Smiggle, your not the only one that has said they would never fly with me  
Still I did get here ok and spent a couple of hours participating in the think tank with Ralph Dewey and a few others and picked up a few neat idea's from the session.
Have just been to Bidou's class who is from France and it was most useful with some good idea's that are most useful for the real world, the concept was putting sculptures onto hats but while making them and telling a story which helped to lead your audiance up the garden path so to speak. The models not looking like anything so people struggled to try and guess what was being made and then at the end was the urica moment when it all came together, worth sitting in on the class as at the end he had a variation on a ball theme which had many applications for a face, turtle, camel, car etc etc

pleased you got there in the end.  Sorry I made that jpke now about the flying being nothing to worry about but the airport was a different matter.  I just got back from my trip to Wales but can't sleep so got up again.  Hope the rest of your trip goes more smoothly Graham.

So the classes I went to yesterday we're Bidou, Ken Stillman, Patricia Bunnell and Mark Byrne.
All classes we're interesting and I'll do more of a write up when I get a few minutes. I have been taking some pictures but due to me having the new camera for some reason that is beyond me I can't download the disc to get the pictures onto my laptop so may need to upload these when I get home but just going to see if it will load up again now before I set of to the next class.

Good news Ed Chee has just sorted out the problem with the download and I now have the pictures on the laptop and will try and post some when I get a few minutes, this is embarrasing but I also had a card reader on my computer that I never knew about  :oops:  :oops:

Writing up the convention is very difficult to do as the majority of the lecturers are friends but I will try and be honest and give my views as I see things, so please note these are my views and may vary to others.

Ken Stillman - Thinking outside the box.

Ken had a few nice idea's with the betallic odd shapes, the best for me being the giraffe head mad from memory a small teddy bear head, this shape could also be used for a horse and unicorn. He also had a nice elephant made from the snowman shape.
It should be said that Ken got out of his sick bed to be at the convention as for the past 3/4 weeks he has been suffering with his health. He was even at the doctors the day before.
It was also not his day as for some reason whatever could go wrong on the day seemed to  
Sometimes we all get these days but Ken kept going and a few good tips and ideas was passed on to those that attended.

Struggling with uploading the pictures as I've now re-sized them but they are being saved in a programme I cant seem to find on the lap top, I'll have to see if I can find Ed again  

Patricia Bunnell - Bubble Belly Babies

Patricia went through some of her models from this DVD, Winnie the pooh, Eey-ore and a very good rabbit which was definately my favourite   The class moved along at a slowish pace and Patricia has a very soft voice that definately needs to be projected or what we will do when she lectures in the UK later on in the year is to mic her up. She has plenty of great ideas to choose from and has done three different lectures here this week.

The last lecture I saw from day one was Mark Byrne - Bad to the balloon

Mark went through his persona as bad to the balloon and showed how he worked at parties moving quickly on and showing some excellent and very usable creations that are very usable in the real world. They we're all on hat's, Teddy on heart, braided hat, duck hat, mermaid, dolphin, superman, hulk, monkey up a tree, elephant and dragon. A nice class which surely no one could have left without getting a few good idea's from.

I'm sitting in the jam room writing the reviews up at 11.15 p.m. and the lectures I went to on day two we're Jimmy Leo, Colin Myles, Mark Byrne and Jane Driscoll. This morning the first two classes we're absolutely excellent and well worth seeing with some greta tips on how to promote yourself and a very nice woven heart, I'l do a write up when I get a few more minutes hopefully later on in the week.

A big thank you to Harveyfor helping me find my picture folder on the laptop    Harvey was one of my team members last night along with Jenine in the twisting with the stars competition thatwe didlast night which was based on an American TV programme. We had twenty minutes on each to make models related to music, rock, 50's and country. We had a laugh and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Just off to the first class of the day so will try and down load some more pictures soon.

1, Charlotte airport with the birds flying around the inside of the airport
2, The first plane for flight again at Charlotte airport
3, The Tuscanny hotel, I just liked the way the towel was folded. I'm sad  

Some more pictures;

1, Hotel room, very large. More a suite with kitchen fecility's
2 & 3, Pink panther on a hat from Bidou's class

Bidou showed a nice ball technique and the face, helicopter are based on this design. The snail had a lovely story to it while it was being made which took you from a twister to an entertainer.

The skull is another variation from Bidou on his bal technique and the dog and elephant are from Ken Stillman's lecture on odd shapes from the Sempertex range.

The first night entertainment was the busking competition which I personally think should be scrapped, it's not a true representation of what you would need to do if you went out into the big world to do some busking. There we're either 6/8 competitors who entered and I believe some had no notion as to what busking was or what was involved in the art of
getting a crowd before you start to entertain them. Some of the acts should not have entered as they just got onstage and twisted without talking at all or even trying to entertain those that we're watching.
Instaed of this being on the stage if the wish to continue with it why not put it on inthe hotel lobby or on the Las Vegas strip where true busking would be possible. Before the evening started Gary Leadbetter the compere/master of ceremonies encouraged the baying crowd to heckle, harrass and really give the competitors a hard time............why? When busking you get some light banter etc but as the audiance we're mainly entertainers I feel this made for a very difficult situationfor those brave enough to take part. It would also have been nice for the compere to do a little research into the names of those taking part and where they came from so that he had a little info on every one rather than saying well here's the next one every time. We had tickets to vote on who we thought should win, I decided not to vote.
These again are just my thought's though.

After the busking competition was the very first balloon world record attempts which was run by Ralph Dewey, there we're two catagories for this year, weaving a two balloon spiral hat and the interwoven flower. All balloons had to be inflated with a hand pump with all the balloons on the table un-inflated and with a 30 minute time limit. I was changing rooms when this was going on and will find out who took the honours and can promote themselves as world record champions. This may very well be coming to the UK with other catagories being competed for so that we can promote and expand the balloon world to the general masses, so perhaps there will be a few world record attempts taking place at a care & share day near you soon  

So onto the two best lectures I have beento so far while at Diamond jam,

Jimmy Leo, Marketing beyond the balloon box.

This was an excellent class with not a balloon in sight on how to promote yourself, no matter what I say about this session it won't do it justice. Well worth attending with full notes being sent to you via a pdf file after the event. Jimmy is a very loud person and in your face and it does possibly take a while to get to know him but it's well worth while getting to know him as he is avery interesting character.

So onto Colin Myles lecture, who is a good friend but I did speak with others about his class to make sure I gave a true reflection on what he taught and showed.
I thought this was an excellent class and realy made for a great morning as I attended this just after the Jimmy Leo class, Colin explained very well his heart shape woven technique.
The heart could be left like this or aded to by threading through extra balloons to make the heart look fuller and solid, hopefully the pictures will explain this better. Colin has a nice way with him when teaching and is just the same teaching or socialising and he engages everyone in the classroom, my only suggestion which I have already spoken to him about is that ashe has a fairly soft voice in the classroom it would be better if he was mike'd up so that he projects better. If Colin is doing a teaching day near you, then go as you won't be dis-appointed.

Mark Byrne, Why only balloon hats

Mark spoke about why he likes to make balloon hats in his resturant work that he does as it makes and frames the face for a good photo opportunity. Mark went through his complete set up where everything is bought from and why he does things in a certain way. Plenty of info for everyone and also time for half a dozen hats made the Mark Byrne way.