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For Baldwin Park resident Emily Scales, nothing is better than putting a smile on someone’s face.
Although she has had a passion for people and building connections with the community her whole life, Scales is ready to share her talents with her new home in Baldwin Park through her love for engraving.
“I want to make people feel good and I think that’s just who I am internally,” Scales says. “I love making people happy and I love making people smile. It’s just a part of me.”
Email Emily Scales at [email protected] Follow on Instagram @engravingbyemily
Although Scales never predicted engraving to become such a large part of her life, it has now become one of her biggest outlets. It’s a passion that lets her explore her creativity, challenge her own boundaries and create meaningful gifts for others.
“People love the personalization of engraved gifts,” she says. “Having a sweet message written on a gift just really enhances it and makes it more of a keepsake. Being able to put a smile on someone’s face when they receive the bottles, they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m keeping this forever. I don’t even want to open it.’”
Scales can engrave almost any glass, customizing items such as champagne flutes, wine and liquor bottles, or even perfumes and colognes. Her portable engraver, small enough to fit in her purse, uses a standard script calligraphy font paired with the customer’s choice of silver or gold ink. She said she commonly tries to match any markings on the bottle with the most flattering of the colors.
Scales says she is big into writing the selected message out beforehand so she can have it in front of her as she works. Any small mistake can prove detrimental for the small space suited for engraving — especially because Scales considers herself a perfectionist.
“If I am not perfect, it’s really tough for me,” she admits. “I continued practicing and didn’t give up, and the more I did it, the better I got.”
Scales offers free pick-up and free delivery in the Baldwin Park area. She says it takes about 24 to 48 hours for her to get the item back to the customer, with the customer being able to select eight to 10 words he or she would like on the bottle.
The engraver’s most popular projects are for special occasions or holidays. She said creating a handmade keepsake can sometimes create a special moment for not only the recipient but also the giver.
“I feel like when somebody has a gift that they want to give to someone, it’s already special to them in a way,” she says. “I want to be able to take it one step above that and really wow them.”
TWO PEAS IN A POD
Scales’ passion for engraving is a great way for her to connect with individuals in the community.
She just recently moved to Baldwin Park in April after being born and raised in Georgia.
Scales attended Kennesaw State University in Georgia and was an apparel and tech style major, studying fashion and clothes. After college, she interned with Target and took a job with the company after graduating in 2020. Then, COVID-19 hit.
Although Scales says she enjoyed retail, she wanted something more challenging and also an opportunity where she could spend more time with her family and friends; relationships are important to her.
That’s when her mom gave her the opportunity to come and work with her at Inkwell Designers, a family company that specializes in elegant embossing, hand lettering, sublimation, toner printing, menus, glass and metal engraving, signage, brush and watercolor lettering, hand painting, and so much more.
Scales says her mom gave her the opportunity to learn more about the entrepreneurial side of life. She has been a CEO for more than 20 years and starting both a web design company and Inkwell from their home in Georgia.
“I tried engraving four years ago and I just couldn’t do it,” Scales says. “It was not for me at the time, and I didn’t want to practice with everything I had going on in my life. Then, when I started to work with my mom, I realized I actually loved doing it and it was fun. Now, it’s kind of that creative outlet where I can turn the music on, I’ll have my bottles, I’ll get them ready to go and I just kind of feel like I’m out of my head.”
Like her mom, Scales enjoys being challenged and said she is always looking to “fill up her tool belt” and try new things.
As part of her adventurous side, Scales has moved to Orlando to be with her previously long-distance boyfriend Tyler, who is studying law at Barry University. She says her boyfriend drove almost every weekend to come and see her while also maintaining his grades.
The two picked the Baldwin Park area because of its small-town charm and environment, and so far, they love it.
Scales also recently started a new remote job doing technology sales in March.
Outside of doing her best to make other people’s special days extra special, Scales enjoys spending time with Tyler, where they enjoy running, walking and jogging together as well as sharing a passion for food and trying new spots in Orlando.
As far as the future, Scales is taking the journey one day at a time.
“I just want to help whoever I can,” she says. “I love helping people, and of course, I’m not going to say no to business either, but I do have to also focus on my full-time job and my other responsibilities.”
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Annabelle Sikes is a staff writer at the West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer and OrangeObserver.com. She graduated in May 2021 from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a minor in sociology. Her past...
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