Facebook Challenge

Started by Graham Lee, September 13, 2020, 11:31:32 AM

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Graham Lee

I have been nominated to do this Facebook balloon picture challenge.

I'm going to write a little about each design and why I decided to post it etc.
I have started off with the Hippo and I actually made the design just now so
that its a fresh picture and some of the designs I might tweak as we go.

Day 1 of the challenge.
I nominate anyone who would like to join in.
I was nominated by Danielle Burnige
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCUbOOKCWX8
So the Hippo was the design that got me hooked into this amazing world of latex.
I saw a variation of this many years ago at an IBM magic convention in Southport,
who would have thought that Hippo would have changed my life completely...........but it did.
It was the first tutorial I posted onto BalloonTube and the link is above if anyone would like to have a go at making it.
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Graham Lee

Day 2 of the challenge.
I nominate anyone who would like to join in.
I was nominated by Danielle Burnige
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezsv5BzE9ckI
I have always loved this flower, and have just remade it again for the memories.
All those years ago when we first made the design I was not sure why it was a favourite but in more
recent times it has become so as when I was attending a Juggling convention in Perth a very dear
friend passed away and this was the very first thing I made after receiving the news.
So when I make this now I always have a tear in my eye and remember Pearse with so many happy memories 💕
.................  and yes there is a link to the Flower tutorial above.

The Flower is very under used, in fact I think I might be the only person I know who makes it 😉😁
A little different from making the usual 6 petal flower.
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Graham Lee

Day 3 of the challenge.
I nominate anyone who would like to join in.
I was nominated by Danielle Burnige
http://balloonchat.co.uk/model-of-the-month/august-competition-(crown)/
I was rather chuffed when I came up with this crown design, not sure why, possibly the nice geometric design within.
Or it might have been just nice to make a variation on the general crown. Again I have posted the tutorial link for
the design above, in the instructions its made without chrome balloons as back in July 2017 when I made the
crown chrome balloons were not available. I made the original using double stuffed 160's to get the desired
look I was after, there are a couple of variations on the link. So that's the story of the crown which I have a
soft spot for. I made it this morning again using 260 chrome balloons, surprisingly it was a little easier
than using double stuffed 160's 😉😁
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Graham Lee

Day 4 of the challenge.
I nominate anyone who would like to join in.
I was nominated by Danielle Burnige
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T65aqlOo0g
I have tried to re-create a picture that I took some possibly 8/10/12 years back.
I have always thought it looked a little artistic, perhaps its just me.
The original is the 260 with Maroon/Red background, it was made with a 260.
The new picture is with 350's and I added a little colour.
As always there is a link above to a Swan tutorial.
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Graham Lee

Day 5 of the challenge.
I nominate anyone who would like to join in.
I was nominated by Danielle Burnige.
This was a photoshoot for Vogue Russia. Taken many years back now in 2007,
It was pretty unusual as it was in a very small flat above a shop that they turned into
a photographic studio for the day. There were many big burly security guards about
which we thought was odd until they told us that the jewellery was very expensive.
One of the rings that we ended up putting inside a 260 dog was valued at over a
million pounds so goodness knows what the total price would have been for everything.
I really liked the end result as there was not to much editing and photo shopping as
with some other shoots I have been on. I will put the tutorials for the designs
shown in the comments below. The picture I have from the shoot is quite
small so the quality might be a little poor?
PS, I have added better pictures in the thread below.
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Graham Lee

"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Graham Lee

Day 6 of the challenge.
I nominate anyone who would like to join in.
I was nominated by Danielle Burnige
https://balloonchat.co.uk/picture-gallery/tennis-racket
The Tennis racket I made back in 2015 and yes I have a soft spot for this one, always have....not sure why.
Its still the only time I have made it and would I make differently next time? I have no idea till I start
making it again 😉😁 How the racket evolved to the finished design can be seen on Balloon Chat,
the link over two pages is above.
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Graham Lee

Day 7 of the challenge.
I nominate anyone who would like to join in.
I was nominated by Danielle Burnige
https://balloonchat.co.uk/picture-gallery/lamp/
I was rather chuffed when the Tiffany Lamp came together first time, this was the original prototype one that I made.
I just love the look and feel of the design. The other thing that made this nice was that when I was making the
other lamps, and yes I did make a few I got a nice friendly ribbing from a few where the phrase 50 shades
of grey was mentioned in various formats 😁😁 makes me smile thinking about it. Sometimes its the
stories and memories behind the design that makes it special for you. This one is special for me 💕
The link above is how the Tiffany Lamp came about with some variations on the lamp as well.

With and without the cracked look.
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Graham Lee

Day 8 of the challenge.
I nominate anyone who would like to join in.
I was nominated by Danielle Burnige
https://balloonchat.co.uk/picture-gallery/alice-cooper/
This is probably the most times that other balloon artistes get in touch with me to tell me I'm on the TV again.
It must have been repeated hundreds of times. And I was pleased with the finished look, it was filmed back
in Oct 2011 for a UK TV programme called Room 101 with Frank Skinner. They had Alice Cooper
on the show and his pet hate was balloon modelling. They booked me to defend our art 😁😘

When I say the design took 16 hours to make that included the 2 or 3 faces we did not use.
The thread above is only variations on the finished design, I have found some of the
experiments on the way so will be posting those over the next few days.
I will put the link to the programme in the comments but they took the original down from
YouTube so you do have to sign up to UKTV to view it I'm afraid.....sorry about that.
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Graham Lee

Day 9 of the challenge.
I nominate anyone who would like to join in.
I was nominated by Danielle Burnige
Love Heart, I have a soft spot for this design 💕
As it was my entry into the large sculpture competition at The Millennium Jam.
For my sins in 2007 I entered the "European Balloon Entertainer of the Year"
You had to make a large sculpture, a one balloon design and then enter a stage act.
I have to say It was one of the most stressful things I think I have ever done.
Nerve wracking is an under statement.
I will post my one balloon entry in the comments. below.
Over the years I have made a few variations on a theme of the love heart and did produce
a tutorial for the design and the roses if anyone would like to purchase it,
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk/.../a-graham-lee.../
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Graham Lee

Day 10 of the challenge.
I nominate anyone who would like to join in.
I was nominated by Danielle Burnige
I was trying to work out what the last pictures/design would be. I have tried to post designs
that bring back memories for me and I have a soft spot for. Well this one certainly does,
as I'm typing this the hairs are standing up on the back of my neck. As I mentioned
yesterday in 2007 I entered "The European Balloon Entertainer of the Year" competition,
well I'm rather chuffed, well very chuffed actually to say I was placed first.
So apart from it being one of the more stressful times getting up and entertaining your peers,
I look back and its also one of the proudest balloon moments in my life as well.
From constructing the act and asking friends, Mike and Pearse what works and what
we should leave out. Then Sitting in a freezing cold scout hall with Pearse rehearsing
and filming it on numerous occasions trying to get it all to fit together,
the laughs we had, so so many......memories that stay with you forever, that mean so much. 💕

We did spend hours upon hours working things out with so many happy memories and laughter to
remember along the way, a lot of laughter when things went wrong, but all very happy memories to cherish.
Anyway this is me saying thank you to everyone I have met in the balloon world along the way in my journey.
Thank You XXxx.
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk