how to make a grown woman bawl...

(not a word to be said about pregnant women and crying at the drop of a hat ok?)











I got some copies of the Skin & Ink Magazine in the post today - complete with my article! I bawled and bawled when i opened it and read it because this is so important to me.

*I want to say that none of this could be possible with the support of my wonderful husband Ian who gets me 100% - thank you - i love you*

you all know how passionate I get about certain things and especially about tattoos and acceptance of people as they are as a whole person... these are two subjects high on my list...

I started this article last year when i did my creating keepsakes hall of fame 2007 entry (click for the gallery) - they asked for you to journal about your passion... and i did it about my tattoos and the acceptance of me as a whole person.. especially as it had come so close after the stupid comment that i was told that i could never be a good mother to Fay because of tattoos... you can guess what sort of anger that brought up in me... But I didn't place anywhere in HOF, which to be honest i completed expected as I don't fit into CK's vision of scrapbookers (like so many people i know)

so i was a tad pissed off to be proved right.. and made some calls to some friends who made calls and before i knew it, i was talking to Bob Baxter at Skin & Ink, who got the whole scrapbooking thing and got me and even more surprising understood how i think!! 

That was last May and since then, it has been an insane journey and I have been very blessed with good friends and supporters and even more with the people who came along for the ride and let me use their artwork. I started Inked Scrapbookers because it seemed there was a lot of scrapbookers with tattoos who never scrapped them because they had no support.. i hoped to give something back to those people who have given me hope.

The article started out at 1000 words and 40 images and ended up being submitted at 1500 words and 80+ layouts. Bob loved the artwork and though it all rocked and we talked about a 16 page pull out special as part of an early 2008 Skin & Ink issue... They had final call on the article and the artwork - i just hoped everyone got a spot in the article for their story.

and then the USA changed their laws on barcodes and some other bits so the printers has a meltdown and deadlines changed and madness ensued. I thought that the article might get cut - i think my heart broke a little because I've been here before - part of articles in scrapbook magazines that get cut last minute.. i felt like it would never see the store shelves.  I felt like i was going to let down all the people who trusted me on this adventure.

and then it happened, and it was published and it's here!! Thank you Bob and all the staff at Skin & Ink - i owe you big time!

and you all know i cannot use English in any decent way at the best of times so for this article to work and be good is a huge triumph for me personally. it makes me feel proud for always standing up for me and what i believe in. It makes me proud that I have people in my life who believed in me and trusted me. It makes me proud to say to say stuff you to those who have told me i will never get anywhere because I have tattoos, especially in the scrapbooking community.

Thank you :) .. some more piccies of the article is *here* when the May issue comes out, i'll make the article available as a PDF but if you can, please buy the magazine to give them some support and some thanks for supporting us all.

Comments

[Fiona]

Congratulations Anam. I think you are one determined, breave woman with a heap of integrity. You go girl!

[Romany Witch]

Congrats :) *hugs* Looks fab, just trying to find someone over here who sells it. I may have to get one of my goth pals to send one over :)

[Kat]

Congrats, hun!! Looks Great! I am not getting tattooed myself, but love the look of some. So hopefully you get the article as a PDF file - would LOVE to read/see it in full!

Oh... and I love your "Mommy's Baby" Widget! FAB!!! :D

[Trisha]

Congrats! I know how hard you worked on this and I am so happy to see that it has finally hit the stands! I am looking forward to seeing it:)

[Carole]

Congrats Anam! You go girl...........although as I have said before that I am not a "tattoo person" that certainly doesn't mean that I don't think anyone else should be a "tattoo person"! And I certainly don't think that having tattooes limits a person in life or changes the type of person they are. We all know you are a fabulous scrapbooker and a giving, honest person. I have taken a class from you and you were generous with your time, product and praise. I have dealt with you personally and you were honest and great to deal with.
You go girl..................

[Carole]

PS I will certainly buy this magazine when it comes out just for your article!

[Janine wahl]

Thanks for telling that whole story, Anam. It is amazing. You are darn right about setting out to prove people wrong. You know I love your sense of passion and determination. Ahhh, but you know I do.

Congrats, it is well deserved.

[Leica]

Anam, way to go for sticking to this journey. I think it was a fantastic adventure and I can't wait to see it on stands! I think your tatoo layouts are pretty sweet!

[carlene]

Hey Anam!
Got my mag & the article is fab, you did a great job! Gave you a shout-out on my blog today...
carlenefederer.blogspot.com
if you wanna go take a look!

[louise]

I just had to come out of blog lurkdom to say, BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO!

From one of your 'slightly' inked Scrappy Fans!

Lou :)

[kathy]

Hi... just stopped over to check out your blog, via Carlene's site. Congratulations on your magazine article, that's wonderful! I don't have a tattoo, but I certainly understand the anger you must've felt after the crass comment about parenting ability & tattoos... some people are so damned self-righteous, aren't they? You go girl... you deserve all the success and happiness the world has to offer... we all do... tattooed or not, right?!? All my best, Kathy

[ania]

This is so great - huge congrats on mission accompished! :) *hugs*