Silicone tail take two - a starry mermaid

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Hi everyone,
I've got the tailmaking bug again, and I've finally designed a tail that I'm absolutely in love with, so I have decided to once again take the plunge!
This is my original tail making thread: http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?8001-Mermaid-Kate-Silverfin-s-Silicone-tail-journey
I learned so much from making my first tail, and I think I'm ready to make an even better one. My original silicone tail was cast very thick, which makes getting it on and off difficult, and very heavy! I did make the fluke relatively light, which I plan to do again. With Pearlie's permission, I will be using the individual scale method this time, as I love the seamless look and I think it will work very well with my tail design. I love the colours purple, blue and aqua, and because I have 'Silverfin' in my name, of course there is going to be silver! I'll be going for spots instead of stripes this time (I plan to paint those on later) and an evening night sky theme. Being a geologist, I was also inspired by several minerals, primarily this beautiful piece of labradorite (which I have now bought).
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This is my tail design:
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I was inspired by both Finfolk and Merbella's flukes, as I love the simplicity and shape of them, however I have put my own twist on them and combined the flukes I love to get my design. It is also an evolution of my previous fluke, as it shares the overall shape. The fluke is going to be rather large (big enough to fit my Leaderfins fibreglass monofin) and quite wide (I love wider, more dolphin proportioned fins). I also plan to add several additional fins at the heels and hips, and perhaps a dorsal.
This is going to be a fairly long term project as I work full time, another reason why the individual scales will work better this time.
My scale design is diamond shaped, like my last tail, however this time I have made them much wider and the point much rounder. I made a mould of my initial scale sculpts last night, which I hope has turned out alright (if you've read my previous tailmaking adventure, you will know fiberglass and I don't see eye to eye). I hope to demould later tonight!

[MerQueen Nerissa]

We're almost going to be tail twins! The color scheme for the tail I'm working on is very similar. I love your fluke design!

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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Cool :) I'd love to see someone else's take on it! Tail twins from across the seas :)


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I just had a look at your thread, and I'm worried my scales may be too similar to yours... I'll show you a picture first, to make sure you're okay with it, I don't want to copy!


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[Mermaid Alea]

I just went through your first silicone tail making thread. On the last page you said the paint was peeling off. Did you ever figure out why it was doing that? Your topic was very inspirational purple is my favorite color so it is cool to see people make purple tails! Good luck with this second silicone tail!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Unfortunately, I haven't figured that out. My best guess is that because I swam in chlorine in it before its final coats of paint, it may have affected the ability of the new silicone to bond with it. The first coats of paint that I did by hand are still fine, it's the later coats done with an airbrush that have been affected. I saw on another thread a comment from Pearlie saying that cleaning it with dawn dish washing detergent and rubbing alcohol allows new silicone to bond better, so I am going to try that when I buy more silicone. I'll update that thread if I find anything out!
Thank you :)

[MerEmma]

Which Leaderfins model do you have for it?

Lovely design, though! I love labrodorite, and the fluke ridges I think will look great with the design you've chosen. <3

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I bought the finswimmer model, as it doesn't have the ridges like other monofins and it is also the most affordable fibreglass monofin for me in Australia (taking into account shipping). Haven't had a chance to test it yet, only arrived Monday and I've been too sick to swim :(
Thanks, it's my favourite mineral :) I just bought two necklaces of it (I couldn't choose between them) and also bought a polished 1kg sample in a market the other month, so you could say I like it a lot :p
Thanks! I've opted against doing extended parts off the edge of the fluke this time, as they were awful to line up correctly last time.

[Mer-Crazy]

We ARE gonna be tail twins. Same colour scheme different designs. My tail was actually named the starry night tail by raven too haha. Both in Australia too the odds lol.

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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Oh wow, I love your tail Mer-Crazy! It's gorgeous! I think mine is going to be mainly purple rather than blue, and a very different fluke. But with the gorgeous night skies here in Australia, how can we not be inspired? Are you okay with me making a tail like this? I don't want to offend...


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[Mer-Crazy]

Oh wow, I love your tail Mer-Crazy! It's gorgeous! I think mine is going to be mainly purple rather than blue, and a very different fluke. But with the gorgeous night skies here in Australia, how can we not be inspired? Are you okay with me making a tail like this? I don't want to offend...


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Oh purple sounds so cool ^_^ I love the sound of it in purple. I also get what you mean by the skies, it's where my concept came from haha. And of course I'm okay with it ^_^ I'd love to see both Starry Night tails at MerQuest. It'll be epic.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Awesome :) We shall have to get lots of photos with both tails together!

[Mermaid Kelda]

We'll be tail triplets ;D my Pealie tail is purple & blue, and influenced by space and crystals. We'll have to swim together one day, the three of us!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Most definitely!! I thought your Pearlie tail would be much darker blues, from your original design, but I love how it is turning out! I especially love the fluke you've designed, it's gorgeous!

[Mermaid Kelda]

The fluke is going to be quite dark, but yeah, it's changed course a few times since I ordered it. I'm super happy with how it's progressing!
Your fluke is gorgeous, too! :D

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Well that is the magic of individual scale tails, you can just rearrange the scales to exactly how you want! I love how customisable they are!
Aww thanks :)

[PearlieMae]

This is going to be lovely! Of course purple is my favorite, and LAbradorite is one of my favorite stones! The indigenous people of Labrador say that it's the Northern Lights captured in stone, and other legend says that Labradorite is a window into the Otherworld...as is Opal, which was to original nickname I had for Kelda's tail. Now, the working name I have for Kelda's tail is the 'galaxy tail'!

I can't wait to watch your progress! And, as always, test your ideas first!

Good luck!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Ooh, that is a lovely description for the stone :)
Yep, so much testing to do! Pearl-ex is on the way, although I've been eyeing off other pigments too. Do you know whether tin oxide inhibits cure Pearlie? All the good ones have that in them :(
Thank you! :)


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[Yulia]

They do, tin oxide is not silicone's friend.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Darn, I thought as much :S


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[PearlieMae]

Mica is your safest bet. http://www.dickblick.com/products/jacquard-pearl-ex-pigments/

Also, I WANT THAT PURPLE LABRADORITE OF YOURS.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Yeah, I've got pearl-ex on the way, but I really want a really nice navy blue.
Isn't it gorgeous?? There's lots of gorgeous loose labradorite stones on etsy that are surprisingly cheap!


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[PearlieMae]

Add Pearl Ex carbon black to True Blue.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Great, thank you. I bought both of those colours, so there are many experiments to come!


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Okay, so I pulled both of my moulds and they're now clean. Weird thing is one of them has turned out perfect, whereas the other has these weird lumps of air (not bubbles, weird cone shaped lumps) that have affected every scale on that mould sheet :( So now I'm resculpting all of those scales. I really need to get a pasta machine, rolling the clay out by hand is a pain!
In other news, my pearl-ex has shipped and I also bought glitter from Spotlight yesterday. I didn't get all the colours I would have liked, so I'll be doing a bit more shopping for some darker glitters. Also only a couple more days until I can do some test pours of silicone (fibreglass has a 7 day off gassing period)! I'll also test alfoil as a base then.
Here are a few more colour inspirations:
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http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/30/eceaf17f28416eba227d0a57621326a7.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/30/50c494cb97b41dab9d4dd74d8449dac1.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/30/373d6536e3ece20fac4c53e9f4783c9a.jpg

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Also, here is my scale design! I hope the detail shows up in the casts.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/30/9e617c9f116809abf386b957521e265a.jpg

[Mermaid Kelda]

That's an attractive scale!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks :)

[AnnaAbyss]

Oh yay I can't wait to see another tail made by you! Your first tailmaking adventure was great. :D

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Aww, thanks ^_^
Bought some more glitter, I have quite a collection now!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/30/e01cd834009bf394b5eeed3fb11c985e.jpg

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

First few test scales have been poured! I've made a few different kinds with assorted glitter and colours that were left over from my previous tail. I also put a little bit of silicone on some alfoil to test whether it will interfere with it curing (reasoning in Wesley's tail making thread).
I've been unsuccessful in finding an affordable pasta maker at the shops today, but I've done decently without it so far although it would make it a lot easier!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Oh my gosh, I'm in love!
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The casts came out perfectly! So many pretty scales!
The silicone I put on the alfoil cured perfectly too, so I will make my large fibreglass moulds on that so I can peel it away easily.

[Mermaid Kelda]

:O_o: They're stunning! Congrats!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I finally found a pasta maker at a reasonable price! It makes everything so much easier, I don't need to worry about uneven scales now. But now I have a small dilemma, do I scrap the moulds I already have and make new ones (so that the scale thickness is as consistent as possible), or try to cast everything the same thickness? The perfectionist in me says to redo both moulds, especially since the first ones are both weirdly shaped (I panicked a bit when the fiberglass was uneven and spilling, so I propped one side of the mould up, forgetting that the fiberglass heats and would warp the clay) and cause the casts to vary in thickness wildly. I think I will sculpt new scales, even though it will be a lot more work, just for the ease of casting later.
I have also cast some more test scales, I'll take pictures when I get home! I'm still trying to figure out which combinations of colours and glitters I like, and I'll have to do more testing with my other pigments when they get here (grr no tracked shipping, so no idea when they will arrive). I like so many of the glitters when they are not in the scales, but when they are cast, not so much.

[Mermaid Alea]

That is so beautiful! :swoon:

I wish there was like a college art class I could take where all we did was learn how to make a silicone mermaid tail and then make mermaid tails. Then my scholarship would cover the cost of the tail(s) since it is part of the class haha.

Okay so here is a question I have been thinking about - So I read something in one topic about not putting certain things in the silicone because it can start cutting open the silicone - I think rhinestones were one of those things you can't put in the silicone? Anyways so the glitter is perfectly fine to put in the silicone then? I guess it is since a lot of mers do it but I was just wanting to ask to be sure.

I think I like scale #1 & #6.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I wish too! My degree is actually completely unrelated to art, I just love sculpting and creating things :)
I remember a merperson on here made a latex tail for an art project at uni, it was purple and black if I remember correctly. I can't for the life of me remember their username!

Yes, if you use glitter that is too big or other large items that are less flexible than the silicone, the scales are likely to rip. The tiny glitter is fine, but I'm going to be putting the scales with larger glitter through some serious testing before I use them. I'm hoping they'll be fine! I'll post what I find out :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Found them, it was Exdraghunt who made that tail (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?t=7282)

[WaterDragon]

Delphine also made a tail for a school project:

http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?3569-Project-Delphine-A-Silicone-Tail&highlight=delphine

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Oh cool, I hadn't seen that thread!

[Mermaid Kelda]

I remember a merman on here made a latex tail for an art project at uni, it was purple and black if I remember correctly. I can't for the life of me remember his username!

Found him, it was Exdraghunt who made that tail (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?t=7282)
Just a heads up, Exdraghunt prefers gender-neutral pronouns :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Oh, I'm so sorry, thank you for telling me! I will change that right away!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

More scales!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/02/04d3e0f2de68fbf51a476c860edf4f46.jpg

[PearlieMae]

Oooh! Very pretty! How thick are your scales? It's hard to tell how big they are. :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Each of the squares in the background is an inch squared. The scales vary in thickness (a byproduct of the uneven sculpts and varying amounts of silicone used). Some are 1mm thick, all the way to 3mm. I'm not sure how thick to make them, I think 1.5-2mm is what I'm going to aim for.
On the chunky glitter, it seems to be mostly fine, but when the scale is stretched to the extreme, it does create pockets where the glitter doesn't stretch. It doesn't seem to affect the overall strength of the scale unless the glitter is close to the edge, so just to be sure I'll probably limit it to places with not too much stretch.

[PearlieMae]

Ah, thanks!

I found that with chunky glitter, it will cut its way out of the scales :( Now I limit my use of the chunky stuff to places that don't need to stretch or flex very much, like the upper part of my fluke.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

It's so pretty though, I hope I can make it work. Testing testing testing! :)

[MermaidAine]

This is going to be so pretty. Your color scheme is very close to what I want. I love blue and purple. Opal, Labadorite and Moonstone are my favorite stones, and I love anything that GLITTERS!

[WaterDragon]

Oh cool, I hadn't seen that thread!

the Delphine tail was the big tail project going on when I joined the site :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I poured my new mould for my main scale size today! It looks like it doesn't have the weird bubbling issue of the other mould, so I'm hopeful this one has turned out properly :) I have to wait a week before I can use it though, gah polyester resin...

[Mermaid Jessica Pearl]

Looking pretty :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks :)
Finally went for a swim this evening with my new fin, I've been sick the last two weeks since I got it. I'm not sure if I like it or not. Most of the difference is in how you kick, previously with my Hydra, you had to use your whole body to get anywhere, whereas the slightest flick of this fin is enough to propel you. Once I got used to that, it was much easier, but I also am a bit meh about the foot pockets. The heel strap is not as stretchy as I would like and very thick, which makes it hard to get over your heel. The thickness also means it digs into the side of my ankle, which is awkward. I also feel like the blade doesn't bend evenly, almost as if one side is stiffer than the other. This just may be because I'm kicking harder with one leg than the other, I'm not sure. I'm not going to give up on it just yet, I'm hoping it will grow on me!
In other news, I demoulded my new scale mould, and it looks perfect! I'm so happy with it :)
Now I just have to be patient and wait another 6 days till I can use it!
I'm debating whether to make another mould with a few larger and smaller scales, in case I need to fill in gaps, but I really think they might just look awkward. Thoughts?

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

More progress!
I was trying to come up with ideas for fins, I'm aiming for heel fins, pectoral fins and a dorsal. Then I noticed this armour set in one of my favourite computer games, Warframe:
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(For those interested, it is a free game, and this frame is Chroma with the Iliac armour set)
I like the shape of the shoulder fins, so this is my more mermaid-y interpretation:
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I'm planning on using these as my pectoral fins, and two sets of them as my heel fins. I'll hopefully get to cast them tomorrow night!

[SeaGlass Siren]

More scales!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/02/04d3e0f2de68fbf51a476c860edf4f46.jpg


KYAH!!! OH MY GAH THEY LOOK LIKE RAINBOWFISH SCALES!! :swoon:

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

^_^ Thanks!

[Mermaid Wesley]

oooh

[OceanWhisper]

More scales!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/02/04d3e0f2de68fbf51a476c860edf4f46.jpg
THEY'RE SO SPARKLY!!! :swoon: *grabby hands*

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you both! When I first started mermaiding, I didn't like lots of glitter, now I can't stop buying the stuff... Need shinies! I've now got navy blue, black, teal and opal white glitters. I've found some ultra fine glitters that are the same colours as the chunky glitter, so I think I'll mainly use those with a small amount of the chunkier stuff. I've been putting one of the scales with chunky glitter through hell, and so long as the glitter is not near the edge or surface, it seems to stay in okay. It's really a shame because the large glitter looks so cool. I might add a few scales here and there with it, but I think sticking with the smaller stuff will ensure the longevity of the tail.

[Raayvhen]

Why wasn't I following this thread before?! Those scales are amazing!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you! :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Finally made some more progress! Cast my fins this evening, I've been so exhausted after work the last couple of days that I've only just got around to it. The mould is looking good so far!
I also went for a swim today, and I've made friends with my new monofin, yay! I've found I need to move in a completely different way compared to my hydra. Now that I've worked out the best way to swim, it's much easier, although the foot straps are still a bit awkward.
On a bit of a side note, I also made a breakthrough that I'm super proud of. I've always had trouble equalising pressure with one of my ears (so much so that if I have several plane flights within a couple of days, it won't equalise the second time and I'm practically crying in pain), and so I've never been able to swim very deep. Today however, I managed to get it to equalise well using the swallowing method (the other two don't work for me underwater) and spent ages at the bottom of the 3.5 metre dive pool! I've now got it to where I equalise without even thinking about it! I know this isn't really a huge thing, but to me it is, I felt so free finally not having to worry about going too deep! :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I've just demoulded my fin mould, and something strange has happened... The entire thing is warped quite a bit, which is really odd! I'm hoping that I'll still be able to use it, I'll have to test how it goes. My love-hate affair with fibreglass continues! :(

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I've just ordered my silicone, but got a bit of a nasty shock. The prices of the distributor near me have gone wayyy up as their supplier increased their prices a lot. This makes it now $900 for two gallons :( I've ordered from them anyway, as I did investigate shipping services to import it myself, but it worked out at only about $100 cheaper (and then I have to stress about it leaking/shipping charges etc). Plus, supporting local business is also good.
I'm also still waiting on my pearl-ex. I have no idea how long it will take or where it is, I don't have a tracking number :( Here's hoping the mail fairies will bring it to me this afternoon!
In the meantime, I'll just use the leftover silicone and pearl ex from my last tail, it should get me by until the new items arrive!

[PaolaMF]

the color of your scales are incredible, you've mixed with silicone? glitter, and that type of pigment you added?
thank you

[MermaidSandie]

Your scales look absolutely beautiful! Glitter often looks tacky, but it looks amazing here! Can't wait to see the finished tail!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks :)
I mixed pearl ex pigments and glitter into the silicone.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Poured more scales with my new glitter! Still experimenting, but here's some so far:
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Iridescent purple
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Iridescent turquoise
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Iridescent black
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Metallic lilac
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Iridescent white
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Holographic purple
I love how they're turning out, these are just end members (one glitter colour only), now I'm going to combine them for maximum sparkles!

[anceos]

Your scales are so beautifull that i will certainly go that way in the future... Thanks for inspiration... ;)

[Mermaid Julianne]

I love both the purples, both iridescent and holographic.

[OceanWhisper]

Beautiful!!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Aww thank you guys ^_^

[Seraphina Suds]

So pretty!! Very night sky!

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[PaolaMF]

what kind of glue and glue brand you used to paste the powermesh the monofin?
thank you

[Rett]

Awesome work! Looks amazing so far! Love those scales!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you! Can't wait for my blue pigments to arrive, I have so many plans!
Paola, I haven't stuck the powermesh to the monofin yet, I'm still in the very early stages. Last time I just used super glue, but I'm not sure if it will work this time.

[PaolaMF]

if Kate, I was referring to his last mermaid tail.
thank you very much for responding.

[Keiris]

Kate those scales are GORGEOUS!!!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Keiris :)
Good news, my pigments have finally arrived :D I've still got a fair bit of leftover silicone, so I'll make some more tests before my new silicone comes on Thursday :)
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/14/fa50d5e8c336c379475b399ec38522ed.jpg
Some of the colours are completely different from what I was expecting, for example the green (which I am using for a top) is much brighter than the picture on the website, I was looking for a more forest green colour... Ah well, just means I have some mixing to do!

[Keiris]

[QUOTE=Mermaid Kate Silverfin;197881]Thanks Keiris :)
Good news, my pigments have finally arrived :D I've still got a fair bit of leftover silicone, so I'll make some more tests before my new silicone comes on Thursday :)
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/14/fa50d5e8c336c379475b399ec38522ed.jpg
Some of the colours are completely different from what I was expecting, for example the green (which I am using for a top) is much brighter than the picture on the website, I was looking for a more forest green colour... Ah well, just means I have some mixing to do![/QUOTE

That will be fun to play with! Look at all those pigments!!!

[Mermaid Lilium]

This is looking amazing! Purple tails ftw <3

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks :) And yeah, I thought about other colours, but I just love purple too much...
Blue scales! Not too sure about the turquoise, I'm not sure it fits with the theme of the tail, but it does add a nice accent when mixed :)
30584

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

All the new scales laid out :)
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/16/a455fbf3c7ec3f591cde5dfaeac22964.jpg
Sorry about the rubbish pictures guys, tapatalk only seems to give me an option of rubbish or basically a couple of giant pixels :( I'll try to get some better (and not giant) photos uploaded soon (dropbox links don't seem to work).

[MermaidAine]

I love those colors!


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks :)
Silicone has arrived :D I'm hoping to set up a work table inside one of our spare rooms so that the cold weather doesn't inhibit the cure (I can only make scales in the evenings, and it gets very cold very fast these days). Plus it means I don't have to freeze and be eaten by mosquitoes... Only problem is I have to make sure the cats don't get in, as one of them is completely obsessed with silicone, not to mention getting cat hair everywhere :p

[Mermaid Isabel]

those scales!!!!!!! just wow! they're stunning!!!! :D

[PearlieMae]

Thanks :)
Silicone has arrived :D I'm hoping to set up a work table inside one of our spare rooms so that the cold weather doesn't inhibit the cure (I can only make scales in the evenings, and it gets very cold very fast these days). Plus it means I don't have to freeze and be eaten by mosquitoes... Only problem is I have to make sure the cats don't get in, as one of them is completely obsessed with silicone, not to mention getting cat hair everywhere :p

The cold just makes them cure slower...you can cure silicone in the freezer - eventually. But yeah, even in its liquid form, the silicone holds on to its static charge and you can see floating cat hair being DRAWN to the silicone! (I have three cats)

My opinion is that cat hair in the silicone actually strengthens it. ;)

That's my story and I'm sticking with it!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks! :)
I just find it makes it a lot more viscous, which makes it a lot harder to deal with, especially with such small moulds. Keeping it warmer makes it flow much nicer, although it does shorten the working time (any tips on dealing with that?).
I know right?? I'm constantly picking cat hair out of the silicone, and as soon as I clean it off, it's back! I have two, one of my kitties has strange fur where only the tip is coloured with a white base, so no matter what colour you wear (or use) it always shows up!
Yep, they are just donating to the cause!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Pulled some darker scales:
https://scontent-sin1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10995490_10152978908067194_2942656332723105654_n.j pg?oh=61215be14d0441d59ae503276d82fe3a&oe=562E76F8
Not a huge fan of the dark silver ones, but I do like the dark blue and purple. I still haven't decided how I want the back of the tail to look, suggestions are welcome! Currently I'm thinking mixed dark blue and purple scales.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Tried laying out most of the scales I have made so far to get an idea of the overall transitions:
30761
So happy with how they have turned out! :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I need some help from you all! I'm still not certain about my fluke shape, I want it to be a bit fantasy and yet still practical. I also don't really want to cut my monofin, as I don't want to introduce any weaknesses. These are some of my sketches that I like so far:
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I am also aware that my first fluke sketch is somewhat similar to Finfolk's recently added fluke, and I don't want to be seen to copy. While I do really like this design, is it too similar?
I would love some feedback and suggestions, and even alternate designs if you would like, and wouldn't mind me potentially using it. Here is my monofin (on top of my old tail fluke) for reference. Thanks in advance!
30768

[Aysun_the_Mermaid]

I am pretty sure that as long as it is for a personal tail and not for one that is being sold, people don't mind similarities as much as far as shape.
To a point.

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[Yulia]

I'd say look at finfolks lotus fluke, and redraw your "lotus fluke" so it is similar but different enough. I.e make a new version of it.
And well yes since it is for your personal use I don't think people will look at it's similarity that much. But now I think it's a bit too close. (it's up to you in the end though)

[Seatan]

I don't think it is too close. That is a VERY simple design and a lot of people have similar ones. Now if you were copying small details then sure, but there are only so many shapes a fluke can take (with a monofin inside) and that one is one I have seen before, and I don't mean from Finfolk. Like the two prong, I've seen that sort of layered V look in many designs. I'd say you're good! :)

[Mermaid Jessica Pearl]

I like the second one and I think it is sufficiently different to the Lotus :) Will probably be a tiny bit more water dynamic too.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you all for your honesty. I have tried redrawing the fluke shape many times, but I just keep coming back to the lotus-like design (it's stuck in my head, gah). I don't want to be seen as that person who copied. When I look at the two designs side by side, I do see differences, for example my fluke is a lot wider and has less of a cut inwards to accommodate my monofin, and I have less fin rays, but if people look at it and go, 'that's a Finfolk fluke' then it feels like copying. Lots to think about, thank you all!

[Mermaid Wesley]

I think its fine, personally.

[Seatan]

I think its fine, personally.

^ agreed 100% Don't worry about it--just make your tail like you want it! It's not like you took one of their flukes and made a mold from it. That really is a basic design. In fact, I didn't even think 'Finfolk' at all when I saw it, and I love Finfolk. :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Seavanna and Wesley :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Sorry for a lack of updates this week, life has kind of got in the way. Designed some more flukes, I'm really not 100% happy with any of them, and still no idea which one I really want. Opinions?
30906

[Yulia]

Ooh, my favorite is the first one in the middle row, then first on first row.

[Mermaid Jessica Pearl]

Middle first row too. Sorry I haven't had a chance to sketch you anything yet. Haven't sat down at my desk all week :(

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks guys :)
All good Jess, I know you're busy! I've just been experimenting with different shapes and styles :)

[PaolaMF]

glitter is magic !! :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

More progress! Cast some scales for the belly in varying shades of light blue. Some of the blends didn't quite work out right, but I'm perfecting my process still. Strangely though the silicone went slightly odd in appearance (kind of pitted almost, it's really hard to describe) which I think may be because of the way I used the glitter in this batch.
30985
I also made up way too much silicone (I'm using one of the 1kg kits I have and getting the right amount out can be interesting at times) and so I cast a fin :) I really like how it turned out!
30986

[Mermaid Alea]

My favorite fluke is the middle one in the last row. The first one has a neat shape too thought.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

More belly scales! These ones have a very subtle gradient of lighter blue at the tips to darker at the base.
31025
I also tried colouring one of the fluke shapes I designed, I think it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself!
31027

[Yulia]

LOVE THE FLUKE <3

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Yulia :)
I think I will go with this one, it looks good with the colour gradient :) Lots of sculpting ahead!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

More scales, these ones will be the transition between the blue and purple sections. I've laid them out in two ways, one with the scale edges touching, and the other with space between the scales. I'm not sure which I like best yet!
31152
31153

[OceanWhisper]

They look amazing!! :mermaid kiss:

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Lots more scales made :) Getting there slowly but surely!
31537
31538

[Princess Kae-Leah]

Pretty scales

[Mermaid Jessica Pearl]

Very very very pretty.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks :)

[MermaidBrandie]

Loving this whole thread :)


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[AnnaAbyss]

Kate I am absolutely drooling over all the scales! Sooo beautiful!!!!

[PearlieMae]

that is some really nice work!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you Coyote, Anna and Pearlie! It's really hard to photograph them, especially getting the colour right. They look even better in person :)
Lots more scales to go! I've been going a bit faster with scale production lately as I've finally got an indoor workspace set up so I can pour scales without being eaten by mosquitoes, freezing or having bugs dive bomb into my silicone. Plus the scales tend to cure a lot faster! Only problem is now I get two kitties on the other side of the door howling to be allowed in the room... Not going to happen with wet silicone around!!
I haven't been pinning them on a dummy yet as my weight is going a bit strange with med changes at the moment, so it's going to be a while before everything stabilises and I can be comfortable that the tail will fit!

[PaolaMF]

i love the colors !!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Paola :)
Update time!
I have made lots more scales, I'm now up to the darker purple of the sides to back. I'm still working out exactly what I want to do with the back of the tail, currently I'm thinking of fading to very dark purple and blue scales. Still sketching out ideas!
I've also refined my fluke design to the point where I am happy with it, and I think it's perfect for me :) It will be quite large though, given I don't want to cut my monofin! So, here is my fluke! Excuse the scrappy colouring in :p
31868

[Mermaid Wesley]

I like big flukes and I cannot lie~


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Yup :p
I'm making good progress with the sculpting, the pasta maker and clay extruder make it so much easier! I also made four batches of scales yesterday, so lots of progress :D

[Mermaid Amelia]

Good work Kate! I'm dying to see how this turns out xx

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[PaolaMF]

wooow i love the fluke design !!1

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Amelia and Paola :)
Progress on the fluke! Main sections all made, just need the details added!
32088

[Mermaid Andrina]

That fluke! *passes out*:hail:

[Mermaid Wesley]

Looks great!


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Andrina and Wesley :)
I still have to get the fluke symmetrical (first pass was based on an outline of my monofin, turns out it is slightly asymmetric) and I may redo the curvy bits at the bottom as I'm not entirely happy with them yet. Getting there though!
In other news, I also made two new scale moulds so I can produce more scales at a time, and also smaller scales. I'm hoping the fibreglass is kind to me this time!

[Mermaid Caspiana]

Can't wait to see how this turns out. :)

[OceanWhisper]

awesome sculpt! this is gonna be great :D

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Caspiana and OceanWhisper :)
Update time! I haven't been making all that much progress of late as I've been feeling really sick. I pulled the clay off of the moulds I made last week, and again had the weird problem of one of the moulds warping significantly, so I can probably only use two of the scales on that particular one. It's so weird, both were made at the same time, with the same resin, under the same conditions, and one is completely fine while the other is warped :S Why fibreglass gods, why??? Anyway, luckily the mould of the smaller scales turned out perfectly, so I can make those for the transition of the body to the fluke.
I've been doing a lot of thinking about my fluke, and I've come to the realisation that it was just too big as it was (when I photoshopped it onto myself, it made the body of the tail look really short and fat). So I've kept the same design, but made it smaller, so I'll have to cut down my monofin, which scares me quite a bit. Does anyone have any tips on this, for instance what kind of jigsaw blade to use? I'm going to do a straight cut across, as although I could make the tips of the fins stiffer by leaving them longer and cutting a more 'mermaid' shape, but I've heard way too many stories of fibreglass monofins breaking down the middle because of the redistribution of stress and weight of the silicone. I'm hoping to avoid this by cutting straight across about 7cm off the base. I've pretty much gotten to the same part in the new fluke sculpt as I could mostly just cut down the original one, and now I am much happier with the size. I also bought a new clay tool that should make detailing the fluke much easier and neater, so that should help speed things along!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Base layer of the fluke done and some of the ridges in place! So hard to make sure it is perfectly symmetrical! I ended up taking pictures and using the SketchBookX app to flip a copy of the image over itself so I could see where they didn't line up. Tedious, but I think it will be worth it in the end!
32441

[AnnaAbyss]

You've done a really good job with getting the sculpt symmetrical! Or at least from what I can see. Can't wait to see the tail when it's completed. :D

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Anna :)
More progress! I just have all of the veining to finish now! I'm hoping to head to the fibreglass supply store tomorrow after work to buy some new resin, and then I'll be able to cast it once the veins are all done.
32457

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

The veins are now ¾ done, and I've bought new casting materials! I'm hoping to be able to cast it this weekend, but that is very dependent on the weather! After talking with Prairie Mermaid Jamie, I think at least some of my problems with the resin that I had already were because it was runnier than usual, and now, quite old too. Given this is the largest and most time consuming sculpt, I want the mould to succeed, so I bought all new polyester resin, matting (going to give that a try instead of the fabric) and catalyst. Expensive, but I think it will be worth it!
On that note, if anyone wants me to do a tutorial (video or pictures, not sure) on the mould making process, let me know!

[MermaidBrandie]

A video would be fantastic, please


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Okay, I'll try to sort something out! It won't be terribly high resolution video though because I don't want to damage my good camera, though I'll make sure it will get the point across!

[PearlieMae]

Always test a small prototype, first!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Of course Pearlie! :)

[PearlieMae]

It's my mantra.

:meditation:

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

And it's a good one! Testing has saved me several times already! :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Fluke sculpt is finished! And it is pretty much perfectly symmetrical :D
32571
The plan is to make a mould of it tomorrow, but that is highly weather dependant, as polyester resin is super fussy about temperature and humidity. Here's hoping its less wet and windy than today!

[Hollydell]

That looks AMAZING!!!! i cant wait to see it molded!

[OceanWhisper]

Awesome Kate! This is gonna rock! :D

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks everyone :)
Good news!!! My mould turned out pretty much perfect! I am so happy!! I filmed nearly all of it (more than enough to show the process, I just couldn't take my camera off with resin all over my gloves), so I will be putting up a video tutorial soon once I edit it all! I must say at the outset though, the camera doesn't point directly at what I'm doing a lot of the time because I pretty much created a head mount for my camera out of duct tape :p

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Mould is almost clean!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/02/54daa5f9ec609bec2b406c849a09111a.jpg
I have the first part of the tutorial done which I will try to upload tonight, though because of our terrible upload speed in Australia it is going to take about 5 hours :/ Here's hoping it works!

[Hollydell]

That looks so awesome!!!!!!!!! Im so excited !!!!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Part one of the tutorial: Safety, materials and how to apply the gelcoat! Part two will be uploaded and posted here when finished! :) Any feedback is super appreciated!

https://youtu.be/EuVGcY3Ms1I
(Note: I mention acetone for cleaning brushes, which I don't do personally, be aware that acetone eats into cured silicone and will inhibit the cure of fresh silicone, so again I wouldn't recommend it)

[AnnaAbyss]

Oh my gosh Kate it's fantastic!!! :swoon:

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Anna!
I'll try to get part two of the tutorial finished this weekend, but computer issues are slowing me down :( May or may not have broken my computer trying to update it :/

[OceanWhisper]

This is exciting!! :cheerleader:

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks OceanWhisper :)
Part two of the tutorial is now finished! This part shows how to apply the polyester resin and matting, and some tips on de-moulding!

https://youtu.be/TMmUANOl05Y

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Lots more scales ready to go! It's hard to see how many are in there, I think there is about eighty or more! I have four more containers like this full of different coloured scales. I think I'm almost ready to start pinning! Hopefully the bulk order of pins I bought arrives soon so I can get started :D
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/12/0f8058690a22b22d2abd59b5b268599e.jpg

[PearlieMae]

My favorite color! Can't wait!

[Vrindavana Starfish]

How have I not seen this thread before? Subscribing! I love the scales - the colors are so beautiful.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Pearlie: it's my favourite too! I'm probably going to go a shade darker for around the dorsal, mixed with some dark blues, but overall dominantly purple :)
Thanks Vrindavana :)

[Mermaid Amelia]

Oooh nice!

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[Dancing Fish]

Yay, purple scales! I always loved playing with my box of scales, once I had a bunch to sort and arrange. :) (So did my daughter.)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Amelia and Dancing Fish!
My pins arrived! It's silly that an entire set of pins online (480 pins) cost less than one wheel (40 pins) in Australia, especially because the quality seems the same...
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/15/3c0472251ebb31f3b9cc0d0a5b463c3e.jpg
Anyway, I now have 1460 pins, so I can get to pinning my scales :D

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Update time!
My packing tape dummy is all made (I checked that silicone would cure against it first)!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/09/5082e536ac668c3f9a307a023d2e9980.jpg
And here it is with the fluke outline on top!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/09/e586d56f97da29901040bbaa3b5c4cbd.jpg
I've also been busy making some scales to match my skin colour to blend the waist, and some dark purple scales for around the dorsal (I think I'll put some dark blue ones in there too). So much pinning to do!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I have the powermesh sleeve all done now (sewing it with a machine was horrible) and have started pinning! Here it is so far! I really love the scales with the pale blue tips and purple centres, they really pop! I've also realised that I need a lot more of the blue scales than I thought, so it will be back to pouring those for a while and pinning the darker scales in the meantime.
I'm also wondering how tight the powermesh should be on the dummy; I don't want to compress the stuffing, but I also don't want wrinkles... Thoughts?
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/12/4c90e55dc30777d39613180bf228ad21.jpg

[MermaidBrandie]

I would say quite snug but I've only made scaled arm brackets like this before.

Its looking good!

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[Mermaid Jessica Pearl]

Gorgeous

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[PearlieMae]

Don't worry about wrinkles...they will be embedded in the silicone. Any folds in the fabric will be undetectable, and will help strengthen the foundation you're building your scales on. :D

[Ariel-Starfish]

Omg so pretty!! :o

[Madison MerFaerie]

WOW! That looks GORGEOUS!!!!!

[Ashton]

love it

[PaolaMF]

Amazing !!!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you everyone, and thanks for the advice Pearlie and Coyote!

[Mermaid Wesley]

Looks good!


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[OceanWhisper]

This looks awesome so far!

[Ashe]

Beautiful colors and scale shape :D I love diamond scales so much!

[Luna Dreamtide]

So pretty! Beautiful job Kate Silverfin!! The scale shape and the colours are lovely.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks everyone :)
Gosh I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've updated this thread! Now that I'm back home and my Secret Santa gift is made, it's full steam ahead with this! I've made lots of new scales, I severely underestimated how many I would need originally! Right now I'm still concentrating on the front and working on colour transitions, but I've also been doing some experiments with how dark I want the area around the dorsal, with pretty cool results. I love the interference pigments so much, they give the scales an amazing amount of depth!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/10/003073d4ec8b7f5caade9df198d0501e.jpg

[Luna Dreamtide]

Those look lovely. Now I know I will be using the interference pigments. They certainly have a gorgeous effect. :)

[Ophelia Finn]

This is the method I will be making my tail with. It's wonderful to see it in progress. I can't wait to see the finished product, even in its current state it looks stunning! Can you still apply paint over these kind of scales to add additional details?

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Leina, they are awesome! The colours I have here aren't purely the interference pigments, just to avoid confusion! I've mixed the normal and interference colours. :)
Tailspin, thank you! Yes you could paint on them with more silicone, but then you lose most of the detail in the sculpt and the depth effect you get with allowing a bit of translucency. Plus you'd be talking about hand painting several thousand scales individually! I've deliberately mixed my colours carefully so that I don't have to paint the scales :) I know Finfolk for their individual scale tails airbrush the whole tail after it is assembled, like you would for a scale sheet, but you can't get ultra detailed that way without hand painting (that I know of anyway).

[Ophelia Finn]

Ah thank you, good to know it's still possible although you are right all those scales would take a huge amount of time! Fun you should mention Finfolk as it's their style of painting the tips which I was actually thinking of for my own scales. I'd like to make a tail without needing any additional paint but I'm not sure how you would achieve the neat distinction between the two colours :P

[Mermaid Alea]

I love the colors you are using soo much! I bet this tail will really glow out in the sun.

[Ashton]

I love the colors, the shape of your scales remind me of a dragon!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Actually, getting the colours separate is super easy, it's getting them to blend that is hard! Just put the colour you want on the tips just in the tip area (use a pop stick or syringe) and fill the rest in with the other colour. And voilà, scale tipping!
Thanks Alea, I hope so!
Ashton, I've always thought of myself as a quite dragon-y Mer so that is a big compliment :) Thank you!

[Mermaid Andrina]

Those scales are AMAZING!

[Mermaid Alea]

That is actually good to hear because I was thinking if I ever did the individual scale method I was thinking I would want to have colors separate so that each scale was made of a few colors swirled.

[Keiris]

They are just gorgeous, Kate! You're really making good progress!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Andrina and Keiris :)

[Mermaid Stardust]

When do you think it will be finished? Can't wait to see the final product!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Probably not for a while still, I would rather take my time and make it just how I want it. Plus working full time doesn't leave me all that much free time!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

More pinning done! I'm much more happy with the colour transitions now!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/12/07bb77562445a7d40162339067707da3.jpg

[Luna Dreamtide]

More pinning done! I'm much more happy with the colour transitions now!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/12/07bb77562445a7d40162339067707da3.jpg
That's gorgeous! The colour transition is lovely and I love the shimmery iridescence of your scales.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you :)

[Mermaid Alea]

Oh wow!!! :swoon: You are definitely doing a good job on the transition! I love how silvery that light blue is.

I have a question: When you make a scale, do you then put a thin topcoat of silicone over it to make it slick or does it come out of the mold slick?

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you! :)
My scales don't have a topcoat on, I did try it on a couple and it lost the detail of the sculpt. They come out of the mould relatively shiny (the resin helps with that, if you use something like plaster, it's a far less glossy finish).

[Mermaid Alea]

Okay thank you that makes sense. :)

[Adalira]

That's Beautiful! Well done! You are making so much progress! Can't wait to see the finished result :-)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Adalira :)
More progress! I did a lot of pinning this evening and realised if I was keeping the palest blue that thick it would push the purple out a lot, so I pulled it in to be a lot narrower. Much happier with it now! It means I have a lot of palest blue scales left over, but I'll just use them in a top and/or bracers. Cat (my assistant) for scale!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/15/2e6fb021fe6e510aa852ed237ae3eb3b.jpg

[AnnaAbyss]

Oh my god. That is so dreamy!!!!! *Fangirling*

[Ophelia Finn]

Oh my god. That is so dreamy!!!!! *Fangirling*

I'm with you! It looks so realistic. Uber jealous mer over here!! ^_^

[Dancing Fish]

SO pretty! I'm sorta wishing I'd made mine purple, too... :) This is beautiful!

[LouLouBelle]

Those colours are just stunning. I really love the effect of the individual scales. Can't wait to see this progress!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you everyone :)
I'm a little stuck on a dorsal design, I'm finding it hard to get it to match with the rest of the tail but still have the look I want... I'm going to just start sculpting it and see how it goes! I find things sort of evolve as I sculpt them anyway.

[Hydra1337]

Your tail looks beyond gorgeous so far. I'm eager to see the finished product. :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Hydra :)
So a lot has happened this week, and I haven't been able to work on my tail. First off, I've been very sick again, but at least now I know why, although not the underlying cause. Hopefully I'll find out when I see the specialist next month.
The biggest thing though is that we got broken into while we were home asleep, and they took some of my jewellery and underwater camera. My partner chased them off, and the house is now more secure, but I don't feel safe in my own home any more. I can't sleep properly and I hate being home alone now. The police were super kind, and did manage to get most of my things back, but there's still some jewellery missing that was gifted to me and quite special. So I haven't been feeling up to doing more on this. I hope to make more progress this weekend though.

[Mermaid Alea]

I'm sorry your house was broken into and they stole some things. I also hope you get better soon. :hug:

[Hydra1337]

Wow...I can't find the appropriate words to express how sorry I am about you being sick and for having your place broken into. I'm glad you and your partner are okay though. I know too many people that weren't as lucky to not get hurt (or worse).

I know how you feel about losing jewelry with sentimental value... A few years ago my fiance and I invited someone we thought was a friend into our home (which we rarely did because we lived in an area crawling with thieves among other things). He stole my engagement ring (which I took off to help cook dinner) and sold it to a pawn shop that had it scrapped before I even realized what happened. I tend to lose things easily so I assumed
it was the fault of my own stupidity until I got a tip from a good friend.

I hope you end up seeing the rest of your jewelry though and needless to say get lots of rest and eat a buttload of chicken noodle soup (or do whatever makes you feel better). :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Alea and Hydra *hugs*
Yeah, the fact that we and our cats aren't hurt is the main thing, and I'm so grateful for that!
Oh Hydra, that's awful, I'm so sorry that happened to you. :(

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I took Wesley's advice and got myself a clothes rack so I can hang my tail vertically while I work on it. It works so well, it's much easier to pin scales, no more pins and needles because I'm awkwardly sitting on the floor!
More progress shots!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/15/cac36e61410dc93e4432008e55a30680.jpg

[PearlieMae]

Look how gorgeous!

[Seraphina Suds]

Wow!

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[Meemerdd]

This is gorgeous work!!!

[Calizaire]

:eyepop::eyepop: Awesome!!!

[Hydra1337]

I can't wait to the finished product.

[Mermaid Wesley]

yay! im glad i could help. i dont know what i would do without the rack tbh. its looking really nice!

[Ashton]

oOOoooOOOooOOOoooOOOO!

[Mermaid Alea]

I can't get over how pretty this tail is! I really love the scale shape!

[Mermaid Julianne]

SO PRETTY 😍

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[Mermaid Clara]

More progress shots!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/15/cac36e61410dc93e4432008e55a30680.jpg

I'm like in love with your tail!


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you everyone :)
Wesley, I know right! Now I'm panicking much less that my rows are crooked (I can finally look at the whole thing and check) and I can do the back without worrying that I'm going to squish the front scales out of place. It's only rated for 10kg though, so I'm hoping it will hold with all of the scales on!

[PearlieMae]

My tail, with fin and everything was only 25 pounds (22 is 10 kg, yes?), so I think you'll be alright!

[Mermaid Wesley]

34680

I'm more worried about my hanger..... Lol


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[Mermaid Lily_Pad]

LOL awe that poor hanger! I'm thinking duct tape. Lots and lots of duct tape.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

That's good to know Pearlie! My monofin is pretty heavy and I haven't stuffed the dummy with the lightest materials so mine will probably be a bit heavier :/
Oh dear Wesley, just think of it as a challenge - get the body done before the hangar breaks!
I made loops of tape for mine then tied it to the stand using cord, it seems to work pretty well and I can adjust it if need be.

[Hydra1337]

34680

I'm more worried about my hanger..... Lol


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Zip ties fix everything.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

A bit more progress made! I had to lay the tail back on the floor as the tape kept letting go under the weight :( I think it is mainly the weight of the monofin doing it, so I'm trying to get the base of the tail done so that I can take the monofin out, and then hang it back up again to do the back of the tail.
The smaller scales near the base of the tail are just placeholders at the moment, they will be the same general colour as they are now but I'm not happy with all of them and the colour blends, so I'll be casting new ones soon.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/06/f2f6ff81897e01bc685e502325821402.jpg

[Alexander Buratti]

Your Tail is Beautiful ❤❤

[Luna Dreamtide]

Beautiful!! Looking really good!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you Alexander and Leina :)

[Adalira]

It looks beautiful! Great job so far!

[The Green Mermaid]

Wow! Im doing a similar method while making my tail our scales look very similar it is nice to know that the detail does get captured!

[Hydra1337]

I was just thinking about your tail last night before bed! lol. I'm loving the progress.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you all :)

[Alexander Buratti]

⌒.⌒😊😊😊😊

[Ashton]

It definitely is coming along beautifully.

[AnnaAbyss]

So in love with this I can't even tell you!!!!!

[Keiris]

WOW! It's going to be lovely Kate!!!

[Merman Arion]

It´s beautiful! I love the scales! :D

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Aww thank you all :)
I've poured more scales, but the silicone is being difficult in this weather. It is very warm and the silicone starts setting up in the cups before I can get it all in the moulds! I might do some more this evening when it is a bit cooler.

[Luna Dreamtide]

I hope you can get it working ok. That'd be annoying loosing silicone like that.


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Oh it's not too bad, it's just when I'm getting to the last few scales on my mould sheet that it's getting really goopy, and can be a little hard to get it to go into the mould properly! I don't have an aircon in that room so I can't cool it down unfortunately. I don't really waste the silicone, it just makes it a lot harder to work with!

[PearlieMae]

Make smaller batches.

[Theobromine]

What Pearlie said. Also, put some of it in the freezer to keep it from setting up before you can use it (I do this if I need to mix up a lot but know that it will take me a while to use it all, like if I have to put it in a bunch of smaller molds or something rather than pouring it all in one big one. I'll mix it up but then stick half of it in the freezer until I need it. Freezing keeps it from curing, but as soon as it warms back it will cure just fine).

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks guys, if it doesn't cool down soon I'll start doing that. My batches are pretty small already (generally 70g of silicone or less) it's just I think the way that I make my scales is slightly over complicated and so it takes me a while to get them done. I'm getting there though! :)

[Dancing Fish]

WOW, it's really coming out lovely!

[PaolaMF]

the silicone fluke is finish ?

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Dancing Fish!
No Paola, I've finished the mould but I haven't cast it yet. I'm waiting until I have the tail body done so that I can match the colours perfectly as I'm still casting new scales.

[Mermaid Keena]

Its looking gorgeous! Totally following to see how it turns out =D so far - amazing <3

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Keena!
Time to start work on this again! I've gotten back from holiday now, and I'll be working on my tail a lot more.
I've changed how I'm going to do the tail skin to fluke transition (again) as the weight of the monofin was too much for the tape to hold it up. So now I've replaced the actual monofin with a cardboard mock-up so it is much lighter and hopefully won't break the tape. This way I don't have to rush and get the transition area done first, which is good as I'm worried about colour matching with the fluke properly.
I've also started experimenting with spots on some scales I wasn't completely happy with, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they turn out.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

More scales poured and trimmed!
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160321/4e0f75094acfe6c3774398f33f06598a.jpg
I'm setting myself a deadline of my birthday in July, just so I have a goal! I've been battling with a lot of health issues again so it's been a bit slow going. I'm getting there though!

[Mermaid Keena]

Oh! I hope you're feeling better!! I love your scales! <3

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[Mermaid Lilium]

Hope you feel better soon <3 those scales are gorgeous btw!

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