Balloon Review 034 - SOMETHING FOR ALL OCCASIONS DVD BY SHIRLEY RAY

This DVD by Shirley was originally produced in 2008. I love all of Shirley's work and her DVDs were probably the first I studied to move on from single balloon models. Her tuition is always excellent. Clear instructions and bubble sizes are given in finger lengths.

Available from http://homepage.ntlworld.com/balloonparade/ priced £29.

Please note, some of the included photos are smaller than usual as they are taken from my photo archive and are a few years old!

BUNNY RABBIT

My attempt at this rabbit was not particularly good and I am not pleased with the end result. This one is fairy intricate and I found it hard to follow along with the DVD instructions. Naturally Shirley's attempt is much better than mine and along with her wonderful artwork is a good model. Probably not one I will use again.

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BABY DEER

A really wonderful 'Bambi' design that I have used many times. This version has 160Q legs and 'marriage' twisting the feet onto the legs can be a little tricky. I have remade this balloon in 350Qs and it is REALLY impressive. A white paint marker finishes the body perfectly. Highly recommended.

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GINGERBREAD MAN

A very basic design. It is simple but not really what I would expect to see on a DVD of this standard. Perhaps something more suited to a beginners level DVD.

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LITTLE BIRD

This model is a little blue bird. The end result is not that good and I have seen much better bird designs. As with all models, good and bad, there are always parts that can be reused. The feet in this model are useful.

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TINY ALIEN

This is the ever popular Alien from Toy Story. A really excellent design and one I have used many times. The only struggle I had with this one is trying to keep the google eyes in the correct position. I cheated and used a little rubber cement. Really nice - I should make a grabbing claw to go with it!

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DOG WITH A BONE

A very popular dog and one that I often use. This design is very expressive and the body design allows for an animated pose. The bone is an optional extra and the simple artwork with the use of a white paint pen adds character. Fairly fast to make and very nice.

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ENGLISH NANNY

An excellent parody of Mary Poppins with a lot of intricate attention to detail. This design is very time consuming and one only for special events. The detail is incredible, from the bird head on the handle of the umbrella to the handbag and flower decorations. Naturally with Shirley's design some good artwork is paramount. The DVD instructions are very clear and easy to follow. One of the best designs on this DVD.

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PIRATE HAT

A really excellent pirate hat that I have made on many occasions. Clearly with a resemblance to Captain Hook this is in high demand for pirate themed parties. Worn as a hat, the hands and sword can be controlled like a puppet and the head can even be attached to a balloon body instead. This one takes a while to make but well worth it. For anyone who makes Shirley's 'Lady and the Tramp' you may recognise the dog ears as the pirate's hair. Really really good.

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SUMMARY

This DVD is a mixture of some very strong and weaker models. For me, the Nanny, Dog, Alien, Pirate and Deer are the best ones here. As always Shirley's instruction is excellent and this is a worthy addition to any collection.

Excellent review.  How long would you say the Pirate Hat takes you?

Hi,

The first time around I would give yourself 45mins - 60mins. After some practice and if you can make it from memory I would say around 30mins.