November 20 - Cow

"The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it."

~ Molière

Today I'm thankful for Matt Falloon.

Matt is to balloons what Ken Jennings is to Jeopardy.   Somehow the right person ended up doing the right thing at exactly the right time.

His lessons make you work: your fingers, your patience, your brain, your vocabulary... everything gets used.  They're finger-burners in the best way, the kind that leave you stronger for having survived them.

Like beating a Dark Souls boss ... 

   

(view other cow)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Matt Falloon:

November 19 - Longhorn Beetle Larva

"To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour."

~ William Blake
  Auguries of Innocence (1803)

It's one thing to be a master, it's another to lift us all by sharing the secrets behind the magic.

Today I'm thankful for Masayoshi Matsumoto (Isopresso Balloon).

Every piece they create is detailed and intentional, like it belongs in a field guide as a reference illustration or labelled with a museum placard.  

Their channel has probably been one of my favorite places to learn - half tutorial, half "how is that even possible?"

(view other insects)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Isopresso:

November 18 - Hats

"The earth has music for those who listen."

~ George Santayana

He took balloons around the world in the most inspiring way.

Today I'm thankful for Addi Somekh.

Addi is someone who has pushed past perceived boundaries, from his television series to his band to his world travels.  Looking at the images in his book, I'm both awed and inspired.  He's humble, kind, and spreading the love in every way possible.

A modern Johnny Latex-seed.

(view other hats)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Addi Somekh:

November 17 - Simon the Seaweed

"The details are not the details. They make the design."

~ Charles Eames

I always bring something to balloon conventions that people comment on with a little envy.

Today I'm thankful for Linda Truscheit.

Linda's creations are not only ridiculously adorable, but her staging and images of them are outstanding.  She's one of those rare people who puts the same care into everything she touches, from her balloons to the hand-made lanyard she once made for my pump.

That's the kind of artist she is: thoughtful, generous and unforgettable.

(view other monsters)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Linda Truscheit:

November 16 - Decomex Deep Yellow

Late last night I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi took away my old man

~ Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell (1970)

As a parent, you understand that a birthday is really more of a celebration of your own accomplishment.  Kept them alive another year!

Today I'm thankful for my mom.

A violin concert when I was probably eleven years old, the first ones where it's all EEEEeeeeee EeeeEEEEEEE!  (And you're supposed to be playing C C?)  In the front row with a tape recorder - that's my mom.

Unconditional support and overwhelming love.   That's my mom.

The ability to find something hilarious (even if inappropriate!) in everything.  That's my mom.

Laughter.   That's my mom.   ❤️

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Decomex continues to impress with every single bag.  These balloons have a great feel, super spongey, nice deep color, they're not as soft as some other brands but they hit that sweet spot just perfectly.  My compliments to their chemist or something?

This is deep yellow.  Not to be that guy ... again, but "deep" as an adjective for color?   Can we dial in on actual colors before we start getting somber greens and sporty oranges?  The color is great, more on the darker side of yellow but not quite Marigold.  Kind of .. auuuuuugggh .. deep.

Overall impression of Decomex Deep Yellow - I love 'em.  I feel like I could build a raft and float away on them they are super sturdy, yet they don't suffer from being a stiff like a decor brand.  I wouldn't add them but I could see myself replacing the bright sunshine yellow with this.

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Other "color day" balloons:

November 15 - Infinity Gauntlet

"Normality is a paved road: it's comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it."

~ Vincent van Gogh

Wicked awesome and wicked smaht.

Today I'm thankful for Dan Staples.

Dan has made some really weird stuff.  I mean that as the highest compliment possible - game recognizes game!  

Dan is a great guy on top of being an incredible artist.  I feel like if we grew up in the same area, he'd be in my D&D campaign as a high level druid with some sort of "far-too-dangerous-to-be-tamed-but-the-rules-allow-for-it" pet.

I've been meaning to make this gauntlet for a while.  I imagine before they made the Infinity Gauntlet they made the 9999999 Repeating Gauntlet and someone asked the question, "what if we added 1 more?"

(view other Marvel things)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Dan Staples:

November 14 - Spongebob

"Creativity thrives on collaboration."

~ John Cleese

There are friends who cheer you on - and then there are friends who challenge you to level up.

Today I'm thankful for John Justice.

John is the kind of artist who brings something amazing to the table, grinning like it's just a Tuesday. 

He's an incredible artist and good friend - the kind who makes you want to dig deeper, try harder, and create something that makes him go "Whoa!... but it's just a Tuesday!"
(view other Spongebob themed designed)

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Other balloons by and inspired by John Justice: