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Firstly, thanks Jackie for making available this wonderful site....Now to my question....I have just started my first project, a simple bowl made from stripping a balloon....after just two layers I just couldn't wait to burst my balloon, so I did that and was very surprised how sturdy it was with just two layers. But I had a dissapointment also...MY SURFACE LOOKS LIKE A LANDSCAPE WITH MANY HILLS AND VALLEYS....Maybe I didn't layer the strips correctly??....Maybe I made my strips too wide?? Maybe I didn't overlap the strips enough? Maybe this can be corrected with pulp? Or, maybe a few coats of GESSO would do the job...How can I make my project more smoothe?? By the way I got an unexpected benefit from bursting my balloon early...I was able to peek inside and find that some areas were not covered as well as others....i.e. I could see daylight in some places. Any help would be welcome of course.
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Hello Bert and thanks for your comments.
It sounds like you didn't smooth each paper strip down thoroughly enough. Did you paste both sides? I know not everyone does, but I find it helps to get the paper really saturated. You need to spend a bit of time on each piece. If you find it difficult to cover evenly, you may find it helpful to use slightly different coloured paper for each layer.
I think you have been lucky with your two layers being sturdy. Your problem will come when you try to put more layers on. The moisture from the new paper will soak through to the dried ones and make them soggy, and without their support (i.e. balloon) the whole thing is liable to collapse! This will apply to painting it also.
I think maybe you should put this one down to experience? Next time hide the pins! 
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Thanks for your help Jackie. Yes, I prob. should have waited but I think I have luck on my side. I only put one layer on at a time and then let dry over-night before applying next layer. I put on third layer today withtout balloon with no support problems. I think if I stick with one layer a day I won't have problems. I was also able to reach inside form and press out some creases by applying my thumb to the outside while holding a finger in the inside at the same place. This worked miracles for me. I was going to try and apply some heat but I think there will be no need for that now. I found that the bottom of the form was not flat so that it would not stand like I wanted so I placed a full glass of water to stand inside the form and now the bowl sits squarely on the table.
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