Beans

I'm tired as shit, hubby was traveling all week so I didn't sleep at all then sat for 5 on my arm yesterday. Between the damn dogs and cats last night I think I spent most of the time holding my arm in the air. Grrr super grump today and I'm sore as shit too. Waaaaaa!

Hi, personally I like them. I think their fun and look great. However the style is not a favorite of the forum here. I'm working on a fantacy sleeve myself, I personally like all styles of tattooing. Wear them proudly.

I got the creep factor the other day at the market. I was at the check out line and there was a married couple one lane over. I noticed that every time his wife was turned away from me, he was making eye contact with me and giving me the "hey baby head nod and smirk" Gross, completely turned my stomach. I gave him my best snarley face and a head shake. really, I don't mind looks as much as I do creepy men who disrespect their wives like that.

Well I am because this guy showed up to this tattoo artist with an idea (I guess) and he or the tattoo artist literally copied the exact same tattoo, my tattoo that Rudy Fritsch drew for me, including colors and put it on his hand, just like...me? See my point?

Do you know who did his work? Was it the same guy? I'd be pissed if so, but I'm pretty sure I've seen the design or something similar in the past.

BTW, I love it, it's a lovely design and I wouldn't worry to much about it.

I've been kicking around another idea for my right arm, I'm thinking a 3/4 sleeve. Of a Geisha sitting, with a very sad expression, holding a black cat in her arms. The idea comes from a beautiful print my friend brought me back from Japan 10 years or more ago and in time has become my favorite piece. For the back ground, my nerdieness and love of repeating patterns and fabrics comes in. Instead of clouds, swirls and waves, (maybe broken up with wind bars?) I was thinking the lovely Kimono patterns in Black and negative space and only the Geisha in color. Now that I typed all that out, I'm sure I want her now.

Sigh, my hubby just had a lovely portrait of a woman put right over his heart. Never considered a pic of me....Rat bastard.....At least with the placement and his um natural coat, She is the bearded lady.

I'm already planing my second sleeve, though I think I'll be waiting for close to a year after this one is done to begin it. I'd also love to get a back piece now too as well as getting my knee caps done. Yes I am going for good coverage fairly quickly but I'm 43 and have made up my mind that this is the journey for me. I'd go quicker but hubby's back is hogging up the extra money ;)

I'm happy there's pain as well. It's actually taught me a few things about myself and has given me the courage to try new things and say yes to new experiences. As I've gotten older with some health issues, I began shying away from new and uncomfortable situations (physically speaking) But now 13+ ish hours in, I've been embracing physically new and possible and probable pain inducing activities. I'm not afraid of getting hurt anymore. I began 4 wheeling and I'm loving it, joined two softball leagues and have begun hiking, with plans to go sky diving this summer too. Have I gotten hurt? Yes, but I'm able to shake it off now and move on. Completely unexpected.

I love your idea with the carp, I think it will be stunning imagery. Ive been thinking on my next piece and was concidering a dragon eating a carp or morphing into one. IDK, your idea is brillant.

Carp killing where I live is a thing, I'm not much of a blood thirsty gal myself but people here are quiet inventive in their methods......explosives, AR15's and BaseBall Bats.

Go for it!

The city does a "lunch in the park" here in Missoula every Wednesday. Live bands, tons of food vendors etc. Yesterday was the first one of the season, so I went by myself, found a nice picnic bench to eat at and observe everyone walking by. There was still 8 or 9 free benches left, so I sat comfortably believing I was insulated abit and surely no one would interrupt my loner time. When 3 conseritive women in their 50's come up and announce that they are my new friends. Yay, I'm friendly enough and it was ok, but most of the lunch they chatted with me and to eachother about tattoos. Ugh, it did get kind of weird after a bit so I chucked my Pad Thai and moved on.

Two women hanging from flowers. WIP.

Not sure if it's still around, but there used to be a company that made products out of human skin. Belts, shoes, etc.

Apparently, because our skin has such small pores, it makes the most amazing leather. Basically, you agree to donate your skin when you die, and your family recieves payment after the skin is delivered.

I saw something recently about full body tattoos fetching several hundred thousand in life when agreeing to hand over the skin apon death. I'm sure there is more to the tracking of the body but.....cool

My mother was an art major at Cal state LB in my early years. I remember sitting in her nude drawing class with live models many nights. I think I was 4 and 5 at the time when this woman stood for the class with long dark hair in a pony tail going down her back, vine/flower arm bands on each arm and a peace sign on her butt. I thought at the time she must be a princess, Because she was SO beautiful. :)

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.

I was talking to my artists yesterday about his opinions on which sunscreen would be the best for me. He said none. In his opinion, sunscreen is very toxic and causes cancer rather quickly. He showed me some of his oldest work on his older sundamaged skin and his work is still beautiful, bold and bright. This made me think of a study I read last year stating sunburns/sun damage during childhood is what causes skin cancer. As an adult, sundamage causes premature aging but the dice is already cast if you will develope cancer. I thought it was interesting on both accounts. Thought I'd share.

OMG, sorry to change the subject but its a woman's topic and Holy Crap, I have to share. So my first two sittings for my 3/4 sleeve and first ever tattoo were smack dab in the middle of my period. I sucked up 4 hours each time, put a thin smile on my face and silently died. Those two sittings were as bad as having chest tubes inserted between my ribs without pain killers and labor, possibly combined. I was honestly wondering if I could get through this. But today was my first normal sit. It was seriously the best experience ever! The pain went from being a 12 to a meer 3-4 and peaked near the pit at a 6. I was able to chat the entire time with him if we weren't singing, where before all I could do was sit like a stone. This was such a great experience, we both had a blast. I did sit for 5 hours this time but I made him stop since he was suposed to be leaving with the family for vacation. So the moral of my story.....do yourself a favor and don't do it!

WTG Knucklehwad211! Bullies are the great, my little OE Bulldog turns 1 next week. Aren't the but wiggles just the best?

Well, little punk rock girl who never participated in PE or any sport EVER besides beating up bullies and smoking under the bleachers was asked to join a soft ball league. :o Oh and am I terrible at it, but it sure is fun. I'm just glad they dont take it too seriously. You can't play if your not drinking.

Funny, but I also JUST recieved an amazing job offer since I started my sleeve/1st ever tattoo. It's a very VERY conservative origination and they have seen my arm (don't care if i cover it) and still want me. LOL, I thought people with showing tattoos ruined their chances at having careers forever. :p Best part, Im not looking for a job. They came to me.

UGH! Re-read post...Hangs head low, mumbles fucking drunk stoners should not be posting. Quietly backs out the door.

WTG Knucklehwad211! Bullies are the great, my little OE Bulldog turns 1 next week. Aren't the but wiggles just the best?

Well, little punk rock girl who never participated in PE or any sport EVER besides beating up bullies and smoking under the bleachers was asked to join a soft ball league. :o Oh and am I terrible at it, but it sure is fun. I'm just glad they dont take it too seriously. You can't play if your not drinking.

Funny, but I also JUST recieved an amazing job offer since I started my sleeve/1st ever tattoo. It's a very VERY conservative origination and they have seen my arm (don't care if i cover it) and still want me. LOL, I thought people with showing tattoos ruined their chances at having careers forever. :p Best part, Im not looking for a job. They came to me.

How about a light showing through an open door way with a persons shadow showing through?

I'm interested in this type of thing because as a woman in my 40s my skin is not like it used to be, and it seems that most all of the pictures you see online when researching tattoo images show mostly very young people with smooth, clear skin.

I sometimes forget about my age when I'm looking through tattoos and thinking about what I want for my next one, and really have to picture how it will look on MY body, warts an all, lol. Just because I have slightly looser skin, with more freckles and sun spots than before, doesn't mean I shouldn't get tattooed, right?

I'm healing my work in progress now. A 3/4 sleeve, I guess I never paid attention to my sun damaged skin before (rose colored glasses and all ) But DAMN Im noticing how the ink sits on the top of my forearm where I have 40 + years of sun damage. I can see all those shiny age spots peeking through my color are gonna need a touch up before we're through. But I'm so happy I waited till this point in life to start. I have much BETTER taste now days.

I love the bee, what a great design. Your daughters are very sweet, you must be a lovely mom.

I work with 2 people that are now disabled out permanently. One with fibro, this had a quick onset and she was out within a couple of weeks of the diagnosis. The other, also a lady started with psoriasis while on a trip out west, came out of nowhere. This was soon followed by RA. Really took both of them down quickly.

If you can manage to keep on working with something like this as well getting tattooed, more power to you.

Thats awful, Fibro flairs can be devastating, I've had my bad month/years too. Hopefuly, with rest and less stress their symptoms will improve. Fortunately I haven't had to work for a few years now, so my health has improved. Though at 7 days out from my last sit, Im really having a hard time healing. I've developed knarley scabs in a few spots as well as a raging sinus infection. Sigh.....

You have NO idea. I had a run in with a wolf at midnight, at elk camp a few years back. I nearly shit my pants as it stood growling in my right ear. I never saw it but found his prints the next day. My 135 barley left a track his prints were 3/4 inch deep at least. I can't imagine how big he was or how quickly he could have taken my throat out. Bad ass creatures!

I LOVE owls I think they make for a beautiful tattoo subject. We have a great horned pair in our field here and they are truly majestic. Mountain Lions and wolves are other intelligent but dark creatures too, at lest where I'm living.

Ha, I don't know if my theory is correct but it sounds good to me :)