Balloon Chat
Uncategorized Boards => Balloon Review => Topic started by: nippy99 on September 23, 2012, 08:45:40 PM
Balloon Review 054 - Magic Balloon Design Vol1 by Beating aka Hyun-Gu Park
Available from http://www.ibs-balloons.be (http://www.ibs-balloons.be) (not yet in stock) or http://www.1fivezero.com (http://www.1fivezero.com)
Price approx £45 including shipping from Singapore
I was very excited to see the announcement of Beating's new publication on facebook especially as I am really enjoying his other book on Balloon Characters (see 032-the-characters-magic-balloon-beating-progress-t5191.html (http://balloonchat.co.uk/032-the-characters-magic-balloon-beating-progress-t5191.html))
This book has 21 designs and includes a number of flower designs, a few characters plus a new design using plastic cups filled with sweets. I was very interested in the cup designs as this may offer another revenue stream in the future!
The book arrived well packaged and fairly quickly from Singapore. The book itself is full colour, on high quality glossy paper and contains hundreds of photos and accurate english descriptions. They are really easy to follow unlike other foreign publications. Bubble sizes for 260Q/160Q are given in cm and rounds are sized using a number of pumps.
•The number of pages of the book : 100 pages
•Size : 18.5cm x 25.5cm
•Weight : 400g/ea
•Language : English
•The number of design works : 21
•No licensed Characters
•Many photos step by step per each design.
•Level : Upper-intermediate
Let's see what we have here....
BOUQUET WITH HEART BALLOON
KIT LIST : RED 6" HEART / 260Q WILD BERRY / 260Q GOLDENROD / 160Q WILD BERRY / 160Q LIME GREEN / 160Q RED / 160Q YELLOW
A very interesting and original idea using a 6" heart as the centre piece of a flower bouquet. The heart requires two raisins which is always fun trying to pinch just one of them into each lobe. These become the attachment points for the 260Q flowers. Getting even sized flower petals is always a joy. The 160Q flower attachment is very clever and they fit snugly between the two 260Q flowers. The addition of 160Q petals adds a nice colour variation and the base of the heart gives the impression of a hand-tied arrangement.
The only thing I would say with this design is I do not think wild berry is the best contrast for a red heart. It would be worth experimenting with different colours. Complete beginners will struggle with raisins/lobes. I gave this away at a party today to one of the mum's who loved it.
[attachment=0:1ik3fvrc][/attachment]bouquet.jpg[/attachment:1ik3fvrc]
SMALL FLOWER POT
KIT LIST : 6" WHITE GEO / 321Q MOCHA BROWN / 260Q RED / 260Q MOCHA BROWN / 260Q GOLDENROD / 160Q LIME GREEN
This flower is really nice. You can't see the rear of the flower from my photo but the 160Q lime green offers a nice support structure to the back of the flower. The flower pot makes effective use of a 321Q mocha brown with the geo base offering a secure holder. Beating uses a small 260Q filled with water as a weight. The other option is to fill the geo with water like I usually do but even without a weight it is quite sturdy.
A really good way to display a simple flower - just think of the many variations.
[attachment=0:1lj1ult8][/attachment]smallflower.jpg[/attachment:1lj1ult8]
SEAHORSE
KIT LIST : 6" LIME GREEN HEART / 5" WHITE ROUND / 5" LIME GREEN ROUND / 321Q LIME GREEN / 260Q LIME GREEN / 260Q PURPLE VIOLET / 260Q ONYX BLACK / 160Q LIME GREEN / 160Q WINTERGREEN / 160Q PURPLE VIOLET
Although not my favorite seahorse design there are many learning points here for future reference. The seahorse nose is a 321Q/5" tulip twist combo. The eyes are the ones I use on my spongebob which fit nicely into the head structure. The seahorse fins/wings are the same as the crown on top of Shirley's Rays princess design and so I made this one pretty quick! There are raisins used in hearts again which will slow you down a little. Unfortunately I didn't have any 160Q wintergreen balloons for the fins/wings so had to use dark green.
[attachment=0:2wyoa8ly][/attachment]seahorse.jpg[/attachment:2wyoa8ly]
BEAR BALLOON CUP
KIT LIST : 6" HEART WHITE / 5" ROUND IVORY SILK / 5" ROUND DIAMOND CLEAR / 260Q WHITE / 260Q YELLOW / 160Q WHITE / 160Q PEARL AZURE / 160Q DIAMOND CLEAR
For this book, Beating uses two sizes of plastic cup. The ones you need are those typically used for smoothies or slushes. They have the domed lid with a hole in the middle. Beating uses cups that are 13cm high / 8cm diameter and 15.5 cm high and 10cm diameter.
I took my daughter into town today and insisted she buy a smoothie so I could re-use the cup for tonight's experiment! The cup i have is 15.5 cm high and 10cm diameter which is more luck than anything else. In this book, six of the designs use 13cm cups and two use 15.5cm.
Interestingly this design uses the smaller cup and I used a bigger cup - looks OK to me (except I have to fill it with more sweets!
I have yet to search on the web for a supplier but will let you know when I have made my first purchase.
So onto the design...
I have made the bear using slightly the wrong colours as I didn't have a round ivory silk or 160Q pearl azure but I am still very pleased with the result.
The bear itself is fairly standard in it's design. The only change I would make is with the arms and rather than add just two pinch twists to secure the arms in place from a separate balloon, I would make the same piece out of a single 160Q. This will make sense when you make the bear. The heart requires two raisins and if I am being picky I would say my raisins are slightly in the wrong place. The bear sits upright without any sweets to weight it down.
A really lovely design - a concept that can be used for countless creations and perhaps a value add for wedding table displays for children etc.
This concept is worth the price of the book alone.
[attachment=0:7s84d7l5][/attachment]bearcup.jpg[/attachment:7s84d7l5]
A quick update from my post last night. Beating uses a circular cutter to cut out stickers for the bear's eyes and mouth. I couldn't be bothered. Drawing works fine for me (although not as perfect).
** UPDATE ** I found smoothie cups in two sizes in Makro. Works out around 15p-20p per cup including lid.
I have ordered a batch of plastic cups and lids from here....
https://www.partyplastics.co.uk/shop/35 ... sable.aspx (https://www.partyplastics.co.uk/shop/359/milkshake-smoothie-and-sundae-glasses/disposable.aspx)
I ordered three different sizes of cups/lids (50 of each). I will let you know what they are like.
** UPDATE ** - cups arrived with a day and the order was complete. Not sure if the prices are competitive but I am happy with my purchase so I can have a play around before ordering a few 1000!
PUPPY
KIT LIST : 5" BLACK ROUNDS / 6" WHITE HEART / 6" BLUSH ROUND / 260Q BLUSH / 260Q BLACK / 160Q GOLD / 160Q BLUSH / 160Q BLACK
A very cute cartoon puppy. There are some good features here. The use of a split white heart makes for effective eyes. I especially like the leg design which although made with a 160Q is surprisingly stable. I can see me adapting this one to make a nice reindeer for Christmas.
The nose is glued on which makes it nice and easy!
[attachment=0:2x5dange][/attachment]puppy.jpg[/attachment:2x5dange]
YELLOW FISH
KIT LIST : 15" WHITE HEART / 6" WHITE HEART / 350Q YELLOW / 260Q BLACK / 260Q YELLOW / 160Q BLACK
A very large fish design on a base of a 15" heart. As with all 15" hearts they always seem to split around the neck or when I put raisins in the lobes. I don't know why. I am not too sure about this fish. The base looks a bit too big in my opinion. The design is good and I like the way all the components slot nicely together on the top section. The eyes use a twisted heart which gives a slightly different look that the regular white 5" rounds.
This may be useful for decorators as part of a larger display but probably one of my least favourite designs from the book (given that 90% of this book are excellent designs I am probably being a little unfair).
[attachment=0:2scsanru][/attachment]yellowfish.jpg[/attachment:2scsanru]
FLOWER 1 BALLOON CUP
KIT LIST : 5" DIAMOND CLEAR ROUND / 260Q ORANGE / 260Q GOLDENROD / 160Q LIME GREEN / 160Q DIAMOND CLEAR / PLASTIC CUP
The first balloon cup design in the book is a basic yet very effective design. The flower will be similar to most of you and the key is to have equal petals. The flower stem is stable and the three lower petals help to keep the flower upright. I have used the smallest cup for this one and it looks great. Very quick to make.
[attachment=0:3o1e1o24][/attachment]flower1.jpg[/attachment:3o1e1o24]
FLOWER 2 BALLOON CUP
KIT LIST : 6" GEO PINK / 321Q LIME GREEN / 160Q LIME GREEN / 260Q GOLDENROD / 5" DIAMOND CLEAR / 160Q DIAMOND CLEAR
This flower design uses a geo blossom. Personally I have always disliked geo flowers. I feel it gives a lazy appearance and is nothing special. This flower is tulip twisted into the 321Q and sits on top of the 160Q. The stability is lacking here unless you manage to tie the balloons together very tightly but even then it appears top heavy.
This is my least favourite design but if you like geo flowers then you may well like it!
[attachment=0:v6ho2fkp][/attachment]flower2.jpg[/attachment:v6ho2fkp]
FLOWER 3 BALLOON CUP
KIT LIST : 5" DIAMOND CLEAR ROUND / 160Q ORANGE / 160Q LIME GREEN / 160Q DIAMOND CLEAR / PLASTIC CUP
This is a lovely flower and my photo doesn't really do it justice. This flower would be great even if it were not mounted on a cup. A little complex to make but the instructions and photos make it quite clear to follow. I used a larger cup for this design as it was more stable but the little cup would still be OK. To add to this design it would be nice to add a little something to the centre of the flower.
[attachment=0:1y5vu0c8][/attachment]balloonflower3.jpg[/attachment:1y5vu0c8]
IGOR
KIT LIST : 11" BLUSH ROUND / 5" BLUSH ROUND / 5" MOCHA ROUND / 5" YELLOW ROUND / 350Q BLUSH / 350Q PURPLE VIOLET / 321Q BLUSH / 260Q MOCHA / 260Q SPRING LILAC / 260Q BLUSH / 260Q PURPLE VIOLET / 160Q BLUSH / 160Q SPRING LILAC / 160Q BLACK / 160Q CHOCOLATE
Firstly to make this design you will need quite a collection of balloon shapes and sizes. Beating's original design uses some Burnt Sienna which I have substituted for Mocha Brown and the end result is fine.
This design is fantastic. Very original, nice and large and is the perfect halloween centre piece. The 11" balloon on the face adds bulk and character and the way the model arches over just like an Igor character would is very well constructed. The add on of the lantern is perhaps a little oversized and this is something I would play with if I made it again. My completed effort was free standing as the lantern made it dip to one side.
I really like this one.
[attachment=0:u9iht0jh][/attachment]igor.jpg[/attachment:u9iht0jh]
BIG FLOWER POT
KIT LIST : 11" MOCHA ROUND / 6" GEO WHITE / 5" MOCHA ROUND / 260Q RED / 260Q YELLOW / 260Q CHOCOLATE / 260Q MOCHA / 160Q LIME GREEN
A nice variation on a balloon bouquet which has this one presented in a large vase. This one is really good. The three flower structure is nicely designed and the vase itself looks amazing with a tulip twisted 11" round. A beautiful delivery piece. Nothing too difficult here.
[attachment=0:2mdjty9q][/attachment]flowerpot.jpg[/attachment:2mdjty9q]
BLUE RABBIT
KIT LIST : 6" WHITE HEART / 5" ROBIN EGG ROUND / 5" IVORY SILK ROUND / 350Q WHITE / 350Q ROBINS EGG / 260Q ROBINS EGG / 260Q ROSE / 260Q BLACK / 260Q WHITE / 160Q PINK / 160Q ROBIN EGG
This is an incredibly cute rabbit. The finished balloon is quite large, is free standing and looks great. Some people may struggle with the rabbit's tummy and this is a heart with a tulip twist plus a raisin attachment point. A really good design which can be adapted to make other characters. I will be making this one a lot.
[attachment=0:6r4ajny5][/attachment]rabbit.jpg[/attachment:6r4ajny5]
GRADUATE
KIT LIST : 11" BLUSH ROUND / 6" PALE BLUE HEART / 5" PALE BLUE ROUND / 5" GOLDENROD ROUND / 5" WHITE ROUND / 321Q YELLOW / 260Q BLUSH / 260Q BLACK / 260Q PALE BLUE / 260Q YELLOW / 160Q YELLOW
This is a brilliant concept character design which can be used to make many other different ones. This graduate character is cartoon-like and maybe is the wrong colours for the UK market but easily changed. The face design is simplistic and the tulip twisted 11" blush makes an excellent face. The nose is glued in position. Even though the body is much smaller than the face, it really works very well.
There are plenty of tulips and raisins in play with this character so it may be a little challenging for some.
[attachment=0:16b0pjzn][/attachment]grad.jpg[/attachment:16b0pjzn]
Really enjoying this review Darren. Am definitely going to invest in this. A lot of original designs and at a couple of pounds each - very good value. One question - do you have to pay import taxes? Have been caught out this way before :(
HUGE thanks for the time taken to write yet another amazing review xxx
Sonia
Hi Sonia
No I didn't have to pay any import taxes. The book was marked as educational material and for some reason just arrived through my letterbox!
It is a good investment.
CANDY MACHINE
KIT LIST : 5" ROUND CLEAR / 5" RED ROUND / 321Q RED / 260Q RED / 160Q RED / 160Q GOLD / 160Q SILVER / PLASTIC CUP
The final balloon model in the book is probably the most challenging for one single part, the clear 5" round filled with sweets. Beating explains a method in his book which is clear enough but will require some experimentation the first time you do this. My first attempt involved just trying to stuff Cadbury's Heroes in an uninflated 5". I managed one and then it split! I then messed around and found the perfect method.
You will find a step-by-step guide on how I did it here.... post46666.html#p46666 (http://balloonchat.co.uk/post46666.html#p46666)
This model is impressive but care must be taken to make the joints between each balloon as firm as you can, otherwise it doesn't sit securely on top of the cup. A large sized cup is needed here for stability. I am still not convinced whether the button on the side of the machine is necessary. It would look just as good without.
To the lay-people putting large sweets inside a round balloon is amazing - try it and see the reaction you get!
[attachment=0:1mwf29n2][/attachment]sweets.jpg[/attachment:1mwf29n2]
SANTA CLAUS
KIT LIST : 15" RED HEART / 6" RED HEART / 350Q BLUSH / 350Q WHITE / 321Q WHITE / 321Q BLACK / 260Q BLUSH / 260Q WHITE / 260Q RED / 160Q WHITE
A really great Santa Clause. The use of a 15" red heart results in a large figure. The figure design itself is fairly easy and the technique to make the hat curl to one side is very clever. The rest of the design is fairly standard. The use of 321Qs makes the whole process a little easier but equally a 350Q will do the job instead if you haven't got any.
I will be making this one quite a lot over Christmas.
[attachment=0:2wvmdepe][/attachment]santa.jpg[/attachment:2wvmdepe]
FLOWER BOUQUET
KIT LIST : 260Q ROSE / 260Q YELLOW / 160Q YELLOW / 160Q WHITE / 160Q LIME GREEN
A nice variation on a flower bouquet. The different sizes of flowers is a nice contrast and the mix of flower designs go well together. The biggest challenge here is trying to arrange the flowers so they look nice. Nothing complicated here.
[attachment=0:3rvpn3ji][/attachment]flowers.jpg[/attachment:3rvpn3ji]
FLOWER CUP 4
KIT LIST : 5" CLEAR ROUND / 160Q RED / 160Q LIME GREEN / 160Q DIAMOND CLEAR / PLASTIC CUP
This is my favourite flower balloon cup so far. The rose is really nice but a little tricky to make. Not a speedy design if you are making a lot of cups at once.
[attachment=0:3rbfprc2][/attachment]flower4.jpg[/attachment:3rbfprc2]
FLOWER CUP #5
KIT LIST : 5" CLEAR ROUND / 160Q WILD BERRY / 160Q YELLOW / 160Q LIME GREEN / 160Q CLEAR / PLASTIC CUP
This is a really interesting design that I like very much. This design reminds me a little of a thai orchid by the way all the flowers hang together. The instructions are a little tricky to follow part way through so you may need to experiment a little.
[attachment=0:1e4dn55u][/attachment]DSCF8070.jpg[/attachment:1e4dn55u]
FLOWER CUP #6
KIT LIST : 5" CLEAR ROUND / 260Q YELLOW / 160Q WILD BERRY / 160Q LIME GREEN / 160Q DIAMOND CLEAR / PLASTIC CUP
Another flower variation but this one is large and a little tricky to make as all the petals need to squeeze inside the centre 6-bubble. I managed to pop a few in the process so it is important to keep the bubbles soft. Personally I think this flower is a little too big for even the larger sized cup but it looks OK.
[attachment=0:15k5bbss][/attachment]flower6.jpg[/attachment:15k5bbss]
PRINCESS CUP
KIT LIST : 5" ROSE ROUND / 5" CLEAR ROUND / 321Q BLUSH / 260Q GOLDENROD / 260Q WHITE / 160Q GOLDENROD / 160Q CLEAR / PLASTIC CUP
This princess design is excellent and Beating includes photos of other popular princess variations. I particularly like the hair which I haven't seen before and intend to use this hair for quick and easy princess models. My artwork is pretty awful and needs some work. I didn't use a 321Q blush for the face as I have some 350Q blush which worked equally fine. The princess sits well on top of the larger cup and I know the girls will love it.
Just change the colours for other princesses.
[attachment=0:190qf15p][/attachment]princess.jpg[/attachment:190qf15p]
Great review Darren. A lot of very marketable designs!
PINK FISH
KIT LIST : 17" PINK HEART / 6" PINK HEART / 350Q PINK / 260Q BLACK / 260Q PINK / 160Q ROSE
Some of you may have noticed I swapped the 17" pink heart for a white one but I still think it looks OK. I love this fish. A really simple design. This one uses two raisins as attachment points within the 17" heart. I am sure there are many different fishes that can be made with this core design. The only downside is I now need to start stocking large hearts as well as everything else!
[attachment=0:26hdn5zz][/attachment]fish.jpg[/attachment:26hdn5zz]
SUMMARY
This is without doubt the BEST instructional book I have ever seen. There are literally hundreds of photos, the english explanations are very clear and concise and the range of marketable balloon models extraordinary. The balloon cup principle is original and these are brilliant for giveaways and can even be sold as party extras or perhaps wedding favours. Even if you don't wish to purchase any smoothie cups, each of the models can be used as standalone items. A worthy addition to my collection and I cannot wait until Book 2 in 2013.
I would recommend having a look at Beatings facebook page as a wonderful source of inspiration.
http://www.facebook.com/WithHyunGu?fref=ts (http://www.facebook.com/WithHyunGu?fref=ts)
EXTRAS
Whilst these designs are not included in the book, I did spot them on Beatings facebook page and using the methods learned from this book I was able to make them....
[attachment=1:1j5z3qjm][/attachment]boots.JPG[/attachment:1j5z3qjm]
[attachment=0:1j5z3qjm][/attachment]snowman.jpg[/attachment:1j5z3qjm]
nippy: have you been getting lots of orders for the candy cups?
I'm about to order these instructions!
I haven't actually sold any because I haven'y tried. I know Kevin (Phoenix) has sold plenty in some of his local stores. You will really like this book!
Thanks! I tried to buy it on the 1fivezero site. I hit the paypal button, but it took me to my pal acct, not the usual order form. I emailed 1fivezero to see if they could paypal invoice me for one.
Is there any other site I can buy this from? That 1fivezero hasnt gotten back to (nearly 24 hours later) and I don't see it on that other site.
Have you contacted these guys?
http://www.ibs-balloons.be (http://www.ibs-balloons.be)
Here it is...
http://www.ibs-balloons.com/v1/?com=pro ... ct&id=2987 (http://www.ibs-balloons.com/v1/?com=productdetail&showtype=product&id=2987)
Thanks! I'll attempt to buy it there! I hope they ship to the USA!
Quote from: "nippy99"Here it is...
http://www.ibs-balloons.com/v1/?com=pro ... ct&id=2987 (http://www.ibs-balloons.com/v1/?com=productdetail&showtype=product&id=2987)
Is this book available in the USA?
Hmmm looks a good book to perhaps start my collection off.
can it be purchased in the uk or be shipped to the uk.
also would I avoid the nasty import tax as could be classed as education material
I have it in stock, we are down to our last 10 and when they are gone they are GONE, so be quick. http://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk/produ ... 70-11.html (http://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk/products/Beating_Book_Includes_Shipping-570-11.html)
I've not made much from this book but wanted to try this bunny. Oh my goodness isn't it cute?? I just want to make 1000 and keep them in my house hahaha
You've done a really good job of that one! - well done :-)
Thank you! I was going to give it away but I can't part with it! :lol: :oops:
Have you got the 2nd book? There are some nice designs in that one.
No! I have joined the website you said it was from so just waiting for them to accept me. I'm glad you're back reviewing by the way, I was wondering where you'd gotten too!