 :::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-::: Laurie :::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-:::-::: The Tattoo Story
:::Next I got
my back piece done as a gift to myself for my 30th. The artist
is Pat Fish
in Santa Barbara. She is the leading female tattoo artist
in the country. I saw her in a documentary and tracked her
down. The design was all my idea. It's Van Gogh's iris and
13 Chinese symbols. Pat was really excited about the job,
she loved the idea of coping Van Gogh. Each symbol is a word,
I will try to remember them all... :::My mother's favorite joke is to tell people that my back says 'Never turn your back on a Chinese tattoo artist.' So far my back has taken about 5 hours. 3 hours the 1st time, for all the outline. 2 hours for what's colored in so far. I still need to go back one more time to finish it, but honestly I've been a bit chicken. Coloring in is much worse then the basic design. It's going over and over the same spot. Now think about that on a large section of your ribs (I've been told the most painful spot to get a tattoo). Also, I've been told that Pat has been using a hook needle to give the tat a 3D effect (you can feel the design when you run your fingers over it). Plus, it's a pain to arrange a ride, cuz theirs no way I can make the drive afterwards. My mother drove me to my 1st sitting. She yelled at me for 2 hours the previous day about getting another tattoo, but when she heard I had no ride she came through for me. Thank goodness that the ink stained my blood, or she would have freaked. She sat and watched the whole time without knowing I was bleeding so much. Afterwards she took me home and put cool lotion on my back, saying over and over that it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The Piercing Story  Photos © Laurie :::I have 5 holes in my left ear. Seems pretty normal these days, but mine have meaning to me. The 1st hole (the basic piercing) was done for my 6th grade graduation. The 2nd hole was done by a friend in the bathroom of a restaurant for my 9th grade graduation (jr. high). The 3rd & 4th were done at Venice beach, to mark my graduation from high school. And, the 5th (on top) was done right after I got my 1st tattoo. :::For my 31st birthday my lover at the time paid to get my nipples pierced. It was done in a shop on Venice Beach. The guy looked to be about 15, but he did a great job. I had asked if it would hurt much, he looked at my back and laughed saying it would be nothing compared to that. We went into the back room and he tells me 'OK, show me your boobies.' It hurt a bit, but the pain went quick. I have never regretted them, but it's funny how many times I've had to explain them to ex-ray techs. I have a hoop in each nipple, with a jewel hanging from the left. :::About six months later I went back to Venice Beach (but another shop) to try and get my tongue pierced. What follows is the story of how I have two holes in my tongue with nothing to show for it. This time the guy didn't just look young, he really was only about 18. He puts the clamp on my tongue, sticks the needle through, puts in the barbell, and then tries to remove the clamp, but the holes on the clamp are too small to fit over the ball on the stud. That's the 1st hole. Next he puts another clamp on my tongue, puts the needle through, decides to take the clamp off before putting the stud in. He then turns around to do something, leaving me with the needle still in my tongue. At this point I choke and cough, and knock the needle part way out. Now while all this is happening I feel all this drool (so I thought) running down my chin, a lady watching is freaking out saying that she can't believe all the blood, and the kid doing the work is repeating 'OH SHIT!' over and over. By this point I figure this isn't meant to be, and I have to fight the guy to give me my money back. The strange thing is that my cousin said I was giggling the whole time. :::Just over
a year ago I got my lip pierced. I was in Seattle visiting
friends. I had been saying for months that I wanted to get
my lip done, but just hadn't gotten to it yet. Well, the 2nd
day I was in Seattle, I went out shopping and came home with
a new lip. Part of me was trying to make a point to these
guys that I always do what I say I will. It was done at the
Laughing Buddha by a sweet lady, that seemed more like a friends
mom offering cookies and such, then someone who could stick
you with a needle. I had told her about what had happened
with my tongue, and she was very patient with me reminding
me to breathe and all that. :::So, those
are all my stories. I've told myself that if I ever get my
tummy to the point that I'm happy with it, then I get to have
my bellybutton done. I think I will go back to Seattle to
get my next tattoo. There is this girl up there that does
beautiful work. I've also been thinking about getting a small
diamond for my nose. I'm just waiting for them to fall back
OUT of style before I do it. BACK
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