I was thrilled to be invited to do henna at an after prom event hosted by an area high school.  I over prepared since it was my first event of this kind, but I'd always rather be over prepared than under and all the extra henna is happily waiting it's turn in my freezer.  We decided that it would be best to offer a few pre-approved designs rather than taking the time to have each person pick from a design book.  There were about 400 kids expected at the event and it was 3 hours long so I needed designs I could do quickly, but were still fun and enjoyable for the teens attending.  The picture on the left is of a canvas, about 2x3 feet, I applied hennaed and then sealed it with Modge Podge.  It was easy for many people to see at once while waiting in line and it worked very well.  It took a bit for the crowd to work it's way back to me, but once it started at midnight, my seat was never empty.  I even ended up staying a little late to make sure that everyone that wanted henna got some.  I crunched the numbers, and in 3 hours, I hennaed 65 people, I did let them sneak in a few requests, but most of the designs were from the board and everything got chosen a few times.  I averaged less than 3 minutes per person and that includes prepping the skin with an alcohol wipe and adding glitter at the end.  I hope the kids and the school were happy with the henna and I look forward to being invited back next year.  

My kids love henna, it is one of the main reasons I am so passionate about safe, natural henna.  My kids love to get henna from me and they also henna themselves and wood.  I love watching them be creative and explore new mediums.  My oldest is 8, she draws me henna designs for my book and gives me recommendations when I'm off to an appointment.  She always wants to know if someone chose one of her designs.  I'm pretty sure I'll have a business partner in a couple of years.  This past week both of my sons were napping and the girls asked for some henna since I had some out from an appointment that morning.   They picked designs from my book and away we went.  My 3 year old is just graduating from small, simple designs to more intricate and larger designs.  She is learning to hold still and sit still while the henna dries.  This is a skill she is learning because she loves to have henna on.  We got fancy and broke out the glitter for this one, it's amazing how special it can feel to have a little glitter on your hand!  Here are a few pictures from our mini henna party.  

Belly casts.  I love them, I have 4 hanging on a wall in my house.   However, when it comes to hennaing them, they stress me out!  Part of what I love about henna is that it is so forgiving.  When I make a mistake on skin I can wipe it off and go on, when I make a mistake on a belly cast, I'm stuck.  It is there and there is no wiping it off.  Well, unless I want a big brown smear, and I don't.  I don't have the same problem when making something wood, because, well, it's just wood.  A belly cast is an irreplaceable memento of a special fleeting time in a woman's life.  There is a little pressure there to make it great!  All that said, I really enjoy them when they are finished.  The soft brown raises from the textured white cast, it is a lovely contrast of color and texture.   Once the sealant is on, I breath a sign of relief and then have a moment of joy at the task accomplished and I hope they are enjoyed for years to come.  If you have a cast laying around that you want decorated or you are going to be getting one done, feel free to send me a message and check out the other casts I've done here.  This cast was done by, and for, Jacquelyn of Instrinsic Birthing, she offers the service if you don't want to do your own cast!  

This is the beautiful Andrea of AndreaG Photography.  It has been amazing working with her during the end of her pregnancy.  We did some partial bartering in my pregnancy last year and it's been great fulfilling my end of the agreement.  This is her third and final belly henna because she's having a baby any day now!  She found this design online and we both loved it.  It is something bold and different and I was excited to try it.  The original picture was done by Hennayat and found on Flicker, check out their work, it's amazing!   Be sure to check out Andrea's facebook page, she is an amazing photographer and she'll be taking clients including births(!) again in a few months.  You can see some of her pictures in my albums here too.  If you want to adorn your gorgeous belly with henna, you can check out more pictures of my work here and get details of getting henna with me here.  

Let's start with some background.  My name is Sarah, I have always loved making and looking at art.  It has taken on various forms through the years.  I minored in Art in college with a focus on oil painting and photography.  I neglected my creative side for many years.   It wasn't until my dear friend was pregnant and I wanted to give her a Blessing with henna the way she had done for me months earlier with my third baby, that it was reignited.  I loved henna.  The more I learned, the more interesting it became.  I wanted to know how to mix it, I wanted to try different recipes, I wanted to make sure it was safe for my pregnant friend and my kids.  I started mixing it in a plastic bag and cutting a small corner off to make designs, I've come a pretty far way from that and I still have so much more to learn!   I look forward to constantly improving my design and line quality.  I look forward to using this space to keep you up to date on what is going on with Alternative Artistry and documenting the journey.   I will leave it with a picture of my very first belly henna.  I still like this one.  :)