Tag: Jay

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The End of a Beginning

As of today, Friday 1st November 2024, it is officially my last day under the title “apprentice piercer” at Rogue. Tomorrow, Saturday 2nd November, it marks the 3 year anniversary since I joined Rogue piercing as a baby piercer taking my first steps into the industry.
Despite the fact I will no longer be Rogues apprentice, it doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop learning, or that that much will change overnight. I still have lots of piercings to get under my belt (i’m mainly looking at you intimate piercings), and I still have lots of new skills to add to my toolkit. I still plan to attend conferences, and meet new piercers, and still aim to keep raising and bettering my standards and skills. And even though this is just the end of my apprenticeship, it is still the beginning of my career.
So lets take a look at everything I’ve done during my apprenticeship!

Conferences!

Over 3 years, I have attended 6 conferences!
I have attended the UKAPP Conference as an attendee my first year, a vendor for Queen of the Ashes my second year, and as a volunteer a part of the AV team for my third year!
I also attended the Piercing Tradeshow to as a vendor with Inari Organics!
This year I took a very long trip to Edinburgh to attend the Wee Scottish Piercing Expo.
And my biggest accomplishment was leaving the UK for the first time to attend BMX-Net in 2023 in Berlin, Germany!

  • UKAPP ’22
  • Double Apprentice, Double Mentor – UKAPP ’23
  • Piercer Tradeshow ’23
  • Ukapp ’23
  • Ukapp ’23
  • First UKAPP Members meeting ’23
  • Working with Hika QoTA – UKAPP ’23
  • UK Piercers at BMX NET ’23
  • Apprentice and mentor – BMXNET ’23
  • Me, Matty, Paul King, UKAPP Afterparty ’23
  • Sam Holmes Class – UKAPP ’23

Event Planning!

During the past 3 years, I accidentally on purpose became Rogue’s official events planner! From planning Christmas parties, to charity days, as well as helping plan and book days out, conferences and everything in between!

  • Christmas party 2022
  • Getting ready for the 2023 Christmas Party
  • Christmas Party 2024

Curations!

Last year I fell in love with helping my clients plan fully designed curated ears. I can spend nearly 2 hours some days mapping out piercings on my clients ears, as well as choosing jewellery for each and every single piercing. This is definitely one of my favourite appointments to do!

  • Left ear – piercing curation
  • Right ear – piercing curation
  • Detailed map of piercing and jewellery curation

Piercings!

The most important bit, actually performing the piercings. Both as a completely supervised apprentice, to piercing completely independently! It’s great to see how much I have improved, changed and fell in love with throughout my apprenticeship.

  • 1st ever piercing!
  • 1st Bridge!
  • 1st Philtrum!
  • 1st Rook!
  • I absolutely love tongue piercings!
  • Post surgery nipple piercing!
  • My favourite conch with a peek-a-boo BVLA Snail
  • 1st Septum!
  • 1st Transverse Lobe!

Blogs!

During my 3 year apprenticeship at Rogue, I have written 54 blogs from fun and upbeat, to history, to jewel schools and education! I’ll leave some links to some of my favourite ones below.

Shop decorating!

Since my first year at Rogue I have been the lead decorator for the seasonal holidays! Decorating the studio for Halloween, Christmas, and birthdays! As well as making seasonal window displays for autumn or easter!

  • My first Rogue Christmas tree
  • Decorator and outfit planning for MTA Charity Fundraiser

Getting pierced!

I have also been pierced multiple times, from my cheeks to my ears I’ve had piercings pretty much everywhere from the team at Rogue! I definitely used my apprenticeship as an excuse to be a pin cushion!

  • I got my cheeks pierced!
  • My first (and only) large gauge piercing!
  • Some cheekbone microdermals!
  • A triple flat piercing!

This definitely isn’t everything I have done or achieved over the past three years, but it’s definitely not the end neither. I’m really excited about moving forward into the future and progressing into my career. I have made some absolutely amazing friends throughout the industry, who I can’t thank enough for the amount of support they have provided. Both knowingly and unknowingly. The past 3 years definitely have not been an easy ride in my personal life, but it has definitely been made easier by those around me.

I also haven’t been able to make it this far without the constant support of my clients. Those who have trusted me with my first ever piercings, my new techniques. Those who have let me put into practice things I have learned. I have created so many meaningful relationships. Some of you have even made me cry with Christmas gifts, and Sanrio mugs when I moved into my new home.

I want to make a personal thank you to both Breo and Gemma, who have kept my head above the water when I felt like I’ve been drowning. Who have continued to hold my hand and guide me (sometimes quite literally), and have gave me a constant shoulder to lean on. I could not have done it without you, and I couldn’t have chosen anyone else to do this with.

I also owe my entire career to Rogue, and very specifically Aiden. Who was the one who took a chance on me, and brought me into this world. Who looked at the 19 year old dressed in a suit, knew nothing about anything in the industry, and shouted about loving One Direction and Harry Styles during her interview, and said yes, I want you to be my apprentice.

Thank you. To all of you <3
-Jay / Jestrums_Eve

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As the Seasons Change.

As we slowly start our transition from Summer to Autumn, and the pace in the studio slowly starts to change with the return of students and the hustle and bustle of city life, the team at Rogue are distracted with big plans. September is officially conference season! You may remember a blog from last September (Conference Time!) that was written by Gemma, detailing everyone’s learning experiences. Well, for this blog post I’m going to be sharing all my excitement from my very first conference (and travel) outside of the UK.

Earlier this year I attended the UK Piercing Trade Show alongside Inari Organics as a vendor. I got talking to the wonderful Damien from Neilmed and StockoThePiercer, who were both trying to convince me to travel to Germany for this years BMXnet. I had absolutely no plans to do any travelling outside of the UK this year, and definitely had my eyes set on the UKAPP’s conference in Manchester once again.

Around a month or two later during a monthly staff meeting, we were discussing this years conference season. It was decided that we as a team were all travelling to UKAPP together. Aiden, Breo and Kat are all teaching classes this year, and Gemma and myself are helping Hika (QueenofTheAshes Jewellery) on the vendor floor, as well as attending other classes. Because Gemma had recently travelled to the APP conference in Vegas (feel free to read about that here) after gaining a scholarship, and Breo has attended the the APPE conference in Spain, that meant that Aiden, Kat and myself got the opportunity to travel to Berlin for another conference.

And so I had to start planning. After only getting my passport in the January this year, traveling to Berlin was going to be my first time every leaving the country AND getting on a plane. I had absolutely no idea of what to expect (which does not work when you are a massive over planner).

I travelled to Manchester’s conference last year with a big suitcase and a big backpack, absolutely overfilled with everything I could possibly need. For Berlin, I had only a carry-on backpack! I genuinely thought it would be impossible. But, I did it! Packing only one outfit for each day, pyjamas, and a spare pair of shoes (which were very much needed in the 30+ degree heat) plus my very thought-out liquids bag. And thus the show began.

Alongside the three Rogues travelling to Berlin, the lovely Anna and her apprentice David from Revenant Tattoo were travelling for the Berlin Tattoo Convention. We got to book our hotel together, and we all got to be roommates in a sweet little hostel style hotel. They had a really good breakfast buffet included (although I did somehow manage to nearly break their toaster and start a fire by losing a slice of bread in the gap).

We also got to travel together, and even go an extra travel buddy with us too! Armelle from Death Ray Tattoo was also attending the Berlin Tattoo Convention and was booked on the same plane with us. We all met at the studio at 8 in the morning before getting a taxi to Manchester airport and flying out. I was super nervous about getting through the airport, it was very overwhelming and there was a lot to take in. Thankfully I was with very experienced travellers so I just had to follow the group and keep my cool. I got through airport security easy-peasy, and after only a small delay in the take off time, we were in the air! I was slightly nervous on the way up due to the pressure pushing me back into my seat, but once we levelled out I was absolutely fine! Well, until the descent… Everyone had forgotten to mention that I needed to ‘pop’ my ears, and on the way down I was not having a good time and was really struggling to hear for a few hours! Thankfully a nice comfortable sleep that night left me feeling well rested and back to normal. Once we got checked into the hotel we went and met Andre and Hika and a few other guys for a cheeky couple of drinks!

Fresh and excited faces! Ready to travel!

And so began my actual learning! Waking up at 7am Thursday morning, Rogue and Revenant split up. Aiden, Kat and myself caught the tram (the S-Bahn) to the gorgeous building where the conference was being held. Grabbing a Redbull on the way, we got to check in, grab our lanyards and some super sweet tote bags before going to town on breakfast. Scrambled eggs and bacon was a very much needed and appreciated start to my weekend in Berlin.

My first class was a really amazing bondage demonstration. We were outside in the gorgeous warm sunny air, and I genuinely couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. I then headed over to Andre and Jane’s class on the 101 basics of cartilage piercings, an Open Piercing workshop with Beppe, Cristiano and Sala, and finished off my first day with Nahuel’s history class on Body Piercing before the 20th century! Overall I couldn’t have asked for a better start. I had some super cheesy pasta for lunch, followed by cheesy potatoes for dinner and way too many Fritz-Kolas and Spritzers. Unlimited access to fizzy pop is a dangerous game!

  • Morning Rope Fun!
  • Paul King! Can you see us?
  • Hi Jason!
  • Bright eyed and bushy tailed!

In the evening Aiden, Anna, David, Armell and myself decided to have another cheeky pint in Berlin. We found a really cool little pub where we tried some German Bier, before deciding it was definitely food and bedtime. Doner Kebab in Germany is so much better than in the UK!

Friday was an absolutely insane day! I woke up feeling super ready, had some more eggs and crispy bacon and got started. I had some amazing classes such as the History of BodyMod in India by Jason (my absolute favourite class I’ve yet taken). I got to meet some amazing people and got talking to some new faces who I haven’t met yet! Friday was promptly finished with an early night in bed, fast asleep for 10/11pm!

Saturday morning I decided to take a browse around Berlin and have a small tour of Alexanderplatz. This was something I was really proud of. I’d never even left the country before and now I’m having a mini adventure in a random European city all by myself! I got myself an iced coffee and headed around. I got some sweet little fridge magnets for my family and got to see just how beautiful the city of Berlin is. I also took a sneaky little trip to the skate shop Titus, and had to stop myself buying a million new things that I definitely would not have been able to squeeze into my backpack!

I shortly headed back to the venue to finish off some more classes. I treated myself to some gorgeous new weights from Symmetry Body Jewellery (Queer/Revenge hearts), and some cute little Hinged Jewellery Hangers (The Ties That Bind) from Queen of The Ashes Jewellery! Saturday night was also show night, with performers from the Hullaballoo Cabaret, and it was absolutely phenomenal. I’m still absolutely amazed at the performances. 10/10!

Sunday was kind of heart breaking. Realising it was the final day, and the weekend was nearly over, I was determined to make the most of it. I attended some more amazing classes and spoke to some more amazing people before making the travel back home Monday morning.

With the sun beating down, and everyone basking in the heat like lizards on a rock, I even got a slight tan! Who would have thought! I had such an amazing time, I could talk about it forever (but this blog is already getting pretty long). A massive thank you to Aiden for giving me this opportunity, and to all the speakers, teams, volunteers and leaders at the conference who made it possible. I can’t wait to return in the future and do it all over again.

  • It’d be rude not to get a mentor and apprentice photo!
  • UK Piercers!
  • All the amazing people!
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Apprenticeship – Year One!

It’s officially been a whole year since I started my apprenticeship at Rogue and 6 months since I last wrote about it. So much has happened since then! Let’s begin at the end of my last blog detailing my time and catch up to where I am now!

Jay and Coral being adorable

Previously, I was just opening up my calendar one day a week to pierce independently! I’m now piercing 3 days a week, doing some cool lobes, pretty nostrils, fun helix/flat piercings and conchs! I’m starting to develop my own piercing style, talking to clients, the preparation process and actually decorating and placing pieces! Working with clients and being given creative control to make beautiful results is definitely becoming one of my favourite areas of work. My favourite projects at the moment are definitely stacked lobes! Whether that’s piercing them or choosing the jewellery for them, they definitely have my heart.

I’m also just starting to come into my ‘intermediate’ piercings! I’m just finishing my apprentice navel piercing and am slowly being introduced to bridges, scaffolds, and tongues! However, bridges have been super popular recently and I did 5 in one week! I’m also super happy with how they’ve been turning out!

“One time Jay punched me in the face. It was awesome” – Gemma Suter, 2022
Gemma, Kat, Breo and Jay

The UKAPP 2022 conference was this year also! That was super exciting and I had such a great time! There was so many amazing classes! I focused a lot more on history classes this year, including a history class by Nahuel Burgos on Piercing Before the 21st Century, and Paul King’s XXX classes and The Incredible Til of Cardiff! And I also got to do an incredibly informative class on Health Considerations by Suzanne Wise, which surprisingly taught me a lot more about myself and my own experience with piercings.

I got to meet so many people, from fellow apprentices  to very experienced piercers who have been running the game for years, and it was super exciting to finally start talking to people! Rogue also explored Manchester a little bit and we ate out at some cool restaurants and cafes. Everything was honestly amazing! I also got to meet (and even get a selfie with) my piercing idol, Paul King! Apprentice of Elayne Angel at the Gauntlet, Paul King has been in the industry for many years and does masses of work regarding the history of piercing. He has taught at many conferences internationally. I even got a shiny new piece of jewellery while I was there! A stunning cluster curve for a new mid helix from Sebastienne Jewellery!

Aiden, Jay and Paul King

I’ve also done many things outside of the studio, such as camping to celebrate Anna’s birthday! And I braved a trip to Manchester by myself to go and see Harry Styles (which was my first big concert ever) and while I was there I also got my forehead pierced with a macrodermal by Kitty at Holier Than Thou, who did an excellent job! (And thankfully, it is still doing super well). I’ve also recently started reading again, which has been a pleasant surprise. It’s been a bit of a struggle over the years to indulge in a story like I once did, but here I am! Even sharing books out to people! 

BVLA ‘French Kiss’ pierced by Jay
Sebastienne piece for Jay, pierced by Gemma
BVLA ‘Mini Pleades’ pierced by Jay

So much has happened in the past 6 months, and even the year as a whole, but I wouldn’t change it at all! I’m extremely looking forward to year 2 of my apprenticeship and another conference, and more shiny piercings. I’m turning 21 after Christmas, so another huge milestone is right around the corner. 2023 is definitely going to be another big year for me again. But I think for now, I’m just going to take it day by day and keep looking forward to what’s ahead.

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Interview with a Rogue – Jay Abell

Book in with Jay here

Tell us about your first experience with piercing?

My first ever experience with piercing was when I got my lobes pierced, but I was too young to remember, so my first actual experience was when I got my helix pierced. I think I was around 14, and my mum had got her daith pierced, and I begged her to let me have my ear done. Knowing what I know now, it probably wasn’t the safest piercing I ever had, but it was a new experience and I kind of just didn’t stop from there.

What’s your favorite piercing you have?

My favorite piercing I have currently is the one in my chin, probably because it’s more of a “fun” piercing, very short term and not viable. It’s a fun challenge to see if I can heal it, but in the meantime it’s just really cute! I love watching people’s reactions when they see I have a piercing in my chin! 

How did you get into the industry?

I got into the industry through gaining my apprenticeship with Rogue. To be honest, I was extremely lucky with how I landed it. I left university and came home to Nottingham, got a local bar job, followed by a second job at a cafe. During this time I started visiting Rogue and slowly started to upgrade my jewellery to brands like neometal. (I was wearing a lot of odd sizes, and different materials like plastic). Upon talking to Kat and Aiden, I told them I was wanting to become a piercer, but I was working other jobs. I interacted with the studio online, but I also did a lot of home research. I started learning more about the APP and UK APP, and how they work and things like that.

I actually had a folder at home, with lots of their stuff printed out!

From there I got offered an interview with the studio, spoke about Harry Styles and One Direction a lot, and was just honest the entire time about what I  liked, what I knew and didn’t know and fortunately, got offered the apprenticeship.

What’s your favorite thing about working at Rogue?

Probably the environment. The clients are absolutely lovely and always make you so excited to work with them. There’s no pressure to wear anything I’m uncomfortable with, I can be myself, I can also have a couple of biscuits with my tea if I want to. There’s the right level of pressure, do your job and do it well, make sure your stuff is done, keep moving forward and working and aspiring harder. 

What are you most proud of in your career so far?

To be honest right now I’m just proud of making it this far. Every single day I learn something new, or I do something new and it’s all so exciting. Honestly, I’m just super proud of how far I’ve come since a year ago. 

Jay’s first ever piercing, performed on Aiden

What does the future hold for Jay?

The future probably holds a lot for me but to be honest I hate thinking about it! I find if I make any sort of long term plans it always changes by time I get there! Plus I just really struggle to think that far in advance. I like to take every day, and every week as it comes by, and I just work with what I’ve got and what’s coming.

What are some challenges you’ve faced as a modded person?

To be honest, I’ve been extremely lucky when facing any challenges. I wouldn’t say I’m heavily modded or anything like that, although I suppose I might stand out a bit more in a crowd than your average person. I’ve been extremely lucky with working jobs where heavy makeup, and short dyed hair, and piercings were never an issue. They’ve also been a great conversation starter for people as well! My biggest issue has been with people asking if there’s other places I have pierced that they can’t immediately see, or purposely pointing out tattoos on my legs and chest which can be quite uncomfortable. Either that, or remarks from family, or people slightly older telling me I’d look much nicer without it all.

How did your family/friends react when you became a piercer?

I first wanted to be a piercer when I was 17 and was going to leave sixth form. My mum was really supportive and was behind me pursuing what I wanted to do. She’d just make sure that I knew what I was doing and that I had back up plans! For example, I was working a part time job as well. And then when I told my family I was dropping out of university to pursue it, again everyone was really supportive and happy that I was doing what I wanted to do. They’ve been really proud of me every step of the way, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

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Top 3 movies?

That’s such a nightmare question, I don’t watch movies a lot, and when I do I can never remember them afterwards! 

What’s on your playlist?

The song I’m obsessed with rightnow is ‘Friendly Sex’ by Caity Baser. But overall it’s a really weird mix of 80s, 90s, and early 2000/2010 love songs. Although if you ask me again in about a week it’ll probably be something completely different!

What advice can you offer to aspiring and established apprentices?

Be yourself, and work hard. When wanting to be a part of a world that thrives on ‘being yourself’ it can be really easy to be swept up with trends, or what other people might be doing. It can be really easy to lose yourself when trying to fit in, and in the long run it doesn’t benefit anyone. You’ve got to stick to your guns, and be unapologetically yourself.

You’ve also got to work hard, whether that’s at your apprenticeship or the other stuff you’re doing. I worked two jobs before I gained my apprenticeship, and dropped out of uni when truly realizing it’s what I wanted to do, but every step of the way I continued to work hard. I finished my year at uni, taking every last exam and meeting, even though I knew I was leaving. Working hard is a really good way to prove your commitment to things, but also if and when you do eventually leave, it’s always good to keep those connections in life.

What’s some of the most valuable advice you’ve been given so far?

“It’s amazing what you can learn when you stop talking and start listening”

What’s your favorite snack?

I really struggle with having favorite things, I just normally fixate on something for a few weeks and then never touch it again! My latest one is probably magic stars. wonderful.

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Favorite drink?

Obviously redbull.

If you weren’t a piercer, what would you be doing? 

That’s a tricky one. I think if I’d never had realized I wanted to do piercing, I’d probably still be at university studying acting. However, if I’d never have gotten my apprenticeship when I did, I don’t think much would be different. I’d still be working in the pub and the cafe, still trying to gain one!