I am late to the game... but I AM COMING!

I am going to arrive Sun eve and stay till the 13th. I see you have 10 already, I am going to chat to the French and see if I can get a room with them.

See you there! xx

Looks super fun! Twisting vicariously through you guys!

What a fabulous day! I enjoyed all the tutors and I got a lot from the day (even as a twister!). There was such a generous and friendly spirit in the room. It was really something special and I was very happy to be a part of it. What a great community we belong to.

Feeling the balloon love,
Tess

On a whole, I agree with Andrew. I am considered 'expensive' in the UK balloon world. I refuse work if they don't have the budget for me. This is hard for a lot of people, "refusing money" but actually when people DO have a big budget they think of ME! As word of mouth spreads, if a client doesn't have a budget they will only start thinking of those people that will drop their prices instantly or who charge close to nothing. Those gigs are some of the worst events, usually badly organized and a demanding queue.

I have lots of work coming in. People can afford me and those that can't usually come back another year when they can. You have to have patience and believe in your art.

I am regularly undercut by other balloon artists ( some who I think are definitely NOT charging what they are worth!)  I find it frustrating because it brings down our industry. If you haven't changed your prices in 10 years, it is time to do so!

 Ultimately in the entertainment world they want to book YOU. It is the personality, the banter and the joy you personally bring to an event. If you are having a hard time getting work and your prices are already low, don't blame the bouncy castles, the ball pools or the facepainters. Are YOU worth having at their party because YOU will make it great, fill it with colour and joy, have a visual impact as well as have everyone laughing? If yes, then charge enough so you can do this job without resentment and you can earn a decent living!

Balloon Love,
Tess

Pascal has been my favourite balloon artist for some time now. I first saw his photos on the forum and I knew how great it would be to learn from him. I love his philosophy and now I have more tools to try so I can challenge myself  within my sculptures.

It was great to see everyone as dazzled by the masterclass as I was. A really high level of twisters came together and I think it is safe to say we all learned something.

I think I have been twisting for about 48 hrs now, I can no longer typ

Was it you?

Sweet.

I changed my business name very soon after I ordered my first lot of business cards (I have 947 left over!)

They have my logo on the back and they are the perfect size for badges, so I rented a badge maker and got to work!

Lets see some designs It is a long shot but if England does well we could get some good gigs coming our way! Stock up on that red and white.

Although, it was said that only 4% of the English think that England has a chance to win...

Skunk!

That kid is so lucky! What a great looking fireman Sam!

I love this 'grab a balloon when the music stops' idea! I am going to explore a version of that!

Good tips, thanks guys!

Hey All,

Until now I have been doing 1 hour parties. This includes about 20 minutes of games and then my show which is 40 minutes. More and more I am getting requests for 1.5 hour parties. I have said yes to one now but I am really trying to figure out how to engage these kids for over an hour!

I was thinking of a little circus workshop afterwards, scarves and feather balancing.

What does your 1.5 hour party package entail?

What are some of your favourite games?

Do you enjoy a 1.5 hour party or do you prefer the 1 hour?

Would love some ideas!


Cheers!
Tess

Amazing! Well done. I also, have always wanted to make a dress. You are inspiring me to give it a go