HEY!

Well it’s been over a year since the last post and what a year it’s been.

Artists have come and artists have gone but for the first time in a very long time, the studio has the talent and whole team dedication to fully support and reflect the ethos of the business, namely, that the customer experience is paramount in our operations.

We’ve changed up the studio a bit to better optimise the space, without compromising on our unique approach to client comfort and there’s a heap of new art that highlights our artists’ skills.

It’s a very exciting and interesting time for all of us, so don’t be shy, come and check us out.

It’s 2020!

Happy new Year! Its the third decade of the twenty first century and time is truly flying 🙂

So many things have happened since we last posted. We did 2 ExtINKtion events with Emma ten Have, that were hugely successful. We helped raise funds for Zealandia and Forest and Bird that will go towards promoting the conservation conversation about new Zealand’s birbs. Hopefully, we’ll get another chance later this year to help Em with another conservation fund raiser 😉

Our team of super talented artists, has really settled in over the past 6 months. We’re just so proud of them, they are truly lovely people, as well as artists, so quick to support each other and their clients. If you haven’t already, check out their respective social media (click on the Artists tab) for some exciting recent updates in their lives.

We’ve got a very busy few months ahead and we’re all very excited to meet so many new clients who’re travelling from literally near and far to come see us. To get a feel for what our studio offers, click on the link on the Reviews tab and see what people are saying about us.

Here’s to a healthy and prosperous new year for all who truly deserve it, but especially anyone who is fabulous!

ExtINKtion

Less than a month ago, a lovely young woman, Emma ten Have, approached the studio to ask if we’d be interested in supporting her with her Master’s Degree. It was a very unusual request, a proposal to enhance NZ bird life conservation awareness through tattoos.

Happily, the whole project resonated so well with the studio’s ethos, that we were on board immediately! Having such a great opportunity to have a hand in bird conservation was a no-brainer. We’ve been striving to find a meaningful way to give back in honour of the very birb from which we took our name, the Kakapo! But also helping out the lovely Emma, a young, kiwi scientist-artist would be our honour.

Go to our Events page and click on the link to the event’s Facebook page for details and we’ll hopefully see you there 😉

ART FOR SALE

Most of the art on display in the studio is for sale. If there’s anything that catches your eye and fancy, don’t be shy about asking about it.

Booking a Tattoo is Easy As

We get heaps and heaps of phone calls and emails from people who haven’t yet been tattooed, asking about how the booking process works.  I found this meme online that cuts straight to it (see below).

If you’ve already researched your artist and you know who you want to see, it might be best to book your consultation to ensure you get to see them when you come in 🙂

Consultations are free and deposits are deducted from the final cost of your tattoo 🙂


Have a great day!

The tattoo healing process

Greetings!

It’s funny how no matter how much detail a client is provided with about their tattoo and what to expect as it heals, a few folks still make a panicked call to the studio within mere days of getting their tattoo, freaking out about how their tattoo is starting to look.

A new tattoo is an actual wound, an open sore that needs to close up and heal.  This process takes between 2-4 weeks on average.  That means, it will go through various stages of scabbing and peeling.

With colour tattoos this process can look pretty gruesome but it does not mean anything is wrong with your piece.  You MUST allow the skin time to reseal itself through the normal healing process in the much the same way that any skin graze and ensuing scab will heal.

You  shouldn’t pick your scabs, as this can lead to scarring, as well as infection.  In the case of tattoos, it will lead to discolouration and even lift the ink right out of it.

Applying too much aftercare (be that a specific tattoo product, a moisturiser or an anti-septic) will dilute the ink and even leech it out of the wound before it’s healed up.

Ask your tattooist about their own tattoo healing stories.  Nearly all of them will have a weird tale of the healing process, where observing a big colour piece heal, includes moments when they’re sure something is wrong but it all works out in the end.  You have to be patient.

If the surrounding skin isn’t red and inflamed, it’s very unlikely that there’s any infection to manage.  So just leave it alone as much as possible in order to avoid cross contamination with unclean fingers.

Below is a wee picture than shows the varying stages of the healing process.

Hope this clears things up a bit 🙂

Peace.

For your (re)viewing pleasure :)

It’s important to review your artist to get a feel for the type of person they are, in addition to their artistic talents.

We use a booking system to keep track of appointments, book new clients and record details.  It provides us with a raft of nifty features, such as reporting and business projections, it even sends happy birthday emails to all customers who provide an email address!  Best of all, it provides clients with the means to log their feedback about their experience.

We’re delighted that we manage to provide a consistently positive experience for all our customers.  Check out what folks are saying about us by clicking on the following link:

Kakapo Ink Customer Reviews

Look After your Ink People!

We had a customer come in yesterday, to inquire about the healing  process of her tattoo that she had done a week ago.

It was definitely in the early stages of infection, which distressed us because we pride ourselves on the standard of our hygiene and cleanliness, operating a fully disposable, single use environment.

Turns out she works in housekeeping at a hostel and did not cover up her fresh piece while performing her work.  Stirring up untold number of airborne pathogens, that surround us in our day-to-day lives, it’s not really surprising that something has has taken hold within the newly open wound and started to cause irritation.

When your artist tells you to take care of your tattoo, they mean it!  The responsibility for maintaining it once it’s put on your body, falls to you.  You MUST clean it carefully every day.  Cover it while it’s healing, especially if you work in a job that increases your exposure to pathogens.  It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, just something to keep it out of the sun, wind and air, be it long sleeves or long pants.  And make sure any clothing you put against it is clean!

Cheers!

 

Winter time is Tattoo time!

Splendid winter salutations!

Did you know that winter is the best time of year for getting your tattoos?

You don’t have to worry about it getting sunburned, you won’t have to forego any warm weather water activities, perhaps most importantly, you can keep it safely covered under loose clothing (well, in most cases you can 😉 ).

Who knew?!