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Instructions for the

“Football Column"
By Cam Woody, CBA

Labor: About 20 Minutes

Materials:
• 1-18" (46cm) “Pro Football” Microfoil® Shape (62580)
• 28-11" (28cm) “Tiger Stripes” Latex Balloons (73151)
• 28-5" (13cm) Onyx Black Latex Balloons (43548)
• 1-260Q Onyx Black Latex Balloon (43937)
• 1-6' (2m) Piece of Conduit
• 1-SDS™ Steel Base Plate (30895)



Instructions:
1. Air inflate and size four 5" latex balloons to 4" (10cm), and make a 4-balloon cluster. Wrap the cluster onto the bottom of the conduit.
2. Air inflate and size four 11" latex balloons to 9" (23cm), and make a 4-balloon cluster. Wrap the cluster onto the conduit above the 4" cluster, so that the 4" balloons nest between each of the 9" balloons. Push the center of each cluster firmly against the center of the previous one.

3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 with the remaining latex balloons, alternating clusters.

4. Air inflate the 18" Microfoil, and tie the uninflated 260Q on the neck. Wrap the 260Q through the top two clusters several times to secure on the Column.

Tips:

• Customize the Column for any sports theme—including basketball, baseball, and soccer—with a different Microfoil topper.

• Try using different printed latex balloons—such as “Paw Prints-A-Round” or “Leopard Spots”—to match the school mascot, or solid latex to match the school colors.

Cam Woody, CBA, is the Executive Art Director of Publications & Web Master. Her sellable ideas and unique designs can be found in Balloon Images magazine and on qualatex.com. Cam has 14 years of experience in balloon design and has been a Certified Balloon Artist since 1994. She earned her BFA from Fort Hays State University. Cam enjoys working in an industry filled with so many creative people.

Balloons
By
Janice

Instructions for the
"Giant Pansy"
By Janice Whitehead, CBA

Materials:
• 5 – 5” Balloons – colors to be the colors of the finished flower you have chosen
• 2 or 3 – 5” Green balloons for leaves.
• 7 to 8 - 9” Pieces of 20 gauge wire
• 1 Skewer for stem
• Stem Wrap – Green
• Balloon shine product – personal choice
• Glitter Glue OR Paints OR Markers – also personal choice

Tools:
Wire cutters, scissors, needle nose pliers and ruler.

Instructions:

For the flower petals, bend 5 of the 9” wires in half with your fingers so you get a nice rounded bend. Cut the rolled ends off of the 5 colored balloons you have chosen for your flower. Insert the wire into the balloon and pull the balloon to the bottom ends of the wire. Twist the wires covered with the balloon neck to secure the balloon. You will need 3 different sizes of petals. 1 larger sideways oval shaped one about 2” wide for the bottom petal, 2 smaller round ones about 1-1/4” wide each, and 2 medium round ones about 1-1/2” wide each. To help twist them higher for the smaller ones, secure the twisted end with pliers and twist the petal by hand. Do not grab the petal itself with pliers as this will damage the petal against the wires.

Arrange the two smaller petals like mouse ears and lay the oval petal on top of them in the center. Wrap the ends together with a couple of the balloon necks you cut from the 5” balloons. Use them like a rubber band. Arrange the two medium petals like mouse ears also only let them overlap a little and secure them with balloon necks also. Open the three petals pulling the oval shaped one forward to a 90 degree angle to the stem and the smaller petals backwards at a 90 degree angle to the stem. Bend the two medium petals at a 90 degree angle to the stem also, place them behind the two smaller petals and secure the stems all together. Push the skewer into the center of the flower. Make 2 or 3 leaves by cutting the rolled ends off of your green balloons. Bend the wires the same as for your petals and insert them into the green balloons. Pull them and secure them the same as your petals. Once secure, bend the petal end all around the petal from beginning to end (at the twist) up and down to create a ruffled look for the leaf. Fold these leaves at a 90 degree angle to their stems.

Start wrapping the flower at the top of the stem area with stem wrap. I like to wrap it down to the base of the wires and onto the skewer then go back and start to add the leaves. The leaves are added one at a time as you wrap down the stem and are secured inside the stem wrap onto the stem then continue to wrap the entire stem to the bottom.

For the detail inside the center of the flower, you can use sharp markers or paints and a detail brush to make your lines from the center outward. I like to use glitter glue. I put a nice dot at the center and pull short thin streaks outward from it with a toothpick. After it is dry, treat with your favorite balloon shine product.

Janice Whitehead has been doing balloon work for over 8 years. She started out just putting together bouquets at their rental store for special occasions. She earned her CBA in 2006 and has been doing more décor and creative balloon work ever since. She won 2nd place for her delivery bouquet entry at Ballooniversity in 2006 and 3rd place for her table centerpiece entry at Balloon Camp 2007 (which was an assortment of her fantasy flowers). She has also written instruction brochures for various fantasy flowers.

Balloons
-N-
Stuff

Instructions for the
"Link-O-Loon Bride"
By Diane Gauthier, CBA


Materials:
• 11 - 12” Link-O-Loon Fashion White
• 25 - 6” Link-O-Loon Fashion White
• 8 to 10 - 160Q Gold
• 4 - 350Q White
• 1 - 16” Round White
• 1 - 24” Qualatex Crystal Roses & Flowers Gold
• 19 - 5” Round Gold
• 1 - White 260Q
• 1 ½ Yards bridal tulle

Instructions:

To Make Skirt:

I find it is easier to blow up all the strands and weave them together.
• For the top of the skirt, make a cluster of 5 6” Link-O-Loons sized to 4 inches.
• To the end of each LOL tie another 6” LOL sized to 5 inches.
• The next size going down is a 6” LOL sized to 7 inches.
• The last row is a 12” LOL sized to 8 inches.

To make the horizontal rows size as follows:
• First row is 5 – 6” LOL sized to 4 inches.
• The second row is 5 – 6” LOL sized to 7 ½ inches.
• The last row is 12” LOL sized to 8 inches.

Weave the horizontal LOL’s across each row to make the skirt and tie the ends together. Fully inflate the 350Q so it is soft. Fold in half and tie across the bottom of the LOL’s. Inflate 3 - 5” gold rounds to about 3 and wrap around each intersection on bottom. Make 15 - 3 petal flowers and insert between each LOL intersection.

To Make the Body:

Stuff the 16” Fashion White Round into the 24” Qualatex Crystal Roses balloon. Inflate the Round to about 12-14 inches.

Tie off the corners of the lobes to make a connection point for the shoulders.

Put a plastic tab in the center and secure with clear tape. Inflate 2 – 350Q’s and tie to hole in tab.

Put a pinch twist in the 350Q for a shoulder and wrap the twist around where you tied off in previous step.
Tie Body onto skirt and secure with a cluster of 4 round gold inflated to 4 inches.
Even out arms and tie together. Place floral bouquet or balloon flowers where the 350’s are tied together.
Attach a LOL to the top for a head and tie nozzle end to neck tab.
Make another 3 petal flower to secure head to shoulders to stabilize.
Gather bridal tulle in half to make blusher and tie with top of LOL on top of head.

Diane Gauthier, CBA, from Durant, Oklahoma, earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2004 and has been a Certified Balloon Artist (CBA) since earning it last year at Balloon Camp! Diane was bitten by the balloon bug in 1990 and owns a Retail Flower Shop & Party Store which has been up and running with success for three years now. Diane took the plunge and gave up her career in Finance in April of 2007 and now balloons full time. Her store offers fresh flowers, decorating, twisting, deco-twisting and clown services. In her own words, Diane “loves the balloon industry and the people involved. It’s a culture like no other!!”.

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