Predicting Ballooning and Event Trends of 2022

To be honest, 2021 did not really turn out to be the year that we had all hoped for, or the one that we had anticipated that it would be. So, will 2022 finally be the year that we are all waiting for?

In preparation for life and business to resume to normal, I thought that it might be a good idea to look at the possible ballooning trends for this year! Let's face it, everyone is ready to party and celebrate anything and everything!

Bigger, Bolder, Better are the three words that I keep reading when looking at party trends for 2022.

Over the past two years, parties and celebrations have been limited to gathering in small groups, with reduced guest lists. This year will hopefully play host to bigger celebrations than ever before, and it will be all about making a big impact! 

Be bold with colour! Predictions show that party planners will be looking to inject feelings of optimism, empowerment and joy into their events through vibrant pinks, purples, oranges and blues, and as we know, a great deal of colour can be introduced into an event using balloons.

Big, Bold and Beautiful, 3rd Birthday Decor by Chris Adamo, CBA of Balloon Crew, Sydney, Australia

Outdoor Space and Tent Events

While some say bigger parties will resume, others are still erring on the side of caution. Outdoor and open marquees, tents and teepees will remain popular for many. Garden and outdoor space transformations are definitely a growing trend! 

Photograph Credit Northstar Balloons

Had we not been in lockdown two years ago, I am not really sure that I would have decorated our garden for our Granddaughter's birthday celebrations! It was so much fun to make her something special! 

Number 5 Frame by Sue Bowler

Decorating outdoor space offers many options, and being a balloon company shouldn't limit you to only offering balloons as decor!

• Decorate trees and bushes with bright ribbons and balloon garlands! 
• Lighting is key. To make sure the garden party continues seamlessly into the evening, prepare with plenty of outdoor lighting. Mix and match different types, from tea lights to lanterns for a pretty and luminous effect. Hanging lights around the garden will transform the outdoor space once the sunsets.
• Make the outdoor spaces feel as comfortable as being indoors. Lay rugs and throws on the ground and use layered cloths on the tables. Make sure that the seating is super comfy, with lots of cushions! 

Light Up Numbers and Letters

Something that I have seen being used more frequently over the past few years are light up numbers and letters. These give balloon companies an opportunity to create fabulous decor incorporating the large characters and numbers as a focal point within the decor. Claire Jackson created this stunning entrance décor.

Fabulous entrance decor by Claire Jackson of Airmagination Balloon Company 
in Farnham, England.

Number 50 decor by Claire Jackson of Airmagination Balloon Company 
in Farnham, England.

Decor by Chris Adamo and his Balloon Crew Team.
"We just loved how our organic balloon installation framed these #pride letters."

Neon Signs

Here’s a bright idea; light up the party with a neon sign. These are perfect for balloon backdrops and other decorative areas. A sign can be customised or go with an evergreen message (i.e. "Oh Baby!" for a baby shower). The options and price ranges are endless.

Designer name: Instagram User @balloonilicious
www.balloon-ilicious.co.uk

Balloon Mosaics© and Balloon Frames

Mosaic frames can be made or bought as a kit and easily assembled. They can be filled with both latex and or Microfoil balloons to suit many different occasions! I really love this Christmas 'JOY' design by Nikoloon! I love that each letter uses a different style and technique.

If you would like to learn more about Balloon Mosaics check out  https://theverybestballoonblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/balloon-mosaic-frames-another.html

Over-the-Top Backdrops

How fabulous is this backdrop by the extremely creative Hello Pretty Events? To find out more about this stunning 1st birthday installation, check out this article in "Inspired by Us" https://www.inspiredbythis.com/grow/meaningful-moana-themed-first-birthday/

Davina's Boho Moana- By HPE Studio - Hello Pretty Events.

And speaking of themed parties, here is another fabulous example of a Moana Party by Cheeky Gorgeous Events and Kez's Face Paint in Wolverhampton, UK.

Design by Cheeky Gorgeous Events and Kez's Face Paint in Wolverhampton, UK.

Theme parties for children will never go out of fashion. Some of the top trending themes for 2022 are Under Water, Beach, the Woods, Forest or Garden, Safari or Zoo, Ranch, Farm or Barnyard, Carnival or Circus, Castle, and Space.

Here are a few more event trends that you may expect to see:

Pantone colour of the year - Very Peri

Inspired by the 2022 Pantone color of the year, this “Very Peri” color palette incorporates frosty Chrome hues and SuperAgate textures to bring the new multidimensional colour to life.

Blast from the Past

Throwback parties are always a hit!! One of the most popular usually is 80's theme! I was asked to create disco theme decor for a corporate event a few years ago - everyone loves a disco right?

Decor by Sue Bowler, CBA

Disco Decor by www.suebowler.com

And finally, a few less common themes that we may see;

• Break up or Divorce Party - celebrating the next chapter!
• 'Galentines' Day - Galentine’s Day is a magical holiday where your romantic relationship status is irrelevant. All that matters is spending time with your lady friends who simply make life better.
  
  
  

And finally, it looks like many balloon and event companies are now venturing into the world of prop hire! This includes the use of frames, light up numbers, easels, teepee's, and gazebos to name just a few. These add-on props are good for generating additional sales, and are environmentally friendly as they are re-usable and can really help to 'set the scene' at an event! 

If you know of any new trends that I have missed, I would love to hear from you! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

The Rainbow Fish inspired 6th Birthday Celebration

The Rainbow Fish, written by Marcus Pfister, has always been my favourite illustrated Children's book. It is pure magic from cover to cover. When I started to design the decor for my granddaughter's recent 6th birthday celebration, it was a very easy decision, to create my version of The Rainbow Fish for her, which is something that I have always wanted to try.

To make the design, I used the Fish Shape  from Nikoloon Frames for Balloons. Standing 117cm high and 100 long, I knew that it would be perfect size for my design. Using this type of frame allowed me to create a pattern within the frame that would give me the look that I wanted to achieve.

I am going to be completely honest: it took me several attempts to get started. I actually found it easier to start from the tail end and work forward, leaving the face for last! 

The Bubbles!

You might assume that I cleverly superimposed the bubbles in the photo with the power of an editing tool, however, but they are actually real! 

To make these awesome bubbles, I used a giant bubble making kit! Knowing that our party was going to be outdoors, making giant bubbles seemed like the perfect summer Funday activity for everyone in attendance, young and old. It was also my sneaky opportunity to create the perfect photo, because let's face it, we all want 'that' perfect photo! This photo is actually a frame from the video that I took (below), as the bubbles were perfectly positioned! 

Here are more of the decorations that I made for Alexa's birthday celebrations.

Meet Mylo!
Mylo thought that Alexa's teepee was a great place to stay in the shade, and keep cool on this beautiful summers day!

Strategic placing the decorations in my garden gave me the opportunity to take this awesome photograph! 
I used Northstar Balloons letters to make Alexa's  name banner (which I suspended between two trees) and the Qualatex Number Six to make the Mermaid themed arrangement! 

Another cleverly placed photograph - I love that you can see
Alexa's name banner in the background!

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for beautiful photographs to use on my social media accounts and fun content for future blog posts! By taking a little time and planning you can create your own photo shoot opportunities and at the same time make someone special very happy! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

A creative hobby that turned into a wonderful children's book - an interview with Steven Mayhew

Recently, Steven Mayhew announced the completion and impending launch of his fabulous new ABC Balloon Book. I have known about this incredible project for some time, and each time Steven showed me one of his amazing designs I was simply in awe of his incredible talent. I am very excited that Steven has turned his dream into a reality and look forward to seeing many more exciting projects from the Balloon Workshop! 

What inspired you to create the ABC Balloon Book?

‟I was seeking a creative outlet of some type that I hoped would become a hobby. One day while searching for a project, I came across a greeting card for children that had a picture of an illustrated owl on it. Immediately everything clicked and I thought, I could create him out of balloons and make a picture book for kids. That then developed into creating an alphabet book as I felt the concept would be easier for a reader to understand exactly what they were looking at. So not only did I find my project, I felt like the work I was doing was for something greater than myself - using balloons to get children excited about reading.” 

When did you start working on the book and how long did it take from conception to completion?

‟I started working on the book in March of 2012. I really kicked it into gear two years ago and worked on the project almost every night and every weekend. I created an album in my phone and when the next image was finished, I'd add the image to it so I could visually see what each one looked like next to each other. This little task inspired and motivated me to keeping going as I literally saw the book coming to life before my eyes.”

Where did you start? Did you have a logical process?

‟I started with the frog. I immediately had an idea of this tropical, colorful frog sitting on a branch and thought, 'Well, if I'm inspired to start a few letters in, why argue with inspiration.' From that point I would just jump around from letter to letter as an idea would hit. Friends and family would ask, 'so which letter are you at now?' and I had to explain, I wasn't going in order. I didn't want to force anything. Some animals I wasn't looking forward to, only because I had no idea what I was going to do. However, at some point an idea for an animal would jump out at me, and I was immediately excited to get to work. Looking back, I'm glad I went with my inspirational instinct and didn't force myself to work on an animal when I wasn't ready, otherwise it would have been drudgery.” 

How did you choose which animals to show in the book?

‟I have a sister who had a toddler at the time I began the project. I spent many hours talking through each letter with her to decide on which animal I'd create for each letter. She'd have all of my niece's ABC books out and the many I had purchased on my end were out as I figured out each letter. I had to continuously compromise on things like, I can't create an iguana because I already have a lizard like creature, the newt, so I have to pick another 'I' animal, but one not too difficult for kids. I had already three or four animals created by the time I finalized the entire list. I already knew certain ones I wanted to develop and I was excited to get to work!”

Which would you say was the most complicated, challenging, or technical design that you created for the book? 

‟Each animal had its own complicated design element at some point. However, I would say the most difficult was the jellyfish. I created the structure three times before I finally got what I wanted. The first one had no personality in it by the way it was positioned to portray movement. The second was far too large at almost 5 ft., and again, it didn't give me the look I was going for. It wasn't until I decided to create an armature that would hold the wiring for the tentacles and devised a way to double stuff the head with a Qualatex^® SuperAgate®
balloon and a 3 ft. clear balloon. I finally settled on a technique I learned from Sue Bowler where you press a flat board against a fully inflated balloon. As you push down, the air is pushed out of the balloon and it wraps around the back edges of the board. I went through about ten 3 ft. balloons of each color trying to get two balloons on to the same board; not to mention trying to inject just the right amount of air into each of the balloons before they would snap off the board. That design took me three months to finally complete.” 

The book really does not fully show the scale of all of the designs that you made. Which was the biggest animal and biggest scene that you made? 

‟I think in any art project, the final design never shows the full scale of what it took to get there or how big something might have really been. This project was no exception. You are correct though, you don't see how big some of these designs were or what happened leading up to the final image. I'd say the largest design is tied between the giraffe and the elephant. The giraffe’s body and neck (not including the head) stood about 6 ft. tall with an intricate aluminum rod frame I had built.

The elephant's head on the other hand was massive, but horizontally. The head was about 2.5 ft. wide but each of the ears stretched about 3-4 ft. in either direction, which were cut from 5 ft. chloroprene balloons.”

Did you make all the designs in their entirety or just partially for the shoot?

‟Yes and no. My goal was to create as much as I could for one shot, but that's not realistic as colors and shapes of balloons are not available in every size and color under the sun. For example, I wanted to create a fat, blubbery look for the walrus' body but next to filling 3 ft. balloons with water and battling them to stand on top of each, I opted to fill 11" balloons with clay, suck out the air, and mold them into place. The walrus' head, however, was much larger, and due to the fact that 160Qs are the smallest entertainer balloon available, I had to create the whiskers on a 3 ft. balloon. However, some animals like the monkey and the owl, to name a few, were taken in one shot.”

Which was your favourite animal to make and why? 

‟It's hard to pick a favorite. There were animals I was excited to get to, and then there animals that I was a little less excited to create, but then the final design turned out amazing. My favorites are the ones I feel show the most personality or expression such as the alligator, the giraffe, and the vulture. But if I had to choose one, it'd probably be the alligator. He wasn't the original design for 'A.' I had already built and photographed a whole scene with an aardvark and its baby eating ants from a balloon ant hill. It was one of my first designs I built and coming back to it at the end, my work had evolved so much that how I made it didn't fit with the others. That's when the idea of an alligator in the bayou with lightening bugs and weeping willows at sunset popped in my head...and I immediately got to work.” 

You have used a lot of distortion to create fantastic shapes for your animals. Do you use anything to help you when you distort your balloons?

‟Distortion was a very important technique used to create parts of the animals as I didn't want them to all just look like the balloon animals we all know and love. I kept my tools simple when it came to distorting the balloons - a balloon straw, a basic pump, an Air-Pro inflator, the Nikoloon System by Niko Fric, and whole lot of patience.”

To find out more about distortion techniques check out my earlier posts:
Distortion Techniques Part 1
Distortion Techniques Part 2
Distortion Techniques Part 3

Can you tell me more about your education program? 

‟At the beginning of this year I connected with a gentleman who has a lot of experience working with authors and school presentations. He was extremely impressed with my artwork and the fact it was all geared towards early literacy, so we began collaborating on a presentation about the book. I felt it wasn't only important to cover the fascinating history of balloons but also cover balloon safety as it pertains to children, and give them the opportunity to make a balloon design themselves. Most importantly, though, is the literacy side, which is why I also developed activity guides based of the book that kids will have a chance to work on to better their abilities to recognize letters, differentiate lower and uppercase letters, writing words, and more. It's designed to be interactive, educational, and keep kids' attention.”

Are you planning to teach any of these designs in the future?

‟At this time I do not. My focus right now is getting this book into children's hands and then getting to my next balloon education projects.”

Do you have any future plans or projects?

‟I do! In the process of learning the world of children's book publishing, I have taken classes and courses on a variety of topics that has allowed me to develop my own stories. I have big plans for The Balloon Workshop and I'm looking forward to creating some of these ideas that have been in my head for the past couple of years, all geared towards early childhood development. So stay tuned, because you haven't seen nothing yet!” 

In what format will the book be available?

‟At launch, the book will be available in a hard cover format. It's 8.5" x 11" and includes 26 balloon landscapes along with original design sketches and a photo collage of the making of the book. I wanted to make the book a high quality product that anyone would be happy to give or receive as a gift, which is why it also includes a beautiful, custom-designed dust jacket. If you stay connected to us through social media (links below) we'll announce new formats of the book as they are available.”

When will the book be available to purchase?

‟Pre-orders for the book will open in the coming weeks, so make sure to sign-up at www.TheBalloonWorkshop.com to be notified of when they will be available to order. Books will begin shipping at the beginning of December 2016, perfect timing for Christmas!”

Steven Mayhew, CBA

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and raised in Mesa, Arizona, Steven was introduced to balloons through his first job as a children’s entertainer for parties. Moving to Los Angeles in the early 2000’s, he opened and ran his own balloon decorating company before transitioning to the corporate world of the balloon industry. Later Steven earned his CBA®(Certified Balloon Artist™) and began teaching the art of balloon decor at seminars and conventions around the world.

Combining his many years of experience in balloons and graphic design, Steven developed this new medium where the art of storytelling and balloons come together.

He now dedicates his time to bringing new products and educational materials to life through the fun and colorful world of balloons.

I am really excited for Steven, I think that anyone who can turn their dreams into a reality should be very proud of their accomplishment! And to think it all started with a Qualatex balloon! 

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

To sign-up to be notified of when you can order the ABC Balloon Book and for more information about Steven Mayhew’s Balloon Workshop visit: www.TheBalloonWorkshop.com

Follow Steven Mayhew’s Balloon Workshop on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Balloon-Workshop-975952179125383/
Twitter @ balloonwkshop
Instagram @ balloonwkshop
YouTube: The Balloon Workshop

Balloon Distortion Techniques Part 2

Making those amazing faces!

For the past few years, I have seen more and more detailed faces using the distortion technique!

The detail in Masako Normura, CBA of FuwaFuwa, Japan, sculpture, was awesome, we all studied the Geisha face with huge admiration! Masako's sculpture came second in the Large balloon sculpture category at the World Balloon Convention 2010.

Masako created another great large sculpture a WBC 2012, she used many different distortion techniques in this sculpture.

Masako Nomura, CBA

Today, many balloon artists are using a similar technique in their everyday work...

Here are some amazing ghosts heads made by PartyFiesta Shop, by positioning several balloons inside a bigger balloon these amazing faces can be created!

Partyfiesta Shop, CBA, Italy

This Witch was created by Mike Harris, CBA of For Every Occasion, the face detail is so good! Mike used a Nikoloon Tool to make the face.

Witch by Mike Harris CBA

Witches Face by Mike Harris CBA

Witches Face by Mike Harris CBA

Many of you may know Niko Fric, CBA. Niko has designed a tool called the Nikoloon Tool which allows you to do many fantastic things with latex balloons.

Nikoloon Tool

He has a great website www.nikoloon.com filled with information, pictures and step by step guides! Here are a few of the faces that he has created using the distortion technique and Nikoloon tool!

By Niko Fric CBA

By Niko Fric CBA

By Niko Fric CBA

Here is his guide to making a face... but visit his website to see these instructions and more in greater detail! www.nikoloon.com Niko will ship the 'Nikoloon' anywhere in the world... free shipping!

There are many different techniques used to create distortion with balloons, in the Part 3 of this blog I will show some simple ways to create shaped faces... but like anything, it is practise and experimenting that makes perfect results! Do you remember when you first tried to tie a balloon! Don't expect to make the perfect face the first time you try :)

Happy Ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com