August 12 - Carousel

"The world is a carousel of color, wonderful, wonderful color."

~ Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color

If you're thinking this carousel would be much cooler if it rotated - it does. Unfortunately, photographing that would require one more arm at least.

Balloon Josh taught a session at Bling Bling Jam on "rotational things". The process is simple enough, but when done right, it's pure dazzle.

Though the class was mainly about the technique, Josh brought a long a number of eye-catching examples - including these rainbow carnival rides that I knew I wanted to build immediately.

Fun class!

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Other balloons inspired by Bling Bling Jam:

August 11 - Spaceship

"It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle."

~ General Norman Schwarzkopf

Patrol log 250811-9. Last sweep.

Visibility's already dropping. The storm front is clawing its way over the ridge, ionized clouds eating comms and turning sensors into static.

We've been running the grid for fourteen hours straight, finding nothing but silence and ghost echoes.

Control is calling us in, but I delay my response until I've already committed.

Just one more pass. They've got be be here.

The scanners hiss. It's just static. Then a single, trembling blip fights its way through the noise and I hold my breath, hoping against all hope ...

.. Found them.


(view other spaceship)

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August 10 - Qualatex Chrome Copper

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

~ My Favorite Things - Julie Andrews

Qualatex chrome line includes both gold and copper - and I never used the copper.  Which is a bit of a shame because it is really a darker/better looking gold.

No need for both colors in a kit regardless unless you had need to pair the two (gold and copper) specifically together.  ... and you don't.  Resist balloon fomo, choose your gold.  

Overall impression, Qualatex Chrome Copper kept surprisingly strong despite the age (5+ years).  I had to be pre-inflate/size, but they were solid strong rubber.   Qualatex definitely got a lot of things right, this was one of them.

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Other "color day" balloons:

August 9 - Micro Machines

"Measure twice, cut once."

~ Proverb

Miniature construction vehicles were one of the classes that Twistin' Sam taught at Bling Bling Jam 2025 this year.  

It was a great class, but after cranking out a bunch of jojo cuties in preparation for Bling Bling Jam, I confess that I went with more of a "mmkay" rather than an "o-kay!" attitude.  Like finishing a marathon only to realize you parked kind of far away.

But this was an interesting variation of micro to explore, vehicles - and the kind of idea that makes perfect sense after you hear it and makes you feel foolish for not having thought of it yourself.  Smart.  That's the kind. 

 

(view other vehicles)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Twistin' Sam:

August 8 - One+ Balloon Pig

The treasure of a life
Is a measure of love and respect
The way you live, the gifts that you give

~ The Garden - Rush

When I'm in a jam room at a convention, I tend to practice and play with the designs that were just taught.

It not only helps reinforce what I just learned, but I feel it's ... respectful? to use what an instructor just taught.  ... and yes, I was the kid in middle school they trusted to go fetch and set-up the projector.  

Does the design purple pig? Yes it does.

Cecilia's one balloon base body was perfect for the random balloon bundle I brought to the show.


(view other pigs)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Cecilia Ladyballoons:

August 7 - Water Lily

"Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower."

~ John Harrigan

These water lilies are the latest balloons from the member section on Isopresso's channel.  

This was a lesson in following instructions - I've built similar things and assumed I had a better way to do go about things.  Then about halfway through the first lily pad I realized there was good purpose to the way they were doing things.  The back leaf is much cleaner/rounder.

Unless I already have something in mind, I will (try to) take a basic picture including purple pig, and then if I have the time and feel inspired, I'll try something more fun.  (Paint me like one of your French girls..)  That could be playing with the balloon setting, or using the image as a writing prompt.  

Let's see ... lily flowers, monster lilies, something living on them?  Underneath?  How about a caterpillar-like insect that eats the leaf, kind of a struggle to stay afloat and eat enough to cocoon?  ..  or maybe there are two and it's a mating ritual to eat the leaf in a certain pattern?  .. and like the lily is the opened cocoon?  Nah ... I better go work on the image.

(view other flowers)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Isopresso:

August 6 - One Balloon Bunny

"There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path."

~ Buddha

You down with O.B.B.?  (Yeah you know me!) ... OBB .. how can I explain it?  One balloon bunny something something frame it .. ... okay let's maybe not do this.

One of the awesome instructors to meet at Bling Bling Jam this year was Cecilia Ladyballoon, who has just as much energy and enthusiasm in person as she does in all of her videos. She's a fountain of energy and joy, and you can't help but smile being around her. Infectious happiness?

She shared a concept for a one-balloon creature/base in her first class and demonstrated this little bunny. Adding a scrap or two of other balloons and you have a really quick and stable bracelet and almost any animal.
(view other rabbit)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Cecilia Ladyballoons: