Guest piercer in Holland

Aiden Johnson

Aiden Johnson, experienced piercer from the UK, is guest-spotting at Rotterdam’s Inkstutition Classic Glamour and Amsterdam’s Classic Ink & Mods Dare 2 Ware. In The eight years as a piercer, he grew immensely, from a piercing fanatic to a well established name in the industry. Treasurer for the UKAPP, teacher and friend for life, he can talk hours about metal and polish.

How’s Holland treating you?
It’s all good here. I’m surrounded by a great team at all 3 shops and everyone has welcomed me and made me feel at home.

Have you guest-spotted before?
Ahahaha have I! I think the total count for last year was 36 guest spots in 27 different shops across 5 countries. Everything from little 1 person shops through to shops with multiple piercing rooms, high volume to low volume, high end to basic and everything in between.

How did you became a guest-piercer at Sharon’s studio?
It’s a story that starts 10 years ago. My lovely lady Anna Garvey (@anna_adorned) went to guest in Rotterdam and met Joan Dee (@miss_scarrific). Fast forward 10 years and Joan had fallen sick and needed someone to cover her shifts. She spoke to Anna et voila I arrive in Amsterdam. I then built up a good relationship and became a regular guest.

Helping out setting up a new studio?
I had mentioned to Sharon that I felt like staying still for a while. The 12 months previous to setting up Classic Glamour was a whirlwind. She proposed the idea of me acting as consultant to setup her new shop.

Do you miss home?
Sometimes I do. I’m a country boy at heart and I’m from a beautiful little place called Ironbridge in Shropshire (Google it!) so I’m always thinking about that. I miss Anna and my dogs (Coral and Fang) but Anna flies over to see me once a month and in May 2018 we all be moving into our camper van for some Euro adventures. If you know me and want a visit them fire me a message and I’ll see if you’re on
my route.

Since you like to travel around, do you have a dream spot in the world you like you guest-spot one day?
I’m hoping to tick this one off the list after APP in summer. I really want to go and spend some time at Cold Steel in San Francisco. I have visited San Francisco before and Paul King (and all his team) are people that I look upto in the industry. I’d also love to guest at Infinite in Philadelphia one day. Other than that I have been lucky and got to work in a lot of the shops that I look to for inspiration. Shout out to my wonderful girls Maree (@piercingsbymaree at @reb3lstudios), Nicole (@wklp at @love_hatelondon) and the wild Helen (@holierthanthoumanchester)

Can you describe us Dutchies in one sentence?
Straight to the point, caring and independant. There’s something about you guys that I really love.

Will you be back again?
Yeah I will! I have a few plans to come back during June and September. Keep an eye on my instagram for upcoming dates (and terrible memes).


Want to be pierced by aiden ?
He will be here till may 14th at Classic Glamour Rotterdam or Dare 2 ware in Amsterdam
Or keep an eye on his Instagram @aidenmustdie


Classic Glamour: 
We are the first luxury piercing boutique in The Netherlands based in Rotterdam. We work with the best piercers and jewelers from around the globe.

To provide the best service and to give every customer full attention and the right advise on their piercing, placing and kind of jewelry, we work on appointment only.

You can make an appointment by phone - email - DM

Our piercers can’t wait to give you a warm welcome and show our exclusive collection while you enjoy a nice glass of bubbles.
-Sharon & Duncan

Mariniersweg 78A
3011NT Rotterdam



http://dare2wear.nl/nl
http://classicinkandmods.com/
https://m.facebook.com/Classic-Glamour-154721735231997/

-Angie
Photos and answers by Aiden Johnson
-Published Tattoo Planet emagazine 133/may 2018

Interview Debbie Bijster

Name: Debbie Bijster, owner Dejama piercing in Purmerend.

Can you describe yourself in one sentence?
I'm a daughter, wife, mom, and friend, a perfectionist, professional, friendly, sociable, spontaneous, patient and creative.

How long have you been piercer?
I got to meet my teacher in 2013, In march 2017 opened my second shop.

Why this profession?
I'm originally a nurse ( still am). From an early age I was intrigued by body art. My husband is an artist (rattlecanned) trough wich we often had a stand on conventions. My enthausiasm was becoming stronger. When I was 35 I set my mind to learn about body modification and have made every effort able to be a piercer and voila                                                         

How or from whom did you learned the skills?
Once I had it in my head to become a piercer, I wrote two letters to two piercers I had in mind I wanted to learn from. One could not do it of private circumstances, the other one I had conversations
with, I even wrote an essay to him. He gave me the opportunity to be his apprentice, still very grateful for that. We became good friends. I still keep learning from situations, from colleagues around the world. Fantastic, I'm just like a sponge, want to know everything especially the why



What was your first piercing?
Labret

Who or what inspires you?
Ilya Langbein, Luis Garcia and Sharon Looy are the people I admire very much and gives me inspiration. Other colleagues, APP and BMXnet inspire me in addition to a number of modification artists.

Can you tell something about your studio/workplace?
In Krommenie I have a place in a big tattoo studio, between new beginning and experienced tattoo artists.Talented and super friendly people.
In purmerend I have a private studio.

What type of piercing do you prefer?
...Eeeuhm..the "tricky" piercings. People with a particular anatomy or people with special needs, the so called "projects"

But really I do like everything, because it makes people happy and every piercing is different with different anatomy.

What is the best piece of advice you ever got when you started out and think it would help other starters in this industry?
Take your time, don't go to fast
Stay honest to yourself and your clients.
Keep thinking. Do not take anything for sweet cake. But discover, research and continue to learn. If you want to get rich, find another job.

You have a nice or weird experience you'd like to share?
Each client is special, the one that remained with me the most is a man, his kids came along and sat in the waitingroom, his wife was with him. at the time I pierced the skin I was expecting an "auch" or an " F#ck" but he said "Cow meadow" I finished the procedure and after I asked him neatly where it came from, he said: " My kids are at a hearing distance"


Does your work involve more than just piercings?
Yes and No
I just pierce alone, but sometimes I feel I'm half a psychologist hahaha.

How do you see yourself in 5 years?
No idea, I have dreams afcourse, like High end jewelry only, shadowing Idols, attending the APP conference in Las Vegas, as well as UKapp and the BMXnet in Germany. working on that.
I want to be a excellent reputable piercer, who people know, and willing to travel for.

Do you have a tip or do you want to add something to this interview?
I detest people who give courses, people that tell their students you can be a piercer in 6 days for plus €2500,- Rip off
Everyone can pierce a hole, but to be a good piercer is something totally different.

In addition, people who go for quantity and seriously mutilate their customers, Piercers take at face value and take for granted because they're not explained only seen or read it somewhere.

Anyway, do it good or just don't


http://www.dejama.nl

-Angie
Pictures and answers: Debbie Bijster
Published Tattoo Planet eMagazine 133/mei2018

Back on it !

Dear readers,


I know it’s been awhile. But last year September, we almost lost our little girl. To keep a very long story short, she’s still with us, thanks to the wonderful doctors and the cardiopulmonary bypass pump (heart-lung machine), but she got diagnosed with cancer (lymphoma). So you can imagine we’ve been living in a really bad nightmare since it happened.

But I simply can’t describe how proud I am how’s she’s handling it all. With all the pain and suffering during all her necessary chemo treatments, she’s still laughing each and every day and full of energy. She’s my little superhero! I love you Raven!

And while we still have a long road ahead of us, treatments are working, things are looking better each and every day and we're slowly getting back to our normal day to day life. And that’s why I’ve decided to pick up my blog again. So if you’re interested in an interview or if you have a story or event to share, please feel free to send me a message:


email: info@modernbodystudio.nl
Facebook: www.facebook.com/angiedogspot


Thank you for understanding and your patience, but I’ll be back real soon with new blog posts!


Angie