The sample pack

Okay here goes. Wren & Needle Tattoo, that's me, Mara Voss, private studio in Portland, one chair, appointment only, no walk-ins ever, the address goes out with the confirmation not before. I mostly do fine-line black and grey, some colour botanical stuff. The deposit is $100 flat, card or cash app, and it comes off the final price of the tattoo, it is not an extra fee, I say that forty times a month. Deposit is gone if you no-show, obviously, and also if you just stop replying — my rule in my head is a week of silence after I try twice, then the date goes back up and the deposit's used, but I've never written that down anywhere. Rescheduling: 48 hours notice and the deposit moves with you to the new date, once. Move it twice, or tell me the morning of, that's a new deposit, I'm done being soft about it, every time I bend it I eat a dead afternoon. If I'm the one who has to move us — it happens, I get sick, the studio flooded in March — your deposit never burns, ever, and you pick first from whatever opens up. Late: 15 minutes is the line. Past that the drawing time's gone and we have to rebook, deposit used. I say 'the day gets redrawn' but honestly it's just rebooking. Books: I open them the 1st of every month for the month after next, DM or the form, and when they're full they're full, I don't do a waitlist I do a 'books closed, follow the page, they open the 1st' reply. A booking request needs: placement, rough size in inches, colour or black and grey, two or three reference images, and your budget range — if it's missing half of that I'm six DMs deep before I can even say a price. Pricing starts at $150 minimum, day rate $900, but I quote each piece, don't print the day rate actually, just the minimum. Touch-ups: free within three months on my work, booked like a normal slot, small deposit still holds the slot and comes back off... actually no, for touch-ups there's no deposit, forget that, keep touch-ups simple, free inside three months, booked like any appointment. Consultations are free, 20 minutes, video or in person, big pieces only, I decide what's big. Payment day-of is card or cash, tips never expected always appreciated. Don't put my street address anywhere public, 'SE Portland' is enough. And nothing about aftercare on this page, my aftercare sheet is its own thing I hand over at the session, I don't want booking stuff and skin stuff mixed.

1 · Booking Wren & Needle

Wren & Needle is Mara Voss — a one-chair private studio in SE Portland, fine-line black and grey and colour botanical work, by appointment only. No walk-ins. Books open on the 1st of every month, for the month after next, by DM or the booking form; when they’re full, they’re full — follow the page and they open again on the 1st. The studio address comes with your confirmation, not before.

Your booking request needs: placement · rough size in inches · colour or black and grey · two or three reference images · your budget range. Pieces start at $150; every piece is quoted individually. Consultations are free — twenty minutes, video or in person, for larger pieces.

2 · Deposits

A $100 deposit holds your date — card or cash app — and comes off the final price of the tattoo. It isn’t an extra fee. It isn’t refunded if you no-show, and if you stop replying (two tries from me, then a week of silence), the date goes back up and the deposit is used.

3 · Moving a date

Tell me 48 hours ahead and your deposit moves with you to the new date, once. A second move, or notice inside 48 hours, takes a new deposit. If I’m the one who has to move us, your deposit never burns — and you pick first from whatever opens up.

Running late. Fifteen minutes is the line. Past that we rebook and the deposit is used — the drawing time is gone with it.

4 · Touch-ups & payment

Touch-ups on my work are free within three months, booked like any appointment — no deposit needed. Day-of payment is card or cash. Tips are never expected, always appreciated.

5 · The reply set (paste-ready)

The deposit ask: “Love this idea — your date is held once the $100 deposit lands (card or cash app). It comes off the final price. Here’s the link.”

The confirm: “You’re booked for [date]. Address comes the week of. 48 hours’ notice moves your deposit once; 15 minutes late means we rebook.”

The reschedule reply: “Thanks for the heads-up — that’s inside your one move, so your deposit comes with you. New date options: …”

The no-show note: “Sorry we missed each other today. Per the booking page, the deposit held the chair and has been used. If you’d like a new date, a fresh deposit opens one up.”

Books closed: “Books are closed right now — they open the 1st of every month for the month after next. Follow the page and you’ll catch it.”

The tidy list

• “I’m done being soft about it” stayed out — the pack states the rule she chose, not the bends she regrets.
• The street address stayed out everywhere, as she asked; “SE Portland” only.
• The day rate stayed out, as she asked — the $150 minimum and “every piece quoted” went in.
• Her ghosting rule — “in my head, never written down” — became one plain sentence: two tries, a week of silence, date goes back up.
• The fair flip side she named went in next to the firm rule: if she moves the date, the deposit never burns and the client picks first.
• The touch-up correction in her notes was taken the way she settled it: free inside three months, no deposit.
• Nothing about aftercare, as she asked — her aftercare sheet stays its own document.

Open questions (returned with the pack, never guessed)

• “A week of silence after I try twice” — should the written rule name the week, or stay “if you stop replying”? One line either way.
• Consultations: “big pieces only, I decide” — keep that sentence, or set a size line (e.g. “palm-size and up”)?
• Books: should the form stay open while books are closed (requests queue), or close with them?