Friday, November 6, 2026

November 6 - Daisy

"One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

~ Albert Camus

Deceptively finicky.  That's a daisy.

Viktoria has a knack for these, apparently.  That or the patience of a saint, because her bouquet was enormous.   

For me, finding just the right amount of pressure to fit five petals together without having them sproing apart was a bit maddening.  

Individual flowers were fine, easy even - but each was a coiled mouse-trap, assembling the bouquet was a labor fit for Sisyphus.  Every flower head I would fix would sprizazzle another.

(view other flowers)

Other balloons by or inspired by Vici Balloons:



Thursday, November 5, 2026

November 5 - Vici Vases

What is essential is invisible to the eye.

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Viktoria Kravchuk is a balloon artist from Ukraine and the creative force behind Vici Balloons.  

Her YouTube channel is full of amazing designs, and I'm a little surprised it's taken me this long to try one of her tutorials.  I've had several of them bookmarked in a "todo" watch-list for a while.

Flowers (big ones especially) tend to be difficult to photograph, and vases are the perfect solution.  Viktoria demonstrates this design in one of her flower tutorials, but I thought these often-overlooked accessories deserved a little individual attention.

And this design is *sturdy*.  If you are learning to swim, you could use them as a pair of water wings.


Other balloons by or inspired by Vici Balloons:



Wednesday, November 4, 2026

November 4 - Science

"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it."

~ Mae West

Yesterday is an example of thinking of the punchline before making the balloon, today in an example of making the balloon and then figuring out some sort of joke to go with it.

But for the record, "feet" men are the creepiest.



(view other Don Martin inspired balloons)


Tuesday, November 3, 2026

November 3 - Patriotism

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, but your government only when it deserves it."

~ Mark Twain

Still playing around with this Don Martin face.

How many pair can someone afford with an election bribe?  10.  That's a real calculated number.  How is that a real number!?  



(view other Don Martin inspired balloons)


Monday, November 2, 2026

November 2 - Don Martin

What, me worry? 

~ Alfred E. Newman

I kind of feel like one of my favorite parts of MAD Magazine were the Don Martin cartoons.  

** Edit:  Sergio Aragonés created the inner liner bite sized morsels ...

This head shape had a bit of a Don Martin look to it.  I'm not in love with the body assembly just yet, I'm really just seeing if there's a something here and playing out loud.

Might be worth spending some time here though ... pay respects and/or get a little freaky. 



(view other humanoids)



Sunday, November 1, 2026

November 1 - Monkey

"Hang in there!"

~ That one Motivational Poster

This is a motivational post for me.

You hope the end of every project comes with the same sigh of contentment that Anthony Michael Hall gives after writing "Sincerely, The Breakfast Club". 

These October posts were a lot of fun to make, and I felt like the PigKeeper was a good companion to provide context and yet keep in character.

*contented sigh*  

That said, I've known myself for almost all of my life.  Taking a break means figuring out when to start again.  Like stepping into an roller skating rink, it starts a bit wobbly as you get up to speed.

These next posts are meant to "keep on rolling", and hey - you never know what the DJ is going to play next..


(view other Scoobie Doo)

Other color day balloons:



Saturday, October 31, 2026

October 31 - Final Curtain

Now Halloween is finally here,
The veil grows thin, the hour near.
If you've kept count, then you know well,
I promised one more tale to tell.

I've saved a tale unlike the rest,
The strangest one, perhaps the best.
A mystery, both old and new,
My favorite tale, the tale of you.

You've braved my horrors, every one,
Came for scares but stayed for fun?
I'll share this one last secret too, 
I'm only me - because you're you.

So live that tale you'll tell for years,
Have grand adventures, conquer fears.
And when your final curtain falls,
May spectral cheers shake graveyard walls.

And so, dear fiends, our final tale is yours to tell!
Make it a good one.  I'm ... dying to hear how it ends!

Mwahahahahaahaa! *snort*

Tales from the Other Other Side of the Sty: