Marissa's Alex plus tail makeover

[Ilonka]

This thread is for my step by step progress of Mermaid Marissa's Alex Plus tail, Il allow her to share where she bought it from, but she sent it to me for some sprucing up.


Marissa's tail on the left, comparing the size and shape to mine on the right
(mine is a spandex and sequin tail, it will be getting a makeover too very soon)
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The tail is getting a whole new makeover, new fluke, paint job, repairs, tweaks, and SEQUINS!
I have worked with Alex Plus in the past for cosplays and some detailing on my old SFX latex tail, i have also made a tail with sequins but iv never mixed the two together.
I have been wanting to make a silicon/sequin hybrid tail for some time so this is a good chance for an intro into how rubber and sequins will work.
Im not a big fan of Alex Plus in general especially because of its low durability as a craft material, but im going to do my best to ensure the tail has the best possible outcome and usage.

When I received the tail I noticed the heels were scraped and the paint was gone, one of the normal issues of Alex plus, so im mixing the paint into the material and will probably 1. Add a heel fin or 2. cover the heel in sequins (even though sequins are also susceptible to scraping damage)
The fluke was also scraped up in many areas so il probably lay down a thicker layer of Alex Plus on the new fluke.

Damages on the heel area
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I will also add texture to it and an inner layer of plastic to hide the monofin.

The tail has to be cut practically in half so i can re-size the fluke and ankle/foot pocket to fit a Finis Wave, right now it is much to small.
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Might also add a zipper, but i want to avoid chopping the tail up as little as possible.

My aim is to hopefully have this done in 2 weeks, got allot of work to do!

[Ilonka]

Drew out the concept art for the tail, the whole tail won't be covered in sequins, but they will be done in stripes a bit like mine. That way I can save time and have nice coverage.
Im also giving it a nice paint job, the scales imprinted into the alex plus are small and really cute so im going to use them to my advantage and blend them as best as i can with the sequins.

Im going to also be adding some ankle fins and a fringe to the fluke, probably out of floor matting.
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Also started with the first layer of paint, starting with a dark base so i can cover up the old paint as much as i can.
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What do u guys think? I'm open to suggestions regarding Alex Plus and neoprene!

[Mermaid Marissa]

It's going to look so beautiful!!!! I'm so excited! :yay: though I'd change the flesh tone I'm a little darker :p 11778

[Mermaid Marissa]

Maybe we could add a shorter zipper so we don't have to chop up the tail too much and that may also stop the gapping a little in the waist. Let me know what you think.

[Ilonka]

It's going to look so beautiful!!!! I'm so excited! :yay: though I'd change the flesh tone I'm a little darker :p 11778

oh, hahaha! thats no problem, luckily i have some bronze paint on hand that i can mix with the gold Createx paint, i needed to lay down a flesh colored base anyways.
I can add a shorter zipper, maybe a dorsal fin to hide it, il buy a diving zipper off ebay.

[Mermaid Marissa]

I can add a shorter zipper, maybe a dorsal fin to hide it, il buy a diving zipper off ebay.

That'd be great!

[AniaR]

Can't wait to see the progress.

I also love that white tail.

I think I've mentioned before but I have a stretch vinyl orange tail I would LOVE to have sequined, if you ever felt like giving me an estimate as to what you might charge for materials (sequins) and time, if you were up for the challenge! ;)

[Mermaid Caspiana]

That's going to be beautiful. Can't wait to see it finished. Since you say Alex plus isn't the best, what do you say is a good latex to use?

[Mermaid Marissa]

That's going to be beautiful. Can't wait to see it finished. Since you say Alex plus isn't the best, what do you say is a good latex to use?

If you are still looking at caulking (since that's what ALEX Plus is) I would recommend using clear silicone. The only reason we are sticking with latex is because latex and silicone don't mix well :( Any whoo silicone s moisture curing so it's probably better to use on a tail.

[Ilonka]

Can't wait to see the progress.

I also love that white tail.

I think I've mentioned before but I have a stretch vinyl orange tail I would LOVE to have sequined, if you ever felt like giving me an estimate as to what you might charge for materials (sequins) and time, if you were up for the challenge! ;)

Hellz yeah, I would love to work on your tail! Once I'm done with this one we can talk about yours :D

[Ilonka]

Merissa's Finis Wave arrived today! Its a bit smaller than my Finis Rapid (the mens version) but only slightly, i wish i would have gotten a Youth sized Wave instead of a men's Rapid for my tails, next time!

Drew out the fluke template today, fits the monofin in a way that i can avoid cutting it (smaller monofins lose allot of swim power when they are cut)
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The new fluke will also add a bit more length to the tail, Merissa said it was a tad too short on her so i kept that in mind. Its adding about 2 inches to the tail, that way i can also bring the waist in plenty to eliminate the gaping at the butt problem.
The neoprene hasn't arrived yet though, hopefully tomorrow.

Also experimented with the sequins and how E 6000 bonds to Alex Plus, apparently SUPER well! They make a stretchy rubbery bond with plenty of flexibility and tons of strength. I pulled on one of the glued scales with all my strength and it took allot of pulling before it tore off, cool thing is that if you let go it snaps right back into place, no stretching of the two materials at all.
Only downside is that the Alex plus creates tiny cracks when stretched, another fault in the material, so the Alex Plus will probably give out and rip before the E 6000 does. Plus side is that the E 6000 also acts as a sealant for the Alex Plus and will probably aid in its overall durability over time.
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After stretching and tugging
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Thinking about using E 6000 for all the sequins like on mine, especially because its a stronger bond with the Alex Plus than the plain spandex (and my sequins are still looking pretty good)

Opinions?

[Mermaid Marissa]

I can't see the attachments :(

[Mermaid Marissa]

I LOVE IT!!!!

[Ilonka]

Sequins haven't arrived yet and im getting antsy so i dug around and found some of my leftover crystal scales from my white tail.
Added some pearl paint to the dark green base and darkened the beige waist trim, gonna blend them all together with the sequins.
Here is what I got done so far.

With flash
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Without flash (pardon the quality, my room is dark)
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[Mermaid Marissa]

Just died and went to mer heaven!!!! :jawdrop:

[Ashe]

Oh my gosh its amazing!!!

[Ariel-Starfish]

Omg, I'm in LOVE! and Damn! I need to get some of thet E6000 glue! Does someone know where to get it online?

[Ilonka]

Omg, I'm in LOVE! and Damn! I need to get some of thet E6000 glue! Does someone know where to get it online?

You can get lot orders of it from ebay! They aren't cheap though but for the usages, its worth it. I'm using it for my cosplays too!

[Ilonka]

Started adding dark green sequins to one side and some purple up top. The purple looks really good over the bronze so im gonna use them to accent it. Im doing this all freehand, going with the flow xD
The pattern will be entirely unique, here is one half.
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Gonna do the other half tomorrow, and hopefully the neoprene will arrive this week so i can start the fluke.

[Ashe]

So pretty... Marissa, you are going to be one good looking fish in that tail! ^^

[Mermaid Marissa]

So pretty... Marissa, you are going to be one good looking fish in that tail! ^^

Awwwww thanks Kalani! And Ilonka this is drop dead gorgeous!!! Im glad the sequins got there :) I don't know what the fluke is up with the neoprene *facepalm*

[Cordelia]

Oh my! That's amazing! I'll definitely have to see this in person. It's gonna be so shimmery with all of those scales!!

[Mermaid Caspiana]

What is the price difference on silicone and latex?

[Mermaid Marissa]

What is the price difference on silicone and latex?

If its caulking not much. They are pretty much the same price at home improvement stores :)

[Ilonka]

Still adding more sequins, neoprene hasnt arrived yet. I hope it gets here soon!

[Jadestone]

This is beautiful so far, Ilonka! Can't wait to see how it looks when you're finished :)

[Winged Mermaid]

Looking amazing! :D Can't wait to see when it's done!

[Mermaid Marissa]

:yay:The neoprene came today!!! Excited :thumbs up:

[Mermaid Marissa]

So it's official! Both the neoprene and zipper arrived (I'm sure Ilonka is also going to give you a full update)

[Ilonka]

Hello everyone, been a bit buisy with work and two costumes! Here are some updates on the tail:

Neoprene arrived! yay! i cut out the fluke, gonna sew it and cover it in its first layer of alex plus, im still not sure if im gonna layer the inside with vinyl, i probably will cuz the monofin is very visible and it bothers me.

Added the zipper today, quick and easy, gonna sew in the dorsal fin tomorow to hide the zipper (ignore the white stuff, its baby powder, alex plus gets really sticky apparently)

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Dorsal is made out of floor matting, the base is going to be covered in sequins :D

Almost done with the front, ran out of glue, buying more tomorrow. I decided to cover the bronze part in purple sequins, the bronze shows through and gives the purple a nice undertone.

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Since the bottom half of the tail is getting cut off and its a light color im going to start adding the light blue ones on the bottom half. Im gonna have to cover the whole bottom due to the fact that it wont have scale impressions in the alex plus.

More updates tomorrow! Its my day off so, Merissa, you have permission to poke at me for pics all you want! ;D

Goodnight!

[Mermaid Marissa]

More updates tomorrow! Its my day off so, Merissa, you have permission to poke at me for pics all you want! ;D

Goodnight!

haha it looks amazing!!! I may take you up on that offer lol I was going to ask but didn't want to seem like a pest :p

[Ilonka]

Whew ok, been working lots (as usual) but the tail is on its way to completion. Got all the tiny details done like taking in the waist and adding the zipper. Had to hand sew both things cuz my sewing machine is a picky delicate little lady and doesnt like neoprene yeyyyyy....

Here are the stitches i did to make the waist smaller, i did four of these together they bring it in at about an inch.

Marissa if you want to bring them in further it wont be hard, id rather it be big on you and fixable than too small.

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Here is the zipper. I bought a marine grade plastic zipper, very thick and hardy. I glued the floor matting fins and zipper into a sandwich and then i sewed them all together for extra sandwichyness.

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The stitching for the dorsal fin and the base of the dorsal fin will be covered in sequins, its also gonna help hide the zipper :D
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Started covering the side seams with sequins (I hate side seams!)
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Front of the tail is almost done with sequins, still need to sew the fluke on which im gonna get to now.

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More updates later tonight!

[Little_Orca]

Its gorgeous!

[Ilonka]

FINALLY started the fluke (its something iv been dreading a bit) Its going very well, im layering the sides so that the seam is hidden and it will have a rounded edge instead of a raw edge or a seamed edge. The pieces on the sides will be hidden with sequins and a nice thick layer of Alex Plus. Im going to try to imitate the alex plus technique and texture for the fluke that Raven used for her first Alex Plus tail.

Pardon the mess of stuff, i got allot going on in my room right now!
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Adding the sequins to the back and covering the dorsal fin, id say that adding sequins is my favorite part, i go nuts with the colors :D
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Hiding the seam of the dorsal fin and the zipper, its almost completely hidden.
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[Mermaid Lorelei]

Wow! You've really taken off with this project!

[Mermaid Marissa]

It's absoultely stunning Ilonka!!!! I love it so much already! I think taking it in a inch is perfectly fine. Holy flip it's B E A U T I FUL!!!

[Ariadne]

This is just amazing...love it!

[Ilonka]

Im sooo glad you guys like it! Its been a lot of work but im loving every moment of this project!

[Ilonka]

This tail has definately changed a ton since iv worked on it. I'm also very happy with the color blending, I think iv outdone myself!
Applied the first layer of Alex plus, going to make it nice and thick so I can hide the monofin as much as I can. I'm mixing the paint with the Alex plus to reduce paint getting scraped off. The bottom of the fluke is going to be either gold or pearl, what do u guys think?

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[Ariel-Starfish]

Damn that's so pretty! The hard work pays off! :D

[Ilonka]

I started texturing the fluke today, I hate how lumpy Alex plus gets! I'm using a fork and a sponge brush for this, its fun but I wish the lines would be a bit neater. I'm going to add another layer on top once this one dries. Probably going to water down the Alex plus a bit so it will be smoother.
Also going to add some darker turquoise and gold to the fluke.

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[Mermaid Julianne]

It looks great! Can't wait to see it completed!

[Disfusional]

Wow! This is looking amazing so far. I can not wait to see what it will look like finished!!

[Mermaid Marissa]

I love the texture! You've gone above and beyond on this and I love you for it hahaha :D

[Ilonka]

Damn that's so pretty! The hard work pays off! :D


I love the texture! You've gone above and beyond on this and I love you for it hahaha :D

Awww thanks girly! I really love making people happy, especially through my art. This project has really helped me out in many ways too, now I'm total pumped to start making more!

Here is a pic i took last night of the tail. It's a bit dark. But I added gold highlights to the fluke and smoothed it out a bit with some watered down Alex plus. I have been mixing the paint I'm using with the Alex plus and a bit of water and its helped with the clumping. Also added some glitter to the paint mix for extra awesomeness ;D
I closed up the sides and I'm letting it all dry, tomorrow il stick my feet into the fluke to make sure there is enough ankle space and the monofin is easy to get into.

Monofin will be sealed inside, I'm also adding clear fishtank tubing to the inside edges of the fluke to give it a nice rounded rim. It will also help hide the seams and give the fluke a more realistic shape.

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[Mermaid Dottie]

Oh my! Beautiful work, Ilonka! I'm so impressed!

[Ilonka]

Sequins are so good for covering up seams! You can also see the glitter I added to the paint in this photo.

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Probably gonna have the front of the tail done tonight. Back is half done.

[Spindrift]

That looks fantastic!

Question: I've been gluing on sequins to my tail while it's been stuffed so that it will hold its shape. Does the glue crack at all on yours when the tail is moved (while being worn) or folded? Trying to figure out if I should change what I'm doing since I've been hearing it crack when I move my tail.

[Ilonka]

What kind of glue are you using? The cracking you hear isn't the glue, its the sequins rubbing against eachother, they make a crackling sound. If you are using Goop glue or E 6000 they stretch and flex like rubber so it doesn't crack.

[Spindrift]

Yup, using E-600 I just don't want the sequins to bend, break, or come off :/

[Ilonka]

Yup, using E-600 I just don't want the sequins to bend, break, or come off :/

Even if you sew them on they will still break off and scrape. Sequins aren't very durable in general so they require constant replacing and care unless they are covered in clear silicon. The glue will help reinforce them and I find its better than sewing them, especially if the tail is for swimming. Has anyone tried covering their sequins with silicon or Alex plus btw?

[Ilonka]

So this is the tubing I'm gonna put inside the fluke to give it shape. Bought it at home depot, very flexible can be cut easily and comes in various girths.
Probably gonna coat it with spray on glue for even cover then seal with Alex plus. This is gonna get very messy...

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Also started painting and texturing the back of the fluke, the sponge brush is my secret weapon

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[Ilonka]

Letting the fluke dry right now after applying another layer of Alex plus. I really wish it would dry faster, and not be sticky too. Iv had to cover most of the tail in baby powder to prevent it from sticking everywhere.
Here is the back and dorsal sequin coverage.

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[Mermaid Dottie]

That is LOVELY.

[Spindrift]

Amazing!

[Moongazer]

Wow this whole project is very stunning! I might need to call the next spot when you open so I can give my current latex tail new life!

[Azurin Luna]

Wow! It looking beautiful, I wonder how it will look when it's complete

[Mermaid Lulu]

Keep up the good work.

[Ilonka]

havent posted in a while, been working lots at my stupid job (i love my job it just takes up allot of my time)

Here is the tail so far, Monofin is inside along with the tubing to give the edges a rounded shape, still need to seal the fin inside, add some more sequins and IM DONE!!!!! Its been almost 4 weeks that iv been working on this tail, took much longer than i expected so for those wanting a tail from me im bumping up the time frame to 6-8 weeks just to be safe.

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I dont know how many sequins iv used so far, im not counting lolz but i had four large bags of sequins from Cartwright's and they are all about halfway empty. So maybe 4,000 scales-ish?

[AniaR]

it's really looking lovely!

[Ilonka]

It's done! Finally finished this tail, its been about 5 1/2 weeks. It's so pretty I wish I could keep it LOL. Going to give the same kind of makeover to my white spandex tail, eventually I'm going to start working with clear silicon to protect the sequins. The tail has about 5,000 scales and now weights about 15lbs and is 6 1/2 feet long, huge difference from its former self.

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The before picture

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This was allot of fun to fix up and I'm exited to continue working on tails for others. One thing is for certain though, Alex plus, never again. It's been about a week since I filled and sealed the fluke with Alex plus and its still squishy! Stuff is terrible...

Hope you guys like Marissas New tail!

[MerEmma]

WOW! It looks amazing!!

[Aziara]

*jaw...floor* :jawdrop: That has to be the best use of sequins I've ever seen.

[Theta]

Ilonka, you have done such a stunning job (still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor! It's gorgeous.) I particularly love how you faded into the white sequins on the dorsal fin.

Wow!

[Mermaid Dottie]

GORGEOUS!

[Jadestone]

The transformation of this is amazing! Wonderful work :)

[AniaR]

it looks amazing. Congrats on a job well done!

[Ilonka]

Thanks everyone :D I'm at weeki wachee right now, gonna takk to management to see if I can have a future opportunity to use their theatre for an underwater photoshoot with my tails, really need some good shots of my new products ASAP. Really want to make silicon/sequin hybrid tails from now on. Wish me luck!

[Ariadne]

Love Love Love!

[Ilonka]

Sooo their theatre cannot be used for other mermaids even if its for non-commercial use. The park now belongs to the state of Florida so you would think it would be open to use for art projects and non corporations but I guess not. They were a bit rude to me about it too, made me feel kinda bad :l

[AniaR]

they let mertailor use it all the time, but I think it's because he used to work for them.

[Mermaid Marissa]

I'm so excited to get this tail!!!! :yay:Before I met you I almost hated that tail and now I can't wait to get my hands on it! Thank you:hug:

[Mermaid Allie]

Wow so creative i LOVE this tail!!!

[Ariel-Starfish]

Best tail/sequin makeover i've ever seen! Gread job u did there!!

[Azurin Luna]

Wow that tail turned out very lovely! :D

[Spindrift]

Awesome!! It looks fantastic!

[Ilyena]

That is incredibly beautiful ^_^

[Mermaid Marissa]

Had a photoshoot in my new tail a couple days ago :) there are more pictures on my Facebook fan page!

[Jessica]

Your tail is beautiful on you! Ilonka did an amazing job!

[Ashton]

How well can you swim with all the sequins on it?

[Thalassa]

Any update on how durable this ended up being?

[Winged Mermaid]

I'm curious as well! I also have a mertailor tail that I'd love to do a makeover on, but would love to know how the E6000 + sequins + ALEX Plus of the tail ended up holding up!