What do other people do with the big pile of balloons that grows during a practice session? Just putting them in a bin bag and throwing them out feels uncomfortably like somehow drowning puppies.

It's funny how we are all different, when I'm making something it's the most important thing to me but once I have taken a picture for myself then I lose interest and it can be dumped/popped etc etc

I like to take the models to the supermarket near to me where I know the lady who greets the customers.  She gives them to the children who come into the store.  Sometimes the other members of staff have the odd one.  At least the models dont go to waste.  I do understand Graham;s comment about losing interest.  Once I have completed the model it is no use to me.  I want it gone.  I don't like to just pop them though.

I'm the same, I just pop it all. If it's anything really good, I'll give it to a neighbours kids, but usually it goes in the bin.

The figures that I'm prout of, will end in my kitchen window.
So everyone walking by can see them.
The others will be popped soon, or my doughters will play with them for a while.

Petra

Well, my office floor looks like a psychedelic whale's intestines at the moment - with faces!  :shock:

I actually have some time to myself today, so the pile can only grow. I hate to think what would happen if someone went through my bins and found bags of "dead" balloon animals.  

All balloons are then piled up and wait the arrival of "My Official Balloon Popper - Corbin" -  He will see the pile and ask for his "Special Tool"... my old name badge and begins to pop all the balloons.

I have to share a recent adventure with him...

I had to laugh - we went downtown on a Thursday evening Street Performers - there was a twister there....  Corbin (4 Yrs) got a basic sword.... Kelsey  (9 yrs) asked for an Octopus...
Well.. the bubble on the sword popped when we got in the car... as did one of the legs of the Octopus..   Corbin looks back and said... 'OH MAN... Neenah, you just make my balloons ok'

My kids tend to take the ones they like and the rest get popped.  I let the kids keep the ones the kids take for a day or 2 but as soon as they begin to look a little tatty they get sent to balloon heaven that evening while the little 'uns are in bed  

dont forget that Professor Fiddlesticks (Darlington Care & Share) recommends putting the popped and rubbish bits of balloons in the compost bin.

Cheers

Peter

Quote from: "Curley Wurley"dont forget that Professor Fiddlesticks (Darlington Care & Share) recommends putting the popped and rubbish bits of balloons in the compost bin.

Cheers

Peter

Ah, now that's interesting. I never knew latex was biodegradable.

My good creations get brought to the office for my co-workers' children or taken to my mom & aunt or cousins.  The things that don't meet my approval to be given away are tossed aside until my husband can't stand the pile any longer.  I don't like to pop them myself.  It's sad to me to have put all that work into something even if it didn't turn out right & then to just kill it.  So I let dear hubby have that job.  For some reason he takes pleasure in popping my balloons.  

Latex is 100% biodegradable your balloons are made from the Sap collected from rubber trees in the rain forests.. if this sap is not collected the rubber tree will drown and die... so we are also saving the rain forests by using latex.

If you read the bag it will tell you latex balloon boidegrade as fast as an oak leaf (which is about 12 months, a reason not to keep too much in stock or keep balloons for very long)

How GREEN are we ALL Being ... have a pat on the Back one and all.

Oh and when creating models at the house we give them to the kids walking the canal outside, if at the unit we either give them to the horse riders or pop them - We always find if we keep them we dont make the model again.

Pam
xx

The creations I make at home that are worth sharing get bagged and thrown into my deep freeze.  Then when I have those bigger gigs where I know keeping up will be tricky at best, the creations I've stored in the freezer go with me to the gigs to be handed out as needed. (balloons made in January usually end up at my summer gigs.)

The ones that don't make it to the freezer, my darling 3 yr old grandson gets the pleasure of popping.  He seems to think it is his sole responsibility and takes it very seriously... Probably because that's the only time I let him play with my scissors.  

Happy twisting,
Bonnie, The Balloon Lady

Grommit once told me that the scraps were great on the fire.
I have been building a little pile and will try them on the next bbq...........when it stops raining that is!

I give out my practice balloons to anyone in the village with a small child. Like Graham, once I have taken the photo, unless I am really chuffed with it, it gets passed out to someone else.

What is normal for us is not for most people!
   

This is actually an issue I try to cover when teaching a class.  The question was "what do we do with our practice pieces?"  I read a lot of answers where pieces were brought to work, markets, etc.  Lets think about taking this a step further.  This is also a great introduction to "decor-twisting" for the non-decor twisters...  I had a client ask me if I could make a look-a-like of Scooby Doo, the famous cartoon dog.  I had never attempted the character before and it took me a couple of times to get it right.  After having three practice pieces in the living room and the wife about to come home (us married twisters know what Im talking about) I had to get rid of them.  So I put each one on a seperate base of 4 rounds, attached my business card and delivered the pieces to the local pet store, the local pound, a place around the corner that trains dogs and finally my client.  Some locations took the piece and said "thank you."  Two of the four however were VERY interested in what I had introduced to them.   Each location also had MANY interested lookers asking for my information.  I still do work for the pet store I visited two years ago.  So to make a long story short, use your pieces to advertise.  Deliver your practice pieces to businesses that match what you are practicing.  Walk in to the place you are delivering to and say "Hello, my name is --------.  I was doing a photo shoot of some of my pieces and didnt want this one to go to waste.  I've been in here before and liked the service so I would like to donate it to *say the name of the establishment or the name of the person*."  Many jobs can come from using practice pieces this way....  Because of what we do we never know where the good jobs will come from.  You will be surprised at how many people you can reach just by practicing;)  Its a win/win situation....
Cheers!