At "The Dashing Diane Day" yesterday Leo came over from Belgium to join in the fun and donated a free registration for one lucky person, you will need to book travel and lodgings but the five days of balloon fun will be free. So we need to come up with a competition or a way to win, suggestions are most welcome.

Someone has been in touch requiring a balloon modeller for the 21st Nov from 2.3o in Lincoln. Please PM me for contact details.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LuGnKmm ... r_embedded

Mark Zettler has sent me some more details about what will be happing in Las Vegas in two weeks time,

The BALLOONstitute – Las Vegas, August 10-11, 2010
 
The impossible is not only possible it is now confirmed!
 
To everyone in the balloon community, Twisters, Decorators,
Entertainers, Retail Party Stores, Florists, and Event Professionals
of all kinds – there will be balloon education in Las Vegas in just
two short weeks.
 
Despite Summer Balloon Camp and Diamond Jam having both been recently
cancelled, this week, we have created two events for ANYONE
interested in Balloon Education this Summer.
 
Alternajam – http://www.alternajam.com will be held August 9, 2010,
produced by Todd Neufeld and Don Caldwell.
 
The BALLOONstitute – http://www.BALLOONstitute.com will be held
August 10-11, 2010, produced by Mark and Andrea Zettler.
 
BOTH events will be at The Tuscany Suites & Casino, located just two
short blocks off The Strip in Las Vegas. Through the kindness of many
wonderful Sponsors for these events, we have been able to greatly
subsidize the Attendee costs with special grants from these Sponsors.
 
Alternajam – Come twist the day and night away from Noon to 10 PM
with special lectures and performances from some of the best twisters
in the business.
 
The BALLOONstitute – Features 8 world-class instructors, over 20
completely different classes, lunch each day, class notes and lots of
fun.
 
Special pricing is available for ANY previously full paid Diamond Jam
2010 or Summer Balloon Camp 2010 attendee with complete pricing,
class descriptions, hotel accommodations, exhibitor and sponsor
listings at http://BALLOONstitute.com with performance descriptions
for the Twisters at http://alternajam.com
 
Sleeping room rates for the event are at the ridiculously low price
of just $26.00 per night per room, featuring free parking, two pools,
health club, all suite hotel rooms, buy 1 get 1 free meals, free slot
. play and lots more. Our host hotel is The Tuscany Suites & Casino
-just two blocks off The Strip in Las Vegas.
 
EVERYONE is welcome, as we have been able to secure deeply discounted
rates to attend for EVERY person who wishes to come learn, laugh and
experience this once in a lifetime event. I know, that "once in a
lifetime" stuff everybody always says. But really, have you ever been
to a full-fledged convention that was conceived, planned, contracted
and executed in just three weeks time?
 
Thank you to everyone involved in the creation of these two events;
bringing the balloon industry together to help our fellow balloon
professionals in time of need. BIG thanks goes out to our ever-
growing list of sponsors. Check back on our Web sites often to see
who else is stepping up to assist fellow balloon professionals at
this difficult time.
 
Our first two attendee sign-ups were from Australia, so c'mon World,
if they can come from Downunder you can come from anywhere!!
 
See you in Las Vegas in just a few weeks, August 9-11.
 
Sincerely,
 
Todd Neufeld -
Don Caldwell
Andrea Zettler
Mark Zettler

Twister section, http://www.betallic.com/main.php?view=p ... lleryID=41

Decor section, http://www.betallic.com/main.php?view=p ... lleryID=40

Special technique, http://www.betallic.com/main.php?view=p ... lleryID=78

I have a few ways of producing the rabbit's in my show and for the past 4 years have used Mr Snuffles who is on my website, he is an absolutely massive rabbit. If you're going to produce a rabbit it may as well be a big old rabbit    I use an old Jack Hughes doves to poodle production so you can see my rabbit is well big.
But I wanted to go back to a stunning visual, quality props doves to rabbit effect which requires a smaller rabbit so went out to a specialist breeder and purchased these two mini lops today, still to name them but it may be batman and robin as Zakh my grandson is obsessed with batman at the moment. Any other good suggestions for names are all welcome.
The one on the left is the girl and 10 weeks old with big ears and the boy on the right is 8 weeks with smaller ears.
So in a few months we will be over run with baby rabbits.

I spent the weekend in Southend doing some shows and balloon modelling with a vast array of other talent's, magic acts, punch and judy, face painters, mime/bmx act, jester, ringmaster etc. It was a circus themed weekend and the picture was taken on the Sunday morning, a nice couple of days.

It has just been announced that the winners of the 2009 "Dewey's Balloon Excellence Awards" and congratulations go to everyone and especially two balloon chat members.
So congratulations go to Thelma and Colin, two nicer people in balloon modelling would be hard to find.    
 
Thelma Levett, Twister of the Year
Colin Myles, Career Contributor
Bennie Nieves, Rising Star
Pieter van Engen, Rising Star
Wally Boag, Career Contributor
Jimmy Davis, Career Contributor (posthumously)
Roger Siegel, Career Contributor

I don't think I've posted this site before? http://www.etsy.com/shop/roscata

Found this clip of Jack and his amazing couch    You need to be a balloon hq member to get that one    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv9bIiFt ... r_embedded

A TV programme, Swap shop is looking for a young balloon artiste (7/16 yrs) to perform on one of the Saturday shows. Filming is in Maidstone, Kent.
Anyone interested please get in touch.

Well here we go again, this months challenge if you wish to accept it will be the tasmanian devil, spent this evening playing around with the model and not 100% happy with the eyes,
I will put the instructions up for a more basic model at the end of the month. Got a bit carried away with it tonight but it was fun.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/433300/re ... chocolate/

We have had a few parcels go astray lately with the royal mail first class postal service that never guarantees when they will deliver, some parcels get to there destination next day and some take up to five days. So we have decided from today that all royal mail post will go signed for which will give us a tracking number, this service is more expensive and we may need to increase our postal charges to cover the cost but the benefit of knowing exactly where a parcel is at any given time is worth it.
Apologies to those that have had to wait for their parcels, we still have some that may well be lost now7/8 days and still no sign, I feel a claim or two coming on.

I was sent this blog/article all about fantasy flowers which looks very useful; http://miwb.net/blog/?p=951

I was wondering if it's time to stop the model of the month as it seems that as each month goes by fewer and fewer join in and it is rather time consuming with some of the instructions taking 4/5 hours to write out and photograph.

Hi Dennis, Hope you have a nice day on this special day of yours.

We have finalised the day and everything is now confirmed for Wed 8th Sept in Birmingham, the day will run from 10 till 6 with Colin Myles being the lecturer, Website; http://www.smileyballoons.com/ Portfolio, http://colinmyles.balloonhq.com/
Colin will be doing two sessions from 10.30 till 1.00 pm and then 2.00 till 4.30 and Colin for the very first time in the UK has promised to show the weaved heart, the attached picture is the basic framework and then weaving the 260;s around the framework. I sat in on Colin's class in America but can't seem to find the other pictures of the framework at the moment. I thought it was twist and shout but will look thru the diamond jam ones as well.

The day will cost £15 to attend with lunch for the first 15 people to book and then it will go up to £25, so please book early  
Booking details,
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk/inde ... &parent=12
http://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk/catal ... -23-1.html

An article from America; http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/rela ... 82792.html

I will be attending the face painting convention in Birmingham and will be running an informal evening on the first night, jam and lecture with a stand as well promoting balloons, our beloved artform. I may need to leave Sunday morning as I've applied to enter the magic circle "Stage Magician of the Year" competition which takes place on the Sunday night in London
BUT! I may not have to leave early as last time I entered I was told the act was not of a suitable standard..........still you have to keep smiling.
More details about the face painting convention can be found via their website; http://www.facepaintingconvention.co.uk ... /index.php