Scratchers Ink sets up shop in Long Neck

When Shawnee Smith and D.J. Miller said they were considering opening their new tattoo shop Scratchers Ink, it quickly became clear the Long Neck area was where they wanted to be.

This area is great, said Miller. There’s a lot of people who live here year-round and it’s still close to the beach, he said.

“We didn’t want to lose the local business who wouldn’t want to deal with beach traffic,” said Miller. “We’ll always be a local shop.”

In many ways, the new shop is a bit of a homecoming for Miller, who has spent a significant portion of his life in the Cape Region. He moved from Pennsylvania to Rehoboth at the age of 15, before moving back north in his mid-20s. He said opening his second location down here is like coming home.

“I just like being here,” he said. 

This is the second shop for Miller to be the featured artist. He opened his original shop November 2020 in Connellsville, Pa., under the name Scratchers Tattoo. The Scratchers portion of the name came out of spite after a previous employer told Miller he’d never be anything more than a scratcher – a self-taught tattooer – as an artist if he left that shop.

“I left that place and literally went out and got a shop of my own,” said Miller. “I wanted to make Scratchers Tattoo a household name.”

Miller may be self-taught, but he’s a second-generation tattoo artist. He said he learned much of what he knows from watching his dad.

While he personally enjoys tattoo imagery with darker, horror-based tones, Miller said, as an artist, he does everything. He said he’s able to mimic any picture a customer puts in front of him, does micro-tattooing and cover-ups.

“The more challenging the better,” he said. “Some artists won’t do touch-up work on old tattoos, but I’ll fix others’ work. Why should a customer be unhappy for the rest of their life?”

Miller also does 3D tattoos and ones that glow under UV light.   

Smith is a living tapestry for Miller. Sticking out her arms and twirling around to show off upper- and lower-body tattoos, she said Miller has done all of them. 

Smith owns the Long Neck location. She said she decided to go into business with Miller for a couple reasons. On separate occasions, she and her son Hunter met up with Miller and his wife. They instantly fell in love with the area and both thought they and Miller should open a new shop.

“DJ has lived a big part of his life in the area, and to finally be able to associate his memories with being down here, I could easily see why he always called this place home,” said Smith.

The second reason is to keep her son’s vision going. Smith said he took his life in November.

“This is an amazing opportunity to continue the adventure that we started talking about doing,” said Smith.

For now, shop hours are by appointment, with a grand opening slated for Monday, June 6. When the shop opens for good, the hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with walk-in availability. However, Miller said, his hours will be flexible to a certain degree. If someone wants to get tattooed in the middle of the night, that’s what will happen, but it will cost more, he said.

“You got to work when the money is telling you to,” he said.

For more information on Scratchers Ink, 98 Rudder Road, Millsboro, and to book an appointment, call 724-323-7603 or 302-364-3372, or direct message the business’ Facebook page.