Balloon Basics - Qualatex Bubble Balloon™

Qualatex^® Bubble Balloons are a balloon made from stretchable plastic, making it unusual and eye-catching. Unlike a Microfoil^® balloon, it is inflated until all the creases at the seams disappear, giving it the look of a  beach ball, and making it attractive from every angle.

Bubble Balloons are non-allergenic, making them an ideal for hospital gifts and deliveries. They do not oxidise* and floating times are mainly measured in weeks rather than days.

This stunning Bubble Balloon design was created by Zoe Adam-Jones, CBA
of Jaz Trading, Gold Coast, Australia.
To make this design Zoe has use the beautiful 24" Wedding Floral Deco Bubble #18628

Single Bubbles
These stunning balloons are available in 22", and will float for approximately 2-4 weeks.
They come in a diverse range of designs including licensed characters, birthday, milestones and age, new baby, and other special occasion. They are extremely versatile and can be used in balloon bouquets, centrepieces and even to make fun little character designs.

Birthday Lit Candles

• Size and shape: 22" Round
• Package item #: 16658

Bright Smile Face Stand-Up
This Bubble Balloon stand-up is sturdy design
perfect for delivery or cash-and-carry.

These balloons are simple and elegant, with 3-D designs that look beautiful from any angle. They have self-sealing valves and come with a pre-attached ribbon.

To find out how to inflate a Qualatex Bubble Balloon correctly, view the short clip below.

 

Double Bubbles

24" "Baby Blue Bear"
U.S. Patent No. 6,758,715

These 24" balloons certainly have the "how did they do that" wow factor, displaying a balloon inside a balloon creating a magical showstopper! They feature self-sealing valves and come with pre-attached ribbons. The inflating is done in three steps:

• Inflate a small puff of helium through the "A" valve, you can use an Auto-Foil outlet for this.
• Now go to valve "B", using an Auto-Foil outlet, fully inflate the inner balloon.
• Now go back to the "A" valve, using a latex outlet, gently inflate the outer balloon until all the creases have been removed. 

If you find that the inner balloon looks like it has gone down a little, this is likely due to a pressure change within the outer balloon. To puff the inner balloon back to its original state, I recommend that you use a small hand-pump or pocket pump to add just a few puffs of air, and not to attempt adding additional helium, as it is difficult to measure accurately how much you will need and you can easily burst the inner balloon.

To find out how to inflate a Qualatex Double Bubble Balloon correctly, view the short clip below. 
 

Deco Bubbles
These are probably one of my favourite balloons. They are perfect for so many different occasions with endless creative possibilities! This unvalved balloon is available in both 20" and 24", with floating times of 7-10 days for the 20" and 3-5 weeks for the 24". The different floating times are subject to the type and amount of balloons that you add to a Deco Bubble. Once filled and fully inflated, they should be closed using a 160Q or 260Q balloon. Deco Bubbles are available in clear 20" and 24", in addition to 24" printed designs.

Below is a selection of techniques taught by Lucy Hennessy, CBA and Julie Dunham, CBA of Pioneer Europe, from the recent Qualatex Bubble Tour in the UK. If you are based in the UK, there are more dates available for this tour - just click on the link below https://europe.qualatex.com/en-gb/events/q-bubble-tour/

11" Agate inside Bubble Balloon

260Q and 7" Chrome Balloons inside a Bubble Balloon that has been personalised.

Gold Glitter Flakes inside a Bubble Balloon

Personalising Deco Bubbles

Deco Bubbles are perfect for personalising. Add a name, a special birthday or a cheeky message: anything goes! 

Luc Bertrand, CBA of WaW Balloons, Vichte, Belgium has made a great video that shows clearly how to inflate and tie a Deco Bubble.

 

Bubbles Helium Guide
Over or under-inflating Bubbles can decrease float times, so follow the package instructions to inflate correctly and achieve the best float times. Actual flying times also depend on temperature and atmospheric conditions. Deco Bubble float times vary if other types of balloons are placed inside. Giving accurate gas capacities is almost impossible, as everyone inflates their balloons slightly differently. Personally, I only inflate a Bubble Balloon to the point at which all the creases disappear, however, if I am adding tassels or tulle to a Bubble Balloon, I might add in a little more helium or balloon gas to give it greater floating capacity.  As I already mentioned,  giving accurate capacities is not easy, but I used my Dual Split-Second Sizer to help me measure the volume of helium that is used to inflate the 20" and 24" Deco Bubbles and found that a 20" Deco Bubble took approximately 1 cu.ft. - 0.0282 of helium or balloon gas and the 24" took approximately 1.5 cu.ft - 0.0425 m3 of helium or balloon gas.
Here are the suggested average number of Bubble Balloons inflated from a 3.6m3 tank.

• 22" Single Bubbles 90-130
• 24" Double Bubbles 85-105

For me, Bubbles Balloons are a truly magical balloon in every way! For decorators and retailers, the Deco Bubbles are just fabulous! They look so elegant and can be prepared several days in advance of an event, giving you more time to work on other event decor that cannot be prepared in advance. Decor Bubbles are so versatile, they can be filled with latex balloons, Microfoil balloons, confetti and even feathers! Bubble Balloons are long lasting, vibrant and fun! 

For more inspiration when working with Bubble Balloons check out this great video with Kerry Ferguson, CBA of Qualatex, Europe.

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

*Oxidation - Whenever you inflate a latex balloon, you immediately subject it to oxidation, it is just a fact of atmospheric physics. Latex balloons will become cloudy and take on a velvety appearance. To prevent balloons oxidising during delivery, store and transport the balloons in a clear plastic bag. You can also use products such a Balloon Shine™  that will help to prevent oxidation and add a long-lasting sparkle to your balloons. Bubbles Balloons do not require the use of Balloon Shine or HI-SHINE, as these balloons do not oxidise.

With the Cost of Helium Increasing, Let's Take a Look at Air-Filled Balloon Delivery and Decor Solutions!

As we are all likely aware, helium prices are rising and availability is becoming more limited. This means it is time to start thinking about creating more air-filled designs and decor! That does not mean that we should not be using helium, but if you are, you should think of different ways to keep your helium costs down! 

Let's start with keeping helium costs down. There is a great post by Balloon Biz Academy, written by Sonia Payne where she gives 10 Great Cost Busting Tips for Helium use in your Business 

So let's look at some air-filled creativity!

Air-filled decor has been steadily increasing for a number of years now. There are many balloon businesses that do not work with helium at all, offering only air-filled dećor featured with props and backdrops to enhance their installations! When it comes to deliveries, the perfect solutions (although not my favourite to make as they are time consuming and tend to use a lot of tape and glue) are Balloon Stacks, or Balloon Marquees, as they are also known as. Check out these popular hashtags: #balloonstack and #balloonmarquee

Jackie Ochitwa, CBA of With a Twist in Alberta, Canada always creates the perfect 'Balloon Stacks'!

They are fun, exciting and packed with all those extra little details! 

Air-Filled Balloon Decor with Props

Organic balloon displays that are 100% air-filled have been trending for quite some time now, and they don't appear to be waning in popularity! There are many companies that only offer organic balloon displays, and are able to run very successful balloon businesses.

This fantastic balloon display below was created by Blow it with Bex,  based in Southampton, UK. Bex used 7" Qualatex Chrome balloons to create this stunning display on a popular wire-mesh frame with a Happy Birthday light-up neon sign and a touch of greenery... what's not to love! 

The design featured below was an installation created by myself and Nicci Gibson from Balloon Bouquets  based in London, UK. This decor was created for a Valentine's corporate event and was designed to allow guests to move around within a framed area. This design included balloons and paper accessories that gave it more visual texture.

If you would like to learn more about Organic Balloon Styling, check out my blog post - Exploring Organic Balloon Décor Styles  or visit https://theverybestballoonblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/exploring-organic-balloon-decor-styles.html

Balloon Walls

I love designing and making balloons walls! I have always found these to be very popular for events, especially for corporate clients. Balloon Walls can be made using round balloons in various different techniques, and QuickLinks for some truly amazing results!

Here are a few reasons why you might suggest a balloon wall to a client:

• Corporate logo
• Themed background
• Themed entrance
•  Photo or stage back-drop
• To enhance a trade show or exhibition stand

This fantastic QuickLink balloon wall is perfect for a child's space theme party. If you have never worked with QuickLink balloons, you should definitely try them out! As the name suggests, you can build decor very quickly using this type of balloon! 

Balloon Wall and Decor by Zoe Adam-Jones, CBA of Jazz Trading,
Queensland, Australia.
This wall was used as the stage back-drop at the Qualatex Event in Brazil, 2019.

This Balloon Wall welcomed guests into the Moscow Balloon Festival in 2019
Designed and made by Olga Baranova, CBA and Olga Samoilova, CBA.

To learn how to make this complete design visit  - even the 3' balloon is air-filled! https://vimeo.com/ondemand/bspsettingthescene1and2

Balloon Arches

When it comes to designing and building balloon Arches, you can really let your creativity go wild! Featured below is a fabulous selection of arches. I love all the different themes, and the mix of balloon types, all offering a great contrast in texture.

Jungle Theme Arch by
M & M Balloon Co. in Seattle, USA

This Football or Soccer theme arch was designed by
Cam Woody of Pioneer Balloon Company.

This Disney Theme Arch was designed and created by
Keith Stirman and Dominic Cassidy of All Things Fun in Durham, UK.

This fun Jungle theme arch design was the work of 
Keith Stirman and Dominic Cassidy of All Things Fun in Durham, UK.

There are so many opportunities to create appealing air-filled decor. If you would like even more inspiration, check out these great pages on the Qualatex website! 

Air-Filled Solutions for Retail

Air-Filled Solutions for Decorators

Many of the high street chain stores are turning away customers, as they cannot get any helium supplies. As a balloon professional, it is really important to find air-filled solutions to ensure that we can continue to grow our balloon businesses! 

Happy ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowlercom

Follow me @suebowler

What's Hot in the Balloon World Right Now?

We are in the middle of a ballooning revolution! What do I mean by that? I am sure you like me, have also witnessed a number of significant changes in the balloon industry over the past few years! There appears to be a giant wave of exciting new ideas and creativity when it comes to balloon innovation! 

Let's face it, balloons and balloon décor installations have become all about those 'Insta' moments and getting fabulous memory-making photos. This is the perfect time to remind ourselves that we don't just sell balloons, but we actually sell the memories that they create! 

I personally am loving the way balloons are being taken to a whole new level with the use of props and backdrops. 

Backdrops and Props 

My first real experience of seeing props being used with balloon décor was when I visited China in 2018. I am not saying that props had never been used before, but this was the first time that I had really seen them being used to great effect! Since then, different types of props have become an important feature when creating exciting balloon installations! 

The design below is by Alberto Nava, CBA. of Crazy Balloons Italy, based in Milan, Italy. Alberto created this beautiful display using an illuminated number, decorated sail boards and round pedestal plinths. 

Designer - Alberto Nava, CBA

Here is another of Alberto's fabulous set-ups! I am loving the beautiful garland wrapped around the circular koala backdrop, the ONE cubes, and the clear tubes filled with balloons!

Designer - Alberto Nava, CBA

 

Sequin Walls

Sequin walls have also taken the balloon industry by storm. What a wonderful way to make your clients party shine and bring a little glitz and glamour to their event! This backdrop decor was created by Dream Event in Kuwait City, Kuwait. 

Decor by Dream Event in KuwaitCity, Kuwait. 

Bouncy Castles

Decorated bouncy castles, or bouncy houses as they are known in the US, is definitely a growing trend! These are no longer just a hit at children's birthday parties, they are also popular for weddings, bridal showers, and milestone birthdays.

Halloween Decor by Bubble Hustle Balloons in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Balloon Decor by Pop Park City

Event Credits

Planning/ styling @michellerogers_styling

Photography @aubrey_taiese

Balloons @popparkcity

Florals @flowerbarco

Bounce house/ rentals/ cotton candy @housepartycollective

Wood cuts @madefromholm

Partyware @bonjourfete

Cakes @amriels_cakes

Art supplies @little_artist_party

Hostess @madisonbontempo @taytumandoakley

Teepee's and Wigwams

Sleepover parties are a big trend right now! How gorgeous is this sleepover party setup by TOKP: Kids Party Experiences

If you are interested in starting a sleepover business I recommend that you read this article by Bare Naked Wood Company (UK-based business). This article talks about safety, transporting your tents, and many other great tips for someone just starting out! https://barenakedwoodcompany.com/just-starting-out%3F  

Sleepover party setup by TOKP: Kids Party Experiences

Neon Signs!

Adding a neon sign into décor is another eye-catching new trend! Many of the balloon wholesalers are now selling them, which was unheard of a few years ago! 

I love,, love, love this "oh so pink" balloon wall for a baby shower! Event stylists, Glamnic Dubai created this fabulous balloon wall with an 'Oh Baby' neon sign!

https://www.instagram.com/glamnicdubai/

For more inspiration check out 'Be a Little Extra' as post about these trends and a few more! Click HERE or visit https://us.qualatex.com/en-us/inspiration/trends-themes/trend-be-little-extra/

I'm sure we're all eager to find out what the next trend will be... maybe you'll be the one to start it? :) 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

Hello Summer! Tropical Decor Ideas for Summer Events and Parties! 🏝

The best part about throwing a party in the summertime is that there are endless options when it comes to summer party themes.  

Tropical themes are always popular! Exotic fake foliage, big tropical flowers, flamingos and toucans are all perfect for a sun-sizzling event.

Tropical Theme Decor by Sue Bowler

The tropical theme include strong and vibrant colours as featured above or soft and pastel as featured below! 

Tropical Theme Party Backdrop by Sue Bowler, CBA

I love the Qualatex tropical theme balloons, my favourite is the 46" Pink Flamingo (#57807) as featured in both of my designs above. I am also a little bit smitten by this 14" Mini Flamingo, which is looks great in centrepiece designs.

Mini Pink Flamingo
Size and shape: 14"
Flat item #: 10464

Using bright, vibrant colours as Chris Adamo, CBA, of The Balloon Crew, in Sydney, Australia has done here truly shouts SUMMER! 

"All the Bright Pretty Things" by The Balloon Crew, Sydney, Australia

Adding vibrant paper streamers and other fun hanging elements to a garland can take the design to a whole new level.

This next design may be a little bit difficult to reproduce (we can all aspire to it!) but it's definitely worth sharing! This incredibly beautiful design is by Kanako Takanashi of Merry Balloons, Japan. This design won first place in the Balloon Stand category at JBAN 2015 (Japan Balloon Artists Network Convention 2015.)

Brightly coloured birds and butterflies perch atop a tree in this winning balloon stand.
Design by Kanako Takanashi of Merry Balloons, Japan.  

Tropical Birthday Designs

Here's to a Sweet Day!

Personalised Tropical Birthday arrangement.

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

Tropical Toucan Birthday Luxury Design

For customers wanting a bit "more," this easy-to-assemble luxury design is sure to please.

There's nothing sweeter than a Balloon cocktail and foodie treat! 

This fancy cocktail glass design is by Federico Onida, CBA, Balloon Express Shop - Cagliari, Italy

Federico uses double-stuff latex colours into Diamond Clear latex to create this frosted glass effect! 

Watermelon anyone? This creative buffet table set-up is by Zoe Adam-Jones, CBA, of JAZ Trading in Queensland, Australia  - who's loving that slice of watermelon 🍉

How gorgeous are these Pineapple Balloon Marquee displays by Lilly Jimenez of The Creative Heart Studio? 

And finally, I just wanted to share with you a design that I created for a training course a few years ago. I like to do my designing on my computer first before I even touch a balloon. It gives me the opportunity to get a sense of how the end result will look! 

And here is the end result! 

I absolutely love creating design with a tropical theme! You have so many ways to create something exciting, vibrant and fun! 

I hope that this post has inspired you a little to Crete some of your own tropical decor!

🦩🦩 Happy Ballooning!🦩🦩

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow @suebowler

What Inspired You To Start Your Balloon Business?

Why does anyone start their own business, let alone choose to build a business around balloons!?

I recently asked followers on my Instagram and Facebook page "What Inspired You To Start Your Balloons Business?" and had such a great response that I thought that I would share some of them with you today. Maybe you can relate to some of them! 

I think that my ballooning journey is probably quite similar to many others. My path into the big wide ballooning world started after I had my first daughter (who is now 33!!) After being a stay at home mum for a few months, I found myself looking for "something" to do. My criteria was to find an opportunity that would allow me to work from home, work around family time and with a product that would not perish, unlike flowers or food. I did not have a huge amount of money to invest in my venture, so 'finding' balloons was perfect as it ticked so many boxes, and being a little bit artistic helped too! 

It took me a number of years before my ballooning career truly took off (excuse the pun.) There was little or no training available at that time, no Youtube or internet for that matter! For four years I merely ambled along, not really knowing how to run a business or how to cost my designs, I was in fact losing money! My turning point was the QBN program (Qualatex Balloon Network) which truly helped me to really get my business off the ground. Without that, I think that I would have quit, which I see happening a lot in this industry! 

Here are more inspiring stories:

Rhonda Young - The STL Balloon Lady" I hired a balloon company to deliver a String of Pearls Arch for a wedding reception.
Those guys put that arch up so fast! It was beautiful! The guests enjoyed dancing and taking pictures under it! It wasn’t too expensive and I got all the credit for thinking of it.
I later found this floral/balloon wholesale store in my neighborhood and a lady named Sue would give me pointers on what to do. One day Sue gave me a duffel bag FULL OF the Images publications. I mean a whole lot! She had them chronologically organized and said she was waiting on the right person to give them to.
I stopped at the store, bought me some chips and a Pepsi came home and laid on the couch and went through each and every one of those Images books. That was over 20 years ago!" 

I could not agree more with Rhonda's comments regarding Balloon IMAGES! These where such an important resource for me, especially in my earlier days and continued to inspire me throughout my career! I still have every copy and refer back to them today! 

One of the perks of a QBN membership is access to "members only" content in Balloon Images, the number one balloon decor magazine in the industry.

While Balloon Images is now available digitally, you will find PDF copies of print versions from Jan/Feb/Mar 2015 to Oct/Nov/Dec 2018 below.

Kristina Owen, Kristina's Party Pieces in Runcorn, UK.
"I was planning my wedding and went to look for room décor walked in to a balloon shop and fell in love. That was in May 2000. I signed up for a 10 week course in the September 2000 at my local college and never looked back 22 years later I still get just as excited; I love my happy place."

 

"In 1976 I was a journalist for a local newspaper when I fell ill and had to recoup for a few weeks. I helped turn the showroom of our family owned paper bag manufacturing and disposable paper goods wholesale business into a retail 'party shop' selling novelties, steamers, serviettes, and limited partyware to schools, restaurants and the public. At that time, we had to purchase our limited range (10 colours) of balloons in 2,000 lots, and count them down into bags of 10 & 25. In the early 80s we started buying from the local manufacturer Sanbrook and then came Qualatex with their amazing range and education.

With the introduction of instruction sheets, conventions and the Australian association BASA, the sharing of creative ideas was running rampant and I found myself hooked on the creative possibilities of balloon art.

In 1993, we closed our shop and my wife Edelgard and I began a home based business. After 42 years in the Celebration industry. I still love the smell of latex in the morning." Sean O'Kelly of Balloon Decor Australia

 

Column design by Sean O'Kelly of Balloon Decor, Australia

"After finishing our business management degree and being employed back then, we (my sister and I) thought that it’s high time to open our own business. We thought of many ideas, and balloons business was one of them (as I worked a part-time job for a few months back when I was at college and loved it). Our country had so much trouble going on so it was a bad timing to open any business. I thought to just quit my job for the time being and look for a better one. What happened is that due to the bad situation I couldn’t find a job that fit my requirements SO it was a PUSH factor to open the business and start despite all the troubles. We picked balloons because it was a NEW and ORIGINAL idea in our area, didn't need a big capital to start nor a staff it can only be YOU, and most importantly it’s a PROFITABLE business !!! And here we are … There’s always a positive outcome of any negative situation it just needs courage and never be afraid to take the risk… eventually that’s what defines an entrepreneur." Zahraa Jawad, CBA, of Forever Balloons Boutique in Beirut, Lebanon.

Zahraa with one of her amazing balloon displays! 

Pam Pearce, CBA of Balloons and Tunes in Tamworth, UK. "Ours is quite a well known story these days; We went to a market and met a stallholder wearing a balloon hat with a six- petal flower on it! My 'hubby' Paul said "I always loved those balloons," me "it's not round, what you on about?"

Paul bought some of those non-round balloons and a Jerry Luffs 'All Wind and Twists' book (there were no professional balloon pumps then, so we found a cheap pump in a small store.)  Paul returned to the same market for 6 weeks, then sadly the guy disappeared, never to be seen again. Everyone says he was a guardian angel sent to change our path.

That was over 30 years ago, and balloons completely took over our lives! Twisting, decorating, sculptures and teaching the art. It is a lifestyle we have enjoyed so much.

It would have been nice to say thank you to the man that kick started our career, but even after many attempts to find him through news reports, radio interviews, TV interviews (even a chapter in a local personalities book) he has never come forward.

There has been so many others that we have met on this journey who inspired us in different ways, enhancing what we do, but he was the first!"  

 

Lynda Webb from Bloon Away Boston says that she started her balloon business after being made redundant at the beginning of the pandemic, and was encouraged to start her business by people that she had already done one-off balloon decoration for. 

"I dressed the room for my own wedding, including balloons. I new nothing about them then did all my balloons the night before (didn’t know about hi-float) so as you can imagine they were all deflated in the day. Luckily we had time to do them before the reception
So I got sooo many compliments on the room dressing I helped family and friends to do their parties in the next few months and the rest is history 12yrs later we love it.
It's the best thing we ever did lots of blood sweat and tears along the way though." -Lindsey Bradbury

I think that you would agree that there are many reasons why someone would start running their own business. I know that many businesses set up during the pandemic due to the numbers of companies laying off staff. In the UK alone, more than 400,000 start-ups were formed in 2020 and the increase has also been seen in the US, France, Germany and Japan. Some will survive whist others will fall by the wayside and I am not talking only about balloon businesses! It is suggested that approximately 20% of new businesses fail in the first year.

Last week I posted a blog - 'Can You Create a Full-time Income From Balloons?' by Guest Blogger Sonia Payne. If you are new to running your balloon business and want to ensure that your business survives, I recommend that you read this great post!

Happy ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com
Follow me @suebowler