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Remember Me Tattoos marks six years on Elgin’s Main Street; owner highlights apprenticeship and safety
Summary
On a live City of Elgin segment, co-owner Tasha Carnes said Remember Me Tattoos has been in Elgin six years, operates with three artists, emphasizes apprenticeship training and annual safety certifications, and relies largely on word-of-mouth and social media for clients.
Elgin — Tasha Carnes, co-owner of Remember Me Tattoos, told a City of Elgin live segment that the tattoo studio has been on Main Street in Elgin for six years and emphasizes apprenticeship-based training and recurring safety certifications.
Carnes, speaking to Stacy Ford Osborne, acting public information officer for the City of Elgin, said the business moved from Manor to Elgin in 2018 after the owners found a suitable storefront. "We've been in Elgin for 6 years," Carnes said. She described the relocation as having "worked out great."
Carnes said the studio employs three artists — herself plus Taylor and Russo — and schedules roughly eight to 10 appointments a week for her own work. "It usually takes about 2 years or so to kinda completely learn everything," she said of the apprenticeship path into tattooing. On safety she added, "Every year, we're doing, blood borne pathogens training, CPR training, first aid training" and that the shop keeps at least one person on site who can handle minor emergencies.
On services and style, Carnes said she favors illustrative work that pulls from realism and uses large color palettes as well as illustrative black-and-gray pieces. She described session lengths ranging from about 30 minutes for small tattoos — "you could come in and be in the shop for a total of 30 minutes" — to multi-session projects that can require five to six hours per sitting and many sessions over weeks or months.
Carnes said most customers find the shop through word-of-mouth, supplemented by Facebook, Instagram and TikTok promotions managed by her husband. She noted a mix of client-supplied designs and in-house adjustments to improve longevity and placement. Carnes also mentioned a personal collection of tattoos by artists she admires, including a cherished piece by the late Shanghai Kate.
Remember Me Tattoos is located on Main Street, "directly across the street from Joseph's" and beside the Quarter Horse Association, Carnes said. The live segment ended with mutual thanks from host and guest.
The interview is a profile of a local small business and does not record any formal city action or vote; readers seeking appointment or contact details are directed to the studio’s social media channels as noted by Carnes.
