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First session on this ROA tattoo done by Grez at King's Ave in NYC, still red and swollen. More pics next month after it's finished.

Sorry it's been a while since I've been here. Looking at other people's tattoos makes me want more, and my wallet can't afford it. I recently changed jobs, and to celebrate I got this. This was done by the same tattooer that did my other pieces (Papa Joe in Boise, ID). My back is nearly complete. This is a pic of the fresh tattoo.

Sorry you are going through all this with your Dad. Unfortunately, many people let their own prejudices, likes and dislikes get in the way of meaningful discussions and relationships. What I love about what you write is that you are obviously happy and confident with who you are. Lots of people never get to that point. Never lose that. People who are true friends and who love you won't impose their own beliefs on you - they may not agree with you but they accept that you have the same right to your beliefs as they. As a (as of today) 61 year old, and president of a small college, I get lots of my staff, faculty and students wanting to know if my tattoo is real or not. They want to see it to be convinced. The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. I was at an event last evening out in the community and I had several people asking, again, if I really did it or if it was fake. Too funny. My wife just rolls her eyes and smiles.

Lol! I actually did this! I didn't actually have a design on my wall or anything though. I decided on a subject matter, style, and placement and gave myself a year. I could tweak the concept, but as long as the core of it stayed the same I would get it. Lots of tweaking happened, but it stayed the same. I made a mistake of choosing a bad artist though (hole in the wall shop but I was dumb and the artist took my deposit and then refused to do a sketch until the week I was coming in so cost wasn't set and he wouldn't give me my deposit back). It took me several years to save up the money to get a good artist to work on me because life kept happening (medical emergencies, emergency vet bill, car problems, my ex running off with my savings...) so I decided to go for a smaller piece on my right leg (9 square inches between ankle and calf). I gave myself a month to really research artists, hammer out a rough design (a broken infinity) to give him an idea of what I wanted for him to refine, get feedback from friends, get aftercare down pat, and save up the last bit of cash I would need for it. My experience was head and shoulders above my last one (thanks in large part to my artist) and I'm more determined than ever to get my full left calf piece of a fairy with butterfly wings and a nature background. Yes there's a lot of symbolism there because that's just who I am, but she's gonna also look awesome. ;) I'm really enjoying having my first tattoo at 30 and already brainstorming how to incorporate it into an interesting right calf piece (Very rough, but I'm thinking either black work or black and gray to contrast the bright colors that will be on my left calf. I'm currently researching my genealogy and was thinking adding symbols and objects that show were my ancestors came from with maybe a couple symbol from different zodiacs in either neo traditional, new school, geometric, tribal, or an interesting black work). A lot of people are supportive, but some... not so much. A friend I've had for a long time is probably not my friend anymore. I told him I was getting a tattoo and was cool with it until he found out it was a broken infinity to mark the year I finally came out as an atheist after hiding it all my life (I'm an agnostic de facto atheist, not an anti-theist by the way). He threw a fit saying stuff like "You know it's permanent right?", "What are you gonna do when you get over this phase and come back to God and are stuck with it?", and "Are you a satanist?". Considering he acted the same when I told him I was an atheist, I'm pretty sure I'm stepping back from the friendship. My dad (who I moved back in with a few months ago after I lost everything) is mad that I wanted a tattoo, that I researched and designed a tattoo, the I went to get a tattoo, that I got the tattoo, that I wanted to show him the tattoo, and that it was "too big for a woman" (3 in x 3 in). He's told me "You had to get the tackiest ugliest thing in the shop didn't you?", "A tattoo that big looks ugly on a woman.", "What are you gonna do when you meet a nice guy and find out he hates tattoos?", "I hope you get an infection and your leg falls off! Would serve you right.", "It was a waste of money and looks like shit.", "You always get obsessed with stupid shit! First it was books, then it was tattoos, and now it's [family history]." (I read all the time, been wanting a tattoo since 13, and found someone who can help me get past where I've been stuck on my genealogy), and "How long do you think it's gonna take for you to regret this?" I went to the hospital yesterday with a massive asthma attack which scared the nurses and got me a stiff lecture from the ER doctor for waiting so long to come in and for driving myself there (40 minutes). I was wearing short pants, so my ink was showing. Still weak, I ended up having to drive myself home. My dad proceeded to give me an earful for having "that ugly ass thing" out in the open, not doing my housework, and smelling like "stinky feet". So after he went to bed, I went in his bathroom, put my foot in his sink, and washed and moisturized my ink. I had to clean my tattoo anyway and I didn't want to get in the shower. Besides, fuck dad and his tattoo hating ass for making me drive to the ER in the middle of an asthma attack (my meds wouldn't stop it, but he thought I was exaggerating even though I've had it all my life). After how my dad and my former friend acted, I kinda welcome the "did it hurt" (it varies, but mine wasn't in a painful spot and felt like a knife scraping across the skin without breaking it), "how much did it cost" (it varies but my guy charges $50 for every 30 minutes), "where did you get it" (Kilted Raven. They're really nice.), "how can you tell if a shop is any good" (clean, new needles, premium ink, willing to show both fresh and healed pieces, reviews and pics online, guarantee work as long as you follow instructions...), "how do you take care of it" (aftercare information) questions with gusto. I also had a decently inked young woman start talking tattoos with me at the library soon after I had mine done. She asked if she could touch my fresh tattoo because it was covered in tegaderm and she wanted to know how it felt (I let her). Then asked how it worked and where she could get some for her upcoming tattoo. I was even nice to the people that think tattoo shops are dirty, dangerous, or just for bikers and military people. One did test my patience when she went on about how "It's better to get your ears pierced at Walmart jewelry with a nice clean gun (...um) than from a dangerous tattoo parlor piercer. Who knows where that stuff has been!?!" which I think is one if the stupidest things I've ever heard in my life! She wouldn't listen to me about autoclaves, inspections, or internships either. Her mind was set. Also, as a random note I seen a post on a Facebook group from people who hate tattoos (I was looking for a way to understand my dad) stating that tattooed parents are something like 800% more likely to spend money on a tattoo than food for their children than untattooed parents. Uh... no shit! Of course people with tattoos are more likely to spend money on tattoos than people without them! It's like saying people with dogs are more likely to buy dog food XD

oh hell yeah got a little ROA action coming in a couple weeks

gonna repost in this thread cause i'm super stoked on my latest n greatest Snake by Scott Rusnak / Lucky Strike Tattoo Edmonton 2016 body wraps onto the inside of the wrist. i'm really happy with the placement which was tricky because I didn't want to lose the dragonfly above. i'm stoked about the negative halo to keep it pop'd. the snake tongue is super legit. Dragonfly (aka Snakedoctor) by Shawn O'Connor / Ink Machine Tattoo Edmonton, AB 2014 considerably lower anxiety during the healing. it's 1 week old now and the snake had it's first shed. the tongue is really scabby but so far everything is holding. hands are a bitch to heal. so now both hands are done and sleeves dropped down all the way to the edge of the wrist. ink is leaking out of my long sleeve shirts yeeehaw

Just finished Jack and i couldn't be happier with it! So excited! Done by Zaed from Radical Ink in Bucharest.

Almost everything that can be said about this case has been said. But when it comes to price I allways either tell the artist my budget, ask for a rough price before we start or agree on a price on forehand. Telling an artist your budget or agreeing on a price isn't and shouldn't be anything to be afraid or ashamed of. It's a business, and you're a customer.

Just got to the hotel from the studio. Planning to add to sleeve out the calf. Looking for ideas. Shane O'Neill at Infamous Tattoo. Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

^ I feel the same way. I don't know where the term came from but it doesn't bother me - it's just another label. The more I go to new shops, meet new artists/people, the more exciting it is to repeat that process. I'm a relatively skinny guy, so my real estate is used up pretty fast even when I get a medium-ish size piece.

This is sort of how I look at it. Additionally, like @bongsau said, if you go back and repeat, you may get a "rounded down" rate. Of course, you may not and that's something you have to be prepared for. If you're happy with the tattoo and enjoy it, then I wouldn't lose sleep over it. It may seem like a lot now, but $200 is nothing compared to loving a tattoo forever.

I was at a college party one night, hanging out with friends. Suddenly some dude walked up to me and said "you look stupid" and walked off. Later that night the same guy started telling me about how tattoos now a days are looked at the same as being black in the 1920's, After that, I told him to get lost and walked away. He then proceeded to tell me (almost yelling BTW) that "my parents didn't raise me like that, blah, blah, blah." at this point I was ready to leave. The last thing I said to the guy before leaving was that "my parents taught me to treat everyone with respect, I guess we were raised different." Plainskins Say The Darndest Things.....

Henning requested pics of my healed back with a black background. Believe it or not, it was tough finding large enough black material like a curtain or spool of cloth but luckily my local dry cleaner had something I could borrow. I had to email him LARGE files because he may publish the photos in something. Fun looking at all the details. Maximize your browser!

You really shouldn't ever take this "coloring book" approach to any tattoo. If you are willing to travel to get tattooed by someone whose work you really love, why have someone else complete the work? It makes no sense and is a disservice to everyone, including yourself. I'm currently getting a sleeve from an artist I've admired for a long, long time. I tried for 3 years just to get an appointment, which wasn't until the end of 2014. I can't go often or for more than one session at a time, but I've had 4 sessions, and there's still work to be done. It's been a long process, but I wouldn't trade any aspect of it because the end result is so, so worth it. If you're gonna commit to traveling for a long-term project, then fucking commit.

Just go for it, you don't have to be in a hurry to finish maybe try and do 2 days each trip if that's possible, like everybody else has said if you love that artist then itl be worth it, what's 30 hours of flying for a tattoo that lasts a lifetime

Yeah, it was a generalized statement that he suddenly realized was actually shit hitting the fan. I was more focused on keeping her from exploding and kicking his ass (she grew up in South Jersey in a racially mixed neighborhood during the civil rights riots and can still handle herself). The family did what it took to moderate the situation instead of escalate it. Each family has it's fucked up chemistry and mine is no different. Fast forward... I no longer spend much time with them for several similar reasons.

Yikes! - - - Updated - - - I remember talking about tattoos 15 years ago at my Dad's house. He has an old one on his shoulder from the navy, circa 1954. My wife just got a small traditional rose (her deceased mother's name was "Rose") and I already had two. My conservative brother then blurts out, "Only bikers and whores have tattoos." You could hear a pin drop. My wife was about to jump his shit when I jump in and say, "Well, it looks like we'll need to buy you a Harley since you sure aren't a whore." I gave him the stink eye. My sister even came to her rescue saying, "I have eye liner tattooed to my eyelids and I'm no whore." My brother backed down and stayed that way. Dick move was called out.

Teenager conversation at the grocery store... Teenage Girl Cashier: "Like OMG this lady I know, like, she got a tattoo of a cobra snake ON HER CLEAVAGE. Like, OMG, you could see EVERYTHING. I mean, like, she was wearing clothes but OMG, like you could see her tattoo. Why would you get a tattoo so everyone could see it?" Teenage Bag Boy/Bro: "Yeah, well I heard you can get a tattoo for $100." Me: "Try double per hour" TGC: "Well, like, how long did your tattoo take to finish?" Me: "12 years so far" TGC: "Like, OMG that is sooo expensive." Me: "Would you rather be covered in cheap tattoos or nice tattoos?" TBBB: "Yeah bro, when I'm gonna get my tattoo, like, it's going to be the most expensive tattoo possible."

I was at a cookout recently with a crowd I wouldn't typically be hanging out with, and one of the guys there saw I had tattoos and started talking to me about them. He actually complimented me on them, but then remarked how some coworkers told him that 80% of people with 3 or more tattoos have done time. Hahaha. I found it pretty funny, but stuff like that doesn't typically bother me. The guy was kind of an ass, but we were ribbing each other all day joking around, so I think it was just his dry sense of humor. You never know with people though. He brought it up again later when the kids were around, and I just responded that I haven't been to prison...yet.

hahahaha that reminds me of my cousin, his first tattoo when he was 14 (also done in some guy's kitchen) and his mom took him b/c he wanted one sooo badly. My brother looked at it and said "jeez, how many Doritos did you have to give the guy for *that*?"

Disgusting, I hate religious zealots! I Had an older man approach me the other day and asked WHY I did that to my beautiful skin. I told him I had waited my whole life for a beautiful piece and I love it. He then asked about when I get older like 40 and changed my mind.......I answered that I'm 43 and I'm quite able to make permanent life changing decisions. BUT Thanks anyways. It's funny though, that he would feel so uppity about my work since he had been panhandling before I walked up. I also had another man ask me what my tramp stamp said. I said excuse me...1 I'm not a tramp and 2 I don't have any tramp stamps. He answered It might help you get pregnant. :( WTF? Oh then last night, Hubby and I were getting a beer at a local pub when some skezie guy started talking to me about my work then started stripping to show me all his....He then asked about hourly wages. It didn't bother me since he didn't ask how much it cost. I told him....He said HOLY SHIT! I NEVER pay more than 40 an hour and my guy even does it in my kitchen....I smiled and walked away quickly.

This! I've also had more than a handful of weirdos say "I'll pray for you" or something similar. This always makes me glad I have several devil tattoos and the wanting for several more.

...I can't believe this thread has been dormant for 6 months. Last night we went to a wedding. I wore a little black dress with thin straps so the top third of my backpiece showed. I had my hair up. Overall, I got positive reviews or no comments - it was very cool. However, "Jackass" (as he was come to be called), came up to me at the bar. Picture 60 y/o paunch, light pink button-down, partially untucked - all the guys were all still wearing suit jackets. Partially in the bottle. So he is chatting me up and then sees my tattoo. Him: Wow, I just saw your art. It seems like the entire back is a "new thing." The first time I saw one was when we took our son to a dude ranch in Texas and a girl had one. It was quite alluring. Me: ::eesh:: Him: So this was probably more than one session? Me: Yes, it was two. (Actually, it was 20). Him: So, how is your Hepatitis C? Is it under control? Me: Excuse me? Him: You know, your Hep C. And your Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B? Me (deadpanned): Everything is under control. Him: You know, I ask, because you had more than one session, so there was more than one needle. So you have to keep it under control. Me, (skeeved out and walking away): It's fine. So I tell my friends, and we all get weirded out. Shudders. So anyway, later in the night, I want to go back to the bar and get a drink for me and the Hubs. But Jackass is there talking with another guy I don't know. But I go up anyway and talk straight to the bartender and order. Him to buddy: There are a lot of women in those same little black dresses. They must all shop at the same store. Me: ::Stars straight ahead:: Him (announcing into the air): Well, I guess no one heard that. Me (walking away with my drinks): I'm sorry, it must be my Hepatitis C showing. Him: Excuse me? Me: IT MUST BE MY HEP C SHOWING. Him (huffed up and offended): I was just being concerned. ?!? Super shudders. Eeeeesh. One of my girlfriends said I should have rubbed my arm over his and "gotten my Hep C all over him." But I was too skeeved out to even consider touching him. I hate people who play these little word power games. I have to come up with a few more standard answers to assholes. Happily, I did get the chance to smack him back down.

Most people probably don't know you can tattoo over solid black. I didn't, until just now when I read your post, and I'm almost willing to bet that I'm not the only person on this site who didn't know that before you said it.

I think it's also worth noting that the "labour of love" thing is also often used as a cover to underpay/overwork people, i.e. if you are doing it because it makes your soul sing or whatever, then that is reward enough. Loving what you do does not mean you don't deserve to be properly compensated for it! You get a lot of that shit in academia too.

At a recent convention, it DID look like at least 75% of the artists were having fun. I mean, you are artists, you have the talent and you have found a medium that you can make a living with. Beats driving a taxi, doesn't it? I was blessed with an OCD engineer brain. I can fix any particle accelerator, but I can't draw a round circle. Of course, the cyclotrons don't squirm and throw tantrums (often).

I always get asked how much my sleeve cost and I tell them and their response is along the lines of "OMG! I could have bought a car with that kind of money!" Or People with bad tattoos always give me the "You got ripped off. Look at my tattoo. Its awesome and I only paid $50 for mines"........ I take a look and the lines are all blown out, the ink is faded already and the tattoo is fresh under 1 year and since I'm not a rude person, I just tell them that they have a nice tat and I go on my way.

My friend's girlfriend after my last tattoo session: "So now that you have all these tattoos, how do you *really* feel about them?"

Plainskins. Never heard this before. Good name. I don't mind people asking what the meaning of my tattoos are. I rather them be interested in them than judging them.

I had one of my favorite feisty retirees yell at me about my lower leg tattoo today. "WHAT is THAT on your leg?! Why would you do that?! Your leg looked perfectly beautiful before! THAT LOOKS TERRIBLE!!" I just thanked her for her input and we got back to discussing books. I think we're still friends. This same person once body-checked a customer in line ahead of her. She's a bit of a firecracker.

I got this the other day, but the "excuse" was pretty funny. He's older now (>50) and he'd wanted a tattoo as a late teen and came home with a cross on his arm that he'd drawn on with a permanent marker. His father, as expected, assumed it was real and hit the roof. As he described the scene and the layout of the dinner table area where his father discovered the travesty, he was clearly boxed in by the radiator and the wall and the rest of the family. His father then proceeded to grab steel wool and scrubbed it off his arm, along with a layer of skin before he realized he'd been had. The teller of the tale said he didn't want to get a tattoo after that. All-in-all, not a bad excuse and completely forgivable because he told the story with such vigor and humor!

Re: cost. Almost everyone has asked me this question and very few people know I am working on a full back. It makes me uncomfortable, even from friends, and I don't have a pat answer yet. But the other day, without even thinking, I replied, "Yeah, it's more expensive than going to the movies." For some reason, that shut down the question with a little laugh from both of us, but in a way that it was clear I wasn't going to share, conversation was over, without being rude or making them feel like a jerk for asking (my friends, after all). Not sure I can explain that, but it was a positive thing and I think I'll try that one again.

"Tattoos are not an addiction; they are a collection. A tattoo collector is just like a conventional art collector who buys a painting, hangs it on the wall, and then moves on to acquire the next, unique piece. Tattoo collecting is a spiritual pursuit, while addiction is a physiological need. Addicts repeatedly take the same drug over and over without limit. A tattoo collection has variety, and it has an end. Once you collect the whole set, you're done." -Horiyoshi III Side note: I also have a Hello Kitty. It was done by my fiancée, is about an inch and a half wide, and took her about an hour. It's just lines, aside from color in the bow and nose. She was really trying.

So odd she would call herself a cleanskin. In aussie, cleanskin is a term for wine which doesn't have the winemakers name on the label and is generally sold a lot cheaper. I guess she's calling herself cheap! Ha!

Right, it was just used in the thread title lightly, as a joke. I don't actually call anyone that in person... Although, on an Australian morning show, the untattooed woman speaking about tattoos on women being a mistake, referred to herself as a "cleanskin". I guess that would make us....dirty. ;) Anyway, funny story about the tv!

my boyfriend who is somehow not tattooed by now, said this when i told him it would be a few more months until i got my next tattoo and we had to be careful to avoid some part of me "this is ridiculous, you're already 2 to 0 with me, i need to go and get mine done before you get your next one." Also, my grandparents live abroad so they had no idea i had gotten a tat until they came over for dinner on a visit. my immediate family and they were sitting together in the living room and my sister was talking about my dads tattoos, he's covered, and my grandpa said in the politest way possible "I'm glad your father is the only one in the family to have tattoos." this was met with a silent moment of everyone (mom, dad, siblings, and myself) looking at each other and immediately followed by everyone rolling around and laughing. Then we told them i had a tattoo which they complimented after i showed them. Also i think plainskin could be derogatory, but i like it anyways. to me it really expresses the early days of modern tattoos and those who got them when it was way more taboo. I might use it as a derogatory term for someone who was being rude and self righteous or something about my tats, but to say that about someone who is respectful of tattoos and tattooed people sounds wrong. - - - Updated - - - When i read to them my brother and sister love to trace mine, it tickles so much but they love it. In my experience when it comes to appreciating tattoos kids really know how to do it.

I really don't like the term "plain skin".....seems derogatory in a way..... Like we are really that much different.....just because we chose to alter our appearance or something! Anyway..... I don't even realize I am tattooed anymore.....I always think maybe there is a stain on my shirt or food in my teeth.....LOL! Stares or comments don't bother me much anymore......and yeah you do hear some really strange things come out of peoples mouths BUT I have also heard some of the same things come out of people who are less tattooed than others are too! - - - Updated - - - Okay....funny story....maybe a little off topic though.... I had a girl I was dating come to visit me several years ago.....she was moderately tattooed! She told me at the airport she was sitting there and everyone seemed to be staring in her direction.....in fact so much so that she was seriously thinking about asking why everyone was staring at her so much....."Haven't you seen a tattooed woman before???"....is what she was thinking! Then she realized........she was sitting under the Television......LMFAO!

Do you have your feet done? If not, but you plan on it...prepare thyself.

Being Younger I Love the "how would your children feel about you doing that to your body" followed by my response, she says she loves me every night.

1, other forms of self-harm including incarceration? I mean yeah, incarceration isn't fun but it's not something most people do to themselves on purpose to hurt themselves or others. 2, I'm a christian and I have tattoos, including a grim reaper. I'm not one of the ones who shove it down people's throats and I don't judge anyone for how they believe or don't believe. But just...wow. I'm as offended as anyone else with tattoos would be, maybe more. I can't believe the person said they are little better than comic book drawings. I'm astounded in this day and age that someone could still have such a primitive ideology about tattoos. It's sad that people can still be so prejudiced and close minded about something as mainstream as tattooing.

I have an ankh and people always ask me if it is: a) a satanic symbol b) a feminist symbol c) a lesbian symbol d) a cross I tell these people it's a stick figure with their legs shut.

Was recently at a party uptown in NY and had trust fund / rich / spoilt girls genuinely ask me how i support myself / live whilst having tattoos. No joke.. When i asked why they hadn't got tattoos themselves they simply said, because ' father would cut me off and not pay my rent' i looked blankly for a second then walked off.... They lived a 20 minute train ride to Brooklyn and had never been, even though they had lived in NY their entire life. Blew my mind for a couple of minutes then just thought how lucky I was to not be them.

That's a good point, I'm sure that's where the "1 year" idea comes from. People feel that if they follow the right rules, or make their tattoo sentimental enough, they can be certain to avoid regretting their decision. I bet a lot of people who end up getting (what we would consider) silly tattoos as their first probably go on to get awesome work later once they get that mental hurdle out of the way. I think that's part of what makes tattoos so great though... the commitment, the permanence, the trust in your artist. Because of these things, every tattoo is inherently meaningful just for the process itself. Overthinking it or trying too hard to take the risk aspect away from that tattoo would, ironically, somewhat diminish the sentiment of it for me. I'm rambling now, though... :)

I look back with vivid embarrassment at my first thoughts surrounding my first tattoo... and after reading a post like this, I'm really glad I never really talked about it with anyone, haha. I had mostly come to my senses re: design before the needle hit my skin, thank goodness, but it took so long to get to that point because I was obsessive over everything (design/details/meaning/etc.). I think it's a really common perspective for people getting their first tattoo. Maybe I tend to have more sympathy for these people than others since I basically used to be like that myself. Of course, I still think they need to educate themselves, but I get where they're coming from. Too much attention to an abstract meaning almost always means the tattoo suffers. But when you think about changing your body permanently for the first time, it's probably pretty natural to want as much control as possible.

On my recent trip home I had the usual light-hearted debates w/my mom over tattoos. We were talking about me wanting to change schools and she said I couldn't get a job at another school w/these tattoos. I said that I keep them covered w/long sleeve shirts. She said, "You can't wear long sleeve shirts all the time in LA!" I explained that yes, I already do...we have air conditioning. Blah blah blah. So then later, she tells me that Adam Levine was voted the sexiest man alive. I asked her if she agreed with that assessment and she said, "Yes." I said, "But he has tattoos!" And she goes, "He's an entertainer, not a kindergarten teacher." Oh lordy. I knew she already had a double standard about it being more ok for men to have tattoos than women. Now I see, it's also ok if you are an entertainer. I told her he is a grown-ass man and I am a grown-ass woman and that my job requires me to be an entertainer most of the time, too. Then MIL told my hubby that if we keep getting tattoos we won't be able to move back to Boston. Oh parents. They are so silly. We are in our forties and these are the conversations we are having!

On a positive note, I was getting my flu shot the other day and this woman in line behind me was like, "Oh my GOD, you have to see her tattoo!" She calls her husband or friend or whoever over and said, "Well I want one like that!" Then the guy giving the shot also complimented it. It was my tiger on my left arm.

I work with mentally ill adults. One of the...not so friendly ones made some comments a couple days ago. He asked "What are you going to do when you get tired of them?" and informed me "God made you that way for a reason, why would you want to change that?" If God didn't want us to alter ourselves, he wouldn't have made skin as malleable as it is... :p The other night one of my co workers asked me some questions I seriously could not believe anyone thought could be true: do certain colors cost more, can they tattoo trademarked images, and do they charge by the line. Wow.

I wore those sleeves one year for Halloween when I had to come up with a super last minute costume for work. Bought those at a dollar store, threw on a metal band shirt, put some safety pins through my pants, and I was some kind of metal/emo/goth whatever (too lazy to make any kind of distinction through more detailed accessories). Some people at work thought the sleeves were real. Yeah, I got 2 full sleeves done and healed within a day. :confused:

omg. I have actually considered getting a shirt like that... ......for my FIVE YEAR OLD! The one I'm thinking of also said, "Kindergarten Rocks" on the front. But I didn't get it. Seemed a little too cheesy even for a kid. - - - Updated - - - Oh here's one I get sometimes... My arms are all B&G and I have had several people say, "You're getting it colored in, right?"

A coworker of mine commented on how dark the black in my tattoos are and asked how I kept them that dark. This lead to her telling me about how she has one tattoo on her ankle and that she went swimming a few days after getting it done so it healed weird. Well, the three stars on her ankle were pretty faded (she's barely 21, if that) but there was also some nasty blow-out and real wild lines. Apparently the tattooer who did it told her those were also because she went swimming. Classy guy.