Stick n poke tattoo question: no ink only scratches?

I’ve got a question. I’ve tattooed myself years ago and it came out nicely. Now I’m trying to tattoo a small quote on my foot and all it does (different equipment and ink) is scratching my skin and there’s no ink insight. (It’s one of those where you would have to dip the needle into ink) I just want to give myself a small quote and obviously get larger ones done by a professional. What could I possibly be doing wrong this time? Thanks