Mernorahs - Mermaid Menorahs (And other mermaid themed holiday stuff!)

[Ciriun]

So this kind of came up in another topic, and since I was the chief instigator I thought it only prudent of me to make a topic for it so it wouldn't die off or steal a largely unrelated topic.

Basically, a Mernorah would be a menorah (or Hanukiah) in the shape of a mermaid fluke. Technically any sort of candle holder could be designed like this, but since it was based off a mention of mermaid tails being used as Christmas trees, menorahs were what came to mind.

So let's hear everyone's ideas of what a mernorah would look like, how one might go about making one, or any other holiday paraphernalia that can be mermaided. Christmas tail trees, Easter merbunnies, Bring your Teddy Merbear to Work Day (Oct 10 apparently), anything you can think of!

[Keiris]

Probably like most people here at one time or another, I decorated my whole place for Christmas a couple years ago in an underwater theme. ALL artwork, windowcoverings, rugs pillows, slipcovers, tabletop were done in shades of the ocean. I had a 9 ft tree in a beautiful shimmery turquoise shade (artificial) with turquoise lights. I ran a couple strands of gold lights to illuminate the center and decorated it with my large collection of mermaids, mermen, fish, starfish octopi, et. and put shimmering coral branches through it.

It's a favorite theme, of course, but I alternate it every few years.

Ciriun, you got my mind stuck on creating this Mernorah for you now!
:eye twitch:

[stellar lee]

For a mernorah, I wouldn't go with a traditional curved shape, instead, I'd look at designing it around the hard edge of a competitor monofin, to keep the shape swimmable. The candles would come off of the competitor perpendicularly, and translucent silicone flames would hold underwater LED lights with on/off buttons (like light up "ice"cubes for beverages).

[SeaGlass Siren]

Oh man I want to do something for a mermaid Chinese New Year now :0

[Celaeno]

Oh man I want to do something for a mermaid Chinese New Year now :0

Red envelopes full of sunken treasure?

[MermaidRachelNola]

lol as a Jewish Mer I really want to try this now!

[SeaGlass Siren]

Red envelopes full of sunken treasure?

gold dubloons.

and on the red packet a gold clam shell. or a mermaid covered in pearls.

[Echidna]

Oh man I want to do something for a mermaid Chinese New Year now :0

Well, I have a 4m long red dragon costume.
And it only takes me to operate it instead of 5 guys :p

[SeaGlass Siren]

Ooo white lanterns in multiple sizes so it looks like bubbles

[Ciriun]

:highfive: Keiris, you are just too awesome. And I love the idea of an underwater Christmas, that must have looked so cool!

Stellar lee, I hadn't even thought of a swimmable mernorah, but that would look completely amazing! The only trouble is that the majority of underwater led devices do not have replaceable batteries, so those would need to be chosen very carefully.

Rachel Nola, if you have any ideas for how to go about making one, I'd say go for it and let us all know how it goes! If not, it seems like you can sit back and see what the brilliant and talented Keiris comes up with.

SeaGlass et al. Loving the idea of a mermaid themed Chinese New Year event. I considered mentioning it in the first post, but I couldn't come up with anything for it myself.

[stellar lee]

You wouldn't be swimming in it year round... so as long as the LEDs can be turned on and off, you should be ok. I figured they'd be encased in silicone, so changing batteried would be challenging at best.

[SeaGlass Siren]

There was a mermaid who made her own light up swimmable tail :0
oh my god someone needs to contact her. I forget her name

[Ciriun]

Yes! If anyone knows who she is, please let us all know! I would loooove to see a light up tail!

[Seraphina Suds]

Mermaid Glimmer

Sent from my C6725 using Tapatalk

[Mermaid Mystery]

As Seraphina said its Mermaid Glimmer! she's really nice, I met her at our last swim and I'm sure she'd be happy to help!

[Ciriun]

Thank you Seraphina! I found Raina's post with a video of them meeting, and wow! :jawdrop: I was mesmerized so thoroughly I couldn't stop staring, basically just like that little emoticon. It is incredible! I have no idea how she made it!

http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?9959-Mermaid-Glimmer-s-light-up-tail

[SeaGlass Siren]

yes thats her! Glimmer!

[Ciriun]

Oh gosh, I'd be way too shy to try to get in touch with her about it. I mentioned her tail to my Maker movement involved cousin and he guessed conductive thread with something like nail polish to insulate it.

[MermaidSandie]

@SeaGlass Siren
OH MY GOD mermaid chinese new year that is the best idea ever

Now I really want to make an all red and gold tail ahhhh

[PearlieMae]

I talked to Glimmer at Merfest and it's very complicated and a lot of what we talked about got lost in a couple of glasses of mermaid punch...she can control the light patterns from her iPhone and I think the battery pack sits between her calves.

[SeaGlass Siren]

And all the zodiac animals would have mermaid tails.
Mer ox, mer bunny... Except snake and dragon. They're kinda already water dwelling

[Ciriun]

@MermaidSandie
That would look awesome! I wonder if a brocade tail would be possible? Maybe even red with gold zodiac animals right on it!

@PearlieMae
That does sound complicated, but the effect is so worth it! Do you know if the battery makes it harder for her to swim?

@SeaGlass Siren
Someone with actual artistic skill (aka not me) should totally draw them!

[SeaGlass Siren]

... Oh wait I have some sort of skill!!

[SeaGlass Siren]

I'm having trouble uploading.. Again. Will have to post on my page

[SeaGlass Siren]

I just had a thought. What i we mermaid does al the holidays. Civic holidays, religious holidays, holidays that doesn't technically count as holidays but is on the calendar...

[Ciriun]

That would be one heck of a project, but it could be really cool if enough people wanted to get involved. I know we have mers from all over on here. It would be neat to see what different holidays they would mermaid-ize.

[SeaGlass Siren]

I called dibs on Chinese New Year. I am already in the process of computing the 5th animal.

[SeaGlass Siren]

Colouring *** I hate auto correct

[MermaidSandie]

that sounds amazing, I'd love to doodle some up, too :D

[SeaGlass Siren]

edit: now that i have proper access to a computer...

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/q92/s960x960/12027237_1717701418459573_2880450535304415958_o.jp g
https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/t31.0-8/12002381_1717668925129489_2997589288073151973_o.jp g

[SeaGlass Siren]

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/t31.0-8/q89/s960x960/12045553_1717659845130397_6906054718797756982_o.jp ghttps://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/q88/s960x960/12034483_1717437801819268_705758257435532705_o.jpg

[SeaGlass Siren]

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/t31.0-8/12002503_1717431655153216_2041499001065278713_o.jp g

[SeaGlass Siren]

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/t31.0-8/q88/s960x960/12017645_1717389985157383_1181042391958988216_o.jp g
https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/q91/s960x960/12038579_1717352501827798_4131039111541206835_o.jp g

[Ciriun]

:jawdrop: "Some sort of skill?" Neptune's beard, you've got waaay more than just some! Those are amazing!

[SeaGlass Siren]

Well :p I think my coloring could be better lol.

[MermaidSandie]

@SeaGlass Siren :0!!! How pretty!! I really love the tiger, rabbit, and horse especially, but they're all amazing!!

[SeaGlass Siren]

thanks guys!! ^^

[Echidna]

Impressive!

Incidentally, your goat is a capricorn.
And the horse a hippocampus!

[SeaGlass Siren]

which was how i had planned it out :P both worked in my favour. the rooster, snake, and dragon however.. well. lets just say they don't want to cooperate :P snake can go everywhere, dragon can be a westernized water dragon, or a traditional chinese dragon, OR leviathan. and the rooster is a frickin chicken.

[Ciriun]

*waits for someone to make a clever chicken of the sea joke*

But seriously, I figure a merooster would probably look a bit like a cockatrice/basilisk. I can definitely see your point about the dragon and snake. There are plenty of water dragon things out there already what with them being fictional and all, and water snakes already exist plus putting a fluke on a snake would probably just look silly. Either that or it would look like an eel.

[SeaGlass Siren]

... wait.. a rooster was a dinosaur.. o-o i could probably make it look like an undersea cockatrice. ciriun you are a genius!!

[Ciriun]

Glad I could help! :D Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

[SeaGlass Siren]

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/s960x960/12006614_1718905341672514_827542210278135650_o.jpg

[Ciriun]

That looks totally awesome! And appropriately vicious for a rooster.

[SeaGlass Siren]

well they're named cocks for a reason right? LOL

[Ciriun]

So Hanukkah is well underway, and that reminded me that I haven't shared my (really bad) concept sketch of a Mernorah. If anyone else would like to design their own, I'd really love to see them!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Ciriun_Ren/Illustrator/Mernorah.png

[SeaGlass Siren]

I'm not Jewish but I'd love to draw something if that's ok.

[telzey.amberdon]

Mermemorah?

[Ciriun]

I'm not Jewish but I'd love to draw something if that's ok.

Absolutely! If you want to get technical, one could debate if I'm even Jewish since my mother isn't and I am uncertain of the existence of god, but I was raised with the religion. Personally I don't think you need to be of a certain religion/heritage to appreciate it and share in its celebrations.

[Naufra]

I love the mernorah! I think basing it on a whale or dolphin fluke would help it accommodate all nine candles (one for each day and then the one in the middle, right? I can't claim to be Jewish, but I do love Hanukkah). Maybe we should all do some holiday-mer photo shoots! They don't have to be a big production or even underwater, but I would love to see a mer in an ugly X-mas sweater! Do they make ugly Hanukkah sweaters? Formal mers for New Year's Eve! I'm already picturing Kieris and Arion in the upper halves of suits with their tails on. A Tuxedo-mer would be awesome!

I think I'm having too much fun with this idea. ^_^()

My tail may not be all that impressive, but I'll happily bust it out for a silly photoshoot. ^_^

[SeaGlass Siren]

Oh man I would love to do a mermaid ao dai photoshoot

[PearlieMae]

I love the mernorah! I think basing it on a whale or dolphin fluke would help it accommodate all nine candles (one for each day and then the one in the middle, right? I can't claim to be Jewish, but I do love Hanukkah). Maybe we should all do some holiday-mer photo shoots! They don't have to be a big production or even underwater, but I would love to see a mer in an ugly X-mas sweater! Do they make ugly Hanukkah sweaters? Formal mers for New Year's Eve! I'm already picturing Kieris and Arion in the upper halves of suits with their tails on. A Tuxedo-mer would be awesome!

I think I'm having too much fun with this idea. ^_^()

My tail may not be all that impressive, but I'll happily bust it out for a silly photoshoot. ^_^

Hehehe Keiris and Arion in top hats and...wait for it...tails!

[Ciriun]

I love the mernorah! I think basing it on a whale or dolphin fluke would help it accommodate all nine candles (one for each day and then the one in the middle, right? I can't claim to be Jewish, but I do love Hanukkah). Maybe we should all do some holiday-mer photo shoots! They don't have to be a big production or even underwater, but I would love to see a mer in an ugly X-mas sweater! Do they make ugly Hanukkah sweaters? Formal mers for New Year's Eve! I'm already picturing Kieris and Arion in the upper halves of suits with their tails on. A Tuxedo-mer would be awesome!

The tallest candle can be either in the middle or at the end, but for the purpose of a mernorah I find the middle to be easier to work with.


For anyone who happens to be curious and wants the long, detailed explanation of everything to do with proper menorah handling, take a look here: http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/103868/jewish/Menorah-Lighting-Guide.htm It includes a lot of stuff I don't think many people bother to do, but it also goes over the basics and is a credible source.

As for ugly sweaters, you can probably find them themed for just about anything these days. I don't have any myself, but I am all for themed photoshoots of any kind! I'll try to find time to wriggle into my tail and put on my favorite holiday hat, maybe wrap up in a garland or something...

I'm not familiar with ao dai myself, but I did a quick search of the term and I would love to see photos if you ever get around to doing a shoot like that, SeaGlass!

[SeaGlass Siren]

Anything mermaidy seems really hard to find. I'd have to travel to Vietnam and try to get it made for a few dollars. :P
#shitasianpeoplesay

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Hehehe Keiris and Arion in top hats and...wait for it...tails!

I was thinking, and I did try to draw it up in MS Paint... And I even looked up merman crests to find one that I could just paste their faces onto!

Arion and Keiris, their face to face within arms reach, their tails interwined, arms reach upwards, in their cupped hands, holding a candle together.

*Sigh*

[deepblue]

or any other holiday paraphernalia that can be mermaided. Christmas tail trees, Easter merbunnies, Bring your Teddy Merbear to Work Day (Oct 10 apparently), anything you can think of!

I decided to throw a merstocking together today, from some minky I had left after making my daughter's giant squid body pillow, and fleece left from her Halloween costume, Sharktopus.

34660

It def needs ironing, could use interfacing if I wanted it to be a lasting piece of decor. I just thought it'd be cute, and now I'm thinking how to improve it because I love it. Like white faux fur instead of fleece, but the fleece was all I have on hand atm.

Waiting for Mersanta.