TATTOO

 HOW TO BOOK

My books are currently closed.

I am currently tattooing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, at a private studio by appointment only.

When my books are open, I will make an announcement on my Instagram page. All announcements are usually made on Instagram first, so please follow me to be kept up to date! 

When I am open for submissions, I will be opening a link on this website to my Online Consultation Form.  This form will be open for tattoo idea submissions for a limited time, and then taken down off the site when all spots are filled. I will make an Instagram announcement when this happens.  The spots are NOT first come first serve.  I choose proposals based off of what design concepts speak to me the most. (Please note that a non-refundable deposit of $250(+tax) is required for all sessions, and covers one hour of tattooing.)

In your form, please be as detailed as possible and answer all questions in the form. If you are sending multiple requests/tattoo ideas, please do so all within the same form. If you have a specific idea in mind, be detailed. If you have a general idea and want me to have creative freedom with it, I am always down for that! If your idea is super vague, or you are not entirely sure what you want to get tattooed, it would be best to wait until you have a more solid idea before submitting.

It will take some time for me to respond to all requests, so I only respond to projects that I plan to book. If your project was not chosen, this does NOT mean that I think your idea is bad or that I don't want to work with you! I am choosing to do proposals as opposed to a long wait list so that more people can get in faster and not be waiting for months. If you are not chosen this round, you are always welcome to propose again in my next booking round. I will also continue to often post flash and cancellations on my Instagram story.

Some ideas that will take priority in proposal selection include things like insects, reptiles, ocean animals, mythical animals, anything uncommon! I do love most animals. I also love doing pet tattoos, whether it's a realistic portrait or something more cute and goofy. Floral, nature, skulls, mushrooms, anything witchy/spooky, and anything in my Indigenous style I do.

If your idea isn't necessarily something that is on this list, I love doing so much more than what I've listed here and I'm super open to what I take on. Some styles I love to work in are my dot-work style, water colour, or exaggerated realism.

Some things that I'm NOT looking to focus on include large scale coverups (I will do small coverups or reworks, depending on what it is, and if you're open to creative freedom) larger scale photo realistic pieces, and realistic people portraits.

I will often have cancellations and Flash Days posted on my Instagram.  

A huge thank you to everyone who gets tattooed by me. I love my job so much and I would not be able to do it without you guys.

 GENERAL BOOKING/RATE INFO

My current rate is $200.00(+GST) per hour, and I charge a minimum $50.00(+GST) design fee (this can go up depending on the complexity of the design). In order to book an actual appointment date, I require a $200.00 deposit(+GST) to hold your spot. The $200.00 goes towards your tattoo appointment, and the design fee goes towards the time I spend working on designing your piece outside of my regular tattooing hours. So say your tattoo will take 3 hours, your deposit will cover the first hour, and then on the day of the appointment you will pay for the remaining 2 hours. By putting the deposit down, you are committing to the tattoo, and it will not be refunded even if you change your mind about the tattoo and don't want to get it anymore. I also have a 72 hour cancellation policy, so if you cancel your appointment without 72 hours notice, your deposit will be lost, and you will have to put down another deposit to rebook.

Consultations are free! I predominantly do my consultation process through email, but occasionally I will ask people to use a phone call or Zoom, or come in person. Please note that I can't book you in, or start drawing your tattoo until the deposit and design fee are both down. I send the artwork by email/Instagram around 5-7 days before your actual tattoo appointment. If you want any changes to the design, you can let me know and we will have time to figure it out!

Even if healing goes super well, sometimes tattoos still need touchups. A tattoo needs to be healed for 4-6 weeks before we can touch it up. Touchups are free for most pieces, as long as you contact me for touchups within 8 weeks after the tattoo was originally done. I suggest contacting me at around the 4 week mark if you are thinking the tattoo needs anything touched up. You do not want to wait a very long time for touchups, if you wait too many months there can sometimes be an obvious difference in what was old vs new ink. I offer free touchups on all placements except for coverups, hands, feet, and face. (I will discuss this more in depth with you if you are getting one of these placements!) There will also be a charge for touchups if I can tell that you did not follow the healing instructions I've provided, failed to mention a medication that can directly effect healing/skin, or submerged it in water, or given it premature sun exposure. There is also a charge for touchups if you do not contact me within 8 weeks after getting the tattoo. 

PREPARING FOR YOUR TATTOO

Here are a few things to remember during the days leading up to the tattoo, things to bring, and what to expect of the appointment. 

❀ Make sure you get a good nights sleep! This is very important.

❀ Do not drink alcohol the night before your tattoo.

 ❀ If you are on any medications that have to do with skin, heart, blood immune system, or healing in general, please let me know before the appointment. As well if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, as I cannot tattoo you if you are.

❀ Plan to be with me all day! (Unless you're getting something super teeny that will be under one or two hours.) Sometimes putting the stencil on takes awhile, sometimes we change placement. I can give a rough estimate of time, but sometimes things happen that make the appointment go longer than expected.  Do not have any concrete plans later on in the day such as other appointments or social functions that have a specific start time.  It can become stressful for you, and sometimes make me feel rushed.  And if you’re getting a larger piece, you will probably just want to go home and relax! 

❀ Bring food and things to drink. This is a big one. having a decent meal before is great too. Even though you’re just lying there, it can be exhausting and food keeps you going. Things like granola bars, sandwiches, foods that are easy to eat and not messy.  I highly recommend Gatorade and water.  I promise I will let you go to the bathroom as many times as you need haha! 

❀ Wear comfy clothing, and wear clothing that gives me access to the area. For example, if you’re getting a back shoulder blade tattoo, wear a tank top or tube top, or a bathing suit.  Make sure it’s clothing you don’t super care about, in case ink gets on it.  We require shoes to be off at our shop, so feel free to wear/bring socks or slippers.

❀ You can bring things like music with headphones, or a laptop/iPad for movies. Some people read or answer work emails or study. Anything like that is fine as long as it is not interfering with the tattoo, you have headphones, and it’s not causing you to move excessively. I have outlets and extension cords for charging devices.

❀ Do not give the tattoo sun exposure leading up to the tattoo, or have it sunburnt! I can't tattoo sunburnt skin, or skin that is still peeling/healing from a sunburn. If you show up sunburnt, this will result in a reschedule and lost  deposit. This includes spray tanning the area as well.

❀ If you are leaving for a trip, please let me know! A tattoo cannot have sun exposure or be submerged in any type of water for at least two weeks after the appointment. Even if you are not going to a warm destination, things like being on an airplane, going on a long road trip, going on a tour where you are walking lots, going places that may not have clean water can all be an inconvenience and sometimes even a danger to a healing tattoo.

❀ Get excited! I will not lie to you, tattoos do hurt, or are at the very least uncomfortable. I have never had a client not come back and finish a tattoo because of pain. If you are worried about the pain aspect, we can make plans to do the tattoo in multiple sessions!

AFTERCARE

A tattoo takes around 6 weeks to fully heal, though, you'll only need to give daily care to it for the first two weeks. I will instruct you at the appointment for how long to leave the bandage on or if you need to leave it on overnight. This depends on the tattoos location, size, and placement. When it is time to remove the bandage, first wash your hands very well. Gently wash your tattoo with a mild unscented soap and warm water using only your hands. You should clean it until all of the fluid and blood is off your tattoo. It is normal for the bandage to look like it has ink, blood, and fluid in it. Make sure it is rinsed off well, and either air dry the tattoo or have a designated, clean towel to gently pat it dry with. After you have washed it, do not put any clothing on it for the remainder of the day/night. You want the tattoo to be able to breathe, and clothing rubbing on it can irritate it. You do not want to apply the lotion just yet, or while the tattoo is still open. You will want to wash the tattoo like this every morning and evening for around the next two weeks. Any time you shower, that counts as a wash! For example, do not shower at 6pm and then wash the tattoo again at 9pm before you go to bed.

You do not want to submerge the tattoo in water for around two weeks. This includes baths, personal/ public pools and hot tubs, and natural bodies of water. Keeping the tattoo as dry as possible during the healing process is ideal. Showering is fine, but you want to keep the tattoo out of the direct shower stream as much as possible, and then wash the tattoo at the end of the shower, and rinse it very well. You also want to avoid sweating/working out for at least the first 5 days, sometimes longer if it is a larger piece. Sweat and excess movement can cause your tattoo to heal much slower. You also want to keep your tattoo fully out of the sun for the entire healing process, and then wear sunscreen on it anytime it has sun exposure, this helps your tattoo age as well as possible! 

During the first few days, you can expect it to be warm and red. Sometimes tattoos leak fluid for a few days, and they sometimes bruise. For myself personally, my tattoos can stay warm for up to 3 days and are very sensitive to being touched. Having some sensitivity and pain is normal!

After 3-5 days, the tattoo will become tight, and then begin to scab and flake. It will be very itchy, and sometimes begin to get red around the tattoo as the skin is pulling from being tight. Tattoos can sometimes scab so bad that cracks can appear in the scabs and fluid may appear again. This is all normal! During this time is when you can apply the lotion I've given you. You can apply the lotion to the tattoo after every time you wash it. Keeping the tattoo moist helps with cracking and scabbing and just making it generally feel better! You do NOT want to pick the scabs or move the area anymore than you have to, because if the scabs get caught on clothing or you pick them, that may cause ink to be pulled out of your tattoo. Also, the scab is protecting the tattoo, so pulling them off opens the tattoo up again and that can lead to infection. You may wear loose clothing over the tattoo during this phase, but if you wear anything tight over it, it can pull the scabs out. Things like bra straps, tight pants, shoes rubbing on it, or even carrying a backpack can effect this. The scabs will also look gross, especially if you have gotten a colour tattoo. The colours of the ink mix with normal scab colours and can make some strange looking scabs! If you are concerned please do not hesitate to send me a photo of it! 

It is very unlikely for a tattoo to become infected, but bacteria is all around us so here are some signs to watch out for. Healing a tattoo does not feel amazing, but if after 7 days you still have excessive redness, swelling, heat coming off the tattoo, or excessive pain, these are not normal. Things that are also not normal include a fever, rashes, hives, or green/yellow discharge. If you are experiencing anything like this, please contact me and send photos, and I can advise you on what to do next! If it is your first tattoo, I know that sometimes you can be a bit unsure and that is totally normal, it never annoys me to be sent photos.