Sue Bowler: The Balloon Expert

W ith Christmas and the holiday festivities already over, it's now time to focus on the exciting New Year that lays ahead!  I don't know about you, but this year has literally flown by! Spring Fair 2019 seems like an eternity ago! Now, I'm surprised to find myself working on the 2020 window display designs, as well as planning some exciting  new design classes that I will be teaching in 2020!  Did you make any New Years resolutions? Maybe 2020 is the year that we need to be kinder to ourselves. Let's  start the new decade with a positive frame of mind, and try and live our lives to the full!    I would like to end this year by taking the opportunity to thank all those who help me with the Very Best ™️ Balloon Blog! To the lovely Lexi who ensures that my posts are coherent and grammatically correct, and to everyone who has contributed some amazing content to blogposts over this year! I have been writing the blog since 2011, and am excited to ...

Q ualatex ®  sponsored event BACI - Balloon Arts Convention Italy   is back! We in the balloon community are all very excited and looking forward to 20-24 March, 2020 in Milan, Italy!  F or those of you who may have heard about BACI, but are not sure what it's all about, I thought that I would share a little of this events magic with you. Though it's held in Italy, BACI is actually an International ballooning event, with many delegates attending from around the world! This event features classes  taught in both Italian and English. BACI   is probably most famous for its exceptional large sculpture competition  in which many of the teams are led by world-renowned industry instructors! The first 13 teams have been announced; however, there are still a few spots available! If this is something you are interested in doing, don't delay  registering , as I am sure that the remaining spots will be snapped up very quickly. With ...

C repe paper fringing has been one of the hottest trends in Australia this year says Chris Adamo, of Balloons Online in Sydney, Australia! They are colourful, vibrant, and are the perfect compliment to balloon decor!  If you are like me - when you see a photograph of something beautiful, you  instinctively  want to have a go at it, but you're not sure the best way to go about it.  Chris Adamo CBA from Balloons Online Australia recently made a step-by-step video (see below) that takes away all the mystery, and shows how he creates these beautiful fringes. Thank you Chris for sharing this great technique with the Very Best ®  Balloon Blog readers, I am sure that many of us will be putting this into practise very quickly!  Happy fringe making!  Sue www.suebowler.com #suebowler

V alentine's Day is probably one of the biggest events for the balloon and party industry. This period offers many opportunities to sell fabulous balloon arrangements and romantic balloon decor! However, February 14 is notorious for sneaking up on us and catching us unprepared after the torrent of events for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve events and parties!  33" - "Red Rose Bud" Valentine’s Day is a key commercial event for many retailers in the otherwise stagnant months of January and February, yet according to The Balance, consumers are spending more than ever before on this romantic holiday!  If you have a balloon shop or store, now is the time to start planning your merchandising opportunities and window displays. Visual merchandising plays a critical role in converting shoppers into buyers. If you are looking for inspiration  Pinterest is an excellent tool for creative retail display ideas; use these keywords: Va...

O nce again, Luc Bertrand, CBA , of WaW Balloons in Vichte, Belgium has very kindly shared one of his designs with the readers of the Very Best™️ Balloon Blog! Who would have thought it would be so simple to use the Northstar Balloons™️ L letters to make this quick and original photo frame!  Step 1. You will need:  2 - 34" Northstar Letter L - available in Gold, Silver, Magenta, Blue and Rose Gold. Glue Dots & Stretch ®  Balloon Tape  5" Qualatex ®  Latex Balloons and other finishing accessories  Attach two corners with the shown tabs using any kind of glue dot. Luc likes to use Premium Balloon Accessories ®  Double-Sided Tape Dots #33156 - available through some Qualatex Distributors. Luc     then re-enforces this connection with Stretchy  Balloon Tape on the tip of the balloon. Step 2. Slide a VERY loose 4-balloon cluster of 5" latex balloons inflated to approximately 4" in-between t...

S everal  Christmases ago, Luc Bertrand, CBA , of Waw Balloons, Vichte, Belgium, very kindly gifted the readers of the Very Best Balloon Blog with a recipe to make his QuickLinks ™️ Santa Mural. Today I decided to play with the design a little, and I made a few tiny tweaks, and sprinkled in a few little organic additions.  The basic frame for this design is much the same as Luc's original (see design and details below). The only real changes are the addition of the fillers. In the original design, Luc does not fill the gaps between the links, I just wanted to see how it would look if I made these changes, and I really liked the result! For the hat, I used single balloon fillers, but for Santa's hair and beard, I used random-sized cluster (organic) fillers, which gave it a more realistic textured beard!  This image was created using Chris Adamo's fabulous Balloon Design Tool This fantastic Santa design is quick and easy to re-create. When mad...

I don't know about you, but I am a little bit in love with gorgeous decorative paper fans! They easily add an incredible visual texture and a touch of elegance to your balloon decor. With New Year's Eve not too far away, you might be looking for a little "FANcifal" inspiration! So, I have selected a few design ideas that you could present to your clients. Balloon walls are always an exciting addition to any party. They make a fabulous dramatic backdrop that can be used as entrance, stage decor, or as a superb photo opportunity!  The balloon wall above was created with Onyx Black  Qualatex ®  12" QuickLink ™️ balloons inflated to 9" using the Grid technique. The gaps are filled with a selection of  7" &  11" Chrome balloons, 11" plain & prints and  Microfoil ®  balloons as shown below. The addition of the stars and the Happy New Year foils to the wall adds another level of depth and dimension. 18" "New ...

Artistic Gold Sculptured Column design by Sue Bowler, CBA. W hat isn't there not to love about the mighty 7" balloons! I have absolutely loved working with them! They inflate to a beautifully rounded shape, which is perfect for the popular organic trend! With size options ranging from 3.5" to 7", you get an exquisitely shaped balloon every time. Now that we have had a few months to play with these remarkable balloons, I thought that it would be a good time to share some of the reasons why we love these balloons so much!  When Jackie Ochitwa, CBA , of With A Twist Balloon Creations, Alberta, Canada made her beautiful Princess design using Qualatex ® Chrome ™️ 260Qs and the Chrome 7", she was completely blown away by the transformation of her original design. She knew instantly that these extra-special princesses would be a hit with her clients!  "The versatility of the 7” chrome is amazing. It’s one of those balloons that I wond...