Fala

@SeeSea - I almost fell asleep getting tattooed by Horizakura a couple years ago. I liked the sound of it, and the quietness. It's made me rethink how I want to continue getting tattooed: more tebori!!!

Hey Fala - Thank you. It's good to see you and good to be back!

So sorry for your loss @Mark Bee.
Glad to see you back.

@Cork Thanks! I must add to my comment that time is for sure longer with tebori, but you are also certainly aware that what you get there is really unique, for everything, from the trip itself (hey, it's Japan, outside the workshop!), the quality of the design, the intensity of the colors (tebori HIS more vivid and long lasting, this is for sure, I saw 20 years old tattoos done by Horitoshi whith my own eyes and I can tell), the genuiness of everything you will experience... that it is worth it. Really. If you do love irezumi, don't hesitate. Also, you will find that, even if it may take some time before he answers back, Horitoshi sensei is really kind and open minded, so just email him! Good luck!

I suppose it's different for everyone. I had a two year period where I blasted through a lot of tattooing. I did wonder if I was going too fast. In the last year I've slowed as other events have taken over from tattooing, but I have to say I am stoked by my tattoos. I love them and never have any serious second thoughts (there are a couple that could use some tweaking) about regrets. After a quiet year, I am looking forward to getting back on the table (or chair or whatever) in the next few months. I've got a back piece that really needs some attention. Warp speed 7, Mr. Worf.

Welcome, but if you want to "gather valuable information" I hope you're going to post pictures of your tattoos first. Nobody likes an interloper.

Finally got some half-way decent healed photos of my Hooper musician leg.
On the other hand, trying to paste together such a single photo is near impossible, at least for an old geezer like me.

I'll reactivate the squidpants thread by putting this there, too . . .

Last Sparrow Tattoo - Forum Rules

Seriously, you found getting a tattoo too expensive and therefore bought a tattoo machine instead???
This will probably the nicest reply you'll get on this forum: Good Luck!

Got this Shishi Lion from Alix Ge at the London convention yesterday (pic nicked from her instagram):

When I arrived, Alix was still drawing. She told me we couldn't put the tattoo on the side of my thigh like I had asked for because for that I would have to lie down and she only had a chair. Well, alright then. When I came back from a short tour around the convention she had obviously done another drawing which was much bigger than the first. She thought the animal had to be rather large to be nice, good with me. But she didn't think we could fit peonies as well, would I be happy with cherry blossoms instead...? Bummer...what? Noooo...! Oh well, so we agreed to put on the lion stencil and see then. Stencil went on, peonies were added freehand. No problem, all fitted on there nicely....but...that was gonna be a looong session. If I was a strong woman, she asked. Ermmmmm, well, I bl**dy hoped so...what else could I say? She looked at me particularly sceptical after she found out it was only my second tattoo....
Obviously, we made it, yippie!!!
Six hours on a folding chair with two breaks. Even though I got some odd looks and remarks for running around with a pillow under my arm, I was well glad I had brought it because it made the chair way more comfortable! Apart from that, getting tattooed at the convention was actually surprisingly good as there was so much to watch and get distracted by. I could openly stare at all the tattoos walking by and quite a few people gave me encouraging smiles and words. That was really cool.
Alix is super lovely and I kinda felt a little bad for her having to sit on her small suitcase for hours. Towards the end she told me that she wouldn't be able to do what I did and that she'd never get a tattoo that takes more than one hour herself. I doubt that's actually true, but it was a sweet thing to say anyway.
Suffice to say I'm super chuffed but also glad it's over!
And this morning my 3 1/2 year old greeted me excitedly with "Mummy, I have a tattoo, too!". Turns out the entire family has tattoos now, some of them of the temporary type, some rather not ;-)

well, got some bug tattoos and made the paper:
photo by Shaughn Butts, Edmonton Journal

@SeeSea - What a great monmon cat!!! Congratulations!

Finally got to visit State of Grace and get my Molly Monmon Cat from Horitomo!
He did an amazing job. Just spectacular. I sent several pictures of her and some descriptions of her favorite things, her personality and her character. She *loved* shrimp sushi and got an entire order for her 16th birthday, right before we lost her to cancer. Horitomo created a picture of her in heaven with a halo and surrounded by her favorite things - including that she is surrounded by catnip! The face is perfect. I gave him a decent size square footage and told him he could expand beyond the cat and add other elements. Her face is perfect. When he showed me the sketch, my eyes just teared up.
It was neat to be tattooed on the platform in the shop. It is a little sanctuary with neat drawings, books and items on shelves. He is a quiet gentle soul.
I tried tebori for the whites and I probably would not do it again. For many areas, I didn't even feel the first 4-5 pokes. It just felt like a shoving pressure but there was *no* pain. Then the last several shoves were painful. But around my hip was bad all around. I'm glad I did it, though.
Crashing out now holed up in the hotel with mom. <3 <3 <3

Steve byrne Rock of Ages austin tx

Fresh one...

Got this wicked draw-on zen spider from Jonny Murdoch from Government Street Tattoo (Victoria) who is in Edmonton for the week.
Also this smug lil bumble bee too:

the idea of which came to me in a dream 3 nights in a row...then i googled "angry bumble bee" and bam! clipart reference on the first hit.
These toonie sized tatts are so much fun. Hooray for "recreational tattooing" lol.
Jonny's hanging at Champion Tattoo, Shawn Hedley's new shop in town. Super dope shop, nice hospitality, guess they got a bunch of ringers guest spotting in the future...better leave some space ;) Great tattoo talk yesterday and I got to see a backpiece Filip Leu and Kurt Wiscombe tag teamed up close. Amazzzzzzzing

Every time I see certain family members and friends, I ALWAYS get asked about how much money I've spent on my tattoos. What I find ironic with this particular question, is not the question itself but the questioner who 9/10 times has some outrageous (in my mind) hobby, collection, or pet project they are dumping heaps of money into - yet, they don't give that a second thought and see it is as something they must do.
Luxury (opulent) items/experiences are individual. For one person it might be over the top to spend good money on a good tattoo, for another it might be over the top to spend good money on clothes that they'll wear infrequently (ie that $10k wedding dress) or to buy only local and organic groceries. It's about the energy involved - we get our kicks from tattoos, others from buying shoes or clothes, or dinners out, or jewelry, or property (house, car, etc.), etc, etc.
It seems to me that tattoos are still in the place where they are not considered "acceptable" in terms of money spent if one is in the middle class where wealth is seen as something to strive and save for. Thus, spending available funds on a non-necessity item/experience would prevent wealth from accruing and keep said person in the middle class indefinitely.
I do agree with @Graeme that they are akin to education (or even exercise or otherwise taking care of your body/soul) where no one but the wearer/student will glean benefit from said tattoo or education. I don't get tattooed nearly as much as I'd like, but when I do get tattooed I'm able to get the exact tattoo I want because it is something that I prioritize with my funds. I've also been one of those people whose life was transformed by getting tattooed. I know several people with tattoos who have not been impacted in the way I imagine many people here have been, and I suppose that's where the luxury/necessity line gets blurred a bit by emotion. Which, let's face it, luxury/opulence/etc is an emotionally charged area. Who needs to eat a burger or ice cream with gold leaf on it? No one.

A samurai surfing on a giant sea snake

Rambo with a banner saying "THEY DREW FIRST BLOOD".

welcome.
a hot stuff devil.

Can't wait to see this tattoo!
I don't have any advice on the area. We went to a sushi place up the street from our hotel that was pretty good, but I can't remember the name. While I was getting tattooed, @DJDeepFried took Stella to the children's museum, so, not really something your mom would probably be into. Sorry! :-)

the latest term that is being used way too freely ..."Gap Filler"
Dear tweeners on Instagram:
I'm sorry if you can fit a palm sized tattoo in between 2 other palm sized tattoos it is not a "gap filler". It's a tattoo. It's just a tattoo in between some other tattoos.
/endrant

Great idea - thanks! I have a ziplock. I didn't get economy but did get a window seat.

Good for you Patrick! I quit my job of 7.5 years last December, took three months off of work to recuperate after being severely burned out for the last 2 years of the job, and am so much better off now at my new job. I make more money now which is a huge deal!!! Yay to quitting shitty stress filled jobs that leave you depleted!