I have just sat and watched DVD two that is on flowers, there are 15 designs in all with five in the easy section, five a little harder and then the last five a little harder still.

I was shocked, I did not realise I coloured my hair      Oh no I didn't, I have just gone grey  
Mind you it was recorded in 2008 so a few years back now.

Well I had a look and again there are a couple of designs that I had forgotten about, so a suggestion,
if you do have some balloon modelling DVD's then take a look at them as there might be things you have forgotten about and can use as like new and they are just sitting up on your shelf.

So from the easy section one design stood out, then from the middle section there were two I wanted to have a play with and then my favourite flower from the last section.
Although I'm having a play with a different design from this section at the moment so might not show my favourite flower here.

So the white flowers are how they appear on the DVD from seven years ago, I think they have a simplistic elegance about them.
The next picture is possibly how I would have made them today if we were making the DVD.
I do explain the 8 petal weave on the DVD but only made a 6 petal flower for this sculpture.

I was just re-sizing the pictures and getting things ready to post the instructions and these two pictures were on my screen, taking up the full size and were so.......
so colourful that I thought I would post. You will see two and three pictures of the came shot, I always do this in case one is out of focus or better than the other.

My screen was full of colour that I expect will not come over here as I had to down size and put into two pictures.

Here we go then with the first instructions for DVD 2 on Flowers, I rather like this design. I will be sharing the updated version,
so the 8 petal 160 with the vase sitting on the 260 or a geo blossom balloon.

Inflate the 160 for the flower and leave approx. 6/7 fingers un-inflated, I made eight 4 finger fold twists.
It is best to pre-stretch the balloon before inflating and then stretch again when inflated,
when inflated just gently pull the balloon through your hand that should be in a fist shape, you will get 3/4 fingers more in length on the 160.

Make the first 4 finger fold twist, this is an 8 finger bubble folded over.
Before each fold twist gently squeeze the balloon to make a softer fold twist, this will make it easier to work with and to manipulate.

Repeat again, pictures below show the first, second and forth twist.

Carry on till you get eight 4 finger fold twists.

Inflate a 160 green to leave 4 fingers un-inflated, make two 2 finger twists and tie the knot through the two twists.

You then have to make these into two pinch twists so take the balloon over the centre twist twice and back, or make in your favourite method.

You then need another 2 finger pinch twist, rather than the three pinch twists you could just have a tulip/apple twist for the centre of the flower.
I think the three pinch twists look bolder.

Attach the pinch twists to the centre of the flower, slip the 160 green between a couple of the petals,
then run the green 160 around a couple of petals and back over the 3 pinch twists to get a tight connection point.

You should have a 3 finger un-inflated balloon left at the other end of the 160 green, I tie a knot in this so that it is easier to make the pinch twists for this end.

You must have a 3 finger un-inflated part of the balloon as you have to make three pinch twists for the centre of flower
and then two more pinch twists in the stem so the flower will sit looking forward.

Push all the air to the end of the balloon and from the knot make two 2 finger bubbles the same as we did for the other end, make into pinch twists.
Then one more 2 finger pinch twist and attach this end to the other flower that you are just about to make as per the instructions above for the first flower.

Twist the 160 green off centre so that one flower sits slightly higher than the other,
I think this looks more pleasing to the eye but please make the flower so it's pleasing to your eye, what do you think looks better?

I stretch the 160 through the hand to make the balloon a little softer here.

From the back of the flower you need a 1 finger bubble and a 2 finger bubble.

I make a 3 finger bubble first from the back of the flower and then twist the smaller bubble.

Then make the 2 finger bubble into a pinch twist, this will make the flower look forward and position the stem downwards.

The side view of the back of the flowers.

The vase/foliage, inflate a 160, I used lime and I left 4 fingers un-inflated when blowing this balloon up. You can decide if you like more or less of this balloon.

Tie into a knot and then twist into a figure of eight.

Twist the centre of the figure of eight into the twist of the green 160 for the stem of the flowers.

Now move onto the base, at the end I will post a picture with the flowers sitting on a 6" geo blossom base which is quick and easy but here I will explain the 260 base.

Inflate the 260 balloon, I used the same colour as the flower so a wild berry. Leave 7 fingers un-inflated and make a 3 finger fold twist,
tie the knot through the fold twist securely and carry on making another seven 3 finger fold twists.

The picture below is four fold twists so half way.

You could just have six fold twists from one balloon or have two balloons and make four larger fold twists in each and interlock those.
There are many ways to get from A to B.

At the half way point you should have at least a 3 finger bubble un-inflated at the end, if not with the next 260 balloon you use leave a little more un-inflated before you start.
We all twist slightly differently.

Take the excess of the 160 lime and secure a few times around the 8 finger 260 balloon used for the base.

See how the green balloon sits with the lime, try to get yours to match.

Inflate another 160 to act as the ribbon, I used pink. Inflate and leave a 4/5 finger bubble un-inflated, we are not going to use all the balloon.

Make a 4 finger bubble and a 2 finger pinch twist and then a 4 finger fold twist.

You then need another 4 finger fold twist, hold the pink balloon up to the base of the design and wrap the pink balloon around the base and twist back into the two fold twists.
On mine it was approx. a 12 finger bubble, try to squeeze the air out of the 160 so it looks a little thinner around the base.

Make another 4 finger bubble and discard the rest of the 160 pink.

I like to shape the bow a little by squeezing the 160, this is the heat friction technique, friction-twist-shaping-t1092.html

The vase/foliage lime 160 has to be shaped with the friction twist as well, just hold the end of the balloon in your fist and squeeze the balloon pushing the air back down the 160.

You can see the difference between picture 35 and 36 where this is done.

The design using a 6" geo blossom balloon.