Sue Bowler: The Balloon Expert

F antasy flowers can be made in a number of different ways. For many flower designs, we use floral wire inserted inside latex balloons to form petal shapes. However, when making the rose using the heart shaped latex balloons, we use very little wire. I first saw this type of Fantasy Rose a number of years ago when Jodie White, CBA, created these stunning designs for a photo shoot that we were both working on. She used 6" hearts to create the rose for this beautiful "Mother of the Bride" corsage. Mother of the Bride corsage by Jodie White, CBA This is another beautiful design by Jodie. This time, she created a full bridal bouquet using a variety of fantasy techniques, and this occasion she used the 11" latex heart to make bigger roses. Bridal bouquet by Jodie White, CBA A few years ago I taught myself how to make this delicate little rose and even attempted to make a small bridal bouquet which I used in a display at Spring Fai...

H aving a well-kitted toolbox might just be a lifesaver when working on a balloon decor job. To find out what essential tools should be included, I asked a group of Qualatex Balloon Network (QBN ® ) professionals from our QBN Facebook Group to share their expertise on this subject.  There are a number of things that we should always take with us when we go on a balloon decor job. Job/order sheet with a full description of the decor, client's name, address of the event, and contact details. Loose change for vehicle parking. Balloons, accessories, and spare balloons. Helium. Balloon inflation equipment Liability Insurance Certificate  What else might we need? Tapes & Glues  There are quite a few different types of tapes and glues, each one having a different job to do! 1. Scotch ®  or Sellotape ® - A strong, clear tape. This type of tape can be used to repair a small hole in a Microfoil ®  or Bubble Balloon ® . 2. Painter's or ma...

L earning how to do things easily or in a better way can take many years of trial and error. Today, we are very lucky. We have great educational classes, YouTube, and many fabulous artists who are willing to share some of their fantastic techniques and new found skills. "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 how to easily apply vinyl to foil and Bubble Balloons. This is a must read post for anyone who works with confetti-filled balloons, and for those of you who personlise balloons. To view this post, click  HERE .  In Part 2, I show two different techniques on how to cover a base board using latex and foil balloons. These techniques are perfect for those who m...

" Disney·Pixar Finding Dory " Bubble Balloon ®  #44146 U.S. Patent No. 6,782,675 D isney•Pixar Finding Dory  has finally arrived in cinemas. The release of any new blockbuster film gives us many new sales opportunities. Children become infatuated by a film's characters, leading to the desire of wanting everything in their lives to be based on a film and the characters within it. In my early childhood, it was A.A. Milne's, Winnie-the-Pooh who rocked my world, and secretly, he still does! It is very important as retailers and event decorators that we capitalise on these sales opportunities.  It is easy to think that by simply stocking  current trend   b alloons and partyware it will simply "fall off the shelf," and "sail out of the door," but in reality it rarely does. Customers need to be inspired and captivated by what they see, and part of that is to see these beautiful balloons inflated, and remember; we don't just sell balloons, we...