As the balloon chat website is one year old today, 15th March. To celebrate this amazing fact we're having a competition with some prizes to win. DVD's, CD's and even a selection of balloons. There will be two competitions, one that is open to everyone and to try & encourage all those members who have not posted as yet we are having a seperate competiton for them.
The idea of the competition is just to post the sculpture/model that got you hooked or the first serious thing you attempted to twist. It's just a fun competition with all entries going into a hat with the winner being announced on the 1st April, no kidding, honest :lol:

The competition for those that have never posted is here; http://www.balloonchat.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1388
and the newbies can even join in with both competitions if they like so you get the chance to win both competitions.
The prize for each competition is any stocked DVD/CD from the website http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk
and 3 bags 260's and 2 bags of 160's.
So good luck and keep the entries coming. You can also enter as many times as you like with different models

This is my entry, I believe I saw this at an IBM magic convention about 15 years ago and it was made by Kevin Rowe? I just sat through an evening show un twisting it to try & find out how it was made. I eventually found Kevin the next day and he showed me how to make it.
And from that day I've been totally hooked

I started twisiting at one of Graham's Care & Share days but didn't really take it very much further until just after Christmas when I found a balloon book in a Woolies as part of a kit.  The balloons were rubbish but I was so proud when I made this frog:-

[attachment=1:1lxt3jcn][/attachment]Frog.jpg[/attachment:1lxt3jcn]

After this I got more interested but was scared of going out there and twisting for money but I was put onto Michael Flloyd's site and started going through all the model's on there and learnt how to make a monkey.  I still prefer this monkey over all other and make it all the time and usually offer it as a suggestion when kids are stuck as I love to make it.  I think it was when I learned how to make simple but effective models like the monkey that I realised I was already better than some of the "twisters" I had seen out there with thier 4 petal flowers and swords!

[attachment=0:1lxt3jcn][/attachment]Monkey for BC.jpg[/attachment:1lxt3jcn]

I dont remember the very first balloon - but I do remember the balloon I did that brought me back to this passion. It wasnt the best... to say the least, its not a very good balloon hat at all, rather sad really. But, she was recouperating in the hospital .... this little girl brought back the 'spark' . They say Sonshine did a lot for her, but I know she did more for me.

great job on those faces Yvonne!  It gives the balloons so much character!  I love it!

This is the first time I've tried to post a picture so we'll see how it goes



The picture  is of the first model I did that really made me realise I could do better things with balloons than dogs and swords.  I think it was the carrot that sold it for me.  This is what brought me here to Balloon chat.  I'm still very much a novice but I'm getting there!  
(Please ignore the surrounding areas of my living room too  :oops: )

Before I started twisting, a local balloon artist was at a party and he did all the usual things and a big motorbike to finish. It stayed in my head as something very cool to do!  When I started, that was what I wanted to achieve and this was the result.....

[attachment=0:327bi0si][/attachment]000_0041.jpg[/attachment:327bi0si]

This Ball has been the most successful thing I have learned to make... It is a huge winner with the kids, and keeps a group of them busy rather than coming back for another animal!.  When made properly, the 3 balloons need to be burped to make them soft and more durable so the ball won't break easily.

All of the ends are hidden, so many become quite puzzled by how the balloon is made if they weren't watching.

Darwould

Gosh your first models are elaborate;



Pam

Got trying to make the simple dog in the dog and rabbit thread, heres another entry with the first try.

Darwould

This one is modelled after Twistina's in the dog and rabbit thread... but I am having trouble with getting the nose the right size... and the pinch twist for the nose seems fiddly... any suggestions for an easy way to tie the inflation end into that first pinch twist?

Darwould

Try doing it in a different order. Do the two bubbles of the head first, lock twist, passing the nozzle through the middle to to stop them un- twisting, then do the pinch twist for the muzzle making it about 3 ". Now make the ear bubbles and carry on as before!
Good Luck
Twistina

been told off - its not the model that got us started its the one that got us hooked:  to be honest it has to be the Teddy bear in the heart - in whatever format or with whatever extras we add to it as in flowers hearts etc etc - when ALL those years ago we where taught the Mind blowing lesson of 'Add another balloon!' - I know these days it sounds MAD bu tin those days most of us did one balloon  models and it really was the WOW factor: to be taught we could add balloons and balloons other than 260's (which again was all we had then, no 160's 350/60's 646/60's then):

I have to say it has still got to be the ballon model we do most when out on mix & mingle and still when made some one will say AAAAHHHHHHH

Pam

this littlefella has earned me a few OOOHS!

And he got me a booking too because he was peeping out from a bunch of flowers I did

this has to be the one that inspired me to start balloon modeling (THE GREAT DON CALDWELL MONKEY)  I was totally surprised it was possible to make sculptures out of balloons I was hooked and never looked back I can honestly say a day don't go by without me making a model it is the one and only thing I have been so passionate about ...