A story and a balloon

The other night I read one of my son's library books to him. It was a fascinating recount of a historical story of a teenage, American inventor that was caught up in the hysteria about 'flying machines'. He had a dream of building a 'sky cycle' - a cross between a bicycle and a hydrogen balloon and ended up creating one that won awards in flying machine competitions.

This story and an urge to get back into paper mache has led to my newest project - a paper mache hot air balloon. This balloon has been carefully created out of paper mache which has then been painted red with splatterings of turquoise, in a mixed media style. I am now applying sealer and varnish and then I will add a knotted net over the top. Of course, it will have a basket for travellers underneath.

I am still working out whether this balloon will become one of my products. They do take quite a lot of time to create (and I LOVE the creation process), but that will also effect the product cost (added labour). The time spent on my paper mache also takes time away from my canvas and jewellery creation, therefore I either need to find a balance with time or work out whether time spent on these bigger projects are worth it. I will also need to test the balloon out myself or have a volunteer trial it to ensure that this creation is sturdy.

I would love to know your initial thoughts. I tend to generate a lot of ideas - but I do need to be realistic as well. Feel free to leave a comment or email me your thoughts (see email address in the 'Contact' tab).

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Jen.

P.S - If you have enjoyed reading about the story behind Tupsy Turvy Designs' products, why not become a 'Golden Ticket Member'? It is FREE and membership entitles you to regular updates, exclusive sales, discounts and opportunities. Simply click here and enter your email address. Easy! I look forward to sharing more ideas with you soon ...