Monday, November 15, 2021

How to Make this Festive Gnome Design by Sue Bowler

Finding quick, easy and sellable designs is always a little challenging, especially when you are building your seasonal offerings! Today, I would like to share this cute and festive gnome design that I recently created and shared with the viewers of BMTV.


Christmas Gnome Design by Sue Bowler

Material List

1 x Merry Christmas Gnome
#19772

1 x 42" Gnome
#20055



4 x 7" Gold Chrome Latex Balloons #85111
8 x 11" Gold Chrome Latex Balloons #58271



1 x 260Q Chrome Gold
#58283


1 x 260Q Red
#43958 

You will also need:

  • Balloon weight (for the overall design)
  • Small balloon weight & helium (for the Merry Christmas foil balloon)
  • Nylon Line and red satin ribbon
  • Stretchy Balloon Tape

To find out how to make this design please watch the video below! 


Balloon inflation sizes as a reminder:

  • Base and 3rd cluster inflated to 8"
  • 2nd/middle cluster inflated to 3.5"

Additional Tips:

  • This design is perfect for personalising with someone's name for Christmas.
  • Add Hi-Float to the 260Q's to help the balloons last longer.
  • Always ensure that any helium-inflated foil balloons are safely secured to a balloon weight.
  • This design could be made with alternative latex balloons to create a completely different look for the box/gift base. 


Here is another quick, easy, and festive idea! When you create a design that you really love, why not make it into a gift card that you can share with your friends, family and customers!

Christmas Gnome Design created by Sue Bowler



Here is my 2021 Christmas card, made using CANVA! It is so easy to do and gives you the opportunity to create something very special and unique! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue
Follow me @suebowler




Thursday, November 11, 2021

'Jingle All The Way' with these Festive Preparation and Christmas Balloon Design Ideas!

Christmas Gnome Design  By Sue Bowler CBA - www.suebowler.com
Christmas Gnome Design 
By Sue Bowler CBA.




During Christmas 2020, many were obligated to stay at home and avoid spending time with family and friends due to coronavirus restrictions. I know we are all hoping that Christmas 2021 will be a very special celebration as a result of last years lack of celebrations. With that in mind, it is time to get our businesses ready for Christmas if you haven't already started! 







And November is the perfect time to start marketing for Christmas:

Decorate your shopfront: 

 

How fabulous is this display by Trish Robertson of Barossa Helium Balloons and Party Supplies in Tanunda, South Australia. Trish was inspired to re-create Luc Bertrand's beautiful QuickLinks Santa Mural  which has taken centre-stage in her window! 


  • Decorate your outdoor area with festive window art, banners and decals. 
  • Inside, get shoppers in the Christmas spirit by playing your favourite seasonal tunes and lighting some autumn and winter-scented candles to set the mood. 
  • If your shop is on the smaller side and you’re concerned about capacity (and your ability to enforce social distancing), think about ways to get people shopping without the crowds — like hosting virtual or limited-capacity events or scheduling personal shopping appointments.

Trish said; "I look at my window as real estate, just like shelving in stores is real estate. But the window is the most important real estate because it can decide if someone comes in or not. The other thing I don't do is fill it. I keep it simple so it jumps out. 

Trish also leaves her lights on in her store allowing her window displays to keep on working even when the store is closed!  

Deck out your website:

Your digital space is just as important as your brick-and-mortar location. So, if you have a website, make sure to decorate your digital "shopfront as well — whether it is through creating a curated gift shop page, adding a Christmas decor-inspired banner to your homepage, or changing your colour scheme to incorporate more festive colours.


When it comes to decorating your website and social media pages, don't forget that Qualatex has some excellent FREE marketing materials, such as this animated Facebook cover (above) and other helpful seasonal social media posts (see below) that can be personalised to suit your business or ready made to simply pop into your campaigns. For a direct link to all the Ready Made Social Media Posts and other marketing materials click HERE






Christmas Decor Ideas:

For me, air-filled and personalised designs are the way forward! Here in the UK, Christmas for the balloon industry really kicks off with the a naughty elf, known by many as 'Elf on the Shelf" arriving in family homes on the 1st of December.
The Christmas elf is fast becoming an annual tradition in many homes. The elf is a special scout that is sent to children's homes from the North Pole to encourage kids to behave themselves. The idea is that Santa's little helper watches the children by day, and each night, it returns to the North Pole to report on whether they were naughty or nice. 
This Christmas tradition has just two rules: First, children are not allowed to touch the elf or it will lose its magic. 
Second, the elf will not speak or move while the kids are awake. The elf only moves at night when it makes its trip back to the North Pole. Once it returns home, it then assumes a new position in the house.
"Elf on the Shelf" was created by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell in 2005. The concept is heavily protected by copyright laws, and therefore anyone making and selling elf balloon designs should be very careful not to infringe copyright laws. 

There are a number of different manufacturers of this cheeky little character, with varying different names - Naughty Elf, Elves Behaving Badly, Elf for Christmas are all protected by copyright rules and laws. My recommendation is to do your research to ensure that you don't infringe on any of them, as it can be a costly mistake! 

One of the most appealing ways for the elf to arrive is inside a balloon! 


Christmas Elf Balloon by Naomi Spencer of
Candy Bubbles in Birmingham, UK.

I’ll be Gnome for Christmas! A fun and whimsical design for the holiday.


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

The Gnome tradition came to us from Scandinavia. Unlike the elves of other cultures, which reside at the North Pole, legend has it that gnomes pop out of their forests niches come Christmas Day, and walk through the front doors of homes to hand-deliver presents.

The top ten hashtags for gnomes are #gnomes #gnomesofinstagram #gnome #gnomelife #gnomesweetgnome #gnomestagram #gnomelove #gnomehome #handmade #handmadegnomes 


Shine Bright! It’s all things merry and bright with Rudolph!

I absolutely love this design by Cam Woody! Everyone loves the Red Nose Reindeer at Christmas and Cam has created a fabulous air-filled design that would take pride of place in any home. If you are a QBN member, there are step-by-step instructions available to recreate this adorable design. Simply sign in using your QBN number and then you will be able to view and download for future reference! 


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

Happy ballooning! 

Sue
Follow me @suebowler



Friday, October 29, 2021

Christmas and New Year's Deco Ideas using Qualatex Taper Balloons

I love the Qualatex Taper balloon! I believe that it is a balloon that sadly goes unnoticed, as many people are often unsure what to do with it! This is probably why the colour range has been gradually discontinued over the years. Today, I am going to share with you some ideas featuring this versatile balloon that you will hopefully enjoy making, and that will look perfect at your Christmas and New Year's events!

 

This ingenious entrance decor was created by Luc Bertrand, CBA, of WaW Balloons in Vichte, Belgium for the Qualatex Event Germany a few years ago!  It really created a sense of fun and excitement when you walked through it into the main party room! 

Please be aware that some of the colours of Taper balloons that I am showing in this article are no longer available; however, all designs are easily adapted by simply changing the colours. 

Let us start by looking at what is available in this range! 

Rose Gold, Metallic Gold & Silver
available in 13" 27" and 38"

  • 38" - Suitable for helium or air filling. I like to use 38" Tapers helium-filled in my centrepiece arrangements to create long and elegant lines.
  • 27" - Suitable for air filling, will not float if filled with helium. These balloons do have a valve but do not be fooled they do not float when filled with helium.
  • 13" - Suitable for air filling only, great for accent detail and centrepiece designs. These balloons require heat sealing.


One of my favourite designs using Tapers is the air-filled Galaxy Ball! These can be made using all the different sizes of Tapers, giving you a small medium and large versions. When made using the 38" balloons, they are an impressively size and work extremely well in large venues where you want to fill ceiling space! One of the best things about this design is that it is very long lasting! Below is a video featuring Mark Drury of Qualatex, who demonstrates how to make the Galaxy Ball on a past episode of BMTV.


Here are a few table arrangement ideas.

The first design is a prototype of a design that I created for the Gala Ball at the World Balloon Convention (WBC) and was even featured on the Oct/Nov/Dec 2010 cover of Balloon IMAGES magazine.






If you would like to learn how to make this design, check out my postAn elegant centerpiece idea for a New Year's Gala Party! or click HERE for a direct link.




Another noteworthy piece that is worth recreation is this unique flower design, which uses 13" Tapers to extend the petals to create this impressive centrepiece! Helpful hint: use the Metallic Gold Tapers and Chrome Gold 7" latex to transform this piece into a fabulous New Years design! 














This eye-catching entrance Arch would be fantastic for either a Christmas or New Years Eve event, simply change the colours like I have done on my computer generated image (see below) to show my client how it would look in the colours of their choice! 


To create inspirational design like this, I have used Chris Adamo's Balloon Design Tools
https://balloonpro.co


And finally, I want to show you this fabulous idea of using a Galaxy Ball as a rotating mobile! 



Using a small rotating motor was a great way to bring this mobile to life! The designer used the same technique as you would use to create a Galaxy Ball (see above), but used fewer balloons so that it was not so full. This decor was created for a Christmas party that is held annually for children being treated at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London.

If you have never worked with Taper Balloons before, you should definitely try them for your next event. You can easily make some truly impressive decor with them! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue
Follow me @suebowler




Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Sell a Smile

We all know that trends are always changing and transforming. However, there is one icon that will never go out of fashion - the Smile Face! No matter what the age or the occasion, these balloons have "smile appeal"! 

So why do we all love a smiley face? I am not sure about you, but I love to use a 'smiley face' emoji 🙂 in my text and posts to convey a happy and positive thought. Much can be said about using Smiley Face balloons to create fun and unique designs, like the ones featured below.


These Happy Numbers are an inspired creation by Luc Bertrand, CBA, of WaW Balloons, in Vichte Belgium. Luc first created these for a New Year's window display in 2012, however, they are also perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, and other special milestone occasions. 



Start with weighted 4-balloon clusters, and then tie in the Microfoil® Number Shape for the 'body' and top with an 18" "Smile Face" Microfoil. Then make simple "arms' and "hands" with 260Q and 5" balloons. To create an attachment points, use Stretchy Balloon Tape and a small piece of 260Q.

Gentleman with Flower 

If you would like to learn how to make this "Gentleman with Flower" design by Vadim Shushkanov, CBA, in Moscow, Russia, check out the video below. There are four designs within this 5" Smile Faces Assortment.



Smiley Faces Assortment
5" Yellow #57961






Bright Smile Face Stand-Up

This Bubble Balloon stand-up is sturdy design perfect for delivery or cash-and-carry.

With "Movember" starting in the next few days, we can support this great cause by creating a whole bunch of Smile Face Mustache Men and help to raise funds and awareness for Men's Health issues. To find out more click HERE  or go to https://uk.movember.com/?home

A few years ago a had great fun creating these characters and gave each one a name!

 Big Tom - the Vegetable Farmer (centre)
Harry Moustache - Harry works in the city and is a 'dapper Chappy'! (left)
Monty Moustache - Monty is a flamboyant character, his favourite colour is Wild Berry!
  • Remember, you can easily market smile face balloons all year round. They are available in latex, Microfoil and Bubble balloons. 
  • Select a specific smile face delivery as the "Smiley Special of the Month" and promote this special through your website, on your social media page, and in your store window.
  • Display a variety of inflated smile face creations for impulse purchases. They make great last-minute gifts for a variety of everyday occasions.
Never underestimate the power of a smile or a Smiley Face balloon! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue
Follow me @suebowler


























Wednesday, October 20, 2021

It's All About the Framework

I am always in awe of the incredible balloon sculptures and those who build them. I have to confess, this style of balloon design is definitely not something that is within my skill level. There is a great deal of detail in the planning and preparation.

Something that I was told very early on in my ballooning career is that a balloon sculpture is only as good as the frame that it is built on, and I could not agree more! 


At the recent Moscow Balloon Festival, the Qualatex sponsored team, Alexander Solomatin, Vadim Shushkanov, Dmitry Novikov, Vadim Nesterenko with other fabulous artists created this incredible Gorilla sculpture! I have always loved the work of Alexander Solomatin, Vadim Shushkanov and Dmitry Novikov. Every sculpture that they have ever created has been outstanding, but for me, this has to be one of their very best! 

When I first saw this sculpture, I was as impressed with the framework as I was with the end result! 


As I stated at the start of this post, it's all about the framework, so today, I would like to talk a little bit about frames and what you will need to make them.

As with any design, you will first need to determine what you are going to make. This could be something specific for a client or it might be your opportunity to build a sculpture for a competition.

You first need to determine how your sculpture is going to be supported. For example will it be suspended or freestanding? Taking all aspects of the job into account will help determine how ridged the framework needs to be.

The three basic framework materials that are used by balloon specialists are PVC pipe, EMT (or conduit); and aluminium rod. Looking at the framework below, the majority of the frame is made from different thicknesses of aluminium rod, with thicker rods for the main structure and thinner rods for the detail on the face and arms. Once the frame structure is made, it is carefully wrapped in a strong netting or sometimes chicken wire, which is how the balloons are attached.




PVC PIPE

PVC pipe is the white plastic pipe commonly used for plumbing and drainage, and is readily available from home-improvement stores. PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride. PVC has an extremely durable nature, and is lightweight, making it an appealing material when constructing sculpture frames. It comes in many different sizes, but the most commonly used in the balloon industry is the 1/2" - 3/4" piping as you can easily add balloon clusters and it is also easy to cut and bend. PVC piping can be used to create arches and circles, and when heated you can create right angle bends and curves within the piping.

EMT/CONDUIT

EMT, also called conduit, is tubing used by the electrical trade to encase electrical wires. It is readily available for purchase from hardware and home-improvement stores.
Like PVC, conduit comes in many sizes from 1/2" to 1" and in a variety of different lengths. 
EMT can be bent using a pipe bender tool, these are also available from hardware stores. Conduit can be cut with a hacksaw, but the preferred method is to use a pipe cutter.

ALUMINIUM ROD

Aluminium rod and bar is produced by several different processes namely extrusion, rolling and coiling, or drawn directly from molten aluminium. Aluminium wire is used primarily in electrical transmission applications due to its superior conductivity and non-corrosive nature. Though aluminium rod is generally not available from hardware or home-improvement stores, some balloon wholesalers also sell it and it is also available from metal suppliers.
The most common sizes of aluminium rod used by balloon artists are 3/16" (4.76mm) , 1/4" (6.35mm) and 5/16" (7.93mm), however, there are many sizes available. The thicker the rod, the more difficult it is to bend.
The best way to cut aluminium rod is with bolt cutters. Investing in a good pair will help you to save time and energy! 
The easiest way to bend aluminium rod is to place a 4" - 6" length of EMT over the rod when bending to give you leverage. Make sure to keep the rod flat when bending it so that the frame does not warp. With lots of small bends, patience, and practice, you will create some great looking frames! 
Duct tape is the best method for securing aluminium rod frames. When taping two parallel pieces of rod together, overlap them by at least 4" - 6". If you are taping two perpendicular pieces of rod together, male and "L" shape first, then tape both ends securely. Duct tape can also be used to cover the sharp ends of the rod and EMT too.

BASES

To support your framework construction, you will need heavy bases. These are not so easy to buy off the shelf these days, so you may need to look into having some made for you. Steel base plates are the best, especially for outdoor work. Wooden bases, though not as heavy as steel can be weighted down by adding additional weights. 




When I visit events such as the Moscow Balloon Festival, the World Balloon Convention and other ballooning events, I love to watch the sculptures being made. 

Who cannot be spell-bound by those riveting eye's in the picture above! And for anyone who loves Fantasy Flowers, those leaves are made from 3ft balloons stretched on an aluminium rod... I tried this once without much success.







The Team!
Alexander Solomatin, Vadim Shushkanov, Dmitry Novikov, Vadim Nesterenko, 

I know that the Russian team loves to compete, and I asked Vadim to explain why?

"For me, there are two of the most important benefits of balloon contests. First of all, every competition is a great opportunity to create a sculpture you hardly ever make in different circumstances. Almost all of the balloon competitions in the world relate to art, not business. There are no customers with their wishes and requests, you don't need to think if somebody can buy your work, you're completely free to share your thoughts and ideas through balloons. Isn't it the best option to feel like a true balloon artist?

And secondly, each competition makes you improve your professional skills. If you would like to build an impressive sculpture, you have to solve a lot of problems. You need to search and try many colour combinations, balloon technics, methods and materials for frames or create something completely new. This sort of experience always rises your professional level and gives a huge background for using in everyday work."

I hope that you find this sculpture as incredible as I do! If working on a large sculpture like this is something that appeals to you, I recommend that you attend a balloon event/convention that has a large sculpture competition and sign up as a helper. It will be one of your best experiences ever, and who knows, it may lead you to entering  your own sculpture one day! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler



Friday, October 8, 2021

Colour Creates Ideas, Expresses Messages, Sparks Interest, and Generates Certain Emotions... be inspired by colour!

We often get to see so many incredible and eye-catching balloon creations on social media, and in most cases, it is the colours rather than the actual design that catches our attention first! 


I remember when
Elari Events posted one of their beautiful balloon designs a few years ago in fabulous shades of dusky pinks, greys and silver. It attracted so much attention that everyone wanted to know what balloon colours they had used to create this magical palette! Elari Events continues to produce truly fabulous balloon decor and stunning colour combinations! 

 Zoe Adam-Jones, CBA of JAZ Trading of QLD, Australia, shows how the beautiful Elari decor customs colours were created.

This colour chart was created by Zoe Adam-Jones , CBA, of JAZ Trading .


Custom Balloon Colours

I suppose that we have been creating 'custom' colours for as long as I can remember, however before it became a trend it was only used as a last resort - the extra cost and time involved usually being a determining factor. I once stuffed Orange 646Q inside Yellow 646Q to create the perfect Goldenrod colour for a Giraffe design that I had created. 

However in today's balloon world, that is definitely no longer case! Balloons and balloon décor have become increasingly trendy over the past few years and with this uptick, consumers have become more discerning and often demanding of their requirements.

I love colour and love creating custom colours. Probably one of my favourite custom combination is the Jewel Tone balloons double-stuffed with Chrome balloon colours. I am also a little infatuated with all the stunning pastel colours that you can create.



In the first year that we showed this combination on the Qualatex stand at a UK trade show, the response was unbelievable! I don't think that I had ever before seen such incredible reactions from so many to a display of 11" Jewel Tone latex double-stuffed with Chrome Balloons. Of course, the colours created by this combo are rich and vibrant, with an almost glass-like appearance! I was asked many times "what balloons are they?" I still get the same reaction when I am teaching a class and I show a Chrome balloon inside a Jewel Tone! 


Creating appealing colour combinations is definitely an art, which is probably why I see so many requests on social media from balloon companies asking what colours have been used to create this or that design! 


If custom colouring is new to you, here is a great video clip that shows you how to double-stuff balloons and some of the fabulous colour creations that you can make! 



So how do we know what colour combinations are ideal to create enticing new colours or a corporate colour?

This is much easier than you think, as Qualatex has done all the hard work for us by producing a range of comprehensive colour guides! 


This is the Neutral & Muted Colour Guide - click HERE for a direct link to all of the guides or follow this link https://us.qualatex.com/en-us/inspiration/paint-your-party-qualatex/



Another great colour tool that Qualatex has recently introduced is the ability to download Double-Stuffed Images! These are perfect to show to your clients when proposing decor and/or a colour schemes! I have to confess, this really excites me, as I really love to give my customers as much visual detail when I am proposing my decor ideas to them, being able to show them, and being able to show them all the different custom colours that I am suggesting is such a huge bonus! 



Look for this Q2 icon for double-stuffed custom colours. You can download any or all of the Qualatex custom colour balloon images for business use. The files are named with the custom colour name, followed by the outside colour, then the inside colour. 





Here is one of the colours that I selected from the Double-Stuffed collection that are available to download as images. This colour is known as Desert Sage and uses a combination of a Spring Green inside a Grey balloon.


Learning about colour, understanding colour psychology (how we react to different colours,) and learning how to make fabulous and harmonious colour palettes work is all available in the latest Balloon IMAGES that is completely dedicated to colour - Paint Your Party with Qualatex. I love this edition, it is packed with so much great information that will truly help you and your business go from strength to strength! And if you are studying for your CBA accreditation, you will definitely find the information within this edition extremely helpful as part of your studies!




I hope that you enjoy using these exciting new resources as much as I will!

Happy Ballooning, and don't forget to Paint your Party with Qualatex! 

Sue
Follow me @suebowler


Friday, September 24, 2021

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

As I'm sure most of you are aware, October is the official Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is an annual campaign that takes place in the month of October to increase awareness of the disease. The goal is to get as many people as possible involved in raising awareness and funds to help support life-saving research and life-changing support.

Breast cancer is a serious disease that affects millions of people and their loved ones each year. In fact, it is the second most common type of cancer in women after skin cancer. Unfortunately, although there are many ways it can be treated, breast cancer is incurable, and scientists have little advice in prevention of its development in the first place. And breast cancer is not just a female disease, it affects many men too! 

Fundraising events, such as bake sales, walks, and fun runs, have become a common way to raise awareness about this issue and financially support the people and families who have been affected by this disease.

So how can you and your balloon business help?

Use the power of social media - in increasing awareness, both women and men become more attentive to the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and spot it while it is more easily treatable.

Here are some of the most popular hashtags that you can use with your social media posts:
#breastcancerawareness #breastcancer #breastcancerawarenessmonth #cancer #breastcancersurvivor #cancersucks #pink #pinkribbon #survivor #october #cancersurvivor #cancerawareness #fuckcancer #brca #breastcancerwarrior #mastectomy #breastcancersupport #womenshealth #thinkpink #love #chemotherapy #breastcancerfighter #health #chemo #cancerfighter #repost #pinkoctober #breastcancercare #cancerwarrior #bhfyp


The perfect accent for a fundraising event or a special delivery to a person impacted by the disease.
Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Another way to use your business to raise awareness is by supporting a local fundraising event by providing décor - this Pink Awareness Ribbon is perfect. Created by using Qualatex QuickLinks it can be made to any size - remember this design can be used for other awareness events, simply change the colours of the balloons to suit the cause. (Awareness ribbons are symbols meant to show support or raise consciousness for a cause. Different colours and patterns are associated with different issues.)



Designer name: Lisa Swiger, CBA, Blooming Balloons

QBN Members can download the recipe to re-create this design - simply click HERE.

Deliver an up-lifting balloon gift to someone who has been impacted by this di
sease.


Share the power of pink with this inspirational design.
Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Host a fund-raising event of your own - here are some great ideas!

Pink & Girls Night in Parties

Throwing a pink party is another fun and exciting way to raise money for breast cancer awareness campaigns and organisations. 

Run a bake-sale
Organise a community barbecue
Offer customers the opportunity to make a small donation using a Donation Box in your shop or store.
Run a competition and make a donation for every entry! 

Wear pink or at least a pink ribbon - many businesses dedicate one day during October (22nd October is the most popular) to wear pink! Each person makes a donation to a chosen cancer charity.


Qualatex has two Breast Cancer awareness balloons available to help you promote this very important issue. 

Breast Cancer Awareness

  • Size and shape: 11" Round
  • Color: Pink
  • Package item #: 20549


Breast Cancer Inspirations

  • Size and shape: 18" Round
  • Package item #: 35119

Whatever you're doing to support the cause, sales of these two balloons can not only raise awareness, but they can also raise funds too - as Pioneer Europe is donating 10% of the sales of these balloons to the Pink Ribbon Foundation (Reg. Charity No. 1080839).

Helping to support such an important issue through our creativity has to be a very good thing! Wishing you every success with your fund raising efforts, I look forward to seeing some of your fabulous designs on Facebook and Instagram throughout October! 

Happy Ballooning and think PINK this October! 

Sue
Follow me @suebowler