Showing posts with label Halloween decor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween decor. Show all posts

Monday, September 26, 2022

Learn How to Make a Flat Pack Column or Arch with Step-by-Step Video included


 

With its elegant lines, the Flat-Pack technique is very different from the usual cluster method that is often used to make Columns and Arches. I enjoy using this style for Columns and Arches and have used it a number of times for different events. 

If you have never tried it, let me show you how!  


Here are two Columns that I created for an awards ceremony. Incorporating the 9" Stars was easy and very effective; I simply added them where the front facing balloon would usually go.



Here is a Halloween column design that I made recently to display the fabulous Qualatex® 50" Glitzy & Glam Bat! The whole design is air-filled, which makes it even more appealing.

Halloween Bat Column by Sue Bowler, CBA.


To use this technique to create an Arch, you simply change the size of the balloon that follows the inner line to create the curve. To create the Arch below, I inflated the outer balloons to 4.5" and the inner balloons to 3.5 inches, and the small balloons are all inflated to 2.5".



I hope that you enjoy trying out this technique if it is something new to you! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue
Follow me @suebowler

Thursday, August 25, 2022

Inspiration for a Trendy Halloween

Halloween is one of the most exciting and fun days of the year filled with sensational costumes, candy & sweets, decorations, parties and trick-or-treating! It is also one of the biggest sales events for the balloon and party industry. 

When it comes to planning your seasonal campaigns, early preparation and good marketing is definitely the key to success!


Eat, drink, and be SCARY! 👻 
Happy Halloween, friends! 
Capture and styling: @frostedfujicakes
Photo Credit: @Northstarballoons

The decor and designs that we make do not need to be scary, or in the traditional colour scheme of orange and black! Here are a few fun ideas below! 


Photo Credit: Northstar Balloons




Halloween, but make it cute!
That’s exactly what 
@yuri_munoz_cba did with this boo-tiful decor.

Pastel colours may seem as though they are rarely used in Halloween, but they give a cheerful tone that will jazz up your Halloween decorations and parties. Use bright and maybe even unexpected colours such as pink, green, red, blue or any colour to give a pastel accent to make your party decorations more festive, fun and stylish.

Check out these great decoration and party ideas that you could use to compliment your decor in a window display. How cool are these painted pumpkins and delicious looking cookies?



Photo Credit: Housetodecor.com

Photo Credit: Housetodecor.com

Have you seen this 'Glam' Pink & Gold Qualatex Happy Halloween Microfoil balloon? This balloon fits in with the pastel pink Halloween trend.

Halloween Glam Bats & Ghosts

  • Size and shape: 18" Round
  • Package item #: 15009
  • Flat item #: 15006
Here are some more great ideas for Halloween Decor:

I absolutely love this door display, especially as it could also be used as in internal wall display! The 16" Northstar letters have been spray painted to take on this appealing ombré look.



A Little Bit of "Boo!"
Welcome your guests with this charmingly spooky door display.
Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

These mini rainbow displays are a fantastic option for both decor and displays for your stores and windows! Once again, don't restrict yourself with the typical blacks and oranges; add a little pink or other pastel colours to create a trendy colour combination.

Did you know that there is a #pastelhalloween with 22.7k posts on Instagram? This is a great place to find a little more inspiration! It may just be colour combinations or inspiration for decor! I often use non-balloon ideas to convert in a balloon design! 

Just in case you have no idea what pastel Halloween is…it's pretty much what it sounds like: Halloween, but done up in pastel colours. Think soft pinks, purples, aquamarines, oranges, yellows, and blue in addition to the traditional orange and black.




Maybe this is the year to think a little bit out of the box for Halloween and create some fabulous displays using non-conventional Halloween colours. You will certainly get noticed in your social media campaigns! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue
Follow me @suebowler



Friday, September 4, 2020

How to Create Spiral Balloon Columns - with Step-By-Step Instructional Video

Spiral Columns made with modelling balloons such as 260Q and 160Q have always been a favourite of mine. They are quick to make, always look elegant, and are a great way to decorate a pole when creating a design that uses a pole and base structure. As with all techniques, they need to be practiced to ensure that you get perfect results every time! 

Design 1. Single, one colour Spiral - This beautiful column made with all shades of green was designed and created by Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA.


Elegant Shimmering Emerald Stars Column - Design by Eve Antonello.
Shimmering Emerald Stars - Design by Eve Antonello.


Design 2. Single, double or multi-coloured spiral column. Still working with four balloons, using two or more colours brings a whole new look to this style of design! - These colourful 'Fashionable Fish' centrepiece was the crowning glory at this summer party, and brought an explosion of colour into a huge and very plain marquee tent.


Fabulous Fish Centrepieces by Sue Bowler, CBA.
Fabulous Fish Centrepieces by Sue Bowler, CBA.


3. Double Spiral Column using Eight Balloons. This design takes this technique to the next level, and is a fabulous example of Candy Strip style decor! By simply changing the colours, we can completely change the look and easily execute the effect that we want to create.



Christmas Candy Swirl Arch by Sue Bowler, CBA.
Christmas Candy Swirl Arch by
Sue Bowler, CBA.


4. Double Spiral Column with Precision Bubbles. How lovely does this effect look as a finishing touch on this baby design column! Because you're working with eight modelling balloons, and you are introducing Precision Bubbles, this technique is a little bit trickier than the others shown above, but definitely worth the extra effort! 




It's A  Girl - Baby & Moon Column by Sue Bowler, CBA.
It's A  Girl - Baby & Moon Column by Sue Bowler, CBA.

To learn how to create this style of décor check out the video below! 



Here are some more inspiring design ideas using this technique! This video explains step-by-step how to create each of the styles of columns shown above.


Lion Tamer Pedestal Place two of these Columns at the event entrance, or use them to draw attention to other focal areas at a circus-themed party.  Designer name: Sue Bowler, CBA, Balloon Art by Sue Bowler, Oxfordshire, UK

Lion Tamer Pedestal

Place two of these Columns at the event entrance, or use them to draw attention to other focal areas at a circus-themed party.

Designer name: Sue Bowler, CBA, Balloon Art by Sue Bowler, Oxfordshire, UK



Got Treats? So cute it’s scary!  Designer name: Sam Jossie, CBA, Pioneer® Balloon Company

Got Treats?

So cute it’s scary!

Designer name: Sam Jossie, CBA, Pioneer® Balloon Company


It’s All So Magical! The perfect decor accent for the princess on her special day!  Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

It’s All So Magical!

The perfect decor accent for the princess on her special day!

Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA



Come Close Valentine! Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Come Close Valentine!

Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

If you have always wanted to know how to create this style of décor, or maybe have struggled to get the perfect, tight spirals, I hope that this post has helped!

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue
Follow me on Instagram @suebowler
Sue Bowler www.suebowler.com



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














Friday, September 16, 2016

Are you ready for Halloween 2016?

I am sure many of you are thinking that it's a little too early to start thinking about Halloween — it's seven weeks away yet! Halloween has been a steadily growing celebration for the balloon and party industry. In the U.S., Halloween is huge on the holiday calendar, and in the U.K - and around the world - we are certainly heading that way too. Speaking to some U.K.- based balloon companies, they say that Halloween now far exceeds Valentine's Day sales! So, early planning and preparation are essential to get the most out of your sales campaign.


U.S Version



U.K. Version
If you have not already seen the fantastic 2016 Qualatex® 2016 Halloween, Christmas & New Year Collection, click HERE to view and download. Please note that there are different downloadable versions for Europe and Canada.









The Qualatex Autumn Business Booster is a great place to start to find our Halloween Inspiration.  Each Bouquet and decor design can be enlarged, downloaded, and used as part of your marketing campaign on your website, business Facebook page, and on Pinterest, too. Make sure that any photographs Pinned to your Pinterest boards are linked back to your website or business Facebook page. Otherwise, you are missing out on a great marketing opportunity.







Don't forget to check out the Professional Resources Seasonal Bouquet ideas. These are a great way to show your customers the exciting range of balloons and bouquets that are available this year! Plus, there are some fantastic ideas from previous years, too!





Day of the Dead Skull, Very Best Balloon Blog,

I think that this 38" "Day of the Dead Skull" Bouquet design is fabulous! 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 living in other places, especially the United States. It is acknowledged internationally in many other cultures. The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died and help support their spiritual journey. 

People in Mexico wear traditional skull masks, and the tradition of painting faces to look like skulls has evolved as a variation of this practice. Masks have always been powerful objects in many cultures, ones that often allow the wearer to get in touch with their darker, chaotic side. Skull face painting is a chance to overcome the fear of death, act recklessly, and get up to the mischief that is forbidden at other times of the year!

FREE POSTER: This great poster is just a click away when you visit the Sales Tips section of the Autumn Business Booster. Use it in your shops or stores and as part of your pre-Halloween marketing campaign on your social media channels.

Halloween, Qualatex, very best balloon blog


And don't forget that if you are a QBN® Member or a Certified Balloon Artist™, you can access the exclusive QBN Members area that has additional designs and recipes available for you to download!

Here are some great design ideas for Halloween 2016:



Quick Links, Bubbles, Qualatex, Very Best Balloon Blog
This fun and easy to make column requires:
  • 22" "Halloween Messages & Icons" #43433
  • 11" "Big Polka Dots", assorted Orange & Onyx Black #38470 (U.S) #23017 (Europe)
  • 12" "Jack Faces" Quick Link Balloons® #44648
  • 5" Orange #43570
  • 5" Onyx Black #43548

The base and column are entirely air-filled, with only the Bubble Balloon® helium-filled at the top to give the design stability.


Party Monster Pillar, 
Designed by Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company



Qualatex, Halloween, very best balloon blog







For the recipe and full instructions on how to make this funky Halloween design, click HERE







I love the 22" "Jack O' Lantern", Bubble Balloon. It has been designed in such a clever way that it makes it appear like it is lit up from inside!

This design makes a fantastic centrepiece. It has such impact visually with its vibrant colours and the textures of the orange sticks, raffia, and leaves. 

As a QBN member, you can download the full instructions by clicking HERE












Top sales tips for Halloween
  • Start your Halloween sales campaign as soon as possible. Create Halloween social media posts. Keep the posts relevant to what your target market would enjoy but add a spooky twist. People are more likely to share your posts if they have some fun and humour attached to them. "When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, ‘tis near Halloween.' – Author Unknown
  • Use #Hashtags — #Halloween, #Boo, #Freaky, #Scary, #Creepy, #Halloween2016, #Oct31, #Haunted, #Ghosts, #Zombies, #Witches
  • Create themed products. Gather some of your products together that could be used for Halloween, like these wonderful Halloween Fun Faces with Candy Weights filled with sweets! 



  • Decorate your shop windows and store interior. What better way to show passing customers that your store is the perfect place to buy all their Halloween supplies. And if you don't have a store, make sure that you update your website homepage and all your social media channels to show that you are Halloween ready!
  • If you have a die-cutting machine, create some fun decals for your windows, like this creepy rat!


Happy Ballooning!

Sue




Tuesday, October 6, 2015

A little last-minute inspiration for Halloween!

For many party retailers, Halloween is their biggest and often their most profitable seasonal celebration.  So let's make sure we all take this opportunity to maximise our own sales potential!

Hopefully by now you will have decided on a range of "To Go" designs to sell over the Halloween period. Halloween falls on a Saturday, so be prepared for an exceptionally busy day!

If you have a shop or store, do you have an inspiring window display? Window displays are such an important part of any retail business! Every display needs to tell a story and make passers-by stop, look and take notice. Most importantly, it needs to create a desire to buy!

This Ralph Lauren window shows the fun and excitement of Halloween but still shows off an eye-catching range of children's clothing suitable for the time of year!

 

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

A centrepiece design idea for Halloween

In my last blog 'Part 3 The Beginners Guide to the Elements & Principles of Design- Texture & Balance', I talk about how it can be harder to create designs that have contrasting textures as balloons  generally have a similar texture, however if we can create contrasting textures within a design it can give us a design that has greater visual impact!

So with 'texture' in mind, I set about creating a centrepiece design for Halloween.


Jack O'Lantern Qualatex Bubbles #18494 


Every centrepiece needs a strong focal point, and for my Halloween design I chose to use the 'Jack O' Lantern' 22" Bubble, there is another Bubble also 22" called 'Magical Jack' (see below) that is also perfect for this design!



I personally love these Bubbles and the vibrancy of the the colours, to me, they look like they are lit up and radiate a warm glow!





Monday, September 16, 2013

Trick or Treat ... great balloon design ideas and more for Halloween!


Sue Bowler CBA
Funny Face Taper Jack
by Sue Bowler CBA
As a child I remember Halloween as a time when we played fun games like 'dooking' for apples or apple bobbing which is probably a more familiar term for most, but that was more than a few years ago...

Halloween I am excited to say is still on an upward trend, with overall sales in the balloon and party sector increasing year on year! 

So what will you be doing to make this a successful Halloween for you?

(See below for the design recipe to create Funny Face Taper Jack on the left).

Monday, September 9, 2013

From professional tennis player to professional balloon artist.... Fiona Fisher 's incredible journey!

very best balloon blog
Fiona Fisher CBA



Well known for her amazing balloon sculptures Fiona Fisher's balloon career has grown from strength to strength since she first discovered balloons in 1999!
Fiona has very kindly shared her 'balloon adventure' with the Very Best Balloon Blog...





I have had a very varied working life over the past 36 years:  professional tennis player, antique furniture restorer and cabinet maker, cafe owner and finally, a balloon artist.