FAQs
How do I make an appointment?
I do my bookings through email when they're open. I have a questionaire asking for specific details about what you are looking for as well as some general information that you can copy and paste to your email. The questions I need answered are on the Contact Me tab. If I think that your project is a good match for me, I will email you back with a date of your tattoo and if needed, a consultation. I do consultations for more complicated or larger tattoos! You can also request a consultation if you'd like. Answer each prompt as well as you can, and please don't add any additional details- I get a lot of individuals explaining to me the meaning behind why they are getting a tattoo, and a lot of these emails include details of trauma and loss. When we are doing the tattoo, I welcome conversation and if you would like to go into details of the meaning, I am usually very open to hearing them. I enjoy the human connection aspect of tattooing very much! But including this in the contact form is emotionally very tough for me so I respectfully ask for it to remain out.
If I have any last minute openings, I usually post them on my Instagram-this is on a first come first serve basis.
What kind of work are you focused on right now?
I am looking to focus on single subject and mixed subject botanicals and vintage imagery, particularly inspired by the Renaissance, 18th century, and art nouveau period. Right now I'm focusing on black and grey work.
I have pre-drawn and vintage designs available to tattoo, they're all able to be viewed through the " Vintage and Pre-Drawn Design" tab.
This is in no way representative of what I think makes a "good" tattoo-rather I pick projects that I think fit my particular skill set and interests. If you've read through everything and seen my portfolio and aren't sure if we would be a good match, feel free to submit a form anyway. I can always recommend you to an artist that would match you well!
What are your rates?
I am 175/hr. This excludes stencil and break times. I try to give an estimate of how long I think I a piece will take (i.e 8-10 hours) so you have a good idea what to budget for. Smaller pieces that will take a day I will give a set price, but multi-day designs are harder to give an exact estimate so I ask everyone to be prepared to be flexible.
If you have a budget, please let me know. I'm happy to try and work with whatever it is, whether it's simplifying the design or breaking up the sessions.
Do you take cash or card?
Cash or Venmo if you can't get to an atm! Either works for me.
What about tips?
Same goes for those! (never necessary but always appreciated)
Do you tattoo coverups or scars?
Because I use a lot of open skin for my tattoos, the designs aren't always suited for coverups, but I usually can do smaller ones-large cover-ups I have referrals for, so if you aren't sure feel free to submit a form anyway and I can help!
I do tattoo over scars provided they are old enough-I prefer 3-4 years of healing before I tattoo over scars.
What is your deposit/cancellation policy?
I require a 75 dollar deposit that goes towards the total cost of the tattoo.
I ask for at least 72 hours notice if a cancellation is needed-please know that my schedule is sporadic and if you cancel or reschedule I can't guarantee that you will get in right away for another session-so please, make appointments on days that you can be sure you have off. If you cancel/reschedule within 72 hours, a 75 dollar fee will be added to your next tattoo. I know that sometimes life gets in the way, but I have no way of knowing what is going on, so this fee is non-negotiable.
I also reserve the right to not work with an individual if I do not feel as though my time is respected- if you "no-show" i.e not come in for your session and not tell the shop and me, you will not be getting another appointment.
Can I see the design before the appointment?
Short answer is yes-I don't mind showing you your design before the session! I do all my drawings the week leading up to your appointment, so you can reach out a couple days before. Please do not reach out a week or earlier.
I do not mind alterations-maybe you want something smaller, or a leaf to be taken out. Just email me back with comments/questions and I will fix it the day of your appointment. You will not see the final design with retouches until you come in the door.
If you want a drastic change; something that will require more than one hour of draw time (Like changing the subject matter), you will be rescheduled so I can have the proper time!
On seeing the drawing- Most tattooers do not like to show their clients the drawing ahead of time, because people tend to show their friends and family and get often un-asked for opinions. While I can't prevent this, I do ask you to please keep the drawings private-no one else should be involved in the tattoo process but you and your artist, and your friends may convince you to change something or give you what they deem as good advice on your design-but they are not tattooers and they are not you! If you have any concerns, please just email me directly-I am always happy to ease anxiety and answer questions.
Why haven't you answered my email or booking form???
I had to throw this in here, because I do think folks get frustrated when they don't hear back right away. I try to avoid emailing back and forth as much as possible, this is why I have the FAQs, the form to fill out, and the consultation. Outside of the booking emails, I only email back folks when their appointment is coming up that week, or if they have questions concerning healing or a touch up. It usually takes a couple weeks to get through all the booking requests, so please don't worry, I will get back to you. I try to remind my clients, and myself, that there is no such thing as a tattoo booking emergency.
I only book appointments when my books are open, so if you have emailed me about a tattoo outside my booking, you won't hear back. This was a hard boundary to make, but one I felt like was needed because it's hard for me to say no and last booking period I got way to booked, so please wait until my books are open to submit a form for a tattoo request!
What is the difference between a vintage flash and a pre-drawn flash?
Pre-drawn flash is a design that I have drawn myself or composed from photos I have taken myself!
Vintage flash are illustrations taken from mainly old books that have been scanned and are able to use online. Typically they are from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. I take pains to ensure they are Public Domain, which (to the extent of my research) means their copyright has expired and they are free for public commercial use. In the United States, public domain extends to all creative work made prior to 1923. If you have any questions about this or want more source information, please let me know!
Where are you located?
I'm working in Bellingham WA, at Red Sparrow Tattoo Collective. The address is 1417 Railroad Ave.
How do I submit a request for a Vintage design?
The same way you would submit for a custom request, but instead of describing your tattoo, just add a screenshot of the predrawn.
If multiple folks want the same design, current clients get priority. If all requests are new clients, I typically do best availability.
Is there anything you aren't tattooing right now?
There are some design ideas I typically will refer other artists for, they include geometry, micro-tattoos, logos/cartoon characters, script (I don't mind doing this tacked on to a larger appointment, but not by itself), traditional tattoos and just linework tattoos. I also tend to try and get variety in, so sometimes if I'm doing too much of something I'll stop for a while. Like last booking period I did a lot of snakes, so I'm not taking many on this time around. If you're hesitant to whether or not I'll take it on, submit a form anyway and I'll let you know!
Any other questions, please send to sophiagtattoos@gmail.com. This is not an email for tattoo requests, so please use the Contact Me tab for that. Thank you!