456 South Campbell Street Suite B Valparaiso, IN 46385
About ME
Stephanie Brockman
I wish someone had pulled me aside in high school and told me being a balloon twister was really a thing. While college was good for me, and having a degree is never a bad idea, I wasted a lot of years doing things that never quite fit and wondering what I was meant to do.
Then I found balloons.
I love twisting on-site for kids and adults
I wish someone had pulled me aside in high school and told me being a balloon twister was really a thing. While college was good for me, and having a degree is never a bad idea, I wasted a lot of years doing things that never quite fit and wondering what I was meant to do.
Then I found balloons.
I love twisting on-site for kids and adults alike (one of my favorite parties was actually for a 90-year-old great-grandpa). But I love to decorate as well---taking standard balloon decor to a new place with fun, large twists.
While I twist, I talk. I talk a lot. A LOT. It goes with the territory. And that means I get asked lots of questions! Here are the most frequently asked:
How long have you been doing this? I've been twisting balloons since 2015.
How did I learn to do this? (Also see "Why did you learn to do this?)
So, my daughter had a safari-themed 10th birthday party. She wanted balloon animals. It didn't occur to me I could actually HIRE someone to twist balloons.
She had a book and one of those terrible little kits. (Don't ever judge your abilities by those, they are terrible. Contact me if you want to try your hand at it and I will give you a list of good materials to try.) Not surprisingly, the kit was terrible and the balloons were boring. To the internet! Where I learned which balloons I should use and started watching any YouTube video I could find.
Yes, I truly learned at YouTube University. But I found artists I really admired. I joined Facebook groups. I take online classes, and now I count those admired artists among my friends.
I learned so YOU don't have to!
Are my hands tired?
At any given time, probably not. Unless I twist 8 hours a day, 2 to 3 days in a row, my hands are probably fine. It's my shoulders that start to hurt!
Do I use special balloons?
Yes and no. They are just standard, high-quality latex modelling balloons. However, I do have to shop at specialty balloon shops to get the quality I demand. This is probably a good place to mention I do use biodegradable balloons. They are 100% latex, made from the sap of a rubber tree. Do they dissolve? No. But they do quickly degrade. I've read at about the rate of an oak leaf, but in my experience, they break down much quicker.
If you are interested in the science of it all, I encourage you to check out www.pebausa.com/. I am also one of the many balloon artists who doesn't support balloon releases. Litter is litter, whether it breaks down or not. And those ribbons take far longer to break down than a balloon ever will.
Now let's twist!