October 7 - Dolphin

"If dolphins could talk and tell us their secrets, we might rethink everything we think we know about intelligence."

~ Carl Sagan

Dolphins are never fully asleep, they rest one hemisphere of their brain at a time.  Half awake, half dreaming.

Like Monday, pre-coffee - trying to click the right buttons on the thingy to make the stuff you need.

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This dolphin design is from CJ Nelson/Twister's Cookbook and his series "Everyday 350s".  Which ... I suppose should now be called "Yesterday 350s" 😢

(view other dolphin)

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Other balloons by and inspired by CJ Nelson:

December 23 - Christmas Bears

I do not think the measure of a civilization
is how tall its buildings of concrete are,
But rather how well its people have learned to relate
to their environment and fellow man.

~ Sun Bear of the Chippewa Tribe

I have a few more Christmas designs to share and only a couple days to do them before they are seasonally late!

CJ Nelson designed these bears as part of the package he originally made available to supporters of his kickstarter project funding the redesign of his Twister's Cookbook website, but they are also available for purchasing direction now (link).  

As always, CJ does a terrific job not only describing the construction, but also the "why" to his doing things.  I think both of these designs look fantastic, but ... and I know I'm just being fussy ... something about attaching things with glue dots always leaves me feeling a bit like I've cheated, and that the balloon is more fragile.  If I were to build these again, I might add the arms earlier in the process and attach with raisins.

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Other posts with CJ's designs:


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December 2 - Santa Minion

I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel.

~ Buddy the Elf Elf

I've had these balloons queued for a little waiting for this month. This is the last of the set of Minions from the Seasonal Help set by CJ Nelson. This series was a kickstarter bonus for supporting the website redesign, but they are also available for purchase directly from Twisters Cookbook (link).   I went ahead and made another to play with because I though Santa needed an elf.  The presents are a design by Dylan Gelinas

As with all of these minion designs - I think they look best with that giant single eye monocle.  I have successfully made a two eyed minion using a similar technique with a 360, but I'm not convinced it's worth the effort - on this big version the big gigantic monocle works so well.

His actual name is LLorafallyne, Guardian of the Sacred Hidden Glade of Tears.  For a couple months in winter he works a side job and goes by 'Jangles'.

Other posts with CJ's designs:


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November 24 - Big Pilgrim

My country 'tis of thee
Sweet land of liberty
Of thee I sing
Land where my fathers died
Land of the pilgrim's pride
From every mountainside
Let freedom ring

~ My Country 'Tis of Thee

Happy Thanksgiving!

These are CJ Nelson's Big Pilgrim, available at Twisters Cookbook in his Pilgrim series (link). With this video instruction is also the smaller versions I posted earlier this week (link) as well as a candy cup smaller version of these larger heads.

CJ is both creative and insightful in his designs.  This pilgrim torso is put together in a fairly elegant way, much more efficiently than a standard 4-bubble torso.

This marks the last of the Thanksgiving holiday designs, I had something else planned for today when I realized my mistake, so I made these in somewhat of a rush late last night (much of yesterday was taken with dress rehearsal and our performance of Carmina Burana). I think this speaks to how effective CJ is at teaching that I didn't have to redo anything and was done when the video's completed (each was about 30 minutes).  I can always nitpick things I could do better next time, but generally I think I got his form.

The turkey is a quickly made design by JJ Szabo.  I think it's a great use of a balloon with a tail (either 321 or more plump as a quick link) and reminds me of an Aardman creation.

I hope you have a delicious Thanksgiving!

Two pilgrims ... and a Turkey in a Fall tree.

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Other posts with CJ's designs:


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November 21 - Pilgrims

"Whoa, take 'er easy there, Pilgrim."

~ John Wayne The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

These pilgrims are in a group of designs CJ Nelson offers in his Pilgrim Series at The Twister's Cookbook (link). I have built the larger figures in the past, but I had never built these so I figured I'd give it a whirl.

The larger designs are a little more exciting and detailed than these. I chose these to fit with the Thanksgiving theme, and they are a very functional design and quick to assemble.  CJ is a very good teacher.

That said, I need to stop building line work style balloons, they are becoming more an exercise in posing than in building them.  In fact, if I hadn't come up with the idea to build them like they look in American Gothic, I probably would have built something else entirely.  But I couldn't resist once I thunked it.

"Hey guys!  Dinner's ready!"

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Other posts with CJ's designs:


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November 18 - Big Turkey

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

~ They Might Be Giants Istanbul

This is one of my favorite things to build this season. There is something extremely satisfying about bringing in a balloon sculpture that doesn't quite fit through the door.

This design is another one of the turkeys included in the Turkey Time release by CJ Nelson at Twisters Cookbook (link).

So far I've made four (!!).   One I brought to work when I realized this week marks the first week that Carol starts work in a new office building.  Although I knew it was coming I am sad to see her go, she always seemed so happy when I brought in balloons, so I made an extra one to bring to her new office.

The third I made for my son's dance studio, they already had some holiday decorations up, but this got a prime location for display on the front desk.  Finally (at least for now!) I made one for my local Starbucks - the people there are always so nice and this is a good one to show off with.

Pardon both of us?

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Other posts with CJ's designs:


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November 15 - Turkey

TV dinners they're goin' to my head
TV dinners my skin is turnin' red
Twenty year old turkey in a thirty year old tin
I can't wait until tomorrow.... and thaw one out again oh yeah!

~ ZZ Top TV Dinners

We're getting set for Thanksgiving!

CJ Nelson offers this video in a collection on his website, The Twisters Cookbook in a package called Turkey Time (link). It's filled with a couple versions of Turkeys, a quick linework version and a larger one that I'm sure will make it's way on this blog in the next week or so.

All of CJ's videos are very well done and well worth it.  This one is well worth ... gobbling up.

Pardon?	No... really ... pardon?  Please?!?
Here's where we'll be doing the stuffing!

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Other posts with CJ's designs:


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November 1 - Ninja Turtle

Splinter taught them to be ninja teens
Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines
Raphael is cool but rude
Michaelangelo is a party dude
Teenage mutant ninja turtles
Teenage mutant ninja turtles
Teenage mutant ninja turtles
Heroes in a half shell, turtle power

~ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Theme

CJ Nelson shared this video for free one day a year or so ago. It's available on his Twister's Cookbook website and well worth the meager price.  I built it last year for my buddy Owen's birthday and took a picture with it attacking protecting Willow.

CJ is a great teacher, and very precise with what he demonstrates, so hopefully this doesn't come out the wrong way, but what I find amusing sometimes to the point of hilarity is you get the blooper reel along with the main video. There are certain sections in his videos it was obvious he meant to edit out - he'll stop with a look of frustration, pause for a moment to compose himself, and then take off again redoing the section. This particular video has an additional seven minutes at the end of his attempts at making an intro segment, complete with raspberries when he mumbles a section. It's great though because the whole time he's showing the completed figure, and it gives you plenty of time to view while you're finishing up your own build.

I've built a number of turtles on this blog already, so when my trainer challenged me to build one for his son I had a eureka moment when I remembered this one. I ended up building each of them in small form as well to give to my local Starbuck's barristas. Somewhere there is a picture of four grown men and their balloon action figures, if I can get them to forward it to me I will follow up with the image.

Drop the pizza and get out of here ..
It's smells like a cowabunga down here ...

Other posts with CJ's designs:


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October 14 - Minion Frank

Love is the only thing that can save this poor creature, and I am going to convince him that he is loved even at the cost of my own life. No matter what you hear in there, no matter how cruelly I beg you, no matter how terribly I may scream, do not open this door or you will undo everything I have worked for. Do you understand? Do not open this door.

~ Dr. Frederick Frankenstein Young Frankenstein

Though CJ Nelson didn't actually teach this design in his Seasonal Help video download, he did show this as an image on one of the videos that I was able to copy.

I love the response these large sized minions get.  The gigantic head and big monocle really sell the design, and as a concept video CJ does a great job exploring so many potential ways of using the technique.  Using these techniques, I believe you could make a multitude, a mosaic myriad, a measurable multiple, a mix of many, a motley multiplex, a multifarious mingle, a miscellaneous mixed-up manifold of minions.

So here is Frankenstein Minion.  Frankenminion.... Frankinion?

buh-nahhhh-nuhhhhh?	Have to sit, I'm dead on my feet ...
I better bolt outta here ...

Other posts with CJ's designs:


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October 5 - Vampire Minion

Scarlett Overkill: Work for me, and all this will be yours: respect, power...
Stuart the Minion: Banana!
Scarlett Overkill: ...Banana!

~ Despicable Me 2

CJ Nelson released his Minion Helper downloads as part of a Kickstarter to rejuvenate his Twisters Cookbook website.

I've built a number of these on this blog so far, but this one I've been saving for the right time of year. The form of each of his helpers are all slightly different, which is what I really love about concept videos. Exploring how you would build something from all different angles is such a help to the creative process. I am sure I could theme many minions (miniminions?) off of what he has shown.

This was the weekly balloon that I brought into the office.

Stack banana 'til de morning come, Daylight come and me wanna go home.	Blood Donation Drive at the office..
Peeling bananas and finding them empty ... except for two small puncture marks

Other posts with CJ's designs:


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March 14 - St. Patrick's Minion

“May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all your heart might desire.” — Irish Blessing

CJ Nelson sent out this as one of the minion designs in his package for people who supported his Kickstarter project.  This one used a little bit of a different body shape than the traditional overall-wearing minion, but it seemed to make the head too wobbly, so I gimicked up a tighter shirt.

This photo shows a good example of the difference between the two primary vendor dark green color types.  The 646 balloon is Qualatex, whereas all the others are Betallatex.

Bana.. (hic)  Ban... Nabana!

I guess I'm the designated driver ...

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Other posts with CJ's designs:	Other St. Patrick's Day designs:
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January 8 - Minion

I figure that if I didn't do a plain vanilla (banana?) minion - I would never get around to it!  Here again is CJ Nelson's minion design from his Seasonal Helpers pre-release.  I tried a couple ideas with double eyes but didn't get anything I like as much as the monocle.

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Other posts with CJ's designs:


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January 7 - Evil Minion

Potato?

Evil Minion design by CJ Nelson (http://thetwisterscookbook.com/)

Another favorite from the recent Seasonal Help videos, an early release for kickstarter supporters.  I tried giving him knuckledragger arms which I will make sure to make extra soft next time so I don't have to fight so much to keep it from sproinging in the air!  I can't wait to build this again and really play... such a simple but effective design, after watching these videos I feel like I could make just about any style minion.

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Other posts with CJ's designs:





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January 6 - Minion-ette

Banana?

CJ Nelson (thetwisterscookbook.com) released instructions for how to make a few minion types to people who supported his Kickstarter project.  When I was looking up images for making the mouth art - I saw a picture of this guy and knew I had to try.  Now that I see the two side by side, I wish I had give her (his?) pony tails a better shaping and I now see that the flowers were buttons and not just a decoration.  Oh, and the thumb is sticking out wonky too.  grrr. 

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Other posts with CJ's designs:





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