OR) and wish to support a good cause please stop by. If you're not local, you can still donate at theoneummah.org

Graffiti Culture

I've always been drawn to graffiti art and Portland has plenty of it. We've got your average tagger but Portland is home to some really talented artists that take it beyond tags.

 Friday afternoon I took a short walk and stumbled upon this awesome graffiti mural. This wall has long been an eyesore and hangout location for drinkers and drug dealers who frequent the convenience store around the corner, but it is now a work of art to be admired. 

Funny how people from all walks respect art. An old ugly wall can be a hangout spot for those up to no good, slap some art on that bad boy and they find somewhere else to do their dirt. Absolutely amazing!

Website listed on the mural is http://www.ariserawk.com/ check it out!

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Sneak Peek at Mubarak!

I've been working on this ebook off and on for the better part of two months. The last three days I've had a sudden flow of inspiration and I wanted to share. 

"Mubarak" meaning blessed, is one word in a greeting used around the world by Muslims. The greeting "Eid Mubarak" or Blessed Eid, is used during the holidays. During the Eid women and girls decorate themselves with henna. This ebook was created for holidays such as Eid, but can be used to celebrate any holiday by those of many faiths. 

Below are a few pics/partial pics of designs from "Mubarak". The number of pages is unknown at this point but there are plenty of hand, foot, and henna motifs included. Estimated price point is $3-$5. 

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