Slowly Tattooing

Slowly Tattooing

So I'm slowly getting set up for tattooing.  It seems that everything I do I seem to do slowly and this is no different!  I have ordered some more supplies but I'm getting down to the last few items I need to get started.  In fact I believe that I have everything today that I need...just a few things I *want* as well. 

I ordered some small spray bottles from Amazon.com.  They have these nice small bottles that will be great for green soap, alcohol and water (each one separately).  I hadn't been able to find anything smaller than a 1 litre spray bottle here in town, which is fine for working at home, but not so good if I am travelling to someone's house to do a tattoo.  I wanted smaller, lighter bottles that wouldn't take up all the space in the carrying case I have yet to buy!

My husband ordered some Vitamin A/D ointment for putting on tattoos right at the end before covering up with gauze.  They don't carry it at our drugstore and had never heard of it.  That was a little scary to hear that they'd never heard of it before.  It's like "aren't YOU the medical professionals?"  ; It's a great product that I won't compromise on getting for my customers, so I ordered some online and it will arrive soon (hopefully).

I ordered some "UV ink" too.  UV Ink is actually "uv-reactant" ink which glows when put under a black light.  It comes in many expensive colours but I just got a bottle of white (1/2 ounce) so I can do some hand tattoos on myself.  The white ink doesn't really show once it's been tattooed in.  The only way to see the tattoo is to put it under a black light.  I'm going to tattoo a reiki healing symbol on my hand...and maybe some words on my knuckles!  We'll see how visible the palm tattoo turns out before I decide if I'll do my knuckles.  The point is that all the tattoos that are for me personally will probably be done in this "invisible" glowing black light ink.  I may cover my body with my dog's footprints if it works out well enough!

Today in tattooing news I finally got my left sleeve designed.  I should say that it's roughed out.  I've done some sketching.  Basically I have nailed down what I think (and my husband thinks) is a fantastic design.  It's going to be a Mardi Gras piece that celebrates my love of New Orleans and Mardi Gras.  It's going to have a mardi gras mask, beads and some background greywork that should really make it incredible. 

The ideas for my sleeve have been rattling around in my head now for about six months.  I was sitting at the table today when the image of what I wanted literally popped into my head and then it was crystal clear.  It's funny how suddenly your mind can just put it all together for you.  Anyway, now that I know what I want, I'm going to spend a lot of time tweaking/fixing/modifying the image to get it to where I want to get my tattooist to look at it. 

Also, I have to save up some money before I go back with something huge like a sleeve.  I think my next tattoo will just be a little devil girl by Richard Tate (flash artist)...nothing too fancy, but something that's important to me because I gave the same image to a friend of mine in tattoo school.  It was my favourite tattoo of that week and I promised him I'd get one just like it and email it to him!