Kiwi artist goes viral giving realistic tattoos to kids

For the past several years, tattoo artist Benjamin Lloyd from Tauranga has been dropping by the Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland to give kids temporary, realistic tattoos.

His aim is to lift young spirits and make hospital life more fun, and it seems to be working.

Using an airbrush gun and non-toxic ink to apply the temporary tats, parents need not fear as the ink simply washes off in the shower!

That escalated quickly

Ben originally pledged to give all the kids at Auckland’s Starship Children’s Hospital temporary tattoos if he received 50 likes.

Half a million likes later and suddenly it wasn’t just a fun day out anymore!

Ben said he had painted fake tattoos on several children and he got the idea of going to Starship Hospital after he saw the smiles the designs produced.

"It's just the confidence they get - especially the boys they walk around so proud, you put art on them and they're just so excited they can choose their own designs.

"They're so fascinated while they're getting it, they're so happy with it." Ben told the NZ Herald.

“Nothing brings me more joy than boosting kids’ confidence with a custom tattoo,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “The only bad thing is that they don’t want to take a shower afterward!”

Fair play to Ben for bringing smiles to these kids’ faces and the fact that another warm-hearted Kiwi story has gone around the world shows just how awesome this wee country is!

Fans told to cover up tattoos for the Rugby World Cup

We’ve talked before about Japanese tattoos, their history, and cultural significance.

In short, tattoos are frowned upon in Japan because they are associated with the criminal underworld, particularly the Yakuza.

As a result, fans heading over for the Rugby World Cup have been told to cover up, especially when using gyms or pools, or risk offending the locals.

It’s official!

World Rugby, the sport's governing body, has posted advice to the estimated 400,000 travelling fans.

A 2015 survey found that 56% of hotels and inns did not allow tattooed guests to use communal bathing facilities.

Japan's tourism agency has called on spas in the country to relax their rules.

The organisation suggested that hot springs - onsens - and bath houses could offer visitors stickers to cover up tattoos, or set aside specific times of day when tattooed bathers can use the facilities.

A problem for the Players too!

While not required during matches, visiting players and officials have been warned by World Rugby to cover up in public.

New Zealand and Samoa players in Japan are already covering up in hot springs, hotel lobbies and other public areas.

"We've got an onsen, or a spa, at every hotel," All Blacks scrum-half Aaron Smith told the New Zealand Herald.

He said in a public spa the players had to wear clothes to cover tattoos.

"And that's okay, we're in Japan, we have to embrace their way, their culture," he said.

A dangerous member of the Yakuza, yesterday.

Happy birthday to us!

It’s time to celebrate as Sunset Studio hits another milestone and turns 5!

We’ve come a long way in 5 years and wish to convey our thanks to everyone who has helped us on our journey.

From our loyal and amazing clients to our world-class tattoo artists. We couldn’t ask for a better team.

Celebrate with a Flash Party!

To celebrate our 5th birthday, we’re having a party! 

On Saturday 16 November we are bringing you 2019’s biggest and best flash party with a hectic line up of stellar international guest artists.

Keep your eyes on our social media pages, including Facebook and Instagram, or email the shop info@sunsettattoo.co.nz for more updates and announcements.

Thanks again to everyone who has made the last 5 years so incredible, here’s to plenty more!

World Suicide Prevention Day

September 10th is the official UN World Suicide Prevention Day.

Unfortunately, New Zealand has one of the worst suicide rates in the Western World, with the figures increasing year-on-year.

After a sharp rise in recent years, the Government is stepping up its attempts to reduce the number of deaths, but there’s a long way to go.

The troubling statistics

In the year to June 30, 685 people took their own lives - 17 more than the previous year. 

In the year 2017 - 2018, the suicide rate was 13.67 deaths per 100,000 people. That's since increased to 13.93 in 2018 - 2019.

The youth suicide rate is also up, particularly in the 15 - 19 age range, with 20 more deaths by suicide than the year before. Eighty-four young New Zealanders between the ages of 10 and 19 died by suicide in the 2018 - 2019 period. Eleven of them were under the age of 15.

Ninety-one Kiwis aged 20 - 24 died by suicide, 15 more than the previous year.

There was also an increase in the suicide rate among Māori and Pacific people. The Māori suicide rate increased from 23.72 to 28.23 per 100,000 - there were 169 deaths in the 2018 - 2019 period, up from 142.

The Pacific suicide rate went from 7.77 to 11.49, from 23 to 34 deaths. 

Suicide affects everyone

Suicide destroys families. 

For both those who lose someone to suicide and those who have attempted themselves, the impact is profound. And often, these experiences overlap. 

For those who have felt the loss of a loved one to suicide, they have a higher risk of developing major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal behaviors themselves.

Project Semicolon

The semicolon tattoo was popularized by Amy Bleuel and is dedicated to the prevention of suicide through raising public awareness of depression and equipping communities and individuals with tools to promote mental health. 

Having struggled with depression, addiction, and difficult personal circumstances, particularly after being raped and her father died by suicide, Amy wanted something to commemorate her survival. 

In 2013, she founded the faith-based nonprofit Project Semicolon, which chose a semicolon as a symbol because it’s “used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life.” 

Where to find help and support

If you are having a difficult time, and find yourself needing to talk to someone, please use one of the following numbers:

Need to Talk? - Call or text 1737

Lifeline - 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland

Youthline - 0800 376 633, text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat

Samaritans - 0800 726 666

Depression Helpline - 0800 111 757

Suicide Crisis Helpline - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)

5 inspirational ideas for a great tiger tattoo

Everyone loves tigers.

Like seriously, everyone.

And not only are they cool as fuck, but they look great in a tattoo. In fact, just by their sheer awesomeness, it’s hard to make a tiger look uncool.

If you’re in love with our endangered feline friends, then a tattoo is a great way to show it.

We’ve found 5 different styles you can consider, and as always, credit goes to the original artists.

Photo realistic tiger tattoo

Ok, let’s start with the obvious point - this looks fucking amazing.

Photo-realistic tattoos have their advantages and disadvantages, but one of a beautiful tiger will almost certainly stand the test of time and be worth the many hours in the chair it will take to complete.

Traditional Tiger Tattoo

Tigers are an old favourite of the tattoo artist, and traditional tiger tattoos come in many forms. Even one sitting in a bowl of Ramen Noodles, like this one from our very own Tom Tom.

Japanese Tiger Tattoo

The Japanese have a wonderful fascination with tigers, even though they’re not native to the country. The closest is the Siberian Tiger across the water and hundreds of miles away, but that never stopped Japanese artists from depicting them every chance they got, which is why sometimes, they look a bit… funny.

The Eye of the Tiger

This tattoo is very popular along the forearm, but the one below take the black and white format and adds a little splash of colour with the eyes, resulting in something special.

Tiger cub tattoo

Oh my god look at him! Look how cute he is! Ahhhhhh!!!