Fiona Fisher
Classes
-
All courses and classes are hands-on unless otherwise specified and usually for one day duration 10 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.
- For "One to One" teaching and special tailor made classes
the times may vary.Certificates are awarded to all students on
completion of each course.
I highly recommend you bring a camera to all classes, don't miss the
opportunity to get really good photographs and build up your portfolio
with great designs!
I strongly recommended that if you are new to the balloon business that
you take the Qualatex Fundamentals course first (usually on day one).
If you have already attended this or another similar course then you
can go straight to any other class you require.
For a tailor made class, you choose the subject and designs and I will arrange the classes to suit your requirements.
Class listing
Qualatex Fundamentals - Wedding foundations -
Wedding wishes 1,2,3
Classic decor - Fiona's garden people - Innovative delivery ideas for
all occasions
Christenings with a difference - Birthday bonanza - Twisting for fun
Weaving - Christmas with a twist - The big mix - Framing - Retail
therapy
Competitions and why you should enter - Tools and inflation equipment -
Spooky Halloween.
Qualatex Fundamentals
 
This is the benchmark course for all balloon
professionals.
It is highly recommended for those starting out in the balloon business
and also for existing artists who have not already done so. Qualatex is
the brand name of the balloons manufactured by Pioneer Balloon Company
since 1917 and used by balloon professionals throughout the world. This
course will give you all the skills you need to get your business up
and running and you can then move on to more specialised subjects such
as Weddings or Classic decor.
The Fundamentals course includes:
- Information on gases (Helium / Nitrogen).
- Inflation equipment.
- Health and safety.
- Tying balloons.
- Centrepieces.
- Arches.
- Columns.
- Double bubbles.
- Design.
Plus a lot of other very useful information.
The certificate for this course is posted to you direct from Pioneer
Europe Ltd.
Wedding
foundations
Getting
to grips with the core requirements for any wedding.
This class will enable anyone starting out in the lucrative wedding
decor business to master the simple but most requested designs.
Centrepieces.
Fantasy clouds / Cloud nines.
Pearl arch.
Exploding confetti balloon.
Spiral hearts and arches.
Bow making.
Advice on Promotions. Wedding fairs. Wedding contracts. How to sell
your designs to the prospective Bride and pricing.
Advice on the importance of getting good photographs and the benefits
of having a web site.
Gallery
Remember,
you can have tailor made classes on a range of designs and subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Wedding wishes 1, 2, & 3
These are a more advanced classes and most suited
to those who have completed the Qualatex fundamentals course plus the
Wedding foundation class.
In all of these classes the designs have been sold many many times in
my old party shop and decorating business. I have also included some of
the decor used for my son's wedding and featured in Images magazine
2007.
Wedding wishes 1
Garden Bride & Groom.
Kissing arch.
Two centrepieces.
Columns for entrances or dance floors.
Advice on the importance of getting good photographs and the benefits
of having a web site.
Gallery
Wedding wishes 2
Top table decoration.
Pearl arches.
Love heart arch.
Two centrepieces.
Life size bride & groom (using distortion techniques).
Advice on the importance of getting good photographs and the benefits
of having a web site.
Gallery
Wedding wishes 3
Centrepiece Hearts-around.
Bubble of love.
Bride & Groom babies.
Topiary entrance.
Hearts around arch.
Advice on the importance of getting good photographs and the benefits
of having a web site.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a range of designs and
subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Classic corporate decor
Yes! You can do it!
A lot of people have admitted to me that they wouldn't know how to get
the work in the first place, let alone how to pull it all together on
the day.
As long as you have the confidence in how to put together the basic
swags, columns and arches, you can easily take on the biggest shopping
mall in the country.
PERCEIVED VALUE FOR MONEY. That's the key to selling large scale
corporate classic decor.
Columns, swags and arches, it can be that simple.
Create a big impact with simple techniques using thousands of balloons.
I can only pass on my own experiences in getting work in shopping malls
and other larger venues. Your client wants value for money and that's
exactly what you can give but remember, many thousands of people are
going to see your work and believe me there are lots of spin offs.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a range of designs and
subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Fiona's garden people
A really fun class, creating larger than life
characters using one simple technique with 260Q's and 160Q's.
Guaranteed to get everyone talking at any event or party.
There is no limit to the number of Garden people you can make, just
think of a theme and you can be sure there are balloons to match. As
you can see in the gallery I have made them for all sorts of occasions.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a range of designs and
subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Innovative delivery ideas
Lots of different delivery ideas for all occasions. Birthdays - New
babies - Anniversaries etc.
From simple bouquets to more challenging concepts using topiary and
twisting techniques.
Stuffed balloons, several ways to personalise balloons, how using Ultra
high float efficiently will add value to your deliveries and how to
transport everything safely and easily.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a range of designs and
subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Christmas with a twist
Get into the festive mood and make some new designs that are sure to
impress your customers. This is an advanced class using various
twisting techniques and a variety of both round and non-round balloons.
Double sided centrepieces and variety of other popular Christmas
decorations.
Santa centrepiece.
Snowman centrepiece.
Christmas candle.
Christmas wreath.
Santa & Snowman garden people & Christmas tree.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a
range of designs and subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Christenings with a difference
Decorating for christenings has always been popular
and now a lot of people are having Baby showers. This class is full of
ideas that can be used for both occasions, from simple bouquets to more
elegant designs you can create a big impact with not just the proud
parents but everyone else who is wishing them well at this special
time.
Storks.
Baby in a basket.
Arches.
Stuffed balloons.
Bouquets.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a
range of designs and subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Competitions and why you should enter
Competition is good; it keeps your brain active and
constantly coming up with new ideas, it pushes out your artistic
boundaries.
A lot of people think their work isn't good enough or that they would
be too nervous on the day but trust me when you enter your first
competition you will learn so much, you will be motivated to do it over
and over again.
When you compete you are not alone, all around you are people of all
skill levels feeling exactly like yourself. You learn from others and
they learn from you. The rewards are great, you don't have to win but
it's a great feeling when you do. A portfolio of competition pieces
(large or small) is a fantastic selling tool to all types of clients.
Over the years I have been lucky to meet a lot of people who have
particular skills and are always willing to be part of a team for the
larger competition pieces, but just like me, they all compete at some
level and love the challenges involved with competing at the top level.
Why? Because like me, they learn so much from everyone around and
believe me it's a lot of fun.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a range of designs and
subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Framing
n this class you get a chance to discuss in depth
how to design and make frames, from the very simple for letters,
numbers and hearts to the much more complex structures needed to
complete life size sculptures like the Ferrari or the Indian elephant.
Where do you start I hear you ask, if you ask my husband Rodney that
question. He will probably say "at the beginning" but where is that? He
says it's normally at the end! Don't worry if this doesn't make sense,
all will be explained.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a range of designs and
subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Twisting for fun
Everyone has seen the entertainer on the street
corner or in the shopping mall, making dogs, swords, hats, pretty
little flowers and a host of other balloon creations to keep the
children happy.
In this class you can learn to master the basic bubbles and twists to
quickly be able to make a lot of different designs, so at the next
birthday party you will be a very popular person with the children and
the adults.
People are always amazed at how with a few twist of the wrists someone
can create cute things, it seems, out of nothing. Well, after a few
hours you will want to progress on to some of the more challenging
pieces.
If you are already a decorator and you don't use modelling balloons, it
is important to learn the basic twisting techniques. You can add a lot
more detail, fun and value to your designs and really impress your
customers!
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a range of designs and
subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, Corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
The
big mix
One of the reasons why you can create so many
amazing things with balloons is because there are so many different
shapes and types of balloons. So many colours, and sizes to choose
from, it would take a very long time to list them all.
This class covers a lot of design techniques and ideas using lots of
different combinations of balloons. Apart from designs using only
modelling and round balloons, you will see how the combination of all
types, including foils and shapes, put together can make some amazing
creations. The more different types of balloon you use the greater the
ease with which you can assemble something really special.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a range of designs and
subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Tools and Inflation equipment
Most people think that you need a lot of puff to
blow up balloons. Far from the truth, equipment is now available to do
the job for you. From a single balloon to thousands of balloons, you
can work with ease using all the latest inflators that will inflate the
balloons quickly and to the exact size you require.
Conwin Inc is the leading manufacturer of balloon inflation equipment.
For many years they have led the way in developing precision Inflators
and accessories that nowadays no balloon professional can do without.
It doesn't matter how large or small your business is, there is
equipment that will make life a lot easier and once you have some of
these tools you will wonder how you ever lived without them.
This class focuses on the entire range of Conwin inflators, accessories
and safety equipment. Learn how to easily create at great speed,
beautiful creations that you thought were impossible before and how to
set up an effective work station plus systems to make sure your decor
goes up quickly and safely.
Equipment gallery
Weaving
An introduction to weaving techniques is how I
would describe this class.
If you are twisting for fun and have mastered the basic bubbles and
twists, you can then progress to begin weaving. Hats, baskets, dresses
and sculptures are just a few examples. Once you are bitten with the
weaving bug there is no end to the things you can make.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a
range of designs and subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Retail therapy
No, this isn't about dropping you off in the high
street so you can pamper yourself!
I have specifically developed a class for those of you who already have
a retail outlet or are thinking of setting one up. Having been in
business for thirty years I can give you lots of useful hints and tips
on business plans, promotions, best sellers, stock levels and much
more. If you already own a party shop I can help you to increase your
profits with new balloon designs and ideas, plus the experience I have
had running my own successful party shop.
Other types of businesses can benefit greatly from adding balloons to
their normal sales, for example, florists, balloons and flowers
complement each other really well.
More added value designs and finishing touches that will set you apart
from your competitors.
Apart from your innovative design ideas, one of the most important
aspects is pricing for profit. I have a motto! I like to make money!!
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a range of designs and
subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Birthday bonanza
The complete birthday package with lots of designs
for all age groups. Centrepieces, deliveries, how to decorate larger
venues and how to do a balloon drop safely and easily. This class is
packed full of birthday ideas and advice. A little bit of easy twisting
is involved.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a
range of designs and subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential customer.
Spooky Halloween
Lots of designs to set the scene for Halloween
night and great decoration for shop windows. Spiders, pumpkin trees,
witches and ghosts are just a few of the things you will see in this
class. Halloween is one of those occasions when you can let your
imagination run wild and a great opportunity to get your work into some
of the larger venues like shopping malls and hotels.
Gallery
Remember, you can have tailor made classes on a
range of designs and subjects.
Plus, as in all classes, a lot of useful hints and tips on pricing,
promoting and selling your designs to the Bride to be, corporate
clients or any other potential
|
