I did it!!!!

Oh my lord i actually did it!! I got my first ever tattoo!!! It didn't hurt that much (its more like a scratching sensation than anything) but it does throb a bit at the minute. I've got to keep it well moisturised now to help it heal and go back in a couple of weeks to have any patchy bits touched up and made perfect. I'm so Happy!!! The only bad thing is that I cant wear closed shoes of socks for a couple of weeks so I'm going to have sandal foot in a few days.

Loves
Needle Girl
xxxx

Am I doing the right thing??

OMG today's the day!!!!! ARGH. Am really really really nervous now because I don't want it to hurt!!! OMG anyway I'll post later with a picture, If I can go through with it.

Oh god.

I was just reading wikipedia with it's trusty massive store of information and I have found out that there can be 'Health risks' when you get a tattoo. This does not give me confidence to go and sit in the artists chair if I think that I may develop some sort of debilitating heatlth risk. They are listed as:

1. Infection
2. Allergic reactions
3. The tattoo ink

Oh dear.

So all it says that I have to do is keep my tattoo REALLY clean and well moisturised and I should be all fine. Oh yeah and because I'm getting it on my foot I'm not allowed to wear shoes and sox for at least 2 weeks. Oh god.

A little bit of history

So I thought that Id best learn a little bit about the history of tattooing seeing as i'm going to get one in a few days. apparently tattooing goes way back to nearly 3000 years ago. That's a very long time. Many cultures and tribes use tattooing as a form of identification or as a sign of fertility, rank or even as a sign of been a criminal (much like todays prison tattoos). tattoos have fallen in and out of fashion ever since they were 'invented' really. all throughout the victorian period tattoos were mainly worn by sailors and criminals but rarely by those of middle or upper class society.

Probably the most famous tattoos are those of the New Zealand Maori tribe. Their facial tattoos are famous because of their ornate patterns and amazing dark blue/black colour. Every different tattoo pattern symbolises something different and there is one special pattern reserved especially for Maori chiefs when they become chief of their tribe.

During the 70's tattooing had a revival with the rock and roll era and they have been on the rise ever since. Tattooing is no longer an extreme form of body disfigurement it is accepted within most societies as the way that a person expresses themselves as individuals.

Nerves

Thanks to some of my mental friends I am now really nervous about getting my tattoo because people keep telling me that it REALLY hurts and I'm a bit of a wuss so I'm getting really mervy now. OMG. I'm taking a friend for support or I'll never get it done.

OhMyGod

Random but hey I thought that it'd go well up on here. Apparently the most piercings done in one session is 1015!!! That's mad! It took 7 hours 55 minutes and was performed in England in 2004 at Sunderland Body Art. Mad. Here's a picture of the poor idiot that volunteered for the process. Mad.

World record practice

Ok so I was fiddling around on YouTube a little while ago and I found this video of a tattoo practicing for the guiness world record for the most tattoo's performed in the space of a day. It's quite funny so have a look.



However I dont think that they'll beat the world record because according to Guinness World records the longest tattooing session was 43 hours and 50 minutes and was performed in Victoria, Australia in 2006. Mental people.

Beki Blade

Ok so we went tot the tattoo shop on Friday night (me and my housemate that is) and met the girlie who's going to do my little foot tattoo. She's called Beki and she's really lovely. Plus she's got loads of piercings and tattoo's so I have full confidence in her abilities!! Just got to wait to get the thing done now (Next week) I'm quite nervous now!!! Have a look at her portfolio and see what you think.

The decision

I have finally decided what I'm going to get tattooed for the final part of my assessment. I actually literally stood on it while I was in my housemates room. It is inspired by a piece of confetti that stuck to the bottom of my shoe while I was in her room the other day. Random I know but I love the shape (it's like a flower head) so in about half an hour we're off to the tattoo place to see when I can get it done!! We're hopefully going to film it and put it up on here by Friday before this assessment finishes. Wish me luck.

Celebrities

If you sit and look through the gossip magazines in the supermarket nowadays you''' have to be blind to miss the amount of tattoo's that celebrities have nowadays. It's not just normal people who have them, the immoral superstars of the world are also addicted to body art.

Angelina Jolie is one of a growing trend of celebrities who seems addicted to tattooing. She has at least 4 that the general public know about and maybe more that have yet to be seen!

As there is a less than impossible chance that I'll get an interview with a celebrity as big as Angelina Jolie we'll just have to imagine what she'd say if we could interview her!!

People I know but don't

This is Hannah M, Hannah is a friend of a friend of a friend (you know what I mean) She found me on the group that I created using facebook and sent me some background into her tattoo, what it is and what it means.

''The Star of David is for my dad (His name is David, I am not Jewish- the symbol has been used for hundreds of years for many things) as he was in Hospital at the time and I got a star for each member of my family to. My mum designed it for me so it's special to me!''

Apologies (again)

Sorry I didn't post yesterday but I spent most of the day day on the M25 after a glorious crash. However, god bless sat nav because it eventually managed to divert me otherwise it would have taken MUCH longer!!

People who want to help

This is my friend Ashley who so far is proving a massive help to this project and me because she has so many friends who have tattoos and piercings.
Here's what Ashley has to say, there isn’t a picture of all her piercing of we'd be here for hours and there isn’t a picture of her face because she didn't really like the idea of been famous via the internet!
Piercing
''My belly button top was basically a spur of the moment thing. My bottom of my belly button was because I was wondering what it looked like (took it out very soon after though). My ears (bottom 5) are because I got bored at work very easily (I used to work in Claire’s) and I got taught how to pierce ears so I did mine at home. Umm my nose because I fancied doing it, random yes. My tongue number 1 because I was in a rebellious stage from parents. Tongue number 2 because my mouth felt strangely empty and it’s different (same reason why I’m getting the third). My scaffolding, (top of ear) all I can say to that is "because". I don’t actually know why I got it done, an ex-boyfriend paid for me to have it done on my 18th. Bless and I like it!''
Tattoo
''My tattoo was a completely different story. My mum loves cats and when I came to university I basically sketched a very simple stretching cat- line only. It marks a point in my life where I became independent. Becoming a student and breaking away from my mum. Its also a reminder that she’s still there when I need her- bless.''

Copyrighting...

Now I was just fiddling with the internet earlier (as you) and was readin ga bit of a history bit about where tattoo's came from and all that sort of thing, and I was amazed to read that tattoo's can actually be copyrighted!!! I mean how can you copyright a piece of body art?? Apprently it's called flash and tattoo artists have to buy the copyright pieces and pay to use them. Now is it just me or is this a bit mental?? I mean, tattoo's are all unique in one way or another there can never be an exact copy. That's just impossible!! The world has clearly gone mad!

This is insane!!

I've got people emailing me who I don't even know wanting to help me with this project. Fantastic!! So anyway, last night a friend of a friend got in touch and said that she'd like to take part in 'The Project' So here we go:

Ok so this is Millie, my friend Ashley must have forwarded her the email and here's what she had to say;

About the piercing ''I got these lip ones because I had always wanted it done, I got the middle one first but everyone seemed to have these, so I got the side one done. There isnt many people with the 2 its weird but I not many people would have it.''


About the Tattoo
This is a strange one, the saftey pin shaped as a heart was a design I found when I was 13. The tattooist said he hated it, and wrong, (well I guess im wrong then). But I got it to represent the first time I fell in love. the swirly one was just one I liked and me and my mum went together to get hers as well, it also represents that even though I was in love things can go wrong, and people get tied up in horrid things and its not love at all. I know that doesn't make sense but I understand what I mean.'' - Millie xxx

The first of many...

So this was the first reply that I got from my mass email.

This is Sarah, we went to school together and had lot of classes together. We use to hang around in the same group and we still go camping together every summer. I cant remember who was the first to get piercings but I think that she was the first of us who got a tattoo.

When I sent out the email asking about tattoo's and piercings this is the reply that I got:

''Alright sweetheart! O.k, I decided to get my lip pierced at 20 because i felt it was a suitable time to get it done, as I have a stable job and i feel it suits me. You know what I'm like anyway, I love piercings and other types of body modification because its interesting to look at and there is so much history behind piercings and tattoos. The stars on my arm were done before the bloody star craze and were designed by my art lecturer at college. Kisses xxxx''

Ruby Arts

Ok so here's the thing, I REALLY want a tattoo but I'm;
a) a wuss, and
b) not sure what I actually want

So anyway the only place that I will actually consider going to is Ruby Arts in York because basically they have the best reputation and becasue they have over 15 years experience. So anyway I went yesterday (forgot to tell you about it) just to have a look at some of the designs that they've got up on thewalls and to see when I could get booked in (obviously because of their reputation you have to wait AGES just for a consultation.) So anyway as I'm only wanting a little tattoo somewhere I was expecting him to say something like, come back later/tomorrow/on monday but what he actually said was that I could come back two weeks on Saturday for a 20 minute consultation at 9.30am. This may prove trickier than I originally planned. Anyway, watch this space!!

This may actually work!

Ok so I put out a MASS email earlier and I am amazed to report that loads of people have actually replied to me!! God bless Facebook and it's Group application. I think that it may actually be quite fun now becasue people are adding themselves to the group left right and centre and i'm getting some VERY interesting people come through. I think that at this rate I'm actually going to have more than one a day becasue that way I'll get a broader spectrum on the whole 'body art' thing!!

So here's the deal

As part of this assessment I thought that it'd be good to get stories from friends who have tattoo's and piercings and get them to tell me a bit about the story behind it. Now a lot of my frined's have tats and piercings but I'm not sure if they're ready to be on the web!! We'll just have to wait and see!!

Art of the crazy kind

So I woke up this morning to find this in my mail box from my very good friend jenn, now I'm not usually a fan of the massive chest pieces but this one just made me laugh. you've got to appreciate the art and the hours that have gone into designing and creating this amazing piece. It's fantastic, and what's more there's also matching arms to go with it!

Sssssshhhhhh.

This is what I used to have on the back of my neck. Don't tell my mum!!

The world has gone mad

Now in my opinion when you get so desperate that you have to get an ear tattoo you have most definitely gone round the bend and are on your way out!! However, placement taken into consideration this is an amazing tattoo and the art work on it is truly immense. It is incredibly life like and very clever. It must have taken hours and this all has to be taken into account when you look at the art that is tattooing.

Flesh tunnels gone mad

Ok so when I was a bit younger I went through the whole flesh tunnel stage where you make the holes in your ears bigger by putting 'stretchers' in them and slowly and quite painfully stretching the skin until you get a very obviously hole. Now I'm not very good with intense pain but the whole throbbing ears was driving me mad so I stopped when they were 5mm wide (that was enough pain for me) but the thing is a very good friend of mine has just forwarded this picture to me and I was wondering why on earth anyone would do this to themselves???
Now I cant be the only person in the world who thinks that this is absolutely grotesque, who want to see inside someone elses nose apart from the nose doctor!!!

Is this the new trend...

Ok so I know I'm not 'old' (I class over 30 as old) but a few of my friends have popped babies out over the past few years. Now one friend got this tattoo on her bump when she was quite heavily pregnant and I was wondering whether it was safe of not...

I've checked out several sites and most have said that there's no reason that you cant get tattoo'd while you're pregnant but that most artists don't want to do it because they don't feel right tattooing a womans body while she's pregnant. also some said they were afraid of women faining while they were having the tattoo done (apparently this happens a lot) Anyway so if you have any questions check THIS out.

Sorry...

Ok so here we go again, I'm so sorry that I haven't been pn for a few days but I do have an excuse and some stuff to 'report' on. Right so first of all the excuse, I didnt blog on Wednesday because I went to Thorpe Park with a group of friends and we didn't get back till quite late and I didnt have the energy to log on never mind about write a proper post!! And then yesterday I didnt post properly because the power had gone down at our main internet head quarters so I had no internet all night. This is the age of technology!!! So anyway, many apologies and I hope that it won't happen again!!

It was so nice

Ok so we went to Thorpe Park for a day on Wednesday off the work that we've had over the past few weeks. While we were walking around the park I saw a girl with the most amazing chest double chest tattoo. Now I'm going to try and describe it but you'll have to use your imagination a bit here guys. Right so this girl was what most people would think of as the typical rock chick. Black skinny jeans, Black top and short choppy hair. So it was quite warm on Wednesday (not very April weather) so she had a cami top on showing off this AMAZING tattoo. Basically it was two red chrysanthemums but it wasnt that they were dead fancy or anything it was that the colouring and shading on them was so amazing that they actually looked real. I was going to take a picture but I'm a bit of a wuss and daren't go up to her, would have maybe been a good idea to ask where she got it done though!!

Oh yeah I forgot...

I am like the most indecisive person in the world so you might have to perservere with me here :D

Laid bare- The story begins

Ok so here's the deal, I am addicted to piercings. Literally addicted!

Ever since I got my ears pierced when I was 13 I haven't been able to stop- or rather I've never stopped wanting more! By the time I was 16 I had 14 piercings all over by body and my mum was close to throwing me out because she HATES piercings and body art. So the battle began and it got to the point where I was sat in the studio every week gettting morean more piercings and not showing my mum and dad.

Now there are two main problems with having to do this;
1) I'm not a particulary good liar- especially with my mum
2) Hiding a new piercing takes A LOT of effort because you always have to remember that you've got it.

But anyway, it kind of got to the point where I'd done everything and wasnt that botheredabout the pain (not that there is much if it) and I wanted to move onto bigger and better things i.e. Tattoo's. But I wasn't 18 yet and so couldnt go to get one so I had to wait.

So I did.

Then I finally turned 18 and I was so excited because I'd had to wait so long, so the day after my birthday I went up to a studio with a fantastic reputation, walked through the door and thats when the problems began. the choice was so vast and I liked so many of them that I had to leave the studio bare skinned that day (you know what I mean) and ever since I've not been able to decide which one I want, so I supose that this blog will be part of my journey to find the perfect tattoo!