Beth Swilling — the mom of Mom's Custom Tattoo & Body Piercing — takes safety seriously at her shop in Kendall Yards, where she works with a crew of highly trained tattoo artists and professional body piercers, including her daughter Scout.
"We want this to be a safe place," says Swilling, "where people can become who they want to become. To me, accepting the diversity of people fits into our paradigm."
Swilling believes the entire tattoo experience should feel empowering and safe, from consultation and custom design to aftercare. For 20 years, she has worn a surgical mask while tattooing. And once a tattoo is finished, Mom's artists apply high-tech Tegaderm — a breathable, transparent dressing — to keep out bacteria and germs for days, something basic plastic wrap can't do.
Similarly, Mom's body piercing standards go above and beyond basic safety. Every piercer at Mom's is a member of APP, the Association of Professional Piercers. That process demands "way more than what the state requires," says Swilling. The shop's APP membership means they can only sell body jewelry made with implant-grade materials.
Mom's embraces a sense of whimsy as well. "We worked hard to have fun little things like spiders and Sasquatch, not just gems," she says of their body jewelry options. Another area of the store named "Mom's Crystal Corner" is stocked with lighthearted gift items like stickers, greeting cards and small-batch candles, as well as "witchy elements" like oracle and tarot decks. The shelf also displays bath soaks and soaps handcrafted locally by Black Snake Botanical.
As a First Friday Art Walk participant, Mom's displays work from both local artists and in-house tattoo artists. Full-color prints and originals are available to purchase. Swilling plans to add her own hand-thrown ceramic mugs to the mix by Christmas. To learn more, follow @momsofspokane on Instagram.
1226 W. Summit Parkway Spokane, WA
Tues - Thurs 11am-7pm | Fri - Sat 11am - 8pm | Sun 11am - 5pm
momstattoo.com | 509-426-4465
