Christmas at the market

Went back to the market yesterday and made some Christmassy balloons.

A reindeer headband, turkey, guilt-free and sugar-free candy cane, a mini Christmas tree and sculptures with santa's hat.

 

 

The turkey and the girl with santa's hat were sold to a lady, rather reluctantly on my part. She has 2 young children. I have my pricing up on a board that says, "Balloon scluptures cost $3-$10, give as you please." She wanted me to name a price and I asked her for $10 for both of them. She looked at me in horror and said, "Maybe $3? Here says $3-$10. Children will play with the balloons and they'll pop in a few minutes." Well, if that's how much she perceives them to be worth, then there's nothing more to say.

There were also a few takers for the new dog I learnt from ChiTwist on youtube. It is very adorable and even adults walk past going, "Aww... so cute!" Strangely enough, this simple dog earned more money than the elaborately cute turkey!
      

      
Had my first go at a camel too! A little girl's request. This family never fails to buy their two girls a balloon each every time I go. This time was a camel for her favourite soft toy. And you guessed it - a camel. She even held it steady for me to have a reference! I didn't get to take a photo of it and had to make another one at home. So, here it is!

Well, here's wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and may this season bring you God's peace, love and joy!

World Toilet Day

It's World Toilet Day today. It's aim to to raise awareness and improve sanitation around the world. It was started by a Singaporean businessman. You can read all about this movement and what they do at their webpage, worldtoilet.org.

Today is also my birthday and I'd like to give myself a birthday present. So, I made this toilet seat inspired by a photo I saw on Flickr. I assume the originator is Michelle Patterson, as the photo was on her Flickr page. Anyways, here's the photo. And below, is my version.

Spent the most time getting the cover and seat arranged, because the water part kept leaking and the seat won't stay down. Had to use double sided tape eventually, but I'm loving it! :)

Market day challenges!

Interesting start to the market today. Arrived at location only to find that I was not on the list! The staff on site had to find a spot to accommodate me. That's market life for you. :) Especially for casual leases like me, it's easy to miss our booking.

Nevertheless, it was a wonderful morning. I was set up beside a coffee truck and in the fruits and vegetables section.

Had two boys challenged me to a dragon and guess what, I just made one a couple of days ago! I just simplified it for them. They sat in front of me, under the sun and watched while I made it up. They asked questions and told me about their amazing balloon inflating skills with the round balloons. This was what I came up with for them and stuck it onto a balloon stick for them to fly it around. It lasted for about 1.5hrs before the legs got pulled apart by one of their siblings.

Had a little girl wanting a balloon and the grandma said that they would wait for grandpa to come and ask for permission. The little girl got a horse and I was asked a question I never thought anyone would ask. Grandma asked where the money goes to and I was taken aback for a minute before replying that it comes to me. After they had left, I reckon I should have said that it goes to feeding my family and paying bills. Next time. :)

Made myself a poppy flower headband. It was for Remembrance Day on Monday.

A little bit of cheer and extra

Had to get some chicken feed yesterday for our new chicks and went to my favourite farmers' provider, Farmcraft, at Acacia Ridge.

Made them this sunshine rainbow centrepiece to add some cheer to the gloomy rainy day. I double stuffed the base balloons using black in white to make it look greyish.

They then mentioned a opening celebration today and asked if I could make a few more. I said I could, but ended up making them something different.

This cow bouquet of heart wands came out instead. Thought that they could hand some out to children if they like.

And I had to play around with the editing software on my phone and liked this one very much. :)

Slow day at the Saturday market

Went to my usual farmers market on Saturday for some balloon twisting and it was another slow day. But it wasn't too bad, as I was in a better spot and had more interaction with people passing by.

The first balloon I made that day was for a baby. Probably about 3-4 months old. She's such a gorgeous little one! Her parents had set up an iced tea stall diagonally opposite where I was and she was being held by another stallholder who knew them. They asked for a balloon for the little one and I made her this happy little bracelet. Mum came over later that morning with a cup of iced tea and thanked me for the balloon saying that her daughter would not go to sleep with the balloon on he wrist! She did fall asleep eventually when mum took the balloon away. :)

Then there was this mum who came to ask for a balloon car for her 2.5y.o. son. She had bags of groceries in her hands and balancing two plates of food. I suggested that she rest her arms and leave her groceries on the ground while she waits. She did, but left to buy more stuff! I was nearly finished when she came back and offered to hold on to her balloon while she puts stuff into her car. She gave me a totally unexpected answer, "I can do this, I work at Ikea!" Now, what kind of training do they give at Ikea that transforms one into an octopus? I thought that was hilarious that she associated her ability to hold things to her working at Ikea.

Being a slow day, I thought I'll try my hands at something bigger and one that I've not tried before. Looked up the internet for other balloon pictures and here it is, a balloon bicycle with ideas from many balloon twisters!

Made up a quick superman while having nothing to do. 2 balloons and a scrap for the head. The bottom one had changes made to the head, changing it to a 5" round. I think I need to steer away from the red and blue superhero. Spiderman is red and blue and so is Superman....

Hopefully traffic will be better next time. :)

Birthday favours for friends

Had the pleasure of making 29 frog bracelets for a 5y.o.'s birthday for his friends and teachers. It was supposed to be 25 of them, but I always make a few extras just in case of popping or new friends, or well, someone's little sibling wanted one too. The teachers had rainbow headbands instead of frogs.

I had much fun with this lot of gifts. Took me about 4 hours and was aching all over, but I had a lot of fun. Not many people will think churning out the same sculpture as fun, but I made it so, timing myself with each sculpture. The first hour was the longest, with each frog taking 8-10 mins to complete. By the 2nd hour, I could make each one within 7mins. The third hour was the toughest, feeling like a failure because of the lengthy time it takes to make one. But by the fourth hour, I was churning them out at 5-6 mins flat! Woo-hoo!

I think that's where the fun part comes about - knowing that the first two hours of ploughing along is worth it.

It's the same with all other techniques and skills. It takes practice. And, this is what I tell fascinated folks who ask me how I am able to do what I do. Practice. Lots of it.

These 25 frogs made my day. I was proud of myself and proud of them.

Delivered them and was very glad to see the birthday boy's face light up at the big bag of balloons for his friends!

So, anytime you want something different for your birthday favours, drop me an email at balloonaholic@gmail.com and we'll work something out. :)

Frog bracelets. Took a sample photo. Just imagine that there were 29 of them. Slight modification from ChiTwist's frog tutorial on youtube.

Rainbow headbands for the teachers.

Captain Barnacles and a happy balloon boy

A good friend of ours invited us to celebrate her son's 5th birthday and I made these two balloons for him.

Did Captain Barnacles first, because I really wanted to make one for him. Had to educate myself on what he looks like. I've never watched the show before and had no clue what it was about, other than it involves astronaut-looking things.

Anyway, he was a challenge. Will probably be easier if I had a large white round balloon for his head. But, I didn't have it. Surprisingly, the whole twisting of the character wasn't difficult. The challenge was resting the head and the body nicely against each other. I made them separately. Took 3 tries to get the head to sit upright and not tilt itself off the collar.

The other birthday buddy was made on impulse. I woke up thinking that I want to make another balloon and decided to make this birthday boy. Thanks to Bonnie, the Balloon Lady for the thunder thighs inspiration!

We had a lovely time at the party, enjoying pizzas and fish and chips and just catching up with one another. :)

Another week at the market

I had another great morning at Kuraby Market yesterday. Started with a cool morning and warmed up as the day went by, but not so hot that we can't breathe. :)

It is our Ekka week here, where farmers bring in their cattle to the showgrounds for display. There are many more things to do at the Ekka showgrounds, but I won't touch on that. Anyway, I made myself a sheep for this week and it sat happily on my head, greeting the children as they come along. Used the design from ChiTwist on youtube.

I was fascinated by the fact that people were willing to wait in line for a balloon and how well-behaved they are! There were a few children who were on their own and wanted a balloon, but I always asked if their parents were around and I would like mum or dad to be present to confirm and pay for the balloons. Some parents were seated at the dining area and they'd give a nod or a wave when their children point out to them.

Had a few interesting children who wanted interesting balloons. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to pull out my phone to take photos.

So there was this girl who wanted Rose from Despicable Me. I can’t make it so I suggested a ballerina, to which she wanted to have blue clothes and red hair. I then suggested Ariel from The Little Mermaid and she was happy to receive one. The next girl wanted a mermaid too. But she wanted one with pink skin and purple tail. I was uncomfortable as I made it, but she was excited to receive it the way she wanted it!

Minions from Despicable Me was the greatest hit! Made about 12 that morning and everyone just stood there patiently waiting for theirs! Gave one to a church mate who took it walking around the market for publicity! :)

Very happy to see friends stop by for a chat that morning. Really helped to calm my nerves! Had a friend from church come and help and I learnt a few techniques and designs from him. There’s always something new to learn!

I look forward to the next one in September and hope to bring smiles to all who stop by!

Gifting to businesses

I enjoy making a balloon for a business that I have used to say 'thank you'. Most of the time it's a restaurant, but the last three I made were for different businesses.

This monkey on a horse was for Farmcraft, a farmers' shop where I got my chickens and feed from. They gave it to a driver whose daughter loves, or rather, is mad over horses.

This kitty sat at Malaysia Makanan, an eatery we enjoy going to. The food they serve taste the closest to the Singapore/Malaysia local dishes. I usually leave a balloon for an eatery if the food and service is good.

And this ladybug on a wheelbarrow was for the builders who spent a whole week tearing down and building up this new colourbond fence and concreting the retaining wall. They're a fun-loving bunch, singing, listening to music and chatting away while they worked. Very young, but quick and experienced.

A great way for me to say thanks and show my appreciation. How do you thank the businesses that have served you well?

Market debut!

Today marked the day where I debuted at a local market. Kuraby Farmers Markets. Set up starts at 5am and I was up at 4:15am.

Stomach churned all night long with feelings of anxiety, nervousness, uncertainty, excitement all going on at once.

I had everything packed, but overnight, I couldn't decide whether to put up fixed price menus or just put a price range for people to put whatever amount they wish.

Somehow I was convinced to use the price range method for the day.

Got the the market in time, set everything up and was ready for customers. The early ones at 6am were mostly grandparents or early mums. Nobody took any notice of me, even though I was right at the entrance. Had a few friends pop by and I was glad to have some familiar faces to talk to.

I was sitting around taking my own sweet time to make balloon sculpture for the first 3 1/2 hours. First customer came just after 9:30am and the children crowd arrived about 10:30am.

The crowd at the market were very nice. Very patient and accommodating. Had a few lovely families chat about balloons while their children watched. One family sat down near me and two of the children just watched as I twisted and they'd ask questions along the way.

I had a fun day. The most popular designs were the spiderman followed by the sword. Here're some photos of the setup :

This is my table and shade early in the morning.

  I saw a hotdog sculpture on Patricia Balloona's blog and thought I'd make one today too. Most people near me were eating their hotdog buns and I wanted one for myself too. After I made it, many people recognised it as a hotdog and were tickled by it. A lady came by and asked for the hotdog for her husband's birthday tonight! Happy birthday to the husband, I hope he enjoyed it!

 

 This pretty young lady was one of my favourite items today.

Wall-E

Had a request for a Wall-E and made this little guy with youtube instructions from Michael Floyd of balloon-animals.com. If you're interested in learning more about balloon twisting, he has many instructional videos on the website.

Love the smiles and excitement on faces when they receive a balloon. I was called a 'sweetie' when he had to go home and I had to smile and his pure innocence. :)

The Rainbow Fish

Have you read the story "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister? It's a lovely book about sharing and giving up what we treasure most.

It tells about a very beautiful fish in the sea with shiny scales named the Rainbow Fish. One day, a little blue fish came along and asked the Rainbow Fish for one of his scales but was rejected flatly. The little blue fish went and told his friends and no other fish wanted anything to do with the beautiful fish. He was sad and a starfish told him to go and find the wise octopus. And guess what? The wise octopus told the Rainbow Fish to give away his scales, which he did reluctantly at first.  But he soon found out that even though he's not the most beautiful fish anymore, he's the happiest.

So, anyway, the playgroup which I attend with my 2y.o. rostered me  (we are rostered for stories, crafts, morning tea and devotion btw..) to tell a story on sharing and "The Rainbow Fish" was one of the story books I was given.

I enjoyed the story and thought that I'll balloon it to tell the story. So, here it is, photos of the story...

It was fun telling the story with balloons! It's a good story to use with balloons too. Everyone gets a balloon to bring back.

A ninjago and a mermaid

A few weeks ago one of my daughter's schoolmates asked for a ninjago. A gold ninjago. Me and legos? hmm... Well, I went onto the search engines and searched for gold ninjago to have an idea of what it looks like.

This was what I made for him. After I have finished, I could hardly tell what is what and it look just like a big blob of gold balloons. But when he looked into the delivery bag he recognised it straight away and went off showing it to his mates!

Made this mermaid after seeing pictures of it made by many other balloon twisters and wanted to try my hand at it. The first time I made it was two days ago at the park with my girls while they played. I don't usually like to make balloons while other children are around, but it just so happened that a family of 4 (mum, dad, 2y.o. and a baby) with 2 dogs came to play and I gave it to them when I had finished. Strangely, the 2 y.o. girl wasn't interested, but the mum was. This goes to show that even adults enjoy balloons as much as children do!

After the polite thank yous, the mum commented that she likes the bikini. :) And I get to hand out a name card. Bonus! I hope you like her too. And her bikini.

Bride and Groom

This is the first time I've attempted to make a bride and groom out of balloons. Actually, out of anything. It was a fun experience and a rather challenging one for me. Looked at quite a lot of other balloon brides and grooms online and had an idea of what they should look like.

As with all other skills, the more one practices, the better one gets. I think I do get better at every twist, but for my skill level now and my understanding of how balloons work, this couple was a challenge.

From the imagining to actually making them gave me lots to think about and calculate. They didn't come out as how I had imagined, but close enough.

Gave it a first go to see how it look. You can't quite see the hairdo of the bride here, but it was very sparse. And they don't stand very well. But I love the way I can make the faces touch as though they were kissing! My husband said that the groom's hat will look better if it was a top hat.

 

 And this is the FINAL product for our friends who were wedded over the weekend! I'm so in love with this couple! Made a top hat as my husband suggested and some other minor changes.

I'm thankful for search engines and balloon twisters all over the world who have shared their photos! They have certainly made life a lot easier for me in making this wedding couple.

Simple reindeer

Had a family outing to a deer farm during the school holidays. This is my first time seeing a real deer. It was an even greater surprise to see a reindeer! We get to feed the deers that were fenced up. Very cute creatures. One kept sneezing and we stayed away from it.

Thought I'd make a white balloon reindeer for the staff and so here it is!

A ladybug and a couple of flowers

A friend from church was quite sick last week and when I dropped in a meal for the family, I dropped in this bouquet too. My eldest daughter had fun helping me make it. We added water to the body of the ladybug to help stabilize the sculpture. Actually, my daughter helped me to add water to the balloon. :) Maybe I shouldn't have showed her that, because since then, she's been finding balloons to fill with water.

Train

I watched a youtube video of this train a couple of weeks back and have been meaning to do it. It is a very easy train to make, but I never got an excuse to do it. So, last Sunday after church, I made it for a Vietnamese eatery that my family frequents. I like to make them some balloons after a meal as a thank you and decided on a train. Only 2 balloons but it looks pretty good!

Oh, and if you're after some Vietnamese food in Brisbane, I do recommend Secret Beef at Pinelands Plaza on Pinelands Road, Sunnybank Hills

Gumball Machine

I bought myself a castrator tool for the balloons. It's called a Marking Ring Applicator according to the people I ordered it from. It's used on goats. When the staff saw my use it on a balloon, they thought it was rather funny!

Here it is :

It's a lot easier to stuff things into balloons now, instead of using brute force with my fingers.

A friend suggested adding chocolates and I gladly obliged. Made her a gumball machine but added some chocolate eggs in it. It doesn't dispense though, so it's either a pop and eat or wait and eat. Hope you'll like it too!

P is for Paddington and Polar Bear

Just so happened that I was making two bears that start with the letter P.

Paddington bear was made for my sister who is a Paddington Bear fan. I don't know when she started falling in love with him, but he sure is adorable. I found out that Paddington's face changed over the last 50 years, which explains why some pictures has a more squarish snout and others have a more roundish-pointy one.

I actually found a picture of balloon paddington on mbd2.com and worked my way from there. It's about 50-60cm tall when standing.

This polar bear came because I had 350Q whites what I wanted to try. It's winter here now, so what better creature than a polar bear! Also to try out this new snout technique that I've been working on after watching a youtube bear tutorial.

My 5 y.o. helped to draw the mouth and decided that it was to be a girl, so she added a heart for it. I can see rooms for improvements, but for now, I'm happy with the way the snout and eyes worked out.
 

You can see more balloon photos on my Facebook page here.

Special requests

After the school fete, I thought I'll thank my little helpers and asked what they'd like.

One asked for a cake, but I didn't have a small cake design, so I made him a cupcake bracelet instead.

 

Another said that he likes Keldeo in Pokemon. I've never had anything to do with Pokemon and had to look it up in the search engines! This one took me awhile because of the hair and mane that it has in the pictures. It's also a two coloured unicorn which took me a bit of tweaking to get the body to be at the right angle.

 

The last one enjoys Star Wars. I did too, 15 years ago. I saw a Yoda tutorial from Flash the Magician and just followed the instructions. :)

 

Balloon gifts in May

Sent out a few gift items in May and here they are :

These two were requested by a client who had a friend in a car accident and her mum with a broken ankle. She asked for a Psalm 23 sheep and a tiger with a band-aid. 

 

This one here was for a baby shower. I gave this rattle to a friend. Added rice grains into the orange balloon for that rattling sound.

 This little bunny rabbit on a stick was for a little girl whom my youngest daughter came to play with in her big sister's school. They're the same age and their birthdays are just a week apart.

I made this rose bud for one the mums I came to know in school. She wanted rose buds for mother's day, but the roses were either bloomed or withered. So, gave her one made with balloons and it made her day. :)