Parallel Windsor, the most heartwarming, inspiring, fun, moving event. If you don’t know it - have a google and do book for next year!
It’s an event that properly celebrates inclusivity. Parallel is about removing barriers, and enabling ‘no-limits living’, a phrase and an ambition that we absolutely love.
It’s not just that it is an event about inclusivity either. More, it is a celebration of exactly that disability, the special differences that make people their unique selves.
It’s so powerful - people coming together, sharing time, acceptance, swapping stories, tips, strength. It felt that for that day there was like a superpower, a force field created by this togetherness, the shared experience which is often in day to day life can be about isolation.
At Parallel no one is alone. No melt down is a subject of stares, no difference is strange. Rather there is space for everyone, everywhere smiles and laughter, conversations about the mundane, and specific techniques, new tech, sport, cool sunglasses.
Throughout the day there were loads of challenges - 10K, 5K etc events - including an innovative ‘Super Sensory 1K’ featuring a sunflower wall AND of course our Bubbles.
Throughout the afternoon the whole field was filled with Coconut scented Bubbles - and I kept hearing comments about the scent, about how fresh the Bubbles felt when they popped - how the Bubbles were a highlight. Such a sensory experience. And I was moved.
So many times I was moved to tears. Meeting a child due for major surgery next week, a smile on her face, hiding a bravery few of us would have. The nurse, one of only three in the whole of the UK who goes to work every day using a wheelchair. The parent who has adopted a child with complex needs, having fostered several life-limited children before, all of whom have passed away showered with her love.
So so many powerful stories. It’s inspirational.
There is such strength in this togetherness, in this common understanding. Each conversation, each activity really embodies that ‘living life without limits’, that encouragement every person deserves.
As I left the field, this microcosm of acceptance, as everyone drifted away, dispersing to far corners of the UK, I reflected on the power of such events. For one day everyone belonged. Everyone was welcome. Everyone was more than able. And I left wanting more.
I am absolutely honoured that our Dr Zigs Bubbles get to play a part in such events. Thrilled that the little girl who would be operated on at Great Ormond Street would find Dr Zigs in the play room there, overjoyed to hear from carers, teachers who already use our Bubbles , and knowing that our Bubbles are already in several of the hospices up and down the country. That this ‘therapy’, sensory play part of our Bubbles is something that is enjoyed by so many.
I am incredibly grateful.
Thank you so much for having us @Parallel Windsor and especially thanks to Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, and to the inspirational Joanna Grace from the Sensory Projects. You can read more about each of them here:
https://www.parallellifestyle.com/
https://www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk/
ps. Creating an event that is inclusive is really sooo easy - this was just a space in a beautiful field with a bit of extra thought put into different abilities, disabilities - access for wheelchair, thoughtful sensory spaces, targeted activities. None of it is rocket science. And this event shows how easy it can be, and how a little common sense, thought and planning can make SUCH an important difference. Considering that figures suggest 1 in 5 of us has some form of disability, it really should be the norm…
]]>something that we wanted to share with everyone, with so much pride and hope and to inspire everyone amidst this Global crisis.
]]>It’s just so wonderful to be featured in SME Magazine. You’ll get a glimpse of how Dr Zigs started from £ 20 and look where we are now. Our humble beginnings is something that we wanted to share with everyone, with so much pride and hope and to inspire everyone amidst this Global crisis.
And as SME Magazine marks its 10th year anniversary which will be this coming December 03, 2022. They hope to celebrate Small Businesses, including those top100 small businesses with extraordinary contributions to the economy and local areas, Dr Zigs ranks as one of the top 100 small businesses, whose mission is to touch lives and bring more fun to everyone with their Eco, Ethical Fun Bubbles.
Read more here:
https://twitter.com/SmallBizSatUK/status/1579789143206338561?t=xBR5LFTpa8QnOAqWox-nrQ&s=31
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Dr Zigs is continuing to develop new products and work towards a more sustainable future as they prepare and organize new ecologically minded initiatives. With the help of MRPeasy, Dr Zigs is striving to make the world a better place one Bubble at a time.
As a result of working with the ASTUTE Program, Dr Zigs has the confidence in our own research and development capabilities, and gained the necessary knowledge and experience, to confidently move into a large-scale production phase.
I am absolutely thrilled to be featured on BBC News today talking about how interest rates affect a business like Dr Zigs. I wish and hope that these crises that we're up against really bring about some radical change. Imagine if we REALLY tackled energy company profiteering - imagine the ripple effect on our emissions.
Paola Dyboski-Bryant
This exposure for a small business is just priceless. Every journalist I’ve spoken to is beyond kind and professional. Every entrepreneur is utterly supportive. When we feature in the press we see a spike in sales and we reach new people, customers, and stockists. I'm so grateful for all the journalists and coverage.
Paola Dyboski-Bryant, founder of Dr Zigs
It’s hard to imagine what these kids have been through. And what they are going through still. A Refugee Camp is not a home. It is not a destination. It is maybe respite, but it is no-mans land. A place where you go and are in limbo whilst you try to find a way beyond, to safety, to a home, to security, to a school. To the foundation blocks that make up our basic human rights.
We are so grateful to all the volunteers who help and work so hard to offer friendship, welcome, assistance and some kind of dignity to the families and individuals caught up in this difficult situation.
No one would arrive here through choice. Most of those in this particular camp are Kurdish, Yazidis and Afghan, communities that have been decimated and dispersed, escaping war and persecution. People who no longer have a home. Increasingly these camps are also filling with climate refugees, people travelling because of the sheer impossibility of remaining at home.
Our Bubbles may be something small, but they do provide moments of respite, of laughter, of play. Moments to forget. Where, at least for an instant the air is filled with squeals and giggles and sounds of joy. Moments when these kids can very simply just be kids.
This. This is what makes our work at Dr Zigs so worthwhile.
To read more about what we do, you can visit https://drzigs.com/pages/bubblesnotbombs
A percentage of ALL our sales goes to this and other valuable projects.
We are incredibly grateful to Finn and all the team at Network Anthropia for their great work and dedication and Bubble Pictures of course!]]>It’s always wonderful to have the opportunity to chat about our work and share ideas. This particular podcast we shared the platform with Sara Duff from MRPEasy, a fab software that is nearly an extension of our team - basically holds all our stock and routing and connects to our accounting and shipping platforms. It’s pretty cool and we’d be quite lost without it - so it was great to connect with Sara!
I also got to ask her if MRPeasy could expand to include a facility whereby we could add a carbon cost to each of our components and entries on the system. This could be an incredibly useful tool - not just for us, but for manufacturing as a whole as we all aim (or we all should be aiming!), for net zero.
And of course we talked a lot about our Eco Bubbles, about being a part of Made in Britain, and about our Guinness World Records achievements.
Thanks so much for having me MTDMFG and Christopher Greenough
You can listen to the episode here:
https://www.mtdmfg.com/podcasts/sme-focus-episode-ninety-nine-dr-zigs-mrpeasy/
]]>As every other business, we are reliant on cash flow, the lifeblood of trade. And as a business going through a period of growth, this cash flow becomes even more crucial. How we manage it, when we save it, when we borrow to increase it, and how well we sell, bringing money back in to then grow and repay the borrowing. And cash - like any other component or ingredient in our Dr Zigs Bubbles, has a cost. As interest rates go up, so does the cost of this cash. And, as our cost of borrowing goes up - we are facing a rise in the cost of our ingredients, AND at the same time, our customers’ cost of borrowing goes up - so we risk ending up in a tricky mess.
The reason interest rates are going up is to manage inflation. The increase in the cost of goods, of everything that we as consumers want to buy. But what is possibly different at this particular moment, is that the increase is hugely focused on two key areas - the cost of energy, and the cost of food. These are the building blocks of our needs - and hence the cost of living crisis. It is literally costing us a whole lot more simply to live.
Added to this challenging scenario we have a background of Brexit, also hugely affecting trade and the cost of goods. War, again, impacting trade, the cost of food and the cost of raw materials now needed in greater demand by the arms trade (the only ‘winners’ in this humanitarian disaster). And greater than all of this we have Climate Breakdown.
Somehow, through all this, us at Dr Zigs, as a small business, and purveyors of fun - must survive.
I am incredibly proud of us - we are an exciting company, manufacturing in Britain, creating a product that brings joy to so many - whilst really trying to make a difference in terms of the environment and social justice. Whilst the cost of living has been rising, we have been working hard to shave costs - and carbon - off our toys. Shrinking packaging, bringing in flat-packs, better, and more sustainable ingredients, whilst maintaining (or even increasing) the quality of our Bubbles, of our graphics, of our systems and even our social media.
I think the UK government, indeed, the world, needs companies like ours to succeed.
Whilst worrying, these times also bring a huge opportunity for change, and we will need this - brave and radical change. The oil and gas industry must be taxed further, and the obscene profits fed back to offset the cost of living. Brexit could be reversed. Net zero pushed by every company, government department and organisation.
Whilst we live in hope, that our politicians may be brave enough to do the right thing, and whilst at Dr Zigs we do our utmost to navigate it all - we are determined to continue to make the best FUN quality products we possibly can, and continue to really have a positive impact on the world around us.
With our Bubbles we can play together, we can make friends - whether we are children and adults. Our Bubbles bring laughter and joy. Our Bubbles are used for therapy within special needs settings, hospitals and care homes. They are used amongst people of all ages because of their hugely beneficial impact on mental health. Our Bubbles are used for mindfulness, as a time to switch off from the stresses and strains of the everyday world. Our Bubbles are all about FUN.
Who knows what the future holds for Dr Zigs - whatever happens, we are determined to pull through this cost of living crisis, and somehow navigate through so that we can continue to provide the best eco, ethical FUN that we possibly can.
]]>The win for the Lionesses was about girl power, about us rocking it, about celebrating something phenomenal. Because it wasn't just winning the World Cup - it was breaking a zillion glass ceilings. It was making things possible. It was saying that we, girls, up and down the country CAN do it. We can own it, and we can win. This win helps us all reach in and feel the power of the Lioness in each of us, and in each other. At Dr Zigs we are a women led business. And this makes me so proud.
To the Lionesses, we salute you.
Paola, Bubbler in Chef
This week, as the heatwave stretched across northern reaches of Europe, several fires have started raging. One in particular, is burning out of control in the Gironde, on the Western coast of France. A place where we have always made Bubbles.
]]>This week, as the heatwave stretched across northern reaches of Europe, several fires have started raging. One in particular, is burning out of control in the Gironde, on the Western coast of France. The incredible heat, aided by an Atlantic breeze, has driven a fire that has burnt an area the size of Paris. The flames, they say, have been over 50 meters high. The destruction unimaginable.
Amongst the flames is one of our favourite haunts.
For many years, every summer, we have been going to this treasure of a campsite, nestled between the tall pines and the stunning Dune du Pilat, the highest and longest sand dune in Europe.
We started going there some ten years ago, when my eldest two were tiny. Out to sea, opposite the campsite, an island of sand, a nature reserve, lies longitudinally parallel to the shore, protecting a narrow stretch of water from Atlantic swell, making it a safe and perfect place for kids to swim and us to adventure. High on the edge of the dune, the campsite was nestled between tall beautiful pines, from which we used to hang our hammocks. The views so spectacular.
The campsite, Panorama du Pilat, is owned by Cedric and his family who have always been so lovely. Kind and helpful, and also in love with the Bubbles that we would make every sunset overlooking the sea.
So many of these photos have been across our social media over the years, on our product photos, on their and our calendars. So beautiful the light, the moments, the happy children. The campsite was a summer home to hundreds, flocking from across Europe. One of those places, that once you had found it, you had to return, and so we all did. Gravitating back every summer like the migrating birds on the nature reserve.
And another question. This incredible dune is a dynamic system. It’s ecosystems, it’s trees and grasses are there holding these incredible sand mounds in delicate balance. These trees of these Landes were planted to manage marsh and wetland. When these trees, these habitats go, so does the valuable role that they play in our lives. Quietly, often surreptitiously, so taken for granted.
Now all this is gone.
There are no words.
How soon until this heatwave, these fires, these floods, these gales finally shake our politicians and leaders into REAL action? What will it take?
It’s a tough post to write and not our Dr Zigs usual positive upbeat vibe - but something truly precious was lost today. A home to countless memories, to wildlife, to trees so gracious, so beautiful. A home to our Dr Zigs Bubbles.
Our thoughts are with all at Panorama du Pilat, Teste de Buche and elsewhere where these fires rage.
And may we learn. And may our politicians act.
Last week, when Ziggy and I were in Paris for the Guinness World Records, we also took some time to go and explore, and one of our total highlights was the incredible Cezane and Kandinsky show at L’Atelier des Lumières.
It is set in a large warehouse space. Bare industrial walls and pillars, the canvas, adding to the floating shapes and projections as the light and images climb, swim and float across the walls.
Around the space people walk. Some fast, some stroll. Kids dance, others sit back, perched against walls, on industrial wooden cable reels. And like the space around them, they too become the canvas for the floating images.
The soundscape is beautiful, fitting, in turns soothing and moving, soaring. The space is glorious.
I think we could have stayed there for many hours had we not had a time constraint - as it was we sat through two shows. It was mesmerising, dreamy. We loved it.
And YES, despite patrolling security guards who tried to curb the kids dancing, I did get the Bubbles out. See if you can spot them in this video. The light, the sound I felt to be one of the most beautiful spaces, and totally made for Bubbles. I’m sure Kandinsky especially would have approved.
I would love to return with fewer people and totally fill the space with Bubbles so that the projections, the artwork, the paint strokes, the oil on canvas, could also reflect, shimmer and be suspended on my floating spheres.
Now THAT would add a whole new dimension to the art.
Ps. When I’m travelling I use our Pocket Kit Bucket and the 25cm Giant Wands, these live in my rucksack with a little bottle of C10 100ml flatpack and I’ve always got water with us or I dilute the mix in the nearest toilets :) I love having Bubbles on me when travelling! They’re perfect for cheering up tired children, for taking pictures, for making friends. The little bucket lid is fully resealable, and I’ve been using my bucket for nearly a year now. Lots of reuse and reuse and reuse - and LOTS of Bubbles too.
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We've broken THREE @GuinnessWorldRecords with our NEW Plant Based Bubble Mix!!
With HUGE praise, thanks and credit to the talented Bubble Artist Pierre-Yves Fusier of @SlashBubles Paris!
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It’s been an INCREDIBLE weekend in Paris!!
Our NEW SUSTAINABLE, PLANT BASED BUBBLE MIX HAS BROKEN THREE WORLD RECORDS!
As you know we are constantly working on improving our Bubble Mix. Our latest innovation has seen us create a mix that is not only plant based BUT also the plant materials are SUSTAINABLY SOURCED! Of course it is still fully biodegradable and vegan too.
Breakthrough in High- Performing Plant Based Bubble Mix
This has been a HUGE breakthrough for us at DR Zigs, and has taken cumulative years of trial and error. We still have a little way until it is fully integrated across all our product range - but we’re so excited, proud and utterly thrilled with the work we’ve done so far, and testing our mix under the extreme conditions of breaking a Guinness World Record was huge.
Collaborating with a talented Artist
This weekend was therefore huge for us. This new, world-leading, sustainable Bubble mix was to be put through its paces by international artist Pierre-Yves Fusier as he attempted to break four highly technical Guinness World Records using our new Dr Zigs mix.
The World Records Pierre-Yves wanted to break were:
Working with a Plant Based, eco Bubble Mix:
Normally Bubble Artists will work on making their own Bubble Mix specifically for the occasion, using surfactants (soaps) and polymers. If you remember, in 2018, when we at Dr Zigs hosted the Bubble Festival in North Wales - and we broke our very own first TWO World Records (for the most people ever making Giant Bubbles with our Giant Wand and with our Multi Wand), we also hosted a full day of World Records - and these can be found on a double page spread in the 2019 Guinness World Record Book - every artist there made their own bespoke mix for the event. None of the mixes were plant based - to date we are the first in the world to make a fully plant based Bubble Mix! - and several of the records that were attempted and/or broken that day, are ones that Pierre-Yves was trying to repeat and break with our mix this weekend.
Bubble Tricks and Skills - The Tallest Bubble Tower
It was a hugely tense morning! The tricks that Pierre-Yves Fusier was attempting are incredibly complicated and skillful and few in the world could even come close. The most challenging attempt was for the Bubble Tower. This involves making a largish Bubble Dome on a wet, flat surface. Then, gently blowing a Bubble on top of that, with another Bubble on top of that one. To make them rise higher, and ‘defeat’ gravity, some helium has to be skillfully added to some of the Bubbles. The amount of helium, the judgment needed, the size of the Bubble to be made - was purely down to the skill and experience of Pierre-Yves.
Some twenty times he tried, each time building a tower to the 15, 16 20 Bubbles high mark. Then it would collapse! A Bubble would pop, or one would detach. Again and again he had to start again. Patiently, slowly, each tower taking between ten and fifteen minutes to build. Each time the tower grew and grew in height, slowly, carefully getting taller. He never gave up. Patience and perseverance, and all of us had our heart in our mouths. Finally, after nearly two hours of getting very close, Pierre-Yves managed 27 Bubbles stacked!
Woohoo! And so we had the first record under our belt.
Picture of the tallest Bubble tower as Pierre-Yves adds the next to last Bubble, and picture of Pierre-Yves knowing he’s just beaten the Guinness World Record!
The Longest Chain of Bubbles
Next it was onto the Bubble Chain hanging suspended INSIDE a Bubble - this was trickier. Pierre-Yves himself had set this first record at 11 Bubbles, but since a Spanish Bubble Artist had overtaken this record by a huge 21 Bubbles. Despite several attempts this was not a record he was able to break.
Picture of the Chain of Bubbles in a Bubble
The Most Bubble Carousels
From there we moved to the chain of Bubble Carousels. A Bubble Carousel is made of two Bubbles connected, one above another, with a belt of smaller Bubbles, circling around the middle. This is a great Bubble trick done by some artists - a greater challenge is to make consecutive ones of these hanging next to each other - but FIVE?! Unheard of!
The way that this complex Bubble sculpture is made is based on working on a very small scale. Many Bubble artists are used to working on stage, making large Bubble structures for their audience to see. Yet the beauty of this work is in it’s small and incredibly delicate size. And the challenge - can you imagine, is holding the structure up long enough for you to build it before your arm feels like it will fall off! Even though it is so delicate - it is a hugely physical challenge too.
It is a huge accomplishment for us to know that our Dr Zigs new Plant Based Bubble Mix is capable of working at such intricate, delicate scale as well. For us this really was a huge success!
Picture of the Carousels
The World's Largest Exploding Bubble!
And finally the most spectacular record of them all. The LARGEST EXPLODING BUBBLE! This had been held by an Australian couple and was set in 2017 at 41cm. We’re still waiting for confirmation about the final measurement but we’re looking at at least 47cm!! AND this has been created by using our Dr Zigs Eco Bubble Mix. And isn’t this picture just phenomenal?
This is obviously NOT a trick that should be tried by anyone at home with our Bubbles. Of course Pierre-Yves is a highly trained artist and we had great safety equipment to hand. What was interesting in terms of our Dr Zigs Bubble Mix was that a Bubble could hold the required size, whilst being filled with air and gas, and float for long enough for it to be set alight to create this spectacular trick.
This photo really captures the drama, the colour and the size of the Bubble so well. It was absolutely theatrical and a fantastic Guinness World Record for us to finish the day on.
How long does it take to get a Guinness World Record?
Now, it takes around 4 to 6 months for Guinness World Records to be confirmed. There is a fair bit of paperwork to submit, videos, official witness statements and the official photographs. The photographs then have to be submitted with measurements clearly marked on pre-existing markers set out in the room.
How do you enter for a Guinness World Record?
First you have to make an account and enter your details on the Guinness World Records website - then there are two options, you either attempt to break an existing record - OR you have to request to have a new record recognized (for example with the Bubble Carousel) you have to describe the challenge and what you’re trying to achieve. The danger here is that Guinness don’t actually always have experience. I mean - did you know about a Bubble Carousel before you started reading this article?! And so, when they come up with a number that you will have to beat in order to break the record it may seem slightly ludicrous. So FIVE carousels - is a tad optimistic to say the least!! Infact, arguably, alongside Pierre-Yves, there are possibly only 5 other people in the world capable of doing what he achieved.
How do you submit for a Guinness World Records?
When your attempt is agreed by Guinness you will be sent guidelines specific to your record. In the case of a worlds’ biggest, longest, highest etc. you will need to have some form of measurement that this can be validated against. In our case this was having a tape measure clearly set up from the floor to the height of the room, with measurements clearly marked on it, and the 50cm increments highlighted in red, so that they could be easily seen by us, the witnesses present and in each of the photographs.
Do I need witnesses for my World Record?
Most Guinness World Records will require you to have at least one, if not two official witnesses. In this case we had two of the expert scientists from the University of Paris Solid States Physics Laboratory (Laboratoire de Physique des Solides | Université Paris-Saclay)
You can also see our blog post here about our first two Guinness World Records (link please) - on that occasion we needed one official witness, one official timer, PLUS we had the staff, and even the editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records, Craig Glenday, in attendance too - it was some amazing day!
The witnesses will then have to provide statements to the veracity of what happened which will then back up the video and photographic evidence submitted.
On the day of our Guinness World Records we had Marina Pasquet and Emmanuelle Rio from the University of Paris, specialists in the physical properties of Bubbles and their interfaces - I will write more about this in a separate blog post, as it is a fascinating subject. Serge Guichard, professional photographer, Ziggy and myself, both on video cameras. It was a hugely exciting day, with proper tension - wondering if the challenges were too hard for our Bubble Mix.
What makes a great Bubble Mix?
It is unquestionable that the success of the Guinness World Records that we beat was down to the skill, technique and talent of Pierre-Yves. He is a highly skilled and professional Bubble Artist who spends hours upon hours honing his skills - yet our Bubble Mix certainly also played an important role.
In order to build a tower of that size, the Bubbles have to undergo incredible manipulation, tension, pressure, stretching and movement. For some 15 minutes each Bubble has to hold strong whilst more air is added, more Bubbles are added above, and the whole tower sways and wobbles. The forces upon each individual Bubble film are huge.
Seeing movement in the Bubble Film
Whilst watching the Bubbles ‘work’ under the pressure of World Record attempts that Pierre-Yves was putting them through, it was amazing to watch these fluids in motion. Each Bubble was slowly draining into the one below - as you can see here, each Bubble is joined by a perpendicular interface to the Bubble below - the most efficient, minimum surface possible.
Yet seeing this movement and dynamic activity in the Bubble film was hugely reassuring for me as it showed that our Bubble Mix is up to the incredible stresses that such a technical Guinness World Record attempt can put them through.
Collaboration and Partnerships
The success of Dr Zigs and our fantastic Bubble Mix is very much down to the partnerships that we have built over the years. Dr Zigs is all about friendship, inclusivity, and really the good stuff in life - and it is just wonderful and totally fitting that it is through these friendships and collaborations that really incredible things happen.
None of our Guinness World Records would have been possible without wonderful talented people. When we broke our Dr Zigs Guinness World Records in Caernarfon Castle in 2018 it was thanks to 400 members of our local community, together with some fabulous Bubble Artists (including Pierre-Yves! It was the first time we had met). The success of this last weekend was down to Pierre-Yves, working and believing in our Bubble Mix enough to use it for his World Records, and the help from Marina, Emmanuelle, Serge and Ziggy.
To have this endorsement for our new Plant Based Bubble Mix is HUGE.
Celebrating with the Dr Zigs team.
As soon as we had finished, the Records had been broken, the final photos taken - my first job was to call the Dr Zigs team back in North Wales. Their work and perseverance in perfecting our new Plant Based Bubble Mix has been fantastic - and to see the smiles on their faces was absolutely priceless.
Can’t wait to see the smiles on all of your faces too when you get to play with our new Dr Zigs Eco Plant Based Bubble Mix.
https://drzigs.com/products/c5-1l-5-litres
IT’S WORLD RECORD BREAKING BUBBLE MIX
Read more about Pierre-Yves Fusier and his work on his website: https://www.slashbubblesparis.com/
2. Iceland @hrisla.is
3. Malaysia @bubsandfriends.co photo by @littlefeiyedschoo
4. Taiwan @heykiddotw photo by @karinaseckova
THEN… Number 5. Frozen Bubbles!!
Our new absolute FAVOURITE way of Bubbling, growing incredible crystals for epic photos and videos, and making frosty and snowy landscapes even more magical… As you already know, we LOVE it!
6. Flat Pack Launch
Our Flat Pack Launch was also so much fun, we had lots of people testing them out and letting us know what they thought, and we developed this awesome new packaging which makes posting our Bubbles the easiest it’s ever been! Reducing our packaging also makes these Bubbles even more planet-friendly, something we REALLY care about 🌎
7. Coconut Bucket Kits
We also launched our Coconut Bubble Buckets! An absolutely BEAUTIFUL, plastic-free all natural and amazing quality Bubble Toy (and MUCH more), we’ve seen you use them for collecting trinkets, hanging plants, sandcastles, trick or treating, and most recently, feeding Rudolph! We’re so happy to see you loving our products ❤️
8. Croeso Cymreig - a Welsh Welcome
Our latest project revolving around positive change. Spreading messages of positivity and welcome to refugees and asylum seekers arriving in Wales. This year we joined forces with some of the TOP Welsh Businesses to provide each refugee and asylum seeker arriving in Wales with a hamper of our best Welsh goodies.
@croeso.cymreig
9. Superblue
An exhibition of experimental and immersive art. And it’s all about our Bubbles. We are so honoured and grateful that our Bubble Mix was chosen and used for this show. It is an utterly powerful experience, a world filled with beautiful, scented, ephemeral Bubbles. And YOU can visit until Summer 2022!
10. Enjoying Bubbles with YOU
Our favourite part of Dr Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles, is sharing the joy of Bubbles with people all across the world. We love hearing your Bubbling stories, seeing your beautiful Bubbling photos and just enjoying Giant Bubbles every day. Not many people get to call that their job hey?! We've LOVED spending this year with you, and can't wait for a whole new year of Eco, Ethical, FUN with friends ❤️
Wishing you a VERY happy New Year from all of us at Dr Zigs x
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What better to start with than some Bubble Painting?
We made some Christmas Bubble Bunting and we've got some templates to share with you!
For a fun Bubble Painting Kit crafting activity idea, make your own this Christmas Bunting using these printable templates, or draw your own.
Use recycled/scrap paper for the perfect Plastic Free Christmas decorations! Check out our Instagram reel to see a fun Bubble Paint crafting activity day.
You could also use our Bubble Painting Kit to make beautiful Christmas wrapping paper, paper chains or snowflakes or even Christmas cards... The possibilities are endless!
Don't forget to show us your creations by tagging @drzigs on social media, you might even win a Bubbly Prize!
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BUY ONE - GIFT ONE🎁
This is our Dr Zigs Bubbly take on Black Friday.
We're stepping back and giving back! From today until the week before Christmas here at Dr Zigs we will be GIFTING Bubbles.
So, with every purchase you make on our website, you will be giving the gift of a THOUSAND Bubbles and SHARING THE BUBBLE LOVE❤️
We will add some Bubble Mix and Toys until eventually we have some HUGE gorgeous Hampers that will then be gifted this Christmas.
We would like to gift a total of FIVE hampers of Bubbles to:
🌈Alder Hey
🌈Hope House/Ty Gobaith Hospice for Children with life limiting illnesses
🌈Dewi Ward at Ysbyty Gwynedd, or local hospital
🌈The Child Brain Injury Trust
🌈And for a Care Home that we will choose out of you nominations.
With every order you will receive a little 'Thank you for gifting' card for you to hang on your tree.🎄
How cool is this?!
Buy before the 18th of December so we can be sure the Hampers can arrive in time for Christmas!💫
Nominate your care home by commenting on our social media posts!
We are beyond thrilled to have our awesome Giant Bubbles used for the wonder that is Silent Fall at SUPERBLUE. An exhibition of experimental and immersive art. And it’s all about our Bubbles.
It's HUGE.
This is the work by the amazing artist duo A. A. Murakami. Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves.
Set in the very heart of London, by Royal Academy of the Arts, tucked away between The Ritz, The Geographical Society, Fortnum and Mason.
This is an exhibition, this is theatre, this is immersion.
A room, a forest of trees. White arching tree branches holding pods, each pod forming, growing, floating, falling, smoke filled Bubbles. A forest ephemeral, echoed in unseen mirrors drifting into the distance beyond. Each Bubble falling again and again, real, nearby, in reflections.
It is an utterly powerful experience, a world filled with beautiful, scented, ephemeral Bubbles.
The scent. Scents change and drift as you move through the forest of trees, of falling Bubbles. Scents rich, reminiscent of nature yet luscious, scents of forest floor, of woodland, of spiced timbers.
For each visitor a black glove, a glove that transforms your hand, transforms you into a part of the show, a part of the experience. Inviting, allowing and permitting you to play with these ephemeral spheres. With the gloves the Bubbles become something that you can hold, so gentle, so solid. The Bubble film a tight skin, taught, fragile, invisible. You can bounce, you can play, you can balance them on one finger. You are immersed in that moment. Immersed in that individual Bubble that for that instant becomes a part of you, and you and the Bubble a part of the show. Until they suddenly, so gently simply disappear, every Bubble gone in to a puff of smoke. And that too a thing of beauty. The inevitable. The short life of the ephemeral.
It's a show to be seen, to be smelt. To be felt. To fill up the senses.
We are so utterly honoured and grateful that our Dr Zigs Bubble mix has been chosen and used for this show. I am beyond proud of my team, who have worked hard, to tight deadlines and delivered. I have been so moved. It is poetry without words, it is an experience of Bubbles to be imagined.
Go. Go visit. Go wander through the forest. Smell, touch, play. Go see. Tell the world. There is a forest. A forest of Bubbles...
For an virtual immersive experience of this event, you can watch this video below with a VR Headset #occulus or other. There are more of these 3D videos in 180 and 360 shot with the Vuze XR camera
To make your own scented Bubbles using our scented mix, click here.
]]>How's Plastic Free July going for you? have you made any swaps in your daily routines? 😊
One way to help the environment in our day to day lives is by making the conscious effort to buy more eco friendly plastic free toys! There's a whole range of fabulous toys out there all made from sustainably sourced materials!
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How's Plastic Free July going for you? have you made any swaps in your daily routines? 😊
One way to help the environment in our day to day lives is by making the conscious effort to buy more eco friendly plastic free toys! There's a whole range of fabulous toys out there all made from sustainably sourced materials!
Something we're very passionate about and have been working very hard to achieve here in Dr Zigs!
Our organic Coconut Bubble Buckets, Bamboo Straws and Foamers are all made from natural materials and are all BPA and plastic FREE 🤩
Have you been on any adventures with our Coconut Bubble Buckets? We can't leave the house without ours 😅 They have a 100 and 1 uses so they're perfect for taking along on your travels!
Whether you're using it to collect treasures on the beach or foraging in Forest School - it comes in very handy!
Not to mention that it's just the BEST for Bubbling! 😍
We're lucky enough to work with fabulous zero waste stores who stock our Bubbles so we thought we would show our appreciation and give them a shoutout!
🌱 The Zero Waste Stores
🌱 Arlo Organics
🌱Mollys Cotton Tails
🌱Pax Whole Foods Eco Goods
it's business like these that really make a difference in the world. Their Drive and passion for a better more sustainable future is inspirational!
Another exciting chapter in our Dr Zigs Europe journey is that we've just launched with @FAMILYNATION, the leading Italian e-commerce children's store ! This is a super exciting partnership for us, Not only is their branding and engagement amazing but the quality of brands they work with and the eco ethos they all share is just so awesome 💚
It feels so special to be apart of such a huge group of brands that are working towards a greener better future 🌱
Our Bubble adventure continue in VERY sunny Spain we're currently in Catalunya where myself and Ziggy had the absolute pleasure of meeting two of the greatest talents in the world! @Martin_burbujologo is one of the most skilful Bubble artists in the world, his technical ability is just something else. And @pepboucia, who is absolutely legendary. back in the 80s it was Pep who first took Bubbles to the stage!
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The aim was to send a clear message to the G7 delegates that we need to take more action to tackle the climate emergency and rising sea levels.
We truly hope that the leaders take notice and make wise decisions.
We met so many amazing and inspiring people who work tirelessly to make a difference in the world.
#ChangingTheWorldOneBubbleAtATime
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The Dr himself is here to explain how you can create a one of a kind bubbly pumpkin decoration for yourselves at home.
Once you've carved your perfectly spooky pumpkin, make sure you cut out a lid at the top.
Next, you will need to grab yourself a Dr Zigs Bubble Painting Kit, which includes 1 litre of Dr Zigs Ready To Go Bubble Mix, 1 foamer, 100ml of eco friendly paint (random colour), 1 silicone straw and a print out with instructions and tips.
Once you've mixed your paint and bubble mix solution, using the foamer you're going to want to fill your pumpkin with spooky foamy mix!!
You can go as crazy as you want with this bit, you can even give your pumpkin a scary hairdoo!
Head over to the Dr Zigs Website to Download our Halloween and Bonfire Night Alternatives PDF for a full tutorial AND a special discount code!
Be sure to tag us in your SPOOKTACULAR Bubble Pumpkins @drzigs on Instagram to be in with a chance of winning some Halloween treats!
]]>We're passionate here at Dr Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles to try and create bubble toys that are sustainable, stay out of landfill, and have a full product life cycle.
This is also what inspired our 'Bubbles for Hire' Range - the idea that our Bubble toys can be used again and again and again!
Lots more about this, my story and inspiration, and our exciting plans for the future of Dr Zigs, all here on this fantastic podcast.
As you all know, we're passionate here at Dr Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles to try and create bubble toys that are sustainable, stay out of landfill, and have a full life cycle.
We know that our Giant Bubbles are not perfect in terms of Circular Economy - but it IS work in progress - and it is that thought that goes into everything we do. Where does everything we use come from, how long does it last, how is it used by our customers, how can it be re-used, how can it be recycled.
This is also what inspired our 'Bubbles for Hire' Range - the idea that our Bubble toys can be used again and again and again! It's a great concept - and not only does it mean one toy gets multitudes of uses, it also makes good business sense for I retailers, who can buy a kit once, but have a long and multiple income stream for it.
Lots more about this, my story and inspiration, and our exciting plans for the future of Dr Zigs, all here on this fantastic podcast.
Why not give it a book mark and have a listen next time you're out and about in the car, or pop it on in the kitchen when you're next making dinner. I would LOVE to hear your feedback.
Bubble love,
Paola
]]>Amid the challenges of the pandemic, they have been busy preparing for the end of transition so they can continue to spread the joy further from home. As manufacturer and “Bubbler in chief ” Paola Dyboski-Bryant puts it: “As a company, we need to be ready because I want to continue to trade – we have a lovely business and it’s done really well.
“During that first phase of lockdown, the bubbles were a symbol of hope – parents were buying them for children; children were gifting them to grandparents. The interest we’ve had from all over is huge – shipping to Italy, Germany, Holland, Denmark. Preparation will be key to keeping that going.”
Once a kitchen-table start-up inspired by Paola’s youngest son Ziggy, the company is about to launch in South Korea, Australia and soon the US. “We have already registered for VAT in France, Italy and Germany – but I would recommend applying sooner rather than later because it can take several months. It’s also important to sort an EORI number for exports.”
Paola has also had to think about her employees to make sure that they can live and work in the UK after the deadline. “They have all applied for settled status now. As a company, it’s been about encouraging and supporting them through the process.
“As a nation, Britain is so cosmopolitan – people come from every corner of the world to call it home and we really value that. Ultimately, we are an international company working in the UK, and we’re proud to keep that going.”
]]>We're absolutely OVERJOYED to have been featured in 4 of the national newspapers last week! This article was written up in The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Metro, and iNews.
Let’s get going: How firms are taking action to deal with new trade and customs regulations
The UK left the EU in January, and the clock is running down to the end of transition on 31 December. Here’s how firms are taking action to ensure they’re best placed to deal with the new trade and customs regulations.
While the nation put rainbows in their windows and clapped for carers, a bubble factory in the foothills of Snowdonia was busy manufacturing “liquid rainbows”.
Dr Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles has been making eco-friendly giant bubble kits in North Wales for 10 years, and amid the challenges of Covid-19, it has been busy preparing for the end of transition so it can continue to spread the joy further afield.
‘As a company, we need to be ready, because I want to continue to trade – we have a lovely business and it’s done really well,’ says manufacturer and “bubbler-in-chief” Paola Dyboski-Bryant. ‘During that first phase of lockdown, the bubbles were a symbol of hope – parents were buying them for children, children were gifting them to grandparents.
‘The interest we’ve had from all over is huge, shipping to Italy, Germany, Holland, Denmark… Preparation will be key to keeping that going.’
From a kitchen-table start-up inspired by Paola’s youngest son Ziggy, the company is now about to launch in South Korea, Australia and soon the US. ‘We have already registered for VAT in France, Italy and Germany, but I would recommend applying sooner rather than later because it can take several months. It’s also important to sort an EORI [Economic Operators Registration and Identification] number for exports.’ Paola has also had to think about her employees, too, to make sure that they can live and work in the UK after the deadline.
They have now all applied for settled status. As a company, it’s been about encouraging and supporting them through the process. ‘As a nation, Britain is so cosmopolitan – people come from every corner of the world to call it home and we really value that. Ultimately, we are an international company working in the UK, and we are proud to keep that going.’
]]>And the sales surge comes as the company, based on the Vaynol Estate near Bangor, approaches its 10th anniversary.
Bubbler-in-Chief Paola Dyboski-Bryant has big plans for the future – she wants to create a viable, sustainable organisation with a minimal carbon footprint that reflects her own ethics and activism.
A former professional sailor and lighting technician – Paola was the West End’s first female spot operator – she is a campaigner for myriad appeals and charities, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, end-of-life-care, refugees and homelessness.
Raised in Italy, her father was a Polish war refugee who fought for Britain as a Special Operations Executive agent and championed the values of humanity and selflessness.
That attitude and drive has carried Paola and Dr Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles from a kitchen table in Tregarth to every corner of the world, and the best is yet to come.
“We will be launching in the United States soon and have just done so in Australia and South Korea, but my main focus is on being an innovative business that does things differently, and in a much more ethical way, with a huge focus on the circular economy,” said the mum-of-three, who lives in Llanberis with lecturer husband, Daniel.
“We manufacture bubbles, but they are not just toys, there is an important message and they genuinely make a difference to people’s lives.
"That was certainly the case in lockdown; we had so much feedback from families of children with disabilities, or people who had been blowing bubbles for elderly neighbours, gifting them for friends and family, or just using them to keep little children entertained when they needed it most.
“Sales went through the roof, but the most rewarding factor was knowing they had made people happy at such a difficult time.”
Employing five staff and inspired by her youngest son, Ziggy – who would erupt in fits of giggles when treated to a bubble display – the company is now focused on eradicating plastic from all packaging and processes.
“I’m aiming for a circular economy model, I want us to be as sustainable possible,” said Paola.
“We are working with a firm in Thailand to introduce sustainable rubber wood, and a community farm in Vietnam.
“Replacing our buckets with coconuts is another option, and in a couple of weeks we will be delivering bubbles overseas via a sailboat, a completely carbon-neutral shipment.
“At present people send the bottles back to us and we refill them in exchange for a discount voucher, so we are constantly recycling, and encouraging re-use but it’s not enough.”
Paola is always thinking bigger, and more importantly, better. Especially for the environment.
“From the moment I sat down and started making the bubbles, all these different mixtures that led to different scents and senses, I knew Dr Zigs was going to be special,” she said.
“I had £20 worth of stickers and bottles and never looked back, but it’s not all been down to me, I have a brilliant team who have worked so hard, particularly in past months.”
]]>This is Thomas.
Thomas, like so many thousands of children and adults like him, are part of the many ‘unseen’ of our society. People, and their families, who we have not designed our world to include. Excluded through simple practicalities that we all take for granted. Like a step (that needs a ramp). A doorway (that needs to be foot wider). Like that very basic of human need – toilets (Changing Places), and so much more. And it is a catch 22 situation. There is little provision, because people don’t ‘see’ the need, and whilst we don’t see people like Thomas, we forget/don’t think/don’t remember to think of provision, and whilst there is no provision it is far too epic an achievement to simply get out of the house.
Last week, when we were doing a photoshoot to try and push diversity on our creatives and packaging, we got in touch with Thomas and his mum to see if they could come and take part. It was wonderful when they said yes, and we were lucky to be able to offer an outdoor accessible, socially distanced venue and photoshoot.
Thomas has PMLD – Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties.
I’ve known Thomas for several years, since I first met him at @Hope House, the children’s hospice (maybe one of the most joyous, happy, life affirming places in the world, please do give them a follow!) When we first met I was doing a workshop for six or so children, all of them with life limiting conditions, and Thomas was also there with his mum and dad and sister visiting for some respite care. I remember turning around at one point, in this busy room full of bubbles, to see Thomas’ sister Emily covering him in mountains and mountains of soft bubble foam, with both of them laughing away under the clouds of bubbles! It was the loveliest moment, seeing that just by using bubbles, these two were playing together and ‘messing around’ like any other siblings.
Since then Thomas has become part of our Dr Zigs family, he’s been to see us several times, he’s been put IN bubbles, he’s product tested our Sensory Kit, tried our different scented mixes, and he’s even moved me to tears when his mum send me a video where he had learnt to use his eye gaze technology (against all odds and the advice of the ‘experts’) to ask his mum to make bubbles, again and again and again.
Now Thomas means so much to me and to Dr Zigs, not just because of this story, but also because he seriously LOVES bubbles. No other person I have ever met has such great giggles when they see bubbles. And seeing Thomas always, without fail, makes me feel happy.
When it came to having Thomas on our packaging and creatives, part of me didn’t really want to mention the fact that he is disabled, or differently abled. I would just like Thomas to be there, and his smile alone to represent our bubbles.
Yet chatting with his mum, and reading something the disability advocate @JoannaGrace wrote, made me learn and realise, that actually mentioning Thomas, the fact that he has PMLD, and simply for him to be SEEN, is really and importantly what I need to be doing.
So when it comes to Thomas’ beautiful smiling photos on our Bubbles lets use this as a learning opportunity. Thomas has Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. He needs Changing Places. He needs provision. AND he is the most lovable, giggly, happy little bubbler I have ever met in my life.
Find out more about Thomas and PMLD by following ‘Riding on a Star’ (https://ridingonastar201295083.wordpress.com/) and find out more about the valiant work behind achieving national rights and standards by following @Joanna Grace (http://www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk/) here.
Join the @ChangingPlaces campaign http://www.changing-places.org/
Share the PMLD Standards here: http://www.pmldlink.org.uk/
And do take a moment to follow @TyGobaith, @HopeHouse too. You will be inspired.
#giantbubbles #pmld #hopehouse #childrenshospice #shielding #drzigs #bethechange #makingtheunseenseen #humanrights #disabilityrights #productshoot #photoshoot #brandcreatives #brandimage #madeinuk #bubbles #ecotoys #ecoethicalfun
All pictures by the talented https://www.lucydevereux.co.uk/
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USE THE CODE= ''BUBBLEREFILL'' AT THE CHECKOUT FOR £3 OFF YOUR NEXT ORDER!
We are hugely overjoyed to let you know that we are now officially able to offer REFILLS here at Dr Zigs and at our retailers! Just bring your bottle to us or take your empty bottle to one of our participating retailers and get it filled up.
More bubbles, less waste, less cost! SO EXCITING!!
This offer will now also complement our Celebration Kits and our In-A-Bubble Kits which are available for HIRE! This concept means that one bubble kit can be used hundreds of times to make zillions of bubbles – and it’s means it’s cheaper for you and offers a good return for the business too. Circular Economy in action 😊
We are looking for shops to come on board – so if you know any zero waste shops that would be interested in stocking our bubbles and participating in this FAB new business model please let us know!
This offer is currently only available at participating retailers. Details of our these and all our other stockists can be found on our website.
And to celebrate? Here’s a clip from our Guinness World Record for the most people making Giant Bubbles together using our bubble kits. I think that’s pretty close to a zillion bubbles? What do you think?
#giantbubbles #zerowaste #ecotoys #ethicalbusiness #circulareconomy #helenmcarthurfoundation #toyswithadifference #reusereducerecycle #bethechange #madeinbritain
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