Lip Balm Ball & Vase?

[P.T.Widdle]

These things seem to be everywhere now.

http://archive.avenuecalgary.com/files/ ... alm_a1.jpg

[Spellbinder]

The "no-gimmick" method would work great for these, substituting a superball for the actual lipbalm, taking it out and bouncing it, then performing the no gimmick sleights to make it disappear from the container while in the hands of a spectator, and when it reappears it actually is lip balm and no longer a ball (using regular billiard ball moves to make the switch.) I think I'll be ordering some of these from Amazon.

[Spellbinder]

After experimenting with converting a real lip balm spherical container into a Ball and Vase trick, I concluded that it is much easier to convert a large plastic ball and vase to a make-believe lip balm container. It involves slicing off the top knob and the stem and base of a large size ball and vase trick, then smoothing down the bottom plastic to make a flat surface for setting down the vase. The ball has to be spray painted pale yellow to look like lip balm, and if still using the gimmick, that has to be painted as well.

Why go to all that trouble? To go from using an antiquated ball vase that no one has seen in real life to using an apparent lip balm container that is familiar in everyday life. New jokes abound. After "applying lip balm to my lips", I pop the ball into my mouth to coat the inside of my mouth with lip balm from the inside out. After spitting the ball back into the container, I can offer it to someone who looks like they need to use my lip balm. Gross, but funny. Then I can demonstrate how I have a life time supply of lip balm - every time it runs out, a new one grows inside, courtesy of the lip balm company. I'm having fun with this!

[P.T.Widdle]

I'm having fun with this!

I'm so glad I sparked your enthusiasm! I love your idea of converting a B&V to a lip balm ball instead of the other way around.

[Spellbinder]

Yes, thanks for the inspiration and for paying attention to what's going on around you. I still use the little Chap Stick tube myself and didn't notice that women were using the spheres... something about aroma-therapy.

My biggest problem was that while Lip Balm spheres screw closed, the regular ball vases do not and you can't toss them around from hand to hand without losing parts. However, I tried using a craft glue dot rolled up on the edge of the vase and that held it together somewhat securely.

I'm going to give the lip balm sphere another try. I'm trying a larger super ball, and I've filled in the bottom section with epoxy putty to build it up to hold the ball higher. I don't need the ball vase gimmick to work the trick so I'm fine without it in the lip balm sphere. Being able to make the outer sphere change color and the inner ball to change color adds new eye candy to the effect.