Fun house! Telford children's entertainer Louie Croston shares her story

Around four years ago she left her job in a police control room to embark on a completely different and more colourful career.

Now her days are full of smiles and laughter as she enjoys face-painting, balloon modelling and being a glitter tattoo artist.

"I love my job because it's fun and I'm making people happy. The thing I love the most is that it's so different from my job at the police which was always very serious and I meant I was always in an office.

"Now I get to meet different people every day and throw glitter at them. When I see a child smile because of something I've done, it really melts my heart," the 41-year-old tells us.

Her creative work is popular with children and adults alike and she regularly finds herself in great demand at events and parties across Shropshire and further afield.

It all started when cutbacks meant she needed a change of direction after 11 years working in West Mercia Police's Shrewsbury control room.

"My husband bought a commercial bouncy castle from eBay for our children. He suggested that if I got the necessary insurance, I could hire it out. Then he got two more so we had three and I started my business Fantasy Castles.

"While I could do all of the admin and marketing, I needed his help to set it up so I decided to learn face-painting. I hadn't realised what a big demand there was for face-painting and it really took off.

"About two and half-years ago I decided to learn how to do balloon modelling which is also a big crowd pleaser," explains Louie, who lives with her husband Patrick and children eight-year-old Jayden and six-year-old Abigail in Telford.

The first face-painting course she attended was run by Rainbow Faces in Newport. Louie, who can now paint between 10 and 15 faces an hour, says learning the skills took some practice.

"People always say to me 'you must be very artistic'. I did enjoy art but I found face-painting very difficult when I first started. For a start it's not a flat surface and every face is a different shape.

"It's also always moving so I have to be very careful because I have a sharp, pointy brush and I don't want to poke anyone in the eye," she said.

Face-painting has changed during the past two decades and Louie says the trends are always changing meaning she has to stay on top of the latest technquies and styles.

"Twenty years ago, it would be the whole face that was painted. But as a parent you don't want to be washing it all off later and when a child has an ice cream 10 minutes later, it smudges around the mouth and it's ruined.

"Now it's more about painting the forehead and around the eyes. It's a lot more artistic and delicate. We use stencils and add gems, glitter and feathers to add texture.

"This means we always need to know the new techniques and I go on a lot of courses to stay on top of my game," says Louie, who has an OCN level 2 accreditation, the equivalent of a GCSE, in face-painting.

Unicorn and princess faces are popular with young girls at the moment while boys tend to opt for superhero or Minecraft inspired designs.

Older girls like the designs that are full of bling thanks to gems and glitter and these are also a hit with adults.

"The courses teach you the basics like blending and doing teardrops so you can do thick and thin lines. They also teach you about composition and focal points on the face.

"Then it's just practice. I find YouTube very useful as a lot of artists put tutorials on there and will break the different stages down.

"I think it's important to learn the latest trends and not become complacent. It's the same with the balloon modelling," says Louie.

She can make 20 to 25 balloon models an hour and finds they have universal appeal. Popular designs in her range include Dave the Alien and Albert the Penguin and Louie says she also enjoys making them the most.

"Everybody likes balloons. We can't use face-paints on under-threes but balloons are good for any age along as little ones are supervised.

"When I first started, I did find it hard, i would watch videos on YouTube and they would be so quick. You have to have a good memory so you remember each of the different steps.

"I tend to chat when I do face-painting but not so much when balloon modelling because I'm going through the steps in my head. Sometimes the balloons do pop but you tend to know when it's going to happen," says Louie, who has around 2,500 balloons to use for her models in her kit.

The children's entertainment industry is a close knit community, she tells us. "Although we're competitors, everyone gets on really well, it's like a big family. Everyone is genuinely friendly and helpful. It's a nice industry to be in," adds Louie.

But the job does come with some challenges as it involves working at the weekends and keeping on top of paperwork and practising techniques during the week. "It can be physically demanding, i'm working seven days a week really. And if I am at events then there may be no time to drink, eat or go to the toilet. It can be pressurised when you have 30 to 40 people in line waiting for you and you're trying to go as fast as you can.

"But I think the good points definitely outweigh the bad. I really love my job," explains Louie.

There have been many memorable moments for her during the past four years but one that particularly stands out was a charity event for Telford youngster Liam Finazzi, who has been battling a rare form of leukaemia.

"I was told he really liked penguins so I made him a balloon penguin and his little face lit up - it was amazing. It such a heart-warming experience," says Louie.

*For further information see www.fantasycastles.co.uk