Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the “Progress 2014” section of North Country This Week.

Noted for carefully hygienic body piercings and detailed fine line tattoos at reasonable prices, Alchemistress has maintained an excellent reputation over the years. From her humble beginnings on Elm Street in 1998 to her current location in the beautiful sandstone “castle” at 17 Maple St., owner Dana Wakefield has always provided her customers with conscientious service in a safe and pleasant atmosphere.

Working mostly by appointment allows Dana to fully engage with folks and offer them the best possible experience at her shop. The family run business caters to first-timers as well as many return customers who value the high caliber of body art and attentive treatment they always receive.

When she first opened Alchemistress, Dana sold vintage clothing and glass products along with her large assortment of body jewelry. Today she carries her growing line of Aroma-Alchemy essential oil blends, T-shirts with her original Tribalesque artwork designs and notecards of her pierced flower images.

Dana’s Flowerbody Piercings® are unique photographs of flowers that she has pierced using tools and jewelry from her shop. These and other products can also be found at Oddballs’ Emporium, downstairs at 17 Maple Street, where they offer an interesting array of antique, artful and upcycled items for sale.

Dana plans to expand her business ventures to Etsy.com with a shop called Alchemistress Arts. There she will sell an assortment of hand crafted and vintage goods, including her essential oils and graphic art creations. Alchemistress Body Arts will remain her primary focus, however, because she enjoys the personal interaction with people and can happily do a distinctive tattoo or perform a great piercing with custom fitted jewelry.

Over the years, Alchemistress has stayed community oriented. A long-time Potsdam Chamber member, Dana participates, for instance, in Fright Night, the Sandstone Festival, SLC Art Gallery walks, Summerfest and the Potsdam Coop’s Business Partnership program. She continues to support and donate to local organizations and causes.

Alchemistress Body Arts closely adheres to the standards set by professional organizations such as the Association of Professional Tattooists and the Association of Professional Piercers which includes the completion of Red Cross and Infection Control certificate coursework. Recently, Dana has worked with the Department of Public Health in developing safety regulations to protect the body art consumer and to insure proper licensure of tattoo and piercing shops.

There will be several 15-year anniversary specials and sales in =coming months at Alchemistress. Information about the shop can be found at the Alchemistress Body Arts FaceBook page and at Alchemistress.com, that features photographic portfolio examples of body art done by Dana. The shop has a good supply of sale-priced body jewelry at all times along with catalogs for special order requests.

Dana offers continual aftercare assistance, flexible appointment options, tattoos that are priced by the piece not by the hour, no necessary deposits and no penalty for no shows.

She will sometimes waive the $50 minimum tattoo price and often give on-the-spot deals. In her congenially relaxed approach to doing business, Dana surrounds herself and her shop with a good positive energy and everyone benefits.

Since Dana operates a conservation farm for rare and endangered heritage breeds of animals, it is best to call for an Alchemistress appointment. She can be reached at 268-WILD (9453), 267-6925, Dana@Alchemistress.com and her Facebook page