I just heard some concerns about a sidewall bubble in a 646.  I know I'd be able to do it...and I know things take  a lot of practice.  My concern is always, "how much practice?"  Because everything I do I practice for hours....and I like to do a lot of different stuff:)

Should I be as afraid of this as I seem to be?  I'd love to learn these, order the vid.  Just a wee bit worried!

CJ, I am from the area around Carbondale/Marion.  Quite a bit south of Bloomington still, but I am familiar with the area.  

Yes, for busking I am going to go with the Guess It idea.  For parties, I do like to show off.

For restaurants, I wonder, how do you let people know about the cones?  Do they put them on the front counter?  Do you have a sign, or ask the staff to let people know.  I know that at one of my restaurants most of the staff, especially the front counter staff, do not speak English-not sure if I could have them tell people about getting a number/cone.  At my other restaurants, however, I think this will work perfectly.  I am going to start looking for something that I can use, that will be noticeable and relatively cheap!  Thanks again!

Thank you for the advice.  It seems very sound, and is quick to the format I follow.  I've seen mention of busking type shows that involve guessing what I am making to win what it is.  I think if I mainly did lots of smaller stuff to give away (flower and bows, swords and such)it could be some fun and work out.  That way I am still getting out a lot of impressive stuff, but increasing the number of total balloons I put out there.  I, too, squirm at the thought of a one balloon animal sometimes.  However, you do get parents who want exactly that so I can move on.  I have always thought that strange: I would say where I am I have maybe one kid in 100 that doesn't want to wait for some elaborate cool sculpture.  This despite the fact that we have been up against(and I'm sure you've encountered this)petting zoos, carnival rides, cotton candy, bouncy houses, games with prizes and more.  So, if I am a parent and my kid is entertained and I am not spending 500 dollars on the next attraction and they are smiling and having fun...I am happy too!

And, of course, I'd never be a stick in the mud at a party:)  

Thanks again for the input.  Also, your videos on youtube are great.  Have a great Play day!

Hi everybody.  I would love some advice, if any of you are willing to help out.  I have recently become pretty busy in the area where I work(Southern Illinois/United States.)  I am getting bigger and bigger events.  Though I have tried to tone down the complexity of the models I use I just cannot keep myself out of balloon machine mode.  Though I am looking at several possibilities for the restaurants and parties I work I am particularly looking to improve my entertaining levels at large events.

I wonder this, do most of you just accept that not everyone can have a balloon when the lines reach a certain point?  I have been toying with the idea of myself and my partner making mostly one balloon swords, animals, and a couple multiple balloon flowers for the majority of the crowds(like those wishing to move onto another activity.)  For those willing to stick around I would make some of my neater stuff...but they would have to participate in some activities(answering questions, singing songs, etc.)  I have a feeling this would work, but it is so nerve wrecking to try something new when you have already established yourself in another way!  I'm afraid I might just be trying to reinvent the wheel.  Should I just keep ballooning like I am, or slow myself down.  I would say I currently balloon for about 20(or a few more)kids per hour.  I feel like I am just blasting out balloon after balloon, with very little interaction(I have gotten a bit better at entertaining, but I am a bit of a perfectionist too.

Any advice?  How long do you all take per kid, or how many per hour?  Anything you'd be willing to share would be great.  Thank you....

Thank you for the reply, and thank you for your wonderful reviews.  I think if I'd seen them earlier in my ballooning I'd have a different collection than I do...but great stuff to look forward to in the future.  I hopefully can share some more in the future...and yes, things are already heating up.

Guitar?  Peanut Butter?

Not sure if considered active, so figured I'd take time to reacquaint myself with everyone.  I am Professor Play.  I am a twister from the United States.  I have been twisting for about 6.5 years now, probably about 4 of them taking it quite seriously(before then, just a hobby.)  I do this full time, at least for now.  If business doesn't start rolling by May, it may be a different story!

I hope to learn to teach fun dances at parties as well this Summer....but to be honest...been addicted to ballooning for a while now....hard to take time away from it!

Nice talking.  Hope to share more.  Thanks....

Hi guys.  I wondered if anyone here has ever seen or have ideas for a Lava Girl balloon?  My nieces birthday is coming up.  I will be attempting one tomorrow and hopefully get a decent photo and put it up here.  But any suggestions would be great!

Graham, is this one still available and will it be for awhile?  I'd love to buy it...but I cannot buy them all at once!  Definitely sounds like it'd be very cool to add to the collection!

Thank you everybody.  I should note that I actually do work in the store most Saturdays.  The funny thing is that it has only been the last couple months I've been needing a Saturday off here and there.  So, certainly, I do feel the need to compromise.  In fact, it was only after being told it would be hard to get me any more Saturdays off at all that I had to start thinking about taking them all.  The trouble really began over this coming Saturday when I was scheduled despite having given plenty of advanced notice over the party.  

So now I am in exactly the situation of either calling off of work or letting a client down. I don't see either as being a good choice.  Schedules out 2 days before they start so my only option on the parties is to just let them know when I have them and hope for the best!  I do believe I need to speak to someone above my current supervisor who may be more understanding, and in the meantime at the first available moment I will be looking for something else.  And yes, I do have a lot more events coming in.

I guess a next big step for me is learning to sell myself better!  I think the area has a lot of work available, given the absence of many other twisters and judging by the reaction we have received.  I just think I need to do a much better of getting the word of mouth out.  

Thanks again everybody.

Charles, the issue comes down to one day, believe it or not, Saturdays.  Being a union shop all requests for days off are done by seniority.  As I'm sure you've run into most birthday parties fall on Saturdays.  It isn't so much that they don't want me to do the ballooning(in fact, they do let me balloon in the store) as it is they want me there on Saturdays.  In several months of doing this now I have literally had only one party that didn't fall on Saturday.  I kind of understand where the issue lies for them, especially since this is a service job and Saturdays are busy.  Still, I have had to explain to them that without this income, or another job(which would most likely require weekend hours-as do most jobs around here) I would have to move back to the city.  For me, if I were getting anything close to a supporting income I'd have to really back away from the ballooning.  Though a great deal of fun and seemingly offering a higher roof it is less steady.  But what I am esentially being told is "Stay fully available.  We will call you if we need you."  My work has little to do with this.  All hours are given out by seniority.  If someone above me wants my hours they have the right, under union contract, to just scratch me off the schedule and put the hours under their name.  It has happened.

The messed up thing is I was being pestered by this job to come back and work for them for almost five years while I was in the city.  They were even asking my sister on a regular basis to try and get me to come back.  Now, if three people are on vacation and somebody is sick I may get 40 hours.  Otherwise, I'm out cold.   I really think that where this is heading is me taking off the one Saturday, next week, that is in question and then asking to change my availability to have Saturdays off.  I must show some of the same confidence in myself my clients have.  At worst, I will be looking for a new job.  I do believe in life you sometimes have to take a leap, and I know from past experiences little comes up that you cannot survive.  Thanks for listening.

Charles, I'll be interested to hear what you think, now that I've given more details!

Thank you Bonnie.  Sage advice.  Yes, I will be looking for a new day job.  In fact, if I didn't have gigs lined up all week I would already be out doing that.  It is tough to find a place that doesn't want weekends around here, but I will find something.  The intent isn't to give up my steady income, but nonetheless I haven't to have both and I know where my pt gig is heading-down the toilet!  Well, thanks and look forward to talking more.

Thank you for your advice.  When I said it wouldn't fully support me, I actually meant the current job.  I don't know that I am ready to leave it(and that isn't really what I'm considering) but rather whether I should continue in the ballooning at the possible risk of eventually losing my pt work.  Truth is, I am sure that I will be leaving the job soon.  I will have to find something different than there-whether I do the balloons or not.  I wouldn't want to put what I make on here, but you should know it is not much.  

I think that I am at an advantage in that I am used to making very little.  If I was making 25, 30 or more thousand dollars a year then I couldn't see making any kind of leap at this point.  Right now, I am struggling just to pay a few bills.  Ballooning may only provide some weekend and night work but right now I am lucky to work two days a week!  And at my hourly rate it adds up to the equivalency of one party's profit.

Thank you again for responding.  Just hearing from another twister is a big help.  I hope we can talk again sometime!

Hi all.  I am at a strange point in my ballooning (obsession, career?) bit.  Lately I have been getting a lot of calls for parties, events, a fair and a library show.  I have been doing this very part time up to now and have been charging pretty low(there isn't a lot of competition here for me to undercut.)  Well, we raised our prices and guess what...even more events.  I feel so blessed.

Here is the problem.  I work another part time job.  I started doing parties when this job was failing to get me 20 hours a week average!  I was floundering, on assistance and pretty unhappy with the path I was on.  I am in a union shop and so....my work ethic doesn't matter-all promotions and hours are decided by seniority!  So I was getting a lot of praise, even some pins for my name badge but I was making nothing at my job-and the hours were such to exclude a second job.  Yikes.

So, I'd been doing the parties for friends and family at a low rate and had been getting a lot of requests.  Even the store I worked in wanted me to do it for them(for an old lower rate that is-but ok, I've gotten many gigs from the exposure.)

Well, the weekend parties are starting to anger my current job.  They are telling me I cannot work some parties over the next few weeks.  This despite the fact that the last two weeks I have averaged 16 hours!  That is right, 16!  So, I have one party on the 9th for which I will make more in two hours of work than my entire work week!  I see a blessing being passed to me and an opportunity.  I also see many risks.  I have been busy mostly, but I have my down weeks(like this one-nothing until Wednesday of next week and then 3 events in a week.)I realize this business doesn't offer a lot of guarantees.  I know that my current job(and there aren't a lot of great ones in this area) doesn't offer a path to much more than a lot of heartache.  I like the people, I am good at the job but it will never support me.  

Sorry to ramble, but I wonder has anyone here faced anything similar?  Any advice would be most graciously accepted.  Thank you!