Guerillaneedles

Ooooh great thread. I've just uploaded loads to the gallery but I won't post all at once. Here are some hands I've painted : I'm always up for trades btw.

Washing your tattoo in the shower is fine. What you don't want to do is let it hit the tattoo for ages and ages once your scab forms, as you don't want to soak it off (same reason you wouldn't sit in the bath). But his advice is sound!

Animals dressed as gentlemen. Dotwork is obviously very popular but don't see it going the way of tribal. I think that (and mandalas) will stick around.

My thigh pieces (more side of thigh for them both). first one by Sam Smith when she was visiting the UK. I think about 5.5hrs one hit. Healed perfectly in 3 days despite being in a car crash where I rolled my car 3x and wrote it off on my way home from the shop. Second one, my beautiful big red kitty from Stu Pagdin. One hit - 6hrs. I took the train. This one was more of a tricky heal, got some lovely scabs but I think he's got a heavier hand. I love to collect but I'd be covered in Stu's work if he lived in the UK. I just love it!

I've recently come across a great new publication called 'Best Intentions'. It's a zine I suppose but definitely more like a teeny tiny quality magazine. Think it's a quarterly publication - there's two available so far. I have them both and they're awesome. I think they're and £10 each, about A 6 in size but thick and packed with quality stuff. Great interviews (off the top of my head : Claudia de Sabe, Chad Koeplinger - is that how you spell it?) personally I love it because it had really high print quality and several of the pages are of paintings, flash etc that I can use for inspiration. Plus it's the perfect size for my handbag! Haha. You can pick it up from bestintentionsmagazine.Big cartel.Com/ the publishers have also done a book of Japanese reference which I've also just published. I'll post about it when it arrives.

I posted these in the new tattoos thread but here are my hands by Guen Douglas. They hurt like a bitch and I had a shitty heal (they need a few touch ups but neither of us are in a hurry!) really happy I have them done. I've got full coverage on arms and most of legs but not torso - partly because this is where I want my biggest pieces - but to get my hands done was very symbolic of committing myself to tattooing. No going back to teaching for me! Plus I just feel more 'me'. Hard to explain but I reckon someone gets it.

It's scar tissue, but honestly I really had to look to see it and even then it's quite hard to spot. I wouldn't bother getting it touched up, especially since its been a while - the new ink will look more noticeable.

No, you're not. I would never judge someone who collects tattoos because I do it myself. Some people go to the same artist for life. That's cool (and we love you guys because you're our regulars), but it's no more valid than someone who enjoys collecting from a variety of artists. Personally I love collecting the stories that go along with the traveling, meeting new rad people etc as well as the sweet new tattoo. I also find it flattering if people travel to 'collect' a piece from me.

Got to be the inside of my leg /side of my knee /just above knee joint. I never usually make a fuss at all but I was whimpering, begging for bactine and I think I left a face mark in my artist 's coat (that I was using a a pillow)! I definitely dribbled a bit. Absolutely rank. Worse than my hands and feet. Though I think everything just hurts now!

Hello and welcome. Your idea sounds cool, but as an artist myself, I can guarantee your going to piss off a lot of those artists you mention by asking them to draw you an idea that got might not even get tattooed. My advice is to do your research extensively, talk to the artists - you might find some are more keen on your idea. I don't do realism but I've seen the stencils and they're sometimes incomprehensible to anyone but the artist whose using them! I guess what I'm getting at is that if you do your research you'll find someone you trust absolutely to do the job - and you won't need to waste the time of other artists whilst your at it.

I've been busy recently! First up I got this really cute cat and umbrella from Wendy Pham at Brighton Tattoo convention. I've been after this piece of flash for years so happy he's now mine! Next up (and also at Brighton), I got the side of my knee done by Jody Dawber. This was the most painful tattoo I have ever got. I was whimpering like a baby (and I usually never make a fuss). I had to dig deep to get through it! Thank god she's fast. And last but not least, my latest addition (again on the side of the knee) from my super talented co-worker Lucy O Connell. Had my eye on this babe for well over a year, so happy to finally give her a home.

Currently healing the inside of my leg on the knee bend (barely 3 weeks after doing the other side, which btw still has really tough dry skin on the fold of my knee). It's so nasty. Everything is healing really well but the crook of the knee, because it keeps bending is developing another thick horrible scab. Boo!

I got these two recently as gap fillers. Both pretty spur of the moment. Paul was guesting with us, I really wanted to be tattooed because I liked his work and I buzzed off him as a person, but didn't want to be tattooed just for the sake of it. Was flirting with loads of designs but then I saw the design (dagger and rose) and thought it fitted perfectly in an awkward spot on my leg. Fits like a glove, I was buzzing so hard off getting this one done, I was on a high all night! The kittycus is just a cute idea I came up with after seeing similar things and I knew Sam would nail it. The pic is fresh but I can assure you it looks exactly the same healed. Solid. This is by far and away the cutest tattoo I have. It makes me smile everytime I see it!