Quaint as F**K!

Ten days after I finished tattooing and began maternity leave back in July 2023, I was faced with a difficult decision to make. As some of you know, the Tecoma studio had been experiencing some structural issues that began only weeks after I officially took over the space and continued for the 18 months of my tenure there.

As a result of this problem I was only able to use half of the shop which was extremely limiting. I could never truly fit out the space the way I imagined, perpetually in a temporary layout. Unable to invite others in to share the space and the management of the problem was incredibly stressful.

It reached the point where it was no longer doable for all parties involved for me to stay in the Tecoma space. The shop itself was deteriorating and a fix to the problem was nowhere in sight. So, having to make a quick and difficult decision to leave, at 39 weeks pregnant I was moving my things out of the studio and saying goodbye to Tecoma for good. To say the timing was terrible is an understatement. The timing was absolutely shocking. But – the world works in mysterious ways. I didn’t have to worry about the problem with the Tecoma space while I was in my baby bubble but I had the uncertainty ahead, where am I going to work? What am I going to do now?? I was planning on being in Tecoma for the best part of a decade…

Fast forward a few months. I’m venturing out of the house, I’m looking. I’m brainstorming what it is I might do, what I’m looking for, what avenue to go down. I had my eye on one space in particular, I pondered on it continuously for months thinking how perfect it might be if only I knew how to lease it, if only it were available… but how? Until one afternoon driving around the Dandenong Ranges I spotted a tiny handwritten sign in the window “for lease” and a phone number. It was so hard to see I had to go back the next day to have a closer look. Was what I saw in fact what I thought I saw?

It was…

Stunning natural light, a little balcony, garden, and neighbour to one of the most amazing bakehouses in the hills. My friend said to me when she saw it, “That is Quaint as F**K!!!” Which it totally is and I adore it! I can’t wait for you to visit my new little dream space.

One Year.

An anniversary or birthday is always a time of automatic reflection and for looking ahead at the next year to come. A time to pause.

Spirit of the Woods first birthday is a time I thought I might be all fit out and set up, maybe celebrating with a party drinking champagne and acknowledging the wonderful people apart of the walls of the studio that fell (quite heavily) into my arms. Alas I am not having a party just yet, though I am having a tipple of whiskey!

I’m 12 months down the track and still working through the backlog of (tremendously patient) clients from Covid lockdowns. I’m chipping away at the space and am constantly reminded – with the juggle of parenting a small human and having a studio to manage now – that I’m doing everything I possibly can and it doesn’t look even remotely how I imagined it would… but I’m doing it. Head down, bum up. It’s not at all glamorous and I’m burning at both ends, but it’s wholesome and rewarding.

Sammi holding keys to her new space and a mug of red wine. Ratbag!

The last twelve months I’ve begun to foster deeper connections with my clients awakening a curiosity – how deep does this go? I’m finding the ‘something more’ I’ve been looking for, the something more is the connection. The depth is in the process and the facilitation of that transition for you, my client. The lines between client and friend becoming more and more fuzzy and the reciprocity of that transformative experience. It’s happening more and more that as much as I’m physically transforming your body to be permanently modified, I am also being transformed by the process of tattooing you. I’m being enlightened, I’m being inspired, I’m finding magic, in you.

 Hippy bath-day my darling Spirit of the Woods Tattoo! May this first year be the first of many and a peek at the beauty to come. May more artistic endeavours ensue, more marvellousness come through your doorway, more essence seep into your bones, more deep connections be made, and excellent conversations be had. I’m mind blown. May you all find as much beauty in this place as I and may you all come to share it in one way or other.

Much love.
Sammi

BOOKING POLICY, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

BOOKING PROCESS

• When I’m able to take new clients I’ll send a link via my newsletter for anyone interested to fill out an online form. Please make sure to read the form carefully and fill this out as thoroughly as possible.

• I work by appointment only and my days are subject to change.

• You can always send me an email to info@sammisideup.com if you have any questions, I try to get back to everyone within about 2 weeks. If you don’t get a reply after three weeks please don’t hesitate to email again as I may have missed your email.

• Booking offers are valid for 10 days. Please respond within this time to avoid disappointment!

• Address and directions will be given upon appointment confirmation.

CONSULTATIONS

• I require an initial consultation for all new custom work. This is done in person if you live within a 2 hour distance to the studio, or can be done via Zoom if you live remotely/interstate/overseas. It is especially important for coverup work that I see it in person where possible!

• I’ll provide a second complimentary viewing consultation if you’d like to view your design prior to the appointment day. I do prefer a second consultation for any larger custom work so I have time to make changes if they’re requested. The viewing consultation will generally be within the fortnight before your tattoo appointment.

• Any further consultations will be $50 per consult and if we need more than the initial 2 complimentary consults I may recommend someone who might be better suited to what you’re after.

• I may ask you to provide me with specific things I require (correct body measurements, images of existing tattoos for coverups etc) in order to get started on your tattoo design. If this is the case, our appointment schedule will not be confirmed until I’m provided with all information I need to go ahead with your design. You will have a maximum of 2 weeks to get this information to me unless otherwise arranged, and if this information is not provided to me within this time I reserve the right to cancel our appointments.

RATES

• I charge $200 per hour for new work and $250 per hour for coverup work.

• I take cash and card (card has a 2% surcharge)

• Full Day bookings are capped at $1200 for new work, and $1400 for coverup work. PLEASE DO NOT BOOK A FULL DAY if you do not intend to sit for less that 6 hours. If you book a full day and cannot sit for the full day, a fee may be applied to cover the time.

• If you have a budget, please let me know so we can make sure we book our sessions accordingly.

• I charge by the hour for larger work and will only quote things that are palm sized or smaller. Please keep this in mind if you need to discuss your budget.

• Minimum charge is $200.

DEPOSIT INFORMATION

• No initial deposit is needed.

No show, running late, rescheduling

• If you do not show up to your appointment and have given me no notice, you will need to pay a fee of $250, and a further $200 deposit to secure any future bookings. All future bookings (if you have any) will become tentative until fees/deposit received.

• If you are more that 15 minutes late with no notice you will incur a charge of $50.

• If you are more than half an hour late with no notice you will forfeit your deposit (if applicable), and may forfeit your appointment. You will need to pay a fee of $100, and a further $200 deposit to secure any future bookings. All future bookings (if you have any) will become tentative until fees/deposit received.

• I request at least 48 hours notice to reschedule an appointment. If you give me less notice than this (with the exception of COVID) a $200 deposit will be required for any/all future bookings. All future bookings (if you have any) will become tentative until deposit received.

• If you reschedule more than twice you will need to pay a $200 deposit on your third reschedule to secure your bookings.

• If you have paid a deposit and reschedule again with less than 48 hours notice, that deposit will be forfeited and a new deposit will be required to secure any/all future bookings.

• Deposits will be taken off the total cost of the last session.

• All fees and deposits are non-refundable and need to be paid within 48 hours of request or all future bookings will be cancelled.

• I reserve the right to cease the working relationship with anyone at any time.

I.D. and UNDER 18’s.

• I require I.D. from everyone who books in with me, please remember to bring it with you.

• I DO NOT tattoo anyone under the age of 18, under any circumstances.

By making a booking you accept that you have thoroughly read and agree to all above terms and conditions.

For other information you may like to look over please follow the links below:

Preparing for your tattoo

Tattoo aftercare

Available designs

Friends of Sammisideup!

Below are links to a bunch of my friends doing awesome stuff. They’re expert in their fields ranging fine arts, tattoos, permaculture, music, collage, food, photography and more!

Booking info 2021!

With efforts to be the most fair to all my lovely and loyal clients, the following will apply to booking appointments commencing 2021.

-       Number 1 priority will go to those with unfinished work by me.
-       Next will go to those who were booked in for new work pre-lock down
-       Then to those who have contacted me via email expressing interest in making an appointment when I come back to the studio.

ONGOING WORK:

I’ll be booking maximum one session per person per month for larger scale ongoing work. This is to try and have a balanced rotation so that you all get a fairly regular appointment schedule.

RESCHEDULING:
I understand emergencies happen and am totally flexible if you need to reschedule so long as you let me know, but the more notice the better and where possible I request at least 48 hours notice. I ask that you show me the same flexibility and understanding in return if I need to change your appointment for any reason.

APPOINTMENT DURATIONS:

You can book either:
A full day sitting at around 6+ hours tattoo time - If you book a full day please make sure you can sit for it!
OR
A half day session, morning/afternoon at around 3-4 hours each.

Smaller tattoos can generally be fit in around these larger blocks.

Although it’s ideal that you clear your schedule for your appointment days so we aren’t rushed, if you do have commitments you need to leave at a certain time for like picking kids up etc, I ask that you let me know upon booking your appointment the time you have to leave by each session. Please don’t leave it until a half hour before you have to be out the door on the day! This way I can plan our sessions appropriately.

Many thanks, I can’t wait to make tattoo’s with you all in 2021!

Fix and Cover Info

• Be flexible with your idea’s and stipulations – for example, size, colour and elements you want incorporated. Flexibility is key! Most of the time you’ll need to go reasonably bigger than your existing tattoo to cover efficiently, and certain elements are better to cover existing work than others. It is all completely dependent on your existing tattoo, but stay open minded and more often than not we’ll be able to work something out!

• The most important element to a cover-up is disguise! Unfortunately, just slapping something new over the top doesn’t often work, we want to disguise and transform what is already there and turn it into something different!

• Cover-ups always require a lot more preparation than a fresh tattoo, and always require at least one consultation. I put a lot of time and effort in to make sure it all absolutely works before we embark on the process of tattooing. Again, it is totally dependant on what you have already, but sometimes it can be a lengthy process.

Whether it’s a solid black background with subtle botanicals you want, or your pet eating ramen in hyper-colour, you may be pleasantly surprised at the potential, come in for a brainstorm!

Sammi
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All cover-up challenges are different, some look difficult at first but are simple in execution, others look simple to fix at first but end up being a lot more difficult than originally thought. It definitely requires a different way of thinking and a different approach, but I love the challenge and welcome anyone who wants to transform their old or unwanted work into fresh new tattoos!

I'll never say no to trying to help you with a cover up and will do my absolute best to come up with a solution for you. I will not go ahead if I’m not absolutely confident I’ll be able to do a good job, and it’s at that stage and only when absolutely necessary that I will recommend laser treatment in order to move forward effectively.

Here are some things to keep in mind when thinking about what to do with your old tattoo:

• You don’t necessarily have to limit your idea’s, you still have the potential to have something awesome over the top of your existing tattoo, leave the technical part to me! I always say to approach thinking about your cover-up with a clear mind as if it were fresh rather than trying to conceptualise what will work, that’s my job. Lots of the time there is more potential than you’d think, so don’t let the fact that you have something undesirable stop you from being creative with your ideas! Sometimes the crazier, the better! Ponder what it is that you would truly love to have tattooed on you.

Aftercare

- DO NOT SCRATCH it, pick at it or rub the scabs off. There is a high possibility that if you do, you will pull colour out of your tattoo! To help ease the discomfort, apply a small amount of cream, or give it a gentle slap J

- KEEP IT OUT OF THE SUN for the healing period, then only once healed, use sunscreen to avoid fading. Don’t use sunscreen on healing tattoos!

- DON’T GO SWIMMING – whether it is chlorine or salt water, spa pool, fresh water or beach, it’s a no go zone for at least 2 weeks or until fully healed.

- DO NOT SHAVE, wax, exfoliate, use tanning lotion, hair removal creams etc over the tattooed area whilst healing.

- Please consider also that if you are exercising whilst your tattoo is healing, minimal movement in the area is required to avoid cracking the tattoo.

And please, make sure to keep your tattoo clean!

If you do have any queries, problems or you find you’ve had a reaction to the cream/soap/materials used for dressing the tattoo, cease use immediately, let me know and I’ll do whatever I can to help!

ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE AND AFTER DEALING WITH A FRESH TATTOO!

• After 2-3 hours remove the dressing, wash your tattoo gently with warm water and liquid antibacterial soap. (Showers are fine, no baths as you don’t want to have your tattoo submerged in water) Wash with your hands only, no cloths. Let air dry, or gently pat dry with clean towel/paper towel.

• OPTIONAL - you may need to keep your tattoo covered for the first three days or so, changing dressing 3 times a day or as required, washing thoroughly between removal of old and reapplication of fresh dressing. Make sure tattoo is dry before reapplication of dressing. This process depends on placement/environment.

• After 2-3 days it will start to feel tight. Apply a small amount of any of the below creams to the tattoo twice to three times a day which keeps it flexible and comfortable and will help to avoid cracking. My recommendations are:

• Inky A locally made balm that smells delicious and heals like a dream! (which you can buy through me)

• Fragrance free vitamin E moisturizer (which is light so it needs applying a little more often,

• but Vitamin E is good for healing)

• Dr Pickles (which is available at Woolworths,

• a bit thicker so apply less often)