I will be doing henna and gilding at the First Universalist Church Arts and Crafts Fair this weekend. Details are as follows:

Where:

4101 E Hampden Ave
Denver, CO 80222
(303) 759-2770

When:

October 13: 9 am – 4 pm

October 14: 9 am – 2:30

Hope to see you there!

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First I take a cone filled with acrylic body glue and draw a design.  Then I let it dry.

Then I apply glitter, lumiere powder (soft sheen), or mica (which looks like a real tattoo).

Finally I brush the powder away.

This process is where I take high quality body glue (used in Hollywood to attach prosthetics) and apply it to the skin in designs. Once the glue is clear and tacky, I brush glitter on top to create a sparkling effect. You may hire me to do gilding only, or I can do a follow-up appointment the day after your henna appointment (after your henna paste has come off). That way the gilding won’t rub off when you’re taking your henna paste off. The glue is water resistant and can last up to five days with the proper care.

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I will bill gilding the same as henna, however if you choose to have both henna and gilding appointments I will have a $30 minimum instead of a $50 minimum to compensate.

Here are some other examples of gilding that I’ve done. As of right now I have glitter and mica, which is black and looks just like a tattoo! Soon I will have lumiere powder, which is smoother than the glitter with a slight sheen.

On the belly (yellow stain is turmeric paste) 

 On the top of the foot

On the palms of the hands

On the forearms

The design, the paste:

Eight hours:  Immediately after paste removal, already a deep fiery orange.

Twenty-four hours: A beautiful garnet color

Forty-eight hours:  Gorgeous blackberry color

African styles are very geometric.

Muslim designs must not be exact replicas of nature or they distract the bearer from prayer. Instead, they abstract natural designs geometrically.

Middle Eastern designs are smooth and floral but more bold than Indian designs.

A crescent represents a newborn baby, eager to understand it’s new world.

A cross signifies the connection between heaven and earth.

A five-pointed star represents the unity of the five elements: fire, water, earth, air, and heaven.

A lotus represents pure nature.  The lotus rises up from the filth of a pond and emerges pure, like your true self.

Om is the purest voice within. 

The paisley is an unripe mango and symbolizes purity.

The peacock symbolizes love and desire since peacocks remain with their mate for life.

The six-pointed star is the union of upward and downward triangles, male and female principles.

The sun represents knowledge and immortality.