Final post

In one of my last posts, I said I was getting a crescent moon on my shoulder blade after Thanksgiving. Well, that didn’t happen.

I’m studying abroad in London next semester, and last week, instead of spending $125 on a tattoo, I had to spend $259 on a visa. Next week, I’ll have to spend another $55 to expedite said visa. So finances and London are keeping me from getting my tattoo

But on that note, I’ve started a blog for my time in London! It’ll be updated regularly, and in it I’ll talk about what I’m doing, what I plan to do, etc. It’ll be good.

My London Blog

Koru and moon

Ever since I was in my early teens, I’ve wanted a moon tattoo. When I got my wolf tattoo on my left shoulder blade, I pictured getting a moon on the right shoulder blade to go with the wolf. Well, next week that is what’s going to happen. After Thanksgiving break, I plan to get a moon to complement my wolf. I wanted to get a full moon or a new moon, but I wasn’t sure how to make it obvious that the tattoo was of a moon if it was just a circle, so I went with a crescent. The swirls in the moon are koru. Koru are unfurling ferns that symbolize new life and growth. The coiling of the koru also symbolizes returning to your origin. Since I’m moving to California in the summer, I felt like this was appropriate, because I’m originally from California.

Amber Hammonds

Amber Hammonds’ family is central to her life.

“Family means a lot to me,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to get something that reminds me of them.”

Hammonds has never gotten a tattoo before, and she plans to get the Chinese symbol for family on her left shoulder after Thanksgiving break.

” I guess I’ve just always wanted one … I think it’s great that you can carry something around that means something to you,” Hammonds said.

Hammonds hasn’t decided what tattoo parlor she wants to go to yet. She wants to find the best combination of quality and price.

“I just don’t want it to get infected,” Hammonds said.

Hammonds isn’t sure her parents will approve of her tattoo once she’s gotten it.

“I think it will be really pretty,” she said.

Hand of Fate Tattoo Parlor

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Hand of Fate Tattoo Parlor is owned by Eddie Molina, an award-winning tattoo artist. Molina travels to other shops and conferences, where he does guest tattooing. Guest tattoo artists also come to Hand of Fate.

Molina opened Hand of Fate in January 2008. Before opening Hand of Fate, Molina worked as a graphic designer. Hand of Fate was his first experience owning a shop in the industry, though he has been tattooing since 1995.

Hand of Fate is located on West State Street, a few blocks down from Medusa Tattoo Studio.

Medusa Tattoo Studio

Medusa Tattoo Studio is owned by Carol Oddy and Cesar Enciso, and they are located on West State Street, right across from the State Street Theater. Medusa has been open in Ithaca for six years, though they recently moved to their new location only a year ago.

They do custom work as well as cover-up pieces and predesigned tattoos.

Medusa also serves as an art gallery. They feature the art of local artists and rotate regularly.

Jordanna Johnston

Jordanna Johnston is an employee at Stiehl’s Body Modification Station. She has been adding to her tattoo of a phoenix on her lower back, and like Megan, has been thinking about her tattoos for a long time.

“The phoenix stands for rebirth, and it was a time in my life, and it meant a lot to me,” Johnston said.

In addition to the phoenix, there is also a tree on Johnston’s lower back.

“Since [the tattoo] been there, it’s grown,” Johnston said. “We’ve added the tree, which is the Tree of Life, so that the phoenix lands [there].”

Johnston researched both Chinese and Japanese mythology for the meaning of her tattoos.

“There’s a whole story behind them,” Johnston said.

Megan M.

Megan M. [who didn't want to give her last name] is an employee at Stiehl’s Body Modification Station. She had a tattoo done a week ago of a unicorn with a castle in the background. Above the scene is a full moon. The whole tattoo spreads across her left side, over her ribcage.

Megan said Jim Sidelinger, a tattoo artist at Stiehl’s, did her tattoo.

“I’ve got … a couple of months to darken the background and fill in the moon,” Megan said.

Ron Stiehl pointed out that Sidelinger has a graphic arts degree.

Megan said she had been thinking about this tattoo for a long time.

“[There's] a lot of personal reasons,” Megan said.

Stiehl’s Body Modification Station

Stiehl’s Body Modification Station is owned by Dawn Stiehl, and her husband, Ron, is the co-owner.

Stiehl’s has been on The Commons for 13 years. The first two and a half years were in the building right next to the shop’s current location. When business picked up, Dawn and Ron decided a bigger space was needed to expand their business.

Aside from tattooing, Stiehl’s does piercing and branding. As piercers themselves, Dawn and Ron are the main piercers for the shop.

For October — Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Stiehl’s is donating $5 for every nipple piercing and $2 if a customer wears pink.

Ron emphasized the difference between a tattooist and a tattoo artist. A tattooist does not do custom work, while tattoo artists can literally create art. He said they only employ tattoo artists at Stiehl’s.

More information about Stiehl’s can be found at their Web site or on their Facebook page.

Ron Stiehl

Ron and Dawn Stiehl have been piercing for more than 15 years.

“It’s not like going to the mall and getting your ears pierced, you may have someone different there every week,” Ron said. “My wife and I are different. We like one-on-one.”

Because of Ron’s personal touch, he sees a lot of returning customers. He said he and his wife call them “alumni.”

“The cutest part is, like, I’ll pierce a 10- or 12-year-old girl, 10, 12 years ago, and now they’re bringing their kids in,” Ron said. “It’s like second generation.”

Ron said lots of alumni of Ithaca College come to the shop to get tattoos together.

“It’s a bonding thing,” Ron said. “They couldn’t get tattoos during school, but now that they’ve graduated, they wait till alumni weekend and get together.”

Ron said about 60 percent of his customers are college students. But competing against the other tattoo shops in Ithaca is difficult, especially when school is out.

“There’s no industry in Ithaca,” Ron said. “There’s a downturn, and it doesn’t help any business.”

But during the 13 years Stiehl’s has been open on The Commons, Ron said they have become very established.

“My wife’s the owner, and I support her,” he said.

Model Citizen

James Spiers is the co-owner of Model Citizen, the tattoo parlor attached to The Shop. He, along with the parlor, has been here for five years.

Spiers’ first tattoo was an ankh on his left shoulder. He later had it covered up. Spiers originally got the ankh because of his infatuation with the symbolism behind the ankh, eternal life.

“I’m not a Christian and I wasn’t kind of going for the cross thing, but it’s just the graphic nature of it and the symbolism behind it,” Spiers said.

Spiers became interested in tattooing because of his love for art and anthropology, both of which he studied in college.

“It sort of chose me more than I chose it,” Spiers said.