Tattoo Session #3 September 9, 2011

Yesterday I went for my third session on my Pirates of the Caribbean chest piece.  I didn't bother posting after my second session because it was just some more outlining and shading.  Yesterday, we added colour!  Photographs do it no justice.  Jarkko's doing an amazing job.  I have no more sessions booked before our trip to Disney in October.  Hopefully we can get back at it soon!!!  Jarkko wanted the top part that shows, including the cover-up of the old tattoos, to look decent before our trip.  I think he did it!!!

Click on picture for larger version.

The tattoo Gods were shining down on my yesterday as the appointment before me was a no-show (something I will NEVER understand...who misses a tattoo appointment?) Because we had more time, we were also able to do the Steamboat Willie I'd been wanting. He's on the outside lower part of my right arm.  He looks incredible!  and reminds me of my dear sweet Dad.  So happy to have it done before our Disney trip too!  Not related to my scar cover-up, but a really important piece to me.

Click on picture for larger version.

A Pirate's Life for Me!

Content Warning
This blog post contains content only suitable for adults.

Last Friday, I had my first chest tattooing session. The first 2 hours was spent reviewing drawings, designs and drawing with Sharpies and stenciling on my chest. This is a huge project which involves covering up some old tattoos. Once we were happy with the designs and their placements, I sat for a 2 hour tattooing session, complete with Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks blasting in my ear buds!

As promised, here are a few photographs. Warning, these do show my bare chest complete with mastectomy scars.

Before ~ mastectomy scars and old tattoos we're covering.

Artwork ~ designs superimposed over a photograph of my chest.
Left breast will be covered with a Kraken tentacle;
Right breast will have an open treasure chest with gold coins, the cup for the Fountain of Youth and Tia Dalma's necklace.

More artwork; The Black Pearl!!! The bow of the Flying Dutchman is in the top picture.

Stencils and lots of blue sharpie!!!

After first session. The Black Pearl is above my left breast; it's hard to see in this photo, but above my right breast is the bow of the Flying Dutchman surfacing. There will be a water vortex and waves added later. The signature Skull and Crossbones is centred on my chest with "Dead Men Tell No Tales" along my collar bone. There will be Hidden Mickey's hidden throughout the design. There is one in handle of one of the torches and there will be one hidden in the suckers on the Kraken tentacles! Jarkko is an amazing artist and came up with some "ironic" ideas for this design, like the "open chest" *smile*

Everything has healed wonderfully and the detail is amazing. It's hard to see in these photos as I'm cover in stencil and tattoo ink! I will publish detailed upclose photos when the piece is complete.

My next appointment is scheduled for August 19th...I can't wait!!!

It is not the destination so much as the journey, they say.

The above is a quote from Captain Jack Sparrow and is suiting to today's post as I embark on the final leg of my journey. Today we start my chest tattoo. My wonderful tattooist, Jarkko, has been drawing the piece and says he has some surprises for me. I'm not allowed to see until today! *smile* I'm very excited and very nervous at the same time.

I'm not sure how much we will get done today; I'm hoping we can get most of the outline done. It all depends on how my pain threshold is today. I will post before and after photos after today's session once the bandages come off; hopefully tomorrow.

Tia Dalma: You know of Davy Jones? A man of the sea, a great sailor. Until he run afoul of that which vexes all men.

Will Turner: What vexes all men?

Tia Dalma: What indeed.

Gibbs: The sea?

Pintel: Sums?

Ragetti: The dichotomy of good and evil?

Jack Sparrow: A woman.

Tia Dalma: A woman. He fell in love.

Gibbs: No, no, I heard it was the sea he fell in love with.

Tia Dalma: [annoyed] Same story, different versions. And all are true. See, it was a woman as changing and harsh and untamable as the sea. Him never stopped loving her. But the pain it caused was to much to live with, but not enough to cause him to die.

Will Turner: What exactly did he put into the chest?

Tia Dalma: Him heart.

Ragetti: Literally or figuratively?

Pintel: He couldn't literally put his heart in a chest. Could he?

Tia Dalma: It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings.

Dead Men Tell No Tales

I know, I know, I've been negligent in my blogging. I've really felt no need to update. Since my revision surgery things have been going along wonderfully! I still have a little pain and discomfort but nothing like before my revision.

I'm about to embark on the final stage of my long journey though; tattooing my reconstructed breasts. I am however putting a different twist on the usual reconstructive breast tattooing. To quote my plastic surgeon: "I know you won't do nipple tattoos, but I know you'll do something. Whatever it is, I want pictures!".

Well, she's right and she'll get her wish. I have a consultation with one of my favourite tattooists on July 9, 2011, for a Pirates of the Caribbean themed chest piece! WOO HOO

I'm a Disney nut and have been a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean since long before the Johnny Depp days (gasp, I know! but he has made Pirates even better!). I've loved POTC since I first visited Walt Disney World in March of 1972. I'm dubbing this tattoo, my "Dead Man's Chest". ARRGH!!!

I've been researching what Pirates "elements" I want to incorporate in my chest piece. I have 2 amazing POTC Artwork books that have been a fabulous help. So far I've come up with the Disney Pirates skull (goes without saying), the key to the Dead Man's Chest, a Kraken, an Incan coin, Tia Dalma's Pendant and of course, the Black Pearl. The tattoo will start at my collar bone. The collar bone will say "Dead Men Tell No Tales" in "Pieces of Eight" font, and the tattoos will go right down my chest/breasts to cover my mastectomy scars.

I'm not sure how/if he can incorporate everything I have envisioned, but I know he'll do his best to try! We'll work out all those details at my consultaton on the 9th. My first tattooing session is scheduled for July 22, 2011. I can't wait!

ARRRGH Mateys!