cavies

I'm very sorry for your loss. I think your tattoo looks great, and the size is perfect for your arm. I get the impression you feel it doesn't do your mum justice? Nothing will ever truly compare to her, after all, she was your mum :) but how about seeing your (lovely) tattoo as a starting point? Did your mum have any particular hobbies or interests, or things/people/pets that meant a lot to her? how about maybe incorporating some ideas into a sleeve and build those around your original tattoo. You could also have fun with it too, by adding little things that just you and your family would understand, but if anyone asked you could explain and then talk about the things your mum loved and enjoyed. If you take your time, I'm sure you could find a fantastic artist who could gradually bring it all together for you. I have been down the laser route, it was painful, bloody, sore and expensive, I also have a bit of scaring, and its still not gone :( I too went in head first and spent two weeks crying and obsessing over my first tattoo (mine is a genuine disaster zone , unlike yours!) I then spent the next ten years constantly wearing long sleeved shirts, even in the summer. That was it for me, longsleeves4life!... until last Wednesday when I went to a brilliant artist and he made a start on what will be a full sleeve tribute to my pets! and something will be done with that mess on my arm but I'm not sure what yet ;) It's a long story as to why I got out of my tattoo rut, but the point is, your tattoo is actually good!!! it really is, I think to laser it would be a waste, get planning on some ideas to go with it, enjoy seeing it all come together, have fun with it, research artists and turn it into everything you want it to be.

Thank you for the reassuring words marfil98 I love the "its art, not science" advice, I'd never thought of it that way before. The artist I have chosen seems to be capable of a wide range of styles, from the absolute bizarre to the incredibly adorable, but it's his bold line work and strong use of colour that has really won me over. I am booked in for a full day (including consolation) on the 8th of feb. The only good thing I can say about my old crappy tattoo is that I don't remember it hurting, either that or I dealt with the pain well , which hopefully will come in handy for a long sitting

Hello there! I am booked in with a local artist for my first proper tattoo, a full sleeve featuring my wonderful pets; my hound/collie cross, my three guinea pigs and two budgies :) I am absolutely certain on my chosen subject(s) but I had a dreadful tattoo experience just over ten years ago, including some horrible laser removal and it absolutely ruined anything to do with tattoos for me, plus the darn thing is still on my arm! Anyway, after dealing with some mental health problems last year, I decided to start to try and enjoy things again and I found myself looking up tattoo artists who specialise in the bright and the bold. Fortunately I have found one fairly local to me and his work (I feel) could add the element of fun that I'm looking for to represent how much joy my animals bring to me, but... I'm genuinely worried that it could be exactly like ten years ago, when I got home and burst into tears at how terrible it was! I know its different this time, this artist actually has talent for a start! and the studio has a very good reputation but the doubts still linger. I have even woke up in the middle of the night thinking "what am I doing?!" but the excited part comes in and reminds me of how crap things were last year and that those little animals got me through each day and how amazing it would be to have a dedication to them. I must admit, I do wonder if I'm the "right sort" of person to have a tattoo by which I mean, I can get hung up on very small things that to a regular person wouldn't really matter. If you have any words of wisdom/advice it would be truly welcome!