Hi!
Twistina here! I got here at last, late as usual :lol:
Great to see a lot of familiar names in Twisterland and lots of new ones too!
Can't do a proper intro now as my feet are being attacked by a very hungry cat (way past his meal time!)
Will be back asap!

Welcome to the forum Twistina - good to have you here!!

Hay Cristina Great to have you here welcome to the forum

Hi and welcome  

Hi Twistina,

Great to see you here.

Have u made anymore TV appearances??

Norm

Hi Christine,

Welcome to balloon chat, I thought you were never going to join
Have you heard about the great mystery instructor I've got for the Leeds day. Definately one not too miss,
not sure if you know her :lol:

Graham Lee

Hi, twistina, welcome to the friendly forum.  8-)

Hello Again!
As I was saying............. I am Christine Belcher also known as Twistina The Balloon Lady.
I have been "doing" balloons for about 4 and a half years. (I did dabble a bit before that with very basic dogs and swords etc but was not inspired and gave it up!)
I am married to Mike AKA Twistopher who also " does" balloons. We have been entertaining children and adults for many years with our "Barrel" organs with puppets.

The lucky break that changed my whole life, came in October 2003 when we were asked to do balloon modelling as well as playing the organ at an event that was 9 days long! I bought a couple of new balloon instructional books and bearing in mind that I had not previously been inspired, prepared to get through the 9 days as well as I could. I determined to learn one or two new models every evening during the 9 days and then use that design the next day. This worked really well and I found that I was getting lots of really positive comments. To top this, a little boy asked for an airplane which I had just learnt. I did this and then had the idea to put it on top of another inflated balloon to make a handle so he could "make it fly." He was delighted with it. Suddenly, the boy gave his balloon to his Mum,charged towards me and threw his arms around me and exclaimed "You're the best!"  I felt 10 feet tall and  my confidence was given such an enormous boost! This and all the smiles and happiness that my balloon models brought forth convinced me that latex was calling me!
When I got home, I googled balloon modelling on the web and found balloon HQ as well as other balloon modellers sites. When I saw what was possible with balloons, I was hooked. I started buying books and videos and just had so much fun trying out all the designs. After a few months, I started creating my own designs simply by taking requests from kids. If I did not know how to make something, I just had a go! When I got home I would try to improve the design till I was completely happy with it. A good tip is always carry a digital camera with you. They are an invaluable tool in keeping a record of any new creation that you make. How many times have you made something new that is terrific and then later you can not remember what you did?!!
 Since that 9 day booking, we have worked there repeatedly as well as at many other venues and events. I gave up my full time job as a cake decorator some 2 1/2 years ago to concentrate fully on balloons. I have lectured, won several awards both here and abroad and have written my own CD rom book called "Twistina's Five Minute Balloon Delights" (    Shameless plug! Available direct from my Web Site //http://www.twistina.co.uk or at Grahams excellent Care and Share Days) I often think about the little boy with his aeroplane, I wish I could meet him now to thank him. He truly helped to change my life.
Long May I keep Twisting,
Twistina

Thanks for the post Christine, enjoyed the read & I'm still waiting all these years for a cake :lol:
Perhaps we should have a "How I got started" section, Christine's post would make a great start :idea:

Graham Lee

Hi Twistina, I like your work!
Tom

Welcome to the forum Christine - I have to say I am more than a little impressed with the standard you have achieved in a comparatively short time, it will hopefully encourage those of us that are just getting started.

I too love the reaction you get from children when they get a special balloon but it can be a little too honest sometimes if it's not quite what they wanted  

Nice post!!
I'm hoping to get to the Leeds event so it would be a pleasure to meet you (and get some valuable tips of course!). Please make sure you have at least one copy of your CD with you. Fab balloons for the relative short space of time you have been doing them  
Krazy Kev