I was asked to do a Captain America for a 6 year old boy last weekend. I was happy enough with the shield and the head but the rest is a bit naff. The little boy was happy with it but I wasn't.

Here is a new fish

Well as I am sure a lot of you know, one balloon models don't exactly rock my boat. But I decided to have a go at a few. So here is a one balloon fish, racing car with driver and helicopter.

Pepper pig

Graham visited on his way home and he,led me make the spider men and mermaids yesterday. Today I had to do two big princesses and Graham helped me this morning.  Thanks for all your help Graham.

I thought I would start a new topic HATS. I did a search and there is one that was started in 2008 but there are no pictures on it.
So here is a hat I came up with today. It's a simple weave. It wants to sit on the head so there is no worrying about the fit and no headbands needed.

I went to toys r us this Saturday as I had a free day. I did a quick display behind me for a fun backdrop and it drew people over. Lindsey likes to take the odd photo for the toys r us magazine and for the first time she remembered to let me have some. I got a bit stroppy with her last time and told her that every time I am there they promise to send me the photos and not once have they done so. So I was not going to agree to let them take any more. So on Saturday I had a plea for photos and a promise I would get some. Lo and behold she remembered! Sometimes you have to be tough or you get taken for granted.

Messing about with some foil shapes I have tucked away. Blowing the dust off the!!!

I have lots of printed eyes just sitting in a box being ignored.  I decided to have a play while I was running a bath yesterday.  Something super  fast for linework and I had to complete it by the time my bath was run.  So here are the two I came up with.  I will have to make them again to time them but guessing about 90 seconds each at the very most.

Had a request for this one.  Never heard of it before.  Its a bit rubbish but it is my first attempt.  Will work on a better dress and better hair and better everything  

Hi Everyone
I guess if you are reading this I am preaching to the converted....or maybe not as I guess more people come and look on here than post.  My posts take longer to get on here than on facebook because my ipad seems to be incompatible with the upload on this site for some reason so I post on here when I get round to putting things on my laptop.  But I do think it is important to put your eggs in more than one basket and events on Friday proved the point to me big time.

I had face book open on my ipad when suddenly a message came up saying "Your session has ended"   Strange!
I tried to open it again and got the log in box.
Tried to log in and got "your account has been deactivated"   No explanation but a note telling me to read terms and conditions.  For the moment I am thinking "What the......."  "If I did something wrong why don't they just tell me what I did?"  Both my Thelma Levett account have gone and also my Smudgy Clown page.  Now I get a lot of work from that page and have discussions still ongoing with some prospective clients and all said discussions are taking place on that page.  So I have no way to contact them.  My web site has an empty space where the link was to face book too.  

What this meant:  All personal photos I had been sent from my daughter in New Zealand were gone
Anything I had posted on Facebook regarding my gigs and my designs....gone
And what about my presence in the balloon business?  For anyone who only uses facebook as a contact point I had fallen off the edge of the world.  As so many people do all there communicating with facebook that meant I was in exile.  Correct me if I am wrong on this.  

I have a Linkedin account but never use it and not done anything about the requests to add people in my list and cant even remember my password....better do something about that and move some of my eggs into another basket.  

However this all begs me to bring up another point.  How many of you only post your work on facebook because its convenient and easy?  What will happen to all of your work if face book suddenly disappeared or you were shut out like I was on Friday?  All your work would be gone from the public view.  And also is it so visible anyway?  On this forum you can post your work and people can find it by searching.  I just posted a minion and I did a search for Minion to make sure to post it in a relevant place.  While I was there I took a look at the other Minions and it was nice to see the variations on the theme.  I think its important for more than one reason to come to this forum and actually post on it and not just look.  Contribute to the resources on here because doing so ensures your work stays visible and also adds to a wonderful resource.

News Flash
My account was re-activated the same evening.  I had contacted facebook to ask what I had done wrong and how could i put it right.  In the evening they send a reactivation message and an apology for the inconvenience.  Everything is back to normal.  But in a way I think Face Book did me a favour because they made me realise I was hanging on a thread by relying on them in the way I was.  So I am definitely moving my eggs into more than one basket and suggest you all do.

Graham attended the Leamington Day of Magic on Wednesday.  I usually "help" on the stand...its questionable how helpful i am.  This year I had a workshop in Belgium so I didn't attend.  But I got back that evening so Graham stayed over as he had had a long day.  I think it was also an excuse to have a balloon jam the following day!  We did a bit of work on faces.  We have totally different takes on faces.  I thought the man he had made for the Leamington day looked a bit like a gardener, farmer of mechanic with the clothes.  So I put a spade in one hand and Graham put a flower in the other.  I was thinking cabbage but graham had made the flower already.  Then it was geo time.  Graham was making a snail from his geo but I thought it was starting to have the makings of a really cool tea pot.  Thats what I like about a small jamming session.  Looking at each others creations and spotting other possibilities that would otherwise have gone unnoticed.  So then Graham thought the teapot was looking like a swan.  I am sure graham will show us.  My face looked a bit evil so I made it into a vampire.  Anyway I have a nice collection of balloons to take the the School for special needs children down the road from me.  They do love having them.  Thanks for a fun day of twisting Graham.

I was invited to do a workshop in Belgium by Leo Verlinden.  Glad to say the feedback was all positive.  I hope everyone who attended went away with something.  It was supposed to be intermediate to advanced but four ladies turned up and proclaimed they had never twisted a balloon before and one kept asking me how to tie a knot.  I hope that lady could tie the knot ok by the end.  One of the new ladies walked out with the Thomas Tank Engine and a princess she had made from the workshop so I think either she is a natural or I am not a bad teacher  It did put a strain on the workshop though because in that situation you cant keep everyone happy.  I think if people have never twisted before they should go to a beginners.  Its trying to run before you can walk and its also tripping everyone else up on the way.  Anyway I did enjoy my visit to Belgium and thank you to Leo for inviting me over and all.    I didn't take many photos which is unusual.   Missed seeing my friend Koen as well but I am sure he was busy.
anyway here is a photo of Leo and I in the square having a coffee and a bite to eat.  Beautiful historical architecture.  That;s the buildings, not me or Leo.

I did a party on Sunday where the people were lovely.  I get a lot of people saying they will send me photos they took but they never do.  I take it with a pinch of salt when they say that.  I do say "That would be great because I don't have photos with me in them when I am working.  I think people have good intentions but then they forget.  On this occasion I was pleasantly surprised.  I got some photos from Grandad!!  Whippee!

I have been going into Toys R Us on the odd days when I have had no work.  Today is one such day.  Its the best shop window ever.  Every time I go there I get bookings.  Today was no exception.

I had a request for an extra nice piece for birthday girl yesterday. I was going to get up early to make it but overslept instead so had a big panic in the morning to do it but the little girl and her mum loved it so Phew!!!!!

Did loads of balloons today. One little boy asked me for Jack Sparrow. Considering the time I had to make it i was quite pleased as was the boy who didnt put it down for the whole party.

I needed to post a model on a group on facebook but had to do it that day or risk being chucked out of the group.  I was leaving for the juggling convention any minute when I remembered so grabbed a few balloons and threw together a three balloon bike.  It took all of 3 minutes for work out and construct from beginning to end.  I slapped it on and charged out of the house.  So no it was not wonderful.  But I thought it had possibilities for a fast linework bike.  Graham agreed and I know he has been making a few versions and has been nagging me to show my original so he can show his.  So here it is with another version I just did.  Slightly better I think.

I have been going through some of my free instructions and don't like the look of them.  If they are a shop window to show my style they fail miserably.  I take a lot of trouble over presenting my stuff but the free ones I threw together.  So now I decided I should make them nicer.  I also decided to post them on here as I revamp them.  So here is the first one.

ok long pause here as I discover I cant post an adobe document on here so I had to type the text onto a jpeg document.  So if there are any typos that is why.  Second try then.

Panda