Really big Lion's Paws?

[Blaze]

Hey everyone,

Any ideas on how big those lions paw shells run? I went to all the craft stores locally and got the biggest ones I could find but they still seem pretty small when I hold them up to the bra I want to mount them on. :$ Does anyone have a source for really large ones? COuld also use molded shells if needed though I guess.

I plan to cover the bra with foliage like Little Orca's top here (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?5533-Shell-Top-3-0) as I need this done before the weekend but wanted to know for future tops.

Also a good source of faux starfish, seahorses & more would be appreciated. :D

[PearlieMae]

The ones I've been running across at Michaels are about four inches across...plenty big for my modest Bs. I think the foliage a lot of mers use help to fill in the gaps...I don't know about you, though, Chesty! ;)

How about some pearlized abalone? http://www.seashellworld.com/grean-abalone-pearled.html Polished. Measures approx. 6-7".

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[Blaze]

The ones I've been running across at Michaels are about four inches across...plenty big for my modest Bs. I think the foliage a lot of mers use help to fill in the gaps...I don't know about you, though, Chesty! ;)

How about some pearlized abalone? http://www.seashellworld.com/grean-abalone-pearled.html Polished. Measures approx. 6-7".


LOL, yeah I don't want to have a whole bucket of foliage on there but I'm trying to work it out.

Oooo those pearlized abalone are pretty cool! Might try that and awesome website! Thanks for the link!

[Lotus]

I dig the abalone, thanks for the link, Pearlie!
@Scarlet: I have the same problem! Ah the joys of being busty lol. I have yet to see a Lions Paws bigger than 6 inches across, even on websites like the one pearlie found or this one : http://www.conchking.com/Scallops.htm
I fill in the gaps with beads, pearls and sequins, but that's just me :)
One of these days I'm going to sculpt a shell top for large chests and cast it in silicone, but right now I'm too damn busy!

[Mermaid Tula]

Most lion's paws on the larger side run about 4-6 inches. I'm working on a bra for a customer with very large assets and I'm using a butt load of foliage. (I had to do the same with mine)

[NerineArcticMermaid]

clamshells are bigger but more expensive. (8-9in $110!)
Lions paws run up to 7in. Ive been looking. Ive got 36E boobs.. so yeah...
Id suggest getting creative with other shells in addition to the lions paw.. add some netting to help cover the top.

[Mermaid Shayna]

Oh that abalone
:drool:
Seriously, abalone is my favorite shell. And I clicked on all of the sites mentioned- busty mer problems :/

[PearlieMae]

Unfortunately, they don't have a right and left side, the shell is actually the top of the animal, but you can rotate one for a bra top. $30 for two shells isn't that big of an investment when you think about it.

[Soulstrifer]

Squamosa Tridacna Clam shells come at around 7-9''

[NerineArcticMermaid]

@soulstrifer yes but have you seen the price of those??? :jawdrop:

[Echinacea]

I think it is Raven, but someone had a picture in a polished abalone shell bra that I was just drooling over! Sooo pretty and shiny! :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

^Raven does have a polished abalone top, as does Iona. There are probably others as well. I made one too, but my shells are raw instead of polished.

[Winged Mermaid]

Coming across big lion paws seem to be a matter of luck unfortunately :/ You could try contacting a shell store or shell seller online and ask if they have ones of a certian size. If they do you can ask if they can give you two that size that look roughly alike. Some will be willing to hunt through shells for you, some won't.

I made an abalone shell bra and I LOVE it! I'd been wanting to make one for over a year (ever since Raven purchased her red abalones) and I finally bit the bullet :P I've spent literally days of my time (weeks off and on) looking for all the abalone shells I could find in larger sizes. I ordered a few sets, honestly the off-white ones seem to be the largest without getting too pricey at $20 a pop. I got a few of 'em, and they were actually too large to fit on the bra I wanted to use (and I'm a D cup) so you may have more luck with those! With the rainbow ones I had cover a bit of the bra with foliage for the size of them.

(Note, all photos are thumbnails, click to see larger image.)
Here's some photos of the one I made:
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Me%20as%20a%20mermaid/th_995737_10201542247536910_64956283_n.jpg (http://s219.photobucket.com/user/winged_mermaid/media/Me%20as%20a%20mermaid/995737_10201542247536910_64956283_n.jpg.html) http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Me%20as%20a%20mermaid/th_attachment-1.jpg (http://s219.photobucket.com/user/winged_mermaid/media/Me%20as%20a%20mermaid/attachment-1.jpg.html)

Here's a photo of the shells and the bra. I marked in the blue tailor's chalk where the shell edges were so I could sew down the netting and glue down the foliage first. As I said I'm a D cup, so this may give you a idea of size.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Me%20as%20a%20mermaid/th_IMG_1052.jpg (http://s219.photobucket.com/user/winged_mermaid/media/Me%20as%20a%20mermaid/IMG_1052.jpg.html)

Here's a photo of the off-white ones. The paper is to show scale and also how not-white they are :P I actually ordered these for another mer as a commissioned top, and she backed out when she saw that they weren't as white as she wanted :/ Lesson learned.. always take the commission money first, even with friends (especially for shells that cost $20 a pop..).

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Me%20as%20a%20mermaid/th_IMG_3454.jpg (http://s219.photobucket.com/user/winged_mermaid/media/Me%20as%20a%20mermaid/IMG_3454.jpg.html)

[Anahita]

Iona, do you know about how large you'd get of an abalone if you're willing to spend $30-40 a shell? I'm having a... erm... huge problem. I can't seem to find any shells over 8" wide. I'm not sure if that's big enough for me (each one of my gals measures 14", and I really just want to stick the shells on silicone self-adhesive bras and just call it a day - I'm really lazy, and extra froof might not look good on the self-adhesive style)

Or, since you've made abalone shell bras before, do you think 8" shells might suffice just to cover enough of the front area that it would look alright? (I'm just worried that they'd look comically small sitting on top of the bra bit, and I want someone who knows their stuff's advice before I end up spending $80+ on shells I might not even be able to use)

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Ana..I'm a 36e ill post pics of my tops later...
Iona... still got those white abalone? Willing to buy them from you.

[Blaze]

Thanks everyone! I think I will be finding myself some rainbow abalone in the future for another bra! Iona do you have a good link on where to order them from?

Have to go with what I have on hand for now though as I leave in less than 48 hours! SQUEE! Spent some time getting foliage on the bra; tonight will be adding the lion's paws & netting. Hubby is drilling small holes in smaller shells for me to add on as well tonight but I might be sewing those on the plane. ;)

Here is a pic before I went to bed last night; the sparse parts on the bra is where the shells will go which you can see on the table. You can also see a shell tiara I made (will probably add some foliage to the sides of it), my tail with a fresh coat of paint and if you squint you can see on the table a necklace which will soon have seaweed & shells added as well.
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[MerEmma]

WOW! It looks great :D

[Mermaid Shayna]

It looks amazing so far. And the crown is to dive for ;)

[Blaze]

Realized didn't post pictures of the finished top in this thread. :D

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Already working on top #2! ;D

[Winged Mermaid]

That turned out beautifully! And you look stunning in those shots!