TattCafe.com Launches Smoking-Lovers.com!

TattCafe Announces Launch of Companion Online Dating Site for Smoking Lovers

TattCafe.com, a niche market dating website for the tattooed, pierced and body modified, recognizes the need to expand their market to include cigarette and cigar smokers.

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) May 15, 2012

“Even for the most adventurous, openminded individual, smoking still represents a dating dealbreaker.” TattCafe president Helen Siwak

Founding partners at TattCafe.com Helen Siwak (avid non-smoker) and Vladimiros Xanthopoulos (smoker) know that no matter what your age, dating and relationships can be fantastic but at the same time, they can be very intense, confusing, and a minefield of decisions. Add to that societal opinions about body art and piercings, then add to that a smoking habit and you have someone who is more likely to strike out at online dating. Apparently the ‘tattoo lifestyle’ is not as permissive as many would think.

“Membership at TattCafe.com has been growing steadily over the past few months with singles in Canada and the US being the most interested in meeting others who are devoted to the lifestyle associated with body art and culture,” says Helen Siwak, president of TattCafe.com. “but feedback from members and the Twitterverse shows that singles, no matter how openminded and adventuresome, will draw the line at smoking.”

Thus the creation of a smokers dating site is is the logical next step for these two entrepreneurs. An online dating site that allows you to expose yourself as a smoker of varying levels as just one small aspect of who you are and what you have to offer a potential partner and relationship.

Smoking-Lovers.com hopes to fill this niche for worldwide singles, who either indulge in the occasional cigarette, are in the process of quitting or cutting down, or unashamedly puff away and will stop smoking when they are lowered into the ground!

Online Dating – First Date Tattoo Nightmare!

Dating Nightmare Scenario #1:  The Closet Comicon Fanatic

After meeting and chatting a few times you give in and accept a date not knowing what lurks under that plaid western shirt.  From his point of view, does he show this baby off during appetizers or wait a few weeks before unleashing the beast?  One would hope that this little fella would come up in conversation well before the date happens!

I do not know if this guy is a member of TattCafe but if he is, I am sure that there is a the perfect partner for him in our database!

Ciao for now,

KitsilanoKitty, TattCafe Member #1

‘Immersed in Ink’ Tattoo Convention Series

I wanna go!! Received this series from a David Justice of American Gypsy Tattoo.  Their fine troop of tattooers will be attending the convention in Waco TX.  Thanks for letting us know about these events.  Maybe you will find you true love!

KitsilanoKitty, Member #1

www.TattCafe.com, online dating for tattoo lovers

***

UPCOMING CONVENTIONS: Immersed In Ink Tattoo & Arts Festival will be making our next stop on the 2012 TOUR in Council Bluffs, IA on April 6-8, 2012 at the Harrah’s Casino Convention Center. The tattoo show will feature some of the hottest artists from all over the US.  Live tattooing, gut wrenching sideshows, contests, human suspension, insane body modification, burlesque show, extreme midget brawling and so much more!  Our entertainment line-up.

DO YOU WANT TO WIN A FREE TATTOO???
THERE ARE 2 WAYS TO DO IT!!!!

FIRST, is to LIKE our facebook page and post your tattoo ideas to enter for a chance to get picked on Friday, April 6th to win a free $300 tattoo done by the amazing Vinnie Hottdogg Romero and 2 free tickets to the show!  Get your friends to LIKE your post to increase your chances of winning!

SECONDLY, Be one of the first 100 people in line at the show on Friday and your name will be entered into a drawing for another FREE $300 TATTOO, done by Jose’ Gonzalez at the Austin Dermagraphix booth, sponsored by Austin Dermagraphix Tattoo Studio!  Drawing will be held at 3pm on Friday inside the show.  Get there early to make sure you get your chance to win!

SHOW HOURS:
Friday : 2pm-10pm
Saturday : 11:30am-11pm
Sunday : 12pm-8pm

ADMISSION:
$20 per day
$35 for a weekend pass
Kids under 12 get in FREE with paying adult.
CASH ONLY at the door.  There is an ATM on site, but we do recommend that you bring cash to avoid the transaction charges.
Click HERE to print a discount coupon for Friday admission.

SEMINARS :
Colt Brown will be holding an “Intro to Black & Grey Photo Realism” Seminar on Sunday at 1pm –  His seminar will take approximately 1.5 hours is FREE!  You can contact him at 513.739.6210 for more information or on facebook.

Brandon Davis will be holding a seminar on High Contrast Tattooing & Color Theory on Sunday at 2pm. It will include his theory on color and how to give a tattoo that POPS using high contrasting colors in the foreground, mid and background of a well balanced tattoo.  It will also include high contrast usage applied to black and grey tattoos.  A book will be given to each artist attending the seminar to be able to reference on future tattoos.  The seminar will be 1.5 hours followed by Q&A.  The seminar is a first come, first serve and will book up fast.  $160 per artist.  Contact Brandon at BrandonDavisTattoos@gmail.com, on FaceBook or at 409-526-9091

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA: APRIL 6-8, 2012 Harrah’s Casino – 1 Harrah’s Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA HOST HOTEL: Harrah’s Casino * ROOM RATE: $109 per night    Group Code: S04IMME | 712-329-6000 – BOOK ONLINE

NEW ORLEANS, LA: JUNE 15-17, 2012 Harrah’s Casino – 228 Paydras St, New Orleans, LA HOST HOTEL:  Harrah’s Casino ROOM RATE: $139 per night Group Code: S06IMER | 504-533-6000 Book your room online.

JOLIET, IL: JULY 20-22, 2012 Harrah’s Casino – 151 N Joliet St – Joliet, IL HOST HOTEL:  Harrah’s Casino ROOM RATE: $139 per night Group Code: Immersed In Ink | 815-740-7800

DALLAS, TX: AUGUST 3-5, 2012 CANCELLED HOST HOTEL: CANCELLED GROUP CODE: Immersed In Ink |

STURGIS, SD: AUGUST 3-10, 2012 Sturgis Thunder Dome – Across the street from The Full Throttle Saloon. BOOK YOUR BOOTH ONLINE  PRINT VENDOR LICENSE APPLICATION  HOST HOTEL: Black Hills State Dorms – BLOCK C ($75 per night) ROOM RATE: $670 for whole show duration | 605.642.6464 GROUP CODE: BOOK ONLINE

TULSA, OK: August 31-September 2, 2012 Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center * 6808 S. 107th East Ave, Tulsa OK 74133 ROOM RATE: $89 | 800-264-0165 GROUP CODE: Immersed In Ink Discount Cut off date: August 16, 2012

WACO, TX: FEBRUARY 8-10, 2013 Waco Convention Center 100 Washington Ave * Waco, TX 76701 McLennan Hall Host Hotel: Clarion Hotel – 801 S 4th St ROOM RATE: $89 | 254.757.2000 and tell them you are with the group “Immersed In Ink”.

Inter-Tattoo Dating – Breakdown the Barriers!

http://www.collegehumor.com/embed/6706643/inter-tattoo-dating-psa

This Public Service Announcement pretty much sums up everything that TattCafe is about! (Not!)  I LMFAO as it went along.  Boris asks some interesting questions about hot tattooed chicks only dating others guys with hot tattoos.  What about the un-tattooed guy who thinks you are smoking hot?  Shouldn’t he get a chance?  Step out of your comfort zone and give them a try!  HaHaha!

Seriously  though, you shouldn’t limit yourself to only people that ‘look’ like you when looking for love.  See the person first and if they have awesome ink, well ain’t that a big fat bonus!

So whether you have one tattoo, a hundred, or none, you are welcome at TattCafe online dating for tattoo lovers, because it is really all about a mindset and a lifestyle.

Best wishes and tattoo kisses,

KitsilanoKitty, TattCafe Member #1

TattCafe Announces “The Future of the Past” and the Re-birth of Iconic SMASH Gallery of Modern Art in Vancouver BC

TattCafe.com and the gallery’s ‘Prince of Lowbrow‘ 12 Midnite are teaming up to promote the re-birth of the iconic SMASH Gallery of Modern Art.

After 20 years of pumping the Vancouver art scene, veteran ‘Prince of LowBrow’ 12 Midnite and his partner Jennifer Abrams proudly reawaken the legend that is SMASH Gallery of Modern Art.

It is no secret that the founders of alternative online dating site TattCafe.com are in love with tattoos and the culture that embraces flesh marking. So it is a natural extension of their interest in ink to embrace those who live and survive within this worldwide community.

Co-founder of Tattcafe, Helen Siwak, had her first big city gallery show at the SMASH over twenty years ago.  It was a shock to the small town girl to show in gallery on the decidedly ‘wrong side of the tracks‘ where the patrons were edgy, flamboyant and flaunted their counterculture.  Regrettably the gallery closed its doors at the end of that exhibition.

In the twenty some years that have past since the SMASH’s reign, 12 Midnite has been the owner operator of several seminal Vancouver galleries beginning with the SMASH Gallery of Modern Art, The Big red dot, new tiny, lucky red and the Lowbrow Garage.

Fast forward to 2012 and 12 Midnite has an updated vision for SMASH to explore. Having held a fascination with the mythical dichotomy that exists between so-called high and low art has driven him to constantly blend techniques and approaches. An admiration for psychological advertising techniques and the rebellion against them has led him to the street and alleyways as an illegal street artist promoting a political bent toward pro-human and anti-establishment symbols of personal and societal resistance.

“SMASH is a place where artist and their public can meet on common ground, without the trappings of government funding or the smoke and mirrors environments of traditional commercial galleries.” expounds gallery owner 12 Midnite.

12 Midnite‘s imagery has appeared in many mediums: Neon, paintings, and custom cars have appeared in film productions, music videos, TV shows and commercials. Clients include Warner Brothers and the Grand Ole Opry. His art has adorned clothing, lighters, hats, stickers, even billboards, not to mention how many tattoos out there incorporate his images. 12 Midnite’s work can be found in commercial and private collections all over Canada, the US and Britain.

TattCafe.com is proud to announce the return of the SMASH Gallery of Modern Art and 12 Midnite’s premier exhibition “The Future of the Past”.  A fitting title for the first show in a gallery destined to influence a new generation of Vancouver art stars.

Located at 580 Clark Drive in Vancouver, BC, the new SMASH is 1500 square feet of pure art bliss offering gallery space, design, custom neon and rentals.

Opening night is Friday, March 30th from 8:00pm to 11:00pm.

Artists who wish future consideration for hanging should contact 12 Midnite and Jennifer Abrams through the galleries website at www.SMASHmodernart.com.

Bacon Tattoo? Only at SXSW!

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/03/suicide-girls-g.html

Tattoos and BBQ at SXSW

http://learntoduck.com/tattoos/tattoos-bbq-sxsw/

Good advice from Micah Baldwin. He is CEO and Chief Community Caretaker of Graphic.ly. Graphic.ly provides an immersive social experience and marketplace around digital comics and associated merchandise.

TattCafe Hooks Up with Stray Dog Shelter in Troubled Greece

Kiki Karathanassi & KitsilanoKitty - Kitten Adoption Day

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) March 08, 2012

Online dating is one way to ‘hook-up’ but TattCafe.com is offering their members a way to help a struggling shelter in Athens, Greece. Staff and members of TattCafe are encouraged to walk or pledge Team TattCafe in the Vancouver Sun Run 10K this April 2012.

There is a little less than 10 weeks left before the Vancouver Sun Run 10K and the founders of TattCafe.com are training hard speed walking 3-5 km’s three times a week.

Admittedly “not a fit man”, Vladimiros (Vlassis) Xanthopoulos has two goals for the online tattooed dating site that he and Canadian wife Helen recently launched. First is to build Team TattCafe, a 10 person corporate team to enter the Sun Run, and second to rally TattCafe members, especially those with ties to Greece, to help a struggling animal rescue shelter in his old neighbourhood of Neas Filadelpheas in Athens, Greece.

The economic hardship in Greece has hit the Filozoikos Neas Filadelpheas (Friends of Animals NF) especially hard as they struggle with local government that is not friendly to strays, lack of funds for food/medicine and a seemingly neverending stream of dogs abandoned in the park adjacent to the shelter. While volunteering is up, adoption and donations are down and positive outlooks are hard to come by.

More and more particularly hard hit families are bringing their children to the daily dog-walking sessions as an alternative to after-school programs, tutoring or even television watching, as they cannot offer these activities to their children anymore. The shelter provides a safe, fun environment where the children can get away from the hardships they see around them even if only for a few hours each day.

Vlassis and Helen were personally involved with this registered charity for three years before moving to Vancouver, BC, and know firsthand the cultural and financial difficulties faced by any animal rescue groups in Greece. By putting together a tattooed team of westcoast dog lovers, this couple hope to not only bring together local tattooed singles to train, race and find love together but to help keep a shelter operating so the strays may one day find love with new parents.

The Mad Greek Restaurant in Richmond, BC has stepped up as the first Silver level sponsor and TattCafe is challenging other Greek restaurants around the world to pitch in and help the Greek strays.

If you would like more information, photos, join or help TattCafe in their run to support the Friends of Animals NF, please visit http://sunrunfriendsofanimals.chipin.com/sun-run-4-nf-strays. For businesses there are Gold, Silver, and Bronze sponsorship levels and for animal lovers donations are accepted through PayPal on their fundraising page.

Press Release link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/3/prweb9258004.htm

Proud to be involved,

KitsilanoKitty, TattCafe Member #1

The Tattoo Art Project – Johann Larsson – Sweden

This is the March 6, 2012 blog entry by Johann Larsson in the Tattoo Art Project blog.  TattCafe readers are surely to find this an interesting project and to learn more about it, the link is at the bottom of the page.

Why it’s important to make amazing art into an amazing tattoo also in 10 years

I would really like to take the time here and remind some artist and collectors about good tattoos, and the fact that it will be with you for the rest of your days on this planet…or others…

I see a lot of incredible tattoo art in the past few years that is truly mind boggling and eye opener as for how far this industry has reached and what can really be done on skin, most of it haven’t been seen in the previous years. And for that I thank all the new blood and incredible artists that chose this as their medium, as well as the innovators that had the balls to open those doors for us.

However, it seems like a lot of artists out there really stopped taking the time to pay attention to the factors that make a tattoo last and look great in 10 years time, and not only the first year. I’m really not coming here as an old bitter fart that is against progression and new ideas, however some ground rules are there for a reason, such as the fact that using white ( or any other light pigment) as an outside border for your tattoo against plain skin is just not going to hold, no matter how potent the pigment is.

No outlines or colored lines is a beautiful effect and can be done in a productive way and still last forever if used the right way and taken in consideration of the design and what holds it all together. This is just one example, but there have been a few of those elements that I see more often now days used in tattoos.

I realize that face book and such places will have a million and one people blowing smoke up your ass and telling you how amazing it is, and again, I will be the first one to admit that some of the art there is above and beyond my own skills and look amazing, but you really need to remember that most people out there also think that some of the shittiest tattoos are amazing too and don’t really judge it beyond their limited knowledge. And constructive critics and support is all good when taken in perspective.

So, I ask you people, please take the time to figure out . After all every client deserves a great tattoo, and no matter how far we reached and keep on, there’s still a limitation of the medium you are working with and some art just does not work for it, as least not in the long run. And it is your responsibility as the tattoo artist to get people on the right track and help them make the right decisions in order to make their ideas into good tattoos.

I’m not trying to bash anyone here only doing my best to keep this industry pushing forward!
Thanks for reading this, and sorry for the long rant.

Keep up the great art!!!

See you in some Hell…
Liorcifer

http://www.tattooartproject.com/about-the-project/

Romance Writers and Tattooed Characters – Yum?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We at TattCafe love stories about love and tattoos.  Same as we all have our secret guilty pleasures – maybe yours is reading romance novels?!  Well Donna Cummings loves romance and the tattooed main characters in them!  Read about them in ‘Heroes and Heartbreakers‘ from her blog:

http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/blogs/2011/05/tattooed-romance-heroes-marked-by-their-love