I walked into this shop back in March, not having too many reviews like Seattle, I did not know what to expect from a small shop of many on the famous "6th Ave". But 4 months later, I am super proud t... Read More
I walked into this shop back in March, not having too many reviews like Seattle, I did not know what to expect from a small shop of many on the famous "6th Ave". But 4 months later, I am super proud to say that I am glad I walked into this shop with the extensive research I have done through Yelp and looking into House of Tattoo's website and portfolios. I was going for a whole sleeve on my arm and of course like most, I had a bunch of ideas I wanted incorporated in my sleeve and was hoping the artist would be able to conjure up some elaborate design for me to show off. When I walked in, the first to greet was Mindy up at the front. I asked her a few questions and threw her some of my ideas I had in mind. She suggested a couple artists but one of them was definitely "booked" up (inside joke, hehe). The second she suggested was Jeff. After all, they say 'second is best' right? I totally believe that more than ever now. Sure Jeff was one of those tatted up and intimidating tattoo guys but you know what got to me? His super duper friendly smile! I didn't have to be nervous about coming in to get my work done by him over and over. We started off with the ideas I had in mind, of course knowing myself and those who know me, I like to be an oddball and I knew this would be an interesting project for him. I wanted a stack of books down along my whole arm with a few key accessories that would highlight parts of my life. We ended up with a stack of 16 books, a paint palette (that looks super bomb!), paintbrush, pencil, and a wooden cross. A couple minor things that are also incorporated is the 'Korean' bookmark that sticks out and the ivy leaves that wrap around the arm itself. Now, that sounds kind of ordinary does it not? Well, if you look at it... people take double takes on my arm, walks past, and comes back around to ask me about my sleeve and its story behind it. A side note for future readers who are interested in the other artists, I am a keen observer and I like to watch what goes on in my surroundings. Besides, I'm stuck on a chair for 1-5 hours per session so what else am I going to do? I have seen the work being done to others by Mike, Josh, Katie, and Matt~ they are all really talented- pshhh, I am not just saying that because I was there but really! They are all super fun to be around. Mike even suggested a book for me to read as his all time favorite, of course I started it but haven't finished it yet... after 3 months of being recommended haha. I'm slacking.Anyways, I eventually suggested my sister to come in and get her piece done by Jeff while I was still getting mine done and she absolutely adores hers too! So it isn't just me who is in love with the sleeve done by Jeff. He even has interesting stories to tell about Botanicals, fish "hybrid" tattoo ideas (hint- look at his leg). He wasn't the type to just sit there silently the whole time but strike an interesting conversation. We talked about all kinds of topics... some were even weird.Not going to lie but I thought this would be a super toughie for me as well as whoever was going to end up working on my sleeve. I have a very low pain tolerance and yet somehow I had overflowing confidence that I would be able to do this easy peasy. Jeff notified me before we started that we could take it slow and little at a time if we have to but the first session, I sat through 4 hours without fidgeting or complaining. Kudos to myself~ I was 1/15th done haha! It was funny when there were grown men across the room from me complaining about how much it hurts while this small little girl was just laying silently enduring the needles stabbing my arm over and over for 4 hours+. Eventually, I started seeing people finish in one-time sessions and I was thinking, wow I'm only part way done compared to these people! I have a lot more needles coming my way. After each session, I told myself, 'whew' that wasn't so bad! By the end of the day, I would forget the pain which was totally bearable and be pumped for the next session! All in all, this review is already long as it is, I will make a short ending. In the end, I am thankful to have met Jeff to work on a huge piece that will be carried with me for the rest of my life and I plan on coming back to Jeff to get my other arm's sleeve done in the future!Thanks Jeff C: Read Less