Cartier Fragrance Bottle Engraving

As always, it was an exquisite pleasure to engrave fragrance bottles at the Houston Cartier boutique. At Cartier, every person that enters the door is transported to an exquisite gracefulness that is indelible. Cartier is a luxury brand that treats their clients AND employees & vendors in a manner that exudes grace. I have had the pleasure of engraving for Cartier since 2015 (give or take). Due to this longevity, this gracefulness appears to be embedded into their company culture & not just a façade.

From a fragrance bottle perspective, all of their bottles are quite easy to engrave and require minimal thought from an engraving perspective. There is one bottle that require the techniques and burs that you would use on textured & frosted glass. Granted, any engraver will always gravitate to the look of the bottles with smooth glass. However, I have engraved a few Pasha bottles with texture that have yielded lovely results.

One of my favorite bottles of late was this one. This client wanted to have a cure nickname of endearment engraved on their bottle. I love it! Cheers!

Jo Malone Engraving Event in Houston

Engraving fragrance bottles at Jo Malone London’s Houston boutiques is always a pleasure. This particular bottle was engraved at a Dillard’s event in Sugarland to celebrate the anniversary of a lovely couple. The glass on this bottle is quite common in the fragrance industry. There are benefits to engraving in dark glass. Primarily, the engraving looks much more pronounced in dark glass. Here, I filled the lettering with gold. As we all know gold becomes even more noticeable against a black background. As long as your lettering is clean and, above all beautiful, the lettering will look gorgeous in dark glass. One disadvantage to engraving in dark glass is that there are bound to be scratches in glass. Period. Oftentimes, the bottle may have scratches in the glass before you as an engraver even receive it. On top of that, as you are engraving it, glass dust enraptures the bottle. Even though that glass dust is very fine, that dust can still scratch the glass although you may brush it off gently with a makeup brush. Then when you add color, that color will highlight your lettering AND the scratches. Have no fear, there are ways to minimize this. I personally used separate towels for clear glass and dark glass. There are other tricks that I use to minimize the appearance of scratches, but they are so simple that I won’t insult your intelligence :). You are too good for that!

Cheers!

Bumbu Rum Bottle Engraver - Houston

It is always nice when you are introduced to something new. Prior to this year, I was completely unaware of Bumbu Rum. I was immediately attracted to the bottle based on aesthetics alone. It is a very cool bottle upon sight. This bottle was presented at an engraving event awhile ago by a gentleman that desired to have a bottle engraved to commemorate his wedding anniversary. Engraving this bottle was very simple as the glass was cooperative and relatively smooth. Interestingly, this may have been the first bottle of rum that I have had the pleasure of engraving….possibly…

A little bit about Bumbu Rum:

Unlike most Caribbean islands (formed by volcanos), Barbados was created by coral reefs. Here, our ground water is purified as it’s forced through our natural limestone, making Barbadian water some of the finest in the world. Distillers elsewhere must filter their water before using it in their process – not so here.

This exceptionally pure water, coupled with carefully selected sugarcane from across the Caribbean and South America, lends the lightness and smoothness that’s central to Bumbu’s remarkable drinkability.

The ultra-heavyweight glass bottle is a work of art on its own, adorned with a tarnished metal "X" in front and map of the Caribbean across the back. Our favorite part is the old-fashioned, oversized cork – you’ll hear a celebratory POP each time you crack open the bottle. 

We like to sip our Bumbu straight, but try it over ice or in your favorite cocktail.

Cheers

Dussé Cognac Bottle Engraver - Houston

I must admit that I never ventured into the world of cognac. For the most part, I’m a creature of habit. I have however engraved an obscene amount of cognac bottles here in Houston. Dussé is one that crossed my engraving table a fair amount. The shape of the 750ml bottle is unique which makes it a perfect candidate for hand engraving. These bottles which are smaller than 750ml were incredibly easy to engrave as the surface was virtually flat. there really wasn’t much to it. Feel free to take a peek at the video.

As far as the cognac itself:

Naturally aged for at least four and a half years, the bold and full-bodied blend of D’USSÉ VSOP Cognac is made from a selection of the finest eaux-de-vie, including some that were carefully matured in the cellars of the Château de Cognac. On the nose, it reveals a powerful bouquet, rich in woody notes layered with touches of cinnamon and floral notes. Distinctively and unexpectedly smooth, each taste reveals hints of spices and almonds with undertones of honey and dried fruits as the grand finale.

Cheers!

Buffalo Trace Whiskey Bottle Engraver - Houston

It’s interesting how certain items, scents & places will transport you to a particular time in your life. Certain fragrances remind me of 7th grade, certain songs remind me of someone from my past. Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey reminds me of someone special to me. I haven’t had a drink in a few years, but when I did indulge, I loved champagne, burgundy wine, scotch and bourbon…neat…always neat. This person introduced me to scotch and bourbon. Upon my initial taste, I thought that scotch and bourbon was strong. But once I overcame that impression, I began to appreciate the nuances between various scotches and bourbons. Buffalo Trace has notes of honey & vanilla which appealed to me. They also say that there was a note of caramel as well, however I never quite caught that likely because I didn't eat much caramel.

The dear friend that introduced me to Buffalo Trace is a lover of spirits and has a passion for the nuances that they present. I am grateful for that period of discovery of which I was introduced.

Engraving these whiskey bottles was very easy. The glass for this bottle was great and relatively smooth to work with. There was little resistance while engraving it, which is always welcomed. I have had the pleasure to engrave here in Houston for many onsite corporate events, however this particular project was brought to me by an individual for a private event. As much as I love engraving onsite, engraving in my studio is great as it is my sanctuary, my controlled environment and everything moves at a relaxed pace.

Cheers

Break in Case of Emergency - Whiskey Bottle Etching / Engraving Houston

As businesses are experiencing various degrees of decreased revenue, there is one business that is experiencing unprecedented revenue…wine and spirits. That certainly isn’t a surprise as people are spending more time indoors with even more time to spend with those that we love.

At the same time, all of this togetherness for some has a limit. When that limit is reached, wine and spirits can be as welcome as a soothing old friend. That was the thought in mind when this whiskey bottle was engraved …”Break in case of Emergency” when your isolation mates love you a little too much and one more Zoom call might push you over the edge. And if you are to enjoy a refreshing drink, why not have wine or spirit (whiskey, tequila, whatever your heart desires) bottle engraving to make it fun. Cheers!

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Saxophone Engraving - Houston Engravers

Every now and then I receive an engraving request that piques my interest because it is either unusual or a first. This one was a first. I have never been asked to engrave a musical instrument. Once I got over the “cool factor”, I had the opportunity to meet with the owner and see what we were working with. This was once a saxophone that I assume was used in marching bands as there were quite a few scratches from performances amidst dance moves etc. With that said, it was brass. As I have worked with brass quite a bit, I know how to finesse it during engraving so I thought let’s do it. Some metals are easier than others and brass just requires that you take your time with a lighter hand. No problem.

I love combining 2 loves of mine…music and calligraphy.

Scratches present prior to engraving

Martell Bottle Engraving Event - Houston Engraving Calligrapher

Over the holiday season, I engraved an obscene quantity of spirit bottles. I genuinely rarely know how many bottles I engrave at events especially if there are a lot of bottles. I just engrave. This event was one of those where I engraved every Martell cognac spirit bottle that was placed in front of me. At the end, I was informed that I engraved 4 cases during the 3 hour event. It was a productive day and, as always, a pleasure.

I do often wonder if when people are enjoying the pleasurable, smooth liquid inside the glass bottle if they appreciate the lettering & engraving on the outside of the wine or liquor bottle. i believe that they do. Hopefully, it adds a little bit of joy on top of the happiness inside of the bottle. Cheers!

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Yves Saint Laurent YSL Mon Paris Fragrance Bottle Engraving - Houston Calligrapher

It was such a pleasure engraving through the holiday season for various companies. This beauty of a Yves Saint Laurent bottle was engraved at a Dillard’s event in December. This particular fragrance is one that was a personal favorite of mine for some time. Interestingly, I have not engraved my particular bottle…typical, no? :)

While engraving this bottle, I noticed that the glass, as with many fragrance bottles, did not present any surprises. This glass bottle was faceted at the edges which minimized the flat surface area on the front. However, I just went the facets and here we are. Cheers!

If you are looking for calligraphy or engraving around the Houston area, Slinging Ink is here to help! Not only can I handle engraving on YSL perfume, but I can also help you with engraving on almost any type of bottle you desire. Give me a call today to discuss what you want to be done.

Houston Wine Bottle Engraving

When I am asked what I do for a living (penman & wine bottle / fragrance bottle engraver), the responses range from inquisitive looks to the occasional laugh. I’ll reserve my thoughts regarding those that laugh and focus on the inquisitive look. The responses are usually along the lines of “that still exists” to “how do you make a living at that”. The inquisitive look & questions are completely understandable. Before I became a penman, calligrapher or engraver, I had never met one. In our digital world, many people do not see the need for what I do (until they need one :). But people like me (engravers and calligraphers) do exist and some of us make a full-time living at it. If you meet an engraver that does it for a living, I assure you that they love it. There is no other reason that they do it :).

I absolutely love engraving, especially in wine, spirit and fragrance bottles. When I fell in love with Spencerian lettering and Ornamental Penmanship, that was it. I still offered Copperplate and other calligraphy hands for a while, but I learned the hard lesson that mentors tried before to teach me. Focus on what speaks to you and the rest will follow. The calligraphy lettering on this wine bottle would fall into the category of Ornamental Penmanship. Cheers!

Metal Engraving - Houston Calligraphy Engraver

As the vast majority of my engraving is in glass fragrance bottles or wine bottles, it is a pleasure to change things up a bit with the introduction of metal engraving. I was contacted a few months ago about an event empowering women in business in Houston. From my perspective, the idea was to have an engraver onsite to personalize the leather & metal business card holders by engraving names on the metal portion for the ladies in attendance. It was truly a pleasure meeting so many successful and determined women.

I loved the engraved business card holder in the picture above as I really liked the result with this name. Yes, the name is on the longer side, but I loved it. I was told that we engraved about 70 of them in about 3 hours. It was great because we weren’t too stressed with the pace and the company was amazing. Cheers!

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Houston Calligraphy - Fragrance / Perfume Bottle Hand Engraving

Engraving fragrance bottles has become one of the aspects of my business that I enjoy the most. Generally, the events that I am involved with occur in Houston at various boutiques and department stores such as Macy’s & Neiman Marcus. The smoothness of the glass varies from bottle &/or brand, but on the whole, most fragrance bottles engrave pretty smoothly.

I recall this bottle above from this summer as it was a bottle that engraved very nicely. The alignment of the metal bars on the bottle allowed for a vertical layout of the calligraphy engraving. This glass bottle was simple as the message was short and simply a name.

Hugo Boss is always such a joy to work with as their team is knowledgable and exude all that is involved in customer service and has a genuine desire to understand the desires of their clients. As always, it was a pleasure.

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Anheuser-Busch Stella Artois Engraving Event - Houston Engraver

When I was contacted by my friends at Anheuser-Busch to engrave calligraphy in Stella Artois glass chalices last weekend, I must admit that it completely escaped me that it was for the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at the various Mo’s Irish Pubs in the Houston area. Naturally, many chalices of beer and Irish whiskey were consumed by the joyous crowds.

To say that it was fun would be an understatement. That night, I had the pleasure of engraving just under 200 chalices wth names in calligraphy. As always. it was a wonderful time.

Toward the end of the last event, there was a gentleman that approached my table and said “I’ve never seen a calligraphy engraving “booth” before”. I responded that there was a first time for everything :) I love my job.

Cuando mis amigos a Anheuser-Busch me contactaron sobre un trabajo para fin de semana pasado para grabar copas de Stella Artois, olvidé que lo era día de San Patricio. Ellos estuvieron celebrando el día a los Mo’s Irish Pubs en la area de Houston. Naturalmente, se disfrutan muchas copas de cerveza y whiskey.

La noche era muy ocupada pero he sido un placer para grabar nombres en las copas con caligrafía. Esa noche, tuve el placer para grabar 200 copas con nombres. Como siempre, lo era divertido.

Al fin de la noche, un hombre me dijo que nunca ha visto una barraca para caligrafía. Primer tiempo para todo. Me encanta mi trabajo. Que tengas un día maravilloso!

(Favor de aceptar mis sinceras disculpas para cualquier errores en español…estoy aún aprendiendo.)

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Houston Rodeo Wine Bottle Calligraphy Engraving

I understand that it is time for the Houston Rodeo….

When I moved to Houston, I heard people mention “the Rodeo” and I recall not giving it much thought as I assumed that it was a one weekend event with cowboys lassoing cattle and riding horses. It didn’t appeal to me. As time carried on, I began to realize that the Houston Rodeo is a great deal more than that. It lasts over a month long and consists of more than what the title implies.

There is a wine competition where hundreds of wineries compete against each other for the title prize of Best Wine. There is a grilling cook-off that brings people from all over Texas and beyond to indulge in the cooking expertise of hundreds of pit-masters. Along with that, there are many concerts representing various music genres with the biggest names in the music industry. It’s a big deal. Millions of people come to the Houston Rodeo each year. Granted, I have never been, but it is immensely popular.

I was contacted by the Houston Rodeo team to engrave a bottle for a treasured member of the Wine Committee team and it was my absolute pleasure to engrave this scotch bottle with calligraphy for them. I hope that they liked it. Cheers!

Slinging Ink® Calligraphy & Engraving