For a few years now, I have tried very hard to do the CD balloon base that Thelma uses.  I thought I wasn't strong enough which she could not understand so she gave me very detailed instructions yet again.  It finally made sense to this old brain and I actually did it.  The people on this forum amaze me with their sharing and I am forever grateful.  As I have said many times, I do not do this professionally but I love balloons and make people happy with my creations, but I could not have done any of it without people like Thelma and Graham and Phoenix and Stuart and on and on and on.  THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

I am retired and have a lot of time to research.  Balloons, miniatures, wood carving - so many things available on the net that my day could be full just looking.  Here comes the problem.  This morning I was looking at Nippy99's reviews and saw how a Quick Link balloon could be used for bodies and also there was a great reindeer.  I tucked it into the back of my mind to play with sometime.  When that time comes, I will not likely remember where I saw it nor whose idea it was.  I do know that a lot of people are playing with this type of balloon right now and all kinds of interesting ideas are coming from that.  So, if i make a similar balloon creation to the reindeer I saw today, I should give credit and would be happy to.  However it isn't even half an hour since I saw that review and I already cannot remember who did the original.  I know that I am a copy artist.  I know that I have seen most of the ideas I use somewhere on the internet or this forum.  How do I give credit where it's deserved when I simply can't remember who to give credit to.  I ALWAYS say that this is not my own design and it came from someone else but is that enough?  I can't buy every dvd I see to cover all the ideas and have all the originals for the techniques I use.  This subject has been discussed, debated and talked about to the point that we have all heard enough.  I don't believe in piracy, so if you see your idea in something I create, please, please forgive me.  It is not intentional theft.

I'm quite sure I didn't come up with this by myself but it popped into my head when I was twisting for our small town "Witches Walk".  Suddenly there were all kinds of women dressed as witches and I had to come up with something quick.  Once I made one, everybody wanted one.

(Again, I have tried and tried to turn the picture  :oops: )

My client asked for a "naughty army nurse" sculpture.  This client is one of a group which challenges me every year with an unusual request and I just love it!!!!  
(now if someone could just tell me how to turn the darn pictures around)
I will turn them for you Millie, G L Admin.

I have been twisting balloons for almost 5 years now and over that time I have learned from so many people.  I am not a professional although I do sell sculptures and often do gigs locally (I spent far more on instructional material than I actually make).  Up to this point I have copied designs from artists on this forum, facebook, you tube and the internet generally.  About a week ago I was asked to do balloon sculptures for the birthday party of the son of my very good friend.  The theme was a child's show called "Octonauts" - but I had never even heard of that.  So as it usually goes, again I hit the internet for information on this cartoon show and to my amazement I discovered a creature that I had never seen the like of in any balloon twisting picture.  Immediately I decided that I would just make sea creatures for the party - which I did - but then a couple of hours before the party I decided to give it a go and this is what I came up with.  If you "google" octonauts, you will see that I have not done the greatest job detailing the piece but the little boy knew immediately what it was.  I suppose what I'm really trying to say is this, don't be afraid to try a new thing or design.  It may not come out as you planned and it may not even look like something you recognize.  BUT, if you have learned as much as I have from this forum and all the great artists out there-  then you might just make a child smile.          

PS:  the thing I haven't learned is how to turn the picture around on here lololol)

I really have wanted a good face design for a long time and hoped that this would be it.  Using 350's, 260's and 160's - I don't think I personally will have many opportunities to use this one.  I haven't tried it in smaller balloons and maybe that would be an option.  Being an "not professional" twister, I measured each bubble and twist exactly as the directions said and found that my effort did not fit quite right and had too many holes and gaps in the face area.  It's my own fault that the eyes are a little whacky as I didn't take the time when I was finished to re-adjust everything.    Given the price, I'm glad I bought this dvd - however as I said, I doubt that I personally will find many opportunities to use it as the finished product is about 2 feet high.  (PS: Thanks Nippy    )

So no-one tried week 25 yet which means it was a boring effort on my part or that this game has ended.  Rather than have it end, I am hoping that you will try this twist on the game.   I have made a Rudolph, now you have to change it up, add something, fix it, do something for goodness sake!!!

Ok, I am giving you two choices this time LOLOL!  I do wish someone would tell me how to rotate these pictures once they are on here  :oops:

Here is my effort at the new Ken Stillman design of female Super Hero's.  My artwork is not great so I left the face blank

Often, I worry that I spend too much time here on the forum and other places on the net looking at balloon creations.  Since I'm retired, I don't have a job to go to, don't have any pressing things I have to do, so I do a lot of balloon surfing.  I started to feel very guilty about it because, my goodness, I wasn't accomplishing anything.  However, then I realized that all that "research" does pay off.  The things I have seen done with balloons makes me realize that there is no limit in this art, and yes it is art.  I don't really have much of a business and only do balloon sculptures or events for people I like (it's nice to be able to be choosy).  It can become costly, because when I see a good review by nippy99, I just have to buy that dvd of course.  I bought a twistemup apron for the few events I do and it will take a long time for it to pay for itself, however it is not possible to do a good job without good tools.  Many times, I wish that I had found this love of balloons much earlier in my life but maybe I found it now so that I could enjoy retirement and make a small number of people happy and smile with something I have made.  I don't drink (anymore), don't smoke (anymore), don't gamble and don't get to travel (husband is a good ole boy who likes to stay home), so I am making this addictive passion of ballooning my pleasurable retirement pastime.  Don't really know why I am posting all this but I feel better for doing so and less guilty for time wasted that was not wasted at all.

Ok, this may seem like a really dumb question but I have seen various balloon faces with a little round nose.  It can't be a raison twist because it is too perfect.  Can anyone tell me how this is done?

Being a breast cancer survivor, I have attended many events where that is the theme.  I decided I had to come up with a quick hat for these events so here is what I came up with.  Hope that its not too simple for this competition but Graham pushed me to do something of my own and my imagination sucks .
I did the extra little pink ribbon to prevent the hat from coming undone.  And again, I don't know how to turn the photo around lol.

Turned the picture for you Millie, GL ADMIN

I finally did the straw in the balloon thingy, but I had to resort to using some aquarium hose instead of a straw.  Not easy to get the balloon on it but it's holding it's own lolol.  Thank you to Sam Creemens and The Balloon Blast Video show.

Although I have actually been able to make a sidewall bubble once in a while, I do have a lot of trouble with them.  I am wondering what the benefit of that over the raison twist is.  In a heart shape I can understand the bubble's advantage in the distortion but in most cases would a raison twist work and if not, why not.  Trust me I am not condemning the sidewall bubble I am simply curious as to why they are used in lieu of the raison twist.

It took pretty much two days to do all of these.  What challenges this customer gives me, 50th birthday party for a librarian lady that loves her two huge cats, and her husband who is a swimmer and a chef.  They asked specifically for a speedo lol.

Rose in a Glass.  I have wanted to try this for a while but didn't get around to it until I got some motivation from a you tube video of "Mr Boma".  Thanks Jerome!  It not as good as most I've seen, but I'm happy I tried.

I am an exhausted, happy twister!  Today I went to a full day course and an evening jam with Robbie Furman and I am so excited I don't think I will come down off this high for some time.  What a great instructor, easy to talk to, funny, and full of so much information.  I have a few pictures to share but it's very late so they will have to wait until tomorrow.  I am SO glad I booked this course........

Did I just graduate from hobby twister to more?  I did this same gig last year and it was long and hot.  This time it was a bit cooler but I twisted none stop from 9:30 to 4:30 and I am a happy twister.  My hands hurt, my back hurts, I think just about everything hurts but I could not have had a better time.  The lineup was incredible and I couldn't believe that people would wait so long for a balloon.  I ran out of lime green, so alien hitchhikers became dark green, I ran out of purple and almost blue.  Started the day out thinking I was only making the "hitchhiker" with either alien or smiley faces but by the end of the day I had make several other things including swords just to shorten the line.  You have no idea how good bites of cold hot dog taste until you have a day like this.  Last year there were long gaps between kids wanting balloons but not this year!!
I really am just rattling on but wanted to thank everyone on this forum for their support, instruction and everything else that you have given me to make this happen.  Thank you from an old grandma who is having a ball!!!!!!

I really like the look of this kitten.  Although I am not fast enough to do this for line work I'm sure I will use it for many other creations.

As I browse through the pictures of creations both here and on facebook, I have wondered why the good artist's work look so "finished" and mine don't.  Gee what a revelation I had, could it be that they practice?  When I find a new design I try it until I can make it then I don't do it again for some time or until it's requested.  I read somewhere on line that you should make ten of a new design and then it becomes trapped in your memory.  In reality, I think I should be making ten just to get that "finished" look that I want to achieve.  Since I am retired, I have the time to do that and maybe I will try it and see if my theory works.  Any other ideas?