Looking for mer-teaching supplies

[AniaR]

Hey folks! I have a contract with a local museum in March. I am trying to track down some items to use but I am having a hard time finding some online, and nothing local.

I thought I'd post here and there might be a chance that other people may have seen things, or might be better at online searching than I am.

I am looking for a BIG version (like the ones used for teaching, the really big ones) of the Baby Beluga book. I can only get the super tiny board book. I'll settle for the normal paperback if I have to... but if I can get the big book it be best.

Also looking for a beluga PUPPET. I found two online. One it out of stock through folkmanis, the other is only sold wholesale. :/

If I can't find a puppet I am going to go for a plushie that looks good/realistic, and is NOT made through sea world. (dont wanna give em money) if I can't find one I'll settle for a beluga figurine.

Also, I'm looking for large shells to add to my collection for my nature boxes. Right now I can only get them from Micheal and they charge us 40$ a bag for assorted broken shells :( If anyone knows of a place to buy shells cheaper so I can add maybe like an abalone and other things that be cool.

ALSO... fake star fish? that seem real? I feel bad using dried/dead ones now :(

[Miyu]

http://www.sealifegifts.net/ is where I got my big, heavy lion's paw shells for mine and Michelle's tops - they are pretty inexpensive, and way more "sturdy" than I though they would be for that price. They offer a LOT of different "specimens", and they even have an "environmental note" page letting you know where they get their supplies from.

Perhaps one of the mers on here who play with resin/silicone would make you some starfishes? :D I've seen some lovely faux sea life in the forums somewhere...

I just did a search for Beluga puppets, how the heck are there so few??!? Belugas are one of my favorites, I may just have to track down some plushie fur and make my own... It even looks like a lot of the nice plushies online have been discontinued or are out of stock! :eyepop:

[AniaR]

I would commission a beluga puppet from you (or anyone!) if it could be done by march honest to goodness! I really want a baby beluga segment I can do with younger kids!

[Miyu]

Hmm, let me see what I can find really quickly... Plushies are small and shouldn't take too much time - I've created patterns for and sewn several costumes in one week before, so a plushie could definitely be doable by March if I can find the right material/pattern and get the fabric shipped out soon :)

[Miyu]

I think a Beluga puppet would be quite doable... The main deciding factor on cost will be what quality/type of faux fur you'd like it to be made of. I'll work on finding some various furs I think would look nice on a beluga plush, feel free to PM me or email me if you'd like! I love making plushies, I just have no pictures of the ones I've made, LOL :p

[Mermaid Galene]

There are some decent looking plush belugas on amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Republic-Cuddlekins-Beluga-Whale/dp/B00705ZCQK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421621019&sr=8-1&keywords=plush+beluga+whale). It's really easy to turn a plushie into a puppet. You just cut a hand sized hole in the neck of the animal and remove a small amount of stuffing from the head so there's room to stick a hand in. Sew a little pocket into that hole for your hand, then sew a little flap of white material over the bottom of the animal. You then have an outside pocket to hold your hand on, and an inside pocket to get you inside the head. You could do all this in under an hour - Boom! Instant puppet. Folks in our puppetry guild used to do that sort of thing a lot.

[AniaR]

you are grossly overestimating my ability to cut and sew Galene hehehehe ;)

[Miyu]

Heehee, that's how I got started making puppets as well :) My mom always got onto me for turning my dolls into puppets and purses, LOL!

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

Luma Jaguar makes starfish out of silicone that look pretty nice on her etsy shop.

[MerShellly]

The Shell Factory might work --> https://shellfactory.com/shop/index.php/shells.html Most of their shells are small, but they have a wide variety of them. They also sell starfish, although I'm not sure if they're real or fake.

[SeaGlass Siren]

This is as large as i could find the book. found it on the Indigo website. (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/baby-beluga/9780517583623-item.html?ikwid=baby+beluga&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=1)

Format:Trade Paperback
Dimensions:32 pages, 6.98 × 9.08 × 0.13 in
Published:March 17, 1992
Publisher:Random House Children's Books

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:ISBN - 10: 0517583623
ISBN - 13: 9780517583623


The smallest ones are 6 by 5.

[SeaGlass Siren]

there's also this book (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/baby-beluga-a-musical-revue/9781423477051-item.html?ikwid=baby+beluga&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=3) and it comes with a CD i think but it looks like it includes other songs.
Format:Trade Paperback
Dimensions:48 pages, 11 × 8.5 × 0.34 in
Published:January 1, 2013
Publisher:Hal Leonard
Language:English

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:ISBN - 10: 1423477057
ISBN - 13: 9781423477051

Format:Hardcover
Dimensions:7.24 × 9.19 × 0.37 in
Published:March 1, 1992
Publisher:Rebound by Sagebrush
Language:English

And here's one more (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/baby-beluga/9780833586117-item.html?ikwid=baby+beluga&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=4) but this one doesn't have a review on it.
The following ISBNs are associated with this title:ISBN - 10: 0833586114
ISBN - 13: 9780833586117

[Mermaid Galene]

you are grossly overestimating my ability to cut and sew Galene hehehehe ;)

Ahh, point taken. Now, if you had a dog, you could just throw the plushie on the floor, the doggie would rip a hole and pull out the stuffing for you, and there you go! But your sweet Charlie would more likely drag it to a corner, kill it neatly, and then give it to you as a gift. No help there. :thinks:

[MerShellly]

Ahh, point taken. Now, if you had a dog, you could just throw the plushie on the floor, the doggie would rip a hole and pull out the stuffing for you, and there you go! But your sweet Charlie would more likely drag it to a corner, kill it neatly, and then give it to you as a gift. No help there. :thinks:
hahahaha!:rotfl:cute!

[MermaidBrandie]

I could make you a small silicone starfish if you wanted, Raina?


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