New Mer Shop Coming Soon!

[SilverSiren]

Hello all you lovely Mers! I will be opening a new online shop for all things Mer and then some! I have many many great ideas and cant wait to bring more into the Mer community! I may be a while yet before I open shop but in the meantime I could really use opinions. Everyone here has had a few gripes and needs that need to be met. Especially the mermen! Though I have many many great ideas for mermaids and mermen alike, I would love for anyone here to post about what they really want to see, or what they really NEED to see, available to the Mer community!

If a idea strikes me, and I love it, I will name the item after you and give you free shipping on that item! So... let me know what you want lovelies!:D Just so we're clear though, my shop will not be opening anytime soon, I really want to get everything in place to make my life easier and have things run smoothly (as possible)! I already have many a great idea running through my mind but I want to really see the needs of the many AND few met.

I also freely invite other Mer shops to use these ideas too, with the permission of the creator! Just because I am not opening shop soon doesn't mean Mer's should have to wait if someone is capable and willing to take on the project now! I will still go ahead with the idea when I open shop but I really just want to see Mer's needs met! This means you too Mermen! I know you guys are not really getting love out there, I love the post of the design challenge this month, great idea! This will be your chance to have an item actually made too!

I will be looking for tops, tail ideas that your dying to see, items you wish you could get to really give your Merness that something special, modifications to things already out there that would suit you better.... anything mermaid!

Much Merlove to you all!

P.S. I am new here so I don't have my profile all figured out yet in case you were wondering who this faceless weirdo is :confused: Also, sorry for any typos, I'm a typo queen! Thank the sneezing unicorn I have my hubby who I can have proof read my shop stuff for me :$

[SilverSiren]

P.S.S I am a VERY multifaceted artist, I can and will make most anything! I have had this wonderful skill all my life and though it may seem I am boasting, and I am really, it's the one thing I have that I love completely about myself, everything else...meh. I have complete confidence in my artistic abilities! Please, be outrageous if you like with your ideas, I'm sure I can find a way. Your also not limited to tops, tails etc etc! Anything Mer! Let your imaginations go flippin nutter (not hard to do I'm sure)! Just don't end up crazy like me and get all obsessed over it and drive yourselves insane, I'll do the crazy work for you.... "Ever try to go crazy without power? No one takes you seriously."

[Winged Mermaid]

Sounds awesome SilverSiren! Can't wait to see your work!

[Ayla of Duluth]

ohmygosh this is exciting! :D

[SilverSiren]

Sounds awesome SilverSiren! Can't wait to see your work!

I have a wall with my designs posted up on it and I am very excited too! Getting my designs out to people will be so fulfilling!

[SilverSiren]

ohmygosh this is exciting! :D

Is for me too! I hope I can get more people excited about it and give me their opinions on what they really need.

[Lyna]

yay! i want pictures!

[SilverSiren]

yay! i want pictures!

Pictures will come soon, must get printer/scanner to stop throwing a fit. Apparently a certain ink that claims to be useable for all models of EPSON printers... is so not useable for all models of EPSON printer, so mine refuses to do anything but inform me of this blatant insult I have apparently given it, must get the right ink it uses. :rolleyes:

[leeloo]

I want pasties! :)

[SilverSiren]

I want pasties! :)

Merbella sells octopus pasties (or at least did once) in the etsy shop. They are quite cool! Is there a design other than octopus that you rather see? Silicon shell pasties? Seahorse? Scales? All three?

[leeloo]

Yea I saw a set of the octopus pasties on there once, it was pretty cool and I wanted to buy them but they were a tad pricey for me. I like the shell and scales ideas.

[MermaidIvy]

Is it possible you could make some nice Tops? Every top I've seen has been over 100$, and has not been very good looking.

[Theobromine]

I have an idea...this is something I've actually thought of making myself. You know what a mermaid's purse is, right? It's the egg case of a shark or ray, in case anyone doesn't know. They do look like pouches with straps. What if you made an ACTUAL purse that looked like a mermaid's purse? I think that would be pretty awesome! And realistic, though maybe not the most glamorous....

[SilverSiren]

Leeloo- Ok, I will keep in mind pasties... and keep in mind a reasonable price too. I'm sure the price she asked for her octopus ones was probably reasonable since she may have hand sculpted them, then made molds, then made the pasties from the molds, lots of work there. But, making them from existing objects would cut out work and therefore lower price, so I will see what I can do!

Bellaskonieczny- Tops will definitely be in my shop! Ranging from barley there to very modest! Something for every Mer. I have ideas for modest tops that cover a lot due to a thread from Mermaid Aqua seeking such a top. Pasties, as Leeloo requested. And of course, bra like tops... not just of the shell variety either. The tops will range in price depending on what materials I use and time spent on making them. Some tops will reach $100 but others wont! Being an artist is tough, you never want to jilt yourself hard earned money but you want to make people happy too by being affordable to a wide range of people, I will do my best to accomplish both while still bringing high quality to my products.

Theobromine- Your right about not being glamorous! But, hey, if this is what people want to see, then I will make it! The mermen might like this a lot too because of its simple look and it being a bit more "manly" and mermaids may like it due to its authentic look, so, good suggestion. I will look into the style and how to replicate it! I had planned on purses, just hadn't given much thought to replicating this type.

Thank you all for your suggestions! I am really enjoying hearing them and listening to all your concerns! Keep em' coming!:D:thumbs-up:

[SilverSiren]

Maybe not quite as friggin big but here, a mermaid purse?> http://studioswag.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/mermaids-purse.html Just one way of accomplishing this look with style? Looking at the actual mermaid purse photos, this type of thing could be accomplished with black vinyl.

[MermaidIvy]

Awesome!!! I cant wait to see your products!!! Good Luck! :)

[MermaidIvy]

When you open the shop, will you be making Custom Tails? And which materials will you be using for your tails?

[SilverSiren]

When you open the shop, will you be making Custom Tails? And which materials will you be using for your tails?

Yes, I will be making custom tails! First out of fabric and neoprene with airbrushed designs and sequins, then in silicone later. I DO NOT have space in my current place to be slinging around large molds and silicone everywhere... my flatmates would kill me in my sleep. I have thought of a solution to current space problems and that would be to rent a storage space, but I will have to ask about policy since silicone is a bit stinky and the whole process is just a tad messy, I am not sure they would appreciate it. :p

[spottedcatfish]

Do you have a facebook page? What price range would you be selling the Neoprene tails for?

[SilverSiren]

Do you have a facebook page? What price range would you be selling the Neoprene tails for?

I do not yet have a Facebook page, I will be getting one when I open shop :) My estimates so far for tails go as this, Fabric with basic airbrushed scales-$300 Neoprene with airbrushed scales and details- $800 Neoprene sequin tail- $1,500 and Silicone (when I have the space!)- $3,000. Fabric tails will have optional fins for $50 extra. Neoprene tails come with fins at no extra cost (I will give the option of no fins for $50 of the price but they look A LOT better with fins and hide the back zipper, think Hanna tails!). Optional fins for silicone will be extra, anywhere from $100 to $500 extra depending on how big you want them. I really really REALLY want my tails to be special and will listen to any design you have in mind.

I really wish I could open shop RIGHT NOW but I am one small person and I don't have much other than some serious skill (sorry, yes, I brag, but it really is the one thing I know that makes me special as a person in this big world, I have a lot of artistic skill!) and a limited fund. I will sell small things first, tops and the like, then move on to the bigger stuff as I go. Gaining confidence of my clients is a really BIG deal for me. :)

[Mermaid Annariea]

well, its hard to find nice looking shell tops within a budget range... maybe you could find out a less expensive way to do it?
i want a shell top, but i just dont have the money for one, which saddens me. and i have no idea how to make one, even after reading tons of tutorials.

[SilverSiren]

I think the main expense for the artist making them is the top base its self. If a base is used, it is usually a bra, and that can be expensive to the artist buying them. I am a little search hound though and always look for the best prices for my materials, without being too cheap. Cheap usually signals things in my head that it may fall apart on my buyer which in turn equals a bad rep and embarrassment for me. So you can see the dilemma. Can you offer a price range within your grasp? If I knew what peoples prices ranges where I could base my material off that and try my best to meet those requirements. As I said before though, its very difficult to sell yourself short when your the artist, I put hard love into what I do to make it just right, so I'll do my best.

[Mermaid Annariea]

silversiren, that completely makes sense, i understand that. artists should never be paid less than what their work is worth, that just isnt fair.
and i guess for me, a price range for a top would be like $30-ish, but that might be hard with a base and all, now that you mention it.
but if i had a job (which i may get soon), i could spend a bit more.

mermaiding is such an expensive hobby, lol.

[SilverSiren]

silversiren, that completely makes sense, i understand that. artists should never be paid less than what their work is worth, that just isnt fair.
and i guess for me, a price range for a top would be like $30-ish, but that might be hard with a base and all, now that you mention it.
but if i had a job (which i may get soon), i could spend a bit more.

mermaiding is such an expensive hobby, lol.


Thank you for understanding, some people just dont understand how much it can cost until they take a good look at what went into it and add it all up themselves, then think about the work that went into it too, so thanks for getting were I'm coming from :)

I think I may be able to make a couple tops for that price range though. I always want to appeal to a wide range of people and that includes people who can't afford the $100 and up type tops. Though, they probably wont be as "fancy" as the high priced ones, I will still try to make them as lovely as possible :)

Yes... very expensive hobby! lol. It's worth the dream though and even more worth it when you have supportive people, my Hubby thinks its quite awesome, and I think he would go for it too if he wasen't so crippling shy! lol.

[Sea Pearl]

Cannot wait to see what your shop has in store SilverSiren!

[Mermaid Annariea]

fancy doesnt always make things better (: personally, i usually like more simple things. even if it was just a base, netting, and shells, i could decorate it myself after that if i REALLY wanted to haha. ive always wanted a shell top (: i think id definitely want some sort of bra-like base though, otherwise it might be uncomfortable.
but i dont really know how much something basic like that would cost, what do you think?

my boyfriend LOVES the fact that im getting a mermaid tail, he thinks its so cute and different. its nice to have his support (:

[SilverSiren]

Cannot wait to see what your shop has in store SilverSiren!

I'm excited too! It's slow going right now getting started, taking baby steps when I want to run, but you gotta do this sort of thing right or your just asking for a struggle. lol

[SilverSiren]

fancy doesnt always make things better (: personally, i usually like more simple things. even if it was just a base, netting, and shells, i could decorate it myself after that if i REALLY wanted to haha. ive always wanted a shell top (: i think id definitely want some sort of bra-like base though, otherwise it might be uncomfortable.
but i dont really know how much something basic like that would cost, what do you think?

my boyfriend LOVES the fact that im getting a mermaid tail, he thinks its so cute and different. its nice to have his support (:

Well, I want to do a lot of silicon based tops, those would be comfortable. Raven and... gee I can't remember his name at the moment, sorry... do silicon based tops, that would be very comfortable and when done right, look realistic. I can imagine, without some sort of padding on the inside, that bare lion paw shells would seriously chafe the ladies! lol. And yes, I agree, simple can be just as lovely as fancy when done right :) Whenever I say the word fancy though, it reminds me of this.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8cbBNM63T0 poor puss.

[Mermaid Annariea]

Well, I want to do a lot of silicon based tops, those would be comfortable. Raven and... gee I can't remember his name at the moment, sorry... do silicon based tops, that would be very comfortable and when done right, look realistic. I can imagine, without some sort of padding on the inside, that bare lion paw shells would seriously chafe the ladies! lol. And yes, I agree, simple can be just as lovely as fancy when done right :) Whenever I say the word fancy though, it reminds me of this.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8cbBNM63T0 poor puss.

ive heard the silicone bra bases are really nice, and some of them have clear straps (which is AWESOME for me because i hate not having straps). i dont even want to think about how bad bare lion paws would hurt D: that would be terrible. can lion paws somehow be connected to the silicone bra? i dont know how hard thatd be, or how expensive the silicone bras are, haha.

awe, poor puss!! xD

[SilverSiren]

ive heard the silicone bra bases are really nice, and some of them have clear straps (which is AWESOME for me because i hate not having straps). i dont even want to think about how bad bare lion paws would hurt D: that would be terrible. can lion paws somehow be connected to the silicone bra? i dont know how hard thatd be, or how expensive the silicone bras are, haha.

awe, poor puss!! xD

I want to make the whole shell out of silicon! Maximum comfort! lol. I want to use real ones too but definitely on a base, not sure if I would use a silicon bra as a base, might get pricey if I do it that way :(

[Mermaid Cascada]

Coolio :D

[Mermaid Annariea]

I want to make the whole shell out of silicon! Maximum comfort! lol. I want to use real ones too but definitely on a base, not sure if I would use a silicon bra as a base, might get pricey if I do it that way :(

ive seen a few people make silicone shells. i wonder if that would be expensive? it probably would be really comfortable though. lol, i wonder if itd be possible to make push-up shells xDD thatd be hilarious.
and hmm, youre probably right haha. for the natural shells, what kind of base would you use? real shells are always super pretty, i like the colors of ones like this: http://www.chichesterinc.com/Images2010/1084-10-Lg.jpg the more purpley ones haha.

[SilverSiren]

ive seen a few people make silicone shells. i wonder if that would be expensive? it probably would be really comfortable though. lol, i wonder if itd be possible to make push-up shells xDD thatd be hilarious.
and hmm, youre probably right haha. for the natural shells, what kind of base would you use? real shells are always super pretty, i like the colors of ones like this: http://www.chichesterinc.com/Images2010/1084-10-Lg.jpg the more purpley ones haha.

Yes, those are lion paw shells, one of the largest scallops you can get for mer-boob coverage. I think I might just use regular bras for bases but I am looking into possibly making my own bases with a bit of padding so I know they are made from materials that will really last in pools and ocean water.

I used to work for a woman who made tops like this for exotic dancers. They were made of Lycra and some of them would have a bit of padding for comfort and lift. It would be good for this type of thing because the base wouldn't show but you would feel more comfortable and secure :)

[Mermaid Annariea]

Yes, those are lion paw shells, one of the largest scallops you can get for mer-boob coverage. I think I might just use regular bras for bases but I am looking into possibly making my own bases with a bit of padding so I know they are made from materials that will really last in pools and ocean water.

I used to work for a woman who made tops like this for exotic dancers. They were made of Lycra and some of them would have a bit of padding for comfort and lift. It would be good for this type of thing because the base wouldn't show but you would feel more comfortable and secure :)

yeah, ive always wondered how normal bra bases would hold up underwater... i see a lot of other mers on here making tops out of old bras, but i dont think the materials would hold up for long in the oceanor chlorinated water.
i know that some places sell bikini tops with padding in it. that might work?
haha, i hate wearing bras with no padding. i feel like i have no support >.>