July 21 - Clownfish

"All drains lead to the ocean, kid."

~Gill - Finding Nemo

All I could think about when pondering this clownfish was those poor fish from the Dentists office in Finding Nemo who are still floating in their bags.

They were never rescued!   You don't see them again until the *end credits* of Finding Dory, still in their bags - covered in algae, being transported to a marine study institute.

Still waiting for Nemo.

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This clownfish design is one from Tobi Twist's Jojo Cuties collection, modified ever so slightly.

(view other fish or jojos)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Tobi Twist:

July 20 - Qualatex Chrome Mauve

You used to ride on a chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discovered that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal

~ Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone

I remember how excited I was to order my first chrome balloons.  It was a shininess you hadn't seen before in balloons, a breakthrough.  A whole new world of possibilities opening up.

Chrome Mauve? -- Yes please, and thank  you.  Just think of all the chrome mauve things I've been waiting build ...  Chrome mauve stuff.  Like ... like ... 

I haven't opened these in five years since I bought them.  Random colors are not in high demand, you really have to force yourself to work with them - which, I guess, is exactly what this exercise is for.

Chrome balloons (I'm assuming all?) have a different elastic base formula than standard balloons.  The elastic "snapback" is much lower.

Anticipating trouble, I pre-inflated and sized down each one, but they all maintained a surprisingly nice sponginess.

Overall assessment of Qualatex Chrome Mauve - it's pink chrome.  There is nothing in reality that I can imagine that is naturally pink chrome..   I can only picture a pink chrome version of something else.  If I could still get them, I would try to restrain myself.

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Other "color day" balloons:

July 19 - Scorpionfish

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day.  Feed a man to fish, and you solve two problems at once."

~ Deep Thought Weirds

Scorpionfish are masters of disguise, melting into coral reefs and rocks while they wait for unsuspecting prey.

They are not poisonous, instead their dorsal spines act as a defense mechanism, delivering an immediate and painful injection of venom.  

Then again, I am not sure anyone who just stepped on one would care about the technical difference between "poisonous" and "venomous".

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This fish design is one of the latest from the Isopresso members section, this one had a bit of a fun moment (similar to the grasshopper) where two odd blobs fold together into a sudden perfect face.

(view other fish)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Isopresso:

July 18 - Jojo Rhino

"Storms make trees take deeper roots."

~ Dolly Parton

In the far reaches of the Mistless Wastes, Dawgs are famed for taming armored giants. Each Dawg is matched with a rhino calf from birth, their connection growing deep.

It is only during the fiercest storms, when thunder cracks like the toppling of great trees, that Dawg and rhino learn to master their fear. Their first terrified cries become a shared roar, a bond - no longer terrified together the roar becomes their battle cry as they charge together across the plains.

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The baby rhino was a design shared by Tobi Twist from his Jojo Cuties collection.  I wanted to play with a couple different face ideas though because it felt more .. "oh I see" instead of "oh!  i see!".

(view other rhinos or jojos)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Tobi Twist:

July 17 - Jojo Baymax

[fist bump]
"Balalalalaa."

~ Baymax - Big Hero 6 (2014)

I LOVE Baymax.

They are making a live-action reboot of Big Hero 6 ... 

Did a bunch of creatives get fired? These live-action reboots notoriously add nothing to the original, and some might argue that they taint the license entirely. I submit for evidence, the reviews of Snow White.

Let alone that it steps on the countless hours of work and heart put into the original, as if there was some hidden flaw they are trying to correct.

A reboot is a lazy cash grab. Make the next episode, you lazy bums!

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But yeah .. I'll go.

This seemed an obvious thing to build Jojo style when fiddling with it.


(view other Baymax or superheroes)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Tobi Twist:

July 16 - Jojo Dog

"The bond with a true dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth will ever be."

~ Konrad Lorenz

You give a proper name - sometimes even spur-of-the-moment - when adopting an animal. "What do you think, guys? 'Arlo'? Arlo it is!"

But after enough time together, you realize you're greeting your dog with a cheerful "Mister Sweet! Mister Sweet!" in a ridiculous character voice.

This is their true name.
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The dog form is one of Tobi Twist's Jojo Cuties collection with probably the toughest ears to match so far, you want to get a wide-to-thin stretch on a 160, so probably best to do all that manipulation before they are added to the structure.

(view other dogs or jojos)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Tobi Twist:

July 15 - Jojo Cat

"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat."

~ Ellen Perry Berkeley

A certain amount of cat hair in my food is just a fact of life at this point.

I don't push them off the counter. I let them take an interested sniff from what I eat. I realize I am the problem.

Worth it.

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The tiger is one of Tobi Twists's Jojo Cuties, I thought "big cat" and a lion might work as well but ended up going for smaller ears because of the mane.

(view other tigers, lions or jojos

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Other balloons by and inspired by Tobi Twist: