With our tenth anniversary looming we decided we needed something a bit special to mark the occasion.

and what better way? 

BADGES!

Cos everybody loves a pin badge.

These awesome limited edition badges will be on sale at the studio from the 26th of August to mark ten years of being 

a bad influence

on you all since 2007.

Pump Clips released into the wild........

So we finally got to see the finished pump clips at Colchester brewery's launch night at 

the odd one out pub.

As well as getting to see the fantastic artwork immortalized we got to meet all the guys from the brewery and sample the corresponding beers, its a hard life i know,

the artwork went down a storm,as did the beer.

Camra, the campaign for real ale were all very impressed as it shows a real belief in the product to put so much effort into the artwork rather than just a computer generated  lifeless pump clip so often used by big business concerns, if its worth doing its worth doing really well.

during the evening over a dozen local publicans came along to see what it was all about, apparently landlords dont tend to meet in large groups so this was testament to everyone's hard work.

the clips will be seen all over the county now especially in London. 

Should you spot one in a pub be sure to get a photo and send it to use.

congratulations again to 

Julie Clarke Edwards and all at Colchester Brewery.

Blunt Advice About Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are hard to get.

It takes a good few years to complete an apprenticeship and it is rare for a tattooist to want to take on an apprentice as so many do not complete the training.

It takes a lot of time and effort from both parties and puts a strain on the tattoo studio as it may take a year or more before the apprentice can earn money. It is a HUGE commitment.

If you are still interested;

• DO YOUR RESEARCH! Internet, books, conventions etc. Do not contact the tattooist asking for advice, there is loads out there and it shows your interest and commitment if you go and find it for yourself.

• PORTFOLIO! Put your heart and soul in to it. Put everything in, include different types of art and media. Make it stand out, we see a handful a week, make yours worth looking at.

• GET TATTOOED! Get lots of tattoos, no one will take a non- tattooed apprentice seriously.

• LOOK THE PART! Make an effort with your appearance, go to the tattoo shop you want to work at, be polite, ask questions and get tattooed.

• ACCEPT REJECTION! Most shops will already have an apprentice or they do not want one. If this is really what you want to do you will need to accept that there may be a lot of rejection along the way.

If you're determined, take on board all these points, keep visiting your chosen studio and make them realise you could be a loyal, hard working employee and an asset to them. Accept the criticism, advice and feedback you get, improve your drawing and artwork and maybe they will change their mind and make you a part of their team.

Just remember, this is a hard industry to get in to. Every tattooist works differently so make sure you have done your research and chosen the right artist for you.

Tattooing is a lifestyle, not a part-time practice or flight of fancy and, if you really want it, it is worth the effort!

Colchester Brewery Collaboration!


We finally got to meet up with the awesome guys from Colchester Brewery, and they loved the artwork for their new pump clips designed by our very own Julie Clarke Edwards.

The set of four will soon be on pumps all over the country,with more being added in the near future!

Tom Knox from the brewery had this to say;

"Julie has produced amazing artwork for our new pump clips. Truly an incredible talent. Trevor Johnson has beautifully arranged them in a totally new format. We are so chuffed that Julie and Kai Edwards took the job on. They have also kindly agreed to put their talents to a series of revamped clips and brand new beers for us including their own beer. Flaming Gun. We hope to show you the completed and finished files ready for print by the end of the week. We also think it would be great to have a little launch party for this too. so keep your eyes peeled."


Looks like lots of exciting this to come in the future!!

                                     

Collaboration with The Robin Cancer Trust for ovarian cancer awareness month

Recently we were approached by the Robin Cancer Trust to design tattoos that represent the symptoms of ovarian cancer and help raise awareness.

Julie and Alex both submitted designs that were used, he's the first two and what they represent;

Bloating that is persistent, frequent, new or unusual could be a sign of ovarian cancer - listen to your body, she knows you best

Feel too full to eat? Fullness that is persistent, frequent, new or unusual could be a sign of ovarian cancer - listen to your body, she knows you best 

For more information, please check out the Robin Cancer Trust Facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/TheRobinCancerTrust/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

One month down...

It's February already!!

January, the month that seems to take forever to get through has passed, we've (hopefully) put the debt of Christmas behind us and are looking forward to longer days and warmer temperatures...perfect for showing off those awesome tattoos.

Here's what the guys have been up to recently;

Julie;

 Alex;

Doug;

Martin;

Both Martin and Alex have some space available in February, so if you've been thinking of getting that awesome tattoo now so that you can show it off for the summer, come in and book it now!!

Flashday the 13th - another awesome event day!

In January on Friday 13th we hosted Flashday the 13th. Each artist drew up a sheet of flash in their own indomitable style;

Julie - Dotty realism
Doug - Neo traditional & Geometric
Martin - Old school
Alex - Old school/traditional

They were all booked up pretty quickly and customers got to choose their flash from their chosen artists sheet on the day.

Doug's Neo trad rose.

 Alex's awesome robot.

Martin's mummy heart.

Julie's fab dotty mandala.

Some awesome examples of the work they all produced.

Can't wait to see what they're going to do in October!!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to all our customers, old and new! May this year bring you everything you want, including lots of tattoos!!

Here's a few of what our guys have been up to recently...

Julie Recently finished this beautiful poppy piece based on the Tower Of London poppies and renewed a cap badge she originally did 9 years ago!

Alex added this awesome dagger to Jack's traditional sleeve.

Doug added this beautiful flower and mandala to Lauren's leg piece

Martin's first tattoo of the year was an awesome lucky rabbits foot for Verity.

We still have a few spaces left with Alex & Doug for our Friday 13th event FLASHDAY THE 13TH, taking place on Friday 13th January.

Please pop in to the studio and leave a deposit if you would like a space.

For more information follow the link below to our Facebook event page;

https://www.facebook.com/events/359532667745619/

***GIFT VOUCHER GIVEAWAY!***

It's the most wonderful time of the year and we're all feeling festive...it's probably all the eggnog...but whatever the reason we want to spread that festive cheer!

When you purchase a gift voucher between now and Friday 23rd December you will be automatically entered in to a competition to win yourself a £100 voucher!

So what are you waiting for!?! Get down to the studio now and buy your favourite people vouchers to be in with a chance of winning one for yourself!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Big Lick Total!!

So we can finally update you with how much we managed to raise for the Robin Cancer Trust through The Big Lick, in conjunction with The Three Wise Monkeys!

Thank you to everyone who came along! It was an awesome night of great fancy dress and even better music!!

****CHRISTMAS GOODIES****

we have some awesome gift ideas and stocking fillers for sale in the studio, some of which are totally EXCLUSIVE to us! All items come in either a gorgeous gift bag or box so they are ready to go straight under the tree!!

Items include Hex Bomb bath bombs, awesome bath bombs like nothing you've seen before! There's Black As Your Soul, with its gentle rose fragrance;

Bathory which smells of berries;

 and Hellfire with it's cherry cupcake scent;

£5.00

Jewellery! Including two exclusive designs by our own Julie Clarke and made by Curiology> Prices from £13.00-£15.00 each

Zero Fucks coins! £5.00 each

and a great selection of body jewellery, including these stunning septum clickers. Prices start from £8.00

And remember, we always have gift vouchers available!!!

Halloween Horror Hole!

So after the overwhelming success of Friday the 13th, where we offered customers the following choices;

Option 1. The customer can pick the artist, placement, and the design from the sheet the artist has drawn, but you won’t see the designs till the day.

Option 2. The customer can pick the artist and have a chat about preferred design and placement, your artist will decide final design, style and colour.

Option 3. The customer picks the artist….. That’s it!

Whichever option, the customer did not see the final tattoo till the end, 

We decided to do it all again for Halloween!

We announced the available spaces one morning and by the afternoon over half the appointments were taken!! The appointments filled up quickly and before we knew it we had 27 people booked in for one day! We opened on Saturday 29th with an air of excitement and, as Halloween is our favourite holiday in the shop, everyone was in fancy dress and the shop was decorated to the max!

As our customers arrived the air of excitement grew and with lots of cheesy horror films playing in the studio the day got underway. Once again our tattooists worked their creative little butts off and produced some awesome tattoos, every customer left smiling and happy with an original piece of art on them.

Something like this wouldn't be possible without the level of belief and trust our customers put in to our tattooists, they are the guys that really make it great and the reason we work so hard.

I'm sure we'll be doing something just as awesome again soon...stay tuned!!

SHOP ANNOUNCEMENT!

We are sad to announce that after 9 years Martin is planning to leave Flaming Gun and is thinking of becoming a northerner!

Martin has a very strong client base here in Colchester so is giving a long notice period to get all larger pieces finished.

He will be looking to have all large, multiple sitting pieces completed by June 2017, so if there are unfinished pieces out there or you would like to have a larger piece done, please come in to the studio to arrange appointments.

We plan on calling all existing customers in due time.

As Martin’s plans are not 100% concrete yet, he will be around for a little while after this date to take on single sitting pieces.

Watch this space for updates.

So Julie and Kai are now back from there trip to Las Vegas Bike Fest,they had an amazing time and even got a win at the tattoo competition,Best Blackwork! Here is a pic of Kai with the judges.

FOR ONE WEEK ONLY!!

Hi all!

For the next week Alex is offering the following designs at FANTASTIC prices!!

If you want to snap one up get in quick!!