Why I love leg tattoos

You may have noticed recently that I've had a number of new tattoo additions added to my legs.
I'm kind of on a collecting mission especially since meeting the absolute doll that is Madeleine June and falling head over heels for her artwork and tattoo style. Plus she's a fellow hufflepuff so we're essentially kindred spirits.

I've always been a big fan of leg tattoos but have been slower in the collection front in this area until now.
For me, my legs are for collecting a mish-mash of cute smaller tattoos. Definitely all in colour.

You see. I kind of have a love/hate relationship with my legs. From the knee down I'm OK with them. My calfs aren't half bad. But my thighs, well they're a different story entirely.

And that's half the reason I'm on a leg tattoo collecting mission. Because the more ink i have on my legs, the happier and more confident I feel about them!!

TATTOOS: The sternum tattoo - the new fashion statement

If you're  like me, you'll love looking at tattoos on Pinterest and Instagram,  and being inspired by others tattoo work.

 
And you will have noticed over the years that there tends to be a trend within tattoos,  especially in the more mainstream community.  The 90's saw the rise of the tribal armband,  and the 00s saw a lot of love for the lower back or affectionately  named 'tramp stamp'. 

Recently I've noticed a trend in sternum or under-boob tattoos. They are cropping up on Instagram and Pinterest in all sorts of styles, from neo-traditional full colour,  to intricate black and white dot work.

TATTOOS: Are we tattooing too young?

I read this post from Things and Ink the other week and thought it was an interesting piece to comment.

In a world where tattoos are becoming commonplace, and celebrity's are showing there's more and more. 

You only have to look at the images from the England World Cup Team to see their popularity has grown.

But are we starting too young? At 18 (the legal age in the UK for a tattoo. There's none of this 16 with parental consent bull that keeps coming up) are we really capable of making a decision that will last a lifetime?

I had my first tattoo at age 18. A swirling black 'R' on my ankle. Simple, nothing too expressive of my personality or experiences at the time.

Do I still love it? Yes, but not for the same reasons. The design isn't amazing, and looking back, why do I need an 'R' on my leg... I know my own name! But I still live it. Its basically pointless but I remember having it done fondly and seeing it in comparison to my other more sophisticated tattoos it shows how far I've come.

Now a simple little design isn't the end of the world if at 24 you hate the design you loved at 18. It can be covered, or lasered if you feel necessary. The problem comes when you start looking at larger scale pieces such as sleeves or back pieces. These shouldn't be taken lightly.

I started my first sleeve at 22 after I secured my first proper full time job. Now two and a half years later I'm starting my other arm and legs.

Tattoos are a huge part of my life and I wouldn't change any of  my newer, larger pieces.  That's not to say I wouldn't change any of my tattoos.

One tattoo at age 19 is not my style any more, and will most likely be covered in the coming years. But that's my point I guess. You can't be certain how you will feel about something in 5, 10, 20 years time.

My advice,  think carefully about your tattoos. Go to a good tattooist. Have a reason for it. Whether its just the right time due to a change in life, because you want to remember something or someone, or some other deep reason.

And remember most importantly. You only live once.

Do you think we tattoo too soon?
What are your experiences of young tattoos? 

TATTOOS: Why you should never visit a scratcher?

It's a subject that causes huge debate within the tattoo industry and makes the news on a near monthly basis. The debate of the scratcher.

A scratcher according to Urban Dictionary is:

"An untalented tattoo artist. A tattoo artist who scratches up your skin rather than applying a clean smooth looking tattoo."

TATTOOS: Does your tattoo have to have meaning?

Instagram has brought me a new topic to discuss.
This time it was this graphic. It resonates with me a lot. 

I have some tattoos that mean a lot to me. 

The rose on my foot means the world to me. I had it done in memory of my grandad, on the 10 year anniversary of his death. My mum places three white roses and one red rose where his ashes are scattered.  The three to represent myself and my two sisters  and the red for her, his daughter. So my rose on my foot reminds me of him everyday, and to live life to the fullest as he was taken from us too soon.