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Topics - Joshoid

#1
Do you carry around some sort of "emergency pack" of balloons in some always-accessible (or nearly so) place? A baggie in your jacket pocket? Some little stash in your car? So that you can always whip something off on the spur of the moment?

If so, do you base your assortment on a particular selection of figures you depend on to impress in a short amount of time?

Just wondering out loud here!

Josh
#2
Balloon Review / Review of PICOs?
May 20, 2015, 08:27:09 PM
Hi, Nippy,

I hope Matt Falloon sends you a copy of PICOs to review. I'm sure it will test your abilities -- lots of pinch twists in 160s! -- but I love the designs and the fact that clipping them on clothes makes them SO much more comfortable for customers to wear than hats or hairbands.

Josh
#3
Picture Gallery / Not your usual hubcap.
April 05, 2015, 01:11:03 PM
A few days ago, the sister of a good friend came to visit. She has four children (who were not with her), and one of them is quite autistic. He does have a fascination (I guess it's really an obsession): hubcaps. He collects them, talks about them, endlessly comments on the hubcaps on other people's cars, and so on.

Before the sister left the area, I made her this balloon hubcap to take back to her son. As soon as he saw it, he reportedly said to her, "That's an 8-lug hubcap!"

It's based on Bonnie Davis's "Red and Yellow Dahlia, Version One" from her collection "The Flower Garden." If I had had more experience with this model (which is kind of tricky), I might've doublestuffed the inner silver 260s with black 160s to give them a whole different metallic feel.
#4
I've seen twisters (like Buster Balloon) do a snake coil (pre-inflating, letting the air out, then wrapping a 260 'round the fingers and re-inflating), and every time they do it, the coils turn out tight and consistent.

I do it, and I get one good coil at the most, then some kind of mish-mash of half-formed coils.

Is there a knack to this? I've watched a ton of DVDs, and I see it demonstrated, but nobody really talks about any of the finer points. What should I be bearing in mind?

Thank you for any advice!

Josh
#5
Balloon Chit Chat / A sterling figure!
March 10, 2015, 03:11:29 PM
I just wanted to give this figure a bit more "air play." I don't know the name of the fellow who created it (he only identifies himself as "GT Balloons"), but it's the only video he has on Youtube and the design is just gorgeous. I've offered to pay him a bit for teaching it, but he hasn't responded to my messages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W--mTvGR3dU

Josh
#6
Balloon Chit Chat / Egalitarian Twisting?
February 18, 2015, 03:21:06 PM
I'm just starting out in the business, and have yet to do any line or restaurant work.

So my question is: how egalitarian do you have to be? If I do a one-balloon or two-balloon item for some of the kids, does that preclude doing any 3-balloon or 4-balloon items for other kids? Do the kids (or their parents!) complain if they see someone else with a slightly more elaborate balloon?

I was wondering mainly because I was watching some Buster Balloon vids, and he was talking about doing some of his more elaborate sculptures if it slows down in the restaurant, and I'm thinking, "Yes, but what happens when a whole crowd of new customers come in, and suddenly you have to pick up the pace? Will they see the bigger, fancier items and assume they'll get the same when you come to their table?"

Josh
#7
So far, I'm the only person I know in my area who twists balloons. Albany is not a big city, and we do have some professionals in outlying areas, but I'd love to meet any more, professionals and hobbyists alike.

If you're near Albany, NY, let me know, so we can talk about maybe jamming sometime!

Thank you!

Josh
#8
My balloon business opens officially at the end of October 2015. (At least, that's the plan.) I've been wondering if it's worthwhile to go through Pioneer's CBA program for the certification.

Anyone who has an opinion on this -- and, better still, relevant experience -- would be doing me a great favor by passing along their thoughts.

Thank you!

Josh
#9
Welcome / I'm another newbie. Please be gentle.
January 30, 2015, 07:06:56 PM
Greetings to all!

My name is Josh Mandel, and I've been blowing and twisting balloons since about 1971. My Aunt and (late) Uncle took me to a restaurant in Chicago called the Pickle Barrel, and it was there that I saw Roger Siegel. He twisted me the first animal balloon I'd ever seen. We proceeded directly to Magic, Inc., where my Uncle bought me "One Balloon Zoo" by Jimmy Davis.

I put down the balloons in the late 80s, and really just returned to it this year. I'm astounded at the advances in twisting made since then, and I'm planning to open my balloon business by October of this year. To that end, my primary goal is to think of a name to call myself and my business.

Right now, my day job is -- as it has been for the past 25 years -- designing humorous computer games, and I suppose it's possible that a few people here may know me for my work at Sierra On-Line or Legend Entertainment. But as that industry has changed much over the years, I'm determined to take up balloon twisting full-time. No publishers to answer to sounds like heaven to me after all this time!

It's a pleasure to be among fellow twisters.

Thank you for reading!
Josh