Booking info
My books are currently open. You can submit a booking inquiry here!
Here you can find info about my tattooing practice and how I work, as well as answers to questions you may have about how to book with me and what your appointment will be like. If you still have questions after reading through this page, you can contact me via email.
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Pricing
My rate is $125/hr for tattoos lasting 1-3 hours, with a $150 appointment minimum. For tattoos lasting 4+ hours, my rate drops to $100/hr for the entire appointment. I offer a number of sliding scale appointments each month for people who are financially impacted by capitalism and its many forms of structural discrimination. Sliding scale rates are $80-$110 with a $120 appointment minimum. Please read over the sliding scale information before requesting that option when booking with me. I also offer one free tattoo per month, available by request for Black and Indigenous clients who cannot otherwise afford a tattoo from me. Tattoos are a luxury that should be saved for, but my hope is that in offering these options, more people in my community can access my work.
Tipping is common practice in tattooing. Tips are always appreciated but never required! I will never question what you choose to tip, or what you choose to pay if you have a sliding scale appointment.
Deposits are $50 for flash and $100 for custom. Deposits are non-refundable. Flash deposits are applied to the total cost of your tattoo at the appointment. Custom deposits cover the cost of the time spent creating your design (with any remaining amount applied to the final cost of your tattoo). Deposits are paid through Square at the time of booking. I accept cash and Venmo for the balance of your tattoo at your appointment.
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Flash, Custom & Vintage Nature Illustrations
Flash tattoos are designs that I create in advance. Most of my flash is repeatable until I retire it, which means other people may have the same tattoo as you. If you see a flash design that you like but would prefer to have a unique design just for you, I am open to re-working an existing flash design (I may charge a drawing fee depending on the complexity of the request). I am also open to making minor changes to my existing flash designs, such as swapping out a color, adding a color accent, removing/moving an element, etc. You can mention these requests in your booking form.
Custom designs are your idea, drawn in my style, and created only to be tattooed on you.
I also enjoy working from vintage nature illustrations. These are traced renderings of images in the public commons. I do not charge a drawing fee for these designs, unless edits are requested.
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Handpoke Info
I make handpoked tattoos. This type of tattooing is done by using sterile, single-use needles dipped in ink and stippled into the skin by hand, without use of a machine. The process is slower than machine tattooing (my tattoos take an average of 2-4 hours to complete). While I provide estimates for how long tattoos will take, I can never really know for sure! Please allow plenty of extra time for your appointment—sometimes we need an extra 15 mins to an hour+ beyond the estimate to complete the tattoo. Tattoo estimate times also do not include time spent on breaks, stencil placement, bandaging, etc.
While pain is very subjective, most people feel that handpokes are less painful than machine tattoos. On the flipside, they take longer, so be prepared to sit for awhile —feel free to bring headphones, a book, etc.
Because these tattoos are made by hand, they may not heal *perfectly* clean and solid, especially those with thinner lines. They tend to look a little more dotty and imperfect. This is part of their charm! I recommend that you take a look at the healed tattoo highlight on my instagram for examples of healed tattoos by me. I am also happy to touch up a tattoo done by me for free- just reach out to me via email and we can set something up.
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Color
While I most often work in black, I have plenty of color options available. I am willing to add color accents to my flash designs, such as a circle or sparkle. Additionally, some of my flash can be done in color. Just let me know what you’re looking for when you send your booking request form! Color work typically takes a little longer than black work, which can increase the total cost of your tattoo.
If you would like to see what a color looks like in your skin before getting a color tattoo from me, I can do a permanent color test at least one month prior to your appointment. I offer free color tests for BIPOC clients— other clients will be charged $50 for time and supplies. Color tests are permanent. I will tattoo a small dot or line of each color you want to test in an area of your choosing.
If you are concerned about a possible allergy to any color of tattoo ink, we can do a permanent color test or a skin patch test (not permanent). Skin patch tests are free and must be done at least 24 hours in advance of your appointment. Ink will be applied on top of your skin near the area you want to be tattooed. Patch tests are not 100% reliable, as allergies to ink can develop over time, but they may give an early indication of reactivity to ink. If you have serious concerns about allergies to ink, please consult a dermatologist prior to getting your tattoo.
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Preparing for Your Appointment
Everything you’d ever want to know before your appointment can be found here. Contact me if there’s something I didn’t answer that you’d like to know!
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Location/Studio
Twinkle Ranch is a small, licensed, private studio in East Austin owned by myself and Jenna (@cowgirlufo).
There is no free parking close to the studio, but there is plenty of street parking available for $2/hr. If you choose to look for free parking, please allow an extra 20-30 minutes before your appointment to look for a spot and walk over.
I only use vegan products in my practice. In addition, I strive to make my practice eco-friendly, using biodegradable products to the extent possible. Jenna and I both take sanitation very seriously and use safe, sanitary methods to prevent cross-contamination and the spread of blood-borne pathogens.
Our studio is a member of the Austin Against Apartheid campaign— we do not sell or buy products on the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) list, in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for liberation.
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Consent, Comfort & Accessibility
It’s my goal to give you a tattoo experience that is safe and consensual at every step, and as comfortable as possible.
I encourage you to:
Contact me prior to your appointment if you have any questions about the process or anything you would like me to know about you.
Be honest with how you’re feeling with the design, placement and size. We can place a stencil as many times as we need to make sure we get it right. It’s easy, so please don’t hesitate to ask if you want any adjustments to be made.
Share your needs/requests with me. I do my best to check in and try to anticipate your needs, but sometimes I don’t catch it all. If you need/want something during the appointment, please feel free at any time to ask me!
Don’t feel like you have to make conversation. The quiet nature of handpoking can make some people feel like they need to fill the silence. I am comfortable with & enjoy talking to clients during a tattoo just as much as I enjoy listening to the music play while you read, look at your phone, close your eyes, etc. Every appointment flows differently, but I am here to meet you where you’re at and go with that flow!
I will check in with you throughout the tattoo, but feel free to ask for a break whenever you need one. If you are finding it challenging to continue sitting for the piece, we can always schedule a second session to finish.
Our private studio is on the second floor of a building with no elevator, and therefore is not wheelchair accessible. However, I may be able to schedule an accessible space to tattoo you in, just reach out to me via email if you would like to request that.
I strive to always respect your basic rights as a tattoo client. Check out this Client Bill of Rights resource developed by Tamara Santibañez & K. Lenore Siner.