TRIBUTES have been flooding in for award-winning businesswoman Julie Barnes who has died aged 59 after battling breast cancer.

She leaves behind husband Richard, daughters Gemma and Becky, aged 30 and 26, and grandchildren Zach, Leo and Evelyn.

Her family have been flooded with tributes since her death last week.

Mrs Barnes worked in sales selling forklift trucks but, in 1995, she set up a firm with her husband selling balloons catering for weddings, parties and other events.

Her husband said: "She just wanted to to be creative, she was always very artistic and just wanted to do something like that."

The pair set up their first store, Balloon Decor, at the precinct at Over Hulton in 1995, before moving to bigger premises in Moss Bank Way in 2001, when they also began to sell fancy dress outfits.

Mr Barnes, aged 63, said his wife had a number of celebrity clients including comedian Peter Kay, who bought the balloons used in his 2003 show Live at the Bolton Albert Halls from the store.

The businesswoman became well known in the industry after winning the balloon decorator of the year award in 2000 at the International Party and Halloween Show, at the NEC in Birmingham.

She also became a television regular, often being invited onto Granada TV and appearing twice on the Generation Game with Jim Davidson to showcase her skills.

Mrs Barnes regularly created balloon displays showcased around Bolton, in the Market Place and Crompton Place shopping centres, often at Easter and Christmas time.

Among her celebrity clients were Wayne Rooney, having contributed arrangements for his son's birthday, former Wanderers goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen for his testimonial match, and Bolton actress Sammy Winward.

The couple left retail in 2008 and moved on to form White Knights Ltd, a firm which sharing her skills and training others in balloon and party arrangements.

She battled cancer for the first time in 2010 and was given the all clear, only for it to return last October.

Mr Barnes said: "She always used to cheer people up in hospital, and was definitely a glass half full kind of person. She took anything on, she just got on with it."

His daughter Becky added: "We have had so many messages from people who she had helped, lots of people knew her through weddings and parties.

"She always put others first ahead of herself."

Mrs Barnes' funeral will be held at St Vincent's Church in Over Hulton at 10am on Wednesday, followed by a service at Overdale crematorium.

Her family have asked that people wear a "token of pink and bling" in her memory.