Mermaid Clara's Art Studio!

[Mermaid Clara]

Hey merfriends!
I have a lot of art stuff that I make, mostly mer stuff but I also a lot of random arts and crafts. I thought I would share my work here for all of you to see! Btw I'm moving over my actual tail making here.

[Mermaid Clara]

To start off this thread here is my order of doll hair I received from an Etsy seller called "The Doll Planet"
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161114/6f640e74f49321185984f4e065645c29.jpg
I started a bit of rerooting for this lovely doll:
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161114/1b48a99d345569bb9db3866dd7a70cc2.jpg
She looks a bit creepy without a body, lipstick, teeth or hair, but I'm slowly working on rerooting her and later I'll repaint her lips and teeth.


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[Mermaid Clara]

So I'm moving my tail making here. Both sequin and silicone.
But for my neoprene sequin tail, I got out the simplicity sewing machine and put in the size 18 needle tested it with some regular thread and low and behold, it worked. Tested it with a double piece of neoprene it worked as well! So now I'm working on taking all the pieces and seam ripping then I'm going to sew the pieces on the machine. Probably not necessary to take apart everything I hand sewn together and resew it, but whatever. I'll post pictures of the tail body all resewn when I get it done!


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[Mermaid Clara]

Back to work rerooting this beautiful doll! Still deciding on what color to paint her lips.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161211/08021a380fd1917c99847b7e93dd76da.jpg


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[Mermaid Clara]

Silicone tail update!
I mixed up some of the remaining dragon skin 10 sampler with some pigment called ivory lace which is a almost perfect match to my skin tone and added some jacquard pearl ex pigment called macro pearl and poured the silicone into the super tiny scale mold. I forgot to take pictures but I'll take them tomorrow morning if I have time before work.


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[Mermaid Clara]

Pictures of the tiny scales
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161219/0c9b62917cc820229b26525efa958a61.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161219/8a467b31450c5b0bb1fdf718f29b7307.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161219/0c027263d1d9cff93d42449410314c22.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161219/79721badfd35fb53ff946d30496be926.jpg


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[Mermaid Clara]

Update: going to hopefully order my silicone soon, probably when I get paid next or if I can get a small loan from mom and dad.


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[Mermaid Clara]

Using my new sewing machine today to sew my neoprene tail! So happy because it sews through a double layer of neoprene like butter!!!!
Here is the back side with the zipper sewn in:
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161226/3e3fcb82ef8ec2cb6fb30ed4fc80d334.jpg


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[Mermaid Clara]

Spent most of the day trying to figure out how to sculpt a body for a ball jointed doll. Ended up just taking apart a Barbie that I liked and put a thin layer of clay on top of that.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170103/0d9ee8d1219fa762ff55f43f6442ed9e.jpg
I'm still trying to figure out how to make the arms, legs and head. I've ordered mold making silicone to mold the pieces which eventually be casted in resin or polymer clay.



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[Mermaid Clara]

I made my second clay scale sheet! I really like the look of the teeny, tiny scales, so I'm going to make like 50+ molds of the little scales. I'm probably going to be spending all my free time making the scales. It took me about 2 hours to make this sheet. I'm so stupid because I make things worse and extremely difficult for myself, this tail is going to take forever and I'm probably going to go insane making this tail.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170111/df65fb5c0ba421ac5af580d972075aee.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170111/60e5b4ce85e7d06b9a378da66468fdef.jpg


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[Mermaid Clara]

New project in the works! What can this be? Large shells for large breasted mermaids! Hopefully I can get this to work so I can start making tops and sell the shells in pairs for the diy mermaids
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170219/1eee3c9900482dd71dc40ecf0f6e121d.jpg


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[Aurelian]

These all look so cool! :swoon:

[Mermaid Clara]

so I got a huge paycheck from work today! which means I can get more resin to make my scale molds, I need to make about 46 more molds and then I'll be set for scale molds. After that I still need to make all my extra fins and the fluke sculpt and make those molds. I'm offically out of my funk and I'm extremely determined to make a huge dent in my to-do list for this tail!

[Mermaid Clara]

So... I've decided to put the silicone tail on hold for now and just work on my sequin tail since I have all my supplies and materials already. My goals are to finish the sequin tail and top before August but I have to work around my summer class and my part time job. I'm also planing on making a lace front wig to go with my first mermaid character! Pictures to come!



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[Mermaid Clara]

My mama helping me sew my tail!
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170528/21e810db9403a4a7dc3ae87b72a80d53.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170528/f6d1223500fb5b9d5dc3057a33457a1f.jpg


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[Mermaid Clara]

Ordered my Mahina Merfin today! It will be here on Monday! Then I get to sew the fluke together and attach to the body and finally get to the long and tedious process of sewing on the sequins!
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170603/8df9de87f11f71d877a6054d26918b9a.jpg


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[Hydra1337]

Very cool! Your sequin tail is going to be pink and white, right?

[Mermaid Clara]

Very cool! Your sequin tail is going to be pink and white, right?

Yes! I forgot to move my plans for the sequin tail over from my old sequin tail thread.


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[Mermaid Clara]

I forgot to show my plans for my sequin tail, so here is the pattern inspiration for the sequins and the sequins I ordered:
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170604/81d9b4b0b5c562ee82816ef1e99c64de.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170604/8cc65cc19789add99229646335fb0ba3.jpg


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[Mermaid Clara]

I'm thinking of ordering some more sequins, I'm afraid I don't have enough for the tail! I'll probably get some clear iridescence sequins or something.


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[Mermaid Clara]

Huge rambling update!
My new fabric came in June(maybe it was July) and it's a two way scuba knit, I ordered from eBay for $5 a yard and bought 6 yards. My mom helped me cut out and sew together the tail. We had to do the fluke separate from the body because the fabric wasn't wide enough when folded in half width way. But I finally have enough saved to order my other sequins! I went with 4 colors of yellows and orange. I'll add pictures once I get them. I also picked up some more ribbed vinyl shelf liner from Target after church today, it's by the brand Con-tact, it's non adhesive and looks amazing.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170813/0b3e85f8f72d3057e37677923211dfcf.jpg
They only had two rolls, last time I got this I bought like 6 rolls but I realized I don't need that much for my tail probably just need 4 rolls depending on how big your fluke is and where you put it, luckily I only needed the two rolls because I just need it for my fluke and I have leftovers and unused pieces for my dorsal and ankle fins.



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[merman caspian]

I forgot to show my plans for my sequin tail, so here is the pattern inspiration for the sequins and the sequins I ordered:
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170604/81d9b4b0b5c562ee82816ef1e99c64de.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170604/8cc65cc19789add99229646335fb0ba3.jpg


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That'll be pretty.

Merman Caspian

[Mermaid Clara]

Okay so mom has been helping me finish sewing the tail with the machine. I just need to make a quick target run for some more vinyl shelf liner for the dorsal fins and then I'll be good to go and able to get that part sewn on. Today we plan on finishing sewing on the vinyl shelf liner for the fluke and dorsal fringe, which will finish up the base of the tail, leaving just the sequins to be sewn on!
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170921/8198f231bd05358d6955a98f93b2c892.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170921/ca76676ed8439a20a8bf057eebcf1fba.jpg


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[Mermaid Clara]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171008/7a971535bb50f2db9130d00258c9c397.jpg
My shell sequins for my sequin mermaid tail! Ordered the small packs of 35 of each of these colors, I forgot to order the crystal iris mystic meadow though. These sequins are from ccartwright.com and are the 22mm shell shape.


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[Mermaid Clara]

I’m so thankful for my Mama! She helps me design and draw out my fluke and extra fins for my silicone tail! Even though she always says no more drawing my fluke and fins she always will draw them for me. I don’t know where I would be without my mom, she is so supportive of my hobbies, I’m very grateful to have my mom!



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[TybeeMermaid]

It looks like your tail is going to be beautiful!

[Mermaid Clara]

It looks like your tail is going to be beautiful!

Thank you!


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[Mermaid Clara]

Tonight in Mermaid Clara’s studio:
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180129/65d20fe3146e9d7b46f266d563069f65.jpg
Making a trillion little clay balls. I bought a “bead and pearl” trim silicone mold to eventually make pieces for silicone mermaid tops, but I kept getting irritated with how the clay came out from the mold. So I decided to make my own bead and pearl trim! Am I crazy? Yes totally crazy!


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[Mermaid Clara]

Soooo excited!
I’m finally going to get my scaled butt into action and finally make my sequin tail! I’m ordering 10 kilos of sequins from the manufacture in China! I’m going for a design like the FinFun Tiger Lily tail
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180409/eed36183dd200032c58772c114ab881f.jpg
I’ll be adding a bit of blue with the purple stripes to make it more my own design.
I just need to finish cutting out my lexan polycarbonate monofin today or tomorrow and glue on the foot pockets. Then I’ll have to recut my neoprene fluke and sew that together and I’ll be ready to sew all the sequins on!


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[Mermaid Clara]

I’m back fishes!
I have a ton of motivation to make more plaster scale molds. I’ve been mostly on Facebook mermaid groups and Instagram but I think I’ll start documenting more here as well.
Here is the first large scale mold I made.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181019/c0ee7bf9375880f0a478ea61a38f1679.jpg
I also got some new teardrop shaped clay cutters to make more scales with.
Stick around for more of my progress!

[Mermaid Clara]

Okay fishes, I’m baaack!!!!
So here is a recap of what happened since I’ve been gone from MerNetwork:
I quit my corporate retail job for a job at a family owned toy store which ended up being seasonal so I got laid off. While I was laid off I went to school then dropped out due to my mom getting cancer and having to deal with severe depression and anxiety. Then I was working on my sequin tail which I didn’t end up finishing in time for the 2019 California mermaid convention, but it was so much fun to meet all the merfolk! Then I just chilled for a while trying to find a job. But I was texted by the owner of the toy store to come back in October so I’ve been working there for the Christmas season.
Anyway I’m back!
Sorry for the long post but the next post on this thread will be about my official tail!

[Mermaid Clara]

Part two!
I decided to cut the post into two because I think y’all can skip the boring first part.
Anyways for the big news!
I’m working on a silicone tail!!!!!
I found someone in the United States to sculpt my fluke and assemble the fluke to my diy monofin as well.
Today I actually sent her the money to buy the clay and tools, etc.
Here are the details!
My deadline is late spring to early or mid summer. I am moving in March so I’m only allowed to make small projects that can fit into a box, so like scale molds and scales.
I do have my colors and design picked out 43855
43856
So I already have 1oz of each of these colors and I’m arranging them something like this concept art from H2O/Mako Mermaids.
For my scales I’m using left over sequins I have from the sequin tail project.
I don’t have much to do except to make my scale molds, but I think this is all the info I have at the moment to catch everyone up.
Until next time!