The beginnings of the blast overs

So Thursday saw the beginnings of one huge tattoo project. Covering badly burned and scarred skin and bad existing tattoos.
I have previously blogged about this particular journey and I’m so excited to update the blog with the progress!
When I got to the shop I spent a long time discussing options with the artist, who I have full trust in! what the possibilities were. I had expectations of having to get two very large dark pieces (which I was totally
Okay with) and that would engulf all the bad stuff and finish my leg off.
But it turns out that I have more white space than I realised and so the decision was made to do lots of small blastovers. A blastover is a kind of cover up but it lacks the same “completeness” that a cover up promises. They are usually black in place of colour and occasionally the previous tattoos colours can be seen underneath. Some people perceive them as crude or unfinished but I really like them, and it’s my leg right?
I searched for designs and eventually chose a hand with a rose, and a heart with a dagger and scroll. I got my daughters name in the heart.
The hand made use of the most negative (white space) and the roses covered a large piece of scarring. The heart has some purple coming through it and it looks almost tye dyed.
I am so pleased with this project and it’s just the beginning. We discussed what to do next and in order to minimise large awkward gaps, the shin will be the next stage to tattoo. I think I’m going to get my knee and foot done too, because the other leg has those and I want to have some level of symmetry.
I feel very lucky.
Here are some fresh photos!
Tattoos by Joe Ellis at Sacred Electric, Leeds UK.

Tattoo cover up – update!

A while ago I blogged about a tattoo I had laser removal treatment on, and the subsequent devastation it left on my skin! There was infection and it left me with a cavity on my shin and on steroids. After a long recovery and lots of research I got the all clear from dermatology to tattoo over the now healed skin.
The tattoo I got when I had just turned 18. I was naive, stupid and full of regrets instantly. It was a huge tattoo that covered all of my leg, shin to calf. I didn’t really think about the designs or what they meant or even if they suited me. I just wanted to tattooed because I was finally 18 and I could get as many as I wanted.
I am fully aware of how ridiculous and stupid this was.
I have an appointment to begin the cover up this month, it’ll be a big job and will take up to 20 hours of work to complete. I am so ready for this. I am 23 and every time I get undressed I see that tattoo and the scarring and hate it. Every summer I hide it in jeans or leggings, I am subconscious about it and when people ask about it no words come out my mouth. It holds a huge point of anxiety for me and getting it corrected will be a huge moment for me.
I feel like I have drained myself financially and emotionally getting it removed as much as possible, the physical recovery from the infection was painful and horrific. Through this, I feel like I have earned the cover up now, its the right time to do this and my skin is healthy enough to heal properly afterwards.
A lot of my tattoos do not mean anything sentimental, no tributes to dead relatives or partners. I liked the designs and they suited what I already had. I do love my tattoos though! They are all carefully chosen and positioned by artists that I often go on waiting lists for after months of research. The cover up will mean more than any of the others could because its the last part of my past that I am constantly reminded of. It marks a time in my life when I made a lot of mistakes and hurt people, and listened to people I should have stayed away from. The first session may not cover a lot, but its a start and it will give me a good idea of what the finished tattoo will be like.
Next summer I will be in shorts come rain or shine. I cannot wait to have a tattoo I can be proud of.
I will of course be updating after my first appointment!
I will end this with a final snap of the tattoo as it is now. I cannot wait to see what it becomes next