Monday, October 31, 2016

'Making the Very Best Balloons,' by guest blogger Larry Moss

A bunch of years ago, my friends’ son, then still probably 6 or 7 years old, ran up to me one day to ask, “Where do they make balloons?” The question was inspired by a song with that very name by They Might be Giants. While the song never answers the question that it poses, he didn’t let that bother him at all. He knew I’d know the answer. And he was right. I immediately told him, “Hamilton, Ontario.” I could have easily given him a few different answers, but that was the one that mattered to me. The Hamilton plant is where most of the Qualatex balloons that I use come from.
After years of using the product, I was really excited when Kelly and I were invited to the plant for a tour. We’ve often found ourselves in conversations with Pioneer employees (makers of the Qualatex brand) about the abuse we put their balloons through, and also other artists about what they expect from the balloons they use. This tour would be a chance for us to get our questions answered about the product itself, while being able to share our experience and our knowledge of balloon artist needs with the people actually making our balloons. When their tour ended, we took them on our tour of what we do with their product. We had Pioneer employees, from the people making the balloons, to the people testing their strength, to the sales team, and even the COO, all twisting balloons and trying new things that they didn’t know their balloons were used for. The goal of all of this is to make an even better balloon by devising an even more rigorous quality control regimen than they already employ.



The tour begins.

Monday, October 24, 2016

Tips and Tricks of the Trade - Part 2


Learning how to do things easily or in a better way can take many years of trial and error. I know this well as I have been learning for the past 26 years! "Tips and Tricks of the Trade" is a series of posts that will help you with a variety of different techniques that will make life easier and your work look better.

In Part 1 of this series, Chris Adamo, CBA, of Balloons Online, in Sydney, NSW, Australia, shared some fabulous techniques for filling latex balloons with confetti and also how to easily apply vinyl to foil and Bubble Balloons. To view this post, click HERE

One of my favourite tricks is to cover a base board* using the same Microfoil® balloon that I am featuring in a design.


How to cover a base board.

Here are two designs I made that use a covered base as part of the design. The covered base helps to create visual balance, good proportion, and perfect unity.





Monday, October 17, 2016

Tips and Tricks of the Trade - Part 1 with Chris Adamo, CBA, of Balloons Online.

We all have our own ways of doing things when it comes to working with balloons. We learn in different ways and often find our own technique along the way. Over the past 25 years, I have learned many great techniques and some fabulous tips and tricks that have made my life much easier and my balloon designs look even better. But as I always tell everyone, I am still learning and love it when I see something exciting and new!

Chris Adamo, CBA, of Balloons Online, in Sydney, NSW, Australia, has very kindly shared a few of his top tips.


Confetti-filled balloons are a hot trend worldwide, and finding an easier way to make these balloons was Chris's mission!






Confetti applicator:

"In our Sydney store, we sell confetti-filled 16" and 36" balloons every day. After trying many methods for over 12 months, I just knew there had to be a better way. The problem was that confetti was sticking to the Hi-Float® from the moment we placed it inside the balloon. The confetti clumped, the ink was running, the paper confetti was ripping as the latex stretched... we needed a way to add confetti once the balloon was inflated. Driving to work one day drinking a coffee, I came up with a method that was simple, cost effective, and that uses very accessible parts. I rushed home that night to build it!
The confetti applicator requires little to no training for my staff. It has halved the time required to fill and inflate the balloons, but most importantly, you can achieve a perfectly even distribution of confetti every time."
Confetti Balloons by Balloons Online.

This first video shows how to make the confetti applicator.




Sunday, October 2, 2016

Day of the Dead - Design Ideas for Halloween 2016

Day of the Dead House Decoration
Picture courtesy of fieldguide35.blogspot.com

I am loving the new Qualatex® Day of the Dead Skull Microfoil® balloon. It is very different from the usual Halloween designs of witches and ghosts. 
Not really knowing or understanding this theme, I was intrigued to find out the origin of this celebration.  Day of the Dead — Dia de Los Muertos— is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico (in particular, the Central and South regions) and by people of Mexican ancestry, especially the United States. It is acknowledged internationally in many other cultures, too. This multi-day holiday gathers together family and friends who pray for, remember, and support the spiritual journal of loved ones who have died. 

I really enjoyed working with this balloon. The skull design is full of colour and detail that can be used when creating a design. From all the pictures that I see, Dia de Los Muertos is a very colourful celebration that uses masses of flowers, lights, and decorated sugar skulls.





Design 1-  Sugar Skulls & Marigolds


Material List:

1 - 38" "Day of the Dead Skull" Microfoil.
8 - 5" Onyx Black balloons
4 - 11" "Sugar Skulls" balloons
5 - 6" Quick Link Balloons®
4 - 5" Goldenrod balloons
3 - 160Q Green balloons
2 - 260Q Goldenrod balloons
1 - 160Q Goldenrod balloons
1 - 260Q Purple Violet balloons

Balloon Weight 
Helium 

Method of Construction:

1. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 11" Sugar Skulls balloons inflated to approximately 8".
2. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 5" Onyx Black balloons inflated to approximately 4½". Secure the two clusters together and add the weight to the base.
3. Inflate the five 6" Quick Links to approximately 5" and tie together to create a chain.
4. Make Split Duplets Clusters* using the 5" Goldenrod balloons to fit in between each of the Quick Links. 
5. Connect the chain of Quick Links to the base clusters.
6. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 5" Onyx Black balloons inflated to approximately 4½".
Secure this cluster to the other end of the Quick Link chain.
7. Inflate the Day of the Dead Skull Microfoil balloon with helium. Add a scrap of a 260Q to the balloon to work as a connector. Now connect to the 4-balloon cluster.
8. Complete the design by making three 6- Petal Balloon Flowers using the 160Q and 260Q Goldenrod balloons. Use the Purple Violet 260Q to make the flower centres and the Green 160Qs to make the leaves. Secure these to the design.

*If, you are unfamiliar with how to make a Split Duplet Cluster, view the video clip below.





Design 2   Sugar Skulls & Flowers Elegant Column

Material List:


4 - 11” Sugar Skulls balloons 
8 - 5” Onyx Black balloons
1 - 646Q Onyx Black  balloon
4 - 11” Onyx Black balloons
1 - 38” "Day of the Dead Skull" Microfoil 
3 - 260Q Goldenrod balloons
1 - 160Q Goldenrod balloon
4 - 160Q Green balloons
2 - 260Q Purple Violet balloons


Method of Construction:

1. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 11" Sugar Skulls balloons inflated to approximately 8".
2. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 5" Onyx Black balloons inflated to approximately 4½". Secure the two clusters together and add the weight to the base.
3. Inflate the 646Q balloon to an approximate length of 30" and secure to the base clusters.
4. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 5" Onyx Black balloons inflated to approximately 4½".
Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 11" Onyx Black balloons inflated to approximately 6". Secure these two clusters together and then connect to the end of the 646Q balloon.
5. Inflate the Day of the Dead Skull Microfoil balloon with helium. Add a scrap of a 260Q to the balloon to work as a connector. Connect this balloon to the top of the clusters that you just added to the 646Q balloon.
6. Complete the design by making four 6- Petal Balloon Flowers* using the 160Q and 260Q Goldenrod balloons. Use the Purple Violet 260Q to make the flower centres and the Green 160Qs to make the leaves. Secure these to the design.


Both of these designs are quick to make, appealing, and very sellable. These would be perfect additions to your Halloween portfolio of designs.


Happy Ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com