Her Majesty celebrating her big birthday!

These were made just for fun!

Watch a short video of them in action here
//http://youtu.be/sosGsZxPzec
[ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Bead Balloon Dog Glitter Globe_tn.JPG[/attachment:2mu1l271] [ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Bead Balloon Dog Glitter Globe2_tn.JPG[/attachment:2mu1l271] [ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Bead Balloon Dog Glitter Globes x3_tn.JPG[/attachment:2mu1l271]

A new EU law that comes in to effect on the 1st of January, which I ONLY JUST HEARD ABOUT will make it unviable for me to sell my PDF instructions via instant download. I know some of you also sell PDF's or videos via instant download and should make sure you get the facts. If you manually email files, you are not affected by this law, only if you sell with  automatic instant downloads or links to an instant download.

There is NO minimum exemption threshold,        if you sell only one digital item, you are liable!!

This will mean registering for VAT for all EU sales,  obtaining and retaining the necessary proof of evidence of customers country of residence which BTW means you also have to get involved in Data protection, (more red tape and cost) and also submitting VAT returns every quarter. Most of my sales are outside of the EU (or in the UK) which are both exempt but the onus of proof of this lies with me as the seller. It possible for a buyer to lie about their country of residence and at present, my software that I use for sales (E-Junkie) has no function to deal with this. As I understand it, I could be challenged at any time to prove all my sales are out side the EU or in the UK, and I will be breaking the law if I can't.      



Official HMRC info
//https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-and-customs-brief-46-2014-vat-rule-change-and-the-vat-mini-one-stop-shop-additional-guidance/revenue-and-customs-brief-46-2014-vat-rule-change-and-the-vat-mini-one-stop-shop-additional-guidance

Good explanation here
//http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/11254829/New-EU-VAT-rules-threaten-to-kill-UK-micro-firms.html

PLEASE SIGN and SHARE THE PETITION to help to persuade Vince Cable to uphold the VAT exemption threshold, therefore protecting micro businesses and sole traders from this ludicrous law

//https://www.change.org/p/vince-cable-mp-uphold-the-vat-exemption-threshold-for-businesses-supplying-digital-products

Cup cakes and ice cream are my favourite things to make at the moment.

No fat - No Sugar - Gluten free - But Taste AWFUL!

Hope they will be on sale in the UK H&M shops!

//http://www.fastcodesign.com/3031971/hm-to-sell-jeff-koons-ballon-dog-handbags

Have been shamefully slack on posting on Balloon Chat lately :oops:  I will try to be more productive in future!
Here is my last creation of 2013, a reminder that spring is hopefully just around the corner!

Bingo ball hairbands, made for 2 ladies who were bingo callers.

[ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Millwall Logo_tn.JPG[/attachment:co1qnk94]
A young lady booked me as a "Twistergram" for a birthday surprise last week, also to present a Millwall Football Club badge to her boyfriend when I arrived. I was to do some twisting and give her boyfriend a balloon modelling lesson as apparently he has always had an ambition to try it.
The guy was over the moon with his Millwall badge and we had a very entertaining couple of hours going through the rudiments of twisting. As the evening went on, by the conversation between the couple, I  gathered that he was on TV. Well, I had to ask what he was in. I was a little embarassed as I have never seen it and so did not recognise him.:oops: It is not my kind of TV watching.
Anyone recognise him? (Don't cheat if you saw my post on Facebook!) I am pretty sure the programme only airs in the UK.
[ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Millwall FC Badge_tn.JPG[/attachment:co1qnk94]

I used 350's for the main part of The Tardis, the corners highlighted with 160's and it stands approx 2 ft (60cms) tall. The light flashes by means of a tiny led battery light.
I contemplated doing all the artwork by hand with markers but decided I would get a better result to make up some stickers on the computer. I got some A4 sticker sheets from the "Pound Shop"  The base is made from a couple of black 646's and some self adhesive stars.

I was comissioned to make a life size sofa for an Ikea store as Ikea is celebrating 25 years of trading in the UK.
 
All went well, but it did take me a bit longer than planned as there was not a socket powerful enough to plug my electric inflator into. The one they told me to use fused all the display lights! Luckily I had back up with a hand inflator so carried on with this. When at last the electrician turned up to sort out the fuses, he did direct me to a more powerful socket that was hidden away in a cupboard so at least I did not have to inflate them all by hand.
When I finished, I ended up locked in the store as everyone had gone home! All the staff assumed incorrectly I had been given an electronic pass key to open the doors.  I had got out as far as the escalator going down to the car park, only to find the far exit locked.  My mobile phone had no signal and I was just thinking I would have to inflate myself a balloon mattress to sleep on as I was now not able to get back on the shop floor. Luckily I noticed an alarmed fire door.  I thought nothing else for it, I will have to open it, at least someone will come. I hoped it would not be loads of police with ferocious dogs! I steeled myself, opened the door & the deafening alarm started! After a few seconds a security guy turned up and was relieved to see it was only me. He said he knew I was in the store but like everyone else, he assumed I had a pass which would have given me free exit. I will certainly make sure I get one next time, that is for sure!

BEWARE THIS EMAIL SCAM!!!! I got one just now and was suspicious so I googled some of the terms used. It seems there are several variations of it doing the rounds.//http://keepsafeonthenet.co.uk/2010/12/asian-domain-registration-service-in-china/

Quote(Its very urgent. Please transfer this letter to Head of Brand Business or ...CEO, thanks)
Dear Sir or Madam,
We are the department of Asian Domain Registration Service in China. Here I have something to confirm with you. We formally received an application on September 10, 2012.One campany which self-styled "LPO Int'l Ltd" were applying to register "twistina" as their Net Brand and some twistina Asian countries top- level domain names.
Now we are handling this registration, and after our initial checking, we found the name were similar to your company's, so we need to check with you whether your company has authorized that company to register these names. If you authorized this, we would finish the registration at once. If you did not authorize, please let us know within 7 workdays, so that we could handle this issue better. After the deadline we will unconditionally finish the registration for LPO Int'l Ltd.Looking forward to your prompt reply.
Best Regards,
Sandy Qin
Registration Dept
Tel:+86-5515223114 || Fax:+86-5515223113 Address:HuiZhou Road 681, Hefei, Anhui, China
PPlease consider the environment before you print this e-mail.

Was asked to make a model of a captain in a boat for a bride to be. I was also twisting balloons at her hen night which had a nautical theme.
[ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Sharons Boat in frame2_tn.JPG[/attachment:3fqkqibl] [ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Sharon And her Boat_tn.JPG[/attachment:3fqkqibl] [ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Parrot_tn.JPG[/attachment:3fqkqibl]

More photos of the Hen Night on my facebook page //https://www.facebook.com/balloon.twisting#!/media/set/?set=a.10151029792206267.421801.92490401266&type=1

Here's a fairly quick fiery torch using 2 and a bit balloons.  Don't think I can mention the 0..... games after all the publicity of folks getting into trouble for using the name!


Hope the pics are self explanatory, if not I can add some details early next week.

[ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Torch balloons_tn.JPG[/attachment:2j7j4qhm]
S T R E T C H the gold 260 before inflation, I find this helps minimise pops with the metallic balloons.
S T R E T C H the gold balloon after it is inflated by enclosing it in your fist and drawing the balloon through a couple of times. The balloon will be softer to work with and considerably longer. [ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Torch2_tn.JPG[/attachment:2j7j4qhm] [ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Torch3_tn.JPG[/attachment:2j7j4qhm]

A fairly simple, cute, Queen's guard. Hat and head are made from 321's or scraps of 350's.

I made this 3 balloon ball, not my design, it has been about for a while. Anyone know where it originated? [ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Ball.jpg[/attachment:2ae39cq8]
Anyway, I had the idea of inflating a round balloon inside to give it a little more body and roundness.
 The round balloon refused to stay wholly inside and partially inflated out side, deforming the "ball"
The result a head with a turban on! [ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Turban.jpg[/attachment:2ae39cq8]
Not quite what I had in mind but I thoght I'd share as it may come in useful to someone sone day.
BTW "Serendipity" means a happy accident and is one of my favourite words. I don't get to use it often, glad of the chance!:D  

:twisted:  :twisted: :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:

Here's a Snow White figure I made recently. I did think about leaving the face without artwork but I can't resist drawing the face! [ You are not allowed to view this attachment ] Snow-White-Blank-Face3.jpg[/attachment:ut7utc35]

If all goes to plan, I have a small spot on"This Morning" (ITV1) at about 11.15am tomorrow. It should be fun but I will have to get up at Silly o'clock in the morning to get to London for 8.30.    
I won't tell you what I am doing as they will probably have changed their minds, yet again, as to what they require! Needless to say it does involve balloon twisting.

I was not sure where to put this post. I started off with it in the members only section but no one seemed to be seeing it. I moved it here as it is to do with business all be it in a bad way. I am VERY upset. I recieved a thoroughly rude email via my website enquiry form this morning and I don't know what to do about it.  This person bought my PDF's via my website and in no uncertain terms seems very unhappy with them. He has had them since mid December.
This is the first such complaint that I have had about my instructions in all the years they have been available but I feel so upset that I feel like withdrawing the lot of them.
 

Quote= Hi Twistina.
To start. make no mistake that I am extremely cross, though not as cross as I was. I paid what I would consider top dollar for your 5 minute delight instructions- volume one & two to give to someone wanting to get into balloon twisting.

Needless to say about 6 months on they seem to have lost all interest. When I asked why they said the instructions were far too complicated. Now, I have also been balloon twisting for a couple of years so I took a look tonight at the pdfs that I printed out for him, and I must say I am extremely disappointed.

Even for someone experienced in balloon twisting your instructions are terrible - very hard to follow. I tried the butterfly from vol.1 I think. And after spending about 4 hours and countless balloons, I concluded that your instructions are a total waste of time. I have binned them, which is the only place I can think they belong.

What makes me angry is that you present these designs as 5 minute delights with clear instructions etc. When they are anything but, and I feel genuinely sorry for anyone who invests (wastes) money on your instructions, struggles to the point of extreme frustration and becomes so disillusioned that they give up on twisting all together.

Either you know you instructions are crap or you don't. If you don't let me suggest you give a volume to a beginner to intermediate twister and see if they can follow them. I think you may be quite surprised.
But my sense is that I am not the first person to complain and I think to continue promoting the instructions as you have is shameless, absolutely SHAMLESS. And I will have no hesitation in warning people about you, your website and your instructions, rather than promoting you, as I would have done had the product been worthy.

In short....I think you pair are little more than shysters and your instructions get -10/10.  

I actually think you are doing a great dis-service to an art that I love and doing more damage than good in promoting it.

I expect a refund of my money.
Where-You-saw-or-heard-About-Twistina = Balloon Chat web site

 

I feel like I have had my character well and truly assassinated.Part of me wants to refund the money just to get rid of him, but part of me thinks why should I?
 I really don't know what to do. I am at a very low ebb at the moment without this, due to all the family problems and bereavements of the last two years and find decision making very difficult. I really can't cope with a lot of hassle at the moment and don't want to get into lengthy email conversations with him.   Should I just refund him?
This has severely knocked my confidence but if anyone else has issues with my PDF instructions I would rather know.

Any input from you would be welcome.  

Here's my take on the "Octopod" from the "Octonauts"
It involved a lot of apple twists with round balloons which is not my favourite thing to do as I pop so many. I was quite pleased with the result though.