Hi all I thought I would do a floristry course as I have been asked many times about flowers "can we put balloons in can this or that be done and not knowing was a pain so I started last week and this week was the first playing with flowers. And this is what I came up with. It got a little knocked on the way home. but I must admit I am very pleased with my first attempt.

Hi all
I went in to UP UP & away at Laindon yesterday and there is to be a Halloween Christmas & New Year Demonstration Day on Thursday 24th September 10:00 – 16:00 with £25 back on goods you buy on the day. If anyone is interested you can book via Kirsty on 01268 411712.

It should be really good and if you are just getting in to decorating would give some good ideas for the up coming party season (I believe it will be Jodie Noris running it so bound to be some 260 stuff involved).

May be I will see you there.

Hi all
I have been asked about doing a library story time using balloons dose anyone know if there is a book or dvd with this sort of thing in.

Also has anyone done one, and if so could give me some pointers.

Thanks in advance
Roger

Hi all
I have just had a call via my ad on here but unfortunately I am booked and it is a bit 2 far away.

The job is to balloon twisting at a birthday party they want someone that can do characters Dora was one name mentioned if you can and are available pm me and I will pass on your details.

Its bottom m3/m4 area.

Roger

Hi all I thought it would be an idea to have a diary of up coming events so we could see them at a glance, so I have collated the ones on the site so far. It would be good if anyone knows of any others could add them,

I believe the best way would be to cut and paste the excising list into a new post and add the new event in & dropping any expired event off the list.
Roger
(may be long term Graham could look at adding a diary to the site?)

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22nd April 2009 -            Exeter Care & Share Day. viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1337
29th May -            Don Caldwell, Performance workshop. viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1380
3rd June 2009 -            David Grist Memorial Lecture" 2009, Don Caldwell. viewtopic.php?f=17&t=938
17th June 2009 -           Entertaining Children Graham Lee & Micky the Magician. viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1265
19th – 23rd August 2009 -        British Juggling Convention 2009 with Balloon Jam.
8th September 2009         Kidology, Children's magic convention.
19th September 2009               Kidsalabim //http://www.kidsalabim.com/
10, 11,12th November 2009 -    The Millennium Jam.

Well according to Grahams profile its his birthday today Not sure if I totally trust it as he says he is 31   (This forum must be ageing you.)  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Well if it is your birthday today I would like to wish you a very very happy one.

Roger.

Ok I have been trying to make a baby for a guy at my wife's work who is coming back from work tomorrow. I have tried and tried my wife has said and I have tried  "fatter arms thinner arms bigger belly its got ribs don't like ribs it needs hair no perhaps it would be better bald" bellow are the 3 best I have come up with and she doesn't like any of them.

Please please has any one else made a baby it must not have a dummy/pasifiyer as evidently they are politically incorrect now (WHAT NEXT ITS ONLY A BALLOON SCULPTURE) any help would be much appreciated.

There are foils to go with it and this is just a free extra.
But I don't like to be beaten.
  :cry:   :cry:

Yours in desperation

Roger

Hi all
I did a gig at a care home today. I turned up and was immediately confronted with the fire alarm going off, and thought I hope this is not an omen for what was to come.
I was there just to do balloons as the daughter of one of the residents had seen me working a stand last year and thought they may like it as a change from all the singers they tend to get in.

Well after the fire alarm was reset I was given a very warm welcome and taken to the first room I was to work. (The home is set on 3 floors and I was to do an hour on each) I was taken in to the day room and given one piece of information "don't worry if they fall asleep" well I started slow made some flowers and got a few oos and ahhs and then was asked for a cat (made the one on Twistina's new CD, I don't have it yet but she also shared it on mbd2). They liked that then as with children you always get a stroppy one "I want a man" came the shout. So I made a lootie style man (James Bond black suit & bow tie). Now they all wanted things, I made a sax a la Graham and some Addi inspired hats.

I then moved on to the next room, well word had got round and there were loads of residents waiting for me.
I had a brilliant time. Yes, some fell asleep and as this was a care home most were not very active as suffering from dementia and such like but every one seemed to have a really good time.

I was told by the person that booked me that when they have a singer that the residents tend to want to go back to their room 5 mins after they start and they all stayed 'til their tea was ready and they had to go. It was a really nice to bring some joy to people in this way.

I would just say if you ever get the chance to do a gig in a residential / care home for older people don't think twice do it, as for me it was an absolute joy.

They are already talking about having me back and I am really looking forward to it as I now have a feel for what they want to see.

There were lots of pictures taken and they said they will mail me them, as soon as I get them I will put them up.

One last thing that tickled me I was introduced as an artist that worked with balloons.

Roger.

Hi all just wondered what people had at the top of there balloon Christmas list.
(Book, pump, dvd, pdf. etc) I have just had to put a new trolley case at the top of mine, when I am doing jobs up London and I go on the train, I use a trolley case as I like to be prepared (I know I take to much but I feel more relaxed if I know I am prepared). Well I was working up London with graham at the weekend and just after coming out of the gig the wheel came of my case, that I have had for about 10 years and believe me carrying all I take is hard work. (Thanks Graham for the help getting to the station).

So what is top of your list and is there a reason why?

What a day I was working for a council today on there stand at a local show and started with having problems with a few bursts. It was hot and muggy but slowed my self down and things got a lot better.
Then after a really fun day the organisers of the show came up and asked the council department if they would be coming to there winter fair, and then said well its because we want your balloon guy he has made the show everyone is talking about him. Well I was on cloud 9.
Then I got that one punter from hell. She started complaining to the people that I was working for and said "he should not be doing the fancy stuff he should save it for parties (it wasn't that fancy) just give them a dog and tell them to be happy I have been waiting ages for the queue to dye down so I can get a balloon" It just took the edge of the day and yes she wanted a fancy balloon.

I don't know about others but after all the years I have been doing this, I still take this sort of thing personally. Everyone but one person was happy I should be sitting at home with a beer thinking that was a job well done, but I cant stop thinking how could I handle this situation better. I will give myself a hart attack one day. :lol:

Hi all I have just purchased Bonnie's pdf's  (Bling, & wearable's 1,2) and most of her wearable's need 350/360 and as I have just gone over to largely using sempertex balloons, but hear is the snag Graham only stocks a few of the colours in 360's so I was wondering if anyone gets the 360's shipped to them from outside the UK and if they do could recommend the best place to get them from.

Or falling that do you just mix and match makes?

Thanks for you help Roger

By the way last night I went and did balloons at a young girls birthday sleep over and made a lot of the rings and bracelets from the Bling  pdf's and they went down a storm. (Thanks Bonnie for the brilliant instructions)

At the end just before I left I offered to make them one of the modules I make using glow sticks flowers smile head people or aliens guess what all the sweet little girls went for yes the aliens    a room full of aliens with glowing heads the parents and the girls loved them.

Hi guy's in the words of Monty Python there are no women here are there.

Please read as I am not after anything but giving something away.

I am a member of the Round Table and Essex area sectary (AKA Area33) I get involved with quite a few charity events. Well one Round Table nationally is involved in this year is the Orchid Cancer charity which is a men's cancer charity. http://www.orchid-cancer.org.uk we hear lots about female cancers but not about men's, so I would urge any of you that haven't to read the material on checking your tackle on the Orchid website as it may help save your life. That's it we are just trying to make as many men aware as possible.

PS: if you are between 18 & 45 and would be interested in being invited along to a meeting of Round Table please contact me, and I will point you in the right direction. Yes 18 & 45 it is not like rotary it is just for younger men and we have a lot of fun and raise money for charity along the way.

If any women have put on there false beards and read this please make sure your bloke checks him self out.

And by the way having you testacies removed is an orchidectomy.

Regards
Roger
http://www.area33.org.uk

Hi all
I have been thinking for a while of arranging a jam I live in the Billericay area of Essex and wondered if I arranged one would anyone be interested. If it was only 1/2 dozen peps would be quite happy to hold it at my house. If it was more popular I would look for a local hall that may mean a small fee to cover hall charge (do have one in mind). I may be able to find a few left over decorating balloons for people to play with. Otherwise it would be a bring your own balloons and lets play.

Let me know if you are interested I was thinking of say a Tuesday evening.

Roger

It seemed that that the sigh writing was getting mixed up with balloon cars so thought a new thread was in order.

I was playing and came up with this speed racer not bad for first attempt but needs a bit of work yet.

Hi all
My name believe it or not is Roger. I have been balloon twisting and decorating for around 15 years. I first started when my cousins boy friend Trevor King now her husband, a magician was making modules at a family party. I said I fancied having a go, and he gave me the ½ bag of balloons he had left at the end of the party. I then went home to play. Two weeks later I managed to mouth inflate my first balloon and have never looked back.
The first real twister I saw was Michael. J. Decker. (Hay you the clown) and his enthusiasm for the art and how happy he was to share I found infectious one day I will hopefully meet him again and thank him for the way he was willing to talk to me and show me about the art of balloon sculpting.
 Many years ago I went on several decorating courses and in the last few months having worked in IT for two merchant banks and a news agency (no not a paper boy at a news agents) over the last 20 years I am now running my balloon decoration and entertainment business full time (well in-between the housework and decorating).

When I work as a children's entertainer (which is not very often as have to rely on balloons and games as don't do magic) I use the name The Jolly Roger a name I got when I was 19 and a mobile DJ some 26 years ago (to save you taking your socks of  I am 45).
From the length of this introduction you may think I like to talk well you are not wrong, and if we meet at a jam or care & share you will no doubt find this out.
I love to help others when I can I may not be the best but If I can help I will, so don't hesitate to ask just don't forget your ear plugs or tell me to shut up if I go on to much.

Hopefully see you all around.

Roger.

  I don't know why I just love balloons.