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I have been a balloon decorator since 1999 when I visited the International Party & Halloween show in Birmingham England. I was amazed and immediately hooked with the fantastic balloon competition pieces and decor, especially the large sculptures.

My husband Rodney persuaded me to join him in his shop which sold candles and essential oils, hence the name of our old party shop, Burning Desires in Portadown Northern Ireland. That’s how I ended up at the International Halloween and Party show in England, looking for new things to sell in the shop.

I was so enthused with the balloon creations I had seen that Santa brought me a Conwin Precision Air inflator for Christmas and I got my first big decorating job in the Meadows centre shopping mall for the New Year and the following year I took my CBA exam.

By now the shop was getting busier and we started bringing in more balloons and party ware. Very quickly the balloon business was booming and we outgrew our small shop in the mall and decided to move to much larger premises at a busy junction on the high street, with parking very close by.

We had identified three main areas to expand. Balloons, Fancy dress & Accessories and Hen night gear, so after working long hours to get the business established, I was able to find time to design some competition pieces of my own.

I started competing in 2002 and have been doing so ever since.

I have often been asked, why I still compete, the answer is simple. Apart from the challenge of creating a large sculpture, the photographs of all these pieces in my portfolio really impress corporate clients when I am trying to get work in places like shopping centers.

In 2003 I became a QAI ( Qualatex Approved Instructor ) and started a new arm to the business, Balloon Academy Ireland. I still teach Balloon training in Dublin and Cork Ireland for Irish Party Supplies in Ashbourne www.irishpartysupplies.ie plus private tuition. In Manchester England for Balloon World in Haydock www.balloonworld.co.uk . Pioneeer Europe in London and others.

I love sharing my knowledge of the industry with everyone entering the business and as well as teaching a lot in Ireland and England, I have been fortunate enough to teach balloon decorating in Japan, Taiwan, Lebanon, Argentina, Trinidad, Poland, France, Holland, Malta, Serbia, USA, Germany and many times in my favourite city and country, Florence-Italy at BACI (Balloon artists convention International).

The Tuscan dream is happening for me, so now I can concentrate on running my new Balloon training school in Tuscany Italy, sharing my experiences and helping others to achieve their dreams, the added bonus is that you get to stay in a very beautiful  place and sample the food and wines that have made Tuscany a household name throughout the world.

Welcome to Balloons in Tuscany, a balloon academy that’s a lot different to others.

Fiona Fisher CBA

• Why I chose balloon decorating as a career.

• Why I moved from Burning Desires in Portadown Northern Ireland to Balloons in Tuscany Lucca Tuscana Italy.

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