Friday, June 16, 2017

Happy Pride!

Whether you are celebrating this month or throughout the summer have a safe and happy Pride! Times are a bit dark and sometimes scary. Let's make the world a little brighter, a little more colorful, and fill it with a little more love.

Happy Twisting!

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Balloon Sword Finale: Wonder Woman Sword

I had a lot of fun working on different balloon sword designs this week. To wrap it up this week I wanted to take ideas I've learned this week and come up with my own design. I am super crazy excited about the Wonder Woman movie. So here is my balloon version of the 2017 movie sword. I had a lot of fun with this. Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend!



Theme weeks are fun! I will be doing more in the future : )

Friday, May 19, 2017

Balloon Swords: Part 3 MEGA SWORDS!

MEGA SWORDS! They are bigger, badder, and more epic! Just what the adventurer needs. This is by no means an extensive list. There are lots of great tutorials out there. All of the balloon swords today come from the amazing tutorials by Balloon Sage. Please please please check his youtube tutorials out if you want to learn some really cool twisting designs. Good instructions, easy to follow, and an attention to detail that sets him apart! His details always have a purpose- yes they are aesthetically pleasing and fun but they usually are also adding support, and customization options that can be applied to lots of different designs. Once you get the basic designs down you can go nuts! (He also has a mix of twisting designs and decor tutorials- so much good stuff!)

Left to Right: BIG Balloon Sword, Deluxe Balloon Sword, and the last two are Mega Balloon Swords: Fire and Ice .

One thing I've taken away in my short time twisting is size UP. Most twisters use the 260s so when you use 360s they automatically give off a bigger is better vibe. The first BIG Balloon Sword uses a 360 as the blade and is a quick sturdy option for "active play". The deluxe swords have sweet blades! Twisted, braided, and woven/chained. These designs take a bit more time, but I am excited to experiment with them. One of my new dreams is to incorporate ballooning into cosplay- I have seen some really cool balloon costumes, and I think balloon weaponry (such as swords) would be a cool way to achieve some of the larger than life fantasy weaponry while being lightweight and cost effective. Soon.

Happy Twisting!

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Balloon Swords: Part 2 Pirate Swords

Argh Mateys! We are moving beyond the one balloon swords and jumping into multi-balloon creations. I wanted to stick with a theme and so today I have for you some pirate swords!

We start with the one balloon 260 classic pirate sword from yesterday., The next is the same design, but mega-fied using two 360s. Balloon Sage on youtube has a video to show you how to make this one. The next is just a fun twisty sword using the metallic silver and gold balloons. And the last is a two balloon pirate 'cutlass' sword from a youtube tutorial by Michael Floyd.

Happy Swashbuckling!

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Balloon Sword: Part 1

Hello balloon lovers! It has been a while but here we are ready to jump back into it. I have not been blogging much but have been posting more regularly on the FB page so be sure to check that out for all the balloon goodness you may have been missing.

I have a lot of fun creating things for holidays, events, and even upcoming pop culture attractions (aka movie and tv stuff). But sometimes in between that I don't really know which direction to go in. I want to learn all the balloons! I want to make all the balloons! So I decided to bring it back to basics.

The Balloon Sword: Part 1- one balloon swords

The balloon sword is an absolute staple of the balloon world. But they also sometimes get a bad rep. I personally think that any balloon that brings any amount of joy or wonder to a person (whether they be a kid or adult) is a good balloon. As I have scoured the internet checking out other balloon twisting blogs, fb pages, and business pages a strong theme of "go beyond the basic balloon dog and sword" permeates.  While I am blown away with the endlessly creative ways current balloon artists are pushing the absolute limit of balloon twisting artistry sometimes simple is best. Simple works. It's quick, efficient, and the building blocks for greater things to come.

So without further ado I give you a collection of simple one balloon swords

On the left we begin with the simple one twist sword and by the time we get to the right we are in full swashbuckling pirate mode. Fun, fast, and STURDY one balloon swords are a great choice to please a crowd of rambunctious adventurers.

Any other one balloon sword designs you love? Please share in the comments! Want to learn how to make the designs above? YouTube 'balloon swords'. Almost all of the above swords had several different people demonstrating how they do them. Watch lots of versions! People learn differently so see who has a style you enjoy.

Stay tuned as we progress to more complicated balloon swords later this week!

Happy Twisting!

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Box'O'Balloons

As I learn more about the world of balloon twisting and decor I am branching out and getting different kinds of balloons. I ordered a goodly amount last week and they came in the mail! (Of course as soon as I placed this order I started seeing a few designs for yet ANOTHER kind of balloon that I do not have yet, sigh, such is life. And I am sure I will soon be ordering more balloons!)

I am continuing to branch out from the standard 260s and 160s, this time getting 350s and the big 646s! Also in this batch I got the really pretty silver 260s and more hearts and 5" rounds. I splurged and got a table arch set up. I have an event next week that I am hoping to do a test run on it and I have plans to use it as part of my own wedding decor in October!

Even though I placed the order it still feels like Christmas when it comes in the mail. I tried playing with the big 646s right away. They are going to need some practice. I feel that my hands are on the small side and at 6 inches in diameter I need all the twisting hand-grip I can get. They are going to take some practice to get used to but their size makes them a showstopper!  I ended up making a simple rosebud flower to show the size a bit.

It's only 2 balloons and almost 30 inches tall! The red bud is a 646 and the green is a 350.

I've got lots more in the works here. I finally found some cups to make the infamous 'candy cups' which I will be sharing soon and I am working on my organization before my big upcoming event next week!

I hope everyone has a lovely Thursday and I will be posting again soon!

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Welcome!

Hello and WELCOME! Here is my new blog devoted to all things Balloon Twisting. Here I hope to share my adventures with this wonderful medium and share my love for balloons. Check back at the blog for fun balloon pictures and designs, upcoming events, and general fun.

To introduce myself a bit: I am from Rochester, MN. Last spring I took a community education class on balloon twisting and I was hooked! I got all the books the library had on the subject, ordered several packs of balloons, and watched a TON of amazing online video tutorials and I haven't really looked back! I am hoping to share my growing adventures with a larger audience. I have done a few displays and have sold some balloon arrangements for a local HyVee store in town. And I have a couple of events that I am volunteering for and donating my twisting skills that I want to let you all know about. If you have a party or event or need a fun unique gift for that special someone contact me! I am hoping to get a more formal website up and running soon. Until then let the adventure begin!


Here are some of my favorite balloons from this spring. More to come! You can also check out my Facebook Page.