Flash Day, New Contest, and Boots, oh my!
There are still a few spots left for the Philly Convention Jan 24th thru 26th! Caroline will be assisted by Melanie, and sharing the booth with shopmate Bobby and @DrizzyEmpBoy. Stop by and see them even if you are not getting tattooed! Call/text for appt 732-503-8469, for more info about the convention visit https://villainarts.com/tattoo-conventions-villain-arts/philadelphia-tattoo-arts-convention/
Speaking of available appointments, there are still some Flash Day Jan 29th appointments available too. Check out the January Flash below and make your appointment now! Call/text 732-503-8469
New Contest!
Every month our artists draw a tattoo based on criteria from a roll of the dice, Tattoo Paint Roll dice. The pictures will be posted across all social media channels (FB, IG, tiktok, YT) and we are asking for your critiques! You will need to figure out what the criteria is and ensure that all artists’ tattoos incorporate the correct criteria. Winners will receive a free t-shirt. Your critique can be as simple or as nuanced as you feel each tattoo requires. Sample critiques can be found here https://youtu.be/9N64ytaseV4?si=UeijZeC0dZvsHWCf
Custom Boots!
Caroline finished the latest commission for a pair of custom hand painted boots! In addition to tattooing, running a business and sitting on various industry boards, she hand paints boots, purses, shoes, jackets, etc. If you are interested, you can find more information here https://www.tattoosbycaroline.com/custom-boots
January 2025 is underway!
We have gotten some of the new and exciting things going and some are still in the works. We’ve started our morning stretches and will be doing a video series on the importance of keeping our bodies stretched, strengthened and moving. The new contest is still in the works and will be ready to roll in the coming weeks. But now, lets talk about Flash Day 1/29 and the Philly Convention 1/24 – 26.
Flash Day Jan 29th
The new Flash Day flash is featured below. These images are offered at a discounted price one day only, arms and legs only, about 3”x 3.5” depending on image. View the flash sheets below. Call/text 732-503-8469 to book an appointment, or walk in.
T-shirts!!!
Caroline will be bringing all the t-shirts that we’ve had for sale in the shop to the convention. We need to make room for all the new merch that will be arriving soon, so grab your last minute merch now before it’s gone forever!
Also, if you are a client who lives in the western NJ, PA area and are looking to get a tattoo by Caroline or Bobby, call/text the shop and make you appointment before all the spots are gone. Shop 732-503-8469, for more info about the convention visit https://villainarts.com/tattoo-conventions-villain-arts/philadelphia-tattoo-arts-convention/
Looking Back at 2024
Looking back over 2024, we have done a lot! We donated to causes, we attended educational events and have added to our growing tattoo shop family.
MY BODY MY CHOICE Tattoo Fundraiser Event
Last year we donated $520 to the National Network of Abortion Funds from our MBMC tattoo event in July. This is up from 2023, but down from the first year. Hopefully, 2025 shows a bigger turn out, maybe some cool new flash for the event will draw more people in….
We also donated a $50 gift certificate to Brick football and a $50 gift certificate to Brick cheerleading fundraisers. We have been happy to be a part of this community for the last 9 years and love to be able to give back. There are some new organizations that we are looking into donating to this year.
We started a new client appreciation reward for our Friday the 13th Flash Days. We were able to reward our clients twice since there were 2 occasions of Friday the 13th!
Educational Events
In July of 2024, we attended the Lyle Tuttle Collection Skull Session Tattoo Art Event in NYC which was fun and informative.
Caroline attended Paradise Tattoo Gathering in Jiminy Peak, MA again this year. Paradise is a week long gathering of art seminars with the added bonus of visiting with your out of state tattoo family members that you may have missed at the conventions.
Our tattoo shop family is still growing!
In 2024, our tattoo shop family grew by leaps and bounds! We added 2 established artists, graduated 1 apprentice and began the graduation process of another. In 2025, we are looking forward to graduating the last one and taking on some new apprentices!
How to book our artists:
Caroline – Call/text 732-503-8469 Koryn – DM @koryn_tattoo on Instagram
Casey – Text 732-451-4904 Bobby – Call/text 732-503-8469
Rich - Call/text 732-503-8469
Anticipating January 2025!!!
Some of the exciting things that will be happening are Flash Day 1/29, the Philly Con 1/24 – 26 and exciting new contests for our clients and followers to play along with.
Ch, Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes!
If you haven’t noticed, the shop has been going through a lot of changes in the latter half of 2024 and will continue in 2025. We have welcomed 3 new artists (Koryn, Bobby and Casey) and have extended our hours to 7 days a week. We’ve rearranged furniture and our social media presence. We will be rearranging our contests and client participation events as well. The info on those will be coming as things are finalized. In the meantime, you can leave us a google review about your recent tattoo or an old one that you still love.
The Villian Arts 27th annual Philly Tattoo Convention
It will be held in the Pennsylvania Convention Center from 1/24 to 1/26. A 1 day pass is $25 or a 3 day pass is $50, children under 12 are admitted free. In addition to hundreds of tattoo artists from all over the country, there are also entertainment artists that will be performing all weekend. Caroline doesn’t miss this convention, since it is one of her favorites and this year, Bobby will be joining her. If you do decide to attend, swing by her booth and say “hello” they’d love to see you there!
If you are a client who lives in the western NJ, PA area and are looking to get a tattoo by Caroline or Bobby, call/text the shop and make you appointment now. Shop 732-503-8469, for more info about the convention visit https://villainarts.com/tattoo-conventions-villain-arts/philadelphia-tattoo-arts-convention/
Flash Day is Jan 29th!
Flash Day is the day we offer flash tattoos at discounted prices. Only the images on the flash sheets are discounted and only on Flash Day.
Check back for updated flash sheets. Our artists are drawing up some brand new flash to feature for this month, so don’t miss out! You can see the new flash posted here, on our Instagram, Facebook, tiktok or on the front desk in the shop, so if you are in the area, stop in and say, “hi!”
Friday 13th was Flash Day
A Special Surprise…
Our second Friday the 13th Flash Day was just as fun as the first, and like the first, a special surprise will be arriving in clients mailboxes soon… What special surprise you ask? 13 GIFT CERTIFICATES! As a special thank you to those who participated in our Flash Day, we are giving each of them 13 gift certificates, 1 to use towards their next tattoo and 12 to share with friends. We will be doing this every Friday the 13th so 1) Check your calendar for the next Friday the 13th 2) check our website for new flash and pick one (or more) you like 3) book your appointment 4) check the mail for your gift certificates!
Need a last minute holiday gift?
Buy them a gift certificate! Simply purchase a gift certificate online here https://www.myradiantenergy.net/gift-certificates and have it sent to your email, or directly to your recipient’s email! No fighting the crowds, no endless shopping, you don’t even have to wrap it!
Everybody’s New Hours
We are happy to announce that we have so many talented artists at our shop, even being open 7 days is not enough! In order to give everyone equal time in their work spaces, all artists are enjoying a 4 day in shop work week. What does this mean for you? Well, someone is always in the shop to consult with walks in, but your favorite artist has specific hours. Check them out below.
@carolineannevans
Caroline is available on Weds, Thurs, Fri, Sat from 12pm to 8pm. Caroline’s enjoys the challenge of Celtic knotwork and coverup tattoos.
@koryn_tattoo
Koryn is available on Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri from 12 pm to 8 pm. Koryn loves doing anime and fineline.
@doomsayer.art
Casey is available on Sun from 5pm to 8pm and Mon, Tues, Weds from 12pm to 8pm. Casey loves creating art and loves all styles.
@bobbyblack_tattoos
Bobby is available on Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues from 12 pm to 8 pm. Bobby enjoys black work and pepper shading.
@ryzarttattoo
Rich is available on Fri and Sat from 12 pm to 8 pm. He has started his apprenticeship tattoos. Rich loves neo-trad and enjoys applying his talents to other styles as well.
December Overview
November was full of fun (machine building) and family (Thanksgiving) and December will continue with even more! We start with our FLASH DAY on Dec 13th! It’s a Friday the 13th Flash Day, so the flash is a little bit spooky. All new and old flash sheets are posted below.
Being Thankful for Tattooing
Every Thanksgiving we reflect on what we’re thankful for. This year I am especially thankful for tattoos. I was first introduced to tattoos when my mom got her first one on her shoulder blade. The tattoo has three flowers representing my mom, my sister and me with “my two daughters” in Chinese. From that moment on, I fell in love with the art of tattooing. When I was playing with my Barbies, I would take black permanent markers and draw flowers and butterflies all over their bodies. I had begged my mom since I was 16 years old to let me get a tattoo. When she said no, I took India ink and a sewing needle and poked a moon onto my ankle (don’t try this at home kids). When I turned 18, the only thing I asked my mom for was a tattoo. She agreed, and I was hooked. After I spoke to my artist about becoming a tattooer, he told me not to do it. He said that it isn’t always guaranteed money, and it takes a while to build up a client base. But I didn’t care, I knew it was what I wanted to do. After a year of building my portfolio, I got a tattoo apprenticeship, and my life changed forever. I’ve met some of the greatest people who are now my closest friends. I’ve gotten to travel the state and meet artists from around the world at conventions. This career was definitely the right choice for me. Every day I go into the shop, I have more fun than the last and I get to create works of art on people that they get to keep for the rest of their lives. I am beyond thankful.
Casey Ritacco
No turkeys were harmed in the creation of this AI image.
Machine Building Day
Koryn
The machine building class was a very unique, hands-on experience. And with new technology coming out all the time for modern tattoo artists, it was a nice refreshing way to turn back the clocks a bit and really appreciate how far the industry has come. From learning proper wiring and all the fine tuning it takes to make a machine run properly for the job at hand, I took away a new appreciation for all the artists before us and the machine builders who are still working on their craft to this day.
Casey
I haven’t had much experience with coil machines, so learning about them and how they work definitely made me more confident with using them on actual skin.
Caroline
My take away from this was that even after tattooing for 3 decades, there was stuff that I had learned. There is always something to learn, you learn something new every day……and I got another machine ☺
Check out our machine building day
The Art of Gratitude:
How Tattoos Serve as Lasting Reminders of Thankfulness
Tattoos have long been a form of self-expression, a way to mark important moments in life, and even an avenue for spiritual or emotional healing. In recent years, more people have turned to tattoos as permanent reminders of gratitude—symbols of appreciation for life’s blessings, milestones, or the people who have left a lasting impact.
Why Gratitude?
Gratitude is more than a feeling; it’s a mindset that has been shown to improve mental health, boost relationships, and enhance overall well-being. When we practice gratitude, we shift our focus from what’s lacking to what’s abundant in our lives. It's an intentional act that promotes emotional resilience and inner peace.
In a world that often prioritizes striving, achieving, and acquiring more, gratitude brings us back to the present moment and helps us appreciate what we already have. A tattoo inspired by gratitude can be a meaningful expression of this positive mindset—a visual reminder that we are thankful for the people, experiences, and lessons that shape our lives.
1. Symbols of Growth and Transformation
Many people use tattoos to commemorate personal growth or life-altering experiences. Popular symbols like the lotus flower, which grows out of the mud to bloom, represent rising above challenges and emerging stronger. Similarly, the phoenix—a mythical bird that rises from its ashes—symbolizes rebirth and resilience, making it a fitting tribute to overcoming hardships with gratitude.
2. Names and Initials of Loved Ones
Tattoos that feature the names or initials of family members, friends, or mentors are common among people who want to honor those who have had a profound impact on their lives. This could be a parent who supported you unconditionally or a friend who has always been there in times of need. Such tattoos carry a deep emotional connection, expressing gratitude for the love and support these individuals offer.
3. Words and Quotes
Words carry power. A favorite quote about gratitude, personal strength, or love can serve as a permanent reminder of what’s truly important. Popular phrases like “Grateful,” “Thankful,” “Blessed,” or “This too shall pass” can provide strength during difficult times while reminding the wearer to stay grounded in gratitude.
4. Nature Elements
Nature often serves as a metaphor for life’s cycles and the beauty of growth. Trees, especially oak trees, can represent strength and endurance. Leaves, flowers, or even the sun can symbolize the simple yet powerful things in life that we are grateful for.
5. Coordinates or Dates
Some people choose to tattoo the coordinates of a place that has significant meaning to them—perhaps the place they were born, where they met a loved one, or a place that changed their life. Similarly, important dates such as anniversaries or moments of personal transformation can serve as a permanent reminder of gratitude for those experiences.
Gratitude as a Source of Healing Through Tattoos
For many, tattoos are not just about aesthetic beauty—they are deeply personal and healing. The process of getting a tattoo can be a therapeutic experience for those navigating grief, loss, or trauma. Some individuals get tattoos to memorialize a loved one or to honor a life-changing experience that they are grateful for.
Tattoos also serve as a form of self-empowerment. By taking control of one’s body and narrative, a tattoo becomes a symbol of self-respect and a testament to personal strength. For some, the act of getting tattooed is itself a form of gratitude—expressing appreciation for the body they inhabit and the life they live.
Tattoos and Mindfulness
The practice of mindfulness aligns closely with gratitude. By focusing on the present moment and acknowledging the beauty around us, we can cultivate a sense of peace and contentment. Many people find that their tattoos help them stay mindful and rooted in gratitude, as they reflect on the meaning behind their designs. Each time they see their tattoo, it brings them back to the moment of appreciation or the significance it holds.
Gratitude That Lasts Forever
Tattoos, with their permanence, offer a profound way to carry gratitude with you wherever you go. Whether it’s a design that symbolizes personal growth, a tribute to a loved one, or a simple word or phrase that reminds you to be thankful, tattoos serve as lasting emblems of what we hold dear. In a world that can often feel overwhelming, these symbols offer grounding and clarity, helping us stay rooted in the things that truly matter.
A tattoo can be more than just ink on skin—it can be a lifelong reminder to live with intention, appreciate the good in our lives, and carry gratitude with us always.