I had a wonderful time at Midnight Sun today, and met many wonderful people. I wish I could have taken photos of all the henna, but I was busy.. and we are all happy.
I did maange to take this photo of sisters, who were twins and chose similar, almost identical tattoos. Ok. They chose the same basic design, but henna has a way of negotiating with a human canvas. Here are the results.
I will not be working on Saturday, September first, but will be back on the 8th. See you soon.
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I must thank Cindy for the "loan" of her hand. She made it possible for me to practice a new design, as fast as I could.
The tip of the cone was cut very small, which made it easy to do her fingers, and all the fine lines on the back of her hand. To get the heavier lines I had to double some of the fine lines, which took a bit longer than I wanted it to.
I started at the fingertips and worked backward from there. I wanted to be sure that the ribbon that "draped" the back of the hand was in the proper place & the easiest was was backwards.
Of course I now have my super portable, very comfortable, ne,w drum chairs which make the henna process so much easier.
I got them at Midnight Sun of course! They are little round bamboo stools that look like djembes colorful, water-proof and very steady to sit on.
Cindy's hand is resting on the top of the stool (they make great photo backdrops as well.)
Mehndi, or henna tattoo, is a natural form of temporary body decoration. Henna Tattoo will always be some shade of reddish brown. The finished color depends on your skin type & how long you let the paste stay on your skin. The longer the paste remains the deeper the finished color. Your design will darken over the first 48 hours.
To prepare your skin for Mehndi, please wash the skin surface to remove any oils, lotions and dry skin. Mehndi works best on the palm of the hands, the feet & the tender skin of the inner arm. Designs on the back of the hands, arms, or other parts of the body do not last as long, nor does the color take as well. After your design is completed, a glaze of lemon-sugar may be applied at regular intervals to secure the paste to the skin and enhance the final color.
Please try to leave the paste in place for at least three hours. For best results leave the paste in place for 6 hours, or overnight. To remove, scrape the hardened paste off the skin. Use a vegetable oil to remove any remaining paste before washing the design.
Aftercare: If possible, avoid wetting the design area for at least 12 hours. Moisturizing the design twice daily with a vegetable oil will help make the design last. The design can remain visible on the skin for one to 3 weeks. This is a photo of henna paste On the skin. The finished color will be a shade of red to reddish brown.
Here is a fun little Om arm band tattoo. Traditionally, henna is applied to the palms of the hands, back of the hands, forearms, feet and ankles. The deep red to brown color of premium henna is best in these places.
Most drop-in customers choose patterns for the back of the hands, belly and the lower back.... similar to where one might put ink.
If you choose to put your henna in one of these locations, please remember to leave the paste on as long as possible & to get as warm as you can. You will get the best finished color if you Do Not wear moisturizer, sun block or other body lotions on henna day.
These are photos of henna paste on the skin. The natural dye in the henna is staining the skin UNDER the black paste you see in the photo. When the paste is removed, the stain is visible and will darken over the next 48 hours. The quality of finished color depends in part on how you care for your design.
The peacock pattern is very popular, and is one that works great with flip flops! Of course, it's best to leave your shoe on when getting your henna so we can be sure the flip won't flop into your paste.
The second design is great for henna parties where you are free to wander barefoot in your home or other party venue. Bare feet enable the artist to get creative, make henna sandal designs, and all sorts of wonderful art.
There are more photos of henna designs for the feet in this blog, and on my new henna website. I am sure I have a good link to some bridal henna on myspace!
Here are a few tips for good color and a successful henna design on the feet:
If you are feeling really relaxed & indulgent, you can always have henna on the soles of your feet. I will have a few photos of this fabulous art online in my new galleries soon.
Of course there are lots of wonderful artists publishing all kinds of pattern books. Some are available online at Amazon.com, but be sure to visit Tap Dancing Lizard for more great ideas.
I love red henna. It's my favorite color. I know many people love the super dark, almost black/red henna, but I love the ruby red.
Here is a color sample of the 2007 harvest of Jamila henna. The paste stains very quickly, which is great for festivals, but it also gives this lovely color.
Please forgive the pattern. It is not my best work (I was trying a new style a little later in the evening than I usually do) but I had to see the color.
This is color only 12 hours after the paste was removed! More photos coming soon.
As promised here are photos of the 2oo7 Jamila Henna Powder harvest. I am very pleased with the dark, rich color, consistent to the knee.
