December 8 - Koala

"In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect."

~ Alice Walker

I heard audio of a koala recently and I'm not even sure what to call it - a warbing bellow?  

Whatever the sound was, I would have never matched it to something so naturally ... snuggly.

Be that cute and no one cares if you burp.

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This is another one of the examples Patrick uses to demonstrate his show the "Holy Snail" technique.  I love how the nose looks on the face, and even more once I started seeing it as a happy yelling face. 

*burp*

(view other koala)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Patrick Van De Ven:

December 7 - Kalisan Mirror White Gold

I'll bet you're his masterpiece
I'll bet you're his self-control
Yeah you'll become his legacy
His quiet world of white and gold

~ Insider - Tom Petty (1981)

After being so delicate with old expired chrome balloons, getting a new pack was kind of an amazing experience.

Chrome .. well "Mirror" in Kalisan vernacular, have an interesting and different feel to them than normal latex, there is a .. smoothness?   They lack that elastic springback and need 'encouragement' to get the pressure correct because of it.

These were sturdy, but like "I could probably twist up a replacement motorcycle parts" sturdy.  I tended to overinflate and deflate the amount I was going to twist, these are certainly not meant to be inflated by humans.  

Overall impression of Kalsan mirror white gold?  Great balloon, the color is what I would consider Platinum (about 5 gold pieces in classic D&D) - how many things do you need to be platinum though, this is another chrome color that needs a specific purpose to get got and remains simply a novelty.  

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Other "color day" balloons:

December 6 - Farm Animals

"There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're free. Don't miss so many of them."

~ Jo Walton

The farm at the end of the day is a place of magic.

A long, lazy moo as the sun slips down, the smell of things growing, the sound of crickets tuning and the twinkling lights of the fireflies.

The road to that moment is paved with a BRACKLE-DOODLE-DOO!! wake-up call at dawn and twelve straight hours of real labor.

But that one perfect breath before the dark - worth it.

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I had intended building these individually, but Patrick honestly provides a LOT of learning examples and these kind of seemed like variations on a theme that would fit together nicely.

(view other horse, sheep or cows)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Patrick Van De Ven:

December 5 - Duck

"I have my opinions, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."

~ George Bernard Shaw

A duck is the only creature that is also a completely different word.

Bear with that in mind that I didn't fish around for exceptions.  People love to crane their necks to hawk their contradictions, but I refuse to be bugged.  

Duck is the only one.

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This duck is one of the designs deviations of the Holy Snail technique from Patrick Van De Ven.  This might also benefit from that 'wrapping' of the basic form to give a bit of a lower body ... 

(view other ducks)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Patrick Van De Ven:

December 4 - Rabbit

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."

~ Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles

There is a reason the usual suspects show up in each tutorial - the easy wins are the quickest way to get comfortable playing around with something.

Rabbits tend to be one of the more often built creatures on this blog, I really should have just saved these for next Easter ... this is already #34.

They're breeding like ... like ... 

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This uses the "Holy Snail" technique by Patrick Van De Ven, I really like (and can't believe I haven't done this before!) using white whiskers on the white balloon.

(view other rabbits)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Patrick Van De Ven:

December 3 - Mouse

"The early bird may get the worm, but it's the second mouse who gets the cheese."

~ Steven Wright

If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk.

... and that's where we'll hide the poison.  Where he'll never suspect it.

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This design uses the Patrick "Holy Snail" technique, this time for a mouse - I made a blursed Mickey, but I am still resisting overdoing anything, this is a long distance run.

(view other mice)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Patrick Van De Ven:

December 2 - Ladybug

"The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you."

~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

A ladybug is on most lists.

I feel like everyone maintains a list of "insects they will tolerate landing on them".

Not written down anywhere, and really only one (fairly dangerous) way to know if you're on it.

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This ladybug is the second design using Patrick's "Holy Snail" technique - kind of the next most obvious use of the form, but we're taking baby steps before cranking up the particle accelerator.

(view other ladybug)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Patrick Van De Ven: