Everything in Life is Location, Location, Location

Okay, I think I've got this figured out.

Firstly, I'm moving my Picasso dove from my right foot to the outside of my right thigh. As I thought about it, I realized that it doesn't go with the rest of what I want down there. Also, it's such a delicate piece, I think my thigh would be a better canvas. Plus, I have a bird on the outside of my left thigh, so there's symmetry. Woohoo! So that's step one...

Doves are often used to symbolize the Holy Spirit and I want the angel pin up girl on the inside of my right thigh. So not only would I have an angel, but a dove as well. So that's cohesive. A cardinal doesn't exactly stand for evil, but he's red and the devil pin up's dress will be red. Again, we have some form of cohesion.

Then there's the matter of my back and the potential quarter sleeve/shoulder piece I want Muriel to do. I still haven't heard back from her, so I figure I'll just drop by the shop the day she comes in. I've tweaked my design a bit so it'll fit with both my left arm (home to Lucy and 2 roses) and the idea I have for my back. I still want the filigree work, but instead of ivy, I could incorporate cherry blossoms. Then the filigree almost fades into just the flowers on the back of my left shoulder. The would keep the Japanese theme that would fit with my dragon.

Thanks to my friend Sara, I now have new ideas on placement for my cupcake and peach. Both she and another friend have tattoos on the outer fleshy part of their hips, but still near the bone. If that makes any sense at all. I wouldn't have to deal with cohesion issues as much, either. It also has an added bonus of not being visible on a daily basis so I wouldn't have to explain it to my parents. I also want a bell tattoo that has a banner (can you tell I'm obsessed with banners right now? LOL) that reads "Southern". Southern belle, haha, get it?

So in summary:
*Dove on thigh
*Saint & Sinner pin up girls on thighs
*Geisha bust on lower shin
*Dragon going up the center of my spine
*Peach on right hip
*Southern bell(e) on left hip
*Filigree and cherry blossom quarter sleeve/shoulder piece
*Cupcake on upper part of right calf

Too Many Ideas!

I officially made my appointment with Tim this morning. I talked to his apprentice Zach, who was super nice. He was really helpful. I'm booked as Tim's first appointment on Friday, whenever that is. Neither of us knew when the official start of the convention was, so we decided to just say "first tattoo of the day". It took everything I had not to squeal in the poor kid's ear.

I got replies from two more tattooists, Eva Huber and Thad Ritchey. I emailed Eva back with a few ideas (detailed below) and gave Thad my cell, but haven't heard from him.

Now I have a dilemma. I've decided that I want all the tattoos I get that weekend to have an old school feel to them. Sailor Jerry and Ed Hardy of course being the kings of all things old school, but still awesome. I've already got the geisha booked, so I was browsing for more ideas. I came across this shirt and fell in love. The dragon is also a Japanese motif I can relate to. I was obsessed with dragons as a kid and had a stuffed dragon that I literally loved to pieces. He's currently sitting in the top of my closet so I can resist the urge to snuggle with him. My first thought for placement was going up my spine above my current tattoo and stopping right at the nape of my neck. Then I thought about putting it on my lower stomach between Mae's foot and Ol' Blue Balls. However, I don't think that's going to fit. It's a much smaller space and these guys are fairly detailed. My back may just end up being an incoherent mish mash of everything. And then Russ would cry. I guess a third option would be running up the back of my right thigh, as well.

I also still want a lock tattoo. I'm perfectly happy with the tattoo I got from Kevin, but in the end, I'm still lacking a lock tat. I though it could somehow be worked in with the rose and key I currently have, maybe on the back of my calf or something.

I'm also running into the issue of pieces being coherent and well laid out. The roses on my left foot will look fine with a geisha bust. But how well would a Japanese dragon and two Western style revolvers go together? Should tattoos on the backs of my calves or thighs be a pair? Maybe not, but they should have the same feel to them. I think a cupcake and a peach, both with banners describing my personality and heritage, could work. Or a cupcake and a bell. The right tattooist can give the cupcake the right feel to it.

If I opt for the dragon on my back, the revolvers are going to have to move. Now revolvers and pin up girls, that could work. I'm sure someone with Danielle's talent could keep the feel of the revolvers and wording in the same style as a pair of pin ups. It's a cliche place to have them, but I think in the long run I may be happier. I'm not concerned about it going with the shamrock or Ol' Blue Balls simply because they aren't visible even in a bikini. Let's face it, I wear a bikini once a year whether I need to or not. So it's more what makes the most sense artistically. In all honesty, I would like to stay away from my back. Perhaps just my original idea of "Tough Bitch" and a pair of lip prints on my ass like I started with. Then there's no meshing issues and it's still a tattoo I can be totally happy with.

Enough with the stream of consciousness for now and time to work out. After all, I'm still 7 lbs away from earning the right to have that "Tough Bitch" tat.

First Appointment!

I know I just posted, but it's my blog and I think this deserves its own post.

I got my first appointment booked for the convention! As I said I would, I sent out a bunch of emails and I got a response from one. His name is Tim Beck and he's based in Illinois. What caught my attention was how different the thumbnails for his work looked. So I clicked on his full portfolio and was super impressed. It's here for those who'd like to take a peek. When he said he had time and actually hadn't booked anyone in yet, I told him what I wanted.

As mentioned, I thought about a geisha bust. I'm not really much into the Japanese stuff, but I am into pin up girls and it's somewhat in the same vein. I also wanted something Ed Hardy inspired. Though I couldn't find an actual tattoo of the geisha bust I wanted, I found tons of the tees. This one really jumped out at me, in spite of it being on a shirt. I didn't notice any obvious Japanese work in his portfolio, so I waffled for a minute about suggesting it. It's also the biggest of the ideas I have. I kept mentally coming back to it. Sure enough, he loved the idea and was very enthusiastic about doing it. So I'm glad I pitched it to him. Plus, that's a reward for responding so quickly. He got the best idea I had. Anyone else is going to get one of the smaller pieces. Which brings me to...

Part of the purpose of the meet and greet is schedule time with tattooists. I think what I'll do is maybe book one more and then have two for sure. Everyone attending is super talented, so no matter who I go with, I'm going to get an awesome tattoo. Ideally, I'd like to work with someone who is from a state I doubt I'll ever find myself in, much less with time to get a tattoo. Tim is a great example. When am I going to find myself in Peoria with $300 and 3 hours to kill and near a tattoo shop? Probably never. Russ and Kreusman are the only GA reps, then there are a few guys from Alabama. The next closest is North Carolina. Sunday is probably the last day to fill up, but it is Labor Day weekend, so people will probably be staying until Monday morning because they can. I guess I'll see who gets back to me and when. I'll save Sunday for my "wild card" tat. I may be crazy for trying to get tatted in 3 days, but people before me have survived and I'm confident.

I'm so excited about this. It feels so amazing to know I'm going to get to spend 3 whole days immersed in the culture I adore and worship. If Russ is going, it's got to be a legit convention. This means meeting all kinds of super creative people in their element. It'll be such a breath of fresh air after my stuffy day job. I just have to wait 4 months for it! I think I'll start myself a countdown on my Chippendales calendar.

On that note, once I finish with my current plans, I'm quitting and saving up for the convention. I know I can do it because it's a defined goal. If I quit for 3 months, I'll get 2-3 awesome new tats. So I'll get my left foot cover up done, my Picasso dove, and my filigree/ivy/floral 1/4 sleeve thingy and I'm done. That'll all be done by June 7. Then it's almost exactly 3 months to the convention. I may have to swing by the shops just because I'll start to pine for all my tattooists.

*runs around in an excited circle*

Now my Benadryl is kicking in and the screen is starting to look shaky so I'm off to bed.

Hell City Bound

HUGE NEWS!!

Through a series of site jumps from Ink & Dagger (shameless plug), I ended up looking at Hell City Tattoo Fest in Phoenix. They have the flagship convention in Columbus, OH at the end of the month and then the Phoenix event over Labor Day weekend. I was thinking of taking a vacation by myself this year and the tagline for the Phoenix event was "Tattoo Vacation". A sign, mayhaps?

There was the small matter of money. I knew I was getting a nice tax refund, but we filed right at the deadline, so I figured I wouldn't see it for 6-8 weeks. Lo and behold, I come home and my Fed refund is in today's mail. Sweet! So once that gets deposited, I'm booking my flight and hotel for Phoenix.

As for the matter of being tattooed, there are tons of talented artists. One will actually be guesting at Ink & Dagger at the beginning of June. I emailed her on Sunday about doing some work while she's in town, but haven't heard back. If I don't hear back from her before she's in town, I'm gonna call the shop when she gets in and set something up. She'll also be at both Hell City events. So if I like her and she likes me, maybe I can go ahead and book time with her for Phoenix.

There are tons of others I'm interested in, but I've only sent emails to two of them. One I got a form email back thanking me for my interest. He's one of the organizers, so I doubt I'll get in with him. Though, I got in with Russ so stranger things have happened. I also emailed a guy from Austin. I'm gonna send more out today to others I was interested in. I have several ideas that I think are ideal "convention pieces". They are:

*A cupcake with devil horns and a spaded tail. Possibly a banner that says "Devilishly Good"
*A peach with a banner that says "Dirty" (my take on a Dirty South tat since I am a GA girl)
*An Ed Hardy inspired piece, right now I'm between a geisha and a flower inspired by this bag.
*Something that uses the text "No Love Lost"

Russ will be attending so if he's there when I next find myself there, I fully intend to pick his brain. Plus, they have a "worst tattoo" category in the competitions, so I may have to enter Ol' Blue Balls and see how we do. This could get interesting.

Now time to email more tattooists and see who wants to tattoo me.

New Plan

The dermal didn't happen today. The problem with asking for permission rather than forgiveness is it gives them a heads up to your plans. And brings up the opportunity to discuss other...issues. The operations manager (my de facto boss) told me I need to start covering the tattoos. Also, the lip piercing was deemed "inappropriate". I was upset for about an hour, but then put my devious little mind back to work.

It's been suggested several times before to get tan or brown matte jewelry to look like a mole or freckle. I'm going to see if Melanie can get her hands on something like that for my lip and my nostril. The dermal will remain either clear or ice blue. Where I want it placed is always covered by my hair at work. At first I was hesitant because I didn't want them telling me it had to come out of they saw it. Frankly, if they didn't tell me the chest dermal had to come out and they see that on a daily basis, I think I can keep the teardrop covered. I'm going to hold off on it for maybe a few days to a week. I want to give them time to forget a conversation was even had.

As for the nostril and lip, I'm going to use a brown eyeliner pencil to experiment with how it would look. I have plenty of moles and freckles, so I doubt anyone would think twice about it. Plus, it will give me the ability to futz with placement a bit. If I used my brain power for actual productive things, I could probably take over the world. I'll probably get my nose repierced in a month or so and then the lip a month after that. As I said, I want to give them time to forget a conversation was even had.

As for covering the tattoos, it wasn't unexpected. In fact, it's even an opportunity for me to go shopping. I don't have any cardigans with long sleeves, so I need a few of those. I also need more dress pants. I really only have two pairs right now and one of them the hem got ripped out a little in the back. I'll probably give up on skirts entirely because that means wearing either tights or hose and I hate both. It would also take too much time to put makeup over everything that will eventually be on my feet and ankles. I already have quite a few long sleeved shirts, both button down and tees, so I'm set there. I think I can still keep the pin up vibe while making them happy.

Teardrops

I can't believe I've gone a whole 5 days without posting in here. Amazing, kiddies.

The new tat is healing well. It's all scabby, but some of it is starting to come off. I can't wait to see what it looks like actually healed. I'm sure it'll be very pretty.

The big news is I'm getting myself another dermal anchor tomorrow. I've been itching for another one, but I thought adding more to my chest might prompt the office dress code nazis to crack down. I love the look of "teardrop" anchors and realized that the way I wear my hair every day covers that spot pretty well. Bingo! For those who don't know, it looks like this:



I want one that's either light blue or clear and Melanie was pretty sure they had a blue one. They have clear ones for sure. I think it'll look really pretty, though maybe not for the first few days as I bruise so easily. I'll be pierced by Jason because Melanie's off on Fridays, so that'll be a good experience. I hope. I know he has more experience with dermals that she does, so it might be for the best in the long run, especially since it's on my face.

I also finally got the guts to ask about a lip stud. I asked one of the female managers because for some reason I felt more comfortable asking her. She said she would look into it for me, but that she thought they'd probably say no. I told her they allowed my nose stud, though I didn't tell her I asked for forgiveness rather than permission. ;) So hopefully she'll get back to me soon on that and it'll be good news. I won't be totally heartbroken if she says it's against the rules because our handbook is very, very vague on the subject of dress code. The only things it covers in specific are no formal wear and no weekend wear. It doesn't say anything about tattoos, piercings, or unnatural hair colors. Those are easily the 3 biggest issues employers have. I think when I told her they allowed the nose stud, it gave her pause. I also have no client contact, so that should also help my case. I even gave her an example of size. I feel like I made a pretty good case, I wasn't whiny, and if she says it's a no go, then I'll just accept it. I hope she says it's okay, though.

Unexpected and Amazing

As you can see, this not the tattoo I described. However, I love it. Even when it's swollen and still a bit bloody. It's also rather difficult to take a picture of your own ankle.

My original appointment was schedule for 9:30 last night. I get a call around 6:30 from Kevin saying he finished up his previous appointment early and could I come in earlier. So I pull myself together and head out the door. When Kevin showed me the sketch, my first thought was "Where's the lock?". I didn't say anything because I did like the sketch and it had the feel I was going for. It took forever for us to decide on colors. It's supposed to look like a white rose, which will be more apparent when my leg isn't red and swollen. I already have red and pink roses, so I wanted a different color. So we decided to fake the white by just using my skin tone.

It really wasn't that painful. We took two breaks, one for me to stretch and Kevin to smoke and another because my skin got really red all of a sudden. I think the whole thing took about an hour and a half but I have no idea what time we got started. It's a great looking piece and I love it. It's a lovely addition to my collection.

The true highlight of the evening though was watching an 18 year old get his first tattoo. He wasn't taking it well. One of his friends had come with him and it soon became a communal effort to keep him from freaking out, passing out, or some other equally unpleasant option. He got it on his upper back right below his neck. I don't have one there (yet) so I can't speak to the pain factor, but I would guess it's on par with an ankle depending on how bony you are. He was amazed at how I was just chilling while Kevin worked. His friend pointed this out and he was like "But she's got it in places that don't hurt!" and I was like "Oh honey, you have no idea". He survived, though, and swore up and down he'll never be getting another one. They're not for everyone.

Mark and I worked out a final plan for my foot cover up. He told me the cupcake idea just wasn't going to work. We decided that while roses seem a bit uninspired, they're really the best option for covering up black work. We're gonna do several different colors and pretty it up a bit. I'm sure it'll look infinitely better than what I have. And really, who can argue with roses? I know I can't. So that's set for May 24. Then I'll be getting my other foot done 3 days later by Danielle. My poor feet are going to hate me for about a week. Oops. On the up side, it's an excuse to buy more pants and shoes. ;)

I'd definitely like to get more work done by Kevin. He's really nice and obviously very talented. He's not as much of a smartass as Kurt or a misanthropist as Mark, but definitely a cool dude. So I guess we'll see.