I'm adding a store!

So today I busted out the paint, easel, colored pencils, markers, pastels, etc and got to work on some artsy things I've been wanting to get done (Of course none of it had anything to do with getting my house clean and organized but, eh, I made some things happen anyways!) Please check out the wearable wonderful things I have created!

Deciding what to get

If you've never gotten a tattoo you're probably wondering what you should get. I mean, this is for FOREVER right? There are ways of removing tattoo's but you really shouldn't plan on removal when you're getting something. So what things do you need to consider?

1. What do you want this tattoo to represent? Are you getting one just to get one (that's what I did the first time) or are you getting it to represent something? Do you want it to be a symbol for someone you lost? A symbol of a new stage in your life? A symbol of a new love? Figuring out exactly what you're trying to represent with your new piece of tattoed art is the first step.

This tattoo is one I got the day my grandmother died. When I was 12 she gave me this old fashioned handkercheif. It was so pretty I had always cherished it. I decided that she would love that something she gave me meant so much to me that I used it as a beautiful reminder of her spirit. It's funny because I actually got this a year ago YESTERDAY. The artist lifted one of the patterns of flowers on the handkercheif and used it to draw up this piece that's now on my forearm.



This tattoo I got the day I got home from my honey moon and my husband got the same one. It means 'tears'. We got it because we both bawled our eyes out on our wedding day because we were both SO HAPPY!! It was funny, he actually cussed during the vows. He was crying and couldn't say what he needed to so he was like, "shit!" and then realizing that he just swore in front of the pastor, he said, "oh, god damn it!" yeah...it was SO FUNNY! On our honey moon we had so much fun! Everytime I see that tattoo on him or see mine it reminds me of that time and how wonderful my man is!




This tattoo probably needs the most explaining and is one that I get the most questions on. I remember joking with the artist that did it when he was like, 'okay, what's this about' I was like, "HEY! If I'm into ball gags and chains then that's my business!!" of course that's not why I got this tattoo (although it has since been suggested that my hubby get 'owner' tattooed behind his ear!). I got this tattoo because I have a problem with addiction. I get consumed by things and then lose the balance that's so critical to having a joyful life. One time it was cocaine, another it was sex, another time it was shopping, and most of these things are fine but only in moderation. When people ask me about this tattoo it's a little reminder to make sure I'm on track with my goals for my life which can only be acheived by balance.




The final tattoo of mine that I've displayed for purposes of explaining this point is this one. When I got married I was so happy and changed my last name to Pfeiffer. I was proud that we were really 'together forever'!! Then some kind of weird thing happened because I freaked out about changing my name. I mean my whole life I'd been one person with this one name which had many great stories to go with it. It was asian sounding and rhymed with such words as bong, dong, thong, slong, you get the idea, I'm sure! I also got to get call from asian telemarketers attempting to sell me products to "keep my asian skin beautiful!" YEAH! Except for I am in no way ASIAN! It was amusing! Well I finally came to terms with the fact that changing my name did not, in fact, change me. In getting this tattoo I wanted something that would permanantly mark this change new phase of life. I'm a married woman now! I got our last name and I got the rose to be painted like a fire and ice rose because those are my absolute favorite and it's what my hubby always gets me.



I know the feelings that went through my head were varied with each new tattoo I've gotten. Some were amazing, some were okay. But when I really thought about everything before I decided to get a tattoo it ended up being exactly what I wanted! With the Pfeiffer tattoo I was a little unsure at first if I really wanted this "new" last name on my body forever. I then realized that no matter what happens, this is a part of my life that I'll want to look back on fondly and no matter what will always be a part of the person who I am now and who I'll become in the future. Just think about your tattoo and you'll decide what's right for you.

Scared of the pain?

I know that some of us are scared of getting tattoos because we don't know just how much it is or isn't going to hurt. I personally don't think that tattoos done in a shop, by a professioinal are painful.

The thing you have to remember is that if it hurt REALLY bad, not as many people would have them right? I would compare it to getting your hair pulled during sex, slightly uncomfortable but exhilarating at the same time!

I tend to have a pretty high pain tolerance though. If you personally are very pain sensitive you may want to apply a numbing agent prior to the needle touching the area.

Now, this may sound gross, and I don't want to freak anyone out, but the product "anal ease" that Slumber Parties Sells ( http://www.slumberparties.com )is a great product to spread over the area that is about to be tattooed before starting. It has benzocaine in it and will slighly numb the skin enough to where getting the tattoo isn't nearly as painful. If the name makes you uncomfortable (I'm fine with it but some of us are more sensitive to those things than others....) just scratch it off the tube or cover it with black electrical tape. You can also use this product for teething babies (I love multi-purpose things!)

Why did I create this site?

The aim of this site is to help people get comfortable with their own tattoo style. Just because you're a 24 year old soccer mom, a 40 year career woman, or a guy that just graduated high school, doesn't mean that you "can't" get tattoos! You should embrace the culture, do some research on what your options are, what shops are available to you in your area and find an artist that you can work with.

This site is going to be the place where you can do just that from the comfort of your own living room. You can see bios of different shop's, pictures of their décor, background information on the owners, the artists and pictures of their work. You'll also be able to see different styles, different experience levels and different price ranges. You'll be able to connect to the artist directly either via email or with a link directly to their personal pages (or both)! You'll also be able to "track your artist" by being notified when you're favorite artist switches shops or goes into business for themselves.

There's articles on this site for those of you looking to get your "tattoo cherry" popped. What should you expect? How does it work? What does it cost? Why do tattoos cost so much? Also information for more experienced tattoo getters. How can I get this covered up? How can I complete this sleeve? With a place for you to talk to artists and get their feedback so you can decide who to work with.

Since I am based in Colorado Springs, that is where most of the content is going to come from. In the future I plan on expanding all over the state and then all over the country but be patient for me to get to your area! If you want me to get it to you sooner, shoot me an email (insert link here) and I'll see what I can do to prioritize for my readers! The other option is to tell your favorite artist in the area know about the site so they can get on here and get more business! I just have to know that you're reading.

As you peruse this website please LEAVE ME FEEDBACK!!!! (insert link here) I want this site to have the things that YOU want on it! I'm getting new ideas constantly and will do what I can to make it happen. If you do send me feedback I assure you that you will get a response within 48 hours. Sometimes right away even!

I hope to eventually talk about some of the laws surrounding tattoos (i.e. Can you tattoo out of your home?), some historical information about how tattooing has evolved as an art form through the years as well as expand so that shops are available for you to "comparison shop" in every area of the country. I do ask for some patience as I develop this site as this is the first time I've ever tried to build a website but I do want it to be as helpful as possible so there will be FREQUENT updates.

So, you're ready to get a tattoo?

So you've decided you want to get a tattoo. You're at least 18 years old and you're ready to start letting your body express your personality! What do you do next?

Step 1: Artist consultation

You have a couple of options at this point. If you have picked out the EXACT image that you want then that's what you want to start with. Browse the artists on here that are located near you and find an artist whose work resembles the image you have in mind. Maybe you want a tiger and John Smith does tigers regularly and you like the way they look. That's a great place to start. Make an appointment for a consultation with the artist. If you don't have an exact image in mind, find an artist whose style reflects yours. For instance I love FLOWERS! And I wanted an artist that can put them together in a way that it looks beautiful so finding an artist that can tattoo beautiful flowers is important. Then you make an appointment and go to the shop and they can help you brainstorm what will best fit your needs. During this consultation you'll also usually come to a price understanding. What this means is that the artist will be able to give you an estimate for the cost of the work based on what you're wanting. The final price is usually determined after the drawing is done.

Step 2: drawing

How long this step really varies from piece to piece and artist to artist. Some can draw something up for you in a matter of minutes and some really have to take the time to work it out in their heads. Neither of these styles is better or worse, it's just a part of the creative process. Some artists will have you wait while they draw it up and then do the tattoo immediately. Some will have you come back later that same day so they have some time to work on it without feeling rushed. Others still will have you come back next week so they will schedule a separate appointment for you to get the work done. Again, none of these means one artist is better than another, it's just that designing a tattoo is a creative process and every person has their own way of doing it. Once the final drawing is agreed upon by you and the artist a final price will be determined. Keep in mind tattooing is an industry where tips are expected for good quality work. So make sure when agreeing to pay a certain price that you have the financial means to cover an additional 20% of that price for a tip.

Step 3: the stencil

Once the drawing is finalized and you and the artist are both ready for the work to begin the artist will take a stencil of the drawing and apply it to your skin in the area you want to get tattooed. They will then get a mirror or take you to a mirror to see if the placement is what you want. Make sure you like the angle, make sure you like the size and make sure that the size is a good fit for the place the tattoo is going. Don't be afraid to ask them to move it or change the size if you don't like it.

A good artist will give you suggestions on size and placement to make sure the tattoo is exactly what you want. I always make it a point to ask for the artists feedback on my design ideas. Some tattoo's I've changed due to their feedback and some I haven't because I had an idea of EXACTLY what I wanted. Just remember the artist is the expert who you came to in order to make your tattoo come to life and that the tattoo you'll be wearing is representative of the artist. Artists want you to be happy with their work so that you'll refer people. They also want you to be happy because when they put a tattoo on you, they are representing themselves as well.

Step 4: INK!

Now is the moment you've been waiting for. The artist positioned you in their chair in some manner that makes the part of your body that you're about to get tattooed exposed, shaved (if necessary) and steady. They've gotten out all the various ink colors they are going to need for your design. They've put on gloves and gotten out clean needles (make sure you watch for this!) and everything has been cleaned and is ready to go! Artists usually start with the outline of your tattoo especially if it is a design requiring a black outline. If you don't want an outline style or you want the outline in a different color, that's something you need to be sure and address with the artist when you begin your consultation.

The amount of time that the outline is going to take depends largely on how big the design is and how detailed. If it has a lot of intricate details then it's going to take a while. You can usually estimate how long it's going to take by the price you agreed upon. You should expect to pay $100 an hour, or so for ink depending on the shop.

As the artist begins the tattoo you'll feel stinging and vibration. It can be uncomfortable at first but I find after a little while the area begins to go numb. If you are very pain sensitive you may want to apply a numbing agent prior to the needle touching the area. Getting a tattoo isn't something I would call painful, if it hurt REALLY bad not as many people would have them right? I would compare it to getting your hair pulled during sex, slightly uncomfortable but exhilarating at the same time!

You can expect that the artist will be doing small amounts of ink and then wiping the area that is being tattooed to wipe away the excess ink and blood. You will bleed a little bit, but not too much. This is why they strongly advise against getting a tattoo if you have any alcohol in your system. Alcohol thins your blood and causes problems with infections, excessive bleeding and healing times. Most shops won't tattoo you if you smell like alcohol. This is for your safety. Remember these are professional artists!

Depending on the time the piece is going to take you may expect to take a break go to the bathroom, stretch your legs, smoke a cigarette, make a quick phone call or any combination there in. Tattoo shops get a lot of walk-in traffic so be patient if your artist needs to talk to a walk-in customer.

Styles of Ink

I think a key to getting tattoos that you are completely satisfied with means understanding that what you're expecting is not always what you're going to get. For instance, in the pictures below you can see two fairies. These are both tattooed on my shoulders. They were done by two different tattoo artists and as you can see they are completely different in style.



The pictures of the fairies were originally from some pictures of Amy Brown's (insert link here) fairies. I took the same image to two different artists and through their own style they translated the same picture in two completely different ways. Because I had 2 different tattoo artists put the fairies on my body, they look BAD! (any artists reading that have suggestions for a cover up, let me know!! (insert link here)).



If you look at the two fairies one has the black outline and one doesn't. This makes them look like they aren't a pair. Also look at the facial features on the fairies and see that neither of them look very pretty. As the customer I would have preferred a more experienced artist to walk me through my options for making them look like a cohesive piece. I didn't understand how different from each other they were going to look.



So, when you're getting a tattoo, what do you need to look for in an artist?

A good artist will tell you what size the fairy (or pin up girl, or portrait reproduction) that you want to get, needs to be in order for it to look GOOD! I have learned this PAINFULLY as you can see by the ink I'm currently sporting.

A good artist will also still be there when you go back to get more work done.

A good artist will have EXPERIENCE and will have gone through an apprenticeship program of some type to hone their skills and increase their technical abilities. Remember tattooing is an art form like painting or drawing. Sometimes an artist is naturally gifted and sometimes an artist just thinks tattooing is cool and gets into the business that way. You need to look for an artist that meets YOUR needs.

Since this art piece is going to be a permanent addition to your body, you want it to be GOOD, right? That's why I want you to take the time and look through your options of different shops in your area and find a good fit for you.

A final note, you get what you pay for!

Tattoos aren't cheap for a reason. They take time, energy and costly supplies in order to give you the best product. If you are getting a tattoo cheaply (as in less than $100 an hour) you are most likely getting ink from someone without much experience. If you're comfortable with that, feel free to proceed but I caution you to make sure that you very clearly convey your expectations to the artist. Good and open communication with the artist is critical to getting the tattoo you're dreaming about.