Blow up 12 balloons so that they measure about 1 ½" in diameter. They will be small so push the air down to the bottom of the balloon leaving a long end to tie the balloon off. Tie the balloon. Put a small amount of shortening on your hands and rub each balloon to lightly to coat the outside of the balloons, and rub off any excess with a paper towel. If there is too much, the gelatin won't stick very well, but a light coat makes it easier to release the balloons from the gelatin bubbles. Tape the balloons to the end of bamboo skewers. Add powdered gelatin, water and a small amount of blue luster powder to a small bowl. You want just a hint of color so that you can see the skull through the gelatin. Stir and let sit for about 5 minutes to bloom. Microwave for 10 seconds to melt the gelatin. Add a drop or two of orange extract and then roll each balloon in the gelatin mixture and let excess drip back into the bowl. Stick the bamboo skewers into a piece of Styrofoam or into tall glasses where it can drip and air dry, but ensure they do not touch. Repeat with each balloon, reheating the gelatin a few seconds if the gelatin thickens. While the gelatin balloons are still wet, spray the outside with white and purple luster powder to add marbling of colors. Note: I used a combination of these products from Wilton to create the variation of color in the Crystal Balls. The star glitter was added to sanding sugar to coat the cookie base.
Add a fan to help speed up drying. Once the first layer of gelatin has dried a bit, it will still be tacky and rubbery, reheat the gelatin and dip each balloon again for second coat of gelatin. (Make a new batch of gelatin if needed) Let dry completely, usually overnight. It may not seem like enough gelatin is coating the balloons, but it is and the gelatin will be rigid and hard once completely dry.
Gently pull up on bamboo skewer to break a little opening to the bottom of the gelatin. Then push the skewer into the balloon to loosen the balloon from the inside top of the gelatin globe, then snip a small hole to pop the balloon. Use the skewer end with the balloon attached to work the balloon down the inside of the gelatin, alternating between pushing the balloon down and pulling it up through the hole to release it from the gelatin. Once the balloon releases, use scissors to trim the bottom of the globe.