Lucky 7 Tattoo and Piercing

Daith (Ear Cartilage) Piercing to Relieve Migraine Headaches?

2017-08-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

Piercing provides pain relief? Perhaps...

Daith Piercing with curved barbell by Kathleen @ Lucky 7
Tattoo & Piercing, Kings Beach - North Lake Tahoe, Ca.

A little ways back Lucky 7 clients and customers began asking me about the daith piercing for migraine headache relief. Not having a clue what they were alluding to - I took a tap tap tap on the Google, fishing for knowledge..

Found an article by Rachel Moss via The Huntington Post from November 2015. In it she describes her personal experience with the daith piercing. Originally she got it for the love of the look. Finding out by chance it provided migraine relief.

Ms Moss covered the "pros and cons" nicely. The sure sign of a proper journalist

In addition to the original article - I consumed various other writings by body piercers I respect. Basically the bottom line being: "There is NO scientific studies to prove this piercing helps provide relief to migraine sufferers". "Don't believe the hype..." and the golden oldy.."No Scientific Proof....."

Moon with Star Daith Jewelry
at Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing
Kings Beach, Ca

Sure - that's all the appropriate things to say. Nothing like "covering your *&%...but this discounts all the migraine sufferers who have had a real reduction in pain and who have found relief with the piercing - some with a complete loss of all symptoms.

And I speak from experience here.

Science is always telling me things I believe in "aren't real".

Remember when you lived with a bunch of other woman, and ALL your menstrual cycles synced up- so you had a group of females pmsing, bloated and being miserable all at once -

Science says that is not a real thing. Doesn't happen

Or how a full moon seems to bring all the crazy people into your workplace - acting like they are from the Moon - science again says there isn't any evidence of such a thing.....science wants tangible proof. Controlled studies. Sometimes that is hard to come by. Just because you cannot "prove" something is true doesn't make that thing "not true".

"Migraine" Piercing aka "Daith" by Kathleen @
Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing
Kings Beach, California

Here is some good news....almost all of my Lucky 7 clients have had very positive results from their daith piercings! Since the end of 2015, I have had casual contact with approximately 3 dozen of my many daith piercing / migraine clients. This contact was through through social media, email or phone calls. 30 clients had moderate to complete relief from migraine pain. One person reported relief for a limited time of two weeks. One other had no benefit at all - but has enjoyed the look of the piercing and plans to keep it. I have two other long time clients who have only had the piercing for one week - so it is too early to tell if there is any benefit for them.

Sure - this is no where close to being a proper trial to prove anything one way or another. Yet there must be something to it - even if it is all in the persons mind - that the daith piercing is doing something good for these migraine suffering clients. And let me tell you - a few of these clients have been in tears when telling me about the suffering they endure weekly when coming down with these headaches.

Some folks say peppermint oil helps migraines too - but no one is going to get rich peddling oils for headaches. Doctors and pharmaceutical companies make a great deal from medicine and treatments for all that ails us.

Could it be "they" do not want daith piercings being a viable treatment or cure because they won't make any money in the equation? No company will put up the money for a proper study unless they will make money on the outcome - right? Cannot patient a piercing like you can medicine.

14 kt Gold Jewelry for healed daith piercing. Made in USA.
Sold by Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing

Food for thought.

If you are considering the piercing for your own well being - I say go right ahead! Make sure to find a piercer who has vast experience, good reviews online, a clean facility AND a complete aftercare program in place for you to follow during for the long healing process. 6 months is very common.

Expect pricing to run anywhere from $40 to $80 in a quality shop (depending on where you live and the jewelry you select.)

Take a chance - be somebody baby - pierce that ear!

Daith Piercing with Crystal Ball Ends by Kathleen @ Lucky 7
King Beach - North Lake Tahoe
California

Daith "Baby Elephants and Hearts" all profit from this jewelry goes to
Elephant Aid International.
purchase from Lucky 7 Tattoo and Piercing
Kings Beach, Ca 96143

Daith with Fixed Bead Ring By Kathleen
at Lucky 7 Tattoo 7 Piercing
North Lake Tahoe - Kings Beach
California

"Poiseys n Heart" Daith Jewelry in 16 Gauge
@ Lucky 7 King Beach, California

So You Want to Become a Tattoo Artist....

2017-08-28T19:06:00.003-07:00

Does the world need another tattooer?

Well - if you bring something fresh, positive or completely creative - then yes, the tattoo world may need you!

Lucky 7 Tahoe Tattoo Apprentice
Mikey Bowden

However - if you "just think it would be fun / cool", your mom thinks you "trace real well" - or you are doing it to "make mad money" this isn't the path to travel - you are frankly not needed. Sorry for the tough talk - but I believe that is what is needed in the tattoo business these days.

Throughout the last decade or two - way too many so called "tattooers" have crowded the industry until bursting at the seems with mediocrity. Take a walk through any crowded shopping area and see for yourself. Unsuspecting folks walking around with horrible tattoos, run down strips malls with studios offering "$20 Friday the 13th Tattoos" and shady shops opening and closing in a matter of months - (after the have burned enough unsuspecting customers with their terrible creations or breaking health department laws.)

For all of us who have made tattooing our livelihood and lifestyle - it becomes depressing to see what we love and live for become marginalized by over exposure and over service. We have taken great time and experienced much pain to forge ahead and make a place for ourselves in this trade. SO show us a bit of respect by reading this blog entry (and any other sources you can get your eyes on) to learn about what it takes to join our very special club of dedicated tattoo professionals...

Ink Aplenty at Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing, North Lake Tahoe, California

Never stop your art studies and training. Now you would think this would be obvious - yet many wanna be tattoo artist stopped taking any art courses or searching out new mediums in high school. This will not due in major tattoo markets. Tracing a design off of flash (sheets of drawn tattoos made popular in the early days of commercial tattooing) - is no longer relevant in most shops. Every single tattoo in my shop is customized in some way. New styles of tattoos are coming and going at lightening speeds. Having a background in all kinds of art mediums helps you adapt and figure out how to create these new demanding styles. If you find it "too much trouble" or "don't have the time" to keep up your art education this isn't the career for you.
You must love tattoos yourself. Seems rather silly too, doesn't it? But once again, I have seen a few of these so called tattoo artists who are just trying to make a quick buck in our world without even liking the medium enough to get a tattoo on themselves! Who the hell wants to get a tattoo from an individual who has no ink on themselves? I know I wouldn't. The old saying "Never trust a skinny chef" seems to fit here. Smacks of self righteousness - I would never hire a shop assistant without tattoos let alone a tattoo artist!

Drawing on a sleeve by Russell Fortier at Lucky 7 Tahoe
Find a shop and artist who you admire - and get some ink done in that shop. I don't even like having a cup of coffee with a person I haven't spent at least a few minutes with let alone offer an apprenticeship to! Time and again we have youngsters walk in unannounced and ask if we would give them an apprenticeship. WHAT!?! Why will we spend years of our lives teaching you a craft and skill you will have forever and I don't even know your name!?! I can admire it taking some guts to "cold call" anyone for anything - but seriously, did you think this through at all before coming into my shop on a Saturday, looking washed out from last nights party AND with 3 of your friends tagging along behind you?!? NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.
Be prepared to work for free. YES - really. Most traditional shops are going to have you performing as a glorified custodian. Remember those is school? Well you will be the one now cleaning bathrooms, scrubbing bodily fluids from surfaces and doing everything the tattoo artist does not want to do. And the worst part? You better act like you LOVE to do these jobs. That you live to come in and clean a torn apart shop that was busy from the holiday weekend and is totaled worse than a car wreck.

Russell Fortier hard at work at Lucky 7 Tahoe

Think you might be able to get around all this hard work by attending a "tattoo school"? Think again...NO ONE who has any amount of respect for the tattoo industry will hire you just because you spent 2 weeks and thousands of dollars of your parents hard earned money at a so called "tattooest school". Better to offer that money to a shop you would like to learn at rather than throwing it away at these schools. You cannot learn ANY hands on trade in two weeks! All you will feel is ripped off and unprepared to all the challenges a real artist faces day to day with real clients.

Russell Fortier tattoo station at Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing
North Lake Tahoe, Ca.

Now by no means is this a complete list - but it is a solid jumping off point to really self examine if a career in tattooing is for you. After watching many apprentices start out strong and end in a fizzle - I can safely say a list like this would have served them well. Avoiding the mistake of wasting months and even years in training for a job they never were cut out for to begin with.

I freely welcome any comments or additions you may have. Questions are always welcome too.

Lucky 7 Tattoo Tuesday T Shirt Contest!

2016-10-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

Wanna Win a Lucky 7 T shirt boys and girls?!

Chris Sergi holding on to
your future wardrobe items.

OF COURSE YOU DO! So here is the story....

Kathleen managed to wrinkle 6 new Lucky 7 logo gear in her last travels abroad to aid elephants. Being the classy joint we are - can't sell these wrinkled gems - so we are giving them away to our friends of Lucky 7.

OKAY - here is the fun part!

Answer the following Lucky 7 trivia questions

(all you need is 4 correct to be in the drawing. Your name shall be entered into the "bucket-o- winners"! You can also earn more entries by sharing the contest post on your own social media pages! Facebook, Instagram, Pintrest, Twitter, whatever site you like.

Time to "cut and paste" the following questions (with your answers) to the following address:

Lucky7Tattoo@Sbcglobal.net

Just type "Contest" in your entry email subject line - .

OKIE DOKIE - HERE WE GO (pssst...all answers can be found online).

Russell of Lucky 7 Tahoe circa 2012

What year did Lucky 7 open its doors?
Name the only 2 national holidays Lucky 7 closes its doors for each year?
What is Russell's last name?
Name Kathleen favorite animal?
The last 4 digits of Lucky 7 phone number spells.....?
Where was Russell born and raised?
In what year did Kathleen begin her career as a body piercer

BONUS QUESTION !!!!

Kathleen has been married 5 times - 3 of her marriages were to tattoo artists. Give the first name of each?

This contest ends on Friday, October 28th at 8 pm. So get to work on winning with your mad knowledge of Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing!!

Carol Buckley: Making a Difference for Elephants

2015-02-09T14:02:00.001-08:00

"Below the Belt" - A Genital Piercing Mishap to Brighten Your Day!

2014-05-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

After 20 years as a body piercer, you can well imagine I have several accounts of piercings gone wrong or not as hoped due to very eccentric customers. Just for the shear fun of it - as well as to make you feel better about your job choice - I have chosen this tale to share. The client featured in this blog entry I encountered working in Sacramento during the 1990's:

Mid 1990's logo and ad
I used for my piercing business

Midweek- easy going afternoon. Tattooers are busy. Sounds of the old wood staircase leading from the sidewalk to front door of the shop making loud groans. From the volume of creaking I surmise a large sized customer is making their way inside. Heavy oak door swings open to reveal a middle aged black woman dressed in a purple pants suit. She had the appearance of a gospel singer - not our typical tattoo shop customer. Automatically my face assembles my toothy, professional piercer smile. As I start to form a verbal greeting in my throat, the woman yells:

"You all pierce Pussy's in here?"

Taken a bit back by the question, and quite honestly, WHO is asking the question - I proceed to stumble out a meek "Yes Ma'am."

"Well then, Lets get about doin it! - my new customer somewhat shouts to the empty lobby.

Gathering my composure I manage to go through all the necessary paperwork, decision making - like her chosen location of piercing (clitoral hood), which jewelry is appropriate (captive bead ring), etc. Paperwork completed, her questions answered - we step back behind the velvet curtain to carry out her body modification wishes.

Client disrobes from the waist down, then makes her way onto the massage table. At my request, she pushes her knees apart. I sit down on my stool , positioning my supply tray at this "business end of the table" - then I gingerly begin prepping her skin for action.

Completing all the preliminary cleaning and marking I next apply the clamp. As my client registers this bit of pinching discomfort her breathing becomes deeper - like she is bearing down the give birth. I try my very best to utter some soothing words with simple direction to keep up normal breaths. I pick up the lubricated needle from my tray. Making sure to hold it at just the right angle. I apply just enough pressure to begin the entrance hole.....................

"HOLY SHIT- GOD ALL MIGHTY!!!!" the lady screams.........

Thrusting her midsection off the table, the woman grabs her ankles - letting out a shrill shriek - then the worst happens:

Early 1990's business card of mine.

~BAAAAMMMM~

her powerful knees come crashing together with lightning speed - directly striking each side of my head - my ears, bearing the brunt of her uncontrolled reaction - ring loudly as my eardrums explode with a crackling boom!

Stars explode before my dazed eyes. All air in my lungs suddenly blasts forth from my mouth- cannot catch my breath! My field of vision narrows to a vertical slit. For a hurried moment I worry I may topple from where I precariously sit. Finally the customers knees slowly begin to move back outward again....freeing me from her clutches.....

"Ain't Cha Done Yet ?!? - the clients hollers out to me from where she still lies. Panting for breath - the stars dissipate from my eyes. My ears still ringing from the knee blows to the head. As I regain my composure I realize the piercing needle is incredibly still where I left it! I had managed to push 3/4's of the way through the planned route before being clobbered...

"Mam - Please allow me one moment to continue..- comes meekly from my mouth. Slipping on a fresh set of latex gloves I gather my senses - say a spell/prayer to properly carry on and finish this gig....

Leaning back on my low rolling stool as much as I dare - I apply firm pressure to my needle and tools... pushhhhh.........sharp end of the needle exits....her knees lean in toward me....*feeling scarred I might get wacked again - I raise my elbows into the area bewtwwn her thighs to protect my head*.....reaching for the jewelry.....quickly following the needle with the bead ring........all I hear from the other end of the table is heavy breathing....I close the ring in record time: ZOOM goes my rolling chair across the studio, away from the danger zone! WHEW..........My autopilot finished the bits and pieces of the transaction.

She ignored the entire event. Said not a word- as if nothing out of the sort took place. So strange! No apology or tip. Just gathered the care product, instructions - paid her bill then off she went.......

So my darlings, the next time you encounter a terrible day on the job, feeling all sorry for yourself - think back to my horrid moment of "knees to head knocking": you will instantly feel a bit better!

Higher Education in the Tattoo Consumer - You Smart Cookies!

2014-02-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

M.C Escher Piece By Russell Fortier at
+Lucky 7 Tattoo and Piercing

Each and every budding tattoo collector deserves a hardy pat on the back - with a positive and boisterous coach nudging your shoulder, shouting in your ear "WAY TO GO KIDDO!

For a number of years, the tattoo industry, as a whole, has not been willing or able to keep up with our moral duty as "experts" to provide the proper information and education for new tattoo consumers. On occasion, the piss poor attitude of many shops and tattooers themselves has been at fault. Simply put - if you are "too cool" or "too busy" to bother with a potential customers inquiries - then you need to take an
etiquette course!

Sadly for newer converts to the wonderful world of tattooing - information has been gathered from television shows (bad and good), friends with tattoos, the online "second hand information highway", etc...Not very effective as a whole.

Yet with these challenges in educating themselves - clients are becoming much smarter when making choices for themselves! Consumers of tattooing are coming into their own - making better decisions in who, what, where and why. This slow moving change is arriving. Not a moment too soon either.

For multiple years my family and I encountered numerous folks coming in our doors with horrible tattooing. On occasion the person would know the tattoo they got at "Joe Blow's House of $40 Tats" was complete crap. Yet they would feel the need to defend the sub par inky splotch. Falling back on the reasoning of low price, getting stuck with the apprentice or wanting the ink that very minute but all the "good shops" were

Rose/Dagger Redo By Corey Boobar at
+Lucky 7 Tattoo and Piercing

booked. Some would brag about how little they spent - thinking the tattoo itself was great for the simple reason of words being legible or you could figure out it was "Tinkerbell' after staring at the mess of a pattern for 30 seconds.

I am here to say the days of uneducated bad decisions are coming to an end! Since the beginning of winter I have had the pleasure of serving many more lovers of tattoos with well informed mental checklist of what they want from their tattoos and their tattoo experiences. Taking their time in researching tattoo artists and shops. Having ideas thought out - yet being open to what will and won't work in crafting a pattern in size style and location.

What a great change in a positive direction for the tattooed public!

Exciting for all of us who strive to create and execute great tattoos as well.

MY compliments to you all! Keep up the self education. Know the entire Lucky 7 staff is here to be of any help we can.

"I Smell a Rat!" - 7 Lies Unethical Tattooers & Scratchers Will Tell

2013-12-19T14:28:00.000-08:00

Way back in 1992, I officially started my career as a shop girl & body piercer in Reno, Nevada and Sacramento, California. This type of assistant position was a very new idea for the tattoo industry. Before this time, most shops were set up with the tattooers lumped together in a bull pen, behind a low partition - dealing with customers coming in while tattooing at the same time. Fast forward to the 1990's - tattooing becoming more popular. Biker Bob had to move over for the new breed of tattooer artist we have today.

With the new generation of younger, more gifted artists - who set up nicer shops -came the need for help with their business. Rather than trying to do everything they hired "shop girls" / helpers to speak to customers, sterilize equipment and clean the space. The very first shop girls were usually the wives or girlfriends of the tattooers themselves. In my case I fell into the job for a different reason. I was already a good customer who knew her way around their shops, and I had learned how to pierce.

Fast forward to 2013. Throughout the decades I have worked with gifted artists and ass@#$%*. Men who I admired, with others who over estimated their talents & abilities. Some have lived exciting lives, telling others of their adventures and encounters. Some just tell stories of their faked "greatness." My goal right now is to see through the tall tails of their so called white lies:

"Sorry, I can't tattoo you. I am booked out for months and months." Unless the tattooer before you is an uber rock star tattoo artist like Scott Sylvia, Freddy Corbin or Paul Booth, this statement is most likely a complete fabrication. The artist does not want to tattoo you personally. They dislike your design idea. Or they want potential customers and competitors to think they are in demand. Truthful artist will always advise you if they are not the right tattooer for your design type and direct you to another artist or shop. Most good custom shops can find room for your requested day and time within a 3 to 6 week period.

"Anyone in our shop can do that design. It's easy." No tattoo is ever easy if the artist cares about the quality of his tattoos. Never take any ones word for it when it comes to who can do what.

Lady Justice Tattoo (Originally done in a shop,
however the artist didn't possess the skill set for
proper execution) Redo by Russell Fortier

Owner / Artist +Lucky 7 Tattoo and Piercing Tahoe, Ca.

Some unscrupulous shop owners are so greedy for that money in your pocket they will throw ethics to the side, letting an unqualified or under skilled tattooer ink you up. Do not let anyone tattoo you until you have seen their actual work. Ask to see their portfolio. Proof of their skills right before your eyes. If you question their skill set at all - walk away. Your hide is worth much more than a few hurt feelings.

Your design idea is "completely undo able." Many tattoos are more straight forward, quick to plan and execute. For instance, Traditional Americana designs from the last 100 years. When the tattooers designed the flash of old, they had clarity of the pattern itself in mind. Done to a size that the subject matter would come across clearly to those who looked upon it. With current fashion of all custom design containing images NOT designed with tattooing in mind, creating a tattoo pattern becomes much more challenging for the tattooer- especially when customers want tons of detail in a small space. That being said, some tattooers will lie to uneducated consumers, saying some patterns cannot be done - period. What that artist should say is : "I cannot do it as you like, however I can make some changes, creating a tattoo pattern for you with modifications". OR "Sorry, I do not have the skills to create the tattoo, but let me recommend you to someone who may be able to." Once again, this is an excuse used by tattooers who do not have the imagination or skill set to achieve what you are asking for. They may want to try and bully you into a tattoo design that is nothing like you imagined - just to get into your wallet or purse. Making their day only profit driven, not caring one bit about the customers satisfaction.
"The Tattoo only took 30 minutes. You rate is $150 an hour. Why is it costing me $200?! I call this a smash and grab. In the defense of shops, some uneducated folks expect an unreasonable amount of ink for a very low price. In addition, wires can sometimes get crossed and confused with quotes of pricing over the phone or by email. That being said, I have also encountered ridiculous pricing that has the feeling of being criminal. An unsavory tattooer will be very vague in giving customers a firm price. Pegging new customers as chumps who do not know a thing. Once the tattoo is finished, the price will always be the highest amount mentioned verbally. No matter what the clock and your grammar school math skills have computed. Shops with ethics will ALWAYS give you the price quote in a written format on your agreement or release. The paperwork will mention if the tattoo will take more than one visit, what you will get completed on your first appointment then a top price for the entire game plan. NEVER allow any artist to start on you without stating in writing what the entire cost will be. It is similar to giving your drug addicted cousin a blank check to buy a few groceries. If that tattooer is honest, he does not have to fleece customers out of their hard earned cash. He will be plenty busy with clients making a decent living. Not having to rob you.
Home tattoo from unknown local scratcher to
"Lovely Owl in Winter" by Russell Fortier
Owner / Artist +Lucky 7 Tattoo and Piercing Tahoe, Ca.
Copyright 2013

"I am a real good tattooer, but working out of my house because ........" This one just about kills me. When an uneducated & unsuspecting person comes into Lucky 7, with a terrible tattoo or bad infection - sheepishly defending their bad choice of trusting the jerk who did this awful tattoo by saying: "But the guy was legit! He had gloves and wrapped needles and everything". The new age of Internet shopping allows anyone to buy anything. Take a quick look online to witness folks getting mercury poisoning from imported tattoo ink, which is included in many cheap online tattoo kits. Pretty ugly. Dangerous to your health is an understatement. If a person is tattooing out of their house or traveling to your home that means they are not good enough to be working in a shop. Not even a terrible one. Some claim they apprenticed in a shop for awhile - but something happened to make them quit or were fired. What this really says is they did not honor the contract they made to that shop owner to complete proper training, which takes years! Or perhaps they are "self taught". You cannot learn a skill , that takes years to become somewhat good at, by watching You Tube videos or from a book. Would you trust a self taught plastic surgeon? Only part of tattooing is the tattoo itself. Tattoo Artist must also know what will work well on what area of the body and why. More importantly - properly licensed artist are trained and certified in preventing the spread of disease. Safe tattooing is not just about disposable needles and gloves! The entire surroundings inside a reputable shop has had careful consideration for cleanliness. Your senses can see and smell the attention to cleanliness. Do you want to get inked in living room or kitchen? I understand that money is a big motivator when folks pick a home tattooer vs. a good artist at a trustworthy shop. Nothing good can come of a rushed decision. Save a few extra bucks up. Work a double shift. Perhaps just wait until you are making better money. Never rush into a decision you may regret due to your own impatience. Saving one or two twenty dollar bills is a ridiculous reason to select a questionable tattooer or shop.

"We don't give out any care products or written care instructions. Just keep it clean and rub some A and D ointment on it ". Countless times I've had people walk in off the street to ask for help with their poorly healing tattoo. Sheepishly they explain that the shop they got the work at did not give them proper instruction as to what to expect, avoid or use on this decorative wound they paid for. At a bare minimum, written instructions for care during the healing period should be provided. Listing what is allowed and not allowed in all aspects of the estimated healing period. Great shops will many times include a sample of the care products they commonly suggest for use on the tattoo. Even better is specific guidelines for different areas of the body. Feet are far more difficult to heal than a tattoo on your shoulder. Furthermore not every care product works for every body. Pores can become quite clogged from any product made with mineral oil. Yet may shops continue to recommend ointments that list mineral oil as its first ingredient. A and D ointment is not made for new tattoos. It smells ghastly - and intended for babies prone to diaper rash. Instead of trying to troubleshoot problems that occur after the tattoo application - how about selecting a good tattoo artist working at a solid shop? So if a problem arises you have many years of professionals to seek advice from.

"New Paint Job" By Russell Fortier
+Lucky 7 Tattoo and Piercing
North Lake Tahoe, CA
Copyright 2013

"Yeah, I have my Tattooers License. But ............." Except in a very few counties - their is no such thing as a "license to tattoo". Unlike cosmetology or health care - their isn't a "state board of tattooing." For instance, in California there is not a sanctioned testing program. County Environmental Health Departments are tasked with overseeing tattoo shops within their jurisdiction. No one can be licensed as an individual. The permits to work as a tattoo artist are issued only to those who can document they have served an apprenticeship, taken proper blood borne pathogen training and CURRENTLY work in a licensed shop. Period. Once a tattooer leaves a shop for any reason, the permit is no longer valid. It must be reissued under the umbrella of another licensed shop. Do not fall for the drag some good looking, heavily tattooed dream date tries to hustle you with in a bar. If they were so good at what the claim to do they certainly would not be trying to win your business at such a location. Hey, its cool to party with them - just don't risk your health by letting them tattoo you!

My darling reader- feel free to pass on this list - or any other of my informative Lucky 7 Tattoo blog entries on to those friends or loved ones you have who may be getting inked in the near future. Education is the key to avoiding unpleasant results that are permanent! As always, my staff and I are just a phone call or email away to answering your more personal questions regarding tattooing or piercing.

TA TA ~ Kathleen @ Lucky7TattooTahoe@Gmail.com

Tattooing is His Career, Fly Fishing His Mistress

2013-12-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

"Adams Dry Fly" for fishing by Russell Fortier
Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe
Copyright 2013

"May Fly Dun" inked by Russell Fortier
@ Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe
Copyright 2013

Back when I married Russell in 2005 we had to live apart the first 5 months. Me in Nor Cal. Russell in the Inland Empire.
I had a vague awareness that he enjoyed fishing. Once every few weeks hubby grabbed his pole, cooler, tackle box, Gatorade and salty snacks - heading out to some So Cal reservoir I had not heard of. Hours later a few snapshots of him holding a cute little fish would arrive to my pink Motorola Razor. Good for him getting some smoggy fresh air, enjoying himself!

"Truckee River Fly Fishing" Tattoo
INKED by Russell Fortier

Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe

"Dry Fly" by Russell Fortier
colored pencil on paper
Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe
Copyright 2013

Once Russell made his move to live with me his fishing style changed rapidly. First thing, the old gear started to be replaced by new fangled things. No longer were Levis and a white T shirt okay to wear. Oh no, he had to have a fancy vest that cost more than my monthly food budget. Next came fishing poles the length of a 1970's station wagon. Shortly after that his old tackle box was abandoned. Dozens of tiny beaded furry feathery thread like creatures with hooks clogged multiple foam lined clear boxes. Gone was the folding chair and salmon eggs. Power bait dried in its jars. That was then, fly fishing is now.

Next came giant waiters, two different pair!. Multiple pair of Sims boots. One pair has felt lined soles? (Still do not understand that.) He even bought a tiny garbage can to hang from the vest for his cigarette butts...WOW!

For the last 5 years, every possible day off - no matter what Mother Nature throws weather wise through these mountains and canyons - Russell is fly fishing. It is his Mistress.

"Paintbrush Fly" Stencil and Tattoo By Russell Fortier
Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe
Copyright 2013

7 years of marriage, 5 dogs, one furniture eating timber wolf, 1tattoo business and spending 24/7 together in life can cause a bit of feeling over exposed to one another.

Yet I am oh so grateful the only female my husband holds is a beautiful wild fish! XOXOXO Kathleen

Russell Fortier Tattoo Artist & Fly Fishing Guide
Copyright 2013
Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe

Black and Gray Wild Fish by Russell Fortier of Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe
Copyright 2013

Russell Fortier fishing the Truckee River
Skull Tattoo by Cory Norris @ Classic Tattoo/ Fish by Mother Nature
Copyright 2013 Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe

Guide Russell Fortier fly fishing the Truckee River
Owner / Tattoo Artist @ Lucky 7 Tahoe
Copyright 2013 www.lucky7tattoos.com

Portfolios of Tattoo Artists - 7 Attributes To Look For

2013-11-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

Digital or static portfolios are the most important truth teller any artistic service professional can possess.

When I went to get "new and improved" breasts back in 2004 I fully realized how significant pictures were to my decision in picking the doctor for my "rack increase". Before this revelation I had never picked a professional to do a job that I had not worked with first. Therefore I had never been through the chores of choosing.

In anticipation of getting my new bosom I booked 3 consultation appointments with 3 plastic surgeons who had been recommended to me.

The first 2 doctors were cocky, assumptive and overly self assured. In fact the second physician seemed dismissive of my ability to even pay him the full amount for the consultation. My expectations of a physical exam or a professional attitude were not met. Nor was I shown even one example of their previous work.

My expectations were low for consultation number 3. I started to believe that plastic surgeons all acted like old, bald rock stars or stuck up tattooers for that matter. Glad to say that the "3rd time was the charm" for my search. Dr Murphy in Reno was a gentleman. Let me ask my list of questions. Explained why it was not a good idea to make his incision through my arm pits. Best of all he had tons of photos of his previous work. 99% good boob jobs with happy patients in the photos. And a couple snapshots of a few that had not gone well for various reasons.

I admire anyone who can own up to their own imperfect performance as a human being. Too many so called professionals pretend they never make even the slightest mistake at anything they do. In my mind, by Dr Murphy showing me the few bad with the overwhelming good, he won me over. He exceeded my expectations - and I get compliments to this day on my figure improvement.

So it is with this spirit in mind I wanted to provide you with a short guide as to what to look for in the portfolio of a tattoo artist. For more in depth information on shop and artist selection please see the other earlier entries in this blog.

Line work that is steady, consistent and even though out the design. Look closely at the boarder surrounding each piece of the entire design. These lines should be uniform in thickness or thinness. Flowing from one stroke to the next with balance and uniformity. You should not see where the needle has been applied to the skin to start the line itself.

Sharpie Examples of Uniformity and Balance (or lack thereof)
Tattoo Designs that have Symmetry. Does the mouth on animal designs look too large for their face? Proportions seem somehow off? Do letters in a word all seem slightly larger and smaller as the eye travels its length? With designs that have exact uniformity, say a 5 point star -is it a mirror image in each component of all its parts? Pay careful attention to symmetry. Where there is a little of it on other peoples tattoos, you can expect the same half hearted work on your ink. Inexperience is usually the cause of it. Do not be one more customer this tattooer cuts his teeth on.
Varied Styles of Different Tattooing. I myself love American traditional tattoos. I am personally covered from throat to feet in these crisp, bulky designs. Yet when I see a portfolio that contains nothing but traditional I take special notice. This says to me the portfolios owner is not comfortable showing a possible customer how good or bad they are at other types of more complicated tattoo designs. It is an attempt to manipulate your information gathering. This tattooer prefers to do the minimum amount of work for their money. While this is not a crime - it is a red alert to avoid this tattoo provider unless you want a standard, monotone straight from the rack flash tattoo design. Tattoo Artist with a specialty like black and gray portraits will still demonstrate other styles they are capable of inking. This shows confidence in their trade. Therefore hoping to earn your business.
A Simple RED HEART is ANYTHING but Simple. Even the smallest and simplest tattoos can have a stunning amount of vibrancy. A customer may ask for " A tiny red heart on my bum." A talented artist will carry the request - but will go beyond the simple request to exceed the expectation of the customer. Does the little heart have a highlight to the round tops? Can you tell that a few different shades of red and pink were blended together to create subtle nuances - creating more shape than just the black outline provides? Attention to the simplest designs tells you the artist cares about everything he puts his name on. THAT is a good thing!

"MOM" Heart with Rose By Russell Fortier
Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe
Match the Portfolio to a Single Tattooer. This is a more recent development in low rent tattoo shops. One large photo album that is suppose to represent the entire staff. See it as a red flag to walk away. You have a shop owner who only cares about making money. Once again this is done to deceive you by omitting information you can use to make an educated choice in WHO in that shop is good (if anyone actually is). You are being sold false hope that everyone who tattoos in that location is equal. NONSENSE. There is no such thing as an "easy" tattoo. IF your tattoo artist cares about their work, having pride and self satisfaction - they will gladly take clear pictures and display them.

Black and Grey Angel By Russell Fortier Day of the Dead Pin-up Face By Corey Boobar
Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe
Digital is Great - However Photo Paper is Better. I am sure to get a few miffed emails regarding this one. Yet I must advise you the best way I know how. Online sites are wonderful for the shear ease it can be to upload pictures of your work. Potential customers can sit around anywhere they please and browse an artists work. The web is a great tool to weed out who you do not want to bother with in person. However is no substitute for a static leather bound portfolio with plastic sleeves to hold photo paper photography. Matter of fact, I want you to reach under the plastic, feel the paper to make sure it hasn't been cut out of a magazine. See if the weight seems appropriate? Any artist who is proud of their abilities will gladly flip their book to certain pages - showing you what they have created for other clients. It takes time, will and money to get photos printed from a store. That is a good sign of someone who cares to show you their best and has done little or nothing on Photoshop type editing programs to trick you.
Do Not Be Impressed By A Massive Number of Photos. One of my favorite tattoos I got from a tattooer who had half a dozen photo albums in his lobby. Now I knew the guy and his work for a while before I had gone into his shop. So the number of photos did not impress me-his actual tattooing did. Since that time I have wandered into a few situations where a tattooer had the approach of quantity over quality. Reams of endless poor images, quite blurry or poorly focused. Numbers of them written upon with ballpoint pen to explain what you are looking at!?! At times I would feel the need to take a quick cat nap trying to get through the heft of it all. Again, a bit of trickery is going on. The tattooer is taking photos of everything he does, which makes no sense really. Talented tattooers will take photos of work they are exceptionally proud of. Or perhaps of tattoos they know clients will find marvelous for one reason or another. As the portfolio grows to enormous for additional pages for its rings - they edit out older photographs to add the newer ones. Putting the old photos away for safe keeping - to pull out for a specific situation. Do not be dazzled with by the volume. Be cognizant of possible trickery.

As I have said with any other list of advisement I have created about tattooing or piercing - always trust your gut. If you have doubts about the ability of a tattoo artists skills then wait. No matter how desperately you desire the piece that very moment. Regret is easy to come by when preparation and planning is tossed aside for speed.

" 7 Good Reasons To Get Tattooed or Pierced Today."

2013-11-09T20:26:00.002-08:00

You have thought about a particular tattoo design you totally dig for the last 2 years. Every time you venture out beautiful-and not so beautiful-inked skin is peaking out from under clothing. Your cool tattoo concept is beckoning to you silently... "Gee- wouldn't it look great on your forearm."

Perhaps you ran in to a friend - while chatting you see her dazzling new inner ear piercings with tiny glimmering jewels. It looked so darn cute on her! The mental pictures of those piercings are on your mind for days. Wondering if a new body adornment like your friends' may attract attention to your sleek, graceful neck.

Lets go down the list of good reasons to go ahead and dip your toes into the modification of your body / your temple.

1.Enjoyment of the art form itself Seems like every one of us out there in the big bad world has their own story of when they first became fascinated with tattoos or body piercing. Sometime in our childhood we caught sight of an adult rocking something cool on their skin. We become entranced, then more aware of all the folks walking around the world with these cool alterations. As we grow into teenagers the thought of having are own body mods becomes as reality. If you were one of us, kids who never stopped being attracted tho ink and metal - you get the green light to go right ahead and get some work. Safe to say you have an appreciation that hasn't waned. You won't regret getting work - as long as its GOOD work. which leads us to....

"Mom" Heart Tattoo Stencil

2.You have done your research on shops and artists / piercers

This is a HUGE, time consuming step. Yet it is the most important one you can make. First, ask friends, coworkers and peoples who have work you admire where and who does their tattoos and piercings. Then, look up those shops online. Does the shop have an over all positive online reputation? Is there an artist on staff with a portfolio of work you respect for its craftsmanship and artistry? Very good, now head on down to that shop and meet the artist. Is he into your idea, or acting moody or bored? If things go well, step up and get started. If you are not feeling the energy of the artist or the shop they work in time to go back to the computer for more research.

3.Supporting a Loved One, Cause you Care About / Altruism Don't misunderstand me, you can get tattoos and piercings for no reason at all. Gods know I have a hundred of those myself. "Just because" is a good enough reason when you like ink and metal. Nevertheless coming together as a group or family to mark a life event of importance with a permanent design on you body is very fulfilling in an indescribable way. The emotional bonding can be empowering for all involved. Almost like a little high develops between all those marked for the event - no matter joyous or saddening. Pink ribbons have been a tattoo Lucky 7 has done dozens of times. Ribbons with a newborns birthday and footprints are a lovely way to symbolize your family's' growth. What great mark can you share with your tribe for a big life event?

Mother/Daughter Nostril Piercings
by Kathleen Langley-Fortier and Kindra Acker
Lucky 7 Tattoo-North Lake Tahoe

4.Covering an old scar or a tattoo you never liked

Somewhere on our layer of dermis lies a nick, cut or surgical scar. Some folks are never bothered by these marks along life's rough road. Others can not stand the idea of some part of their body they dislike glaring at them daily, like a toothache. Is it not wonderful that we can bury these tears in our skin with the beauty of tattooing or jewelry? Good to know you can usually tattoo over a scar after only 9 months of healing the area. With old tattoos we no longer care for, they can be re imagined into something fresh you will like much better. Or perhaps they can be completely covered with a completely different design? Please see my other blog entry on cover ups for concise information on what can be done in your case.

Cover Up Tattoo
By Russell Fortier
Lucky 7 Tattoo-North Lake Tahoe

5.Modification to Help You Embrace an Area of your body You don't Like

I love when clients make a choice to ink up an area of their bodies they dislike. So empowering! I for one have a few areas of my genetic construction I have never cared for. Rather than opt for a surgeons knife I have embraced those zones with colorful, traditional pin ups. Makes me happy every time I see those big buxom ladies of past fashions emblazoned on my hide. What a great way to reset your brain to like an area of you body that use to drive you a bit nutty.

Traditional Cowboy Pin up
By Russell Fortier
Lucky 7 Tattoo-North Lake Tahoe

6.Sex and Sexuality Can be Better with Piercings and Tattoos Perhaps you have glimpsed some photo erotica that displays partners with genital piercings? Or some very phallic tattoo on a mans genitals. Well, in many cases these erotic piercings and tattoos can be a turn on for the person wearing them or their lucky partner encountering the artwork. A great deal of the excitement of coupling comes from the minds eye, rather than just the physicality of the moments together. A great many of the public would be shocked to know who among them might have something a little "extra" in their undergarments! A few of the extreme piercings can be painful. Yet most are no more painful than a nose piercing.

7.In This Day and Age, We CAN get tattooed and pierced Without Judgement
In 1985, when I had just turned 18 I craved a tattoo like a 5 year old craves candy! Off to San Francisco I went with a friend. On Broadway, I walked into a totally 80's biker shop - somewhat scared and wary of the staff. My treatment by these folks was less than polite- with the finished work lacking the cool look I had asked for. Once I got home my mother came unhinged with anger! How dare I "desecrate the temple God gave me! Only guys in the military and easy girls get tattoos." Blah de f@#$%*n Blah.
Well that was not too fun for my first time. Lots of negatives stacking up against me just for getting a small tattoo.
Thank the GODS once again this is no longer the case. As Mickey Knox said in Natural Born Killers: "Life is about choices...." It is delightful that we have so many good choices to select from . No more do we have to choose only from bikers and foul tempered wanna be rock stars. Great tattooers and piercers reside and work near you. Or may be located in an area you love to visit. The bottom line is, you do not have to settle!

Thanks for reading kids. Remember, your loyal Lucky 7 Tahoe staff is available to help and guide you through your tattoo or piercing process. Find us everywhere online, call or email at once.

" 7 Reasons Why You Should NOT Get Tattooed or Pierced " (at least not for the time being)

2013-11-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

Every one of us in the English speaking world has had the following little bit of pseudo wisdom bellowed at us in a life defining moment- this golden oldie - this sadly moronic and quite over used rally cry : " You only live once!" Usually it is barked at us by so called friends who want us to follow in their treacherous footsteps. Doing something completely stupid, dangerous and possibly life altering. In many cases, liquor has been consumed, or we have not matured out of wearing superhero underwear. Therefore our decision making skills are under developed. By our partners in crime announcing "You only live once", it circumvents our "fight or flight" instinct - helping us make a move. Many times the wrong one we may regret later

2 happy, beautiful and smart young ladies
w/ new septum piercings
done by Kathleen @ Lucky 7 Tahoe

14kt Yellow Gold OHM
Nostril Screw - Custom
Bend to fit

In this current social climate of having zero patience, the "I WANT IT NOW" mentality, many folks- especially youngsters - dive in to tattooing and piercings with almost no forethought to how it can affect every aspect of their future. Especially when it comes to their employment and social standing. These days the world has had so much more exposure to the entire scope of body modifications. No longer are homemade tattoos lumped in with beautiful Japanese panels. Quality and care in body modifications shows and can be appreciated. The public as a whole will look at your tattoos, judge their quality and the story they tell. Passing silent thoughts of admiration or judgement about you.

In the interest of helping you make the correct decision for yourself and your future, I offer the following list of solid questions to contemplate BEFORE you rush out to get work done. You choices in this moment can and will affect your future. It may place LIMITS on your available choices in the future.

"Panda Munching Bamboo" by Russell Fortier
@ Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing

Someone is "making" you. If someone in your life is pushing you toward ANYTHING in a forceful or coercive manner do not do it. Especially when it is a permanent change to your being. Never be forced to "prove" anything to anyone who says they care about you-period.
Depression or pain is prominent in daily life. Some of the worst choices we make for ourselves is when we do not feel good for whatever reason. You do not want to walk around with a permanent reminder of that terrible time in your life. Scaring your body will not help you heal. Get help for what ails you before doing something you may regret later. Wait to make big life decisions when you are at your best mentally and physically. No matter if it take 2 weeks or 2 years. Those super cool ideas your currently have will still be there when you are feeling better.
Your pain tolerance is very low. With piercing, this isn't as much an issue-unless you desire a complicated, multiple point piercing project. Almost all of us can handle a few seconds of mild discomfort that can occur with a well executed, much desired piercing. However, when it come to tattooing, pain tolerance - or lack there for of- WILL have a huge impact on various components to receiving a quality tattoo. Imagine how disconcerting it will be for your tattoo artist - to have created an awesome tattoo design - only to have its application come out poorly due to your own behavior. Moving around, moaning and being a pain in their ass in no way helps your artist to do the job you hired them to do. No one can perform at their best when their customer is being difficult. No matter the cause. Know your limits kiddo. Sample the pain with a small or dainty design before biting off a big slice of the pie.
You ALWAYS Have to Have the Newest & The Best est Thing. If you are trendy, always having to have the newest, hippest designer goodies I say pass on the body modifications. You may be happy for a short amount of time, taking pleasure in the NEWNESS of the modification. But once some time has passed, or someone says "Oh my friend has an Infinity knot on her wrist just like your." dismay will replace the high of the new purchase. You will no longer feel special or fulfilled by your tattoo or piercing. Stick with haircuts or handbags.

"Male Lion Head" by Corey Boobar &
Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing
Lake Tahoe, California
Will your Family Cut you Off? No tattoo or piercing is worth having your family disown you. When Grandmother says she will not pay for college if you get tattoos just WAIT! Being grown up, having to pay for everything in your life is over rated! Do not offend your blood by rebelling with ink and metal. Once you have broken their hearts it sure will be hard to put the pieces back together. If you really, really want the tattoo, you will still want it in 4 years. And hell, in four years with a degree in hand you may find.....
Employment Opportunities Depend on How You Look. Having a degree is great. However, its only one piece of your employee package. Do you think a tattoo on your neck is going to be a problem when applying for an entry level management position? You bet it is! Even the entry level jobs at fast food restaurants do NOT allow their employees to have more than a couple piercing in each ear. What makes you think some big boss is going to hire you, paying 40 K a year when you look like you should be turning a wrench at Jiffy Lube?!? No matter how popular tattoos and modern piercings have become, their is still a stigma for those of us who choose to wear them. Have your game plan for income in place before getting hardcore with your modification placements.
You Have Not done ANY research into Tattoo Artists, Body Piercers OR Shops. Put the brakes on Right This Minute! Walking in to the closest shop to your pad is rolling the dice with you looks and health! Ask a few people with good looking, healed work. Use Google Places for reviews. Check a few places out in person. Read my blog entries with shop selection suggestions - ANYTHING to assure yourself you will receive great work, in a fun yet professional atmosphere. Tattooers have a reputation for acting like rock stars - even when their tattoo skills suck. Do you want to spend hours of your time and lots of your hard earned cash with someone who acts like a horses ass? Who does not care about his work- because he just turns and burns that shops customers with crappy work all day - then moves on to the next crappy shop 5 miles down the road when word gets out about how bad the work is at his old shop....

"Filigree, Rose with Skull" by Russell Fortier
@ Lucky 7 Tattoo
Lake Tahoe, Ca.
(thanks S.W.)

Did my questions get you thinking? GOOD! Food for thought my darlings....

Coming up next in Lucky 7's Blog...."7 Reasons Why You Should Get a Tattoo & Piercing"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Need some answers to your specific questions regarding what you want in a tattoo or piercing? Email me at Lucky7TattooTahoe@gmail.com - I and my staff will do our best to help.

What is Going on With my Piercing !?! Your Problem Solving List from Lucky 7 Tahoe

2013-10-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

Irritated from rubbing against clothing.

* My 21 years as a piercing professional is not a substitution for a piercing friendly, medical doctors treatment! Please consult a doctor immediately when you have any doubt about your health and well being.

I know I know - you are a smart cookie! You did your homework before getting something pierced. You ask folks with beautiful body mods for piercer recommendations. Visited piercing shops. Did a bit of online research. Yet months after the healing period for your particular piercing is suppose to be concluded-you are still having issues. Perhaps you have had the piercing for years, yet all of a sudden the hole is becoming fussy. Bothering you for no good reason.

Lets go through some of the causes of why you may be having issues with your body adornment:

Granuloma from jewelry irritation

Piercing too shallow
and jewelry too large and heavy
for site.

"Healing Times" are approximate. All piercing clients heal at different rates. If you are very fit and healthy your healing time may be much shorter than quoted. However, if you are smoking, drinking and living in life's fast lane-well that just slows down your over all immune systems performance. Recommit yourself to your piercing care program. Perhaps some Vitamin C added to your diet? Give it a go for at least a 2 additional weeks. Most of the time you will see an improvement in days.
Did you change the starter jewelry to something more "fun"? A good deal of the time clients will want to put in different jewelry the very day the new piercing is suppose to be "healed". Sometimes the method of jewelry removal or insertion can create irritation or discomfort where there was none before. Jewelry with a nickle content can bother piercing of any age. If I even wear a belt buckle with nickle in it I break out in a rash! Reinsert the jewelry your were pierced with. If it was the newly inserted jewelry causing problems you will see an improvement within a day or two.
Did you prepare your piercing jewelry properly for removal and/or insertion? This is a crucial step for comfort with any piercing. Washing the piercing with mild soap and warm water is best. However, even cleaning the area with a moistened towelette will work. Clean the entire pierced surface with gentle motions. While there is still a dampness to the skin and jewelry, slowly remove the current jewelry. Take the new jewelry, clean according to directions. Then apply a tiny bit of essential oil to the end of the jewelry you will be inserting into your piercing. Use your other hand to hold the area taunt -this will help guide the jewelry through that pretty tunnel. Wallah! Easy and pain free. Make sure to tighten any threaded end with clean and dry hands. Next time you bathe, rinse well. Your bellybutton piercing will never "move" like your ear lobe piercings.
Is your jewelry the proper gauge, length or circumference for YOUR piercing? Irritation can be caused by ill fitting jewelry. Just because your friend can wear a 1/4 inch hoop in her nostril does not mean it will work for you! It doesn't mean something is wrong with your build, or that your piercers placement was not correct. Very best thing to do when buying new jewelry for the first time is patronize a good piercing shop-and be properly fitted with quality jewelry. Once you know what gauges + length or circumference fits best for you, then you can be sure never to waste money buying ill fitting jewelry again.
Keep your hands away from the piercing! I cannot stress this enough. Many times clients have come into Lucky 7 complaining of having problems with their new adornment. While discussing the possible causes I will see these clients touch the piercing over and over again. In my opinion, touching a piercing over and over again, especially without cleansing your hands first, will result in irritation at least, infection most likely. I once read that humans touch their own face at least a few times every minute of the day. Isn't that crazy!? So be sure you keep your hands away from the piercing site, except when caring for it according to your piercer's instructions.
What is your piercing coming in contact with during the course of your day? Clean pillowcases and wireless phones are very important for facial and ear piercings. Clean sunglasses/eyeglasses and headbands are also important. Pillows in a hotel, or at your loved ones home may have fresh cases. BUT it is what may be living inside the pillows filling that can cause problems. If in doubt, bring your own pillow for overnight stays during healing. If that cannot be done lay your own t-shirts over the pillow. This keeps your bodies own"flora and fauna" close-and others away! Same rules apply to bed sheets, comforters, sleeping bags, etc. Take a mental inventory of all the fabric surfaces you piercings may be coming in contact with. Make sure they are clean, or that your piercing is guarded from contact if in doubt.
Irritation or Infection? Very often piercing customers will contact us saying: "I think my piercing is infected." Most times, after we examine the pierced area, we find the proper description would be irritated. The site may be pinkish, a bit of flaky skin surrounding the jewelry. A wee bit tender. Slight swelling.. A little dry crusty matter at the start or end of your day. All of these concerns our common in the first stages of healing - and are quite normal. Perhaps a change in your care procedure or product may help? Most often the piercing just needs normal care and TIME to heal........However, if there is: PAIN - YELLOW, GREENISH OR GRAYISH DISCHARGE OR PUS -REDNESS THAT IS SPREADING-HEAT AT THE SITE-SWOLLEN LYMPH NODES - FEVER- do NOT take the jewelry out (as the hole with jewelry still inserted may help the area drain) and see a doctor at once! Do not wait. If you procrastinate it could cause unspeakable damage to your over all health.

When in doubt get some help from a qualified professional. Your friend who has "a lot of piercings" does not qualify. Sometimes our friends make us more scared than need be by telling us horror stories of piercings gone bad. In no way is that providing a solution to your situation my darlings! Remember that no one knows your body better than you do! Listen to your gut. Be proactive in YOUR PIERCINGS healing.

Kathleen Langley

Owner/Piercer

Lucky 7 Tattoo and Piercing

Kings Beach-North Lake Tahoe, California Email me at Lucky7TattooTahoe@gmail.com

Being Your Own Hero..............

2013-09-20T15:56:00.001-07:00

Everyone loves a hero.

As little girls we happily listened to bedtime stories of handsome young princes arriving on their white horse to rescue us from peril.

As adult consumers of goods and services, any professional who can problem solve issues in our over scheduled, jam packed lives is viewed as heaven sent.

With the art/industry of tattooing evolving a tremendous amount this last decade, heroes are needed to fix the mistakes of those wanna be tattooers who jumped on the bandwagon. They threw themselves into tattooing sans the proper art skills or serving an apprenticeship within an established shop.

The outcome we have all seen. Very mediocre looking tattoos everywhere you lay your eyes on exposed skin.

Biomech inspired cover up By Russell Fortier

A good deal of these tattoos could have turned out better.Just a little research, with a smidgen of self control, can keep bad choices from getting off the ground.

If the tattoo consumer had just looked up the shop on YELP, City Search or Google Places or a dozen other online review guides - their inky mishap could be completely avoided.

They could have been their own HERO.

Rushing to a decision rarely works out well.

Learning patience will reward you in ways you cannot begin to imagine.

Feather Cover up By Corey Boobar

With tattoos, take your time to explore how others have conceptualized their similar design. Look past the first 10 pages in you GOOGLE IMAGES web search. Go back in time, before every tattoo had to have "meaning". Plenty of wonderfully cool tattoos have ZERO meaning to their owner. It is perfectly fine to get a tattoo that makes no sense to anyone but you - as long as you dig it, and you found an artist who wants to ink the pattern.

Koi Cover Up by Russell Fortier

When you approach your chosen shop/artist, be open to their knowledge. Those who are true tattoo artists will guide you as to what works well in design. Be your own hero -be open to their feedback. If an artist tells you: "Its just not my thing to tattoo without a black outline." HEAR THEM. Be grateful for their honesty.

You can try another artist, or another shop. Never try to convince a tattoo artist to do anything they have already declined to do. Hear them. Believe them. You have the ability to receive amazing tattoos.

Be mindful and patient. Be classy and smart. Be your own HERO.

Rose Cover Up By Russell Fortier

Never Burn Your Bridges - Think Before You Speak

2013-07-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

We are cooking a bit up here at The Jewel of the Sierras! With the heat comes the flat landers and visitors from all over the world. Some of the tourists are spending money this year. Its a nice change of pace from the last few summers - when the recession kicked off for us all in 2008. In the previous 9 months we here at L7T2 Tahoe have had the pleasure of serving clients, customers and friends who have not had the capital to visit the area, let alone buy extra cool services for the last 4 years. We are enjoying seeing all the old Lucky 7 clients once again!

"Americana Aviator Skull with Wings" by Jason A. Langley

For the last two years, we have also been unable to find the right tattoo artist to join our family affair here. Had a few tattooers come and go for varies reasons - as I have told you about in previous blog entries. Let me tell you, having to turn away clients because we are already over booked kills me a bit each and every time. Alas, what do we have as a business if we do not have integrity? We can't just hire some mediocre, stuck up wanna be rock star to take up the slack. As a team we have chosen to just carry on as is. Having Corey and Russell do as much tattooing as they can - without letting them burn out.

This summer season the Gods decided to offer their help to us in a way I was not expecting. My ex husband Jason Langley has come to our rescue! Ex husband number 3 has gone out of his way to travel up interstate 80, from his home, young son and career working in Auburn CA's finest tattoo shop - to aid us during the busiest times of this season. Taking on numerous walk in customers, as well as lightening the load on my husband Russell and my other ex husband Corey.

Working with Jason has been going even better than I had expected. As divorces go - ours was especially painful, for reasons I won't bore you with here. After my terrible first divorce at age 28 I learned to use old wisdom: NEVER BURN YOUR BRIDGES AND THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK. These simple rules has enabled me to work with Corey, and now Jason. Because my husbands and I did not lash out at each other at the end of our romantic relationships, saying or doing horrible things - we can be friends and work together. When you think about "special someones" who have been, or currently are in your life - they were always your friend with traits you totally dug about them. So why not try to evolve the friendship once the romance is over? If you keep the damage to a minimum, I know it is possible.

"Horse Head Microphone with Japanese Waves and Cherry Blossoms"
by Russell Fortier at Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing
North Lake Tahoe / Kings Beach, CA

Our shop is doing great things because all of us show one another respect. The common goal of being successful in our chosen professions drives the business.

Which brings me to the next topic I want to let you all in on: The T.V. pilot we mentioned a few years back. Finally I have some positive news for us all!

After many false starts and stops, Lucky 7 has filmed a mini pilot for the production arm of one of the top networks! It came to be after the producer who signed us knocked on many doors around the television business. So many of these companies loved the idea of a show, but held back because our business is tattooing. With television already offering so many reality shows based on tattooing, it was hard to find a company who was willing to take the large financial gamble on producing a pilot.

Right as the entire Lucky 7 crew took a collective *sigh* of sadness that nothing was going to happen for us, !BOOM! came this offer.

So in June a small production crew flew up to our little neck of the woods, spending 3 days hanging out with the extended Lucky 7 family. They made us laugh, cry and tell out crazy tales. When the crew departed they said encouraging words. So far so good.

The footage the studio shot will be used to "sell" the show to the network, or passed on if we don't "cut the mustard." We should have a definite "yes mam" or "no go" in about 8 to 10 weeks. Being a praying woman myself, I ask all of you to say a little something positive to your Higher Powers for a positive outcome. In my heart I know a show based in North Lake Tahoe / Truckee would be great not only for Lucky 7, but also for the Tahoe area itself.

"Black Dream Catcher with Simple Script"
by Russell Fortier @ Lucky 7 Tattoo and Piercing
Kings Beach / North Lake Tahoe, Ca.

Here's hoping I get to tell you some great news about the show in my next blog entry. Hope you all are enjoying your Summer, and planning a visit for new ink or metal with us soon as you're not busy with summer sun and fun.

BEST!

Kathleen @ Lucky 7 Tahoe

Random Splatter of Inky Advice from a Pagan Piercer

2013-03-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing- North Lake Tahoe

Yes, yes-I know what you are thinking. Why would the PIERCER from Lucky 7 Tahoe be giving advice on how to get a great tattoo?

Well darlings, it is so very simple. Not only am I covered with varying qualities of ink from 3 decades. Not only have 3 of my 4 husbands been tattooers- 21 years of my life have been spent working with tattoo customers in various shops in California and Nevada! As an employee, then an owner and operator. From a customer's tenuous first baby steps of just entertaining the idea of getting inked - to the actual creation of what that person has rolling around in their cranium.

So it is my pleasure to freely offer the Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe countdown of: "7 Steps of Insider Advice To Getting a Great Tattoo"

7. "Don't ask 1 person who their tattoo artist is-ask several."
Even shitty tattooers can pull off an amazing piece once in a while. The chick you work with might have been that lucky one who got a really great set of wings on her foot from some guy who works out of his kitchen. But when that kitchen scratcher tries to pull off a mountain sunset-YIKES!-you end up with a pile of doo doo. Ask anyone you see with ink that looks great. Remember, it does not have to be a design you would get yourself. If you see clean line work with a well thought out pattern, plus shading or color work that catches your eye-all are signs to check this artist out further. Perhaps on Yelp or Google Places? which leads us too....

Color Turtle By Russell Fortier @
Lucky 7 Tattoo

6. "Do Your Own Research."
A great deal of our species are lazy. As a rule we want to do as little work as possible with a great reward after that little bit of work. However, this is not the way to go when buying a house or getting a tattoo. A few search queries now can save you heaps of cash and trouble later. You wouldn't want to buy a beautiful house in a neighborhood riddled with crack shacks, right?

It is not the tattooer's responsibility to make sure your German grandmother used the correct spelling and grammar when writing out your dead cousins favorite bible verse for your planned rib cage tattoo. The way you say it or write it is how they are going to produce it. Take the time to triple check every single thing you desire. Over the last 20 years we have had young fathers misspell their new infants names. Bible thumpers' blow the scripture that helped them get sober - in addition to countless other mishaps we have to fix when research isn't done before getting inked.

5. "Match the Artist You Hire to the Portfolio You Liked."
Sadly, some shops commit fraud by purposely bunching all their tattooers work together online. Not labeling who did which tattoos. When you go into these shops, browsing among the various portfolios, they will not let you know that the artist portfolio you loved is NOT the artist who is going to be the one tattooing you. They will say something like "anyone in here can do that tattoo, its easy." The goal of these types of shops is to just get your money, slapping your tattoo on you with a bare minimum of care or concern for your input. Moving you out the door quickly to get their hustle on with the next person who walks through their door.

This is simple to address! If you find someone you might like to work with, ask to speak to them. If they are unavailable at that time, ask to schedule a consultation. Do not let rude or discourteous staff persuade you to get inked by anyone other than the artist you have chosen. If they are rude, walk away completely. You are the master of your own temple!

Black & Grey Trees with Birds
By Russell Fortier @ Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe

4 "Draw or Sketch Your Ideas."

It DOES NOT MATTER if you have child like skills! By putting your ideas onto paper it helps you get the tattoo you imagine. Clarity of your own ideas will help your selected artist create a cool, one of a kind tattoo. In addition, you teach yourself a bit about what may work and what may not. Trying to cram all your family members names inside a grape vine the size of a spaghetti noodle doesn't read well on paper- you will gain that knowledge by first trying it on your own! Your tattooer will think you are a super smart client for having made the effort on your own! Everyone wins with this action - your tattoo design will be more reflective of what you envision, your tattoo has an easier time developing your design, AND you can truthfully say the tattoo is what you had in mind when you dreamed of getting it!

3 "Give Your Artist Plenty of Time to Do the Job"
Each and every person under the age of 90 is living a busy life crammed full of responsibilities. Its just the way it is in the day and age. However, there are some things that should not be rushed. Your custom tattoo is certainly not one of them. Not only is it a bit rude to demand the tattoo be finished by a certain time, it almost guarantees the artist will not even attempt to do their very best. No one likes to rush when trying to create anything. Do not be a "toe tapper". Be open to the artist taking a few breaks. Stepping out for a smoke or to get a drink. This helps the artist perform better-thereby producing a better end product for your investment. So when booking your appointment, keep this point in mind.

Cute Cowgirl by
Russell Fortier @
Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe

2 "Leave the Posse at Home"
Some folks always feel more comfortable when having friends or loved ones near. However, when you are going through the designing and execution of your custom design-too many different tastes can create an impossible situation for your chosen artist.
Imagine yourself in the tattoo artist's position. Having more than the client directing the tattoo will become distracting, annoying, as well as difficult to produce. Also, my mother's taste is a complete 180 from myself. How about yours? I don't allow my mother to buy me socks-let alone "help" plan something I will have for this entire lifetime.
While making sure your spouse digs what you will be wearing on your body for the next 50 years is respectful and comforting-it is not helpful to the creation process in itself. You are a smart cookie yourself! Work on the design WITH your artist-don't hobble his artistic flow with random input from your mom. Trust your artist, and your own gut.

Cowboy Boots with Hat by Russell Fortier
@ Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe

OK, Ready for the most unexpected advice-my most number ONE important advice most shops don't have the guts to tell you.....???
1 " If It Does Not Feel Right- Walk Away"
Many times I have said this mantra, its the best advice for ANY of life's little dramas. WALK AWAY if the situation is not working for you OR the artist. May it be the tattoo design itself, or that you do not care for the energy of the artist or the tattoo shop itself.
If you do not care for the design-explain to the artist what you want to see, give them a chance to come up with something you dig. BUT, if they have tried more than 3 times to sketch the tattoo, thank the artist and pay them for their drawing time. If the shop or artist isn't treating you professionally and friendly after your initial meeting, walk away. If you discover the shops tattoo area cleanliness to be lacking, walk away. This is your body-do NOT settle.
Your chosen tattooer may work in a shop where they cannot decline a customer-even if they cannot produce the type of tattoo the client wants. This is due to greedy owners who only care about taking home maximum dollars. You must be on guard for this. The tattooer cannot tell you this is the shop policy. Sometimes the tattooer will say whatever they think you want to hear-just to get your butt in their chair. Do not be their dupe. WALK AWAY.

xxxxxxxxx
Less than 40 miles from my beautiful little tattoo and piercing shop is an overpopulation of 40 tattoo shops! Most of them opened in the last 10 years. Just in Reno, Nevada alone there is over 30. A few are very good-but most are awful. Even with all that competition, with the terrible shops trying to undercut prices and marginal quality- the good shops stay open and thrive. My shop is located in a town of less than 5000 full time residents.
The key to us "good" shops being busy and producing great tattoos is caring. Simple really-but so true. We care about what we put our name on. Be it skill, manners, service. We care. And that my darlings is what you need to do for you when getting tattoos. CARE.

"Smile Now - Cry Later" - An Inside Joke of Lucky 7

2012-12-30T21:03:00.000-08:00

Black & Grey "Smile Now / Cry Later" by Russell Fortier @ Lucky 7 Tattoo
Kings Beach-North Lake Tahoe, California. Copyright 2012

Golly gee friends, the year is over!
As 2012 is coming to a close, my family here at Lucky 7 Tahoe is refurbishing the tattoo studio, painting, installing new floor covering as well as adding new displays for our ever growing inventory of jewelry. Happy to say we have a new young and talented tattooer by the name of Cole Knox who has joined our family. Last but not least, I am needing to put some strange rumors to rest. So let us chat for just a moment, shall we?!

Living in Tahoe is all sorts of wonderful for all sorts of reasons I need not bother to list. Yet there are also a few reasons living in a small town can be upsetting. When it comes to speculative gossip, small towns can be terrible. Over the years, Lucky 7 has had some crazy untruths come out of god knows where. One of my least favorites would be from 2004;

Imagine - mid winter, snowy and cold. Every staff member at L7 comes down with the FLU. Fever, chills, dizzy-the real thing. With everyone on the crew so sick, Corey and I decided to close the shop for ONE day. Always concerned with proper business etiquette, we rescheduled our clients by phone. Then I put a message on the answering machine explaining why we did not pick up. Lastly I hung a large poster on the front door explaining that we were all very sick, but would be open the next day as always.

"Smile Now..by Russell Fortier @
Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe
Copyright 2012

After getting a full 18 hours of sleep, in addition to taking some doctor supplied samples of Tamaflu, I opened the shop as usual the very next day. Let me tell you-that one day of being closed for illness haunted our business for the next 2 years."Why?" you may ask? Because many people drove by that day, observing that Lucky 7 was closed. Rather than asking us what had happened or reading the poster on the door-some people just ASSUMED we must be having problems and closing down the business! Locals would call and ask if we were still in operation. People came in MONTHS later asking if we were going to be moving.

I proceeded to ask each one of these people why they thought something was wrong? Each and every one said they "saw" or they "heard" it. After a few more questions it all came from closing down for ONE DAY! That was an eye opener I had hoped to never experience again......flash forward to this week and the title of this entry......

BEFORE
Local scratcher / NOT OUR WORK!

"Smile Now-Cry Later" is the name of a once popular tattoo flash design. The origin of these happy/sad faces comes from the "Masks of Comedy and Tragedy". Sometimes you may see this classic logo in programs from plays. Take a look at the pictures and I am sure it will ring a bell.

AFTER
"Smile Now / Cry Later" rework by Corey Boobar @ Lucky 7 Tattoo
Tahoe, California All Rights Reserved

An inside joke at L7 is calling our gift certificates smile now/cry later. Reason is - we would sell thousands of dollars worth of gift certificates at Christmas. Then on December 26th they start coming in like a flood! For weeks we would have the gift certificate customers out numbering our cash clients 2 to 1. So now you get our joke in naming the darn things "smile now / cry later?!?

Neither Corey or I had ever worked in a tattoo shop that offered gift certificates. We figured if folks wanted to buy tattoo time for others, we should issue them. It went very well for 8 or 9 years. The last couple of years the gift certificates had become problematic. Tattoo virgins expected too much ink for not enough money. Meaning the virgin would receive a Lucky 7 certificate for say, $100 from a well meaning loved one. Then arrive at Lucky 7 wanting a tattoo that would take at least 2 hours. We would patiently explain that the custom tattoo design would cost more than the gift amount- and people became hostile, rude and downright unreasonable. After having more and more of this type of exchange with virgin tattoo customers we made the decision to honor all the gift certificates issued-but to stop issuing any new ones as of November 1st 2012.

CDC style "Smile Now / Cry Later" By Russell Fortier @
Lucky 7 Tattoo N. Lake Tahoe, California Copyright 2012

As the winter holidays approached we had numerous customers call or stop by to purchase certificates. We explained we were no longer offering them, but gave these folks a few options instead, like prepaid Visa cards, lay away, etc. Seemed like everyone understood why we no longer wanted to offer the certificates....Sadly though, somebody must not have believed us-and has started a UNTRUE RUMOR that " Lucky 7 must be closing down."

This rumor found its way back to the ears of the Lucky 7 staff this week. Lies can hurt a business and its bottom line very quickly. That is why I need to tell all of you that read this blog: Lucky 7 just had our best year since the recession happened in 2008. November of 2012 was the best November Lucky 7 has ever had in 12 years, we just signed a new long term lease for our building. I have been refurbishing and redecorating to keep the shop a stand out favorite in the tattoo and piercing industry.All is very well for us-thank the gods! Good things have been happening all year - and will continue in the future.

Therefore, I respectfully ask each of you to help us at Lucky 7, to squash this silly rumor with the truth. Don't go out of your way. Just speak up if this rumor comes up in conversation. That is all it will take to keep this nonsense in check. Crazy how someones assumptions can cause all this fuss!

That being said, I thank all of you for your help. From all of us at Lucky 7, we wish you and yours a fantastic New Year full of happiness, wealth of all kinds - we hope to see you at the shop in 2013.

Blessed Be,

Kathleen

Change of Seasons, Seasons of Change

2012-09-23T20:08:00.001-07:00

"Spartan", our half English Mastiff/half Timber Wolf, enjoying
our North Tahoe Indian Summer

Summer is always a season of hustle & bustle, topped

with a heaping helping of change here at Lucky 7.

Some change can be fantastic. Like the return of clients who we haven't seen in years - due to the economy rocking their worlds. Change feels good in the fact that L7 is seeing a return to the fantastic number of customers we had before the dreaded "Great Recession" took a hold of our small resort town.

Exasperating the tough economic years for L7 is/was the over abundance of mostly crappy, upstart tattoo shops opening constantly. They try to lure people in with impossibly low prices. Beside artistic skills, where do these people cut corners- perhaps in their health and safety expenses? Yikes!

In addition, we had our former apprentice nut up - break his contract and quit during the July 4th weekend. That holiday is the busiest week of the year. This left us woefully short handed the entire season. We were disappointed and somewhat bitter for putting our collective "all" into his tattoo training and giving endless emotional support, then, when we are counting on him to be a team player, we ended up with just another "Generation Me" youngster who didn't honor his end of a traditional tattoo apprenticeship.

Change has arrived in what piercings are the big sellers during the warmest of seasons. For the past two decades belly button adornment was my bread and butter. Even with the limitations the client has to endure. Such as no hot tubs, restricted swimming, etc. This year, especially this past summer, multipule helix piercing ruled the day. Coming in a close second would be the staying power of micro dermal anchors.

3 Dermal Anchors arching with the contour of clients curvy-ness
By Kindra Henry @ Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing

Double Deuce wrist dermals by
Kindra Henry @ Lucky 7 North Lake Tahoe

I believe Dermal Anchors have a long future rather than being a flash in the pan. The versatility of these neat little buggers is a cool addition to an experienced body piercer's arsenal. If carefully placed to avoid friction on jewelry site - there is no limit as to placement. The problems we have encountered usually are from poor care, incomplete care instruction, poor placement, cheap jewelry or having the procedure performed with piercing needles. Also, seems like little kids LOVE to pull on them. So new mothers may want to wait.

3 Point Ear Project
By Kathleen @ Lucky 7 Tattoo- Tahoe

Super cool to see something new come around, light up peoples mind with the possibilities of dermal anchors. I have to say, dermals have been challenging, even fun to learn. Keeping your skills up to date, learning and trying new things keeps us rellavent no matter what we choose as our profession.

Ear projects, such as the very popular Triple Helix piercing have become hugely popular this year especially this past summer. As piercers, we can thank photo sharing sites such as INSTAGRAM and PINTREST. These pictures places have shown a enourmous amount of people these super cool looks. Not too very long ago, having numerous ear piercings was considered somewhat taboo. Even as a sign of being loose or a misfit.

A few smart Jewelry companies have released pieces that fit the ear cartilage well, with multiple options in size and colors for the ends. As with dermal anchors, healing can be a challenge that most clients have not experienced before. This is simply due to the clients having a more common piercings previously that require care for 2 or 3 months. With ear cartilage being a somewhat slower healing area, then adding multiple piercing sites at one time-it slows the whole healing process down to a trickle. Clients can become tired of the care routine, and be motivated to abandon the piercings - erroniously beleiving the piercings are "infected" and are never going to heal. Its important as their piercer to give as all information regarding the long healing process before the paperwork is signed. Being available for follow up advice during the healing period is also critical.

Lucky 7 Tattoo artist Russell Fortier enjoying catch and release fly fishing
in North Lake Tahoe "Shoulder Season."

Fall is a slow time for all businesses in North Lake Tahoe. Too cool for the beach and water sports, yet no snow for winter sports. We locals have given this time of year its own handle. "SHOULDER SEASON."

One change I want to make for Lucky 7 is to no longer have Fall be slower in Shoulder Season. To have it match Winter and Spring in client visits. I know that in a resort economy -and having my shop located on the boarder of the two "slowest states" to recover from the recession, this is a tall order. But I want that change.

I am not going to let the nations economic issues I previously mentioned hold me back from achieving my vision of change. A Positive Mental Attitude, Focus and Drive mixed with a solid plan of action is what my "change" needs to succeed. Wee bit of luck never hurts either. Change is good! That's what I tell myself anyways......plus sitting around being mad at change never helps anyone deal with it. Being in CHARGE of change, or being the CAUSE of change feels much better than having it dumped in your lap, as far as I can tell.

A big change on the face, a "MEDUSA" piercing
by Kathleen @ Lucky 7 Tahoe

What are you changing this Fall?

2012-08-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

AB 300: The Safe Body Art Act

Last week I went to a meeting in Auburn to meet with representatives from the Placer County Health Department and other tattoo shops. The purpose? To discuss the new law that went into effect in July: AB 300 known as The Safe Body Art Act. The law is relatively simple, every body art practitioner and facility must register yearly with their county’s health department, and must uphold a set of standards set forth by the law to protect themselves and their clients from risk of infection and exposure to infectious diseases. What does that mean for most tattoo shops and Lucky 7? For the most part, just a little extra paperwork for registration. In actuality, the real purpose of this law is not to go after legitimate tattoo shops, it is to come down on what are called “Scratchers”.

Scratchers are those “artists” who do not work out of a shop, but rather out of their own kitchens, garages, vehicles, and other venues that are not sanctioned for body art. They do not comply to acquiring a business license for body art practices and so their safety practices are not regulated. They bring in clients with lowball prices or offers of barter. In this economy, there will always be consumers looking to get the best deal, but the reason that these scratchers are able to offer such a bargain is because they cut corners with sterilization techniques and/or their tattoo skills are sub-par. Any reputable tattoo artist will be working in a shop, and if they are not, there is a reason behind that. What I ask consumers to do is question why these tattooists are not in a shop, and what is it that they are neglecting in order to make a profit for their tattoos. Most every tattoo shop has a shop minimum. We base that rate on how much it costs us in supplies and sterilization and then still giving the artist money for his time. Regardless of if you get one tiny dot, or a tattoo the size of a quarter, you are still going to pay the shop minimum because you get your own sterile set up with disposable barrier equipment that is only used on you. You get your own sterile bandage. You get your own sterile one time use needle which is disposed of in an approved sharps container and disposed of as biohazard medical waste. We provide you with proper aftercare to ensure that when you leave the shop you can properly take care of your tattoo. These costs accumulate, and we are not willing to risk our customers well-being and health by overlooking these precautions to save a buck. When a scratcher offers you a tattoo for $40, he is doing the labor for free and dipping into his own pocket to pay the remaining cost of materials, or he is making a profit by neglecting very important exposure control and infectious prevention precautions. Not only is this hazardous, but now with the new law, it is also illegal to practice body art in this environment.

The upside to this law is now these back alley practitioners are subject to large fines and misdemeanor charges, and we welcome our registration fees and inspections now that the health department and local law enforcement have the authority to come down on these scratchers and regulate the industry to ensure that the health and welfare of our consumers and employees is the highest priority. We are talking about people’s bodies and permanent modifications to those bodies. Would you seek medical assistance from an unlicensed practitioner at their house to save some money? Would you queston why they are practicing out of their house instead of a sanctioned medical facility?
We will have to see how this new law plays out, and with that I remind you, Good tattoos aren’t cheap, and cheap tattoos aren’t good.

Popular Piercings and How they Got That Way

2012-03-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

All Piercings By Kathleen Langley @ Lucky 7 Tattoo and Piercing, North Tahoe, Ca.

Author Malcom Gladwell has a wonderful book titled "The Tipping Point." One amazing fact I took away from his work in this tome; how a few "special " people heavily influence fickle humanity toward a product or service. Just a spoken thought or action - what these "special" people may or may not wear, gobble up for lunch, goods and services they personally favor, purchase, etc - others take notice and follow. Author Gladwell coins these influential consumers "Connectors."

No amount of advertising dollars or clever social media marketing campaigns can accomplish what these incredible "Connectors" do. Really there is no thought to it on the Connectors part. These people just go through life enjoying themselves, taking in the best of what they find or discover out in the consumer world. Yet the difference between them and the general consumer masses is this: the folks that know these special Connectors look up to them in some way, admire what they know, who they know, and the products they use. Maybe it is admiration or charisma that others are attracted to. Whatever "IT" is these Connectors have - to a business they are very valuable!

Product and service providers cannot buy this "thing" that these certain people possess.

Surface Piercing near Tragus by Kathleen Langley @ Lucky 7 Tahoe

As a body piercer just shy of 20 years in my chosen profession, certain years have been very popular for particular piercings. A few of these "trending" piercings were set off by celebrities. When the Aerosmith video for the song "CRYIN" hit the MTV airwaves. Alicia Silverstone went on a coming of age journey in the video, with the highlight being a trip to a body piercer for the cutting edge hoop through her flat 16 year old naughty school girl stomach. Belly button piercings instantly became my bread and butter.

Naval Piercings, "90's Style Hoops" (captive bead rings) By Kathleen Langley

At the time in the early 1990's - at the bare minimum, 6 of my customers per day requested this cutting edge, midriff adornment. In 2012 the naval piercing have morphed into a right of passage for the 16 to 18 set. Marking important birthdays. In marking their 18th birthday, belly piercings mark "not needing Ma or Pa's permission any longer" to do what they like to their own temple. For other ladies over 18, many come in for a belly barbell after a painful divorce from a controlling man. Or perhaps after working on their fitness, getting a more toned bod, wanting to show off a sexy new core. No matter the decade, or the decade of life these woman are in - the example is set by the trendsetters of their peer group.

"Evolution of the Naval Piercing"- Triple Naval Piercing by Kathleen Langley @ Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing-Lake Tahoe

The last 2 years at Lucky 7 we have had an explosion of what I like to call "hardcore ear project" piercings. Not your average "double lobe" or ear rim. clients are asking for piercings that are crazy to see, yet tucked away under hair as to not upset bosses or parents paying for college. Executing these projects takes me to the limit of my skill set-and I dig the challenge!

Cheek/Dimple Piercing by Kathleen @ Lucky 7 Tahoe

On the t.v. program "Brett Micheal's Rock of Love" , one of the contestants rocked pierced cheeks. Well, once this rare dimple style hardware was noticed, it took off like a rocket! This is a difficult piercing to do-as the area is hard to reach with fingers or tools. Plus, saliva glands can be damaged with the procedure quite easily. Each of my clients know the pitfalls BEFORE i pick up the needle. Many decided against having it done after knowing the details. But look at my beautiful chipmunk cheeked model with hers. Gorgeous!

"Miss Spear" wearing a "Triple Orbital" ear rim piercing By Kathleen Langley
Lucky 7 Tattoo and Piercing North Lake Tahoe, Ca.

The orbital piercing is another challenge. Must be measured perfectly, as well as using 3 one inch needles. A needle prick waiting to happen! Clients must be informed of a long healing period. In addition, these multiple site piercings can take a year or more to heal all the way. In 2002 I had a client with so many of these piercings she had to sleep with her head laying on a round pillow with a hole in the middle to avoid discomfort! Now that is some dedication to the lifestyle! Many piercers will tell the customers to get 3 seperate rim piercing with 3 individual hoops to heal in. Then after initial healing, try and switch to the style of jewelry to the type seen here. I do not use this method, as I want the jewelry to work with the angles I create using measuring and the way I tilt the needles. This creates the least amount of friction for a lifetime of wear.

Miss Spears wearing this piercing will create demand at her school this year. She will be the one to follow, to set the fashion. And I thank the Gods and Goddesses that business is good from CONNECTORS like her and all the young ones featured in this post. So do something new, be creative, and lets stick some new metal in ya! Kathleen Langley L7T2

Naughty Nigerian Email Scams, Computers and the Modern Tattoo Shop.

2012-02-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

Crazy to think just 11 years ago we didn't even have a computer of any kind in Lucky 7 Tattoo. No previous shop I had worked in or owned had any type of computer. Not until 1998 did my boss in Sac Town even buy a copier for the business. Staff had to jog 3 blocks to Kinko's, enlarge or reduce the image, then run back the way we came. Dripping with sweat and panting apologies to the waiting client. After years of this foot race for the shop girls - one hot and smoggy afternoon in July - my boss had to make this Kinko's trip himself (for his first and last time.) At that turning point he decide to crack open his money clip and call the I.B.M. salesman.

Up until a few years ago, a great deal of the tattoo designs were either sheets of "flash", which are large pieces of white paper with anywhere from 1 to dozens of drawings of tattoo patterns -usually grouped together by similarities, like all butterflies, etc.. Each shop had many of these "flash sheets" on hand, drawn by the shops artists.In older street shops, some or even all of these sheets were purchased from supply companies to the tattoo trade. Needed too were books. These were a huge investment, yet very necessary and a vital supply to have for reference. At the very top of the tattoo shop heap were the artists who would draw each design from scratch. Difficult in the best of circumstances, doing the best you could to have the customer describe what they saw in their minds eye, then to have them explain the tattoo in terms you can follow and create on paper. At the time the designs requested were at least simpler than today. Most tattoos followed the straight ahead traditional Americana patterns of bold lines, simple details -tried and true designs that had been around forever.

Flash By Corey Boobar, 2001

Everything changed last decade, at least on the forward thinking West Coast. As extensive tattooing became more seen in public, and true artist's with a love for the medium joined the ranks, new thinking opened up the tattoo industries creative mind. One of a kind tattoos became the "it" ink to have. Picking a design off the wall of the shop was deemed "not cool" and "thoughtless". The public at large decided each tattoo must have "meaning". For tattooers who worked at the art it was a somewhat welcome and challenging change. For the 'Biker Bob's" of the tattoo world, who had only been able to trace the predetermined flash designs of the past, were shit out of luck. The either evolved or perished - most sinking in to the shame of the latter.

Flash by Ben Karnofsky, 2011

With small computers coming on line to almost everyone in the new millennium - hard and fast - it helped tattoo artists and their customers tremendously. Not only with all kinds of information at their fingertips to aid in the design of ink but also in finding good tattoo shops and their artists. Only a decade ago most people in search of a tattooer just picked a place near their home. Or looked up "tattoo parlors" listed in the phone book yellow pages. Yeesh, that is scary. Now each and every week we receive a new client from Yelp or another Social Media site. You can pick up your smart phone and see the style and vibe of an artist work. Or see what others have said about a shop and their personal experience with the staff. That is cool! A good deal of appointments, the prep work that goes in to the design, etc are done online through email. This helps our guys at Lucky 7 get the design kinks worked out before an appointment.The client doesn't have to keep stopping by to make suggestions or request changes. That makes the artist and the client much happier.

Flash By Russell Fortier, 2004

So this all loosely leads up to my Nigerian Scam story. I, as I am sure many of you, have had an unsolicited email or two arrive to our inbox. Telling some story of sadness from across the ocean. Many times it is from someone who claims to be very rich and very important, perhaps even a "government official". But darn their bad luck, even with all their riches and connections they need YOU to "help" them out of a jam. Which, after you "help" them out of their jam, you will receive thousands of dollars! All by cashiers check!

Starting about 6 years ago Lucky 7 received an email offer of outstanding proportions. The author of the email wrote in that clipped, slang version or proper English with many misspellings. The subject line directing me to "PAY ATTENTION AT ONCE!!!". Doing as I was told I cracked open the body of the email to learn the Nature of what this person wanted from Lucky 7:
He was going to be sending a cashiers check, made out to Lucky 7, in the amount of $5100. He is the manager of a "very famous musical group" coming to play my area in 5 months time. The band members would arrive one by one in a limousine. Each band member wanted a tattoo. The tattoo designs requested were as followed: "Clocks, houses, MOMS, bicycles and songbirds." As there are 11 members of the band, and the cashiers check was made out for "too much money", I should send a cash refund of $2900 immediately after Lucky 7 received the band managers cashiers check. Um......WOW...

Obviously this clown was trying to trick bag me and Lucky 7. We received this email, in one version or another, at least 15 more times over the years with a slight variation or 2 in the "Tattoo Designs" requested by "THE MUSICAL GROUP". What I usually would send as an answer was:

HOW IS THE WEATHER IN NIGERIA?

Funny, I never got an answer or response from the musical group manager. Sometimes I like to ponder what others do in response to these emails. One great soul turned the tables on these guys, made the "Nigerian Church Official" get a tattoo to prove his devotion to the "church" in America who was going to send the Nigerian lots of money for his "Earthquake Relief Efforts". Go to www.419Eater.com if you want the whole funny story. Brilliant stuff! Toodles kids!

“So Long Dolphins, Tribal Arm Bands and Lower Back Tattoos…Hello Inside Fingers!”

2012-01-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

“So Long Dolphins, Tribal Arm Bands and Lower Back Tattoos…Hello Inside Fingers!”

Thought I would take us all back through a couple of decades of what has been “In & Out” as far as trends in the tattoo industry. Let us see where we have traveled, stayed awhile, then said a fond “fair well” to.

Tattooing as well as piercing has hit quite the stride in the last 6 years. Meaning it is trendy and soared in popularity. Tattooing in the United States has boomed before, yet never like this. That’s why there is an over supply of walk in shops and new “tattooers” everywhere you turn. The current situation will right it self over time. Shops that under serve clients with mediocre tattoos and piercing will fumble along and quietly close when the surge slows. Those who are great at what they do with rise to the top like cream, and continue to grow in skills, attracting customers along the way.

While this has all been happening tattooing and piercing trends have come and (thankfully) gone. Designs and ideas that once were very popular and a “must have”- then after a few years time burned itself out and left many with something they dig. That reminds them of a time and place in their life - or sadly- a decision made in haste and looking more dated then a pair of Sassoon High Waist Mom Jeans.

Back in the early 1990’s as shops started to be less “Biker Bobs” and younger, hipper artists and spaces sprouted up, a surge of “New Skool” designs began to develop. This style of tattoos took the tried and true staple of “Americana” tattoos that had been around forever and spun them with modern color palates, edgy design ideas and developed familiar yet a completely new feeling about them. Tattoo Artists themselves dug creating traditional styles without it seeming to be just like everything else that had been done the last 50 years. The public saw that tattoos could be something different than the same old same old they have seen forever. Over the next 5 years these tattoos broke open the pre-conceived fixed beliefs of what could be tattooed.

Graffix Bong Logo 1990's by Corey Boo

By the year 2000 these “gotta have it” - new style ink had waned. What had once seemed crazy and cool didn’t age so well. Looked a bit silly on a middle aged man working at Whole Foods. But it had served a great purpose of getting everyone out of the rut of the same styles since the Korean War. This art is still gracing the flash racks and watercolor paintings of many a shop. Free standing “tits with bones” and “kewpie doll heads in roses” will be a part of most new artist programs forever. Coming up with these types of funky ideas and art are the second rung of the ladder in developing basic street shop skill sets this class of artists need.

In the mid 90’s Little Green Men, Alien Heads and their spaceships had a solid 3 year run. Aliens were always colored some shade of green, shaped with pointy chins and enormous, empty black almond shaped eyes. Customers made this sticker type tat a prominent part in sleeves of the lower arm. Seemed to be favored by young males under 24 years of age who fostered a deep affection for Graphix Water pipes - and that never met a sack of weed they didn’t like. Side note: I once worked with a chick who’s primary tattoo artist was famous for his well executed alien tattoos. This co worker decided she wanted a Vargas style female pin up on her upper arm. Sadly the pin up tattoo head looked pretty much like an alien head with human features. This design did not come out as she had hoped. She knew it, I knew it, yet it went unspoken that she had a pin up with the skull of an alien. So, like most trends, by the year 2000 these designs had completely disappeared from flash racks.

During the Clinton Presidency “Bio Mechanical” aka “BIOMEC” for you hip kids out there - became the “IT“ tattoo for fellas. This design style of “robot innards” being seen through torn away human skin looked wicked bad ass in the years of TERMINATOR movies. Like tearing apart your dads first COMPAQ computer, peering in to see what makes it tick. A few very creative artists took this to a crazy level, imagining entire limbs of their clients body as a futuristic nightmare. Well executed and containing more ins and outs than a Pat Fish Celtic back piece. So that it seemed as if their clients body and some crazy humanistic mechanics were fused.

Some Biomec Flash

Then we have the scratchers who sadly attempted this very difficult style, hacking people to bits…..making a sad attempt to further their “tattoo skills.” These poor folks who asked the under skilled tattooers for what they clearly were not capable of got terrible tattoos that you could not even hedge a guess as to what the tattooer was trying to convey with the design. Those attempts at mechanical realism brought the whole trend to a crashing halt. Now and then I will hear about an artist in Ohio or Delaware that “kicks ass” at Biomec….and I always thing about how great that would have been…… 14 years ago.

Being a water sign myself, I have always had an attraction to the sea and other bodies of water. Doesn’t matter how cold, windy, rainy, whatever. If water is nearby I want to go and wade knee deep or watch it while sipping on a cold water or hot coffee. Something primal in me digs it…any how I guess that’s why I can relate to folks who desire dolphin tattoos. The certainly come across as friendly creatures from the sea, kinda like the “dog of the oceans.” Man’s friend on cruise ships and ship wrecks. In tattoo designing dolphins can also be made into various secondary designs such as hearts and yin / yang’s. Seems pretty simple….but our ocean friends certainly are not easy to tattoo and make them look good. Matter of fact some of the worst tattoos I have seen are poorly done are dolphins. Monochromatic with one bright blue swipe of pigment - no highlights or contrast. Zero consideration or thought to the creatures expression or movement. EEK. Well, these gracefully mammals had a great ride appearing on ankles, lower backs and shoulders for about 6 years….but now they sadly have been pushed into the “not too cool” category by the very women who use to get weepy eyed over the “mother and baby dolphin swimming” flash.

Dolphin Tattoo Fix-Up by Corey Boobar

In the 90’s, Chinese Symbols, or KANJI were inked on occasion. Customers working on sleeves that resembled patch work quilts liked to cram that design type in areas with very little room for something bigger. These symbols were around most shops, but having a large collection on hand not very common. By 2000, they suddenly became THE TATTOO. No lie, at Lucky 7 we inked a minimum of 3 a week, and that is when it was off season, with only 2 full time artist working. When this tattoo started to catch fire Lucky 7 took extra time to research where to buy flash designs we could trust. That all the symbols meant what the person who produced the flash sheets said. However not every shop was that ethical….far too many customers ended up with “Chicken Chow Mein” rather than the “Serenity” or “Love” they had dreamed of. In addition to these misbegotten words, poor execution of the brush stroke used to build the symbols could mistakenly turn a character that was suppose to mean “Family”, and morph that into “Fornicator.” Furthermore it seems that some Asian people delighted in scaring black, middle class kids in sushi joints by telling them the design meant something completely different than what they had thought when the tattoo was inked. Funny, but mean. So by 2004 these clean little tats were everywhere and became too mainstream for the trendsetters and followers to want any longer. We do have one client with a sleeve who got a couple of them that were very funny. One said “Golden Shower” and the other said “Fecal Matter.” Now that’s comedy!

By Ben Karnofsky

And finally we have the Grand Daddy of trendy. The number one with a bullet! Can you guess what it is? I know some of you were wondering if I was going to bring it up, some of you have completely erased it from your minds, and other may still secretly want one. We are talking about the Tribal ARM Band.

Tribal had been creeping into the 90’s at a slow and steady rate since the late 80’s. A few well known and talented tattoo artists brought this style to the attention of their customers. Many people who didn’t care much for the traditional Americana tattoos “clicked” with the well executed clean line work, body forming aesthetics and the way the tattoo could represent “something“, though the designs were not straight forward images. Now you could get a cool design that was new and original…..until it caught on with the sports crowds.

Tribal Arm Band Flash

A few sports stars chose tribal to be a “rebel“ in their leagues. Once that action took place look the hell out! These sports stars were seen every weekend by lots of male fans nationwide, so an explosion of tribal arm bands began. Easy to cover for work, yet looked good hanging out it bars with a cut off sleeve t shirt. Adding gasoline to the inferno was George Clooney. Rocking a very large tribal piece that crept its way on to Georges neck in the movie “From Dusk Til Dawn.”

The ladies were not left out of this party either. Some females opted for a smaller, thinner more delicate looking version of the guys tribal arm bands - (with the section under the arm missing because it hurt too much there.) In these feminine designed bands flowers, hearts or their beloveds name in tiny letters were added….which I believe morphed into what many call the lower back “Tramp Stamp” - I prefer the name “California License Plate.” Sounds classier some how…This hybrid design style located ,near a ladies undies, shot out like a cannon. Everywhere you looked low rise jeans and g strings were giving way to an abundance of ink splashing out each time a lady kneeled down in front of you.

Sometimes it looked amazing, but sometimes it hurt the eyes. Especially when the carrier and/or the ink were not put together too well. Catch my drift.!?!

Once again a backlash began around 2004. For the men, a few clever beer commercials made them feel bad about their once “cool” band. Shirt sleeves were no longer lifted in victory when asked “ Do you have any tattoos?” by drunk, divorced single mothers at the local watering hole. Now the defeated ESPN junkies slowly replied “ Yeah, but I am going to cover it up with a big family crest soon, so I don’t want to show it to anyone.

Family Crest by Lucky 7

For females the tribal art tattoos held on loosely a bit longer. Lower back tats still had an element of tribal. However it was thinned into more of a filigree or vine look. Hawaiian flowers, bluebirds and banners began to grace the center, etc…yet the dye was cast when too many d list celebrities, over the hill porn stars and Saturday Night Live skits had the tramp stamp emerge as part of their look or joke. So, like a 70’s tube top they were put away, no longer wanted - as well as many chicks second guessing whether it should have been donned at all. “Did I ever really think it looked good wearing it?!”

I still love the lower back tattoos. The area is perfect for small or large ideas. Large flat canvas with only a bit of curve. Tattoos peeked out only if you looked at the wrong/right moment. Furthermore a great deal of woman were afraid getting any tattoo until this area became popular. Weight gain and loss doesn’t affect the overall look of the ink. Yet it will take another decade at the least to let the current stigma wear off enough to let it come back around in the great glory it once enjoyed.

Lower Back Tattoo

Hey, thanks for reading. Would love to hear from you about the trends you saw come and go in the last decade or 2. Kathleen @ Lucky 7 tattoo & Piercing

What's new at Lucky 7 Tattoo....

2011-12-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

Well Cats and Kittens, the Tahoe winter is kicking in. Nights have become much colder (Russell and I have even had to stack another pug on the bed for warmth!)

Mr Fetchy Con Carne, bed warmer.

Cherry Blossom Branch
by Ben Karnofski
@ Lucky 7 Tattoo
Lake Tahoe, Ca

Sadly the snow is mostly man made on the ski slopes. Mother Nature must be involved in some other business she deems more important than winter sports and mankind's thirst at the moment. Over the years we at L7T2 have come to figure out that our busiest winters are a "drought year." There are a few reasons I believe this is the case. Most folks who travel to Tahoe in a light snow year are disappointed with conditions on the slopes. Therefore they decide not to venture out more than a day or 2 when it is "rock city" on the their equipment. In addition, not many people will spend the big bucks a lift ticket and resort amenities costs when the mountain is only partially opened and the conditions are lacking. So some of those smart skiers and boarders decide that a trip to visit the world famous Lucky 7 family is in order. Thank the Heavens - or Mother Natures laziness in this case.

Blue Crawdaddy by
Ben Karnofski @
Lucky 7 Tattoo Tahoe

Fall and early Winter are always slower than the rest of the year in our shop. The Holiday season has consumers spending their resources on everyone and everything besides themselves. In order to keep our family/staff from getting too bored, and to help clients get themselves a holiday treat of ink or new metal this time of year, we have come up with several discounted offers that aim to please and get you in our door and away from your visiting relatives!

Double Dermal Anchor AKA Single Point Piercings
By Kathleen @ Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing
Kings Beach / North Lake Tahoe, Ca.

2 For 1 Piercings on Wednesdays - by appointment only. You can split the deal with a friend, pick any piercing and jewelry style. INCLUDES DERMAL ANCHORS. This event sells out every week, so call me know to reserve a time. Deal ends December 14 th

$25 Off Tattooing Certificates. These little babies are available in store, just for stopping by and saying hello! Wow, what an easy way to save yourself a few bucks! This offer ends on December 31st, so don't wait.

10 % Off Tattooing or Piercing Cards. For those newbies who are contemplating their first tattoo or piercing, and cost is a concern, this discount is for YOU and has no end date. L7T2 wants your first bod mod to be a great experience. No cut rate, half ass fly by night shop is going to exceed your expectations like we know we will. So email, call or stop by for your consultation and discount card to get started. This promotion ends May 30 th 2012

Peace Sunflower by Ben Karnofski
Lucky 7 Tattoo
Kings Beach/North Lake Tahoe, Ca

10 % Off Tattooing and Piercing for all Resort Employees. This offer is good for ANYONE who works for any ski resort, or in hospitality services in the Truckee, Tahoe and Northern Nevada areas. Just bring in your current employee I.D. and receive the savings. This discount program ends April 15, 2012.

Starting in January L7T2 will have some new promotions to reward all you true blue friends/clients. Our wish is to kiss the lingering recession "adios" and get back to growth, both in overall sales as well as breaking new ground in our industry. Please feel free to forward any part of this blog to a friend so they can join in the savings. Offers can end early, and may not be combined.

Good Luck Clover by
Ben Karnofski @
L7T2

All the tattoos included in this blog entry are inked our youngster Ben Karnofski, now a big grown up young man of 19! He's been a part of our team for over 2 years. The fellas and I sure are proud of the work he is creating. Ben has gone through his apprenticeship "old school" style. The time honored and traditional way that is customary to our trade. Sadly so many of the "tattooers/scratchers" that have popped up in droves for the past 5 years just buy equipment from eBay, look at videos online and attempt to "teach" themselves. Their victims have that "learning experience" for the rest of their lives, or until they can afford to pay a tattoo artist to cover it up or rework that "deal" they received in a friends kitchen or fly by night shop. Ben did his training the right way, and it sure does show, don't you agree?

Thanks for opening and reading this handy dandy little nugget from us here at L7T2. We so appreciate your business, and look forward to a brand new year just around the corner. All my best! Kathleen @L7T2

Watch out T.V. Viewers, Here Comes Lucky 7 Tahoe...(maybe)

2011-10-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Well my friends, our cool news wouldn't fit on Facebook. Therefore I decided to use the blog to explain what all of us at Lucky 7 are so happy to finally be able to tell you about. The Lucky 7 family is under contract to a producer and a director for a reality show "demo" for television! What this means is, The extended Lucky 7 "family" will film a "mini pilot" the last 2 weeks of December. Then the folks who signed us will take that footage around to networks and see if they can sell it as a special or series. This is NOT to be like the tattoo shows you have watched for the last 6 years. Of course Lucky 7 will be a huge part, BUT the focus is the relationships between me, my husband Russell and 2 of my ex-husbands ( Corey and Jason) all working together and being our strange modern family unit. Crazy huh!!??!! All of the staff and Corey's wife Amber will be included. All the craziness that is our lives will be possible entertainment for the masses.
By no means is selling this pilot to a network a "for sure" thing. However, the fact that we have even made it to the "demo pilot" stage is a HUGE deal. We all gave filmed interviews a few months ago, and passed the test to go to this stage.
I am sure you want to know how this all came about? Well, the producer found us online from our website and my blogs. The producer was looking for a unique family business to work with and found ours to be just what he wanted.
Now that we are set to film the last 2 weeks of December, I have a request from all of our established clients. We would like to have YOU in the demo, getting tattooed or pierced. Anyone who schedules on the filming days will be given a deep discount on their work while the filming takes place. That way, we can have a cool crowd of clients/friends to add to the vibe of the project. And I am sure that will make it easier for the family to shine on camera. Interested? I thought so! As the dates are yet to be set in stone I will have to update everyone as soon as I know. What I would dig is if you can e mail me ASAP so I can start a tentative schedule for everyone involved. Please copy my private e mail address: LUCKY7TATTOOTAHOE@GMAIL.com
Get at me asap and let's make a great demo! Lord knows half the crap on television right now is terrible. Think good thoughts and perhaps this miracle may really happen. All my best and thanks for reading.

Kathleen & the Crew.

Russell and Kathleen of Lucky 7 Tattoo & Piercing Lake Tahoe.

The Cherry Tattoo

2011-10-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Cherry Tattoos

Cherries have been present in the tattoo community for decades. It is a seemingly small fruit that has become an icon in traditional tattoos as well as in the fashion world. From underwear to purses and clothing, cherry print is an ever present decor usually associated with sexiness and confidence. Of all the fruits, why cherries?

Cherries by Russell Fortier

The sexual connotations of the cherry within western culture is something that really can't be ignored when discussing this design. Cherries have become a symbol of purity and temptation. A preserved and intact cherry is readily associated as a symbol of virtue and virginity. With this interpretation it is also associated as a symbol of temptation, as something that is forbidden but still desired and yearned for. The cherry is a much more popular design than the apple which is the forbidden fruit in biblical terms, but tangibly the cherry creates a much more graphic image with its soft supple flesh, and sweet red juice. It is a much more delicate fruit and can be damaged or defiled more easily. A person with a tattoo of a cherry with a bite out of it, or a split can be interpreted as someone who has lost their virtue or who has given into temptation. Tattoos of cherries with whipped cream or chocolate sauce are all the more sweet and tempting.

Sailor Jerry Flash

Cherries are also a prevalent symbol associated with gambling a slot machines. Gambling, like sex, is another topic that many consider a vice. Another source of temptation that can bring great gratification or great hardship.

Skull Cherry Painting by LEGO

Whatever reason a person may be motivated to get a cherry tattoo, there are a variety of great designs to fit the needs of any client. It is a sexy symbol most often associated with femininity that makes a great tattoo anywhere on the body. They are often seen on the hips or near the pelvic area which heightens the sexuality factor, but common on many other parts of the body as well. You may want a cherry tattoo simply because you like the way the design looks. Regardless of what connotations this design has, it has and will be a prevalent design in tattooing that isn't going anywhere anytime soon. If you don't have any tattoos, it is a great design to have your tattoo "cherry" popped.

Cherry Wooden Cutout

"Why Do Tattoos Cost So Much?" Read up and know the deal...p

2011-08-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

Plumeria Tattoo By Ben Karnofski @ Lucky 7 Tattoo

Back in 1986 I got my first tattoo. It was around my 18th birthday, and I was so ready to take the plunge in to the pool of ink. In those days you pretty much had to pick your tattoo from a flash sheet off the wall of the shop. The price of the tattoo was listed on a small worn white sticker next to the pattern, so you knew up front how much you were going to be charged. $20 was like a $100 to me back then, but I paid the $18 happily and walked out of that old biker shop in Belmont California as happy as I ever was at that miserable age.

Monkey in Branches By Russell Fortier @ Lucky 7 Tattoo

During the next 6 years I ended up getting 4 tattoos, all at different shops. Prices for tattooing were going up, and the pricing stickers began to come down as more an more California shops opened, offering custom tattoos. At this time the tattoo customers were starting to choose their tattoos on areas of their bodies that were more difficult for the tattooer to manage. More lower backs and inside arms increased prices and the artist opened nicer, cleaner shops and studios. Demand increased for the small number of great artists. A new style of shop and artist was coming up in the early 90's. I became a piercer in 1992, getting to watch this industry evolve from the biker "parlors" of the past, into full on businesses.

In the last 5 years tattooing has exploded. No longer am I looked at by older folks as some type of demon for being covered in ink. For better or worse, television has taken a rebel act - a way of life-and made it an acceptable art form for almost everyone. Television and the media have advertised tattoos as a type of meaningful "keepsake" for the masses. It has created the mindset that each tattoo must be thought out, always be uber original and have some deep meaning in order to "justify" getting the tattoo. Trust me dear reader, until this decade most tattoos had no more meaning than to say "F+*# You to the rest of society by the outlaws who wore them. Alas, things change, and I appreciate anyone who walks through the doors of my shop to get ink from my family. Which brings us to the topic I started this blog entry with. "Why Do Tattoos Cost So Much?"

"Weathered Tree with Raven" By Russell Fortier @ Lucky 7 Tattoo

Did you ever notice that you never see money change hands on the tattoo television shows? My guess is because it doesn't make good t.v. I also imagine all the fans of these programs would have their dreams of getting ink by a celebrity tattooer flattened and stomped on by the rates these famous tattoo artists charge. More power to these stars for their great marketing skills-yet it makes it difficult for us in the real world to explain to a tattoo virgin that Lucky 7 prices are $140 an hour, and yes it really takes many hours to ink a sleeve. It always looks easier on tv!

In this new era of the business of tattoo, no longer do potential new customers come in and look at portfolios for the quality of our work. First thing is asking "how much", while trying to describe an idea they have. When we politely answer $140 an hour, you see some folks just about pass out. Eyes roll and attitude comes forth where none existed before. When we let the potential client know our minimum is $75 for even a tiny star on a finger we also get the big sigh of displeasure. Soon after loud comments of "My friend got hers done in Oklahoma for only $35." Also this gem, "well another shop told me half that price." Or my personal favorite is when I am shown a terrible home made mess of a tattoo done in a kitchen by a so called "licensed professional" or "friend who is learning ", and then being told they paid $25 for this pile of excrement and expect me to fawn all over them for showing it to me. This is what we now deal with daily. Thanks the GODS that we have a large regular clientele that appreciates great tattooing by artists who love what they do. If not we would be in the position of so many of these new fly by night shops popping up by the dozens. Hiring so called "tattooers" who never apprenticed under an established artist, or even learned the correct placement of a needle into a tube. Self taught with too much bravado for their own good. Making a mess of peoples bodies for the lowest price possible just to make scratch to pay the rent on the hovel of a shop, and bounce around the local watering holes acting like a stuck up jerk just because he thinks he can tattoo. Yes these are the folks we now compete with in a tough economy. Each day we see the horrible mess these scratchers put forth. Often times people come to us so we can fix or cover up these messes. Sadly they now have paid much more to go through the tattoo process twice and spent twice as much to get what they wanted. All in the quest to save a few twenty dollar bills. Sucks for everyone but the scratcher.

Butterfly Skull by Corey Boobar @ Lucky 7 Tattoo

And all those mobile tattooers, or the ones that advertise on CraigslistScatchers do this because they can't get a spot in any shop, good or bad. They can charge very low prices because they answer to no one. Not the health department, not a landlord, not even you if you are not happy with the end result. The don't care because if they did they wouldn't lower themselves to operating outside of the law. Each person who tattoos outside of a licensed shop is breaking the law. If they don't care about the very basics, perhaps they don't care about reusing needles, or pouring inks back into the bottle? Who really knows?! No one, because they answer to NO ONE.

Let me break down what it cost to run our family owned shop. All amounts are per month. $2000 for rent. $400 for insurance, $200 for power, $100 for phone and internet, $150 for trash and sharps (needle) disposal, $300 for basic office supply, $500 for needles and inks, $200 for gloves, $60 for cleaning products, $90 for distilled water..this is just the bare bones of operations and we are already past $4000 a month! That is before any one of us takes home a dime for ourselves and our family. The shop is always first in line to be paid for.

There is no such thing as an "easy tattoo." It is a huge pet peeve to the artist when people beg us to cram them in to a very full schedule. "But its a really small and easy tat" they whine. To the person who is inking you for life, they take on a level of stress that cannot be fully described. Yes, some designs and locations are easier than others. Yet we strive for perfection on every tattoo every time. Would you want anything less? Understand that any good artist should make a fair wage to do their craft, and to take on the stress of your tattoo. Have patience when an artist says " I can't tattoo you today, but let me design the tattoo tonight and schedule you on another day." Know that good artists and reputable shops are not trying to rob you! What you pay for is a great tattoo in a licensed shop that is following the letter of the law. Those laws are in place to protect your health as well as the artist. I am sure you don't want a burned out tattoo artist who has to work 14 hours a day just to make a livable wage, right? Then please respect the prices tattooers charges for great work in a clean shop. You get what you pay for.

Last but not least. It is smart to price shop a pair of Levis 501 jeans. It is the same pair of jeans in every store, just some stores have better service and atmosphere. Save money on goods. When you choose a service -which is what tattooing boils down to- always pick the best you can find and afford. If money is short, save up! Waiting a few weeks isn't going to kill you. It makes you smarter than so many people who rush in without doing their research. That "bargain" tattoo isn't going to seem like such a deal when the joy of paying so little wears off and you hate the results that last a lifetime.