Quiet season seems to be coming to an end!

Notoriously in my line of work the first few months of the year are really quiet. I suspect it has a lot to do with the traditional party season being before Christmas combined with the overspend means not many have enough energy to plan anything for a while.

It is usually the time of year that we all spend regaining our strength and working on the non-earning sides of our businesses that usually get horribly neglected when busy season is in full swing.

This year I have been doubly motivated to work on my advertising and marketing following the relocation and have finally recieved my lovely new, extremely colourful flyers. Now all I need to do is work out what to do with them!!! Maybe there is a "Dummies" book for small service based business marketing?! Actually that may be my next stop this lovely spring morning.

The jobs are also beginning to come in and last weekend I was installing an arch for a VIP weekend in Cambridge and some balloons for a birthday party last night. Next week I have a custom sculpture job and an arch for a conference to plan & install.

I also really need to source some stools that are bike seat high. Easy you may think but most are either too short or way too tall. Think I may have to have a go with a saw, which for those of you that know me well is not a clever idea as I have a tendency towards hurting myself!!! So if you don't hear from me for a while you know what I've done.

Anyway, I am now in the middle of a massive office sort out which is going to take me several more hours so I'd best stop procrastinating and get on with it.

Cupid Draw Back Your Bow!

Having just moved and my flyers being on a tour of Royal Mail sorting offices (long story!) I have decided to write off Valentines Day this year as I just couldn't get organised enough in time.

However, I did attend one of my networking groups in Hitchin last week and made the bar a little something.

Hope you like him.

Oh my how I've neglected you!

I have just been reminded that I've not posted in here for some time but in my defence I have been more than a little busy.

July, August and September were busy as always but my husband and I decided to relocate to Royston in July. So amongst all the jobs that I was happily adding colour to I also had to keep the house immaculate throughout the summer holidays with 2 little ones trying their best to undo all my hard work.

Finally in October we got an offer on the house and at the beginning of December our buyers announced they would like to move in before Christmas. Thereafter, followed a week of manic packing to move us and the business to Royston a mere two weeks before Christmas and not one but 2 jobs to prep for and do.

Having settled in nicely I finally managed to get a project I've been working on for ages FINISHED! I now have an online shop where anyone in the UK can buy and have delivered a balloon model. It is still a work in progress but I am really happy with it so far. I have some Lootles to add to that section as soon as my PC decides to stop playing silly wotsits on me.

Anyway the shop is at http://www.loonyballoony.co.uk/shop and some of the balloons available are below:

In addition to this I have also designed a new flyer so I can start to build up the business reputation again in Royston. What do you think?

This was sent off to the printers last week so I am just waiting on the printers to send me 5,000 leaflets before I decide on the best way of distributing them around town. Any tried and tested methods to targeting my ideal market would be most appreciated especially considering my alternative is door to door in icy snow!

Well that is it for me for now as I've not sorted any of my on the job photos since my last blog post back in July anyway so haven't got anything more to bore you with until next time.

Silly Season is upon us!

Like most people in my profession things start to get crazy in the run up to the summer holiday's hence why I've neglected you all so badly for the last 6 weeks. Shockingly bad form of me but I've been off decorating Proms, entertaining at parties and making custom balloon sculptures.

This week again is really busy but I will leave the gossip about that until next week ... mainly so I can be sure all the recipients of my creations have actually recieved them as I would hate to ruin the surprise!

Okay so where did I leave you last? Ah that's right the beginning of June! I won't bore you with details of all the bookings I've done since but I will share a few photos with you.

Also thanks to a colleague (and friend) Roger I worked at possibly the most impressive venue ever - The Tower of London. Roger and I had been hired to decorate the biggest Marquee you have ever seen situated in the Moat of the Tower on one of the hottest days of the year so far. It was very hard work but fantastic fun. Here are the photo's I took ... I hope you enjoy them.

 

          Well for the first time in a very long while I actually have a whole weekend off and I plan on enjoying it. However, another friend of mine has just sent me a balloon DVD as she's just discovered she has a latex allergy! Poor friend but lucky me. 

A Prom-tastic Couple of Weeks

When I left you last I promised that I would update you last week as to what the secret projects were but I am still waiting for photos!!

The weekend before last I had been booked for The Rugby 7's at Twickenham I made a fair few balloons and even got to walk around pitch side which was a treat. No photos unfortunately as I just didn't have time.  

That weekend I also made the airplane (which I told you about last time) and I did some décor for a surprise baby shower.  I didn't manage to get a photo of the floor standing piece I made but I am hoping to receive one soon as I have been assured Daddy-to-be took lots of photos.  They were very well received and I had a personal thank you from Mummy-to-be. 

I wasn't able to post last week either as I was too busy preparing for last weekends jobs.  On Friday I decorated my first prom of the year for the 6th Formers at John Henry Newman (I know they probably don't call it 6th Form anymore but I'm old enough to have used the old system!! - Only just though).  Again I recieved a thank you for the balloons which is always appreciated as it means I am doing my job well.

I was also booked for the 3rd year in a row for the Herts Show by Hertfordshire County Council to make my balloon creations. As usual the crowds were lovely and it was a brilliant weekend despite the weather!  There was an official photographer in the HCC Marquee taking loads of photos but as of today they are not on HCC's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Hertsdirect) but I will let you all know when they are.

I have a quiet working weekend coming up and a house in disarray due to decorating so I am not sure if I will have anything to share with you next week.  However, if you have any suggestions of something small I could try making I would love to hear them and I will post all those I try on here next week.

Planes, Trains & Funny Hats

Well once again it has been manic here at Loony HQ - not that I'm complaining!

I have been informed that this weekend I will be the lone balloon modeller at Twickenham for the Rugby 7's. Scary thought considering how big the stadium is. Although seeing as I am working with 6 of my face painter friends I am hoping that I may finally get some nice photos of me working ... it's very difficult to get a nice photo of me whilst I am working as it would seem I pull some very strange faces!  Anyway amongst working on other bits today (will tell you more in a second) I have made myself a nice delicate hat to wear. Do you think I will blend in with the crowds in this?

In addition to preparing for this weekend at the Rugby I've also had a couple of other projects that have kept me out of mischief. I can't let you know about one of them until after the weekend as it is still a surprise but I will do my best to share early next week.

The other project this week has been to make a Bi-Plane as a surprise 90th Birthday present for a gentleman who used to not only fly them in his younger days but also used to train other pilots too. Hopefully I will be getting a couple of photos of the Birthday boy with his balloon plane but in the meantime here it is before I delivered it today.

Well that's all for now as I've still got lots to do before tomorrow!