Um, I Can't Make a Porcupine

[Pickles]

What is your clowny response when you get a request for a balloon you don't know how to make?

Yesterday kids wanted bald eagles and cows (can't do either), and I once had a child request a porcupine.

Obviously, I don't want to say "I don't know how to do that one."

What are your clowny reponses to this?

Some that I've heard before are:

• I don't make porcupines on Saturdays
• How 'bout a porcupine's wiener dog?
• I wasn't at clown school the day they taught porcupines.

Also, Fitz, can you show me how to make a balloon porcupine?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Originally Posted by Pickles

What is your clowny response when you get a request for a balloon you don't know how to make?

Yesterday kids wanted bald eagles and cows (can't do either), and I once had a child request a porcupine.

Obviously, I don't want to say "I don't know how to do that one."

What are your clowny reponses to this?

Some that I've heard before are:

• I don't make porcupines on Saturdays
• How 'bout a porcupine's wiener dog?
• I wasn't at clown school the day they taught porcupines.

Also, Fitz, can you show me how to make a balloon porcupine?

Kid:"Hey clown, make me a porcupine!"
Clown:"I can't make a porcupine... but I can make a weazle!"
Kid: "Okay"
(Clown starts making a fairly obvious traditional dog)
Kid: "Thats not a weazle its a dog..."
Clown: "Wait kid, I'm not done yet"
(*Clown unbuttons a clown pin and pops the dog*)
Clown: ... "Heres your weazle... it even went pop"

I've done this several times... but always for older kids (Preteens-etc) when they ask for something I can't make

[pixcoco]

You can always make a procupine wearing a dog costume.
Normally I like to play a rousing game of "stump the clown" but if I don't have time to make what they want I will just tell them honestly that one takes to much time for today. Or even ..I don't have the right balloons with me to do that today.

I was in a class at coai in porta rico some time ago and people started playing stump the clown with the instrucor. He finally stopped and said for people to stop asking him if he could do this or that. He said he could make anything but a poorcupine.
I had yet to decide what to make for competition. So I made a procupine for the arrangment catagory. I trophied. That instructor stopped me on the way back to my table. I laughed and said 'you know why I did that don't you.' He laughed to and said yes he did.

[Pickles]

Coco, so maybe I should have asked you to teach me that porcupine! Honestly, I didn't know it was possible. You don't have a photo, do you--I'd love to see it!

Then again, maybe I should master that ballerina first!

[Lolly Plop]

I tried to make a porcupine but the quills kept popping the balloon.

[Fitzwilly]

Now that is an interesting challenge. I did an image search for the little critters and I think you could come up with something and just draw the quills in place. Although if time wasn't an issue you could probably make the body a sort of three bubllw roll through with a few extra double ear twists (placed across from each other so the balloon stays straight) as attachment points, and then use 160s as the quills. I may have to play with this idea sometime.

[Sopey]

Fitz,
That sounds a little complicated. Why not just feed the 160s in between two of the roll-through bubbles and out the other side so that the 160s form a vee?

[Fitzwilly]

I thought about that but I didn't think I would like the bulging of the body with the open spots. I thought that maybe with the ear twists I could add a few extra 160s to get more quills going in more directions. When I sit down with my balloons I will have to try both ways.

[Rainbow D. Clown]

My response usually is along the same lines as Coco's. I will tell them that when I'm done with that kind of a design, I would have taken up so much time, that, I wouldn't be able to get a balloon for everyone (which would be the truth, because at this point, I'd have to start in the design stage, and it would take me a long time.) But then I add, BUT....If I ever get invited to your birthday party (assuming it's not a birthday kid), I'll make sure I have time to make whatever you want! (Now the kid is going to beg to have me at his party....micro marketing! Then work on the design)Or I tell them that I'm so sorry, but I didn't bring my Lightening McQueen balloons with me today, but can I make you something really special that I had in mind just for you? (This ensures an affirmative answer, and now you can make whatever you want). Then I try to take a mental note and work on that design between gigs. And of course a good pun for the adults is always in order when trying to change the subject, something like, everytime I make the porcupine, he's hard to handle. Or for the cow, sometimes they're prone to popping and all I end up with is ground beef.

-Keep having fun, Baby!

[Scruffy]

Assure them that yes you can make one, but you forgot to bring the needles to put in it. Or, make them a small dog and tell them it is a porky-pine that was shaved.