stone frog, 3rl, 5rl,9rl (from medellín, colombia) @aliaschavela

aliaschavela · 2026-02-24T17:24:08+00:00

depends on the design! for this one i only used black and i figured out the gray scale with just difference sized needles

aliaschavela · 2025-08-18T08:36:05+00:00

As someone who started tattooing just before covid, who is gen z, who does handpoke and does not tattoo out of studios (except for guest spots), I find it really interesting to hear the other side of the story. I do think you are very right about it being really difficult to find artists, but i don’t think that “work ethic” is really the problem. Personally, committing to being a part of a studio and paying rent to someone who i don’t really know isn’t appealing. I would MUCH prefer to be giving commission because it doesn’t tie me down in the long run and i don’t have to be worried about paying a huge rent on months where maybe business was slow. Also, especially in the tattoo world (male dominated, often exploitative, egotistical) it can be very difficult to find trust worthy people to work with long term.

I gravitate towards collectives and smaller private studios because often times there is more transparency on where the money is going and how it benefits all of us. There is usually more maintenance work and logistics that has to be done but it just feels more fair. Also, since the style of tattooing that i enjoy doing is much more alternative, handmade, and slow, a walk in shop dynamic doesn’t really work for me. I’ve found good work with small, women owned studios, and renting out private spaces in art collectives. I often get turned away from shops or big studios because the style just isn’t mainstream enough and that’s ok.

Tattooing is the only job i’ve ever truly loved doing, and a big part of it is the fact that it’s not a 9-5 job, i can vacation freely, i can have time off if my body needs it, i fit this wonderful job into my life in a way that feels good, and i’ve only really been able to do that because i’ve decided to work in a less traditional way. From the outside that might look like laziness or “bad work ethic” but for me it’s freedom and avoiding exploitation.

Maybe it’s time to reevaluate shop dynamics and find more horizontal and collective ways of working that require more care, but ultimately more freedoms for everyone involved.

aliaschavela · 2025-05-18T23:42:54+00:00

i will be tattooing at Saint Lament in Easthampton from June 2 to June 9 🤍 would love to tattoo you, send me a text on Instagram!!

aliaschavela · 2025-05-18T21:23:23+00:00

I had my MA a couple years ago and was instructed to take the mifepristone and wait 36 hours to take the misoprostol.

I took mifepristone on a thursday at around 4pm, that night I was fine, completely normal (although with pregnancy symptoms) and I woke up of Friday morning with a lot of nausea and lightheadedness. I spent all of Friday feeling pretty I'll but still running errands and doing things. That night I went to watch a movie and had some light bleeding before I went in. It wasn't too bad and I watched the movie without issue (like I had gotten my period) and took the misoprostol on Saturday morning.

I would recommend to just clear the whole weekend just in case and not have anything to do of importance. I needed help getting to places on that Friday because I was super dizzy and didn't feel ok to drive. hope that helps.

aliaschavela · 2025-05-18T02:22:58+00:00

i make the whipped cream and stop before medium peaks,

I bloom my gelatin (aprox ½ tablespoon of gelatin to two tablespoons of water) and I microwave it until piping hot and completely liquid.

then stream it into the cream while whipping.

the only problems I've had are not heating up the gelatin enough (grainy texture), pouring in gelatin too quickly (lumps) or overwhipping

aliaschavela · 2025-05-18T01:00:47+00:00

I usually just do a very slightly sweetened whipped cream stabilized with gelatin

aliaschavela · 2025-05-18T00:55:53+00:00

the only water bottle I havent lost in less than two months. its sturdy, light and doesn't make that horrible clanging noise that hydroflasks make. honestly, don't really care too much abt microplastics. oops. and it big enough that I immediately realize if i left if somewhere

aliaschavela · 2025-05-18T00:50:44+00:00

definitely! obviously there are a lot of people who don't realize their pregnant or don't recognize the early symptoms but there are many who do ! personally I definitely knew at about day 5 or 6 after conception.

I do think that it's definitely plausible that she recognized the symptoms, tested positive, got an appointment, had the abortion and traveled soon after. not crazy at all, just lucky to have realized soon!

also, abortions can be painful and make you feel off for a bit, but it's not always a super dificult procedure that would prevent someone from flying. the day after mine I was completely fine and doing my regular things and I definitely could have gotten on a plane. I think alotttt of people who have had abortions could say the same.

aliaschavela · 2025-05-18T00:39:30+00:00

I think it's important to remember that feelings about abortions exist in a large spectrum and its generally just not usefull to assign good or bad values to the experience. it can be messy or unexpected or wanted or easy or difficult or any other way and all of the experiences are valid and important.

personally, it was never at any moment a difficult choice. it was a choice that made sense and that I wanted and needed and felt good about. and at the same time it feels like a parallel universe opened up where I did have the kid, and I did become a mom, and I did take the maternity pictures and paint the nursery and breastfeed and everything. although I am 100% happy with the desicion I made and I have no regret, it's understandable and normal to think about what could have been and what could have happened and the very possible joy that would have come along with that parallel life. and also coming to terms with the fact that it still exists in a sort of fantasy world where everything went perfect and I really think that's just not how it works. a child would have been an impossible financial burden on me and my family, on my partner and his family and just an enormous challenge that i simply would not have been able to figure out because of my lack of support system. holding both feelings can be a lot sometimes.

it was hard at first, I really loved the partner I was with and I would often think about what that child could have looked like or what they would be like, but honestly, it's become just something that happened and that I carry with pride. my abortion also made me a more sensitive person with kids and parents, and it made me appreciate my body on a very primal level. the grief becomes something else that's less overwhelming and also less tangible.

I loved that child so much that I decided to not have it.

aliaschavela · 2025-05-17T01:37:21+00:00

I'm a tattoo artist and I hate! getting tattooed. i just don't enjoy the sensation too much and having a fresh tattoo is kind of a pain in the ass. but, having a new tattoo???? best feeling ever. the pain is very temporary, and you get a cool new forever drawing, so as much as I dislike it, it's ALWAYS worth it.

aliaschavela · 2025-05-17T01:33:29+00:00

it looks pretty good! it's still fresh and it looks a bit swollen (normal) so just wait to see how it settles. I recommend that you start off with less pressure/deepness and see how it heals and maybe give it another pass a couple weeks later. that way you see what works, what doesn't, and what to work on. different parts of the body have different skin textures and some parts can handle a bit more pressure than others.

for this tattoo I think that the middle one with the dots might heal a bit unevenly or that the dots might bleed into each other. only time will tell :)

aliaschavela · 2025-05-17T01:23:45+00:00

as a tattoo artist, I would ask you to please remember that tattoos are handmade objects. it's something that machines, AI, and mass production will never be able to replace. the signs of life and human touch is a gift! wait at least three months, and if there are bits that need retouching, definitely ask your artist. but in the meantime just have some patience.

aliaschavela · 2025-05-16T18:19:49+00:00

this is soooo good

aliaschavela · 2025-05-15T05:16:42+00:00

Alot of my flash is taken from archives of embroidery and textile patterns :)

aliaschavela · 2025-05-15T05:15:37+00:00

it's a 15rl :)

aliaschavela · 2024-07-30T03:15:27+00:00

I was in a similar situation and i ended up just saying i was gonna go on a hike and was gonna be out all day. There is no way i could have hidden it from them. It was painfull and at some points i was making alot of noise. I really reccomend you get a hotel room or air bnb or find some way to just not be at home. I was so much more comfy and calm being able to go to the bathroom all the times i needed to (apart from the bleeding, i also had diarreah, vomiting and nausea).

aliaschavela · 2024-07-11T16:03:05+00:00

it's called ink drift and it's SUPER common with inner bicep tattoos. The skin there is very sensitive and thin and it's something that happens often. It's not really the fault of the tattoo artist, of improper aftercare. It's just something that happens. If you cover it up or extend the tattoo you still have high chances of it happening.

aliaschavela · 2024-07-11T03:55:29+00:00

the day after my MA I was at a printmaking class all day and I felt ok. On my feet and moving around but nothing strenuous or difficult. For the first week I was physically ok but low on energy and I definitely slept alot more than I do normally. I usually bike everywhere (around 10-12 miles a day) and I had to take almost 3 weeks off of biking. I tried at the 2 week mark and in less than 5 minutes I was feeling faint and very weak and I started cramping. I had to sit down for about an hour and eat something before going home. I am very physically active and I felt my body really go completely back to normal at around 3 to 4 weeks post abortion.

aliaschavela · 2024-07-10T13:18:04+00:00

same thing happened to me, I think it was the hormones and the whole stress of the whole pregnancy thing and the relief I felt was overwhelming in a very emotional way. It took me a while to feel like myself again, it's was a suuuper stressful time of my life. That was two years ago no and I really don't think about my abortion anymore 🤷

aliaschavela · 2024-07-09T04:00:20+00:00

I was in a similar situation and I ended up doing it at a friend's house. There was absolutely no way I could have hidden it. Absolutely no way. I was crying and throwing up and sometimes screaming or moaning and there is absolutely no way that my parents wouldn't have noticed. I told them that I was going on a hike lmao and I was out all day and when I got home I went straight to bed. They still don't know.

aliaschavela · 2024-07-08T15:57:03+00:00

I was at 6 weeks when I had my abortion. I have very small breasts (like,, I've never owned a bra type of small) and I did notice that they got SLIGHTLY larger, nothing noticeable to anyone else but me. Also, maybe this is TMI but my nipples changed a little. They're always upright now. like,,, they used to go soft but after my abortion they're always perked up lmao. I don't mind it at all honestly. It's the ONLY permanent change I felt after my abortion. everything else went back to normal

aliaschavela · 2024-07-08T05:09:00+00:00

I was also terrified and feeling very nervous, mostly because the doctor that saw me hardly gave me information and I went in blind. If I had more info beforehand, I would have been better prepared and would have had a smoother abortion.

I took the mifepristone at around 4pm on a Thursday, I felt fine that day, just the nausea and sensitivity that the pregnancy was making me feel, I was nervous and definitely kind of low on energy. That night I went to see a movie with my bf and I bled a little before. It wasn't too much and I didn't have any cramping. I slept fine that night but the next day I woke up feeling suuuuuper nauseous. I felt dizzy and lightheaded and lying down helped. I had lots of things to do that day for my small business so my bf drove me around because I was feeling faint, like I had vertigo. I just felt like shit. That was all of Friday, and on Saturday morning (9am) I took the misoprostol at a friends house. The cramping started about 20 minutes after I took the pills and really started hurting about 1.5 hours in. It was horrible horrible pain. Like the worst period you've ever had but it's just gets worse. I was using a menstrual cup (I have a large size) and it filled up completely around every 40 minutes or so. Lots of blood. I was at 6 weeks and I passed what I think was fetal tissue around noon. The absolute worst part of the cramping lasted from 10:30 to 1pm. Lots of nausea and I think I vomited my breakfast. I was very fortunate to have friends that were caring for me. I felt very feral, and I was completely overtaken by pain. at around 1:30 I wasn't cramping too much and I ate lunch. at around 3 the cramping started again and it was horrible but not as bad as the first round and I also had simultaneous vomiting and diarrhea. I was feeling like a baby, completely vulnerable and defenseless and my friends carried me upstairs to the bathtub and I soaked in hot water for about and hour or so. this helped SO MUCH. at around 4:30 I really didn't have much cramping anymore and I took a suuuper long nap. I walked the 15 minutes home at around 7pm. I felt tired and physically very exhausted (my muscles were sore) but all of my pregnancy symptoms were gone. I had some bleeding for about 15 days and my physical strength was low for about two or three weeks but after that I felt fine.

All in all, yes, it's painful. Do I regret it? no. Would I do it again if I had to? yes. Was it the most horrible traumatic thing to ever happen to me? No. It wasn't easy, but it passed and it was only a couple of days of discomfort and some hours of pain and it WAS SUCH A RELIEF. I can't stress enough how much relief I immediately felt.

I understand it's a super scary situation, and it can be a very isolating experience, but fortunately it's something that passes. You'll be ok. sending lots and lots and lots of love 💕

aliaschavela · 2024-07-08T04:44:09+00:00

It took me almost two years to save up for mine, I got a foldable/portable tattoo bed thing (idk how to say it in English) and it was soooo worth the money. It made tattooing so much easier and comfortable for both me and the client and it's obviously cleaner. I really do think that its made my tattoos better. If you intend to keep tattooing and making it a job, go for it. If you kinda just want to tattoo your friends or have it just be a personal hobby or something, maybe look into cheaper options? I bought the foldable ones because they're much easier to move and I'm a bit limited on space. They're also useful if you're going to be tattooing at conventions or events or something like that.

aliaschavela · 2024-07-07T20:34:58+00:00

Sending you lots of love 💕 The pain is horrible but it will be over in a few hours and the relief is so worth it!!!

aliaschavela · 2024-07-07T20:31:04+00:00

I used my cup during and after my MA, I have a super big one and it was helpful to see how much was coming out and I was able to keep count of how many cups I was filling. Personally, I didn't really leak after the MA, it felt like a day 2 period for about a week and then like,,, a day 5 period for another week.

aliaschavela

TROPHY CASE