Could you design the decor for one of the biggest parties in the balloon Industry? That's exactly what Alexandra & Ellie Ventura did and they share their experience with the Very Best Balloon Blog!

In 2012, yes that long ago, the World Balloon Convention set a challenge to the Worlds balloon community inviting artists to create WBC 2014 decor for the Lobby, the Thursday Night Costume Party and the Final Night Grand Gala, by entering the WBC 2014 Decor Design Competition, 'the opportunity to design your dream decor using UNLIMITED Qualatex balloons and a full staff to help realise your vision!'

Alexandra Ventura CBA with Chelsea Gaspard, Pioneer Balloon Companies
 Marketing Communications Director.

Sisters and business parters Alexandra and Ellie Ventura of Pacha Balloon Creations in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada rose to that challenge and were awarded the opportunity to create this years Thursday Night Costume Party decor 'WBC Rocks the World'.

To create decor on a grand scale is no mean feat especially when you are creating a party for the biggest balloon convention in the World! I invited Alexandra to share her experience with the Very Best Balloon Blog!

Have you ever wondered what it is like to take part in a competition? Part 3 continues our fantastic journey with more great personal stories and a little insight as to what a 'twister' can gain from attending WBC!

I am very excited to introduce my next two contributors Bram Parola from Belgium and Jill Shortreed from South Carolina, USA.

We're going to start with Bram Parola, Bram's competition experience was very different from our other contributors,  his adventure did not take place in the competition room, in fact he had not planned to compete at WBC until he entered the Jam Room!

 Bram Parola - Ballonplooien.net

Bram Parola

Have you ever wondered what it is like to take part in a competition? Part 2 continues our journey with more great personal stories and experiences from WBC 2014

Competitions are a quintessential element of any balloon convention, the opportunity to see balloon artistry at it's very best! 

For delegates & Instructors attending, the public visiting and those who see the photographs posted on Facebook and in Balloon Images magazine, we are in awe of what we see! Balloons that come to life and take on the form of an amazing sculpture, beautiful dresses and hats, inspiring centrepieces and deliveries and columns unlike you have ever seen before, there is no end to the creativity and exciting techniques demonstrated.

For those who enter the competitions, they have had months of planning and preparation and in many cases they have also worked hard to secure a team of willing balloon artists who's help is invaluable to assist the designer/s to build their vision!

Mike & Sara Harris have very kindly shared their WBC 2014 competition journey...

Mike & Sara Harris - For Every Occasion, Rhyl, Wales

Sara & Mike Harris

At WBC 2014 we entered the Large Sculpture Competition and the Balloon Column Competition.

We were persuaded (or rather Mike was!) by Michelle Comerford from Pioneer Europe during an alcohol infused conversation at BACI 2013!!  I was then informed on his return what ‘we’ had agreed to do!!

Part 1. Have you ever wondered what it's like to take part in a competition? Here's what some of our WBC competitors say...

Have you ever thought about entering an industry competition but for one reason or another decided not to?

As both a past competitor and occasional judge I am extremely passionate about competitions, I believe that everyone in the balloon industry benefit greatly from the skills, creativity & diversity demonstrated by those who take part in each of the categories!

So what does it take to enter a competition? 

On my return from the World Balloon Convention, I asked if anyone who had taken part in any of the competitions would be happy to share their experience with The Very Best Balloon Blog and I was overwhelmed by the response that I received! 

Teri Stokes - Happy Heart, Kingwood, Texas

Teri Stokes with her winning medal and award! Congratulations to Teri!

'Your store window is your face'... some great window display advice from Doctor Bob BALLOONS UNLIMITED

You should never underestimate the power of a great display, whether a store window or exhibition!

Doctor Bob - BALLOONS UNLIMITED

Last Christmas many of us were completely wowed by the Christmas window display that was created by Bob Armstrong CBA and his team at Dr Bob BALLOONS UNLIMITED in BARRY, WALES.

Christmas Window display
by Doctor Bob BALLOONS UNLIMITE
The window was filled with a magical selection of balloons, everything from a Tin Solder, Christmas tree's, Elves, snowmen and of course Santa Claus! I can imagine small children with their parents peering through to see all the beautiful displays... a true winter wonderland of excitement!

But these displays are not merely to create a display, each and every item on display is something that can be purchased by their customers, what a fantastic way to show off your skills!

He's from France, his design style is awesome and he's teaching at the World Balloon Convention...it is my pleasure to introduce Monsieur Jose Luthman!

Design Created
By Jose Luthman CBA

Many of you will already know Jose (pronounced Jo-ze), especially balloon artists from around  Europe as he has been an instructor in France, for a number of years, teaching at a variety of different balloon events including ABC (Sunny Twist) and Qualatex Events around France, at the Qualatex Event in Oxford in 2012 and at BACI last year! I am sure that you will have seen a selection of his work in Balloon Images Magazine or posted in the Qualatex Facebook Group?

Stylish, elegant and creative are probably the best words that I can find to describe Jose's balloon 'art', maybe it is true that the French really do have that 'chic' edge when it comes to design?

This will be Jose's first time teaching at the World Balloon Convention (WBC) so I took this opportunity to ask Jose a few questions about his forthcoming experience!

Our final 2013 review - 2013 was it a good year for the balloon industry?

Wow another year almost over, and 2014 is ready to spring into action! A time to reflect on what has been and to prepare ourselves for the new year ahead!

So it gives me great pleasure to introduce our final reviewers David Mahoney, Balloons Everyday, Dallas, Texas  & Rachel Porter CBA, Balloon Splendor, Seattle.

I specifically asked David and Rachel to review their balloon businesses over the past year because they have both been huge contributors to Qualatex Facebook groups throughout 2013, offering stellar advice, support and help to fellow members and felt it appropriate that they should conclude this blog ...and I can assure you that both reviews make fantastic reading, filled with great information and advice!

Part 2 of our review - 2013 was it a good year for the Balloon Industry?

As we know many parts of the world are still struggling with recession, so I asked two balloon companies from Europe to talk about their 2013 and whether or not the current economic climate had effected their businesses?

Elegant Shopping Mall Decor by Party Land Spain

Firstly we visit Spain and Laura Lozano CBA, of Party Land Spain.

Laura opened Party Land as the first "one stop" party supplies and balloon decor store in Madrid in February 2005 and today already has almost 20 franchised shops across Spain, where you can find everthing in order to make a party festive, whatever the theme. In its own, separate world inside Party Land, you can find all sorts of balloon bouquets for any occasion, from the simplest forms to the most elaborate designs. Only one month after opening her first shop, Laura learned the importance of training in balloon decor to set her business apart and has attended numerous industry events such as WBC, Oxford and BACI, where she became CBA in March 2009.  

 

Laura with Luc Bertrand at BACI 2011.

2013 was it a good year for the balloon industry?

It is when the year is coming to a close we look back and consider how it was for us and our business's?

With many countries in recession and others in the very early stages of recovery, it is always hard to feel optimistic during these periods, however, it has also been proven that in recession people party harder, birthdays and celebrations are still extremely important and although they may not always be on a grand scale they certainly are still looking for balloons and decor to brighten up their events!

Superstition has also played a big role this year with many wedding couples opting not to get married in 2013, some business's have seen their wedding sales drop by more than 30%! 

Helium shortages has also been very challenging, but I believe that many balloon business's have adapted really well, dug deep and found great air-filled solutions, a trend that I believe will grow and grow.

To get a better overview of how 2013 has been for balloon business's around the world, I asked a few of our Qualatex Facebook Group members to help me, I will be posting their responses over the next few days.

I would like to start with Joette's Giardina of Party People Celebration Company.

Party People Celebration Company is a family run business based in Lakeland Florida. Joette  started creating balloon decor for friends, church groups and family in 2000. In December 2003, she expanded her business and became the new owner of Party People Celebration Co., a Special Event and Balloon Decorating Company.

In August 2008 Joette became a Certified Balloon Artist, an internationally recognized certification through Qualatex.

Joette Giardina, Owner Party People Celebration Company

Lakeland, Florida

    PartyPeopleCelebrationCo.com

Joette & Brian Giardina

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

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. 

Turning a hobby into a career - Lily Tan's amazing journey!

Lily Tan - 'Giraffe and Me'

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Lily as a 'Very Best Balloon Blog' guest artist!

If like me you are in awe of Lily's amazing designs you may be surprised that she started out working with balloons as a hobby, but I will let Lily tell you her story...

Lily Tan is a renowned artist, widely recognised for her innovation and excellence in Balloon Sculpting. She is a locally self-groomed artist, whose accidental hobby has evolved into her passion for balloon art today.

After completing her 3-year Diploma for Fine Arts course at Nanyang Academy of Fine Art (NAFA) Singapore in 1990, Lily worked as an Assistant Art Director in an Ad Agency. Her job in the Agency had allowed her to explore art beyond imagination.

Balloon Industry Heroes and Inspirers the finale!

Here is the concluding collection of heroes. I have enjoyed each and every story that has been sent to me or that has been added to the end of the blogs, so I would like to thank  you all for sharing these with everyone.

Heroes and Inspirers the finale.

Pascal Grooten- Frisky Balloon, Belgium

Oh my, I’m only allowed to pay tribute to 3 names. Well, gonna make that a quartet tribute.

I like to mention Pieter van Engen, Patrick Van de Ven, Antonio Bécares Rodrigues and Hyun-Gu Park aka Beating.

Patrick Van de Van

For my opinion, these guys are nowadays the pinnacle of the ‘twister community’. Each one of them is a true balloonartist.

Giving all credit to the “old skool” twisters from the late eighties, beginning nineties you saw after the millennium a whole new generation of twisters appearing. For many years they worked hard and slowly developed their own style of twisting. Their designs are instant recognizable. 

They took the level of creating with balloons an entire level higher. They are influencial to many balloon artists because they share their knowledge and visions through jamming, workshops, publishing and continuously improving their skills and techniques. I like to call them the “Brat pack”.

I honour them because their designs are persistent and always surprising. They keep up coming with new designs that awes the ‘balloon community’.

Everyone has his own talent and unique style but all of them share the love for balloons!

Pieter, Patrick, Antonio & Beating,

I salute you!

Pascal

Balloon Industry Heroes and Inspirers. Part 2

Heroes and Inspirers! 

Part 2

Ted & Betty Vlamis - Pioneer Balloon Company

I am so excited to present the second part of this blog. Just in case you did not read part 1, I asked some of my balloon industry friends to share with me who their ‘heroes or inspirers were? I limited each person to a maximum of three people knowing that it would be hard to select only one, but easy to list many! As you will see, not everyone stuck to the rules of only 3 heroes :)

Once again, if you would like to add your own personal heroes please feel free to add them to this post in the comments section below. 

Who's your Balloon Industry Hero? Part 1

Heroes and inspirers! Part 1

Whether a hero or an inspirer, I would suggest that most of us can name at least one person who has given us the urge to do what we do today, In fact, I would like you now to stop reading for just one moment, and consider who might be your ‘hero’ and why? Can you think who it is?

If you would like to be part of this blog why not add your hero at the end by simply using the comment section, I would love to hear who your hero is and why...

Ninja Turtles Down Under... awesome balloon sculptures!

Last week I arrived in Sydney, Australia for the start of my Deco Fusion Tour with Qualatex Australia! 

I was not the only person busy working with Qualatex balloons, Matt Falloon and a group of talented artists were busy building 'Ninja Turtles' at Darling Harbour.

I asked Matt if he would tell me a little bit about his amazing project...

The Turtles:

The Ninja Turtles came about because of another balloon twister friend of mine being unable to take a job of this level due to full time work. He graciously passed it on to me.

I tapped into the loose network that had been set up in Sydney of balloon artists, Face painters, clowns, magicians, and some who are all of the above, and asked them to be involved.

I had a great response! I ended up with a team of about thirteen twisters, all of varying skill levels, from all over Sydney and the Central coast, all of which had volunteered with no thought of payment. (There was a modest payment allocated in a very tight budget).

Ask the Expert - Elisa Helman on Bar/Bat Mitzvah's

Ask the Expert!

Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s

I have asked Elisa Helman, of Elisa in Balloonland Jerusalem to share some of her expertise when it comes to Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s.

Elisa Helman, Elisa in Balloonland Jerusalem

Firstly can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a second generation balloon artist.  My mom and her business partner started doing balloons 23 years ago.  

It started when we wanted to have balloons at my brother’s Bar Mitzvah.  I had seen “Back to Cool” written out in balloons at a local shopping mall and I decided we needed to have something similar.  

We looked all over Boston and there was no one that was doing anything creative or unusual with balloons.  We contacted the mall and we went to New Hampshire to meet the balloon artists.  They were ahead of their time and we were hooked. 

They made my brother’s name in balloons, they made a spiral arch that went over the kids table and they attached balloons to the centerpieces that we made. 

We decided that we were going to try making balloons at my mother’s friend’s (soon to be business partner’s) daughter’s Bat Mitzvah a few months later.  The balloons fell in the middle of the event.  Someone saw the centerpieces from my brother’s Bar Mitzvah and our friend’s Bat Mitzvah and decided Mom and her friend had to decorate her son’s Bar Mitzvah!  They said no, but she was presistent and kept calling.  They finally broke down and agreed to decorate her the event. 

They went to a local Qualatex Balloon distributor and he gave them some tips.  The Bar Mitzvah party was Saturday night and the next Sunday morning they had three orders.  I was in high school and I remember the phone calls back and forth deciding wether they were going to do this.  They agreed to do the events that were scheduled for  the spring.

By luck IBAC (International Balloon Arts Convention) was in Boston that winter and Mom and her friend decided to go.  They were amazed at what they saw from Gary Wells’ fantasy flowers, Bruce Walden’s Pinocchio, a dragon sculpture that was breathing smoke, exploding balloons and more.  Within 24 hours Dad was packing all the kids into the car and off we were to Boston to see balloons every night for a week!

PINOCCHIO - created by Bruce Walden  CBA

When I moved to Israel after college, I did one party for a friend, word of mouth spread and within a year I had a full time decor business.  The balloon distributors in Israel laughed at me that I would never make it, that no one would pay those prices.  14 years later, not only do I have over 5,000 decor clients, I have been distributing Qualatex balloons for the last 8 years.

Gumball Centrepieces by Elisa Helman

What is a Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s?

A Bar and Bat Mitzvah is a coming of age within the Jewish community.  It is when a Jewish child takes on the responsibilities of being an adult in the community.  A Bar Mitzvah is for a boy, this happens when he is 13 years old.  A Bat Mitzvah is for a girl, this happens when she is 12, though there will be some streams of Judaism that will celebrate when they are 13. To celebrate the occasion, a religious ceremony is held in accordance with each stream of Judaism’s laws and congregational rules.  In most cases, the young adult is called to the Torah (Bible) to read.  Following the religious ceremony there is a celebratory meal.  

Ceiling Decor by Elisa Helman

Are all Bar/BatMitzvah’s the same, or can they vary?

All Bar/Bat Mitzvahs can be different.  They can vary in the number of celebrations, the days of the week that they are celebrated, the size, etc.  There is no set pattern.

Also, the celebrations can vary.  It can be mainly a ceremony where the child reads from the Torah and then there is a small lunch after.  That can also be followed by a large, sit down dinner with dancing.  Or there can be a child’s party with a dj and pizza.  Or there can be all of these celebrations for the same child.  Outside of Israel the large parties tend to be held on Saturday nights, after the Sabbath ends.  Balloons can be needed for more than one event.  I have had Bar Mitzvahs where I have decorated up to four events for the same child!  

Shai's Bar MItzvah - by Elisa Helman

Are there any ‘rules’ or definite no-no’s when it comes to designing a Bar/BatMitzvah party?

Again the rules and no-no’s will depend on the community.  If the event is in a location where they keep the Sabbath, then all preparations would need to be made Friday before sundown.  On our Sabbath, Friday at sundown till Saturday at sundown, there is no work done.  If it is in a location that keeps kashrut (Jewish Dietary Laws, kosher) then you have to check if certain candies and foods are allowed.  

Shai's Bar MItzvah- by Elisa Helman

What are popular themes for a Bar/BatMitzvah party?

It is interesting, in the US, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs almost always have a theme from sports, dance, theatre, film, shopping, animals, etc. At our big parties in the evening mine was ballet, my brother’s was the Celtics.  In Israel there is usually not a theme, though sometimes you will find a sport theme, animal theme or as recently someone approached me for a Willy Wonka’s candy theme.  

Rainbow Garland Arch by Elisa Helman

In observant circles, the theme of a party can be related to the portion of the Torah (Bible) that the child is reading or something related to Jerusalem or the state of Israel.  It could be a theme like creation, Noah’s Ark, the cities of Israel, etc. 

This was a Bat Mitzvah ceremony, the actually reading of the Torah.  The men and women sit separately amongst the Orthodox, so the balloon flowers actually served as a divider:

Shai's Bar MItzvah - By Elisa Helman

How can a decorator market themselves specifically for Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s?

First, learn in depth what a Bar/Bat Mitzvah is and all the events that are related to it.  This is a brief introduction.  It takes time to learn it all and the difference in the Jewish communities.

There can be a kiddush (light meal) after the reading of the Torah or a lunch after a child puts on phylactaries for the first time.  There can be a party where there could be a candle lighting ceremony, cake ceremony, there can be a dance floor, a kids table, a dais for the rabbis and learned scholars, there could be a stage where speeches are made, etc. etc. 

I think it is important to learn what type of community you are near.  Is it a Conservative community where the child is called up to the Torah and has a light meal after the service and then a big, black tie party in the evening for adults and kids?  Or are you near an observant community where there are events of 300 people coming?

It may be that you are near many different types of communities, as I am.

In that case you need to have a range of ideas.  Price ranges and ideas that will suit everyone.  

I recommend trying to introduce yourself to the local synagogues, Jewish Community Centers and private schools.  Once one person has employed you, your name will get around.  

Elisa wearing a Balloon Car! - one of the great classes taught by Dom Cassidy and Keith  Stirman at Balloonland Event 2012!

Balloonland Event 2013...January 27-29, 2013 with Alberto Falcone and Patrick Van De Ven in Jerusalem.  Three great days of learning and fun.  More information is available at elisaballoonland.co.il or at info@balloonland.co.il; you can vouch for us Sue that it is a great event!!!

"Yes I certainly can Elisa! The Balloonland Event was wonderful! Israel is such a beautiful country with truly amazing people! So many great opportunities to learn balloon art skills, from some of the best instructors - Alberto & Patrick are awesome! All classes are taught in English!"

Balloonland 2012

Having fun at the Dead Sea - Elisa, Keith Stirman and Dom Cassidy!

Thank you Elisa! It has been very enlightening for me as someone who has never decorated a Bar or Bat Mitzvah to understand a little more of the background information, I am sure that this will help others to approach a whole new market with many great opportunities!

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Drawing on Balloons... and bring your designs to life!

Drawing on balloons, some great tips from two industry experts!

I draw very simple faces on my character designs, but I must say that I am in awe of those who have a natural talent when it comes to drawing on balloons!

So I invited two of our industries very talented balloon artists Yolanda Verberk of Yollie Balloons, Belgium and Lily Tan of My Airtitude, Singapore, and asked them both if they would kindly share some of their top tips when it comes to drawing on balloon's.

Tiger by Yolanda Verberk

Hi there!

I’m  proud to have been asked to write down a few tips and tricks in 'The Very Best Balloon Blog' about drawing on balloons.  I hope I’ll inspire you to try drawing more details on balloon sculptures.

I sincerely hope I can show you that you can do so much more with a balloonface than just 2 black rounds for the eyes.    

First I’ll introduce myself, and you’ll learn it’s not a coincidence that I love drawing on balloons…  

Yolanda Verberk- 'Yollie'

My name is Yolanda Verberk, most twisters know me as “Yollie”. I’ve been twisting professionally  for about 8 years now.  I also do facepaint and together with my sister I participate in bodypaint competitions throughout the world.

In 2012 we may even call ourselves the Dutch champions!

I love painting on faces and bodies, so why not try pimping my balloons in the same way!? After treating myself to a set of 30 Sharpies in different colours (and believe me, it’s hell to get your hands on those when you live in Holland or Belgium!!)  I started experimenting.  In 2009 I was the winner of the Iron Latex Man competition in Mol, Belgium. It’s there where I learned that you could dazzle people with art-work on balloons. Of course it’s important to twist a fabulous balloon sculpture, but the drawing makes the sculpture complete! 

For my drawings I use Sharpies, Edding paintmarkers, deodorant (!), tissues and my fingers.

Sharpie Pens

Most pictures speak for themselves, but I’ll try to give you some explanation about how I work. But first of all, my most important tip:

Take good care of your tools!!

 How to do that:

- Always use the lightest colour first, than the darker ones and finally you use your black Sharpie

Otherwise your light colours absorb the darker ones and they will all turn to some sort of grey-looking colour and lose their brightness.

- Use your Sharpie markers for drawing on balloons only! Do not let your kids use them to fill in their colouring pages… that way your Sharpies will last a long long time, as a balloon does not absorb the ink.

- Always use your Edding paint marker  last. If the paint’s not entirely dry, you’ll ruin your Sharpie by trying to draw something over the wet paint.

Edding Paint Marker - White 

- Always put the caps back on the markers as soon as possible!

Although a lot of twisters don’t like drawing on balloons, most twisters feel the need to draw eyes on their sculpture. So I’ll start by explaining how to draw beautiful eyes. These eyes help you to bring your balloonanimal or balloondoll to life.

First draw the blue (or whatever colour you prefer, try making a match with the colour(s) of your balloon!) outline. Then draw a black inner circle and immediatly draw an extra circle within. Add two extra circles.

Make sure that the three small circles are big enough. The white circles in the eyes, the twinkles shouldn’t be too small!!  

Then you fill in the remaining space with a black Sharpie. And finally you partially outline the blue circle. Not with a neat, straight line, but like in the last drawing.

 If your eyes are drawn on a coloured balloon, and not on a white one, you can draw the twinkles with a white Edding paintmarker afterwards.

When using a black balloon, draw the entire eye with a white Edding marker first. Be SURE your paint is totally dry, before you start drawing with your Sharpies.

More tips and tricks:

- A bottle of deodorant and a tissue are of great help when you make a mistake! Spray some deodorant on a tissue and wipe the wrong bit off!

- In order to draw a nice blush on the cheeks, rapidly draw a red smudge or circle on the balloon. Even more rapidly fade the paint with your finger, in order to get a nice blush

- Try adding some freckles, eyelashes, eyebrows to your balloonface, it’ll liven things up!

- Want to add a nice detail to your balloon? But this detail is too difficult of too small to make out of a balloon? Try drawing it! Like a baby’s pacifier for instance!

-

Well… there’s a lot more I’dd like to tell you, but I’m sure this will enough to get you started!

Thanks for reading my tips and tricks and enjoy looking at my balloonsculptures! 

Hope to see lots of your nicely drawn faces on balloons soon!

Yollie

Here are a few of Yollie's beautiful Balloon Sculptures!

Ferrari by Yollie

Tess by Yollie

Ape by Yollie

Clowns by Yollie

'Dirk' - by Yollie

Drill Instructor - by Yollie

Freddie by Yollie

Giraffe by Yollie

Hampster - by Yollie

Witch - by Yollie

Turkey - by Yollie

Maternity Gift - by Yollie

Large Princess - by Yollie

by Yollie

Snail by Yollie

Snow White by Yollie

Dachshund by Yollie

Twins! by Yollie

Butterfly- by Yollie

Lily Tan - My Airtitude

Lily Tan

Lily Says....

"I usually use Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Marker or Pilot Wytebord Marker to draw faces cause its work well for drawing the faces on the balloons. It contains quick drying, water resistant ink that permanently marks most surfaces including glass, metal, photos, foil and most ... They come in many colours.
Again I always like to do some research before I create some new things... and it's always good to see Other Great Works for different artist. Do practice and practice cause practice makes perfect."

Wow! A huge thank you to both Yollie and Lily who's contributions have made a great blog! I think that I need to go away and practice practice practice, as I think all these designs are amazing, with such beautiful pen work... what do you think?

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com