Speaking of tattoos.......Has anybody heard that if you tattoo over I scar the pain is more intense ?
Years ago I saw a magazine where women who had breast cancer opt not to have reconstructive surgery......but instead had tattoos flowers and such where their breast use to be. . I will never forget those pictures! anyway...I had a melanoma remove from my bikini line ( upper hip/butt ) area and it left a nasty scar. I was thinking about tattooing something over that...........but I am too much of a chicken lol
~~~~~~~~~~~~D`Ann~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

D'Ann - I have no direct experience with needles and scar tissue, but I do have a friend who lost both breasts due to cancer. The reconstruction on one side went very well, but the other side was one disaster after another. Finally she opted for no reconstruction on that side. She decided she wanted the 'good' side to look as real as possible so asked a tattoo artist friend to ink the most realistic nipple he could do for her. As he was working on it he mentioned that the scarring on the other side looked like a waterfall and that became their next project. She trains horses so decided on an image of a horse running through a stream. Anyway, the point of that long story is that she told me she couldn't feel the needle on the scar tissue at all.

An acquaintance just had one done at a place called Inksmith and Rogers in Orange Park just outside of Jacksonville Fl. It was his first and he was very pleased. He got a parrot that covers most of his upper arm in full color and says that it is better looking than the picture he brought as a sample. Cost was $250 and took 1.5 hrs.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Thanks! That is beautiful work and I can see why he's pleased.
I'm hoping to find someone closer but I'll keep these people in mind.

Kate,
The horse and stream image must be wonderfull for her to look at ! I feela little silly for being upset about my scar....It is only the size of a half dollar and I can`t even see it without a mirror ! I was thinking about a rising sun peeking out of the top of my pants :)
~~~~~~~~D`Ann~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Inksmith and Rogers also did a tat on a friend of DD#2. It's a dragon and its incredible! I'm going there when I get one. I just have to warm up DH to the idea. He's pretty anti-tattoo, especially on women.

I like celestial motifs, so the sun would be cool. I want a compass rose on my foot to keep me going in the right direction...

I've always wanted a ladybug on the inside of my knee (heaven only knows why). But I am a BIG CHICKEN. I have a customer who is an award winning tatoo artist, he tries to encourage me every so often when DH is working on his bike. He's in Stuart nd owns Gothic City Tattoo.

Marion, what is his name? Is he an actual artist that can free hand tattoos? I want to get another but I am trying to find recommendations in FL. Have you seen any of his work?

His name is Richard 772-288-1633 he will be in on Wednesday-Sunday. I suggest you call him and discuss your idea. He does GREAT work. BTW when are you moving up my way?

I will be moving up to Stuart one of these days. I am still trying to get my house in PBG spiffed up and on the market.

I decided I needed to get a tattoo that I could see so I finally settled on a butterfly perched on my shoulder. But I am having trouble picking a place to go since the tats my Mom had done down here aren't as nice as the ones we had done up in NY. I think I just need to get brave and pick a place.

I have a dolphin and rose on my right ankle. I want a sea turtle on my foot. I think mine was $75 or something in 1998 when I had it done in Texas.

Marion,
Thanks for the info on #.
Once I go 5 years without a recurrence of the skin cancer,I (think) I will go through with it..............I am such a big chicken !
~~~D`Ann~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kate,

My daughter had her belly button pierced last year and it was over on International Drive. I think it was called Incredible Ink but I will have her ask at school tomorrow to be sure of the name. I was not at all thrilled to have her do this, but after I walked into the place and saw that it was clean and not at all seedy looking I felt much better. All her friends went there and it was highly recommended. They do piercings and tattos. I'll let you know when I get the name for sure. Pat

Incredible Ink on International Drive. They do tattoos as well as peircings. Pat

I'm prob not getting a tattoo, but if it makes D'Ann feel better, I also have the half dollar scar but it's in the middle of my back. Then there's the biopsy scar on one boob(benign) and the scar from 2 c-sections. Hey, that's life. I'm a chicken too, but the boob scar would make a great football lacing. I mean I'm a Miami fan and all but....cluck, cluck!

I did it!
Tonight DH and I both went and got our first tattoos! In a week or so when it's all healed up and nice I'll post a photo.

The artist had done work for one of my employees a couple years ago and came highly recommended. She turned out to be easy to work with and took the design I made and altered it just enough to fit around my ankle. She explained each step of the process along the way, too.

I know the big question for those who haven't had it done: did it hurt?
H@LL YES, it hurt! "Kind of like a bee sting". Yeah, over and over and over and over again. A LOT of bees. But as soon as it was over I was glad I had done it. Now it just feels like a mild sunburn.

Oh Kate you are so daring...I love your dragonfly!
Marion

I have received two tattoos from Scott White at Rise Above Tattoo. I get nothing but compliments on the detail, colors, and drawing. I have recommended Scott White to anyone and everyone who asks me where to find a good tattooist. My wife has received several tattoos from Scott, as well as, my mother (now what better recommendation can you get when a guy would bring his own mother to receive a tattoo from this guy). Formerly managing at Incredible Ink on I-Drive, his new shop located right off Mills Avenue is built with his own two hands with his other tattoo partners. It is one of the coolest and cleanest shops I have been in. On a scale of 1 � 10 I would give his tattooing and shop a Spinal Tap 11.