First Tail Project - Neoprene Tail!

[hellocourtney]

So a few months ago, I decided that I would make a neoprene tail using the Hydra monofin I got for my birthday (modified by my boyfriend). We brought the neoprene and cutting it out to the shape of me wearing the monofin, but had to put it on hold while I went travelling.
But I'm back now, and with summer coming I'm eager to get it finished! This is what we've done so far
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And the monofin
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Because I do most of my swimming off of the back of a small boat, I need to be able to put the tail on and take it off easily in the water. Which means a zip. We then thought of the idea of covering it with individual scales to conceal the zipper. I'm planning on painting the scales with pearlescent white paint and glitter to make them look a little more 3D effect, and painting the edges with gold to conceal the black. I'll use a similar effect on the fluke too.
Here's the plans that I've drawn up
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The next step from here is probably to find someone who can sew the two pieces of neoprene together and install the zip, because I don't have a sewing machine or the skills to sew neoprene. I'll keep updating this thread as we (hopefully!) make progress.
I'm excited!:yay:

[Mermaid Wesley]

Nice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[teeth4u]

So pretty! I love the shape you cut the hydra into. Are the scales going to be painted on or made of another material?

[hellocourtney]

Thanks Mermaid Eva :) I'm going to cut the scales out individually out of neoprene and glue them on. My neoprene is only 3mm so it shouldn't make it too bulky

[OceanRose]

I love your plans so far ;) I'm excited for you!!

[Genevieve]

Sounds beautiful, and off to a beautiful start! Can't wait to see more.

[Mermaid Reiko]

I love your concept as well. It looks amazing n.n

Sent from my STUDIO 5.5 using Tapatalk

[hellocourtney]

Thanks so much everyone :)
I haven't got any updates, unfortunately. My boyfriend is still insisting that we get the main part of the tail sewn by a professional, and that he will organise it. But he hasn't done anything about it yet. Hopefully things will start moving again now that he's finished working two jobs.
Once that's done though, things should start coming together a bit quicker

[hellocourtney]

Soooo one thing I'm unsure about, is how to adhere glitter to the tail. While I'll probably use some white pearlescent paint to add depth (particularly on the fluke), I want the main features to be the colour of the neoprene itself and glitter.
I've been researching for a while now, trying to find the best medium but haven't had much luck.

Has anyone got any suggestions?

[Miyu]

Embed it in glue? as in, mix it with E-6000 or whatever glue you're using, and paint it on, then let it dry, and maybe put a clear coat over it to protect the glitter from falling out?

Also, how does that modified Hydra swim? Does it still have similar propulsion to an uncut Hydra?

[hellocourtney]

Would E6000 affect the stretch of the neoprene? The neoprene glue I'm using for attaching the individual scales to the tail base is black, so that wouldn't work.

[Miyu]

Try painting it after you sew it together and stuff it to give it shape and stretch it only as much as it will be stretched - you said you were going to put a zip in it, so less stretch is needed than if you were making a fabric or neoprene tail with no zip. Even Lumiere fabric paints and the like will affect the stretch of the fabric, even if it's only because some paints crack when you stretch the fabric.

E-6000 comes in clear, and it dries clear and flexible :)

[OceanRose]

I did a quick search and found these ... the base dries clear and they dry soft and permanent with no need to heat set:

http://decoart.com/cgi-bin/Products.cgi?So-Soft_Glitters

[hellocourtney]

Try painting it after you sew it together and stuff it to give it shape and stretch it only as much as it will be stretched - you said you were going to put a zip in it, so less stretch is needed than if you were making a fabric or neoprene tail with no zip. Even Lumiere fabric paints and the like will affect the stretch of the fabric, even if it's only because some paints crack when you stretch the fabric.

E-6000 comes in clear, and it dries clear and flexible :)

E-6000 it is then! Thank you so much, Miyu. I've been stuck on this for weeks.
I'll add it to my list of things to buy when I start getting paid again :)

[Miyu]

Awesome! No problem, that glue is really super handy, especially for mer-stuff. It's actually pretty inexpensive as well, you can pick it up at Walmart (though I had problems finding ANY at Walmart last Christmas season, apparently it was "make-your-own-gifts year" in my town, LOL). I'd use it more often but I am so sensitive to chemicals that I pretty much only use it when I have no other choice :p

[hellocourtney]

I did a quick search and found these ... the base dries clear and they dry soft and permanent with no need to heat set:

http://decoart.com/cgi-bin/Products.cgi?So-Soft_Glitters

Hmm those look pretty good too. The website doesn't say how they hold up to washing though, so I'm a bit worried about how they would handle mermaiding.

[hellocourtney]

Awesome! No problem, that glue is really super handy, especially for mer-stuff. It's actually pretty inexpensive as well, you can pick it up at Walmart (though I had problems finding ANY at Walmart last Christmas season, apparently it was "make-your-own-gifts year" in my town, LOL). I'd use it more often but I am so sensitive to chemicals that I pretty much only use it when I have no other choice :p

LOL I wish I could pop down to Walmart and get stuff, I miss Walmart sooooooo much but we don't have them here in New Zealand. I did manage to find it on trademe though (kind of like ebay) but it's probably way more expensy.

[OceanRose]

I miss Walmart and I've never been there ... everyone talks about it!
Looks like you have a good plan, with the E6000 :-) I got a couple of tubes off umm Amazon or ebay I can't remember but it was $6 a tube I think ... One day I went into Spotlight and they had a tiny tube for some ridiculous cost lol.

Regarding the glitter paint ... I wondered the same thing, I am thinking about asking them if it's water/wash proof ... but it looks like they don't ship to NZ which is a bummer because I really like their metallic paints (I can't get Lumiere anywhere)

[hellocourtney]

I miss Walmart and I've never been there ... everyone talks about it!
Looks like you have a good plan, with the E6000 :-) I got a couple of tubes off umm Amazon or ebay I can't remember but it was $6 a tube I think ... One day I went into Spotlight and they had a tiny tube for some ridiculous cost lol.

Regarding the glitter paint ... I wondered the same thing, I am thinking about asking them if it's water/wash proof ... but it looks like they don't ship to NZ which is a bummer because I really like their metallic paints (I can't get Lumiere anywhere)
I haaate it when you find something amazing online and then they don't ship to NZ. So annoying

[Morticia Mermaid]

Love your design. Can't wait to see how it turns out :)

[OceanRose]

I haaate it when you find something amazing online and then they don't ship to NZ. So annoying

Me too! Well this one has a happy ending though, I noticed that Warehouse Stationary stocks that brand, and when I asked, they said it's possible to order whatever I want through them :dance:

In the process of figuring that out, I searched up Art Deco on FB and asked them if the glitter paints are hardy and will stay on with washing and lots of water submersion on fabric and neoprene? ... and they said yes, definitely as long as applied according to the directions :-)
So at least there is another option there, if you don't end up doing the E6000 :-)

[hellocourtney]

Me too! Well this one has a happy ending though, I noticed that Warehouse Stationary stocks that brand, and when I asked, they said it's possible to order whatever I want through them :dance:

In the process of figuring that out, I searched up Art Deco on FB and asked them if the glitter paints are hardy and will stay on with washing and lots of water submersion on fabric and neoprene? ... and they said yes, definitely as long as applied according to the directions :-)
So at least there is another option there, if you don't end up doing the E6000 :-)
Oh that's awesome! I think I'll still get some E6000 to test (I'll need it to stick diamantes on anyway) but it's good to know there's another option :) thanks for letting me know :)

[hellocourtney]

So, after a couple of months of nothing :( I had an idea today.
The biggest thing holding me back from finishing this tail is the fact that I'm waiting on my boyfriend to do the base so I can do the rest. But as that's clearly not going to happen any time soon I need to consider some other options.

I had an idea to make the base of the tail out of a different material rather than neoprene, one that's easier to sew. It would also have the benefit of being less buoyant and not so bulky. After making the base form I would glue the individual neoprene scales on to it.
Do yall think this could work? And what fabric would work best? Something like powermesh or would spandex be better. I haven't brought any glue yet, so I can buy whatever glue works best (within reason, NZ can be shitty for sourcing products)

[courtneymermaid]

That sounds like an interesting idea. I don't have any suggestions for a material since my tails are all one solid piece of fabric, but I wish you lots of luck! I really liked the pictures I saw on the first page and I'm looking forward to seeing where you take this tail! ^_^

[hellocourtney]

Thank you courtneymermaid (also yay, name twins!) :)
I found a fabric shop close to me that offers cheap fabric samples so I'll grab one of each and give it a go.

[Appellativo]

dang, I was hoping you'd sewn with neoprene and could offer a how-to ;) I read that using a leather needle and upholstery thread with some astro-glide is the way to go, but I'm not brave enough to practice with neoprene LOL

[hellocourtney]

So! After suggesting using a different fabric as the base of the tail, he had a hit of a brainwave (he also got a burst of enthusiasm, which is nice [emoji12]).
He suggested making the body of the tail separate to the fluke, with the body being a solid tube. No zipped required. He's gonna take charge of the fluke, he has a bit more engineering credit than me hahaha.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/06/1d2c2063f2e8b0bc28728c967591ad48.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/06/7bd5c0591aea0fe7e128564ca57b7571.jpg

I'm pretty excited about this new idea. It should help with the buoyancy concerns I had, and save me a ton of money on glue.

[courtneymermaid]

Yeah name twins right down to the spelling! I love it! This is looking pretty sweet, a lot of thought and love is obviously going into this! I like the shape you have so far for the monofin! ^_^

[hellocourtney]

So I haven't been able to properly work on the tail, but I have been busy buying materials. I have nearly everything I need now, I just need to get the power mesh, paints and no heat fixer. I've found a place near me that sells power mesh, and I thought I had the paints sorted but after I placed my order the company emailed me to say they only had one of the products I ordered in stock and wouldn't have the others in until mid February 😕
So I need to either find another company or wait a month (if anyone knows place that sells jacquard Lumiere paints and no heat fixer that will ship to NZ without bankrupting me, let me know 😊).

But! I did get my glitter, neoprene glue and a tube of E6000 and I've been having a play to see if they'll work.
We glued neoprene to the piece we cut out of the monofin and to itself, and it's holding up well, I'm going to test in water a bit later today.
I also mixed the glitters into the E6000 to see what that looks like
These are the glitters for reference
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/14/275fa40f4ac76ec6d3378237638188a9.jpg
In the sun
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/14/d5495751fe5c187d10bffe4cc1627f7f.jpg
And in the shade
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/14/429de3100951545427a99c4cf77547f6.jpg

As you can tell this tail is going to be hella sparkly [emoji7]

I think I'm going to mix most of the glitter into the paint (if I ever get it) instead of the glue, it dries a bit too quickly and I feel like I would end up wasting a lot of product. I definitely won't put quite so much glitter in but I was doing the best I could with plastic plates and bamboo skewers...

[hellocourtney]

*slopes back in...* :rollover:

This tail project isn't dead, I promise! Turns out that grad school is hard and time consuming so it's taken a serious backseat to study and work and other important life things. BUT! I've still been lurking here and scheming and I've even gotten a bit of work done these last few weeks since the semester ended (the fact that I can see the ocean from my desk has been a motivating factor, NGL).

So, update time!
I'm still going ahead with the separate fluke and tail body, and I've been working on the fluke primarily. I've drawn my fluke out full scale, and cut the pieces out of neoprene. Because it's so big and I had already cut some of the neoprene up, ive had to make it in sections. It shouldn't be too much of an issue though because it's going to be glued down completely to the monofin.

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Speaking of monofins though, that's where I've struck yet another roadblock. After I had cut out my neoprene, I realised that my hydra has a crack in it where the foot pocket have been joined to the rest of the fin (see pics below). Has anyone had an issue like this before? Do you think it will be possible to still use this fin if I glue it back together?

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I'll end this update on a positive note though, I made my first swimmable (hopefully!) top! I'm pretty pleased with it considering I made it in an evening for Halloween solely out of things I already owned. The little silicone seashell in the middle is one I brought from CoyoteWalker a while ago :)

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[OceanRose]

Eeep! your top is gorgeous!!!
I'm so glad you're back btw <3

[hellocourtney]

Aw, thank you on both counts!

[Mermaid Wesley]

Oooooh that top is super pretty!! Do you know if you can get your money back on the fin?


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[hellocourtney]

Thank you :)
I doubt it, I've had it for a couple of years now and I wasn't the one who brought it. Also we modified it lol

[Spindrift]

Can't wait to see what's next! :)

[Adalira]

That top is so pretty! Wow! Can't wait to see your progress on the tail!

[hellocourtney]

Thank you Spindrift and Adalira :)

[hellocourtney]

I have an update for everyone!

We've ~hopefully found a solution to the cracking monofin problem.
We used the plastic glue recommended by Ocean Rose to seal the cracks and sealed that off to minimise issues with water
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/26/c56e412a9b96811e7d775a112019dbe9.jpg

To reduce stress on the seams my boyfriend used some of the piece we cut off the monofin when we altered the shape to reinforce it. I've found that it's much floppier than it was when I brought it so hopefully it stiffens it up and gives me a bit more push

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/26/14563545bed368677343ff1ba862357a.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/26/3a04dcb521a3fb1fd8bf57692b262f2c.jpg

(my workspace is still crazy messy from Christmas prep dont judge me 😁)
Also I don't know how he did anything but I can ask for more details if anyone wants.

It looks ugly atm but it means I can start gluing on the neoprene!

[hellocourtney]

Productive night tonight!

All of my neoprene pieces for the fluke have been trimmed and are ready to glue down, and I've cut out pieces of plastic to stiffen up the edges as the fluke is quite a bit wider than my monofin and I don't want it to be too floppy.

Hopefully tomorrow I can sandpaper the monofin and plastic and start gluing! Also as soon as I get paid I'm going to buy paint.
I'm aiming to get at least this component of the tail done by the 20th as we're going away on a boat :D

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/28/ea44d4f58da548f4d4c2454829a03b8e.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/28/48c110ec1c0d0947584348a6858742b1.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/28/757f0f202c3951912d466e32318980a8.jpg

[hellocourtney]

More progress tonight 🎉

Three of the five pieces of the front glued down, I'm going to wait until this lot is dry before I progress further, plus I need to buy more glue.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/29/cffb14eb3f10d89dd26d055dfee3efba.jpg

[hellocourtney]

Welp.

I've had my first set back in a while. I knew things were going along too swimmingly haha 🐋🐋🐋

I had planned to sandwich this plastic in between the two sides of the fluke to stiffen them up, but when I attempted to glue it down, it wouldn't lie flat and when it dried there were a lot of air bubbles.

So the plastic has come off, and hopefully having the two pieces of neoprene plus glue will stiffen it up enough.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/03/a321c27814064efaac17cba878dcb704.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/03/90caca9ee6aea53d7e7b538b75a9854d.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/03/da32cbc0e5536fa68fdf329318974055.jpg

Unfortunately this has meant I've wasted a whole heap of glue and I've had to order more. I've finally found someone in NZ who sells e6000 for a reasonable price at least.

[hellocourtney]

I'm so flippin' excited!
So not only have I finished gluing the neoprene down but I've already taken it for a test run! Everything held perfectly and it felt really good. A little bit floaty, but that's to be expected being neoprene and all. I don't have any new pictures because my phone is broken but my mum said it looked cool in the water (lmao).

[Ilyena]

Awesome. Pics when you get around to it ^_^. I have to wear 3kg of weights in a pool to be almost neutrally bouyant >_<

[hellocourtney]

I have pictures!

We went swimming again today and took the go pro with us this time. Really really happy with how it looks and swims in both shallow and deep water :dance:
Also yesterday I brought some fabric from etsy so that's one step closer to full mermaid!!

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Also here's what the fabric I ordered looks like:
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[OceanRose]

Oh my god that looks fab!
Yaaaay!!

[Adalira]

Wow, it looks great!

[Merman Storm]

Looks good!
Tell me, what brand paint are you planning on using? Also,in making your pattern, how much negative ease are you building in?

[Ilyena]

Awesome :)

[hellocourtney]

Thanks for all the lovely comments guys :mermaid kiss:
Sorry I haven't been updating this thread, but I'm currently working two jobs and I was away for most of last week.

Merman Storm, seeing as I had to google what negative ease was I have no idea lol. My fabric arrived while I was away, and it's a little thinner than I anticipated. I'm currently brainstorming ideas on how to make it more suitable for my needs, as well as protecting the beautiful holo foil print.
I have been planning to use Jacquard Lumiere paints, but it's just so hard to find them at a good price here in NZ :(

[hellocourtney]

Also, pictures!
Here's the fabric that I purchased. I brought it knowing full well that dot foil prints are delicate and don't last (I've been wearing mermaid print leggings for around three years now) but when it actually arrived it's so beautiful irl that I can't bear for it to fade.
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Also here are a couple of pictures of me snorkeling in my monofin on my trip. I'm wearing the mask in all of the underwater ones because this mermaid got a little overexcited when she learned how to swim on her back and do flips without blowing air out of her nose, and gave herself a minor sinus infection lol

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[MerChemi]

You look like you had so much fun!
i love the shape of your fluke and that fabric :swoon:
i cant wait to see how your tail turns out!!

[OceanRose]

:meditation:Where are you swimming Courtney? It looks so nice!!

And aww yeah, that fabric is gorgeous it would be sad to see it flake or fade.
If you want to protect it with silicone, I can tell you that selleys aquarium silicone (thinned with shellite from bunnings in the paint thinner isle) will work.
The silicone is about $14 and same for the Shellite.
Spread over the fabric it will seal/protect, but it stinks so bad and dries very quickly so it's best to experiment of scrap fabric first so you know what to expect. Also, it gives a shiny wet look which may or may not be what you want. I've successfully mixed glitter in with mine before.
I haven't swum in it, but did experiments where I left it sitting in a bucket of strong chlorinated water for a couple of weeks and it didn't really have any effect except to make it slightly tacky.

I recently-ish ordered lumiere at $10 per pot, which seems to be the average price?
These ladies are great, they sent me a replacement product after the courier smashed a pot in transit, lovely people to buy from if you do decide to ... (and they're in Wellington) http://creativecraftsupplies.co.nz/silkpaints.php

Anyways hopefully that's helpful in some way, and hope your sinus's recover soon, if you're going to get a sinus infection you may as well do it while having fun right!

[hellocourtney]

:meditation:Where are you swimming Courtney? It looks so nice!!

And aww yeah, that fabric is gorgeous it would be sad to see it flake or fade.
If you want to protect it with silicone, I can tell you that selleys aquarium silicone (thinned with shellite from bunnings in the paint thinner isle) will work.
The silicone is about $14 and same for the Shellite.
Spread over the fabric it will seal/protect, but it stinks so bad and dries very quickly so it's best to experiment of scrap fabric first so you know what to expect. Also, it gives a shiny wet look which may or may not be what you want. I've successfully mixed glitter in with mine before.
I haven't swum in it, but did experiments where I left it sitting in a bucket of strong chlorinated water for a couple of weeks and it didn't really have any effect except to make it slightly tacky.

I recently-ish ordered lumiere at $10 per pot, which seems to be the average price?
These ladies are great, they sent me a replacement product after the courier smashed a pot in transit, lovely people to buy from if you do decide to ... (and they're in Wellington) http://creativecraftsupplies.co.nz/silkpaints.php

Anyways hopefully that's helpful in some way, and hope your sinus's recover soon, if you're going to get a sinus infection you may as well do it while having fun right!
OceanRose, you have just made my day!
I was already going to pick up some of that silicone on my way home from work. I thought at would be the best way to add glitter and pigment to my neoprene fluke, and shiny and wet is exactly the look I'm going for! I got the idea after reading fifis entire thread (again).
I'll test it out in some fabric when I do my fluke tests. Thank you for the tip about thinner and Lumiere paints also, I'll have a look.

I can't remember the name of the bay or even the island but that is just one of the many beautiful places I swam in the bay of Islands. So lovely up there :)

[hellocourtney]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/26/4edc32e4770577dfa579cebc708a27b1.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/26/36a0fb320a0fcd36e5b9060e952dacf2.jpg

I brought my silicone caulking and thinner today. Did some test swatches on both the fabric and neoprene. I mixed glitter into the silicone for the neoprene swatch, but as you can see I got a little overexcited ahaha.

[hellocourtney]

Little update!
Cut the pieces of the body out and will hopefully have them sewn together by the end of the weekend. It's starting to look like a real tail now, I'm so excited!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/04/a5a5577d85ec2646a646e2bdead9d18e.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/04/0f3cd050c4e87b52d15cc0130b425b7b.jpg

[hellocourtney]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/06/686334d4e7866aec8eec303f5adaa731.jpg

All sewn together! As soon as I get paid I'm go to be buying some dragonskin silicone to coat the fabric in.

Also, when I went to the craft store to get thread and Velcro, I accidentally spent over 59 bucks on random crafty stuff for mermaid projects? Oops.

[Ashton]

"I accidentally spent over 59 bucks on random crafty stuff"
That is my life...

[Sabrina the Selkie]

No judgement here. I accidentally spent 63 dollars on mechanical pencils, a pencil case, and a new calligraphy brush.

[MerMaisy]

I worked at a craft store for 3 months. It was so tempting to get new supplies like every day.

[hellocourtney]

Silicone and paint ordered! So exciting!
I decided to use dragon skin for the body of the tail rather than caulking. It's a lot more expensive but my skin is so sensitive and I want to be careful. I'm still going to use caulking on the fluke though. As soon as I get my new mahina merfin in the post I'll start on that aspect of the project :)

It's been an expensive few weeks mermaid wise D:

[OceanRose]

<3 you're gonna rock it!
You decided to replace the monfin? I hope it didn't crack badly but if it did then at least you got heaps of use from it.

[hellocourtney]

No at the moment I'm still using the hydra for the tail. But I want to do a lot more work on it and I can't bear to not be able to swim the rest of the summer 🐙

Definitely could have phrased that better haha.

[hellocourtney]

It's been a good week for mermaid mail! My silicone, paint and new monofin all arrived which means I can start doing stuff again aww yiss

Yesterday I cut a large sheet of corrugated plastic to the shape of my tail body to keep the fabric taught as well as to stop the layers from being siliconed together. But I'm an idiot and put duct tape on the edges so it wouldn't snag before I remembered that it can inhibit curing. So next job in that department is to sand down all the edges instead and clean it.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/19/07082e38e179327f98b78443b3a3cbe5.jpg
I think it looks like some sort of scientific specimen pinned down like that lmao.

I originally brought the fabric paint to add details to the fluke but once it got to me, I decided to use it to add dimension to the foil printed scales on the body too. So all going to plan, they should look a little something like this:
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/19/dcab2f183decf536ee2b6bf84c93160c.jpg

Plan for tomorrow is to thoroughly clean my workspace (I've been fiddling with tin cure and e6000) before doing a few tests of the silicone.
I want to make sure that nothing I'm using will inhibit curing. Hopefully updates by the end of the weekend :)

[Ilyena]

Awesome!! it's going to be soo pretty!

[hellocourtney]

Awesome!! it's going to be soo pretty!
Thank you!
Lol I keep laughing at myself because I initially brought fabric as a quick fix option while I work on a neoprene body. I just keep adding more things and it's getting ridiculous!

[MerChemi]

The golden scale tipping is such a beautiful detail! It really stands out against the blue
But have fun painting all those scales haha

[hellocourtney]

The golden scale tipping is such a beautiful detail! It really stands out against the blue
But have fun painting all those scales haha
Haha right? This was supposed to be a quick fix but I keep making life more and more difficult for myself 😂
I think it will be worth it when I'm done

[hellocourtney]

I ran some tests with the dragon skin today, to make sure that none of my materials will inhibit curing.

So I tested a small amount of silicone on both the painted and unpainted fabric, the corrugated plastic and both sides of the Velcro I'll be using to connect the body to the fluke (I figured it would be easier to sew the Velcro on before I applied the silicone, but didn't want to find out when it was too late that it was an inhibitor)

Interestingly, the Velcro did inhibit cure! But only one side of the Velcro, the softer one. Interesting.
But that was the only issue, and now I can start painting!

[hellocourtney]

Today's efforts~

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/23/c4b30e34333df5526f1e0dabe02d23e2.jpg

I'm pleasantly surprised by how much progress I made today considering I only had a couple of hours to spend on it after work.
I have the day off tomorrow so hopefully I can finish the whole side.

Where I've painted it's lost its sparkle a little bit but I have to keep telling myself that it will come back when I coat it in silicone. I love it from afar though.

[Sabrina the Selkie]

It looks great. Sparkle or no sparkle, it adds WONDERFUL depth. And you've still got lovely sparkle.

[Elodea the Mermaid]

Courtney, this look great. I'm actually making a tail with the exact same fabric but in orange. Would you mind if I used your scale tipping idea?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Mermaid Clara]

Today's efforts~

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/23/c4b30e34333df5526f1e0dabe02d23e2.jpg


Beautiful! I can't wait to see more progress!


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[MermaidRaegan]

That scale tipping is gorgeous!! It really makes your scales pop and look like more than simple fabric. I can't wait to see this bad boy sparkling away in the water.

[hellocourtney]

Courtney, this look great. I'm actually making a tail with the exact same fabric but in orange. Would you mind if I used your scale tipping idea?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Of course, no problem! I hope you have a lot of free time lmao

[hellocourtney]

It's been a productive day! Now that the majority of one side is finished my doubts from yesterday are gone, I'm so happy with how it's come out. And it's definitely still very very sparkly haha

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/24/863021f56eb1f4b603500678b363ecb3.jpg

The Gold looks a little uneven in the picture but that's just the light. I'll take another photo tomorrow in the sunlight.

I think I'm going to dream about painting tonight lol

[Ashton]

I love that it has a bit of a holographic effect! if you look carefully you can see a tiny rainbow! .... must mean magic is happening!

[PearlieMae]

That is coming along so wonderfully! I can't wait to see it swim!

[Mermaid Julianne]

ITS SO SHINY! 😍😍

[hellocourtney]

Thank you everyone for such lovely comments 😙 As promised, daytime lighting pic feat. very messy desk. Don't judge me too hard hahaha

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/24/e9e42f1fd084101694015b7266d6eb4c.jpg

Pearlie Mae and mermaid Raegan, I can't wait to see it in the water either! This project has been a long time coming

[Sabrina the Selkie]

Very nice!

[hellocourtney]

Non painting progress was made tonight!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/27/b64104f39616dc3404ddf252459daecb.jpg

I finished sewing the side seams and then added Velcro to the open ends where it will connect to the fluke.
So that means...

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/27/f7b2df9d2a049a3bc4a0b9fb72e681b7.jpg

IT PRETTY MUCH LOOKS LIKE AN ACTUAL TAIL AJDJDHDJS

Next to do is finish painting, not sure when that will happen but hopefully by the end of next week. I wanted to put the Velcro in first because I'm a sewing noob and wanted to be able to hide my shame with beautiful shiny paint.
Side note, sewing Velcro can suck it. So hard to pin and the thread kept breaking. 0/10 would not Velcro again.

Also this is a terrible picture of me but idgaf too excited. TAIL!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/27/f79c389abd5942841e358fa4db04b597.jpg

[Mermaid Wesley]

It looks really cool! Shimmery and all that! Love it!


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[MerChemi]

Your tail is coming along brilliantly!
The scale tipping really makes a difference and I love the shape of your fluke. It's so unique!
Eee I'm so excited for you!

[Sabrina the Selkie]

Yay! !!

[Celesteofthewaterlilies]

I love the painting you did on that fabric it opens up worlds of options for that simple fabric! Love the fluke shape !

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[hellocourtney]

Thanks everyone :mermaid kiss:

I finished painting the first side last night! But I forgot to take pictures before I flipped it over and started working on the other side.
I have a pretty hectic work schedule for the next couple of weeks but I'm hoping to be finished painting by the end of next week at the latest :)

[hellocourtney]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/03/07/04fa1ebe40189a53fe2262b50fea8dd5.jpg

Painting is all finished! We all know what that means! It's nearly time to whip out the silicone 😵
The thought is both terrifying and exciting all at once. Hopefully, I should be able to start working on that aspect on Wednesday.

I also took the time tonight to repair some of the parts of my fluke where the neoprene has come away from the monofin.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/03/07/8857b1f90d2bd8bc1d646fd8f9625698.jpg

It's a good thing I'm covering it in silicone because right now it's pretty hideous lol

[hellocourtney]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/03/08/6f3f91cd07287e6fecc76cbafb9a8e61.jpg

Silicone adventure starts right now may posiedon and the gods of smooth on smile upon me

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[Princess Kae-Leah]

Ooh pretty scale pattern!

[hellocourtney]

Ooh pretty scale pattern!
Thank you Kae-Leah :)

[hellocourtney]

Well I think that went okay, at the very least any fuck ups haven't made themselves immediately obvious ☺

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/03/09/8789bee72a442ec3c9aae670128f1c33.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/03/09/c48bb42a221456ebc357449ea2f6c059.jpg

I feel like the wet look of the silicone gives the scale details even more depth.

The technique I used was similar to the one merman Oliver is using to spruce up his fabric tail (Originally thought of by Seatan). I mixed the silicone is small batches and spread it over the fabric with a roller.

More updates in the morning! Fingers crossed!

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[Sabrina the Selkie]

Looks good!

[hellocourtney]

Silicone was a success! It's not completely smooth and some places are thicker than others,but for a first time effort I'm really pleased and none of that stuff is noticeable in the sunlight.
I used a total of 350 grams of silicone for this side.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/03/09/9be588447a303365a666c7e089cd77d8.jpg

Also here's a comparison of the fabric only side and the silicone side, to show you how the silicone changes the look.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/03/09/941246dfa3680372a534a0565ae06632.jpg

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[Sabrina the Selkie]

That is a really intense difference. Wow

Looks so great!!!

[PearlieMae]

That is so gorgeous! The silicone really gives the color some beautiful depth!

(And I recognize that scale necklace!)

[Mermaid Julianne]

IT'S SO SHINY!!!! PRAISE THE SMOOTH ON GODS! 😇

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[hellocourtney]

Thank you everyone ☺
Despite working about twice as many hours than usual this week, I've still managed to make some progress. Both sides have been completely coated in silicone and this morning I did the first of the seams. I peeled it off the form I had been using thus far because it was stuck to it with silicone, and then decided the easiest way to do it was to cut a strip of corrugated plastic and pin it stretched tight. It wasn't perfect but it did the job (the tail being a 3D object and the plastic being a 2D object). Rather than using the roller, I spread the silicone on using a popsicle stick and my fingers.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/03/12/11f7b1748e4877f2db9e1031336ea4f0.jpg

They're not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but okay with it 🐳
I'll do the other side later tonight and then this aspect of the project will be finished!!!!!!

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[Weaslet]

Wow, love this thread! Tail is looking great :D

[Sabrina the Selkie]

Still lookin' good!

[Celesteofthewaterlilies]

Wow!!! It's progressing beautifully

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[hellocourtney]

Sorry team no updates 😞
I've been working A LOT due to not enough staff so when I am home I'm just too tired.

Also I haven't found a teal/turquoise pigment I like enough to use when I silicone my fluke. Does anyone have any recommendations?

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[SelkieLuna]

It's coming along great, I can't wait to see the finished product!

Rest up my dear. :)

[hellocourtney]

I messed it up 😟

The fabric must have been stretched too far and the ankles are so so baggy. It looks terrible.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160324/fac5d70408e111691c89ad3a93a67ce6.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160324/be5a7e0557e7c02a0134b867b7a748cb.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160324/29c044196a0d5711877218055b49cc07.jpg

It's also baggy at the waist but I think that's because I've lost some weight.
Just feeling really lost with all of this atm. Especially with summer already over.

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[Sabrina the Selkie]

Anyway to take it in at the ankles?

[Ashton]

you can take it in, you might have to hand sew it thought. I dont know first hand how well machines do with fabric coated with silicone.

[hellocourtney]

Yeah my boyfriend hand stitched it for me while I was having my emo moment 😂 He's a keeper!

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160325/3ba114e5c1e501ddb82fd5f820405070.jpg

I feel a bit silly now as it was a pretty easy fix but I've poured so much time, money and effort into this project and the idea of screwing it up now that I'm almost done is very stressful.

I also found a store in Australia that will ship pearl ex pigments to me so I'll be able to buy those on pay day next week. After that I should be able to finish!

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[Sabrina the Selkie]

Beautiful!

[Celesteofthewaterlilies]

Looking fantastic!

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[hellocourtney]

Well as usual, I haven't updated this thread in forever. Life's brought about lots of changes since last time I updated, but literally no tail progress haha.

Since my last update I have
- lost a significant amount of weight, which hey no complaints but it means that the body of my tail is now a bit big. It was very tight to start with, so I might not have to alter it too much or even at all. I'll have to see how it swims, but to do that I'll actually have to finish it XD
- moved out of home, so I no longer have a workspace. Especially not one where I would feel comfortable using chemicals like silicone, caulking and E6000. I can probably set up a workspace at my parents, but it's a pretty decent trek to get out there.
- broken up with the boyfriend who was helping me with this project. Tbh, he never really helped me as much as he actually said he would. It's just a bit awkward that I created this particular concept for ease of use while boating, and I wont be doing that anymore. Ah well.
- transitioned into a full time position at work, as well as volunteering with a conservation education group. It's awesome because money and I get to go snorkeling at marine reserves, but doesn't leave a lot of time for creative projects. I'll also be putting a lot of my spare funds into updating my gear (new thinner wetsuit, weight belt etc) so I won't be able to spend too much more money on this project at the moment.

I put my tail on to see how big it was on me now, and it's not too bad. The temperature is definitely rising here in the Southern Hemisphere, and I'm feeling a lot more motivation to do the last few things I need to for my tail to be completely swimmable. Next on the agenda is still finding a pigment that matches the tail so I can silicone the fluke. I'm also planning on attaching little ankle fins to the body to help disguise the bulky clips on the Hydra monofin.

Hopefully I'll have some real updates for everyone sooooooon!

[hellocourtney]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161223/4ade35e6c4df79a887c45e4e7fd2f98e.jpg

I finally found a place in New Zealand that sells Pearl Ex pigments! I'm spending some time at my parents for the holidays, the goal is to have this thing finished by the 3rd of January D:
I'm gonna make some little hip fins as a test run.

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[Rett]

Looks great so far! Keep up the progress! :D

[hellocourtney]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161224/e316118b7bf80f02bec630d64876c707.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161224/71a14646a1d50d63cb86db717b120279.jpg

I left my planning book at my flat so I couldn't make the fins, but I couldn't help myself, I had to start haha. The pigments I chose didn't match the neoprene quite as well as I would have liked, but when I mixed in a couple of glitters I was pretty happy with it.
It's going to take a couple layers and this is just the first. Going to blend the gold over the seams of the neoprene and maybe add in a few spots? I haven't decided yet.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[hellocourtney]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161224/13bb9d5f2630affefd338d43dc9ef7f1.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161224/b01bb48ab0b49e14a5828be3c5d9c762.jpg

The lighting in here is terrible but more progress was made tonight! You can see my technique definitely improved after the first panel and I started applying some gold details with the interference gold pigment. I'll add some depth with the darker gold.

Dusting the other side will be the last thing I do tonight I think. So pleased with how it's coming along!

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[hellocourtney]

The back of the fluke is finished! Was trying to distract myself from silly boy dramas so i tried to stay busy.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161225/5e266b1f5a82eba4e6ff560e63b29c47.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161225/db693b75b3d9c8f3dd94c600e168380c.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161225/97c10ab3cc6e559858aaa9579167a0ad.jpg

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[PearlieMae]

Be careful not to dust too much on...it will act as a release and your top coat will peel off!

[hellocourtney]

Yup! I remembered reading that somewhere on the forum so I dusted it on really lightly with a small fan brush. There's probably no more than a third of a cap full of pigment dusted on the whole thing

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[Nerdmaid Faith]

Really cool seeing this tail progress! Excited to see the final product 😀

Sent from my SM-G386W using Tapatalk

[hellocourtney]

I got back to my parents house this afternoon but I have been busy getting stuff done!

I tried the body of my tail on for the first time in ages because I knew it was too long and I had to trim it. But it turns out I've lost even more weight than I thought and it was waaaaaay too big!

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161230/45dfc8975bc4efd755ac5ecb54f9be22.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161230/66f49fd50a972e8253807e33b3f2c23d.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161230/5654918b532c3aab88448d59d0cfb9b8.jpg

I had to take it in in the waist and hips, and I took it in a little bit at the knees as well. To make a slightly more secure waistband I folded it over at the top and left around 3 inches of fabric. I stitched it at the top of the fold and at the end of the fabric. If I have to secure it with more stitches i will, but I figured it's easier to add than take away. Deeeefinitely sits a lot better now than it did before.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161230/d64d021427b0a5bc5ea8611d537ad870.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161230/7878badce4ab93808961e14204d86df2.jpg

This is what the stitches look like
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161230/01417603d4e51de5b7a1cc739a3f54ea.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161230/c73551b09e195ddbcba942f5b4145ff7.jpg

So that's the body all finished! So excited! I wanted to finish it before I started working on the other half of my fluke, because I need to put the fin on when I try on the body.

Speaking of the last half of the fluke, I managed to get everything done except for the top coat, which I'm gonna do in the morning. That's all I have left to do!

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161230/8b476a1ff683d9d72b3ba9c1ca679839.jpg

Hopefully I'll be welcoming in the new year as a mermaid!



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[PearlieMae]

That's going to be fabulous! I can't wait to see the final product!

Better too big than too small!

PS: nice necklace ;)

[hellocourtney]

Oops! I never posted the (almost) final product!
I did take it in but it's too big again so I think I'm going to put a really wide piece of elastic in the waistband because when I took it for its first and only swim, it kept falling down. Also, you can see from the pictures that it's a bit baggy around the ankles. Ah well

I don't have any full shots of it I don't think, my dad wasn't the greatest photographer. Hopefully this summer (even though I've been saying that for like 4 years now lol) https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171011/cca87181833989c8891d3995bae5bc8c.gifhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171011/1ad9fa6786c976b6431f6d18144303e1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171011/b76334d796d14959e453048c23273152.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171011/12e715860e267c92b50a834457e6d4e5.jpg

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[Nerdmaid Faith]

Oops! I never posted the (almost) final product!
I did take it in but it's too big again so I think I'm going to put a really wide piece of elastic in the waistband because when I took it for its first and only swim, it kept falling down. Also, you can see from the pictures that it's a bit baggy around the ankles. Ah well

I don't have any full shots of it I don't think, my dad wasn't the greatest photographer. Hopefully this summer (even though I've been saying that for like 4 years now lol) https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171011/cca87181833989c8891d3995bae5bc8c.gifhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171011/1ad9fa6786c976b6431f6d18144303e1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171011/b76334d796d14959e453048c23273152.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171011/12e715860e267c92b50a834457e6d4e5.jpg

Sent from my SM-G920I using TapatalkOooo looks awesome!

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

[hellocourtney]

I just reread through this whole thread and laughed at how many times I said I was nearly done with this project [emoji23]

But this time, ACTUALLY, I'm finished!

A couple of the velcro dots came off, which I wasn't too surprised by as all I had done was anchor them in the silicone. Ever hopeful I attempted to stick them back on with E6000 but unsurprisingly that didn't work out, so I had to splash out on some silpoxy (26nzd for a tiiiiny tube D: NZ, why you so expensive?!). Fortunately it seems to have done the job so fluke = done!

The other big thing was the waistband. Last year I tried to just fold it over and stitch it but as soon as I tried to swim in it, it all kind of fell apart and fell down.
So, in attempt to keep the level of mer buttcrack at a minimum I stitched a 10 centimetre wide elastic into the waist band at the seams. When I tried it on, it seemed to stay up better but the elastic kept twisting, which was pretty uncomfortable.
To prevent this, I stitched the edges of the fabric on the very inside of the waist band to the elastic, and used silpoxy to secure it to the outer fabric of the waist band, kind of making an elastic sandwich. Or would it be more like a burrito, seeing as it's wrapped around? [emoji848][emoji896]
Regardless, it seems to have worked out. Hopefully the photos help explain what I mean.

So yeah, done! Only 3 years after I started. I'm glad though, looking at earlier incarnations I'm much happier with the final version than I think I would be with any of the others. And the body is detachable! So if I want to try some new stuff I can.
My flatmates and I are going swimming at a pool next Wednesday, which will be my proper first swim. I'll try and get some photos of it in the water for you guys. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me through this whole thing, I really appreciate it [emoji170]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171212/7160f6e6bf9d26bdab27fd6b36bbda7e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171212/b9add460227fa228c6f9ccfc462aa932.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171212/3e2bfb639b858518677412d82f1cd498.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171212/e64d9584dd80ae3e2337296b826513f1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171212/5d01fa4a87a15c74c26ae46658b38a48.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171212/33412a28b07764f003a3bebd7eb9fda5.jpg

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[Merman Cyan]

where did you get that monofin?????????????? O///O

[hellocourtney]

where did you get that monofin?????????????? O///OIt's a hydra monofin cut to shape. I'm not sure where it's from sorry because it was a gift and I've had for years. But I think there's a few places that sell them

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Mermaid Fenicia]

https://www.scubastore.com/scuba-diving/fins-monofins/1081/s <= Triton, Hydra and Minos ;)

[hellocourtney]

https://www.scubastore.com/scuba-diving/fins-monofins/1081/s <= Triton, Hydra and Minos ;)Thanks Mermaid Fenicia [emoji846]

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Merman Cyan]

It's a hydra monofin cut to shape. I'm not sure where it's from sorry because it was a gift and I've had for years. But I think there's a few places that sell them

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
thank you ^^ <3

[SIF]

thank you ^^ <3Cyan, we've talked about doing these...

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