The Ah Sing Sisters

For thanksgiving, my cousins from Oahu came to the Big Island to enjoy the simpler life, a nice vacation from the hustle and bustle that the city brings. Two of my cousins that I am particularly close with, Lacey and Hope Ah Sing, decided to get tattooed while they were here. Due to certain circumstances out of any of our control, these tattoos had to take place at night. So we got to the house at about 9:30 p.m and began the brainstorming process of what to do as a tattoo. It was only then that we realized, "wow, we have no idea what we're going to do." the funny part to this story is that Lacey and I were planning this tattoo for a couple months in advance but due to sheer laziness, there were no official sketches done before hand.
So after about an hour an a half or so of going back and forth on designs and placement, we finally decided on a tattoo. First up, was Lacey, because at first, Lacey was the only one scheduled to be tattooed. We drew out the design on to her foot and we were off and 30 minutes later, the first tattoo was completed with very little whimpering or commotion.
This is about the time when Hope(the one with the ideas) decided that she wanted to get the same tattoo done but differently. Hope said the the tiare was in fact HER favorite flower and if her sister could handle, so could she.
So, with the second verse the same as the first, we began the adventure which was tattooing Hope. Unlike her kaikuaana, Hope was a little more apprehensive to the needle and as soon as the Machine began, so did the torture. This marathon of both pain and laughter consisted of a half and hour session with breaks ever two minutes or so with one great cramp towards the end. When all was said and done however, the out come was well worth the endeavor resulting in two beautiful tattoos, two sisters bonded by ink, and one unforgettable night.

Congratulations Lacey and Hope!

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Getting ready for the Kamahalo Craft Fair in Volcano. We know itʻs far, but Kamahalo is actually run by our family (grandma Hughes), so weʻll brave the cold. Kamahalo is one of our kupuna from Molokaʻi.

There are also lots of artists in Volcano Village who open up their studios for thanksgiving weekend. Come by if youʻre in the neighborhood. Weʻve got black Friday specials on our newest wahine t - Maluhia because this is the season for peace. The shirts are fitted for curves, but we also have some xl loose for the more modest gals.

We'll also be bringing our trucker hats. Remember, everything is original so if you like it, get it. No one else will ever have the same hat as you.

It's been a while...

Yea, so it's been a while since this blog has even been touched but I promise to make up for it. Here are some updates of what 808 iD has been up to lately.

So first off as you all know, I have gotten into tattooing and have slowly been working on making my work better and and stronger each time. The first is a good friend of mine, Britney who has been so generous as to be my "Japanese-style tattoo testing dummy". Luck for her, it actually went better than expected resulting in a beautiful mash-up of a koi, lotus, sakura, and her kanji "Naka-Yama". Next of with her we're going to try and tackle some Thai style lettering to represent her moms side of the family...wish me luck on that one.

Next up we have one of the cool kids from my high school hangout spot, Amanda Panda....not Panda is not really her last name.  This tattoo by far was the most fun and technically challenging tattoos i've done to date, in one session no less. Girl took it like a champ and the mana'o behind this piece is the reason I began tattooing.

Last up, the Kamahalo Christmas craft fair is soon approaching, Nov. 26-27, at the Cooper Center in Volcano. There will be a special sale for everyone who comes on Black Friday only. Details will be posted up on this blog as well as the facebook page on thursday.

The real deal

Let me just start off by saying that this tattoo was one of the most roller-coaster like tattoo i've ever done. The first session was on a whim, the second session was totally frustrating and discouraging, and the final session was one of the best ever.
Now that I got that out of the way, this tattoo was a powerful stepping stone in both the life of the recipient as well as my own. This is the first real tattoo of size that I have completely finished on my own from start to pau.

O ka pueo ka hoailona

In Hawaii there are legends told of powerful Pele, magestic 'aumakua, and mystical hoailona. The pueo is both one of the many 'aumakua protecting and watching over the people of Hawaii nei but also one of the most powerful and beautiful hoailona or "signs". The pueo represents protection and knowledge, traits similar to the bird itself. Many people look to it in times of uncertainty and struggle with hopes that the pueo will guide them through.
This pueo once finished will do the same for it's wearer with designs that incorporate family and strength through this new chapter in his life.

Kau i ke kukulu

"Kau i ke kukulu" Roughly translates to building on the foundation. This phrase best describes my personal journey through tattoos. My first tattoo I received was when I graduated high school and was on my shoulder. That tattoo for me represented my family, my transition into a new stage of life as well as the mo'o. The mo'o or lizard was one of the many 'aumakua worshiped throughout the islands and one of the most famous lived not too far from where I live now. Panaewa(the mo'o) was famous his epic battles against Pele and Hi'iaka. However, mo'o as a word was a very important one to the Hawaiians. Mo'o, besides meaning lizard, was also a prefix to a lot of powerful hua'olelo. For example Mo'olelo, Mo'okuauhau, Mo'opuna, and so on. The basic gist of this is that it represents lineal movement through time, generations, and stories. This mo'o was the beginning of my tattoo journey.

The newest work is something a little different. It's Traditional Hawaiian designs with a little bit of asian flow to it. It is also the next step in my journey. The first part(on my shoulder) was to represent my family and to know that I have a strong foundation in them. This next step is for protection as I set forth on my own journey as a young man. My journey through life is nowhere near being done...and neither is my tattoo journey!

All about progression

The aftermath of session number two on the pe'a. We stuck with the sort of Filipino feel with the turtle shell pattern but we also started putting in the Samoan designs as well. This is definitely a more modern version of the traditional pe'a. The part the goes from his back and on to his hip is a representation of the lashing that was used to bind the houses together. The part on his lower back(i call it his "tramp stamp" haha) is the kawa bowl with different patterns represented in the lashing of the houses. *The Kawa bowl design was done by my mentor, Uncle Ni