For those who have tattoos

[KanoasDestiny]

Just curious if anyone here created their own tattoo? Or did you see something you liked somewhere? I want to get a tattoo before I turn 30, and I know exactly what I want. I just don't know how to create it to look nice. Lol.

If you did design your own, would you mind telling us about it? Pictures would be great too.

 

[Holly at WhiteTailsMinis]

Well I have 5 tattoos right now. I saw all of them somewhere else. Many the tattoo shops. But I have a fairy in the middle of my back ( takes up most of the middle ) i found it on a sticker at the store Hot Topics.

My husband has a sleeve on one arm and he mostly came up with all of it. I will post a picture of his arm when I get a picture of it.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

OK, no laughing!!! This is just a ROUGH draft to give an idea!!! I want to get it on my ankle, but it needs to be "touched up" ALOT! Hahaha. It may look like a simple heart, but it's actually my husband's initials (I thought it up

). If you follow the vines, they are supposed to make an "M" and a "V". The "V" is the bottom part of the heart, the "M" is the top. Of course, I'm stumped. I want the vines to be "pretty" but I'm not that creative.

 

[Holly at WhiteTailsMinis]

Aww that is cute! Just take your idea to a tattoo shop ( one that has good artists ) and all you have to do is tell them your idea and they will work off of it and touch it up real nice. Especially is the artist is creative. Thats basically what my husband did.

 

[jayne]

I wanted a little tattoo in memory of my heart dog that passed away, so I went to a local tattoo artist and 'interviewed' him about the procedure and sterilization, costs and especially how the art goes from the idea to actually being permanent on me! There are a lot of steps that you wouldn't think of, so it's cool to talk about it and it's their job and also their art so they like to talk about it. If they don't, go someplace else.

Like you, I had a rough idea what I wanted and he took it from there, drawing it and making a few changes and even a few suggestions of his own until I was happy, then he used his computer to shrink it until it was the size I wanted. This took one meeting. I had to pay my money up front, so he was sure he was paid in case I turned out to be flaky, but I'm not sure this is the usual practice, but I felt comfortable with him so I wasn't worried. This guy's minimum charge is $50 and that's what I paid. I was with him for probably 2 hours total, so he's sure not getting rich doing this, that's for sure.

Then I came back and got the actual tattoo. I wouldn't say it hurt, but was more just really annoying. There is a numbing cream that you can ask for, but I didn't and it was tolerable. Here's the end result:

It's just a little paw print with a heart on the pad. I lost my Carly on June 12th and was able to make the appointment to get the tattoo on the one year anniversary of her passing a year ago now. The tattoo artist was really cool about it and he showed me a memorial he had to a dog on him too. I'm not sure if I'll get another one, but I got this one when I was 47, so it's never too late!

Jayne

 

[HorseMom]

I have a few tattoos, benefits of living with a tattoo artist when I was younger. I only designed one tattoo out of the three that I have. The leaf on my upper thigh signifies my grandfather's surname, Greenleaf. I also have the eye of Horus on the back of my neck, I like to think that he's watching my back. Then there is the design that my artist and I call our baby. It's a Asian Grandfather dragon that goes from the top of my back on the left side and ends just below the hip. This design was something that the artist had drawn himself and was dying to put it on someone he knows very well so he can have "visiting rights." He gave it to me for free, but I had to go to tattoo shows with him while we worked on it. Helped generate a lot of business for him. We are thinking of continuing the dragon down so his tail wraps around my upper thigh. The way this dragon sits on my back and slightly wraps around my side makes it look like he's breathing on his own. Such a beautiful design. I have started to design the ravens that I want on my collar bones.

 

[Sonya]

I currently have 4 tats...soon to be 5. I designed and drew 3 of mine. My first tat was a cartoon fish it is blue/puple/yellow on my ankle, I didn't design/draw it, but I knew I wanted a fish and a friend found the picture and I had the tattoo artist redraw it. 2nd tat is on the other ankle and it's a tribal drum horse head, just black ink...I did design/draw that. 3rd one is a green butterfly with tribal that is on my lower back (aka tramp stamp), I did design/draw that. 4th one is on the inside of my left wrist, it is the word "Persevere" in my own handwriting. I am working on one now that is going to go on the inside of my right wrist...it is 3 dog paw prints that look like they are walking with tiny stars and bursts around them (the paws will be purple/blue) and the stars and bursts will be red/yellow/black in rememberance of my beloved lab that passed away 2 months ago, his name will be under or along the sides of the paws in my own writing. I do believe this 5th tat will be my last, but you never know...lol...they are very addictive.

I try to get all of mine in spots of my body that will not stretch/sag with age and/or wieght loss/gain...many people get them in places that can be covered with clothing, so keep that stuff in consideration. Always put sunscreen on them if they are out in the open and you are going out in the sun...it does help preserve them and just keep them moisturized in general...I always put lotion on mine after I get out of the shower.

There are so many designs, search online..to get an idea of what you like and then talk with the artists...do not rush and make sure it is something you really really like, it is with you forever and removal is very painful/costly.

Good luck.

 

[cretahillsgal]

I have one and I designed it myself. It is a lily with 2 butterflies. I LOVE the lilys and have wanted one for a while. Then each butterly is done in the color of each of my kids birthstones. Carlee's is purple and Carson's is blue. It is on my lower back. I spent about a year designing and really thinking hard about it before I finally got it done. Then I took my design to an artist and she cleaned it up and changed a couple details to make the butterflies look better.

And yes... it REALLY hurt. The outline wasnt too bad. But all the coloring and shading really started to get to me towards the end. It took her 2 hours to do it. She said I really went all out for my first one. LOL!

I would love to get one that represents my love of my horses. But I havent come up with a design that I like enough to put on my body forever.

If you want ideas go to tattoojohnny.com. They have thousands of designs that you can get ideas from.

Here it is right after she finished with it. The light in the picture is bad and it makes the colors kind of dulled.

 

[Holly at WhiteTailsMinis]

Wow Julie that is very pretty. My next tatt is going to be my girls names on both of my wrists to make it look like bracelets. I will have them done in my girls birthstone colors also. My oldest is Ruby and my youngest is amethest(SP). Tattoos are so addictive. You cant just get one! LOL. I will have to have to find a picture of my fairy on my back.

 

[user 488]

Here is one I designed. Actually it started with just the ladybug and then the rest was added afterwards.

And here is one I designed for someone who wanted a plain and simple tattoo. She just got finished hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, hiking 2200 miles and the symbols are part of the tattoo with a hiker in the middle.

 

[NoddalottaFarm]

Hey Jayne - I *LOVE* your paw print. For years, I wanted a black paw print on my foot for my first dog (then I wanted to add 2 horse shoes for my 2 horses lost) but I chickened out on doing it. Can you believe, I never even *thought* about having a small one? Yours is adorable.

 

[Watcheye]

I drew my friends tattoo for her but I dont have a picture of it on me at this time. Ill try to get one.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

Jayne, I LOVE your little paw print!!! That is so cute, and I love the size of it.

I have always been hesitant about getting someone's name on me. I've always been told that's the sure way to make sure the relationship does NOT last. Lol. But my husband and I have been together for almost 11 years now, and even if for some reason it wouldn't work out between us forever, then he's still a huge part of my life and who I am today. It's an honor to get his name on me. BUT I did want to do it in a way where IF things don't work out between us, and I did begin a relationship with someone else, they wouldn't have to look at a guy's name on my body forever. Haha. So I feel that the heart (my husband's initials) is cute, and someone wouldn't know the true meaning if I didn't want them to.

Julie, I love the vines that are behind your flower. That's kind of what I'm looking for, it just can't overpower the heart. I love how you guys incorperate your kids colors into your tattoos. There's some really creative ideas on here.

 

[jayne]

Thank you for the nice comments on my little paw tattoo on my foot! I really like looking down and seeing it there. I had it put on my foot because my dog would always sit right next to me and put one paw on my foot, so I put the tattoo right there to keep her foot there forever.

I would not have gotten any tattoo if it didn't have really deep meaning for me. Whenever I see a Tweety Bird or some commercial symbol like a Nike swoosh, I always wonder what that person was thinking. All the tattoos (current and planned) are really neat to see and hear what the meaning is behind them!

Jayne

 

[Reble]

My daughter had Olivia's newborn foot print tatoo on her shoulder, turned out nice.

My husband instead of a wedding ring since he has worn one out, and lost the other, had my initials on his ring finger, nothing fancy just MK without the Line in K / M< hope you get the ideal.

Going on 33 years...

 

[TheCaseFamily00]

My Son was stillborn and I wanted to get a tattoo,wasn't sure what .After talking to the guy I decieded to have his name put in a ribbon. There are angel wings carrying the ribbon with a halo above.My husband had one done the same day. He had a tribal armband with feathers, each feather represents our children.It's the only tattoo I have and I love it! I would love to have a portrait of him on me.If you've ever watched LA Ink,they do amazing portraits

.

 

[shorthorsemom]

My friend's son was born too early and he died after a couple of weeks. A tattoo artist did an exact copy of his newborn footprints surrounded by ribbons and little hearts and his name in script. It is beautiful and my friend had the design tattooed over her heart. Sweetist Tat I ever saw, I was amazed that they could design it in such detail. She has other tats that she designed, but Jared's tat is the best. Her husband has one of their dogs tattooed on his arm, he got that Tat years ago. It looks just like a black and white photo of their dog, perfect. If I ever got a tat it would be my three kids names

 

[FoRebel]

Here's one of my 4... I had this custom drawn for me by my tattooist. I waited better than 2 years after my horses passed to do something. Tari (Arab mare) was put down April 19, 2006 at the age of 27 and Desi (TB gelding) was July 25, 2006 at 17 due to cancer.

ETA: This was taken less than 24 hrs after I had it done.

 

[tagalong]

I designed a friend's tattoo for her... in memory of the Golden Retrievers she has loved and who have loved her... she wanted a Golden angel...

 

[Shannon_c21]

I partially designed some of mine. I had my lower back designed for years. I think i drew it in grade 10 english lol! the rest i had a say in but my artist is amazing so i gave him a rough draft and he made it amazing!

shannon