• A few days before the appointment begin to moisturise the area to be tattooed.
• Shave the area just prior to the appointment, trying to avoid any nicks (I can't tattoo over broken skin).
• Stay well hydrated in the days leading up to your appointment, it makes your skin all lovely and ready for the ink.
   

What to bring to your appointment

• You can bring anything that will make you feel comfortable at your appointment. Such as headphones, a film, a book, squishy things, fluffy socks etc.
• Try to wear loose clothing in the area to be tattooed, the area will need to be easily accessible.
• There are no facilities in the village so bring your dinner and snacks to keep you going. You will be offered tea and coffee.
   

What payment do you accept?

• Cash
• Monzo
• Card

Do i have to tip? and what if i have a tight budget?

Nope, I never expect a tip but it is jolly nice when it happens. If you have a tight budget, let me know and we can work to it. 

where are you?

Heartwood is in Tirril between Penrith and Ullswater in the northern Lake District. You will receive direct instructions on how to find me once your deposit has been paid.

Can I get to you on public transport?

Yes, you can. You can take the bus/train to Penrith and the village is 10 minutes drive away from the station. Buses do run but become infrequent in winter. The average cost of a taxi from the station is around £13.

I've never had a tattoo before, what happens in the session?

After you’ve arrived we’ll get you settled in and discuss your tattoo. If you want to make any small adjustments to the design we can go through them. I’ll print off a few sizes and we’ll see what looks best for you. We can also play about with placement to get it just right. Once we have the perfect size and placement I’ll print out a stencil, shave the area (if not already done), clean it, apply stencil gel and pop the stencil on. There is no rush with any of this, it often takes a good hour to get everything just right. If the stencil isn’t quite right we can take it off and try again.

The stencil takes 10-15 mins to dry so I’ll make you a cuppa and you can get comfy on the tattoo bed. If you need pillows, blankets etc I can supply them.

Whilst the stencil is drying I’ll set up the tattoo needles, ink and other paraphernalia. I can talk you through what everything does if you’d like.

Once the stencil is dry I will start tattooing. People often describe the sensation as slightly annoying but not quite painful! You can take breaks, go to the loo, adjust position whenever you need. If it’s a long session I’ll usually have a small break around 1.30 pm which is great time to eat something for you too - need to keep those blood glucose levels up!

Throughout the tattooing we can chat, listen to music, some people like to bring a film with them. There might be times where I have to pay particular attention so might be quiet for a while. You can also request a quiet appointment where talking can be kept to a minimum. Most people tend to have a snooze a few hours in to the tattoo so don’t worry about falling asleep.

Once the tattoo is done, we’ll take some pics and videos then get you wrapped up in a second skin bandage.

Can I bring a friend?

Ideally no. My studio is veeeery small so it's quite the squeeze with 3 of us in there. It's also quite boring for your friend - sitting for a number of hours with nothing to do. I have offered appointments for two friends to get tattooed together if they don't mind it being cosy. If you have mobility or health needs that require assistance you are of course, welcome to bring someone just let me know before you come.

Do you do colour/cover ups/only handpoke?

No, not really. I have on occasion done some cover ups that suit my style but the delicate nature of handpoke doesn't make it very suitable for cover ups. I generally don't use colour.

And yep, only handpoke because it's awesome :)