31st March - Goat

Its Florrie's birthday today, she recently requested that I make her a guinea pig or a goat, I made a guinea pig the other day so today I have made a goat.

This Goat is made from 5 balloons, there are 2 x brown 260s, 1 x grey 160, 1 tiny bit of black and a tiny bit of white. I actually use left over scraps of balloon instead of a whole balloon for some of the parts so although I did need 5 balloons to make this model, I actually only used 3 and 2 scraps.

Happy Birthday Florrie x

30th March - Patches the Bunny

I promised another Easter Bunny so here he is, this is Patches the Bunny with his basket of Easter eggs.

I am not going to say too much about how I made Patches the Bunny because he was designed by Dylan Gelinas from Slightly Twisted Balloons, you can purchase the instructions to make him from the Slightly twisted website (link) and it is well worth the effort as I think he looks excellent.

He is made from 23 balloons (I think) and the ears are just genius as they are NOT round but flat just like bunny ears, "how on earth do you do that?" I hear you ask, well you will have to buy the instructions to find out.

I will be featuring some more of Dylan's designs in the near future so keep watching, Happy Easter everyone.

29th March - Lamb

Its the Easter weekend and usually this means its lambing time, so I made a little lamp and set him free to bounce around my garden.

He is made from 4 balloons, 2 black 260s, 1 white 260 and a little tiny bit of a 160 for the eyes. I started by making 4 ear twists for his nose and mouth, then 3 standard bubbles which get twisted together, then 2 ears. next I make a body and neck, then I added the 2 pairs of legs. The final thing was to add the eyes and draw little dots on them.

28th March - Bunny Two

I last made a bunny on January 8th (link) and as its Easter I thought it was a perfect opportunity to make another one, This bunny is similar to one I have made for a few years but I recently attended a balloon day in Somerset where I learnt some variations and additions to make it better so thanks for those Graham.

Bunny here is made from 4 balloons plus a lot of scraps (so 8 balloons in total). There are 3 pink 260s, 1 white 260, an orange 260 for the carrot and then some scraps for the nose, teeth and carrot leaves.

Keep watching as there may just be another bunny coming before Easter Sunday.

27th March - Guinea Pig

Its Florrie's birthday on Sunday, she recently made a request for a balloon and gave me a choice of 2 things to make, I am saving 1 of the requests for her actual birthday but I thought I would have a go at the other one as well, a guinea pig. Now the problem with making a guinea pig is the fact that they are essentially a blob, I could if I wanted to just blow up a short balloon and draw a face on it as that is what a guinea pig looks like so it was difficult to work out what to do with this one, I think he looks OK tho.

I actually used 6 balloons to make this guinea pig but now I have made it once I know I could make it with just 4 balloons, in this one I used 4 x brown 260s, 1 x white 260 and 1 x dark brown 160.

26th March - Tiki Tiki Bird

A couple of weeks ago Graham posted a photo onto the balloon chat forum of a balloon model made by someone who attended Twist and Shout, the annual Balloon twister Convention in the USA, I loved the model so much I just had to have a go at making him. I have no idea who made the original balloon and I cant even find the photo in the forum now but if it was you who came up with the design then let me know and I will credit you.

This Tiki bird is made from 6 balloons, I started with the blue 260 for the head feathers and wings, then added the beak and feet from another 260, next I added the chest from a white round balloon and then added in the eyes from a white 260 and a black 160, finally the branch is a 260 with a raisin twist to attach the birds feet to.

25th March - Little Elephant

Time for another model made out of a single 260 balloon, this elephant starts with an elongated tulip/apple twist for the trunk, and then you twist a further 8 bubbles and you have your elephant.

24th March - Daffodil

It seems Spring is struggling to fully arrive so I thought I would try and help out, This is a quick and simple daffodil made from 3 balloons, First I made the petals from a 160, then I added the middle bit (I think its called a corona?), finally I added a stem (which you cant really see).

23rd March - Snow White

A couple of weeks ago I had a request from Ava to make Snow White, today Ava is being a bridesmaid so thought this would be the perfect opportunity. It has taken me a few weeks to work out a design I actually like with this Snow White, I am still not sure about her face but its not too bad.

This Snow White is made from 11 balloons, first I made her face and hair from 2 x 260 balloons, then I added the bow out of 1 x 160 balloons, her body came next, this was a 260. I next made her arms and sleeves from a 350 and a 160, I then added this to the body and used a little bit of left over arm to make her nose. The next step was her yellow dress from 3 x 260 balloons, the final thing to do was make her apple, this was from a 350 and a little bit of 260 for the stalk.

For those who are interested, here is the shopping list

260 balloons
1 x Black, 1 Blush, 1 Blue, 3 Yellow, 1 Brown,

160 Balloons
1 x Red, 1 x Blush

350 Balloons
1 x Tropical Teal, 1 Red

22nd March - T-Rex

Its time for another model made from just the 1 x 260 sized balloon, Its a T-Rex and he takes just a minute or so to make with just 11 twists.

21st March - Puma

I recently received an email from Simon who had a request for me to make a puma for his wife Fleur, this is a tough challenge as its really difficult to make the face look right but I had a go at it anyway, and I took inspiration from a photograph of a puma leaping through the air.

This Puma is made from 7 balloons, all of them 260s, I started with his head which was 1 balloon, then added his body and neck with another, the next balloon was his arms, then his legs are made from 2 balloons, the last things to add were his tail and finally his eyes.

As I say it was quite a challenge and I will have another go as a puma in the future as I have some other ideas about the face, thanks for the request Simon, I hope Fleur liked it.

Simon also requested some videos of my balloon modelling and I will be doing some of those in the near future so watch this space.

On another note you will see I have started watermarking my photos as I recently found someone in the USA using my Calvin and Hobbes photo on their website.

20th March - Thomas the Tank Engine

Here is another model made from just the 1 balloon, its not a perfect representation of Thomas the Tank engine but I kids seem to know instantly what it is when I make it so that is what matters.

I start this model with an apple twist then add in 13 more normal twists, I then do the artwork at the end which really helps it look the part.

19th March - Mini Motorbike

I have had a few people say that I have not made many models out of just 1 balloon so this week I plan to do a few, this motorbike was shown to me by Roy last week and it was his birthday yesterday so I thought it was a good idea to show it off, Thanks for showing it to me Roy

The motorbike is made from just 1 x 260 sized balloon, it takes about a minute to make, you have to twist 14 bubbles into the balloon and then the last thing you do it to pop one of the bubbles to create the separate handle bars. I did it in pink because girls can like motorbikes too.

18th March - Car

I have 2 birthdays to mention today, firstly Greg requested something and as he is a driving instructor I have made a car, its also Roy's birthday and tomorrow I will be making a balloon that Roy showed me the other day, happy birthday to both Roy and Greg.

This car is made from 12 balloons, it took 4 x 260s to make up the main body, these are twisted into what is called a flat weave. I then added the axels from a 160 and wheels from 2 x 350s, Now I made the roof section from a couple of 160s and the aerial is a 260, finall I added the headlights from a 260 and the radiator from a 160.

17th March - Leprechaun

Its St Patricks day today and to celebrate I have made a leprechaun with his pint Guinness and pot of gold, It also happens to be international hug a ginger day tomorrow so I think my little leprechaun will be looking forward to that.

My Leprechaun is made from 17 balloons, I started with his face and hair from 2 x 260 balloons and then added the hat which is made from a 260 and a green heart balloon, next came his body and arms from another 2 x 260s and his legs and belt from 1 more 260, his hands are a 260 and the pot of gold is made from a 350, a 160 and a gold coloured 260, the Guinness is a 260 and 2 x 160s, finally I added his shoes and his belt buckle. The rainbow is made from 6 x 260 balloons (5 colours and 1 to hold them together)

I would also like to say happy birthday to Alexis, she is 16 today.

16th March - Winnie the Pooh

This balloon model came out of a practice run for something else, I started to make one thing then suddenly diverted into making Winnie the Pooh.

Winnie is made from 11 balloons (I think), I started with the head from a yellow 260 sized balloon then added the nose with a bit of black. The tummy came next from another 260 and then I added the red t-shirt to to top of this from a 260, next I made the legs and feet from another 260 and finally I added the arms from 1 x red 260 and 1 x yellow 260s.

The Honey (or Hunny) pot is made from a 350 and a 160 with a little bit of left over 260 for the knob on top, finally the blue round 5 inch balloon is made from a blue round 5 inch balloon (no surprise there then).

I drew the bees in Photoshop and added them on afterwards.

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15th March - Captain America's Shield

Its Neal Austin's Birthday today and he is off on his travels around the world on his never ending quest to make people laugh, Neal is superhero mad and so today I wanted to make him something superhero themed so I eventually came up with the idea of making Captain America's shield.

It is made from 15 balloons, I started with the star in the middle which is made from 2 white 260 sized balloons and then threaded a blue 260 balloon through that one, next I added the next blue circle which is another 2 x 260 balloons, the first red ring is made from 3 x 260 balloons and the white is made from just 1 x 260 balloon but I used another 2 white balloons to make the little white connector pieces to hold it in place. the final outer red ring is made from 3 x 260 sized balloons and the last think to add was the handles on the back. Happy Birthday Neal

On another note, I was very exciting to see my blog had made it to the front page of several other websites recently, firstly http://balloonchat.co.uk/ a forum for balloonists, and secondly http://www.strong-island.co.uk/, this is a website promoting artists and music in Portsmouth, Thanks to everyone who has been spreading the news of my blog, I really appreciate it.

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14th March - Adventurer Chris

Its Chris's 30th birthday today and I had to think long and hard as to what balloon to make for him so in the end I just decided to make  . . . . him.      A few years ago Chris went to Africa to work with school kids and to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, so here is what I imagined he looked like on his travels with his backpack on.

Adventurer Chris is made from 16 balloons, I started with his body and sleeves out of 2 x 260 balloons, then I added his shorts and legs from another 260 balloon with a belt from a 160, next step was to attach his arms and the straps to the backpack, both from 160s.

Now it was time to make the backpack, this was made out of a large 646 balloon with a green 340 balloon for the sleeping bag, this was then all held together with the straps made from 160s, I now attached the backpack to the straps fixing it to adventurer Chris's back.

The final steps were to make Chris's head from a 260 with a 160 for the hair and then a tiny bit of 160 for his nose, finally I added a pair of legs and a pair of shoes.

Adventurer Chris took me a couple of house to make and photograph, all that leaves me to do is to wish the real Chris a happy birthday.

Children's Party Entertainments

13th March - Anchor

Living in a very nautical city I have been asked to make an anchor once or twice in the past, usually when I am working in the dock yard or in any nautical themed location. This anchor is made from various different sized balloon, firstly I took a black 260 sized balloon and made the ring ring at the top, then worked my way down to the bottom, adding another 260 for the arms and another fir the cross section at the top. The rope is a brown 160 sized balloon and the grey rings are also a 160.

Finally I made the outer ring, using 1 yellow and 1 blue 160 sized balloon I spiraled them together and used another blue 160 to join them together at the bottom.

It total this is made from 8 balloons, 5 for the Anchor and 3 for the outer ring, it took me about 30 mins to make but I was doing other things at the same time so I could do it a lot quicker if I needed to.

12th March - Lobster

This lobster was inspired by the balloonist Pascal Grooten from Belgium, he makes some amazing models and it is worth looking at some of his work. My lobster is made from 12 balloons in total, this consists of 1 red heart balloon, 3 red round balloon, 5 x 260s, 2 x 160s and a black 260, he took me 90 minutes to make.

This lobster brings my balloon count up to 70 since January 1st and I am still going strong (I think) , if I want to do a year then there is only 295 days to go (eeek).

11th March - Little Octopus

Today is international day of the octopus (not really, I made that up) and this little octopus is made from just 3 balloons, a small round balloon, a 160 balloon for the legs and a small bit of a 260 for the eyes. He took me just a couple of minutes to make.

10th March - A Bear Holding a Heart

This cute bear was taught to me by Balloonatic Kevin from Weymouth, he kindly shared his balloon wisdom at a recent balloon modelling event so thank you Kevin.

Bear is made from 7 balloons, I started with a 350 for his ears, part of his face and his torso, then I added a small piece of a 260 and a round balloon, next I added the eyes, His legs are made from another 350 and his arms another 260, finally I added in a heart balloon.

Both my own Mum and Nats Mum (Annie) got one of these each for Mothers day today.

9th March - Ladybird

Its a fairly easy one today as I have just run in an off road race through forests, fields, mud, rivers, ponds, smoke and obstacles galore, its a ladybird (ahhh sweet) made of 3 balloons,

The red balloon is a heart, the eyes are a 260 and the feet (which you cant see) are a black 260 (which gets wrapped around the balloon making the black line.

8th March - Tortoise 2

I made a Tortoise a few weeks ago but he was a very simple tortoise, this one was far more complicated and I have to learn a new type of twist to make him. He is based on a Tortoise by an expert balloonologist called Pascal Grooten from Belgium, he makes some of the most amazing balloon models around (Google him - Pascal Grooten)

Anyway, My Tortoise took me well over an hour to make, I started with a 5 inch round balloon and I twisted 4 raisin twists into the balloon roughly where the feet were going to go. I then made 4 individual feet which are made from a brown 160, these are basically an elongated tulip twist with 2 pinch twists holding it together.

Next I added the green 160 for the rim of his shell and I added the head next which was a 260 and a 160, plus a black 160 for the eyes, in total he is made from 6 balloons.

7th March - One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

The Barker family recently informed me that it is world book day and I was scratching my head to think of what to do,  a quick Google search bought me the top 100 best children's books and the Dr Seuss book One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. I have never read this book and I have never really liked Dr Seuss but he seems very popular so thought I would give it a go.

The 5 fish are made from a total of 8 balloons, The One fish is made from a 260 yellow and a 160 yellow, the Two fish are made from just 1 green 160, the Red fish is a round 6" red balloon with a 260 for the lips and tail, then the last Blue fish is a 350 blue balloon with a bit of white for the eyes and a 160 blue for the tail.

6th March - New Flower

Today I met some lovely people who taught me how to make a new type of flower, it took me a while to get to know the weave but I got there in the end, this takes just 2 x 160 balloons, 1 for the petals and 1 for the stem. There will be different variations of this flower and weave coming up in the future.

5th March - Lighthouse

Well it is St Piran's day today, the patron saint of Cornwall, Phil (who lives in Cornwall) suggested I make something related so after spending some time trying to make a Cornish Pasty I ended up making a Lighthouse instead.

This lighthouse is made from 6 balloons, there is a 350 which makes up the central core, then 3 x 160s wrap around that making the stripes, there is a bit of yellow for the light and the small bit of left over read for the top, finally a white 260 for the roof.

4th March - Columbo

I thought about making this a few weeks ago, along with my friend Phil I am an avid Columbo fan so it seemed like a good idea for me to make a balloon version of Peter Falk in his rain coat, I hope Phil approves as he is a Columbo expert.

This Columbo is made from about 12 balloons (maybe 13), I started with his white shirt which was a 350, then built the rain coat around it with 260s, Next I added his trousers and arms with more 260s. Next I added in some shoes with a 260 and then added his hands which were a 160. the next step was his head, a 260 plus a 160 for the hair, the final details added were the cigar (a 160) and his tie from a deflated 260.

3rd March - Nemo

There is something a little fishy going on here, its Nemo the clownfish, He could be made from just 4 balloons, all 260s, with 3 oranges and 1 white balloon but I added in an extra 4 non inflated black balloons to make the black stripes.

2nd March - Gloria the Hippo

Its Mabel's birthday today, she is one of my nieces and she is 8 years old, yesterday she requested that I make her Gloria the Hippo from the film Madagascar, so Happy Birthday Mabel and I hope you like my attempt.

It seems that most hippos like to do ballet so that was the look I was going for, She is made from 6 balloons, firstly I used a 350 to make her body, then I added her head with another 350, next came her legs which was half of a 160 and then her arms were next from a 260, her hands are the other half of the 160 and then finally the tutu is made from 2 x 160s.

March 1st - In Like a Lion

Its the first of March and as the saying goes, In like a Lion, out like a Lamb (baaaa)

This little lion is made from 4 balloons, firstly I made the head and body out of a 350 balloon, then I added legs which are a 260, finally I added the mane and tail, then the nose, he took me about 15 mins to make.