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I have always loved tattoos and piercings. Having grown up with a family where many members have them, I always wanted them myself. I started getting tattoos and piercings as a teenager and had a majority of my arms covered in ink by the time I was twenty. In my twenties I got a few 'body piercings', which were a lot different then the gun piercings from my childhood. I then learned about things like "cross contamination" and "sterilization" and realized how dangerous piercing guns are. I immediately liked my first body piercings, which were navel, tongue and eyebrow. Upon starting apprenticeship I was immediately comfortable with piercing. After a couple of years piercing, I began offering genital piercing to my clients and have now been piercing for over 9 years. I am comfortable piercing with or without clamps, doing genital piercings as well as surface piercings. I love piercing corsets, and I do offer discount pricing as they do not heal and are temporary piercings. I do not mind piercing children but there are age restrictions for most body piercings. I have pierced baby’s ear lobes, although I feel that it is better to be older as ears can change shape as they grow. I feel that 6 years and up is a good age for ear lobe piercings.
The love of tattoos has been with me so long, I can't imagine not having them. I tattooed in the past, but only did body piercing for a couple of years. During the years I only pierced, I did enhance my skills on making tattoo needles and learning different ways of soldering them together. I feel there are particular groupings for different types of tattoos that lesson dermal damage while applying the tattoo. I have been greatly influenced by some very great tattoo artists in my life, and have the honor of calling them friends. I have tattooed for the last 5 years and I am always learning. I specialize in fine line work but do a variety of different styles; from large black & grey back pieces to small color tattoos the size of a dime. I'm open to new ideas and concepts in this wonderful and challenging industry.
I currently tattoo annually at the Windy City Tattoo Weekend in Lethbridge, Alberta.
I was at the Maritime Tattoo Festival 2008 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
… The 2009 Inkfest in Edmonton, Alberta
As well as the West Coast Tattoo Show 2009 in Abbotsford, B.C.
I am a member of the Alliance Of Professional Tattooists and I have a current Blood borne Pathogens Course completed. I use only autoclave sterilization. I do not use an ultra-sonic at my work station as it makes everything airborne. I use only Nitrile gloves for tattooing as Vaseline breaks down latex gloves and is not recommended for use in tattooing. I believe in single use pre-sterilized tattoo tubes and needles, and dispose of the entire tattoo tube and needle-bar and needle(s) in a sharps container. I use machine bags as tattoo machines are exposed to bodily fluids, not just the clip cord. I always bandage every tattoo as they need to be covered to avoid infection.
I currently use Kuro Sumi Tattoo Ink, as it stays black and does not 'blue'. For colors I use Eternal Ink, which is a water-based pigment manufactured using organic ingredients. It is vegan friendly and non-toxic. It currently has a 44 color palette. I also have the Skin Candy black light inks available as well. I stand behind my tattoos and the inks I use, and offer touch ups for the first year if needed as long as proper aftercare is followed. I have ivory bar soap and Lubriderm lotion available for purchase at the shop. I do walk-ins Tuesday - Saturday from 10am to 5pm. This means if you want a big piece, it will be done or if you want a small piece it will be done, as long as you are first. If you want a custom drawing, come in and we can discuss it and it will be ready and waiting when you are. There is no charge for custom drawing. I will usually quote a price for a piece before hand, and that will not change when you pay for the tattoo. For large pieces, I charge 140 per hour. Whatever the case may be, please come in and speak with me personally for information, cost and time. We do NOT give cost or advice over the phone.
