So What's Hot for 2018? — Part 2

There are quite a few exciting new trends in the party world for 2018. Last week we looked at mermaids, the colour Purple Violet and the marble look. In this post, we will feature few more hot trends.

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

What is there not to love about Magical Unicorns! These gorgeous Microfoil^® balloons are now available in both 14" and 38".

This trend has remained a firm favourite since 2017. If you check out #unicorn on Instagram showing more than 7m posts, you can see that this is a trend that appeals to both children and adults, so we should make sure our decor appeal to both.







I recently created a unicorn theme window display and took the opportunity to design something that had big visual impact. The Fashion SuperAgate^® are such fabulous balloons and work so well with the Unicorn theme. I also added in Chrome 260Q flowers and some gold confetti-filled balloons, both of which added richness and visual texture to the design.  

Display by Sue Bowler.

Here are a few more inspiring ideas working with the Magical Unicorn balloon.

Design by Luc Bertrand.

Luc Bertrand, CBA, of wAw Balloons in Vichte, Belgium created this "Cute and Quirky Unicorn" design using Quick Link Balloons^®.  He also added a cluster of Pink Violet RainbowAgates at the Unicorn's base and for its hands. I love how Luc has used 260Qs to create a rainbow style tail.

Display by Cam Woody.

Cam Woody, CBA, of Pioneer^® Balloon Company designed this beautiful "Unicorn and Magic Wands" balloon bouquet. 4" Stars on cups and sticks make the perfect magic wands and truly add value to this design.

Rainbows are still trending! According to Instagram, it has over 21m posts! It is often linked with the unicorn theme and therefore works perfectly together for party decor.

Rainbow Arch by Sue Bowler - design by Dante Longhi, CBA.

This beautiful rainbow arch was inspired by Dante Longhi. We are currently teaching this design in our "What's Hot Right Now" course around the UK and Europe. It's such a fabulous design to make. The end result is stunning! 

Here are two more rainbow style arches to inspire us and our customers.

Not strictly a rainbow, but the use of colours in this fabulous arch could easily represent a rainbow. This arch was created by Eve Antonello, CBA of Pioneer Balloon Company, Edward Muñoz, CBA, of burton and BURTON in Athens, GA, USA, and Silvia Santos, CBA, of Party Planet in Pompano Beach, FL, USA. This stunning entrance arch was part of the decor created by this fabulous trio for the "100 Years of Celebration" party held at Pioneer's headquarters in Wichita, KS, USA.

"Sunshine Smile Face Rainbow Arch" - I Love this 6-balloon rainbow cluster arch by Cam Woody. 
It truly is a beautiful rainbow with a cloud nestled just off centre. There are full downloadable instructions for QBN Members. Just click HERE!

And finally, Rose Gold - another trend that just keeps on growing! 

Rose Gold became the metallic colour of the year in 2016, and you might have noticed that this colour is still everywhere! Fashion, make-up, accessories, jewellery, of course, and also for party and wedding décor, too! 

Chris Adamo, CBA, of Balloons Online in Sydney, Australia, recently posted this fabulous design on the Qualatex Facebook Group. Chris said, "When Rose gold meets Qualatex chrome silver. A perfect pair in time for Valentine's Day." I also think that this would make a great pairing for weddings, too! 
If you would like tips on how to put a foil balloon inside a Deco Bubble click HERE

Rose Gold and Silver Chrome Balloons design by Chris Adamo.

Derek Wong, CBA, of Twisted Inflations in Ontario, Canada shows us how the Rose Gold 260Q looks perfect as a beautiful rose. 

Rose Gold Rose by Derek Wong.

I have really enjoyed adding Rose Gold to my designs. This colour blends beautifully with shades of Pink and Ivory. If you would like to know how to make this fabulous centrepiece and a range of beautiful wedding decor, make sure that you attend my Fabulous Wedding Decor for the Modern Bride class at WBC next month!

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA.

We have some fabulous additions to the Rose Gold range for 2018! Here is a direct link to all the Rose Gold product range - click HERE. Below are some of the latest additions!

Rose Gold Crescent Moons - 9" and 35"
Rose Gold Starpoints - 20" and 40"
Rose Gold Tapers - 13", 27" and 38"
Rose Gold Numbers from Zero to Number Nine

I am very excited about working with some of this year's newest trends and am very much look forward to seeing some of your fabulous on-trend designs posted on Facebook!


Happy ballooning!


Sue
www.suebowler.com

1st Birthday Celebrations the Bigger Picture Part 2

In the first part of this blog, 1st Birthday Celebrations Part 1, we looked at how different cultures celebrate a baby's first birthday and some wonderful design ideas suitable for this occasion. In part 2, we will explore 1st birthdays a little further.

In Images magazine April/May/June 2007, there was the fantastic article, ‟Big Fun with First Birthdays.” This feature talks about the Korean tradition known a ‟dol.” Dol is Korean term used for baby's first birthday. In the distant past, a baby's chance for survival was very low. So when a child reached the age of one, it was considered an important milestone for the baby and parents. The whole village used to celebrate a baby's first birthday, sharing food and wishing for long life and fortune for the baby.

The Korean dol has since become less ceremonious and more about keeping the tradition itself alive.

Dol made its American debut in Southern California, home to the largest concentration of people of Korean descent outside of the Korean peninsula.

Hayeon Kim, CBA, owner of Kiki Events and partner company Color Tree Events, in Irvine, California, U.S.A. specialises in dol-style 1st birthday parties.

‟I often decorate for a girl’s dol using a princess theme, and for the boy’s, I use animal and jungle themes.”

Because the guest list for these parties can number anywhere from 50 to 150, and in some cases even more. “Providing quality work for your customer is the best form of marketing for this type of business,” said Hayeon. “Guests see your work, and they want the same for their babies, so make sure to provide your client with several of your business cards because party guests will ask for them.”

The focal point of a dol often includes a long table draped with cloth and flanked by two balloon Columns. Sometimes an Arch stands behind the table, or some simple balloon designs are rigged to the wall to create a backdrop. 

The space in front of the table is often decorated with more balloon work and so is the table top, if space permits. It is important to remember that because balloons are recommended for children ages 8 and up, you should always remind your client of their responsibility to watch small children and make sure that they don’t get their hands on an uninflated balloon or a scrap.

Lily Tan, CBA, of My Airtitude in Singapore, shows us how we can transform a room with beautiful balloon decor.  Lily has filled this room with lots of beautiful designs that when placed together creates this fantastic 1st birthday scene.

Derek Wong, CBA, of Twisted Inflations in Ontario, Canda, created this beautiful number one sculpture.

“This sculpture was made for a little Asian girl who turned one, and the parents picked the elephants because their daughter loves elephants. The three elephants representing their family – a father, mother and a little girl elephant at the top. According to the parent who placed the order, they wanted to have a special memory that will last forever for their first daughter on her first birthday, and they think my balloon creations are very special and creative so they asked me to make them this.”

I feel very fortunate being the author of this wonderful industry blog. I have the opportunity to meet through the magnificent "interweb," fabulous and very generous balloon artists who are very happy and willing to share their knowledge, passion, and expertise. I am forever thankful and grateful. I would like to thank Hayeon, Lily, and Derek for their invaluable contributions.

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

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