Behind the Scenes

I've been putting a lot of time and energy into Red Bicycle Parties lately, trying to make it one of the best party entertainment companies out there and I thought I'd share some of the behind the scenes projects with you:

When I started getting into Fortune Telling and Magic, I realized that my regular party tote just didn't fit the look I was going for. So after many stops, I found this small brown suitcase at a Goodwill:

It's more of a large briefcase than a suitcase. I loved the gold plaque glued inside that some adorable kids had dedicated to their dad. It was roomy enough and had flaps for holding things that shouldn't bend like papers and my Magic Coloring Book. But it was a bit plain so I jazzed up one side with a bit of craft paint and now I have this:

Hand painted by your truly. I'm going to do the other side with a magic logo as the briefcase sits on a table with the Fortune Teller side down and the other side stays open by itself providing me with an awesome logo space.

One of my first projects was a Balloon Apron that I threw together one morning before a job. A Balloon apron is like a server apron that Twisters use to carry all their balloons and supplies. They have expensive models available online but I thought I could make something similar with my husband's old long server apron and a bit of sew on velcro. Here's what I got:

There's plenty of small pockets for specialty balloons, business cards, balloon scraps, a sharpie, scissors, and a ton of balloons sorted by color. In this picture, there are 500 balloons in the apron. The front pocket fold down for access to the balloons and easy loading. I even added two tabs to the sides for bungee cords so I don't loose my balloon pump or scissors. (The picture also has a bag of balloon sticks in it that I'm eager to try out at my next event. All-in-all I spent less than half of the price of the internet ones and it turned out great!

Attention Twisters! Interested in a balloon apron? Contact me, I'd love to make you one. I'm open to trades if you've got something cool to share.

Another project I finished recently is my Balloon Look Book. Most people can choose a balloon animal with a little prompting and a little imagination but there's always a few who are just stuck. Or maybe they just need to know all their options before making a choice? Whatever the reason, for those people, I created this:

It should fit right into my balloon apron pocket for easy access. This one is one-balloon creations only for birthday and line work but I'm working on a second one with multible balloon sculptures including Wild Hats, Balloon Costumes and Wearables, and Complex Sculptures and Centerpieces. Should be a lot of fun to photograph it all. Let me know if you would like any of the leftovers!

My last project is thanks to Sue at Fun Characters who was kind enough to make me some tip buttons on her button machine. The designs are my own and the ideas come from a Balloon HQ forum. I think they turned out nice!

Again, I love to trade ideas so if you need a copy of these designs sized for 2 1/4 inch buttons, let me know!

I leave you with a sneak peak of my custom made Magician's Top Hat. (Final picture to follow):