Tattoo..

This may be long, but please bear with me.. Well, the plan for my next tattoo has been daisies for quite a while. However, many of you know that one of the kids in my church's youth group passed away Sunday. I work closely with the group, and it has devastated me that this happened to one of my kids. I have taken something amazing from this, and that's the idea that while at first I was worried his potential wouldn't be reached, now I realize that through those of us left behind can help his potential be reached. I knew his potential has always been to do something great, and to make a difference in this world. Through those of us left behind, that can happen. I have a new love for life. I don't want to just exist, but truly live. As cliche as it sounds, I know now the true meaning of 'carpe diem' and I'm ready to do just that. People say they will do it all the time, but I want to really make it happen.

So, the new idea I have is to have 'Carpe Diem' and a butterfly tattooed somewhere. I want the 'Carpe Diem' for obvious reasons, and the butterfly because to me it is one of the greatest symbols of change and growth.

I'm stuck between 2 places though. One is on the right side of my stomach/pelvic area, right about where the waist of my jeans would be. The other is on my lower back, but not in the "tramp stamp" area in the middle, but to one of the sides. Does this make sense? I can take a picture of the place I am thinking if not. The reason I'm stuck is because I want to be careful when it comes to any stretching that may happen. I know they advise you not to get tattoos where you gain/lose weight easily because they can get distorted. I think the one on the front would do that worse, but I'm not sure. I'm just trying to find the place that will look the best in the long run. Advice?

I think that's a beautiful idea for a tattoo.

Stretching-wise, I'd say the back would be the best.. but then actually seeing the tattoo would be a little bit difficult, and that's the sort of tattoo I imagine that you would want to personally see. I'd say stomach/pelvic area and if stretching happens, you can always get it touched up. :] <3

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Originally Posted by Misfit

I think that's a beautiful idea for a tattoo.

Stretching-wise, I'd say the back would be the best.. but then actually seeing the tattoo would be a little bit difficult, and that's the sort of tattoo I imagine that you would want to personally see. I'd say stomach/pelvic area and if stretching happens, you can always get it touched up. :] <3

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Thank you :) It came to me out of no where earlier and the more I thought about it, the more it just sounds like a good idea.

As for the placement, I know the stomach/pelvic/whatever you wanna call it place wouldn't be directly ON my stomach, but I worry about being pregnant later on more than anything. I saw a moon around a belly button turn into a wrinkled banana after a pregnancy, lol. Not a pleasant sight. I know everyone's body is different, but that image has always been in my mind as something to be mindful of.

I thought about the issue of not seeing the back, but at the same time, I really like that spot for some reason. I think because I see it as out of the ordinary. I know it's not a common place from what I've seen. Everyone has the "tramp stamp" spot just about, but this would be to the left or right just a little, and I think it would be really pretty.

Going by your picture, you seem very young. (By my old-lady standards! LOL) You've got a lot of life left ahead of you. My advice would be to avoid placing any tattoos in the belly/pelvic region until you're sure you've had all the children God wants you to have. After that, you can reevaluate the area...it may not be suitable for tats at all after pregnancies...or you may be one of the lucky ones that bounces back beautifully and will have a nice canvas for future tats then.

In the meantime...your idea for the lower back sounds really nice!

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Originally Posted by JLC

Going by your picture, you seem very young. (By my old-lady standards! LOL) You've got a lot of life left ahead of you. My advice would be to avoid placing any tattoos in the belly/pelvic region until you're sure you've had all the children God wants you to have. After that, you can reevaluate the area...it may not be suitable for tats at all after pregnancies...or you may be one of the lucky ones that bounces back beautifully and will have a nice canvas for future tats then.

In the meantime...your idea for the lower back sounds really nice!

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Ya, that's definitley my biggest fear, lol. I do have 1 tattoo kind of in that area, but it's much lower, so I don't think it will be affected by weight gain and/or pregnancy in the way that this would because of the area I have in mind. I'm really, really leaning towards the spot on my back. I would love to have it in a more visable area because of the significance of this, but going into education I am VERY particular about where I have tattoos, because I don't want to ever have that be a reason I am not hired for a job. Sadly, people are judged based on their ink, so I want to avoid that when my career hangs in the balance.

I personally like the "tramp stamp" area on girls.

I'm not one for tattoos, but what about on the arm, just below the shoulder. Where a shirt sleeve will hide it but with a tank top, it will be visible.

I personally don't see why people get tats on their back. I would want to see mine. After all that money, after all the time, then you have to look in a mirror to see it and then you see it backwards.

Just one man's opinion,
Jim Smith

I have mine (horse) on the lower back to one of the sides also. I really like it there. Also, having had several children, I think the pelvic area may have distorted for me. EVERYTHING stretches there when you are pregnant, not necessarily just your stomach! LOL I didn't want the traditional "Tramp Stamp" either. I just liked the right lower back for some reason.

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Originally Posted by Wh00h0069

I personally like the "tramp stamp" area on girls.

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On some girls, I do like it. The main reason I don't want anything there is because I have a tattoo in the middle of my back between my shoulders, and with it being right there on the spine.. HOLYYYYYYYYYY crap that hurts, lol. Ya, I'm a baby when it comes to pain. Yet I love tattoos.. No pain, no gain, right?

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Originally Posted by Emmastaff

I have mine (horse) on the lower back to one of the sides also.

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How was that area as far as pain goes? I have 2 so far and my back was the worst of the 2, but the one already on my back does sit right on my spine for some of it, since it's between my shoulder blades.

One of my friends just got a huge tattoo on her right hip. It goes 3-4 inches above her pants line, and 3-4 inches below. I personally like that area, I think it's a cute and secretive area to tattoo. Unless you wear revealing clothes, then not so much ;)

My sister had a tribal tramp stamp before she had her 3 kids. She didn't gain much weight during the kids and pregnancy, but after having the kids about a year or two later, she gained a bunch of weight. Her tramp stamp doesn't look all that great and she got stretch marks on her tattoo.

I've never been pregnant, but I have seen people exercising when they're pregnant (Just walking on the treadmill). I haven't seen her in a couple months (wonder why?? :rolleyes:) but she stayed in very good shape! I plan to follow her lead ;)

Hate to be the one to say this...but you stretch EVERYWHERE when pregnant. Including pelvic area at all. I went from 118 lbs to 200 lbs when I delivered...not on purpose it just happened! So don't assume you'll be one of those girls that only gets the little belly lol. I'd stay faaar away from pelvic/stomach/hip area as possible. If I had had a tattoo anywhere near there before I got pregnant, it would have been ruined and a waste of money.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

Hate to be the one to say this...but you stretch EVERYWHERE when pregnant. Including pelvic area at all. I went from 118 lbs to 200 lbs when I delivered...not on purpose it just happened! So don't assume you'll be one of those girls that only gets the little belly lol. I'd stay faaar away from pelvic/stomach/hip area as possible. If I had had a tattoo anywhere near there before I got pregnant, it would have been ruined and a waste of money.

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Ya, I know, lol.. That's why I'm really leaning more towards the back area because as much meaning as this one will have, I want it to look the best for as long as possible.

As a tattoo artist...I know both places you've mentioned could possibly stretch with a pregnancy. Since it's a memorial tattoo, you want it to be scene? I'd say upper arm or shoulder blade. So, it can be scene with a tank top on. My tribute tattoo for my brothers lost in Iraq is down my shin. Yes, it didn't feel so good. But, their memories and my tribute tattoo was well worth the pain!

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Originally Posted by shorty54

As a tattoo artist...I know both places you've mentioned could possibly stretch with a pregnancy. Since it's a memorial tattoo, you want it to be scene? I'd say upper arm or shoulder blade. So, it can be scene with a tank top on. My tribute tattoo for my brothers lost in Iraq is down my shin. Yes, it didn't feel so good. But, their memories and my tribute tattoo was well worth the pain!

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I was kinda worried about the back, but was hoping I had less of a chance of it getting distorted. Thanks for letting me know.. I knew there were a couple of artists around here, and I was hoping yall would chime in.

For some reason I'm just not a fan of the upper arm. Like if that's what someone wants and likes for themselves, then I'm not cutting them down. Just my personal preference. I had thought about the back of my shoulder blade, but I wasn't sure how that would look with having the cross in the middle of my back. I didn't know if it would look "random" if that makes sense? Like I just stuck then there.. I feel as if being so close, they should be made into a cohesive piece, instead of 2 seperate tattoos.

I really like tattoos on the lower arm actually, like.. Where in cartoons they show someone writing notes before a test? Underneath the arm, below the wrist. It looks very elegant, my boyfriend's sister has her tattoo there, she says it's her cheat sheet to life, she just looks down and remembers why she got it! It's sort of sweet, and it might not be as easy to hide, but it's not like it looks trashy or anything. It's a very sweet tattoo with a lot of meaning.

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Originally Posted by purplemuffin

I really like tattoos on the lower arm actually, like.. Where in cartoons they show someone writing notes before a test? Underneath the arm, below the wrist. It looks very elegant, my boyfriend's sister has her tattoo there, she says it's her cheat sheet to life, she just looks down and remembers why she got it! It's sort of sweet, and it might not be as easy to hide, but it's not like it looks trashy or anything. It's a very sweet tattoo with a lot of meaning.

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That's actually where my 2nd tattoo, my cross, was originally going to go. But, I ran into the issue of covering it if need be. I do agree, it's a very nice place for one. Maybe I'm being over-paranoid about getting turned away from a teaching job because of my ink, but I'd rather be overly cautious than potentially lose a dream job because of it.

If it's a tasteful tattoo done tastefully, you might not get turned away. This is all just speculation, but if it were a religious symbol, I don't think it would be looked down upon as strongly as if it were something else.

That's just a thought. :] I have an upper arm tattoo, and it's nice, but it's not the best on girls, lol. That being said, I do like mine, but it was placed there with the intention of adding on to it.

There is also the option of the front of the shoulder area. Would be covered by a shirt easily, but could be seen as well! I agree on not liking upper arm tattoos, I'm only really fond of them if they become a sleeve or something!

I actually just watched a segment on the news last night where they were talking about tattoo's being more common in the desk/office workplace. I remember some on my teachers had tattoos on their ankles, I thought it was the coolest thing! They were always something like a butterfly, but it was covered most of the time and when it did come out it wasn't shocking or anything like that. I think with more people becoming teachers, and more people resorting to teaching because they can't get a job in their field, tattoos will become acceptable as long as they're covered MOST of the time and not offensive.

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Originally Posted by Elise.m

I actually just watched a segment on the news last night where they were talking about tattoo's being more common in the desk/office workplace. I remember some on my teachers had tattoos on their ankles, I thought it was the coolest thing! They were always something like a butterfly, but it was covered most of the time and when it did come out it wasn't shocking or anything like that. I think with more people becoming teachers, and more people resorting to teaching because they can't get a job in their field, tattoos will become acceptable as long as they're covered MOST of the time and not offensive.

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I know I have seen/heard of more mdidle and high school teachers with them, but I'm not sure about the ones for the younger kids. I can't remember who it was, but someone told me about one of their teachers who had a sleeve. I don't see why the grade I teach should make a difference though..

Ok, this question is for Shorty or any of the other artists around here.. I know it may be hard to tell because of the picture, and I would obviously ask someone in person if I decide to get it on my foot, but do you think it would be hard to place a tattoo on my foot? Because of my birth defect, I have that gap and on top of that, really tiny feet.. Like a 2 in little girls, lol. I think the gap on each foot in the middle would be a bigger deal and harder to work with though..

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...12689/foot.jpg

You can potentially get tattooed anywhere. :] It's just a matter of the size of the tattoo and how it wraps around your body. The birth defect should be no problem, but it would just have to be a tattoo tailored and designed for your foot specifically. Which is often the case with good tattoos anyhow!

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Originally Posted by Misfit

You can potentially get tattooed anywhere. :] It's just a matter of the size of the tattoo and how it wraps around your body. The birth defect should be no problem, but it would just have to be a tattoo tailored and designed for your foot specifically. Which is often the case with good tattoos anyhow!

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Ya, I just think it'll make it pretty small, because because the space between my ankle down to where that gap is, is about 2 inches. I could go all the way across the top, but I like the idea of more having it on the side, angled if that makes sense. As long as it will still look good that small, I'm okay with that. I've heard the foot hurts like a *&%*#! but right now that's the place that seems best. The first 2 will probably get distorted easily, I'm not too fond of the upper arm for myself, and I'm worried it will just look random on a shoulder blade already having 1 between them, unless I made it one cohesive piece somehow. I know I'm difficult, but when something will be on me forever, I think that can kinda be a good thing, lol. I know on a recent thread Pat got his feet done and said it didn't hurt, but most people I've talked to, even artists say it's the most painful place. No pain, no gain, right? Lol.

My latest tattoo is on my inner hip..right on the bone. Yeah, it hurt more than the others, but after a while you will grow a little numb!

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Originally Posted by Swingline0.0.1

My latest tattoo is on my inner hip..right on the bone. Yeah, it hurt more than the others, but after a while you will grow a little numb!

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Ya, but eventually I want to have kids, and that will stretch and probably end up distorted. I have one already in a similar area, but lower below the inner hip bone, and I may have that with it as it is. However, at 18 I wasn't thinking about it being messed up while pregnant. :rolleyes: But we know it all at 18, right? LOL.

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Originally Posted by ShortStack

Ya, but eventually I want to have kids, and that will stretch and probably end up distorted. I have one already in a similar area, but lower below the inner hip bone, and I may have that with it as it is. However, at 18 I wasn't thinking about it being messed up while pregnant. :rolleyes: But we know it all at 18, right? LOL.

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Yeah...18 was a long time ago! I cant think of a really good area that will not change or sag with age.

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Originally Posted by Swingline0.0.1

I cant think of a really good area that will not change or sag with age.

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I know that, but some are worse than others.

When they sag or stretch, get them redone or partially covered up and turned into new pieces. ;]

I think the foot/ankle would be a cute place. You could see it and it's teacher-appropriate and baby-proof! hehe