COVID-19 Precautions

As the Pandemic continues and changes, we're maintaining our precautions to keep our communities safe, based on the close nature of our work. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding, I appreciate it.

NOTE: My coworkers and I are fully vaccinated!

• I will always wear a mask and request you do the same

• All payments will be made with etransfer or card

Location

I work at Take Care Tattoo a comfortable, well lit, private studio in Duncan Building in downtown Vancouver. We are located at 119w Pender street in suite 125 on the 1st floor. Please buzz #191 for entry upon arrival for our appointment.

There are paid parking lots within a block, and some metered street parking within a block. *Please note: most street parking is a two hour limit and will require you to move your car mid appointment, as most appointments take at least two hours. We’re walking distance from Stadium/Chinatown Skytrain station or Waterfront and there are also bus stops on the block. You can find coffee shops, restaurants, and grocery stores nearby.

Accessibility

Our studio is in a heritage building, and like many, is lacking accessibility. I’m really sorry about this, but I will do what I can to make your visit as easy as possible!

The building is on the lower end of a hill on Pender and the entryway is level. There is an accessible washroom on the ground floor though though you have to go through a handled door to get to it, this door if often propped open. The washrooms on the first floor have one step and stalls. Our studio can be accessed via the elavator or a three flight stone stairwell. Our studio is small and hosts two artists at a time, but I will often be working alone. Though small, there is enough room for mobility devices to move around. The door to our studio will be open/ajar when you arrive. Please let me know if you have any questions, or need assistance with any part of the building. If our studio’s location is not suitable to your mobility needs, let me know and I can look into setting up an alternate space, if possible.

If you would prefer a quiet appointment, I will do my best to accomodate! Some of my machines are a bit loud, and I do share a studio with other artists, but we don't have to chat if you'd prefer a quieter experience. I will never be offended by a request for quiet time! Likewise, music can always be turned off/changed. You are very welcome to bring headphones as well.

Otherwise, I'm happy to chat with you! I want to hear about the cool stuff you have going on.

Bookings & Drawings

Every tattooer books their clients and draws for their appointments in a different way, so here's how I generally do it: I often book appointments through a booking form (that can be found on my contact page when active) or through predrawn flash, which can be found on my instagram highlights or via newsletter. I only like to book a couple months ahead at a time, so if I'm unavailable for bookings, that is likely why. Drawings, I'll send you a drawing of your design the day before our appointment (except in rare cases where it's not necessary). I like knowing folks have had time too look at their piece before we get together. If you have questions, comments, or concerns about your drawing let me know! I'm always happy to talk about it. Please see the Deposits section of this list for information about drawing revision fees.

Deposits

All appointments require a deposit unless otherwise stated. This is to insure your appointment and the work that goes into preparing for it. If you arrive on time to your appointment the price of your deposit will be subtracted from the final cost of your tattoo. If you are 20 minutes late or more and without contact, your deposit will be kept and your appointment will be cancelled. Small adjustments can be made to the drawing, but substantial or multiple changes may cause the need to reschedule your appointment and/or forfeit your deposit as a drawing fee. This is not intended to penalize, only to account for the time that goes into designing tattoos.

Cancellation and Rescheduling

It's okay if you need to cancel or reschedule! Things happen! Please do your best to let me know if you need to change your appointment. Unfortunately, if you cannot provide at least three† days notice to cancel your appointment you will forfeit your deposit. This is to cover the time spent preparing for your appointment and loss of income. †This policy for cancellation is flexible due to COVID. You're safety is the most important! If you are exposed or experiencing symptoms before your appointment, don't hesitate to let me know. You will not lose your deposit.

Aftercare

You can find my aftercare advice here, or you're always welcome to send me an email.

Payment Options

My rate is $200/hour* with a $200 minimum. I accept e-transfer & cards! I do not have a float to accept/make change for cash.

  • This is a recent change, if we have started planning before this change, I have made a note on our appointment or emails

What about tipping? My personal opinion is that I will never expect it, but I will ALWAYS appreciate it! Knowing that you love your tattoo is so important to me and if adding a bit to your bill communicates that, I am so, so grateful. But! We don't all have the same financial situation, capitalism is gross and unfair, and tattoos are expensive! This is why I wont be offended if affording the tattoo is all that's available to you. I have recieved everything from crafts to home grown potatoes as a tips and those gestures warm my heart immensly! In summation, do what's doable and I wont judge, I'm glad to get to work with you.

Colour Tests

Are you a person of colour wanting a tattoo with colour, but wondering what those colours might look like healed on your skin? Let me know! I'm always happy to talk about my ability with colour and I'm happy to offer you a free colour test! A colour test can be a small collection of dots or small lines, each a colour you'd like to see healed on your body. It can be placed where the tattoo will go, or somewhere discreet. A colour test can't necessarily show you you the interaction of colours next to each other in a dynamic piece, or what the experience of having a full colour tattoo is like- but it is here to answer small simple questions, and if it's a process that would be useful to you, I'm happy to provide it! Everyone's skin is a window that we view our tattoos through, some windows have a different tint which changes how the colour appears. I want the only surprise when you're getting tattooed to be how much you love your new tattoo, so if you're concerned about colour, let's talk about it, and if you'd like, do a test!

Tattooing Around or Over Scarring

Scarring occurs for a variety of reasons! Sometimes they are results of trauma, sometimes reminders of adventure in times past, sometimes all of the above. I am not bothered by scarring but I am keenly aware that scars are extremely subjective, personal experiences. I'm happy to consult about the posibility of covering scars if that's a goal that you have. I will never bring up the prescence of scarring unless it directly relates and effects the process and/or potential healing of your tattoo. I will never ask you to tell me what caused the scarring, or to reflect on why you want it changed, I'm just here to help make tattoos as successfully as possible (:

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

 

Thanks,

Alison