Create a fantastic finale to any event with a balloon drop!

We all know that balloons make an event or celebration special and there is nothing quite as magical as balloons cascading over a dance floor or filling an arena at a concert!

RELI-A-DROP is a balloon drop net system created by Colin Stewart CBA of Stewart's Baskets and Balloons. 15 years ago, after a problematic and disappointing experience with a purchased drop net, Colin decided that if he wanted to be assured of a 100% success rate with his balloon drops then he should make his own. Colin's #1 criteria was to install a pre-check system into all of his nets to allow users to check that the net will open when the release line is pulled.

I recently met up with Colin whilst he was on a working tour of the UK and Ireland to talk about the RELI-A-DROP system in greater detail.





Below is a step-by-step video clip that will guide you through the steps to create a perfect balloon drop.

QBN Beginners Guide

As with all skills we have to start somewhere. In the balloon world people 'find' balloons through different routes.  Some through an already established business, such as a greetings card or gift stores and others more casually through a hobby.

When I started out, I suppose I would have come under the banner of being a hobbyist. I started my balloon business in 1990, I really did not know anything about balloons or how to run a balloon business or any business for that matter, but I was excited about building a business around balloons and that was enough for me to get started.

I was very much a beginner for the first 4 years of my ballooning career and fortuitously for me I was encouraged to join the Qualatex Balloon Network™. Why so lucky? After 4 years I had come to a bit of a crossroads with my business, I was busy enough decorating weddings and parties but I was not making any money and I was beginning to question myself if this was a viable business to be running?

Joining the QBN really helped me to turn my business around. It was the first time that I had ever even considered the business side of running my balloon business. It was a real eye opener and it gave me the knowledge and confidence to start running my business in a professional and profitable way!

You don't need to spend 4 years like me trying to work out how to make balloons into a fantastic as well as profitable business. Just read below and find out more about the Qualatex Balloon Network!

How to make a Tropical Balloon Flower Step-by-Step!

Tropical Balloon Flower
by Sue Bowler CBA

Since posting my last blog 'Flower Power', I had several requests for a recipe to make the Tropical Balloon Flowers that I featured in my blog!

I designed the Tropical Balloon Flowers for the Gala Party at the 2013 Slovenia Event. My objective was to create an elegant flower that had a Crocosmia like appearance in terms of having long elegant stems rather than the more traditional 'Daisy' like flowers that we usually see used for decor.

How long you make your flowers is entirely up to you! For the Slovenia Event Gala Party, I wanted the flowers to be freestanding and tall so that I could position them around the room. Each flower stood approx. 10ft tall (3m).  However you could make them much shorter and use them for table decor too!

Flower Power!

Design by Sue Bowler CBA

Floral based designs are synonymous with seasonal occasions such as Mother's Day and Valentines. They can be used for many other occasions too such as 'Get Well' or 'You're the Best', or they can be used to decorate summer parties, creating a wonderful array of ballooning floral treats!

Qualatex® has so many beautiful balloons that we can work with to create many varying types of flowers. 

From Big Polka Dots to Agates, Geo Blossoms® and Hearts, not to mention all the Q's too... look at the amazing flowers that Carolynn Hayman of POP! Designs & Creations has made using 160Q & 260Q balloons!

Part 3. Working with Colour Trends - Strawberries & Tangerine, a fresh trend for summer 2015!

Picture courtesy of www.wantthatwedding.co.uk

Ooh, what a wonderful and exciting colour combination! Strawberry Ice, delicate, warm, and appealing combined with energising and fun Tangerine!

Picture courtesy of www.wantthatwedding.co.uk

These two don't instantly appear to be a match made in heaven but when put together they look awesome! We have some great balloon colours that we can work with to achieve this fresh look!

Here are some fantastic designs ideas working with this fabulous colour palette!

Designers Fiona Fisher and Luc Bertrand share their inspiration behind the Spring Fair and Toy Fair stand decor.

The International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany and the Spring Fair at Birmingham NEC, UK are both key trade shows for Pioneer Europe to exhibit at. 

With many competitor companies within a very small area, it is essential that the Qualatex® stand is exciting, inviting and pleasing to the eye. It should also show professionalism and creativity. 

Most of us don’t work big trade shows like these, but often we get to advertise our services at events and also need to make the best impression at first sight. This philosophy is not unique to trade stands, this is something at we should all consider when creating our window displays or exhibition stands at wedding and other trade fairs.

To find out more about how the fabulous decor was designed for both the Spring and Toy fair, I asked the decor designers Fiona Fisher CBA and Luc Bertand CBA if they would share their inspiration.

Balloon samples to help determine the colours 

and theme to be used.

Choosing the theme and colours with 

Debbie Magill, Michelle Comerford and

Luc Bertrand!

Each year the teams working on the shows get together many months in advance to decide on the look and colours that will be used for the stands. It was agreed that a modern contemporary look was high on the list of priorities using 'Spring and Flowers' as the theme.

Deco Bubble Design Ideas for Communions & Weddings!

For a little extra inspiration for the communion season, I have added some links to some great downloadable PDF instruction sheets of designs working with Qualatex® Deco Bubbles, and although the designs shown are wedding themed designs, you can simply switch the product and replace with some of the great communion latex designs! Remember that Luc describes communions as 'little weddings'!

To download the instruction sheets just click on the link at the bottom of each of the designs.

http://www.qualatex.com/downloads/instuctions/elegant_weddin_bubbles.pdf