Blooming Good Ideas for Spring Balloon Decor

With Mother's Day, Easter, International Woman's Day, plenty of spring birthdays and fresh new babies over the coming months, this is the perfect time for balloon businesses to boost their marketing and sales opportunities with a bright and fresh spring theme decor and delivery ideas!

Spring is actually my favourite time of year; the blossoming trees and early flowers pushing through the earth holds so much charm for me. I don't know about you, but I definitely feel more energised and ready to take on new projects and challenges in the Spring! 

International Woman's Day

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.

I have read much about International Woman's Day, and feel that it is important as a female entrepreneur and business owner to stand loud and proud and use this day to create greater awareness of women in business. Here is a great post, titled 6 International Woman's day social post ideas 2023, that is packed with some great ideas that you could implement!

Standing for Women!

Celebrate International Women’s Day with this impressive display.

Designer name: Alexander Solomatin, CBA, Moscow, Russia, Dmitry Novikov, CBA, Moscow, Russia

If you would like to learn how to make a Number of Eight sculpture check out my post: International Women's Day and how to make this fabulous Number Eight Sculpture by Alexander Solomatin, CBA.

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is a holiday to honour and celebrate mothers (and any other woman that has taken on a 'mother' role in a person's life) and is celebrated in countries worldwide. The holiday originated in the United States in its modern form, and is observed on the second Sunday in May. Many other countries also celebrate the holiday on this date, while some celebrate at different times of the year. In the UK, we celebrate it on the 4th Sunday of lent, which means that the date varies each year according to Easter. This year we will be celebrating Mother's Day on the 19th March! 

When it comes to finding the perfect gift for Mother's Day, most people leave it to the last minute (much like Valentine's Day). It is human nature to delay until the date creeps up, then frantically rush around looking for gift ideas at the final hour.

This is why it’s a great idea to start promoting Mother’s Day at least 3-4 weeks before the special day. It gives you time to remind shoppers that the big day is coming and helps them start thinking about what to buy.

Qualatex has a comprehensive range of fabulous marketing assets available to use for social media posts for Facebook, Stories and Instagram plus Facebook banners too! Click HERE for direct access or go to https://us.qualatex.com/en-us/inspiration/marketing-materials/

Rain, Sun, Rainbow, Repeat…

This dreamy rainbow design is sure to make her day.

Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Crazy for Daisies!

Spring flowers are all the rage for Mother’s Day, especially in a balloon centerpiece.

Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

I dream in watercolor…

This extra dreamy design will thrill all moms this Mother’s Day!

Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

For more great ideas, check out Happy Hour with Cam and Eve!

I have a number of previous posts that are packed with ideas and inspiration for Mother's Day! 

Mother's Day Idea's and Inspiration - 

https://theverybestballoonblog.blogspot.com/2021/02/mothers-day-2021-ideas-and-inspiration.html

A Little Inspiration for Mother's Day Marketing and Promotion 2022

https://theverybestballoonblog.blogspot.com/2022/03/a-little-inspiration-for-mothers-day.html

Easter

Easter has become the new hot holiday for stuffing balloons! Like Elf on the Shelf at Christmas, it is now popular to give a child a stuffing balloon filled with Easter Treats and topped with a Floppy Eared Bunny or Baby Chick balloon!

And finally, Babies and Birthdays featuring the newest Qualatex balloons! 

Flutter Into Spring

This lovely design is perfect for a bright and airy spring birthday!

Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Grinning over Birthdays

Smiling from ear to ear over this design!

Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Sweet as Sugar

Cook up this extra sweet design for a fun birthday at any age!

Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Babies are Magic

Nothing says “Hello little one!” like a magical unicorn.

Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Cuddle them Close
This cuddly and lovely deliverable will charm every new parent.
Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

I dream of baby…
Float away to baby land with this sweet ‘new baby’ deliverable.
Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

I am certainly inspired by all the new Qualatex balloons and excited to start creating! I look forward to seeing all your fabulous designs appearing on socials soon! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

International Women's Day and how to make this fabulous Number Eight Sculpture by Alexander Solomatin, CBA.

International Women’s Day in Russia was first marked on March 8, 1913, when women demanded the right to vote via a public demonstration. It became a recognized public holiday in Russia in 1918. In fact, in Russia, this holiday is not called “Women’s Day”. It’s such a big public holiday that it’s just referred to as “the 8th of March”. On this day, Russian men and women bring gifts and flowers to all the important women in their lives and tell them “C vos’mym Marta!” (Happy March 8th!).





March 8th, or Women’s Day, is roughly comparable to Mother’s Day in the rest of the world, except that it celebrates all women – mothers, sisters, daughters, grandmothers, and so on. Mother’s Day is not celebrated in Russia, so March 8th functions as a celebration of both mothers and women in general. Women’s achievements in the personal, public and political spheres are widely acknowledged and celebrated - this excerpt was taken from "A Guide to International Women's Day in Russia" by Varia Makagonova.






Women's Day is now celebrated globally and is a national holiday in many countries. It is a day that honours women and their remarkable contribution to society.The day also commemorates the inspiring role of women around the world to secure women's rights and build more equitable societies.

To honour International Woman's Day, Alexander Solomatin, CBA of Balloondog, Moscow, Russia, created this fabulous Number Eight sculpture that incorporates both balloons and flowers that he shared on Qualatex TV - Russia, a YouTube channel that has been created for Russian speaking balloon artists. 

Alexander explained to me that while flowers are very popular in Russia and play a major role in this celebration, balloons are often not considered to be elegant or stylish. His aim was to design and make something that would change this perception. 

Alexander asked me if I would select a soft colour pastel palette - using the colour blending (double-stuffing) technique that he could use for his design. I selected five different colours that I thought would fit his goal.

Here is the video that Alexander created. I have voiced over the tutorial in English so that we could share the video and Alexander's beautiful design on the Very Best Balloon Blog.

Alexander Solomatin, CBA

Alexander Solomatin started working with balloons at the age of thirteen. As a teenager, the temptation to earn 200 dollars at one time was very appealing, and so his balloon journey began. A few years later, when Alexander was in college, he met Dmitry Novikov with whom he quickly gained a lifelong friend. The two started working together, gaining experience in different balloon companies.

In 2008, Alexander participated for the first time at the Moscow Balloon Festival. He attended Alberto Falcone's class, and this class changed both his balloon perspective and life forever.  Alexander realised that balloons could become a profession, and not just a part time income.

Alexander with his inspirer Alberto Falcone, CBA.

He met Vadim Shushkanov one year later in 2009, who also had developed a significant  interest in balloons. Together, Alexander, Vadim and Dmitry created SD Shar Company.

Dmitry Novikov, CBA, and Vadim Shushkanov, CBA, with Alexander.

In 2010, Alexander, Dmitry and Vadim participated in the Moscow balloon Festival as an independent team.

In 2012, they went on to win first place at BACI (Balloon Artists Convention Italy) as an independent team. This allowed them to expand their balloon vision and gave them inspiration for future party shops. 

Together as a team they have won:

• Three times consecutively at the Moscow Festival 
• WBC with a 3 head Cerberus – 1^st place
• Multiple 1^st and 2^nd places 12 minute and other competitions.
• BACI large sculpture 

Currently Alexander operates three party shops, a decorating business, and as a side project in February 2019, they started Qualatex TV in Russian for the Russian speaking balloon artists.

There is no end in sight for these men, and they have big plans for the future!

Thank you Alexander for sharing with the Very Best Balloon Blog! 

Happy Woman's Day and Happy Ballooning!


Sue
www.suebowler.com
#suebowler

March 2022 Holidays, Events & Special Days

Did you know that 18th March is Global Recycling Day? 

Daffodil Sculptures by
Chris Adamo, CBA, of Balloons Online and The Balloon Crew 
in Sydney, Australia.

Spring has sprung and with it comes March, a month filled with celebrations and special days! Some of these days are very recognisable, and others are a little more diverse, but each could make a great social media post... like World Frog Day on March 20th! 

1st March is St David's Day. St. David is the patron saint of Wales, and celebrations include wearing daffodils and leeks, eating traditional Welsh food and wearing Welsh national costume.

8th March International Women's Day - Women's Day is celebrated globally and is a national holiday in many countries. It is a day that honours women and their remarkable contribution to society. The day also commemorates the inspiring role of women around the world in their efforts to secure women's rights and build more equitable societies.

To honour International Woman's Day, Alexander Solomatin, CBA of Balloondog, Moscow, Russia, created this fabulous Number Eight sculpture that incorporates both balloons and flowers.

If you would like to learn how to make this fabulous Number 8 frame - check out my post 

International Women's Day and how to make this fabulous Number Eight Sculpture by Alexander Solomatin, CBA.

9th Mar 2022 is Barbie Day. On 9th March 1959, this 11-inch tall bombshell made her debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York. Barbie Day celebrates this ever-popular toy.

17th Mar 2022 St. Patrick's Day - Ireland's national day celebrates the Irish patron, Saint Patrick. The day is celebrated all around the world with Guinness and shamrock decorations.

This fantastic Shamrock design was created by
Fiona Fisher, CBA of Worldwide Balloon Decor in 
Belfast, Ireland.

18th Mar 2022 is Global Recycling Day - It is a day to recognise and celebrate the importance that recycling plays in preserving our precious primary resources and securing the future of our planet. It is a day for the world to come together and put the planet first.

To find out more visit - https://www.globalrecyclingday.com/about/

It is really important for the balloon community to constantly encourage the recycling of balloons and balloon related products, and encourage customers to re-use and recycle their own balloons.

Refill Foil Balloons

Foil balloons can typically be refilled multiple times! With care, you can release the air or helium inside and store it for its next use!

Repurpose Balloons

Balloons can be repurposed beyond their original use for new DIY (Do-It-Yourself) projects including artwork, gift wrap, garden “scarecrows” and more! 

Dispose Of Balloons Properly

Finished enjoying balloons? Dispose of them properly by popping each balloon with a pin or scissors and placing in a trash receptacle. Because latex balloons are biodegradable, they can actually be composted! If you have a compost pile or know of a composting facility near you, this is a great way to dispose of latex balloons.

Recycle Your Balloon Waste

These tips help you manage the balloon waste after your event. But don’t stop there! Companies like TerraCycle offer programs to recycle all of your post-party supplies, not just balloons. With your help, we can create a cleaner world after all of life’s celebrations.

March 20, 2022 marks World Frog Day! Why not make this fabulous frog design by Cam Woody, CBA, of Pioneer Balloon Company (see below for instructions).

27th March 2022 is Mother's Day in the UK. This is the day where we show our mother's just how much we love them. In the UK, Mother's Day is always linked to Easter (the 4th Sunday in Lent), whereas in the US, it's always celebrated on the second Sunday in May.

I will be doing more posts on Mother's Day design ideas over the next few weeks! 

Looks like we have plenty of events in March to keep ourselves and our social media pages very busy! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @Suebowler

How to Make a Styled Framed Number, and Make a Five Year Old Very Happy!

This week, my granddaughter celebrated her fifth birthday! So naturally, I wanted to help to make her birthday very special, especially as having a birthday party during lockdown was sadly was not an option.

I have been seeing some fabulous "Yard Art" decor being posted on the Qualatex Facebook group and decided that I would have a go at making her a Number 5 that stood as tall as her! 

I started by designing the frame. You may remember a blog post from last year that featured a "Number Eight" designed by Alexander Solomatin, CBA, for International Women's day. 

I really love how Alexander styled the frame by using different sized balloons, rather than having all the balloons the same size. View his post here: 

International Women's Day and how to make this fabulous Number Eight Sculpture by Alexander Solomatin, CBA. Click HERE

International Women's Day Number Eight 
Design by Alexander Solomatin

I thought that I would share with you how I designed and created my styled framed number.

Step 1. Choose a Font. Select a font that you want to replicate and then print it. To make it easy for me to get the proportions right, I sized the number so that the length measured 10cm, which allowed for easier conversion of measurements. 

Step 2. Make a Template. Getting the proportions correct will ensure that the finished design will look perfect. It was very easy for me to convert my design. Working in centimetres allowed me to convert the overall length from 10 cm to 100cm and all the other measurements in the same way.

I then drew the design onto a large piece of paper. This gave me a template to use when bending the aluminium rod into shape.

Step 3. Bending the Frame. Find a big enough space that will allow you to bend the aluminium into shape - I use  a 6mm rod that I buy from a metal merchant. I like to purchase rod in 3 or 4 m lengths.

You can use a Pipe Bending Tool to help to give you good angular bends, or you can simply bend the rod yourself. Be very careful to keep the frame flat, otherwise it can distort and not look good.

Make sure that you stay true to the template! All the work and effort put into making a good frame will ensure a great end result.

Step 4. Adding the balloons. When I printed the five outline, I paid special attention to the shape, which helped me to determine the sizes of balloons I would need to recreate the same style as the font that I had chosen. If you look at the photo in step 1, you will see that I have written the sizes that I felt would work best in each section. 

The first thing that I always do when working with framework is to wrap the frame using un-inflated 260Q's. Covering the frame allows it to 'disappear' when you add the balloons (no silver framework will show through) and the balloons grip better to latex, rather than directly onto aluminium.

Because the design was intentioned to go outside, I wanted to ensure that the balloons would survive the sunny weather, so I decided to double-stuff them (by putting one balloon inside another). I also used the double-stuffing method to create a softer, paler pink to compliment the other shades of pink that I used for this design.

Step 5. Adding a Base. For the base, I used an IKEA NOT lamp, with only one riser pole. I slid the pole into the design at the base at the widest part and then secured the pole to the frame using an un-inflated 260Q.

Step 6. The Finishing Touches. I now wanted to bring my design to life by adding some accent detail. My granddaughter loves fairies and unicorns, like all 5 year olds! 

I started by adding 14" Air-Filled Mini Fairy Microfoil™️ balloons.

#12245
Mini Fairy

I then added five 260Q Chrome™️ Gold flowers, and at this point took a photo to see how the design looked and to check if I was happy with the positioning of the elements that I added. I always like to take photos when I am building my designs so that I can see how it developing; it's so much easier to see mistakes on a photo compared to the naked eye!

With a few additional flowers, and some 260Q Chrome Gold Bubbles, I was very happy with the finished design.

Here are few photographs from our birthday "Garden Party", I also added some additional air-filled balloons to our flowersbeds and it looked truly magical... and of course, she loved it! 

I hope you have enjoyed learning how to create this beautiful sculptured number and I look forward to seeing your own beautiful number creations soon! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me on Instagram #suebowler