Also making a tail like everyone else haha

[Imogen Finnly]

So I want to start slow for my first few tails just to get a hang of the process and stuff, with that said, I just finished my fluke design ( I actually made three just in case i changed my mind) haha. Once i figure out how to get mernetwork on my phone without it crashing, I'll try to post pictures, but I am also working on bras, because the first two i did didn't work out so well.
As of right now i need to cut and sew the neoprene (still looking for Latex) I want to work with dragon skin but i want to get used to working with unfamiliar material so latex first.
haha This is a boring thread as of now, but i just wanted to share so you all could chit chat and advice me up if you want:3

[PearlieMae]

Cool! Julz is the latexpert (see what I did there?), check out her thread and videos, it should be very helpful!

[Imogen Finnly]

haha!:D thanks Perlie!

[Imogen Finnly]

So now I have sewn the tail to make sure it fits me!:D I just need to take the calfs in the start the rest ! http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/21/y6y2ydem.jpg

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[Imogen Finnly]

17635 this is the spine!:D

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[Imogen Finnly]

So I'm trying E6000 in place of sewing. Trial test. Let's see how it holds and if ill fit my big ol ass into it haha

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[Imogen Finnly]

So I'm not sure if anyone is following this but I was going to use burman industries online. I'm buying 5 gallons of latex, thalo blue, thalo green, and a pound of thickener. It is in my price range until it said shipping was 110 bucks. Haha I like like 20 minutes from the store. Lol

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[Imogen Finnly]

1888518886

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[Mermaid Adriel]

Love it! it's turning out very well ^^

[PearlieMae]

Niiiiice! I love that Prussian blue! Can't wait to see it swim!

[BayouMermaid]

Awesome color!!! So mysterious looking :)

[Ocean-Borne]

It looks great so far~! The color is beautiful~

[Imogen Finnly]

Thanks guys:3

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[Imogen Finnly]

18944

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[Mermaid Sabie]

Wow fast work! That's a good idea for the top, super safe for the "ladies"

[Imogen Finnly]

I still have to mod the top a bit, it slips off if I jump around too much haha

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[Imogen Finnly]

Thanks for the compliments! I'm so excited to see this tail done!

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[shimmygoddess]

looks great!!

[Imogen Finnly]

Thanks: 3 i finished the last blue coat and have to apply the pearls and do a bit of trimming and junk. I can't wait to get it on!!

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[Imogen Finnly]

More pics to come!

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[Ashton]

looks good so far.

[Mermaid Dottie]

Lovely work, m'dear!

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[Imogen Finnly]

1904019041
Ran out of spray paint haha but i need to get a few things done before I do that but I couldn't resist! Latex in the seems are next and then pearls !

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[Imogen Finnly]

1915219153

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[Anahita]

Just caught up on this. Wow! It's looking good! Love the pearl touches and gold edges, it gives a nice, subtle detail to the whole thing.

[Imogen Finnly]

Thanks!:D I am having a few problems with seams but its totally my fault lol and the pearls need to be adhered with something strong than latex but other than that haha its my first tail so its gonna have flaws

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[Imogen Finnly]

So, in the end, the whole tail had to be trashed. The only savable thing was my foil. I've been so upset I've basically been crying all day. All that money and hard work was literally thrown away. I'm still pretty upset about. I almost couldn't face coming on the forum. I wanted to quit and call it a failure and never speak of it again. But I know better.

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[Echidna]

Oh no! I'm so sorry!

still, this happens to almost every tailmaker in the beginning.
don't give up!

[Carolina Mermaid]

Oh dear! What happened? I know what it's like to have a first tail not seem to work out. Don't give up!

[Imogen Finnly]

I was crying the whole day basically, I worked so hard and put so much effort into it and in the end it was in the trash. Its in the bin in the back yard right now. All my hard work. I didn't listen and I made the tail and put on the latex and it fit so perfectly. Then the latex sealed the seams off so tightly, I tried to cut it and the neoprene was destroyed on the seams. I was so upset I cried all morning. I almost gave up being a mermaid. I didn't even want to face the forum. I just am so emotionally drained. I only have the foil now.

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[Echidna]

:(

that sucks.
but don't give up because of a setback.

let it rest awhile.
in the end, we can learn from every setback.

keep swimming!

[Imogen Finnly]

Yeah. For now in gonna focus on other things. It's just too much to spend right now

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[Carolina Mermaid]

My first tail was made of neoprene and I completely rushed the making of my tail and ended up ruing it and the neoprene . I cried for two days. I know how you feel, but don't give up on turning the problem into something beautiful. It's hard when your project that you put so much effort and time into just seems to fall apart in front of your eyes, but take something away from this. With this experience, when you make a new tail you know what not to do, and how to make your second one better than the first ever was.

[Imogen Finnly]

I think I want to try it again in a few weeks maybe. My boyfriend said the same thing. He said when he buily his first bass he messed it up so bad, but he got better. You guys are right. All of you. It's just so heart breaking.

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[Imogen Finnly]

So I am trying my tail once more. Under going more test and trials with materials and stuff before I screw up 160 bucks of material.
I am too embarrassed to show you my test because they are probably gonna fail anyway. But if not ill show some pics. Haha

formerly jayy

[OceanRose]

Hey Imogen, I'm happy to see you're trying again! ♥
I have heard you can glue neoprene, so maybe that's something to consider if you ever need to piece it back together but can't sew it (not sure if that was your previous issue or not).
Best wishes and lots of people post pictures of their failures, we are all here to help each other!
Can't wait to see what you come up with :-)

[OceanRose]

Ewps stupid me I just read the first page of this thread and saw that you already know that about the glue lol, disregard what I said!
Except for the other nice stuff I said, that still stands :-)

[Lostariel Telrunya]

Oh, if you are just going to throw the tail away, keep the fabric for any tests you may want to do in the future! That way if you have new material and you want to see how something reacts with it, you have a bunch that you can just chuck after if it doesn't work out. And hey, at least you learned and are trying again :)

[Imogen Finnly]

I have extra left over pieces of material so I've been doing some tests on that. So far I've done a small patch of scales in clay. They are kinda really ugly but I plastered a test piece last night and it came out really well. I just need to clean the mold and test the latex. Ill post pics of it when I get home. Get ready for a whole lot of uuuuugly

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/12/5f57c2fe63488d6452ce2ddeaae2a63f.jpg
So if you all can see this photo, it is some small test scale- a - roos. They look like chips haha

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/12/4cdb0514baaac8e86e7d187a51022ed7.jpg
This is my test thingy unclean. Im going to finish it and do a small test pour.

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/13/c6b8c9343f7f5271f310bec6b9700751.jpg
Cleaned and testing!!

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

Im ready for failure to set in. *Pulls hair* I'm bound to fail through and through. 😧

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[Mermaid Wesley]

my molds have failed probably five times. i ended up getting so frustrated i cried angry tears and then finally i got a new material and got it to work. you can do it! it might suck for a while but YOU WILL WIN

[Imogen Finnly]

I love you guys! You make me feel so much better! http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/13/fe59ce5148f4d7c487d1c749a5c1398e.jpg
Material! !!! I decided to go with blue rather than black because I feel like a lighter color week catch the latex tint better.

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/17/a926e061cb99fd1a1cb663d9c0214c86.jpg
Tests tests tests. Going to use foam sheets but trying this first. http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/17/ff33bbe1d6a64be9ec2854b08877b68e.jpg
Did these ugly ones in plain first but decided to tint the second ones to see how they would cure and the tint ratio

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

This sounds like a stupid fear but I'm afraid of being judged or made fun of for having an ugly tail or that I'll be expected to fail for not doing it the way most people do. Like people will see my future failure. This is kinda my diary in a way.

formerly jayy

[Mermaid Wesley]

Dont forget that een if your tail is ugly as heck youre still a mermaid and thus magical.

[Imogen Finnly]

Yeah. You are right. Practice makes for a better looking tail right?

formerly jayy

[Mermaid Wesley]

thats right :)

[Imogen Finnly]

Thanks Wes I've been down about it for a while too

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[Imogen Finnly]

So I've been working in so many tests and work had gone and got Me running very thin on patience do I haven't updated lately. But so far I decided seaming is beyond me I'm going to have to make indivie scales. Yay! http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/26/9bfd85571d6807737b4a45906442a23c.jpg

formerly jayy

[Anahita]

Scales! I love the tealy green coloring they're drying to

[Imogen Finnly]

Yeah! I cast them to thin in places but I ultimately can't use these sheets they are impossible to seam right

formerly jayy

[Anahita]

I know. :( it's too bad because I loved the idea and how they looked.

[Imogen Finnly]

Me too.. meh! Oh well ill try my best to make these little bastard work

formerly jayy

[mer_believer]

I can't wait to see your tail when it is finished.

[Imogen Finnly]

Sorry I haven't updated in forever but I just started doing the first few coats of latex on my side fins. I'll take pictures when I get home

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

So I have made a small "painting by numbers" on my tail in chalk to get an idea of what colors I'm going to use in that area. And I'm using the numbers 1,2,3 to identify the level or darkness in tint.
I haven't finished the fins cause I was sewing (fabric glue really) some curtains and stuff for my room.

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

A

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

I dont know why it only posted that haha buuut it, came out pretty okay so far! http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/02/5a272f7b3de10903615ac4c3a20d281d.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/02/3d0a55c0bcbdf7632f32e9f600a8ef27.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/02/25633dce50d6453ec767a15d94c8f359.jpg
And those are my little test scales and I like them so far.
That picture with my finnis us a reference to how large my fluke is. I'm planning on getting Vynal and making fringe and getting that Vynal wall junk and sandwiching my fin between it. I have to make ... lost my thought. .. Will post if I remember. This cheap little comb actually helps get the dry latex off my brush after cleaning ithttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/02/550f83ea19495129131d34fc8614b27a.jpg

formerly jayy

[emma11]

Try putting a little dish soap on your brush before you dip it in the latex! Does wonders to save the brush. ;)


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[Imogen Finnly]

I try to use hot water and dawn when washing them. It usually works but sometimes I get those pesky chunks that don't come out.

formerly jayy

[emma11]

Yeah you want the brush to be wet with just soap before you use it in latex! It'll prevent those chunks from happening. :) I find that the blue dawn works best!


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[Imogen Finnly]

Ysah it does! I love it! Im using the pink vitamin E infused one right now cause I already had it. Before that was the coconut oil infused one. They all generally get the job done but the blue has more kick.
Im brushing the latex onto the foam pieces right now so none of them will look exactly the same. (Not my original idea but hey, *Tim Gun* make it work.

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/07/b8af3dadc15798984f60bb0a4e50cb2a.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/07/797dd95c1a58a6b72931d7f1cbacb132.jpg so.. haha ... here is my ugl.. I mean yay! Haha this latex is ripping off the hair on my thighs... Omg stchaaaaaap!

formerly jayy

[Mermaid Corabelle]

That is a lovely blue color. Looking forward to seeing it finished :D Good job so far!

[OceanRose]

Cool fluke shape! :-)

[Imogen Finnly]

Thanks! I made more scales before bed so I'll add more tomorrow! Err.. today I mean lol

formerly jayy

[Mermaid Wesley]

I would try it on VERY frequently. People tend to have issues with fitting into tails after they do the latex edit: unless you're seaming after, I can't tell.


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[Imogen Finnly]

Im seaming after. I've learned my lesson with seaming before. It was a total nightmare that ended up with trashed tail. I figure ill leave an inch out and use that cause there is like three inches or scale the whole thing than seam it so the scales kinda cover it up? Idk what do you think?

formerly jayy

[Mermaid Wesley]

I would definitely leave some I scaled so you can make it seamless once you're done!


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[Imogen Finnly]

Okay! Cause I was thinking about it but wasn't sure how it would turn out. I'm only on the back part so far I haven't even began the front lol do seaming is far away but I like to have the reference and ideas already in my head.

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[Imogen Finnly]

Sorry I haven't updated. I'm still putting scales on by hand and these past few weeks I've been busy with my wedding and work so I haven't been able to work on it.

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

So for whatever reason I can't post my update shot but I'm s starting in the bottom center if my tail it's green.
I anal decided to not be so freaky about incorrect color patterns and mismatched colors and scale flaws because I'm still in my *sort of* first tail.
See Prior post for failure.

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[Imogen Finnly]

Does anyone know weather it is normal for latex to get lighter when it touches water?

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/06/5fd8cf079caca03a16d53a4d47bd13d0.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/06/1b7b530762904184d7d285489fec1696.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/06/9b1ad31bb32b41187d41a3a38d7bcb18.jpg

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/06/c95fb6fae6eba6af6ff868942242b087.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/06/bbf4978f52a70df43e49dd48424a88dc.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/06/2578e6bdec7dcc2a6ab947ecbd6a041f.jpg

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

So these are some progress photos that it took me forever to upload! It wouldn't let me *shrugs*
But I also bought two mahina fins! Going to see what I can play with on my next tail, but that isn't for a while.
I am almost finished the center green part of my scales! This is the back btw.
Once I finish this side in blue im going to do the other side like this but much much lighter. It's taken me a while to get this down. My scales are so ugly but I don't care.
I'm also going to put a zipper up the side. So I need to figure out how to cover that up.

formerly jayy

[Imogen Finnly]

And that is me in a new spandex tail from two tails. I love it.

formerly jayy

[Mermaid Wesley]

Nice!


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[Imogen Finnly]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/29/8fb5102d96c0109e50f84073d09b1a92.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/29/4c863cdb98a40c3857d27517e77d54fb.jpg
It doesnt lokk like much but it is progressing.

formerly jayy