Sue Bowler: The Balloon Expert

E arlier this month I attended the OnArt Event  held in Barcelona, Spain. It was a rare opportunity to be able to attend a convention as a guest and not an instructor. I was very excited to be able to see some of the instructors at work teaching some truly awesome classes! One of the classes that I attended was "Table Settings" taught by Toñy Moncada, CBA of Globofiesta, in Elche , Alicante, Spain. Here is one of Toñy's beautiful wedding table settings that she sells not only as a balloon display but also filled with treats and candies!  I first met Toñy Moncada in 2008 at the first OnArt Event. Toñy is very passionate about balloons and creative decor. She loves exciting her clients with her fabulous ideas. Toñy's explains that her day-to-day sales mainly come from clients wanting balloons for newborns and birthdays. She specialises, however, in wedding and communion decor. In a six week-period from the end of April to the beginning of June, Toñy s...

We all want to do a better job with our social media activity. We know how important it is to increase our customer base and to connect with our current customers. However, producing engaging content and having content consistency is not quite so simple. I am always looking for an easy solution and when it comes to design, Canva is simply perfect!  Canva , for those of you who have not used it before, is a graphic-design tool website. It uses a drag-and-drop format and provides access to more than a million photographs, graphics, and fo nts. It is used by non-designers as well as professionals. The tools can be used for both web and print media design and graphics. It offers a wide variety of content types that include Facebook and Instagram post templates, posters, brochures, and so much more! Canva is free. However, you can upgrade for a nominal monthly fee to increase its functionality. Personally, I would start with the free version and then upgrade later if yo...

O nArt - "Convention of Balloon Artists," a Qualatex-sponsored event, has just celebrated its 11th Anniversary. From the 5th-7th October, 2018, the Hotel FrontAir Congress in Barcelona, Spain, became home for nearly two hundred delegates, sponsors, and organisers, including eleven fabulous instructors from around the globe — twenty different countries, in fact!   Fabulous "Barcelona" balloon wall and "Motor Bike"  designed by Vadim Sushkanov, CBA. OnArt founder Jósemarie Álvarez with his wife Cristina Cano of Globofiesta Party S.L. ,    first started the balloon artist event in 2008. For me, this was very special as I was one of the first instructors to teach at this fabulous convention. This three-day event promised to be action-packed, fun-filled, and with many amazing learning opportunities! It did not fail on any level.  The event kicked off with a CBA examination under the watchful eye of Keith Stirman, CBA.  Congratulations ...

D oes the thought of creating an organic style balloon installation give you sleepless nights and fill you with dread?  Fear no more -  I have instilled the help of three amazing organic balloon art designers to share with us their top tips that will steer you through those worrying and confusing times! The fabulous Caity Byrne, CBA of All About balloons in Washington, D.C., USA, has some truly great advice to share! Caity Byrne of All About Balloons " Don't be afraid to play! So many times, I have pulled out the color I think is just right for an organic piece, only to realize I'm completely wrong. I've pulled out other colors I'm dubious will look good together, and I end up with my new favorite palette. The cost to experiment is so minimal compared to the potential return on investment. The principles and elements of design are of paramount importance in organic decor. Whether it's balance, scale, whatever- they should all be kept in mi...