Calligrapher for Team USA - 2016 Rio Olympics
Houston calligrapher and wine bottle engraver
During the Father’s Day holiday and the weeks leading up to it, I engraved wine and fragrance bottles for a number of various brands. One of them was Cartier, a company for whom I have engraved for years. This particular bottle was engraved for a client that was unsure of specifically what to have engraved and decided on the simple “Happy Father’s Day & Love you”. I hope that his Dad enjoyed it.
Cheers!
Like most women, I have been intrigued by Tiffany & Co since childhood. When you see that unmistakable blue color, you know that something wonderful is inside. I have engraved quite a few fragrance bottles of Tiffany over the years in Houston and this one is absolutely beautiful. Not just the scent but also the glass. It engraves very nicely and smoothly. This modern, artisanal scent, with the noble iris at its heart, is as exhilarating and inspired as love itself. Top note is vert de mandarine with a middle note of noble iris and the base notes are patchouli and musk.
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
With Saint Patrick’s Day only days away, I had the opportunity to engrave whiskey bottles here in Houston for Teeling Irish Whiskey over the past weekend. It was a pleasure to learn about a brand that I had previously been unaware. This Irish whiskey brand has been created & enriched by a family of distillers in Dublin.
Their story:
Whiskey making and entrepreneurship have been in the Teeling genes as far back as 1782, when Walter Teeling set up a small craft distillery on Marrowbone Lane in the industrial heart of Dublin City.
Since 2012, Jack and Stephen Teeling, the latest generation of Teeling Whiskey makers, have been putting their own mark on Irish Whiskey and came full circle in 2015 when they proudly opened the new Teeling Whiskey Distillery just down the road from where the original family distillery once stood. The Teeling Whiskey Distillery today is the first new distillery in Dublin for over 125 years.
Cheers
This pandemic has affected us all. From lost loved ones to lost wages, most people around the globe have been affected in one way or another. This bottle was engraved at a Ste. Michelle wine engraving event here in Houston per the request of a client. Their coworker had been battling Covid in the hospital for over a month and was finally expected to return home. This bottle was to be a gift to them to commemorate the happy news.
At various wine bottle engraving events, it can become quite hectic with trying to keep up with the pace and demand of the number of bottles. On some level, it can become routine and somewhat mindless. But a bottle such as this makes you stop. I am reminded that sometimes these bottles with various sayings mean something more than just a message or cute saying engraved on a bottle. It can represent something much more meaningful. I am delighted to play a minor role in that.
Cheers
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy and Engraving
I have been engraving wine bottles for nearly a decade and have enjoyed every moment of it. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had the opportunity to create an online calligraphy course for beginners which covers the basis for everything that I do with engraving.
The wine bottle that I engrave in this video is by JNSQ. This bottle is honestly one of the most beautiful bottles that I have seen along with being an engraver’s dream. The shape of the bottle makes it easy to maneuver for engraving. The near flat & wide surface is incredibly close to the same feel that you would experience with engraving on flat glass. There is not much to it. Cheers!
Glenlivet Scotch Spirit Bottle Engraver - Houston Engraving
Interestingly enough, I don’t believe that I have ever had Glenlivet Scotch. However, I can absolutely say that I have engraved quite a few bottles of this spirit here in Houston. The glass engraves relatively easily with carbide. As the labels on the front of the bottle occupy a vast majority of that space, I typically will only engrave the front of this bottle if it is specifically requested. Cheers!
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy & Engraving
Tiffany & Co Fragrance Bottle Engraving - Houston
Our sense of smell is a blessing as it can transport us to another time, another place. It’s interesting how you can catch a certain smell and it reminds you of a scene 20 years ago. Scents are seductive as they can arouse a memory or erase a sentiment. it naturally follows that when the right scent is given to the right person, that becomes set in the recipient’s memory.
These bottles of Tiffany & Co. Intense were gifts amongst friends to simply celebrate their friendship. I engraved these fragrance bottles with a garden variety round carbide bur and used my signature script which is a play on Spencerian penmanship. Cheers!
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy & Engraving
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Slinging Ink Hand Lettering Receives 2020 Houston Award
Houston Award Program Honors the Achievement
HOUSTON January 6, 2020 -- Slinging Ink Hand Lettering has been selected for the 2020 Houston Award in the Calligraphers category by the Houston Award Program.
Each year, the Houston Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Houston area a great place to live, work and play.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2020 Houston Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Houston Award Program and data provided by third parties.
About Houston Award Program
The Houston Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Houston area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.
The Houston Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.
SOURCE: Houston Award Program
CONTACT:
Houston Award Program
Email: PublicRelations@towntop-selection.org
URL: http://www.towntop-selection.org
I have never had the opportunity to enjoy Casa Dragones Tequila, however I have become quite familiar with the glass bottle. This glass bottle was a surprise as it engraved like silk. Truly…. Granted many times when bottles are brought to me, i have no idea of the cost of the bottle and I try to approach them in the same way as others. However upon touching this one with the drill, it was as if the bur just glided along. It was like using a knife on warm butter. Afterwards, i was curious as to the cost and of course that clarified the beauty & quality of the glass of the bottle.
Glass is glass, but there is glass where it is clear that a discerning eye played a role in the selection of it. This is one of those situations. Typically, I am asked to letter with ink on the paper of the Casa Dragones bottle. That is more often than not a exercise in how many letters can be squeezed into a small space. Realistically, the result is not what it would be if the glass were to be engraved instead. On this bottle, I would prefer to engrave it any day of the week. Cheers!
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy & Engraving
Patron tequila bottle engraving in Houston
This bottle was a little bit of a surprise during an onsite bottle engraving event. I was asked if I could even engrave it as this glass bottle has indentations in the glass which yield a bit of a hammered appearance. That, I have to say, is the beauty of hand engraving. Glass is glass. Granted some glass is better than others, but in this situation glass engraving is glass engraving. Curves, indentations (for the most part) are a non-issue. Bring it on!
Patron tequila brings back lovely memories of revelry with friends years ago. With that said, I was delighted to engrave this bottle. It was a “little guy”, but again glass is glass. Cheers!
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy & Engraving
Fragrance bottle engraving - Houston engraver
This past weekend I had the pleasure of engraving for Narciso Rodriguez fragrances at Macy’s. There were many clients that desired fragrance bottles engraved for gifts or simply for themselves. This beautiful glass bottle of perfume was engraved with a simple “Happy Birthday”. I was able to engrave this bottle with a bur that was probably slightly larger than I would normally use to engrave a fragrance bottle. It was likely just what was in my drill at the time…. Nevertheless, i believe that the result was nice and allowed for a small flourish on the “Birthday”.
I recall that the glass on this bottle is relatively smooth. It is interesting that the glass on fragrance bottles is typically smoother than wine or spirit bottles. With that, I will often use a smaller bur due to the need for smaller messages engraved in the fragrance bottles. Smaller burs however have their disadvantages for me as they tend to lack the durability of the larger burs. However as with anything, everything has its place. Cheers!
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy & Engraving
Houston Wine Bottle Engraver
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!
Houston wine bottle and whiskey decanter engraving
Engraving in wine and spirit bottles has been a part of my life since 2013. I have had the opportunity to engrave for companies such as Macallan Scotch since the beginning. With that said, engraving in wine and spirit bottles is not only something that I feel comfortable with but also enjoy immensely. I have decided to go even further down that rabbit hole and begin offering engraved whiskey decanters. This is the first in the group. It contains a brilliant quote by Mark Twain. “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Cheers!
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy and Engraving
One of my favorite letters to calligraph and engrave is the letter “O”. It is often a letter that is overlooked like Z or X. However, there is a beauty to this letter that is intoxicating….quite possibly due to its simplicity.
I have been engraving and producing calligraphy here in the Houston area for years and every few months I am reminded of why I engrave and calligraph and how it all started. Strangely enough, it all begin from an irritation of not receiving what I desired. I thought,” I can learn to do this myself”. And here we are….
I left this video at its true speed (46 seconds in length) as I was asked how to calligraph this O by someone. I hope that this helps. Have a lovely day!
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy and Engraving
I have developed an affinity for engraving calligraphy into lipstick, foundation sticks and compacts, lip glosses etc. The compact substances are typically acrylic / plastic, however with the right tools they can engrave quite nicely. This lipstick by Chanel is engraved with the name Hilda. I adore this!
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy & Engraving
It has been quite awhile since I have engraved fragrance bottles with Dolce & Gabbana, but as always it was a pleasure. I engraved calligraphy into fragrance bottles with this amazing team here in Houston for 8 hours on the loveliest day of the year…Valentine’s Day. To say that it was a wonderful day would be an understatement. From each client to the Dolce team, all was perfect. Here, we placed a self-esteem boosting message into a fragrance bottle for Grey. Number 1, I love the color grey. Number 2, this scent is intoxicating. Truly, it is. It was a lovely day for engraving.
Cheers!
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy & Wine Bottle Engraving
Cosmetic / Makeup Compact engraving in Houston
Engraving calligraphy in cosmetics is something that I enjoy. Granted, most of my calligraphy engraving work is in glass and metal with wine, spirits and fragrances. Yes. Guilty as charged. However, I am unapologetically feminine. Cosmetics and makeup are so transformative and can take your day from “blah” to “I have arrived”. I adore the beauty industry and all of the fun that comes with it.
Here, I had the opportunity to engrave names in a calligraphy style in Chanel eyeshadows and lipsticks. There are so many things that are wonderful about the previous sentence… But aren’t these compacts in plastic or acrylic? Yes. I have previously not engraved items of this nature, however at the urging of a colleague, I decided to venture into engraving calligraphy into plastics and acrylics. I hope that you like it.
Cheers!
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy & Wine Bottle Engraving
The last few months have been a whirlwind. To my everlasting shame, I have not created a proper post to this blog in a few weeks. I am determined to return to regular blogging with regard to my work with calligraphy and glass engraving for wine, spirit and fragrance companies.
The ultra-concise video above is from an onsite calligraphy wine bottle engraving event here in Houston for Josh Cellars. On this one, it was simply the name “Brittany”. I decided to use an alternate version of a Spencerian B on this one. I love this B as upon inspection, it is a tricky one. The left side of the shade on the stem of the B is a normal shade while the right side is kept straight with the upper portion of the line. When using a calligraphy nib, you are required to manipulate the tines such that the left side of the tine pushes to the left while the right side remains straight. I truly love that B. While engraving, it’s a slightly different story.
When it comes to wine and spirit bottle engraving, I love that clients have embraced the idea of personalizing the gifts that they bestow upon their loved ones. Even long ago, providing an embroidered item was a show of prestige as having something personalized was far from provincial. It still strikes a chord with those that receive gifts in our modern age.
Cheers!
Slinging Ink® Calligraphy & Engraving
Lasercut Names in Calligraphy - Houston
Slinging Ink®
Since I left wedding calligraphy, I haven’t had as many events for which I have created laser cut names with calligraphy here in Houston. My engraving business has become the prominent source of 90% of my events & projects. However, I recently created an order for a client in Spain along with a few additional names. Upon receipt from cutting, I was reminded of how beautiful these can be. The ones that I created are simple, which contributes to their elegance in my view. As you know, I genuinely adore ornate lettering and feel that it is a genuine expression of myself. However, I believe that there are times where less is more. This is one of those times. The clean, simple look of these names in calligraphy feels perfectly graceful. Cheers!
Peace & Love while Slinging Ink®
