This week I'm featuring one of my favorite ladies on Tumblr, Rachel. Her tattoos are just gorgeous and I'm totally excited to have her on Sometimes Sweet today! Be advised that there is one photo below that shows off R.'s beautiful side piece, and it may be considered NSFW. I thought I should include that juuust in case. But anyway, thank you sweet Rachel for being a part of this feature! And readers, be sure to swing by her blog and check out her artwork!
Age: 26
Occupation: Manager, Artist
Age of first tattoo: I was 18, I got a tiny black heart outline on my hip that I will probably cover up soon.
Favorite tattoo: My diamond encrusted roses on my left arm.
Featured tattoo/location: My 715 derringer pistol on my right lower arm.
Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: Done by Matt Duffenbach at Studio City Tattoos in Studio City, California.
Matt is not only one of my favorite tattoo artists, he is also my significant other. We recently moved from our home state of Wisconsin to LA. Once we moved here, I was a little homesick, so I got this little pistol with "715" in the banner. 715 is the telephone area code for Northcentral Wisconsin. Represent!
2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?
I have pink lilies on my left ribs. Autumn leaves on my right ribs. Both done by Matt Duffenbach.
My left sleeve is by Dennis Pase of Acme Tattoo in Louiseville, KY. There's a woman hugging a skeleton on my lower arm. I have a woman's face with a peacock feather on the inside of my arm. And then there's the diamond encrusted roses on my shoulder. Matt Duffenbach did the top of my right sleeve-the sea horse, the peony, the koi, along with the high heel and rose and the derringer. Then Norm did the spider web background, along with the panther head on my wrist and black widow spider. On my legs: Noodles of Chicago did the topless woman on my right hip. Matt Duffenbach did the tiger that's in progress still on the back of my leg; along with the flower on my knee.
3) Do you plan on getting more?
Well, I have to make Dennis finish my left sleeve. And my right sleeve needs some more love to be considered "done". I will probably end up doing my tummy with a big snake. And I'd like to fill in my entire right leg with traditional stuff. Then after all that, I want a pair of Japanese "shorts" for my butt. So I'll be busy for the next ten years or so....
4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos?
My mom cried the first time she saw my tattoo. She is still not a fan on my body art and I doubt she ever will be. My dad, who is usually very conservative, actually doesn't mind them. I think he'd like to get some but he's scared of the pain. My boyfriend, Matt, is the person who really got me interested in tattoos. He's an extremely talented artist. He has been tattooed by some amazing artists. Being a heavily-tattooed woman is often a very strange experience. Strangers will approach you and touch your tattoos without asking. People stare a lot, say rude things occasionally. Mostly, I just get a lot of compliments.
5) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?
-Find a really good artist. Try and get your hands on a Tattoo Artist Magazine so you can see what a real quality tattoo should look like.
-Remember: Cheap tattoos are not good tattoos and good tattoos are not cheap. If you are a poor person like me; save up a couple hundred and get a nice outline. Then save more $, come back and get the color.
-People are always asking me "Did it hurt?" Yes, it hurts. Focus on relaxing your muscles and focus on your breathing--I try to fall asleep. Bring your ipod. Eat beforehand! 
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Tattoo Tuesday
