Balloon Review 026 - HIGH PLAINS TWISTER BY STRETCH

A newcomer to the review section - Stretch the Balloon Dude. Stretch has a wide range of DVDs available from his website http://www.stretchc.com and cost $40 plus shipping. This DVD has 18 different models with a mix of Critters, Weapons and Cowboy accessories.

This DVD is shot from over the shoulder perspective and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. One nice touch is Stretch tells you the balloons you need at the start of each chapter as well as explains how much to inflate each one. You can then concentrate on making the models without worrying about the balloons.

At $40 this DVD carries a premium price tag so it will be interesting to see if it is worth it. As with my previous reviews I will be making the models in real-time and will share my views as I go along.

Enjoy!

ARMADILLO

An effective armadillo that is easy to make. The 260Q body is made up of tubes and the 160Q body is fed through inside. The pinch twists on the bottom of the body need to be small enough so the animal is able to stand freely. This one looks better in real life than it does on the DVD and in the photo below.

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BUFFALO

The buffalo has a nice body shape which could easily be adapted for other animals. The clever designs allows on unbroken 160Q to make the buffalo's beard and its mane. Due to the chunky design the buffalo is free standing.

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RIFLE

The boys are going to love this one. This rifle is really good and great fun. The strategic use of supporting pinch twists allows the barrel to stay in position even though Stretch does use a cheeky glue dot for extra support (although it isn't really necessary). I don't typically make guns for children but I will be using this one if I need to do a display piece.

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Nippy,

   Thanks for including Stretch in your reviews (I'm a big fan of your reviews by the way).  Stretch has some great stuff.  Just wanted to mention that the normal price of his DVDs are $40, however if you look on his FaceBook page (real name is Wendell Clendennen) he regularly runs a "starving artist" sale where you can pick up multiple DVD's for reduced rates.  I just took advantage of one such sale and picked up 3 of his DVD's at $15 each.  You good folks in the UK will still have some postage to pay but I think the discount will make up for it.  

   Thanks again for your reviews...please keep it up!

 Michael

Thanks Michael for the info about Stretch's starving artist sales!!  The next one starts on Wednesday, 14 March

Also Thanks so much to Nippy for the reviews!!
Lisa

COYOTE

I really haven't a clue what a Coyote looks like. This model is pretty much the standard balloon design but quick and easy to make.

[attachment=0:ej3bpcva][/attachment]575-coyote.jpg[/attachment:ej3bpcva]

HORSE

A rather odd looking horse. I may have made the snout bubble too long. If making this for line work I would leave out the black feet as it saves time and is equally as good.

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LONGHORN

This longhorn uses a heart of the nose and is quick to make. I especially like Stretch's technique and tip for making the white 160 long and soft enough to make the eyes and the horns. You will have to see the DVD to discover this!

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PISTOL

A single balloon six shooter pistol. Whilst this model does only use one balloon and I am not sure if it really passes as a pistol. A slight variation would give me some space ship from Star Wars. I think the multi-balloon weapons on this collection are better.

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SHOTGUN

This is a really great shotgun. The instructions are a little unclear and you need to take care to follow the instructions precisely. The only thing I do not like about this design is it needs 6 or 7 glue dots (i used a tub of rubber cement) to hold it all together so it may be a little impractical for some. Saying that it is a nice chunky gun and boys will love it.

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RATTLESNAKE

A standard snake design that uses two rounds for the face. Sempertex hearts are preferred for the tongue as they have a longer neck. Stretch gives some helpful tips for shaping the snake body and this will be beneficial to those who can mouth inflate.

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SIX SHOOTER

The classic cowboy gun. I really like this design and Stretch has tried hard to make a decent barrel. Again the instructions are quite difficult to follow so you may need to rewind the DVD as few times. Really not practical for line or restaurant work due to the complexity and would be something you can make in advance.

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Thank you for this review,
Barak

HOLSTER

This is a holster to compliment the six shooter already made. Whilst the one I made was a little unstable the best feature of this design is that the holster belt can be easily unclipped and refastened around the child's waist again. This is something that can be used for any design that needs to go around a child's body. Cool.

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