The official tattoo thread

[Melina]

Originally Posted by wink-_-wink

All 8 of mine have meaning as well, im just pulling your leg. I am glad something that is so visually stunning has deeper meaning than just the beauty of it!

My other 5 have valuable meaning as well. I don't understand those people who just go in and pick something off the wall

This latest though, the Phoenix, I'm exceptionally pleased with. It's the first time I've been to this shop and everyone is super nice there, clean, amazing work, I love my artist...We've become good friends. I won't go anywhere else now. Plus, as long as I keep photographing their work, I'll keep getting ink done for free

[wink-_-wink]

Originally Posted by Melina

Plus, as long as I keep photographing their work, I'll keep getting ink done for free

SOOO JEALOUS!! I work in a prison and these guys buy tattoos from each other (which for the crappy materials they have, the art comes out fairly amazing) for like the equivelant of 20-30$ I wish I didn't have to save up for them lol but i throw my change in my jar and when it fills up I go cash in and get a tattoo lol the time it takes me to fill this giant jug (shaped like a coke bottle) gives me plenty of time to think out/design my next

[KatsMuse]

Originally Posted by Melina

My other 5 have valuable meaning as well. I don't understand those people who just go in and pick something off the wall

Love the ink!
All of mine have special meaning as well...I don't understand the 'picking off the wall' thing either.
I usually draw my own.
Mine all represent the important cycles/stages of my life.
Started in 1979, only have 4 so far.
I have a new one in mind, just need to find the right artist.

Hubby has none, daughter has at least 5.

Kat

[Melina]

Wink - I'm just lucky I have a skilled trade they need. Glad I didn't go to school for Molecular Biology, haha. Wouldn't help me in trading for tattoos one bit. What is it that you do in a prison? My Father was a Psychologist in a prison for the state of CT for quite some time (Probably nothing like what you do). If I didn't have my BA in Photography I would have been just like you, counting my pennies, saving for the next session on my half sleeve. I just happened to luck out!

Kat, my love - I'm glad to hear that, it's just foolish and asinine to pick one off the wall at random. What will it ever do for you sentimentally when you look down at it later? You'll have to email me some of your drawings sometime! Got my first tattoo when I was 18 (Against the wishes of my parents, but hey, I saved up my own, hard earned money...Never looked back. They're so addicting). You'll need to write me and tell me about your newest idea and convince your husband to get one....Or at least hold him down and make him get one


Current status of my tattoo (In the yucky flaking and peeling process):










Always looks better right after you get it done, until it's completely healed. The in-between stage is awkward.

[wink-_-wink]

Right now I am just a regular officer in the prison. It isnt an ordinary prison it is Federal prison so there is a lot more red tape. I like working for the feds tho because it gives me freedom to move around the country if I want to. Which I do! Right now I work in the Largest Federal prison in the country, we have about 5,000 inmates. In my one housing unit (where I work 8 hours by myself with no self defense weapons such as baton, mace, gun, taser, or ANYTHING other than a radio and 3 weeks of self defense class training) it is 400 inmates to 1 officer. When the compound is open the numbers are much higher tho. I love my job, it is far from boring, and it is different every day!! Plus (to keep it on track with this thread) there is NO tattoo policy for me. I can have as many as I want. I can sleeve out (which I can't do because I am also Air National Guard) if I wanted my hands neck or head as well, they may frown on it but theres no rule against it.. just about everyone here has tattoos.

[lkellen]

For my dad.. It means Faith Hope and Love. and his initials. He was in the Vietnam War in Air Force. He died in 1991 due to brain cancer that they believe was caused by Agent Orange.

]P.S. any ideas on how to show Mom the tattoo!? Ha, she is not a big fan of them, and I have angel wings on my foot/ankle bone that she has seen but was "OK" with since it is hardly seen.. this is on my wrist.

I am in absolute love with it, and I don't live with my mom, but seriously, everyone knows how scary moms can be!!!

[KZoppa]

Melina, that looks amazing!!! Last I knew, you were still working on the details of it so to see the finished product, thats fabulous!!! Really good work!!

[KZoppa]

Latest....




Before...


After....



Have my next two ready to go too. Just need to decide when I'm going to get them done and when my Aunt is available to do them.

[wink-_-wink]

Originally Posted by lkellen

For my dad.. It means Faith Hope and Love. and his initials. He was in the Vietnam War in Air Force. He died in 1991 due to brain cancer that they believe was caused by Agent Orange.

]P.S. any ideas on how to show Mom the tattoo!? Ha, she is not a big fan of them, and I have angel wings on my foot/ankle bone that she has seen but was "OK" with since it is hardly seen.. this is on my wrist.

I am in absolute love with it, and I don't live with my mom, but seriously, everyone knows how scary moms can be!!!

Thats awesome! I have an Ambigram down my outter forearm that says FAITH one way and upside down it says HOPE! Honestly I think your mom would like it... because of how much meaning it has to you and what it represents.

[Melina]

Originally Posted by KZoppa

Melina, that looks amazing!!! Last I knew, you were still working on the details of it so to see the finished product, thats fabulous!!! Really good work!!

Thank you I'm super happy with it. I'm even happier I could trade for the work and get it done quickly, otherwise I'd still be sitting here with the outline, haha. My artist was even nice enough to show up before shop hours (7am) to do the last two sessions for me. He's awesome.

Here it is pretty well healed. The colors have settled down a bit, haha. Not so intense! Still beautiful, I love it