teacup and roses...

 as i mentioned in my latest recap, i recently decided on, and started, a forearm tattoo.  i've been wanting something dainty, vintage inspired, and 'me' for sometime.  i started glancing on pinterest months ago for some inspiration, and was immediately drawn to a teacup tattoo.  i've always loved teacups. since i was a little girl, if there was a teacup on display, i'd always flock to it and admire it.  i'm not sure why i've never started a collection.  i do have a few, but not many, and not nearly as many as i'd like to have.

i'd been playing with the idea of a forearm tattoo for a while.  i thought it was the perfect location for a teacup.  i admit, i was extremely hesitant.  i work in a professional environment, and having a tattoo that would be visible was a big step for me.  for this reason, i opted to get a bicep tattoo first, to see how i felt about a more visible tattoo.  all of my current tattoos were very easily concealed... thigh, hip, ribs, back, ankle... the arm, however, is a bit more challenging (mind you the fact that i wear cardigans almost every day helps).

once i got the bicep tattoo, i knew immediately i wanted the forearm tattoo done.  i love my bicep tattoo, which is an angelique houtkamp style tribute tattoo for my grandparents, with their wedding year.

 it's amazing the difference colours make, isn't it? my tattooing limit is about 2.5 hours.  after the 2 hour mark, my adrenaline starts wearing out, and it's time to finish up what we're working on.  that usually means an outline, and a few colours in the first session, so i never actually get to see the completed tattoo after one sitting (due to the size and details my tattoos usually entail).

getting back to my teacup and roses... i went for the outline about a month ago.  i'd love to show you the chart i made for my tattoo artist (who is also a friend of mine). i always go in with my ideas on paper, colours, examples... she somehow manages to always mix it together for a perfect fit.  this was no exception. for the first few weeks, it was only red and black... so it looked quite bold on my arm.  

last week, i went to have it completed. with all of the new vintage, feminine, light colours added in, the overall effect is so much more 'me'... i absolutely love it.