Creating something from nothing

Hey guys. This is Keri again. I am writing this with my daughter sitting on my lap in front of the computer, and periodically she says things to me along the lines of "More juice!" So if it's not as easy to read as my last post, you'll have to take it up with her.



So I've mentioned before that I am not exactly "experienced" when it comes to the world of entertaining with balloons. This puts me in a very interesting position when blogging for my good pal, Fudge, over here. He has been doing this 14 years longer than me.

He's a dinosaur! (Sorry. Inside joke.)

Anyway, of the two of us, he is decidedly the person one should go to when asking a question. Which is great, because I have alot of questions! But Mr. Fudge has trouble when it comes to relating to those of us that, for instance, don't exactly know what a tak weave is.

Yay for me! I am more able to connect with the newbie crowd!

That being said, how awesome is it when you make something up? Totally awesome, right? I had a table the other night where the lady was a scuba diver for La Reve. (That's a show in Vegas that is mostly in and under water.) She decided she was going to stump me and ask for a scuba diver balloon. Great. I just barely learned how to make a human parody and now I'm supposed to add flippers and a helmet with an air hose and an oxygen tank to it?

Why yes, that's exactly it. Also, a spear gun. (Which was just a silver 260 almost all the way inflated.)



Many of you may be saying "I know how to do that! I do it all the time! It's a Ken Stillman hitch hiker with a double stuffed head and all that other stuff added on! Duh!"

Well that's all fine and good, but *I* didn't know that. I had to figure it all out based on what I had already known. That's not always the easiest thing to do for someone that's brand new. It's hard to get your head out of that box labeled "This Is How This Is Made." But once you do, it's amazing what you'll find yourself coming up with. For instance... did you know a heart raisin twisted to a 260 hat can be a Hello Kitty or a strawberry just based on the color of the heart and the artwork?


I didn't know that until the other night! Why would I have known that? Where is the book/DVD/website that says it? (Of course it might totally be somewhere, but I haven't seen it yet, is my point.)

It's really satisfying to be asked for a particular balloon, and then be able to make said balloon. Even if it's not exactly what you envisioned, or even close to something someone else made, it is totally and completely YOURS and that is something to be proud of. Not to mention the fact that no one but you knows that what you have created might not be your best work, or might not be exactly what you thought it should have been. Or really, that you haven't made 1000 sculptures exactly like this one, and get asked to make a black and purple unicorn with tentacles all the time! (Yes I got asked for it. I TOTALLY made it.)

Which reminds me... always bring a camera to gigs!