September 22 - Decomex Pastel Clay Pink

My memory jumps on rocks
Every work like dark blocks
I'm suddenly at a bay
I'm playing with pink clay.

~ Suedes - Mindless

Pastel Clay Pink is another one of those balloons that had me asking that burning question ...what was I thinking?

Earthworm.  Perhaps.  Why was I thinking earthworm though?

The texture and pliability of them is good as all Decomex seem to be, no notes there - keep cooking as the kids might say.   

One ... complaint?  They do really show a "whoops" accidental twist line like a bad crease, but I'm betting you could use that advantageously to give yourself some stripey bit intentionally ... not a problem, a feature.

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Other recent color day posts:

September 21 - Tuftex Lime Green

"You put the lime in the coconut,
 You drink 'em both up
 You put the lime in the coconut,
 And call me in the morning"

~ Harry Nilsson - Coconut

There is a nice softness to Tuftex balloons in general, so as long as you get a good batch, they're one of my favorites.  In many ways they feel closest to Qualatex in terms of texture.

This one was pleasantly plump.

As for the color, it's just a tiny bit darker (richer?) than the Sempertex lime green.

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Other color day balloons:

September 20 - Kalisan Plum

You can feed me apples,
Oranges and Plum,
You can even wash my face,
But don't you push me down.

~ Don't You Push Me Down - Woody Guthrie

Kalisan Plum is a super deep, dark purple.  By text description - I'm all in. 

The balloon texture is fairly stiff, typical to much of what I've seen from Kalisan, quite durable but more difficult to get consistant/right sized pinch twists unless you exercise them well.  They're also tight enough that if you don't exercise them, a pop is practically a sonic boom.

Overall impression of Kalisan Plum?  They are certainly plum-y in color, very rich - but even despite the texture problems I can't see myself keeping them in a kit - the color is so dark that it's almost muddy.

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Other color day balloons:

September 19 - Decomex Pastel Olive

In the misty silver night
My eyes fall to the ground
I can feel it come alive

~ Peter Gabriel - Olive Tree

Most balloons have a fairly narrow range of smells, from mild-latex to yucky-old-latex, I've never had a balloon that smells like this.  Slightly sweet, like corn or like a sweet tobacco?

I couldn't detect any differences in texture between these and other Decomex balloons, at this point it just feels like an added benefit.  I kept sniffing them and wondering about what chemical they used that perfectly overwrote the latex.  ... or maybe there's some new curing process.

Overall impression, smells good, and I'm simply fascinated by that - but it's the color of Oscar the Grouch and boogers, and not for my kit.

(view other Decomex)

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Recent "color day" balloons:

September 18 - Shovel

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."

~ Abraham Lincoln (attributed)

The right tool makes all the difference in a task ... and the tool I need right now is this shovel.

For the next couple weeks, I'll be doing some clean-up on Color Day posts that are getting in the way of something I've been planning.

I just need to clear away a little space for the cobwebs.

October is going to need it.

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(view other tools)

September 17 - The Flash

"The beginning is the most important part of the work."

~ Plato

Thinking back this time to my first attempt at one of Ken Stillman's superheroes.

This was another first as well - the first time I tried editing my image into a new background.  I only post one image to Instagram, so I'd started putting a little extra attention into making that one count. 

The pig here is actually tied in under the arm, with the whole thing suspended by fishing line.  The blur effect needs some work, it should start strong and fade - but for a first image I'm pretty pleased.

Thinkback to original post: June 29, 2016.

September 16 - Brown Lemur

"The question is not what you look at, but what you see."

~ Henry David Thoreau

This weeks Isopresso balloon is from a few months ago when he shared this brown lemur.

I always enjoy a design with a post built in.  Usually that means it's restricted to that one look, but this had a surprising amount of head freedom to be able to look all around.  (more images/poses on the main blog as always.)

Which is important, you have to keep an eye out for the fossa.

... THE FOSSA!!

(view other lemur, monkey)

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Other balloons inspired by Isopresso Balloons:

September 15 - Periwinkle Dawg

"My experience is what I agree to attend to."

~ William James

There are people whose entire job is figuring out how to get your attention and take your time.

They've gotten very good at it.

A movie theater commercial can have you tearing up before you realize Amazon just wants you to ship its toothpaste to your college kids.

Someone is paying for that opportunity to capture your attention.

It takes effort to keep your time for yourself.

This is a color day BONUS balloon!
Sempertex Periwinkle Blue

September 14 - Sorting Hat

The hat had once decided the futures of kings and heroes.

It had sorted the greatest witches and wizards in history, sending children to glory or infamy, or both.

For centuries, its judgment could change the course of the wizarding world.

These days it sorts laundry and reminds Gerald where he left his spectacles.

Gerald is such a Hufflepuff.

This is a color day BONUS balloon!
Sempertex Periwinkle Blue

September 13 - Sempertex Periwinkle Blue

Holding whelks and periwinkles
Tingling in his hand
Little does he know they hold him too

~ Donovan - Starfish-On-The-Toast

Sempertex has a great balloon texture, they are the reliable control group - but there is something special about getting a fresh newer color like this - where you know they haven't spent months on distributor shelves.  This bag had a "better-than-usual" texture to them. 

I'm not sure how to describe it better than that - like getting a warm fresh donut.   Something that is pretty good, but then sometimes, "wow!".

I think the real .. problem? is that with a light/medium/dark blue already available, this slightly different lighter blue doesn't really fill any 'need' it just fills one of the blue slots.

Great texture, but I can't think of anything but fringe cases for what to use this on.

 

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Other color day balloons:

September 11 - Turtle

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

~ Albert Einstein

Dave Brenn's Patreon has become an absurdly deep well of balloon knowledge.

He is adding multiple videos every week, and it's also grown into a nice little community of people sharing what they're working on and learning.

These are a couple attempts from of last weeks videos.  I'd not made a turtle shell this way, but one of those clever little solutions that seems obvious once someone shows it to you.

This is what I learned this week.

(view other turtle)

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Other balloons by or inspired by Dave Brenn: