Recently I sent out an invite for people to send me their products and I would evaluate them for use on my upcoming TV show and or on my blog. The majority of products didn’t make the TV show cut. But some I loved so much that I had to post something on the blog. Laura Silverthorn’s company Mother Ink makes custom designed and eco friendly temporary tattoo’s.  You might be saying “so what” temporary tattoo’s are nothing new nor are they usually classified as being worthy to be featured. After you look at them and hear her story, I think you’ll change your mind. I spoke with Laura and I’ll paraphrase her story a bit, but it goes a little like this… Anyone who’s been around a pregnant woman long enough knows that she is both excited about the changes her body is going through, and thoroughly disgusted with those changes as well. Let alone as time goes by, getting more and more uncomfortable. She also can’t smoke, drink or have caffeine, so the irritability can reach new heights even for the calmest of women. Usually it comes to a point in which a pregnant woman just wants to “feel” sexy again. But what can she do? Wear some “pretty” stretch pants?? She definitely can’t get a tattoo or a piercing. But she can decorate herself with an FDA approved vegetable based temp tattoo (see photo below). And they tell me “green” is in.

I’m on the fence as far as getting a full tattoo, but one of the great idea’s Laura pulled off is that given the hormones that are going crazy with a pregnant woman, being able to decorate her body without the commitment is excellent. I know a good amount of women who have permanent tattoos that regret getting them. So Double Score Points go to Laura for providing a service that can be undone. Also Laura did not take the approach of “cheese,” in that she could have done something like a Fredrick’s of Hollywood approach or taken the view that women want “juicy” written on them somewhere. Laura pushed passed what would commonly be considered “mass market” appeal, or as I would say …dumbed down.

When I showed the designs and the idea of Mother Ink to my wife, she immediately liked the idea and understood what Laura was doing. Especially the non commitment part of the tattoo. Another bonus that comes across from this creative business idea is that it translates to non-pregnant women as well. And if you know me, I love multi-layered concepts.

And finally I like Laura’s approach to what she designed for the tattoos. Laura could have let a computer program design something for her like a heart or a music symbol. Instead she concepts first and then hand draws and colors them first. Then brings them into a computer. And if you’ve read my book you’d know that the computer is a tool, not the designer.

Mother Ink tattoos are fun, creative, appealing, green, innovative  …and on target.

Check them out at www.MotherInk.com