Tattoos

[PastryGirl]

OMG this is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you! Glad you're here--I would love to see some of your pieces.

 

[PastryGirl]

Lololol @House Cat the more I look at your leg the more the wheels are turning in my mind.

 

[House Cat]

I have to take a closer look at your collection—I enjoy art deco jewelry—though I don’t have any (yet.) Your aesthetic seems pretty cool. And too bad you all didn’t get that matching tat. There is still time tho


Oh god, I love this so much. This is just what I would get on my arm! And thank you.
And yes, nowadays I VERY CAREFULLY research the artist, shop, and then there is the waiting... I got my first tattoo as a teenager 20 years ago and it is now covered by another impulsive tattoo which isn't bad, but I am thinking of getting it lasered.

Thank you! I actually have flowers like these on my right arm. I’ll see if I can get my husband to take photos in the next few days

I got my first tattoo as a teenager too. It’s a black cat on my butt...LOL! I loved it at the time, now I want to know what I was thinking.

 

[House Cat]

Lololol @House Cat the more I look at your leg the more the wheels are turning in my mind.

LOL! If you do get some work done, please share it!

 

[PastryGirl]

Thank you! I actually have flowers like these on my right arm. I’ll see if I can get my husband to take photos in the next few days

I got my first tattoo as a teenager too. It’s a black cat on my butt...LOL! I loved it at the time, now I want to know what I was thinking.

Please please please yes pics. My first = also on my butt hahaha.

I want to ask which artist you did your leg. If you're up to sharing wonderful if not no big deal. I have been eyeing Antonina Rostra for a while now but don't want to go to Cali. Adriana Hallow is also amazing, really amazing. I want to see more pics of healed work though since color realism can fade fast.

 

[lovedogs]

I have 7 tattoos, 9 if you count the 2 cover ups. I love them so so much. I just wish I had more arm space so I could add more. I have a thing where I want to see all of my tattoos so I dont like them anywhere else.

 

[PastryGirl]

I have 7 tattoos, 9 if you count the 2 cover ups. I love them so so much. I just wish I had more arm space so I could add more. I have a thing where I want to see all of my tattoos so I dont like them anywhere else.

Pics pics pics pics

 

[Inked]

@Inked where are you?

I don’t have any - I love the way they look but I have a low tolerance for pain.

So i want to preface this by saying: Tattoos have come A LONG WAY in the last 30 years. Heck, i would say in the last 5-10 years its just changed drastically. The work is SO MUCH BETTER! And people just get massive tattoos now, like, right our of the gate, when i first started getting tattooed it wasnt really 'a thing', and definitely not getting a sleeve for a first tattoo like people do now! I envy that! I wish i could start over because mine would be more cohesive and definitely ALL been done fine line/realism.

My 2 biggest 'regrets' are the peacock on my foot and my cherry blossom arm because in BOTH instances i asked for realistic tattoos that looked like photographs... but 25-30 years ago that 'style' didnt really exist. Now thats the 'norm' but back then... not really! I pretty much hate the peacock but i rarely see it. The snake isnt actually fully done yet, and I have one more tattoo planned that isnt here, and thats a dagger down my spine, i have the appointment for the summer.

Bastet (or "the warthog") was originally a horse, Bastet is a cover up. I mentioned it in a few posts so i feel like i have built up this suspense so i hope you are all not let down! LOL!!

The story is that I had this small tribal horse on my side and decided I was going to 'go big' with my idea. A lot of people were getting angel wings tattooed on their backs and I thought it was cool but i wanted something different. So i had the idea to do a giant Bastet on one side (full ribcage) and a giant Anubis on the other. They would each have a wing that would come off of them and cover my back and the wings would basically meet at my spine, and then I would do hieroglyphics down my spine and get Horus (the falcon) on my lower back. The reason all this came up was because we were all talking about copying jewelry. There are extraneous lines in Bastet from the coverup, and I see many copies of my tattoo and i always know its a copy of mine because of those lines that are only there because it's a coverup.

After I did Bastet I was dating a guy and he didn't love my tattoos so i wound up never getting the anubis. After we broke up I decided to go in a different direction and got the flowers on my other side. I drove to canada. I drove 15 hours, got tattooed for 12 hours, and drove home.

Anyway, all this build up, i am embarrassed! LOL!

REMINDER: Some of these tattoos are 25-30 years old.

I am now 50, things move, blur, fade... etc





other side


detail



A little forearm band, birdie and flowers



The cherry blossom sleeve is based off of a Hokusai wood block print called "The goldfinch". Everyone knows Hokusai's painting called "The Wave", its that famous Japanese print of a wave, you see it everywhere. I took Japanese as my language in high school and college so I learned about him. In 'the goldfinch' there is a goldfinch hanging upside down, but goldfinches dont really do that, nuthatches do, so i changed it to a nuthatch. i have A LOT of birds



Dove on my wrist



Feets. The snake isnt done, the peacock i dislike



I honestly dont have a great pic of my arms, they're just there... LOL. I almost always wear long sleeves so i dont have specific pics of them





I mentioned in another thread, i donated my kidney to a priest. So heres a VERY LONG story....

WARNING: This story is about God and religion, so feel free to skip right over if that bothers you!!

When my husband asked me to marry him, there was no question we wanted this particular priest to do the mass. I called the rectory office and left a message for the priest inquiring about doing our wedding. I never got a call back and we hadnt seen him at mass for several weeks. My husband (fiancé at the time) had asked me to drop off something to the religious ed office so i stopped in the rectory office to ask about the priest. The receptionist informed me he was in the hospital for kidney failure but was expected to be starting dialysis and would be back in a few weeks. The moment she said that I said to myself "I am going to donate my kidney to him"

I got home after work and told my husband I wanted to donate my kidney. He was very worried about me doing it. He didnt want anything to happen to me. I said "I may not even be a match"

So a few weeks go by and I felt so overwhelmed by the feeling i had to donate to him. I told my family and friends I was going to do it. I felt compelled to do it. I had no fear at all.

We finally were able to make the appointment with the priest for the wedding interview and he was telling us about dialysis and how hard it was. He said a few family members were tested but not a match and in our state it was about a 5-7 year wait for a kidney because he had a rarer blood type. I asked "what blood type are you?"

he said "B positive"

I said "well, i am sure someone will come forward soon, you help so many people, you have been there for thousands of people, someone will be there for you"

he said "I'm really not comfortable with anyone donating to me, the doctors wanted me to make an announcement at church but i dont want to."

We finished our wedding intake and he asked me to drop off a few things to the rectory office like our baptismal certificates when we get a chance.

When my husband and I got in the car i called my mom and asked her what blood type i was. she said "You're B positive"

i said "Of course i am!"

So I gathered the paperwork that the priest asked for and i put a post-it on it that said "I'm B+ and I would like to be tested to see if i am a match" and dropped the paperwork off.

I felt like I have never done anything amazing or fabulous in my life, i have never made a difference, I felt if i could donate to him, then he could continue to help people, so then it would be like i indirectly helped them all, too. No matter your beliefs or anything, no matter how much one may hate god or church, priests are there comforting the sick and dying and the families of those who have died. They have given up their whole life to service others. And sure, there are some horrible priests who have done unimaginable things, but there are bad people everywhere. Most do amazing selfless work for others. It's like people want to grab on to the few bad and forget all the ones who are amazing and sacrifice everything to help comfort the sick and dying and disadvantage youth... but thats another whole post for later LOL

Anyway, the priest DID NOT want me to do it and we spoke at length about the fact that i wanted to do this so he could keep doing what he was doing with helping others, so he finally agreed to let me be tested and he gave me the number to call and he told me, "We're not allowed to talk bout it again so there's no conflict"

The next day I called the donation center and they sent me a six page questionnaire to fill out. It was the end of September. After the intake they scheduled my first appointment for blood tests. As i 'passed' each test as a potential match they would schedule another one. They were not only testing me to see if i was a match, they were also testing my personal health to make sure i was a healthy candidate. I had cardiograms, mammogram, kidney ultrasound, blood work, 24 hour urine tests. It was over 2 months of tests. Also psychological testing to make sure i was sound mind enough to donate. Through the whole process i felt zero fear or hesitation, i was so calm and at peace, i knew god wanted me to do this and i know god would take care of me.

Finally about 2 weeks before christmas the donation center called me. The coordinator said "In my business, we tend to believe in god because we see so many miracles, but if i didnt believe before, i would now. You are a perfect match. We never see matches this close unless its a father to son, not even mother's to daughters match this close." i was a perfect match and i was cleared for surgery.

Since it was so close to Christmas I decided I would write the priest a letter. I ordered a stuffed kidney from amazon, wrapped it in a box with a letter telling him that he had such a profound impact on me and so many others that it was my turn to give back to him, and i told him i was a perfect match and cleared for surgery.

I wrapped it up and drove to the rectory office to drop it off. When i got out of my car the priest happened to be in the parking lot. I handed him the box and he said "They're probably still putting you through the ringer with tests, huh?"

I said "It's never ending! they said maybe in January they'd be done because they get backed up with the holidays" Because i knew he held the answer in his hand and i wanted it to be a surprise.

That night my cell phone rang, it was him. He was sobbing, i couldn't even understand him. He was at his parents and he read the letter out loud when he was at their house for dinner. it was so magical for me to feel like i finally was giving something back to someone who sacrificed everything for god and helped thousands of people.

He asked my permission if he could announce it at Christmas Mass and share the story with everyone. I told him i was honored that he felt my donation to him would be a story that might inspire others. So at Christmas mass he told the congregation a homily about miracles and read the letter i wrote him to the congregation, Everyone was cheering and crying, it was such a special beautiful moment.

The surgery went smooth for both of us. The surgeon came out to my husband after and the first thing he said was "I was able to preserve the art! I cut around everything!" LOL Within 5 days of surgery i was walking 5 miles. I had the easiest recovery and i know that was god's blessing.

It's been 2 years and i really dont feel any different, and he is doing AMAZING.

Soooooo there was actually a point about tattoos here. He often jokes in his homilies now that almost daily he has to fight the urge to go get a tattoo. I told him when he's ready I'll take him .. LOL!

 

[Mreader]

So i want to preface this by saying: Tattoos have come A LONG WAY in the last 30 years. Heck, i would say in the last 5-10 years its just changed drastically. The work is SO MUCH BETTER! And people just get massive tattoos now, like, right our of the gate, when i first started getting tattooed it wasnt really 'a thing', and definitely not getting a sleeve for a first tattoo like people do now! I envy that! I wish i could start over because mine would be more cohesive and definitely ALL been done fine line/realism.

My 2 biggest 'regrets' are the peacock on my foot and my cherry blossom arm because in BOTH instances i asked for realistic tattoos that looked like photographs... but 25-30 years ago that 'style' didnt really exist. Now thats the 'norm' but back then... not really! I pretty much hate the peacock but i rarely see it. The snake isnt actually fully done yet, and I have one more tattoo planned that isnt here, and thats a dagger down my spine, i have the appointment for the summer.

Bastet (or "the warthog") was originally a horse, Bastet is a cover up. I mentioned it in a few posts so i feel like i have built up this suspense so i hope you are all not let down! LOL!!

The story is that I had this small tribal horse on my side and decided I was going to 'go big' with my idea. A lot of people were getting angel wings tattooed on their backs and I thought it was cool but i wanted something different. So i had the idea to do a giant Bastet on one side (full ribcage) and a giant Anubis on the other. They would each have a wing that would come off of them and cover my back and the wings would basically meet at my spine, and then I would do hieroglyphics down my spine and get Horus (the falcon) on my lower back. The reason all this came up was because we were all talking about copying jewelry. There are extraneous lines in Bastet from the coverup, and I see many copies of my tattoo and i always know its a copy of mine because of those lines that are only there because it's a coverup.

After I did Bastet I was dating a guy and he didn't love my tattoos so i wound up never getting the anubis. After we broke up I decided to go in a different direction and got the flowers on my other side. I drove to canada. I drove 15 hours, got tattooed for 12 hours, and drove home.

Anyway, all this build up, i am embarrassed! LOL!

REMINDER: Some of these tattoos are 25-30 years old.

I am now 50, things move, blur, fade... etc





other side


detail



A little forearm band, birdie and flowers



The cherry blossom sleeve is based off of a Hokusai wood block print called "The goldfinch". Everyone knows Hokusai's painting called "The Wave", its that famous Japanese print of a wave, you see it everywhere. I took Japanese as my language in high school and college so I learned about him. In 'the goldfinch' there is a goldfinch hanging upside down, but goldfinches dont really do that, nuthatches do, so i changed it to a nuthatch. i have A LOT of birds



Dove on my wrist



Feets. The snake isnt done, the peacock i dislike



I honestly dont have a great pic of my arms, they're just there... LOL. I almost always wear long sleeves so i dont have specific pics of them





I mentioned in another thread, i donated my kidney to a priest. So heres a VERY LONG story....

WARNING: This story is about God and religion, so feel free to skip right over if that bothers you!!

When my husband asked me to marry him, there was no question we wanted this particular priest to do the mass. I called the rectory office and left a message for the priest inquiring about doing our wedding. I never got a call back and we hadnt seen him at mass for several weeks. My husband (fiancé at the time) had asked me to drop off something to the religious ed office so i stopped in the rectory office to ask about the priest. The receptionist informed me he was in the hospital for kidney failure but was expected to be starting dialysis and would be back in a few weeks. The moment she said that I said to myself "I am going to donate my kidney to him"

I got home after work and told my husband I wanted to donate my kidney. He was very worried about me doing it. He didnt want anything to happen to me. I said "I may not even be a match"

So a few weeks go by and I felt so overwhelmed by the feeling i had to donate to him. I told my family and friends I was going to do it. I felt compelled to do it. I had no fear at all.

We finally were able to make the appointment with the priest for the wedding interview and he was telling us about dialysis and how hard it was. He said a few family members were tested but not a match and in our state it was about a 5-7 year wait for a kidney because he had a rarer blood type. I asked "what blood type are you?"

he said "B positive"

I said "well, i am sure someone will come forward soon, you help so many people, you have been there for thousands of people, someone will be there for you"

he said "I'm really not comfortable with anyone donating to me, the doctors wanted me to make an announcement at church but i dont want to."

We finished our wedding intake and he asked me to drop off a few things to the rectory office like our baptismal certificates when we get a chance.

When my husband and I got in the car i called my mom and asked her what blood type i was. she said "You're B positive"

i said "Of course i am!"

So I gathered the paperwork that the priest asked for and i put a post-it on it that said "I'm B+ and I would like to be tested to see if i am a match" and dropped the paperwork off.

I felt like I have never done anything amazing or fabulous in my life, i have never made a difference, I felt if i could donate to him, then he could continue to help people, so then it would be like i indirectly helped them all, too. No matter your beliefs or anything, no matter how much one may hate god or church, priests are there comforting the sick and dying and the families of those who have died. They have given up their whole life to service others. And sure, there are some horrible priests who have done unimaginable things, but there are bad people everywhere. Most do amazing selfless work for others. It's like people want to grab on to the few bad and forget all the ones who are amazing and sacrifice everything to help comfort the sick and dying and disadvantage youth... but thats another whole post for later LOL

Anyway, the priest DID NOT want me to do it and we spoke at length about the fact that i wanted to do this so he could keep doing what he was doing with helping others, so he finally agreed to let me be tested and he gave me the number to call and he told me, "We're not allowed to talk bout it again so there's no conflict"

The next day I called the donation center and they sent me a six page questionnaire to fill out. It was the end of September. After the intake they scheduled my first appointment for blood tests. As i 'passed' each test as a potential match they would schedule another one. They were not only testing me to see if i was a match, they were also testing my personal health to make sure i was a healthy candidate. I had cardiograms, mammogram, kidney ultrasound, blood work, 24 hour urine tests. It was over 2 months of tests. Also psychological testing to make sure i was sound mind enough to donate. Through the whole process i felt zero fear or hesitation, i was so calm and at peace, i knew god wanted me to do this and i know god would take care of me.

Finally about 2 weeks before christmas the donation center called me. The coordinator said "In my business, we tend to believe in god because we see so many miracles, but if i didnt believe before, i would now. You are a perfect match. We never see matches this close unless its a father to son, not even mother's to daughters match this close." i was a perfect match and i was cleared for surgery.

Since it was so close to Christmas I decided I would write the priest a letter. I ordered a stuffed kidney from amazon, wrapped it in a box with a letter telling him that he had such a profound impact on me and so many others that it was my turn to give back to him, and i told him i was a perfect match and cleared for surgery.

I wrapped it up and drove to the rectory office to drop it off. When i got out of my car the priest happened to be in the parking lot. I handed him the box and he said "They're probably still putting you through the ringer with tests, huh?"

I said "It's never ending! they said maybe in January they'd be done because they get backed up with the holidays" Because i knew he held the answer in his hand and i wanted it to be a surprise.

That night my cell phone rang, it was him. He was sobbing, i couldn't even understand him. He was at his parents and he read the letter out loud when he was at their house for dinner. it was so magical for me to feel like i finally was giving something back to someone who sacrificed everything for god and helped thousands of people.

He asked my permission if he could announce it at Christmas Mass and share the story with everyone. I told him i was honored that he felt my donation to him would be a story that might inspire others. So at Christmas mass he told the congregation a homily about miracles and read the letter i wrote him to the congregation, Everyone was cheering and crying, it was such a special beautiful moment.

The surgery went smooth for both of us. The surgeon came out to my husband after and the first thing he said was "I was able to preserve the art! I cut around everything!" LOL Within 5 days of surgery i was walking 5 miles. I had the easiest recovery and i know that was god's blessing.

It's been 2 years and i really dont feel any different, and he is doing AMAZING.

Soooooo there was actually a point about tattoos here. He often jokes in his homilies now that almost daily he has to fight the urge to go get a tattoo. I told him when he's ready I'll take him .. LOL!

This has to be one of the most incredible stories I have ever read. I can't even say more because I am so blown away. Idk why but I'm compelled to tag @missy here bc I want her to read it. What an amazing gift.

ETA I love all of your ink and if some of those pics are recent I'd say you're doing pretty damn good. I love the cat btw.

 

[MissGotRocks]

@Inked, that is truly an amazing story! Such an unselfish act on your part and a beautiful, lifesaving gift for your priest. It is heartwarming and soul moving. Bless your heart!

 

[lovedogs]

Pics pics pics pics

I'm honestly a bit paranoid that my tattoos will be "identifying", which is the only reason I haven't posted pics yet. I'll think about it today and post if I can

@Inked your tattoos are GORGEOUS, and you seem like a truly wonderful person.

 

[Inked]

I'm honestly a bit paranoid that my tattoos will be "identifying", which is the only reason I haven't posted pics yet. I'll think about it today and post if I can

@Inked your tattoos are GORGEOUS, and you seem like a truly wonderful person.

Please post pics! I feel like I totally derailed this thread LOL! As for me, I try to be a good person ...and fall short every. single. day. But I try! And i guess thats all any of us can do. I try not to hurt anyone as much as possible... but I do taxes so right now my clients definitely feel like I am killing them! LOL!!


@Mreader Awww, thank you - I have had some back problems the last 3 months so i am feeling pretty old and broken down lately. Except my wedding pics which were from this May, I took them all for you yesterday and this morning! LOL

@MissGotRocks thank you! He is amazing, every time i listen to him speak i want to be a better person.

@Calliecake Oh my gosh, I am so happy for your brother! It's also so wonderful that you think of the man that donated to him, you keep his memory alive which IS a gift and thank you to his family!


Back to tattoos ... i am sorry i derailed this darn thread!

The dagger I am planning on is actually inspired by Wonder Woman - I am a huge action/super hero movie fan! I'd like it pretty much life size placed exactly like this similar size and looking like this picture of Gal Gadot with the actual sword....

 

[PastryGirl]

I'm honestly a bit paranoid that my tattoos will be "identifying", which is the only reason I haven't posted pics yet. I'll think about it today and post if I can

@Inked your tattoos are GORGEOUS, and you seem like a truly wonderful person.

The tattoo I posted was in Inked Magazine (twice) so I get not wanting to be ID'd. But, I thought screw it. LOL. Share if and when you are ready.

 

[PastryGirl]

So i want to preface this by saying: Tattoos have come A LONG WAY in the last 30 years. Heck, i would say in the last 5-10 years its just changed drastically. The work is SO MUCH BETTER! And people just get massive tattoos now, like, right our of the gate, when i first started getting tattooed it wasnt really 'a thing', and definitely not getting a sleeve for a first tattoo like people do now! I envy that! I wish i could start over because mine would be more cohesive and definitely ALL been done fine line/realism.

My 2 biggest 'regrets' are the peacock on my foot and my cherry blossom arm because in BOTH instances i asked for realistic tattoos that looked like photographs... but 25-30 years ago that 'style' didnt really exist. Now thats the 'norm' but back then... not really! I pretty much hate the peacock but i rarely see it. The snake isnt actually fully done yet, and I have one more tattoo planned that isnt here, and thats a dagger down my spine, i have the appointment for the summer.

Bastet (or "the warthog") was originally a horse, Bastet is a cover up. I mentioned it in a few posts so i feel like i have built up this suspense so i hope you are all not let down! LOL!!

The story is that I had this small tribal horse on my side and decided I was going to 'go big' with my idea. A lot of people were getting angel wings tattooed on their backs and I thought it was cool but i wanted something different. So i had the idea to do a giant Bastet on one side (full ribcage) and a giant Anubis on the other. They would each have a wing that would come off of them and cover my back and the wings would basically meet at my spine, and then I would do hieroglyphics down my spine and get Horus (the falcon) on my lower back. The reason all this came up was because we were all talking about copying jewelry. There are extraneous lines in Bastet from the coverup, and I see many copies of my tattoo and i always know its a copy of mine because of those lines that are only there because it's a coverup.

After I did Bastet I was dating a guy and he didn't love my tattoos so i wound up never getting the anubis. After we broke up I decided to go in a different direction and got the flowers on my other side. I drove to canada. I drove 15 hours, got tattooed for 12 hours, and drove home.

Anyway, all this build up, i am embarrassed! LOL!

REMINDER: Some of these tattoos are 25-30 years old.

I am now 50, things move, blur, fade... etc





other side


detail



A little forearm band, birdie and flowers



The cherry blossom sleeve is based off of a Hokusai wood block print called "The goldfinch". Everyone knows Hokusai's painting called "The Wave", its that famous Japanese print of a wave, you see it everywhere. I took Japanese as my language in high school and college so I learned about him. In 'the goldfinch' there is a goldfinch hanging upside down, but goldfinches dont really do that, nuthatches do, so i changed it to a nuthatch. i have A LOT of birds



Dove on my wrist



Feets. The snake isnt done, the peacock i dislike



I honestly dont have a great pic of my arms, they're just there... LOL. I almost always wear long sleeves so i dont have specific pics of them





I mentioned in another thread, i donated my kidney to a priest. So heres a VERY LONG story....

WARNING: This story is about God and religion, so feel free to skip right over if that bothers you!!

When my husband asked me to marry him, there was no question we wanted this particular priest to do the mass. I called the rectory office and left a message for the priest inquiring about doing our wedding. I never got a call back and we hadnt seen him at mass for several weeks. My husband (fiancé at the time) had asked me to drop off something to the religious ed office so i stopped in the rectory office to ask about the priest. The receptionist informed me he was in the hospital for kidney failure but was expected to be starting dialysis and would be back in a few weeks. The moment she said that I said to myself "I am going to donate my kidney to him"

I got home after work and told my husband I wanted to donate my kidney. He was very worried about me doing it. He didnt want anything to happen to me. I said "I may not even be a match"

So a few weeks go by and I felt so overwhelmed by the feeling i had to donate to him. I told my family and friends I was going to do it. I felt compelled to do it. I had no fear at all.

We finally were able to make the appointment with the priest for the wedding interview and he was telling us about dialysis and how hard it was. He said a few family members were tested but not a match and in our state it was about a 5-7 year wait for a kidney because he had a rarer blood type. I asked "what blood type are you?"

he said "B positive"

I said "well, i am sure someone will come forward soon, you help so many people, you have been there for thousands of people, someone will be there for you"

he said "I'm really not comfortable with anyone donating to me, the doctors wanted me to make an announcement at church but i dont want to."

We finished our wedding intake and he asked me to drop off a few things to the rectory office like our baptismal certificates when we get a chance.

When my husband and I got in the car i called my mom and asked her what blood type i was. she said "You're B positive"

i said "Of course i am!"

So I gathered the paperwork that the priest asked for and i put a post-it on it that said "I'm B+ and I would like to be tested to see if i am a match" and dropped the paperwork off.

I felt like I have never done anything amazing or fabulous in my life, i have never made a difference, I felt if i could donate to him, then he could continue to help people, so then it would be like i indirectly helped them all, too. No matter your beliefs or anything, no matter how much one may hate god or church, priests are there comforting the sick and dying and the families of those who have died. They have given up their whole life to service others. And sure, there are some horrible priests who have done unimaginable things, but there are bad people everywhere. Most do amazing selfless work for others. It's like people want to grab on to the few bad and forget all the ones who are amazing and sacrifice everything to help comfort the sick and dying and disadvantage youth... but thats another whole post for later LOL

Anyway, the priest DID NOT want me to do it and we spoke at length about the fact that i wanted to do this so he could keep doing what he was doing with helping others, so he finally agreed to let me be tested and he gave me the number to call and he told me, "We're not allowed to talk bout it again so there's no conflict"

The next day I called the donation center and they sent me a six page questionnaire to fill out. It was the end of September. After the intake they scheduled my first appointment for blood tests. As i 'passed' each test as a potential match they would schedule another one. They were not only testing me to see if i was a match, they were also testing my personal health to make sure i was a healthy candidate. I had cardiograms, mammogram, kidney ultrasound, blood work, 24 hour urine tests. It was over 2 months of tests. Also psychological testing to make sure i was sound mind enough to donate. Through the whole process i felt zero fear or hesitation, i was so calm and at peace, i knew god wanted me to do this and i know god would take care of me.

Finally about 2 weeks before christmas the donation center called me. The coordinator said "In my business, we tend to believe in god because we see so many miracles, but if i didnt believe before, i would now. You are a perfect match. We never see matches this close unless its a father to son, not even mother's to daughters match this close." i was a perfect match and i was cleared for surgery.

Since it was so close to Christmas I decided I would write the priest a letter. I ordered a stuffed kidney from amazon, wrapped it in a box with a letter telling him that he had such a profound impact on me and so many others that it was my turn to give back to him, and i told him i was a perfect match and cleared for surgery.

I wrapped it up and drove to the rectory office to drop it off. When i got out of my car the priest happened to be in the parking lot. I handed him the box and he said "They're probably still putting you through the ringer with tests, huh?"

I said "It's never ending! they said maybe in January they'd be done because they get backed up with the holidays" Because i knew he held the answer in his hand and i wanted it to be a surprise.

That night my cell phone rang, it was him. He was sobbing, i couldn't even understand him. He was at his parents and he read the letter out loud when he was at their house for dinner. it was so magical for me to feel like i finally was giving something back to someone who sacrificed everything for god and helped thousands of people.

He asked my permission if he could announce it at Christmas Mass and share the story with everyone. I told him i was honored that he felt my donation to him would be a story that might inspire others. So at Christmas mass he told the congregation a homily about miracles and read the letter i wrote him to the congregation, Everyone was cheering and crying, it was such a special beautiful moment.

The surgery went smooth for both of us. The surgeon came out to my husband after and the first thing he said was "I was able to preserve the art! I cut around everything!" LOL Within 5 days of surgery i was walking 5 miles. I had the easiest recovery and i know that was god's blessing.

It's been 2 years and i really dont feel any different, and he is doing AMAZING.

Soooooo there was actually a point about tattoos here. He often jokes in his homilies now that almost daily he has to fight the urge to go get a tattoo. I told him when he's ready I'll take him .. LOL!

I am in class and should be paying attention so I will read this all later and comment on the story then.

YOUR TATTOOS ARE SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I love the fluidity of your cherry blossoms, and your side flowers the most. All of your pieces are just gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing.

 

[House Cat]

Please please please yes pics. My first = also on my butt hahaha.

I want to ask which artist you did your leg. If you're up to sharing wonderful if not no big deal. I have been eyeing Antonina Rostra for a while now but don't want to go to Cali. Adriana Hallow is also amazing, really amazing. I want to see more pics of healed work though since color realism can fade fast.

I’m in Cali . I always said that if I had a favorite artist, I would travel for them. I had to give up on my favorite artist because her books are always closed.

 

[Cerulean]

I have a large upper back piece, a few other smaller tattoos and I’d love a leg piece. I love tattoos and I studied tattoo anthropology for fun for a bit.

I waited 4 yrs for my back piece and traveled twice to California to get it done. I don’t know how I did it, but one session was 7hrs and the other was 4hrs.

It’s a large loon (a bird found in the Midwest) with dotted line lotuses done by this artist…he was brilliant and kind. He drew the whole thing freehand on the spot. No stencils.

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[lovedogs]

Please post pics! I feel like I totally derailed this thread LOL! As for me, I try to be a good person ...and fall short every. single. day. But I try! And i guess thats all any of us can do. I try not to hurt anyone as much as possible... but I do taxes so right now my clients definitely feel like I am killing them! LOL!!


@Mreader Awww, thank you - I have had some back problems the last 3 months so i am feeling pretty old and broken down lately. Except my wedding pics which were from this May, I took them all for you yesterday and this morning! LOL

@MissGotRocks thank you! He is amazing, every time i listen to him speak i want to be a better person.

@Calliecake Oh my gosh, I am so happy for your brother! It's also so wonderful that you think of the man that donated to him, you keep his memory alive which IS a gift and thank you to his family!


Back to tattoos ... i am sorry i derailed this darn thread!

The dagger I am planning on is actually inspired by Wonder Woman - I am a huge action/super hero movie fan! I'd like it pretty much life size placed exactly like this similar size and looking like this picture of Gal Gadot with the actual sword....

oh my godddddd that is the coolest tattoo idea ever!!!!!!

 

[missy]

This has to be one of the most incredible stories I have ever read. I can't even say more because I am so blown away. Idk why but I'm compelled to tag @missy here bc I want her to read it. What an amazing gift.

ETA I love all of your ink and if some of those pics are recent I'd say you're doing pretty damn good. I love the cat btw.

Wow. Thanks for tagging me @Mreader
I love the cat. Work of art

 

[House Cat]

I found a picture of my crow tattoo.

 

[Inked]

I found a picture of my crow tattoo.

Omg I love this

 

[Inked]

I have a large upper back piece, a few other smaller tattoos and I’d love a leg piece. I love tattoos and I studied tattoo anthropology for fun for a bit.

I waited 4 yrs for my back piece and traveled twice to California to get it done. I don’t know how I did it, but one session was 7hrs and the other was 4hrs.

It’s a large loon (a bird found in the Midwest) with dotted line lotuses done by this artist…he was brilliant and kind. He drew the whole thing freehand on the spot. No stencils.

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WOW! This is really beautiful and unique work!!!!

 

[House Cat]

Omg I love this

Thank you

 

[kenny]

This bald guy ordered a quarter pounder with cheese ... at the tattoo parlor.

What a meathead!

 

[diamondyes]

Everyone’s tattoos look utterly amazing- I’m in awe.

 

[House Cat]

My right arm