Q Corner Convention Additional Class Information from Balloon Coach - Joette Giardina, CBA.

Since the Q Corner Convention, a number of the featured instructors have very kindly shared additional information to further supplement their classes, including photographs, class notes and materials lists. To make it easier for everyone to find for future reference, I have documented these, along with their class video, in a series of blog posts that I will publish over the next few weeks.

Joette Giardina, CBA, Balloon Coach, from Lakeland, Florida, USA.

Class Title: Marketing with Balloons

"I was delighted when Susan Dhillon reached out to me and asked me to be a part of the QCorner online convention. It was so rewarding to see the comments come in from around the world of everyone watching the training. The topic of Marketing with balloons is more powerful than ever. I find many times as balloon businesses, we get focused on creating something new and over the top, comparing ourselves to other balloon artists from around the world, and we forget about the power of classic decor and how we can market daily with our balloons.I appreciate all the wonderful messages I got after my class and wanted to share a few extra tips to help you market in the "new normal". These are things that I have done in the weeks since Q-corner convention, during stay at home orders. Your Partner in Success."
Joette Giardina, CBA
Mentor. Motivator. Speaker.
Grow your Thriving Balloon Business

Here are the course notes that coincide with Joette's class, or for a downloadable PDF click HERE

If you missed Joette's class, just click on the video below! This video starts from the beginning of her class.





Here are some additional notes that Joette has prepared, that focus on Marketing with Balloons during Social Distancing!

Thank you Joette for sharing your knowledge and all the additional resources! I hope that everyone is enjoying all the opportunities to learn from so many industry experts! 

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me on Instagram @suebowler

Free Video Resource to Help You To Promote Your Business

I am hoping that many of you saw a post from Susan Dhillon, Marketing Communications Director of Pioneer Balloon Company on the Qualatex Facebook Group a few weeks ago? Susan shared some great news about an exciting, FREE, video resource - this might be on a time limit to help businesses during the Covid-19 crisis, but as of right now, it is definitely still available!

Making a video is straight forward, first visit: https://waymark.com/videos/collections/spectrum-reach

or click HERE

The website will open in a new window, so you can start working straight away! 

I have made a short, screen shot video to take you through the process, but I strongly recommend that you take a few minutes to play with it and see the amazing videos you can make!  

"One minute of video is worth 1.8 million words." 

 -Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research 

Before you start:

• Decide in advance what you want your video to be about.
• Create a folder of photographs that you want to include in the video. Don't forget that there are some great free resources on the Qualatex website, such as Balloon Bouquets, Balloon Decor, life-style photographs, and other great marketing materials.
• Prepare headlines, captions, and other copy entering on what you want to communicate in your advert. Research poems, slogans, and other marketing resources that relate to your video's topic.
• Don't forget the code that you need at the check-out - Reach

I hope that you enjoy using this software as much as I have. I believe that this will be a great resource for our businesses.

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me on Instagram #suebowler

Q Corner Convention Additional Information from Chun-Lin, Sung and Luc Bertrand, CBA

Since the Q Corner Convention, a number of the instructors have very kindly shared additional information to further supplement their classes, including photographs, class notes and materials lists. To make it easier for everyone to find for future reference, I have documented these, along with their class video, in a series of blog posts that I will publish over the next few weeks.

Chun-Lin, Sung - @BuskerJames

From Taichung, Taiwan.

Class Title: Maillestrom is a storm shape of ring's combination. 

"It looks really gorgeous with Chrome and metal color balloons."

"I thank Soo Chin for the invitation to be one of instructor in Q Corner Convention.I have received many thanks from balloon artists from around the world, who made 'Maillestrom' and tagged me immediately! Because of an audio problem, I was unable to show you the variation of Maillestrom. So, I would like to explain here: Based on Maillestrom design that I taught, the center structure which called Mobius ball could link to other Mobius balls. This linking method is called the Moorish Rose Weave. You can see the tutorial by visiting  https://chainmail101.com/moorish-rose or click HERE. The Materials that you will need is in the picture's description. The length of Mobius ball's ring is 80cm, and the silver ball in the center is five pumps size. With Qualatex Chrome Colors, you can also make fine art! Again, thanks for your watching, and see you next time in Q Corner. This is Chun-Lin, Sung from Taiwan, stay safe and be healthy, Cheers!"

Product List to make the Maillestrom

(1) 260Q Chrome Mauve

(1) 260Q Chrome Copper 

(1) 260Q Chrome Gold 

(1) 260Q Chrome Green

(1) 260Q Chrome Blue

(1) 260Q Chrome Purple

(6) 260Q Chrome Silver

(6) 160Q Black

(1) 350Q Silver

(1) 350Q Black

If you missed Chun-Lin, Sung's class, just click on the video below! The video starts at the beginning of his class.

Luc Bertrand, Cba of WaW Balloons in Vichte, Belgium.

Class Title: New Techniques for Flower Designs

"Spring is in the air, but be it summer, autumn or winter, everybody loves to see flowers! Flower are great eye-catchers in any design, whether for private parties or corporate events. Luc will start off with showing a new way of integrating flower patterns and geo blossoms in classic decor. This technique can be used in pedestals and columns up to arches. Then, Luc will show a rather unusual way of making a flower-base that can be made small or big, resulting in a whole range of possibilities. Centrepiece, gift, large arrangement, column or arch? Discover them in this session."

These are the slides that Luc shared during his class:

Here are some of the designs that have been made by viewers of Luc's class that have been shared on social media! 

If you missed Luc's class, just click on the video below! The video starts at the beginning of his class.

A huge thank you to both Chun-Lin and Luc for the great additional information! If you make any of the designs that were shown in the Q Corner Convention, make sure to place   #QCornerconvention on your post so we can see your amazing creations!
Happy ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com
Follow me on Instagram @suebowler

Q Corner Convention Additional Class Information From Glen LaValley & Rupert Appleyard

Have you had the opportunity to watch all the incredible classes from the Q Corner Convention yet? 

Since the convention, a number of the instructors have very kindly shared additional information to supplement their classes, including photographs and materials lists. To make it easier to find these for future reference, I have documented them, along with their class video, in a series of blog posts that I will publish over the next few weeks.

Glen LaValley - Glen the Balloon Guy, from Edmonton, Canada. 

Class Title - Balloon Make-Up and Dècor Pieces

"How to combine foils and latex balloons to create make-up and cosmetics related accent sculptures."

If you missed Glen's class, just click on the video below! This video starts from the beginning of his class.

Rupert Appleyard,CBA - Phileas Flash - Time Twister, from Edmonton, Canada.

Class Title: The Power of Being Underestimated

"When he was recently asked to create a lecture for the World's largest magician's convention Rupert Appleyard (aka Phileas Flash) decided to make something a little different. Join him for this inspirational talk about how balloons have changed his life and how they can change yours, if you let them."

If you missed Rupert's class, just click on the video below! This video starts from the beginning of his 1st class.

Class Title: Dragon Riders

"Get ready to spread your wings and burn some rubber as Rupert Appleyard introduces you to the weird and wonderful world of balloon dragon racing. Dragon Racers uses a modular body design that, when combined with different heads, makes a variety of mythical dragon steeds that will carry you to victory! 
So fire up your dragons and hold on tight, because this class is about to take your balloons to new heights." 

Material List:

Body (base colour to match the head) 

350Q x 4 

646Q x 1 

260Q  Chrome Green x 4

Bernie head (simple design) 

350Q Red x 3 

260Q Red x 1 

350Q White x 1 

160Q Grey x 1 

6" Geo Blossom White x 1 

160Q Chocolate Brown x 1 

160Q Dark Blue x 1  

The Viper head (Intermediate) 

350Q Spring Green x 3 

160Q Spring Green x 1 

160Q Red x 1 

260Q Ivory Silk x 2 

260Q Chrome Silver x 1

Royal Dragon head (advanced) 

350Q Lime Green x 2 

260Q Lime green x 2 

260Q Chrome Gold x 1 

260Q Chrome Silver x 1 

260Q Chrome green x 3 

646Q Lime Green x 1

News Alert! - Baby dragon racers!

"These little fellas just hatched and they are already having fun - aren't they cute? Instead of hugging your waist, these hatchlings prefer to perch on your head, which allows for smaller scale jousts and races."

If you missed Rupert's class, just click on the video below! This video starts from the beginning of his class.

A huge thank you to both Glen and Rupert for providing so much valuable information! If you make any of the designs that were shown in the Q Corner Convention make sure to put #QCornerconvention on your post so we can see you're amazing creations! 

Happy ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com
Follow me on Instagram @suebowler

Q Corner Convention - A Bonus Design from Sue!

Wow, have you had time to recover from watching all those amazing classes from the Q Corner Convention yet? What a truly fabulous five days that was, and definitely one that will go down in ballooning history! A huge thank you to Susan Dhillon, Eve Antonello and the entire Pioneer Balloon Company team who made this happen in such an incredibly short time! And of course, a very special thank you must go to Keith Stirman and Dominic Cassidy of Q Corner, who did an incredible job of both hosting and running this event, all while coping with very little sleep, and a fair share of technical glitches! 

As with all classes, 90 minutes is never quite as long as you think, and I still had one design in the wings that I sadly did not have time to show. So rather than waste the balloons and the design that I had prepared, I thought that I would make a short video that shows the bonus designs, plus a few additional tips! 

To understand the new design, you will need to watch the original class, so I have added the video here. Please note that the convention was filmed in parts, in which each of these parts is a number of classes (mine was the first to be recording in Part 6).

Here is the bonus video, I hope that you enjoy it! 

To help you to recreate these designs, I have included product and material lists.

Product and Material Lists

100th Birthday Celebration Balloon Arrangement 


#57050, #57048  (pkgd.) 2 - 18" Rose Gold Round Microfoil™️ Balloons

See listed below the range of latex balloons that I used: 

#58283 - 260Q Chrome Gold
#12939 - 260Q Chrome Rose Gold
#85111 - 7" Chrome Gold
#12936 - 7" Chrome Rose Gold
#43562 - 5" Ivory Silk
#43591 - 5" Pearl Peach
#57340 - 5" Rose Gold
#43584 - 5" Pearl Ivory

1 - 16" Cake Board Base  Silk Roses & Greenery
Double-sided Tape
Strong Sticky Tape
Uglu™️ Dashes/strong glue dots or Clik-Clik™️ Balloon Bond

Happy Birthday Tropical Hat Box Arrangement

#57280, #57278 (pkgd) 2 - 18" Birthday Hibiscus Stripes
#10464 1 - 14" Mini Pink Flamingo

#58283 - 260Q Chrome Gold
#85111 - 7" Chrome Gold
#43548 - 5" Onyx Black
#99326 - 5" Jewel Magenta
#43575 - 5" Pink
#25571 - 5" Wild Berry


1 x 12" Cake Board Base
1 x Black Hat Box
1 x Premium MaxiCup™️ II
1 x Premium Balloon Accessories MaxiStick™️ II 
2 x Premium Balloon Accessories Original Cello-Cup Clear 

1 x Premium Balloon Accessories Balloon Stick Clear
Pink Satin Ribbon
Silk Flowers
Low Temperature Glue Gun
Uglu Dashes
Double-Sided tape
Strong Sticky Tape

I created this Tropical Centrepiece to compliment a design that I recently made with Balloon School Pro, Setting the Scene Part 1 - Duplet Square Pack Balloon Walls and Setting the Scene Part 2 - Tropical Theme Organic Garland and other accent details! This is a paid download - to find it click HERE

Tropical Centrepiece

1 x Plexipole Base & Pole

#68824 1 - 20" Deco Bubble
#10464 1 - 14" Mini Pink Flamingo

#43793 - 11" Jewel Sapphire Blue
#85112 - 7" Chrome Blue

#85142 - 7" Chrome Green
#43602 - 5" Jewel Sapphire Blue
#99332 - 5" Fantasy Assortment - this includes both Jewel Sapphire Blue and Jewel Teal
#43552 - 5" Diamond Clear
#43607 - 5" White
#58284 - 260Q Chrome Blue

Tropical Leaves
Metallic Confetti
Hi-Float
Uglu Dashes

Fairy Number Design

#97429, #97430 (pkgd.) 1 - 18" Pastel Ombré 

#12245 1 - 14" Mini Fairy

#86369 1 - 16" Number Two Jelli Ombré 

#43566 5" Pastel Pearl Assortment - in the video I said that I used the Sorbet Assortment, but this was an error.

#43607 5" White

#58283 260Q Chrome Gold

1 x 12" Cake Board Base
Uglu Dashes

Double-Sided tape
Strong Sticky Tape
Heat Sealer

I hope that you enjoyed the bonus design and the few little extra tips! And don't forget, that you can catch-up with all of the classes anytime! Simply visit Q Corner on YouTube, find the class that you want to watch, and enjoy! 

Happy Ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com
Follow me on Instagram @suebowler

Are You Ready for the Largest 100% Free, Virtual Balloon Convention in History!

Earlier this week, Keith Stirman and Dominic Cassidy from Q Corner answered a few questions regarding the convention during their live show. Here are some of the main points that they covered:








Is the convention free?
The convention is 100% free!

Who are the instructors, and how do I know when, and what they will be teaching?
There will be 92 instructors from around the world, who, over 120 continuous hours, will teach an incredible selection of classes. These classes will range from decor design, twisting, line work, painted balloons, fantasy flowers, business classes... and so much more!

To find out more about the instructors, visit The World Balloon Convention Website or click HERE. Below each instructors name is a corresponding number which links to the class that they are teaching, as well as more details regarding their classes listed.

When does the convention start?
Obviously, as we are all in different time zones, the start time will vary from country to country, but as the convention is technically going to be hosted from the UK, the official starting time is Monday 30th at 12 am (midnight Sunday). If you would like to find out what the time will be for you, visit https://www.timeanddate.com and change it from 12am BST (British Summer Time) to your local time.

How do I watch the classes?

The Convention will be hosted on the Q Corner YouTube channel. We recommend that you subscribe to Q Corner on the YouTube channel before the convention. You can set reminders for specific classes that you want to watch, and when you subscribe, you will be entered into a drawing for one Premium Twin-Air Sizer™, courtesy of our friends at Premium Balloon Accessories! All subscribers to the Q Corner channel will be entered into the drawing.

Can I only watch the classes live?

No, you will also have the ability to catch up on classes that you miss. The convention will be filmed in 8-hour parts and will be available to watch once each section has finished... allowing a little time for Keith and Dom to post it. You can see which classes (by number) will appear in order, as classes will not be posted separately. You can set reminders to notify you when each of these parts are available! 

YouTube Schedule

Each day is split into three parts on YouTube, so the link will be the same for several classes in a row. The parts are as follows:

• Part 1: Starts on Monday, March 30 at midnight BST. Covers classes #1-5
• Part 2: Starts Monday, March 30 at 7:30 BST. Covers classes #7-13
• Part 3: Starts Monday, March 30 at 16:00 BST. Cover classes #15-19
• Part 4: Starts Tuesday, March 31 at midnight BST. Covers classes #21-25
• Part 5: Starts Tuesday, March 31 at 7:30 BST. Covers classes #27-32
• Part 6: Starts Tuesday, March 31 at 16:00 BST. Covers classes #34-39
• Part 7: Starts Wednesday, April 1 at midnight BST. Covers classes #40-46
• Part 8: Starts Wednesday, April 1 at 7:30 BST. Covers classes #48-53
• Part 9: Starts Wednesday, April 1 at 16:00 BST. Covers classes #55-59
• Part 10: Starts Thursday, April 2 at midnight BST. Covers classes #60-65
• Part 11: Starts Thursday, April 2 at 7:30 BST Covers classes #67-73
• Part 12: Starts Thursday, April 2 at 16:00 BST. Covers classes #75-80
• Part 13: Starts Friday, April 3 at midnight BST. Covers classes #81-87
• Part 14: Starts Friday, April 3 at 7:30 BST. Covers classes #89-94
• Part 15: Starts Friday, April 3 at 16:00 BST Covers classes #96-100

Are all the classes being shown live?

With the exception of a few of the classes that will be pre-recored (to account for bad internet signals and other technical issues) the majority of classes will be shown live. So be prepared for a few glitches and get ready for lots of fun stuff too! 😊

Can I ask questions during the class?

Yes! You will certainly have the opportunity to ask questions during a class. 

Will any of the classes be translated?

Some of the instructors have already anticipated this and will have someone with them translating their classes during the live session. However, a selection of classes will be translated after the event has finished and will be available for all to view.

Will there be any competitions?

Yes! Some very generous manufacturers (see below) have donated some truly fabulous prizes. These will be up for grabs throughout the convention, but only during the live sessions, so that is a very good reason to watch live! 

Can I join in on any of the classes?

Yes! A number of the instructors plan to offer a hands-on session where you can re-create their designs and techniques during their classes. 

For example Chun Lin, Sung, who is teaching class #84 will be demonstrating one of his own incredible designs, and has listed all the materials that you will need to make it. To find other hands-on classes, check each of the classes listed in the Class Schedule.

Other Information:

All the instructors are giving their time to help inspire, educate and uplift the ballooning community at this very difficult time.

This will be an exceptional opportunity to learn from some of the most creative people in the ballooning world, and to see designers who rarely teach at all, let alone outside of their own countries! 

There is an awesome merchandise store where you can purchase one-of-a-kind Q Corner Merchandise! All Profits will go to charity! Click HERE for a direct link.

A huge thank you to Qualatex and the entire Pioneer Balloon Company Team who have worked incredibly hard to put this whole convention together in such a short time! Of course a MASSIVE thank you to Keith Stirman and to Dominic Cassidy who will be hosting the entire 120 hours... I have no idea how they will do it, but if anyone can do it, they can! 

And thank you all the wonderful sponsors, as well! This convention would not be the same without them!

Keep checking the Q Corner Convention page for updates, as they are being added daily! 

Wishing you a truly amazing week of getting to be part of the largest virtual balloon convention in history! 

Happy Ballooning!


Sue
www.suebowler.com