New and Improved

I stroll down the grocery aisle; my eyes catch the words, “New & Improved” on several products. The product is not new, but repackaged, a gadget has been added, fragrance or chemicals may have been stripped and replaced. In many cases we can call it a style change, or popular beliefs are making the product conform to the market demands. Change is afoot, and improvements are occurring.

Buried in my office closet is a photo album of pictures of balloon centerpieces that I made decades ago. Those were the early days. I was eager to twist balloons and glue them together. To quote a college friend, “The possibilities are endless” and I have a book to prove it.

This past weekend, I was asked to produce centerpieces for a family baby shower. My wife, who volunteered my services, had a particular centerpiece in mind and wanted me to recreate the centerpiece.

I made this centerpiece back in the early 90’s. Since then new balloon colors, shapes, and sizes have developed and improved. So it was only fitting that I make a new and improved version of the baby shower centerpiece.

Since making the first baby shower centerpiece two and a half decades ago, blush balloons, 646’s, 360’s, and paint markers have been added to my arsenal of balloon supplies. I have also had years to improve upon my drawing skills, which never hurts.

So I share with you today the new and improved baby shower centerpiece. Updated for the times, in techno color, and using the most current balloon shapes designs. The New and Improved baby shower balloon centerpiece.

As part of the improvement, I played around with a different face design. I was trying to capture a whimsical, playful baby face, which I found after several ideas. I wound up using little parts from each face drawn below and developed a face that I eventually used in the design.