MAD HATZ & WILD WEARABLES VOL 5 BY DON CALDWELL

With the excitement of an upcoming limited edition DVD collection by Don Caldwell (Buster Balloon), I thought I would review one of Don's DVD releases. There are a lot of models on this DVD so it may take me a while to make my way through them all. I will review this DVD objectively but I think we all know what rating it will get in the end!

Mad Hatz and Wild Wearables Vol 5 was released a few years ago. Don's presentation style is unique and entertaining and this particular DVD is a source of ideas and concepts upon which to build.

OK let's start...

LITTLE WRIST FRIENDS

A large section of this DVD is dedicated to the concept of Little Wrist Friends. There are three main variations which can be adapted to create an endless supply of designs. Don teaches the basic concept for each variation. He doesn't go into detail for each variation but any experienced balloon artist will easily work them out for themselves.

BUNNY BRACELET

A very fast bunny bracelet. Perfect for line work and the children love to wear these. Some people who find twisting lobes on a heart balloon may struggle but this technique is easy after a little practice. This balloon can be made in various colours and artwork can be adjusted for all sorts of facial expressions.

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FROG BRACELET

A very fast and easy frog bracelet. To be effective this model needs some decent artwork. As with all these designs they are perfect for line work.

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CHICKEN BRACELET

A great little chicken. This one has the added complication of needing rubber cement/glue to stick on the beak and the comb on the chicken's head. For this reason it may slow you down for line work. Looks quite good though.

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WOLFMAN BRACELET

This is one of my favourite designs and perfect for Halloween. This wolfman looks good with his bulging wacky eyes and the simple artwork is effective. Fairly quick for line work. I really like this one.

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Oooo the wolf one could be easily adapted to a Guffalo one by the addition of a poisonous wart! Although I would struggle with this DVD for now as I fall into the category of finding twisting heart lobes very difficult so tend to avoid it as much as possible  :roll:

Yvonne, its just practice!

Thanks Nippy for reminding me about this great DVD.

 

I know but that is something I can't really do at present. Trying to sell the house and I am way to messy when I play with the balloons. Hopefully we will get an offer soon so I can play again  

VAMPIRE BRACELET

The vampire bracelet is a variation of the wolfman. I am not too sure about the chosen colour here and how effective this one really is. Saying that, it is still great as a halloween monster.

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FRANKENSTEIN BRACELET

I really like this design. My attempt doesn't look as good as Don's. I had a problem with the 'bolt' as they seem to stand up too much. I love the bulbous nose and the large yellow eyes. Fantastic!

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ICE CREAM BRACELET

Don's loves his ice cream designs. This time it is a much smaller version. Whilst a good one I am unlikely to make this one very often.

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MONKEY BRACELET

A really simple and quick to make monkey design that relies on some good artwork to look the best. The kid's really love this one and it is great for line work.

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SNOWMAN

A nice snowman that may take a little time to make for line work. The only problem with this design is that the nose is glued to the face. Anyone feeling brave could use a raisin twist but this may not work very well.

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ELF BRACELET

This elf is really cute and fantastic for Christmas. Quick to make and the effective use of artwork makes this a popular choice for me.

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CARS

A really popular cartoon car which is quick to make and extremely popular with the boys. I have seen many 'car' variations and this is the simplest by far.

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SNOW WHITE BRACELET

This model should have been made with a blush and black heart but seeing that I cannot get hold of any decent black hearts I had to adjust this one slightly. The key to this one is decent artwork. Unfortunately mine is not particularly good but I think you get the idea.

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SKELETON BRACELET

A very simple design for a skeleton bracelet. I think my artwork lets me down a little!

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PRINCESS BRACELET

This princess bracelet uses Dave Bartlett's 'Girl in Gowns' design for the upper body. This sits upon a heart (although I used a pink round balloon instead) which is attached to the bracelet base. I couldn't be bothered to dig out Dave's DVD so I decided to have a go at making the princess myself. Not an ideal copy but I think you at least get the idea.

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MOUSE BRACELET

I struggled a little with this one and just couldn't get it to look as good as Don's. Don't be put off by my attempt - this really is a good bracelet.

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