So, following on from my other post, I need some 'ideas' of easy to make, nice models.

I've got a good few up my sleeve, but I'd really like to nail about 10 decent, models. One I always get asked for is a cat, and I just can't figure it out!
Does anyone have any recommendations for 10 popular, 'fast' to make models?

When I am doing line work I don't really have a list of things to make, I just make whatever comes into mine (or their) head really.

If you want 10 things then how about this - Dog, giraffe, elephant, horse, ladybird, heart wand, parrot, fish on a rod, some kind of hat, bear, swan, tortoise. There, that's 12 for you

When I am doing the market however I have a menu of 20 items, even then I am not limiting myself as I am happy to make any other requests. My current Market stall list of things is as follows

Octopus,
Shark,
Ladybird
Penguin
Bunny
Nemo
Duck
Pony
Flower
T-rex
Spiderman
Minion
Dog
Elsa
Heart wand
Giraffe
Monkey in tree
Butterfly
Race car
Lion


As for a cat, I have 3 I use, firstly my quick 1 balloon cat which takes a minute or 2[attachment=1:s6gvokvk][/attachment]001---Pilchard-the-Cat.jpg[/attachment:s6gvokvk]

then my medium 3 balloon cat which takes about 5 mins I guess (no photo of that sadly)

and finally my big (I don't know how many balloons are involved) cat which takes eternity to make.[attachment=0:s6gvokvk][/attachment]303---Black-Cat-and-Broom.jpg[/attachment:s6gvokvk]

These are the balloons I make when I am "working the streets" and it is interesting to see how close it matches Rob's list  

https://www.facebook.com/balloonatic.ke ... 971&type=3

I have all of these designs in a 6 x 4 photo album, but my menu board has about 15 of the quickest ones on display. They are not complicated, but impressive enough to warrant the £3.00 price I charge. I have always found it easier to have one price for everything, as it saves so much faffing about !

The CD's I would REALLY recommend getting are Twistina's "5 minute wonders" series and Thelma's "2 and a bit" which is where a lot of my designs came from.

My cat was a design by Thelma.

Magirob, you have a wonderful line up. I like you Black Cat too, I have tried to recreate it but can't seem to figure out/master/get perfect the white of the ears, the black balloon part of eyes, the paws, what is going on in the back, or how it is all connected. I always just end up with a sloppy (and usually busted) broken down mess. I tried 4 times and then just gave up out of frustration and made some of the more simple things you listed to pump up my ego and feel remind myself that I was actually still a balloon artist and could make things lol. Do you have a tutorial of the cat somewhere?

I think Kevin's List works really well and I know he is always a busy man so I know it works.

Like Kevin I don't do simple 1 balloon sculptures at the market, all my sculptures have at least 2 or 3 balloons involved, the most is 6 balloons I think, The reason for this is that I don't want to be your standard street corner balloon twister who makes 1 balloon dogs, rabbits and Swords (in fact I refuse to make swords), there is nothing wrong with that kind of twister, i just want to be seen as something more than that, hence why I call myself a balloon artist rather than a balloon modeller/twister.

unlike Kevin I do have different prices for my sculptures, some take me longer than others so I charge more, and there is something for every price range from £2 up to about £5, and before you ask I get as many people paying for the £5 ones as I do paying for the cheaper ones.

Meeboo, When I said it was my black cat I didnt mean it was mine, I meant it was one that I do, my black cat is actually Dylan Gelinas', I saw him post a photo of it a couple of years ago and LOVED it, you can find it in the gallery on his website - //http://www.slightlytwistedballoons.com/ - It is available as a tutorial from his shop for $12 here - //https://my.digitalgoodsstore.com/product/aum1j

Rob

Thanks for the link! I don't know why but you listing the amount of balloons you used reminded me, I don't know if any of you have heard of the YouTube balloon artist Cody Williams, but he explains that when he does like stadium twisting and such he charges $1 per balloon and I have started doing that (even though I honestly loathe outdoor twisting/live twisting) I mostly specialize in making it at home and taking it to the folks and setting it up there. When I was a clown in high school I had every bodily fluid possibly on me, had my second ear piercing on my left ear ripped clear through and out of lobe in a jump jump house, broken bones from stilts, and got set on fire by a 7 year old and got 3rd degree burns on my right arm that I will always have scars from. Chuckles the Clown has been to hell and back haha. My last gig for balloon twisting was last month at a frat house end of the year party, I just charged them all $5 for hats, they were all so drunk and happy. I think when I am old I'll just set up outside of bars and make balloon hats to give away to the sad drunks for free because I have never seen anymore more happy than a full grown running back with a unicorn balloon hat asking me to wearable rainbow tail lol. It was one of my best gigs and I made a lot of money because drunk people spend money like water  :lol: But even then, on average each hat took about 4-5 balloons because I made A LOT of football helmets and unicorn hats. I think $1 a balloon plus $1 tip is fair.

I assume cody works on a similar principle to others so the $1 a balloon would make a 5 balloon hat $5

Thank you everyone - I'll have a look through the lists  and compile my own of about 10 or so. It's not a rigid list but I'd just like to have 10 good looking, but fast to make, balloons 'in the bag' so to speak.

I just ordered the Twistina book one Kevin - thanks for that! I'm looking forward to having a look through it, it looks good.