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You're very welcome! :mermaid kiss: Well, that tears it, then; we must all take care to give Raven the time she needs to spend with friends and family and make her feel wonderfully appreciated! (We don't want her to end up like Ursula...lol :cthulhu:)
She does have an affection for Jetsam and Flotsam.
Hmmm...an issue of the old Little Mermaid comic book (seen here on the Disney Wiki: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Ariel/G..._comics#Comics) actually featured a race of merfolk called the Moray; they had electric/moray eel-style tails. I don't know if we want to give Raven ideas, though, as she's busy enough atm!
I'm glad Raven is slowly getting better at laying down boundaries like that. Often she focuses so much on making other people happy that she puts her own happiness on the back burner :/
Happy to see you on here Sea Mamma :)
OMG i just got a mail from Raven saying that she will start painting my tail soon :yay:
I also ordered a scale bra with those little fins. Like this one:
Attachment 21683
But now she asked if I wanted to try the new fins on the side:
Attachment 21684
I really don't know what to choose so I'm asking you guys. Which one would you take?:confused:
Mine will be like the bottom I'm psyched!
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I think I had that comic! I remember thinking those tails were cool, and made sense that there were different 'races' of mer people. Since the ocean is So vast there had to be different people/animal Combos- like Ursula. IQuote:
Originally Posted by MermaidMichelle
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OHMYGOSH! I wonder if I've started a trend of sorts...lol! Mermaid Evolet, I saw those scale bras with the downward-pointing frontal fins which you show in your first pic in Raven's gallery in February of this year. I then asked her if I might commission one such top to match my Mer on Fire (Fire Angel Sea dragon) tail, only in corset-style with the fins on the back to act more like wings. I'm not sure if that request began the "top fins on the back (or sides)" movement, as the Koi outfit was already in the works, but judging by Raven's early sketch of the Fire Angel the wing-fins will actually be on the back of the corset and quite a lot larger!
(Wow; I've written so much about the angel tail in the works for me, but I still haven't touched upon it's big secret! :pearl:)
Ashton, I'm glad you had the comic back in the '90s; I just found it online earlier this year! It was the '97/'98 obscure anime Mermanoid that got me thinking of truly wild possibilities for mer-tails; like sea stars, shrimp, or even snails (Isis from America's Next Top Model suggested jellyfish to me, though of course as with the sea star it should probably act as a skirt to the proper fish tail underneath!). I never actually saw an episode of the anime as it was panned by Animerica magazine and sadly was released mere months before Pokemon would finally pave the way for Japanese animation (even BAD ones!) to take over North American airwaves en masse. Mermanoid didn't really offer much that was new, but the concept I saw for its "Athena" mermaid had her shield at such an angle that she looked like a snail...lol
Hey guys! I'm new to the whole mermaid community... Just wondering if anyone knew.. If I already have a competitor mono fin will raven use that for my tail? Or do I need to get one through her? Thanks in advance. And Iona.. You are awesome. I watched your "hi my name is Iona and I'm a mermaid" video! You just made me feel at home and accepted! <3
I AM IN LOVE WITH THE KOI TAIL!!!
I've had a koi-inspired tail vaguely in the works for.. over a year now D: I started it last summer, and was going to finish it over January (had to break during the fall for classes/while my sewing machine was at home) but then I got pretty depressed and haven't done much of anything for 6 months :| Maybe this'll inspire me to start working again sometime.
Siren Stargazer Moonglow - I don't know how Raven would respond, but neither am I sure how much money you would save in the long run by having her use your own Competitor monofin; you would probably have to ship it to her and the postage could be expensive!
Jadestone - These are pretty depressing times, but I hope you are feeling better and inspired! You are beautiful in your .GIFs and your super-long hair flows wonderfully well with your mermaid movements; you would make quite a lovely koi! :mermaid kiss:
Thank you Mermaid Michelle! Forgot about shipping lol! Well in that case I just ordered a finis rapid to practice with :) so excited!!
I love the fin bra look : )
Raina, yyour tail is absolutely lovely, and your fluke has great flow! Does it really have a competitor monofin inside it? Those things always looks to stiff to me...
Yup
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Cool, thanks for the info. I love Merbella's tails, but I was worried the monofin would make it too stiff to look real in the water. Guess I don't have to worry about that after all!
Competitor monofins are fibreglass, so they are both strong and flexible. From what I've seen, the stiffness of the fin on land is countered somewhat by the added weight of the silicone coating a mermaid fluke, and the additional pressure of the water entirely eliminates it while swimming; it's no more stiff or floppy than the fin of a real fish!
Thanks for this! I am super tempted to get a competitor fin just to practice in, and maybe send it to Raven to use when I'm finally ready to purchase my tail. Unfortunately I have tiny feet - usually a US 6, but I've been as small as a 5.5 in some brands and can actually wear kids' shoes sometimes - and it doesn't look like Finis makes the little ones anymore. Maybe neoprene booties would help?Quote:
Originally Posted by MermaidMichelle
they dont make comeptitors that small :(
:cry:Curse my tiny feet! I just posted over on the monofin board. Maybe someone can give me advice on how to make it work.
I'm in the same boat :) although I still ordered a competitor upgrade on my tail. I think we'll be fine. 5.5 is not too far from 6/7. At least you don't have wide, duck feet like me :/ (assuming you don't)Quote:
Originally Posted by mrsxandamere86
Nope, I've got fairly narrow, dainty feet. Please update and let us know how your fin fits!Quote:
Originally Posted by Meilyn
ATTENTION ALL MERMEN! Raven just announced upcoming merman designs!
Snazzy! I can't wait to see those designs!
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omg thats cool.Quote:
Originally Posted by lynsea
where did she announced it?
Cool! :yay: Wish I could afford one. The shipping and taxes to Europe are incredibly expensive. :(
Nevertheless, Raven's creations are marvelous. Can't wait to see the designs and dream a little.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lynsea
Attachment 21868
I think it's a shame it's so hard to place an order with Raven.
While we mermen are excited to discover her merman designs, it's kind of too late though. Most of us went to Finfolk instead because we couldn't afford to wait more time. So in a way, she lost potential clients but we are happy for the lucky men who will get a tail from her.
The way you worded that you sound pretty resentful. It's not like Raven is bias with who she takes orders from and who she doesn't- she's just in extreme demand. Finfolk said they made 26 tails from summer of 2013 to summer of 2014- and they literally have a team of people helping them. Raven takes on batches of 15+ tails at a time a few times a year, and it's only her and Tyler. If people can't snatch up the order spots when they open, that's just the way it is. I mean it sucks, of course, but she's already pushing herself constantly, leaving her with almost no time for herself, her friends, or her family. Working all nighters on a regular basis and pushing through work when she's sick. Just saying.Quote:
Originally Posted by Merman Arion
Anyway, I'm really excited to see what she comes up with! God knows I've tried to brainstorm mermen wear and have all but failed, haha :P I have a feeling she'll be concentrating on accessories, that will hopefully be available to purchase through her Etsy :)
I'm curious why she doesn't hire more people to help? It seems like a successful business that you can make pretty good money with. Is it simply not lucrative enough to really start a company of sorts?
My guess is that she doesn't trust people to keep with her standards of quality and/or doesn't trust people to go off after they're trained and start their own tailmkaing business with her trade secrets. Which I've seen happen with other tailmakers. Also one tailmaking company already got their start from gutting one of her tails and having a special effects artist dissect it and copy the construction.. so, yeah.
You might be right. While I'm in love with my dream tail from Finfolk, my first choice were Raven though. I admit a part of me still dreams of getting one from her but that might never happen. I couldn't help but thinking that if we had seen the upcoming merman designs sooner, I might have found the strength and the patience to wait to place an order but in the end, I went to Finfolk instead because I really wanted a tail for this summer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Winged Mermaid
I do know how hard she works for this. I apologize for the wrong choice of words.
I dont think it's a potential clients issue. If Raven took every order request she'd have 5 years worth of clients RIGHT now and that is not an exaggeration. She doesnt need exposure, in fact she has asked people not to give it to her (for instance weeki wachee calendar shoot she specifically declined their offers to promote her more on FB and in the establishment because she's got more work than she can handle- politely of course) and I know she's avoided certain situations and offers that every other tail maker would faint over because she is just already too overwhelmed. There is literally nothing else she can possibly do to steamline it or get things out any faster, and Im starting to get annoyed (and no offence to anyone here, I know it's not said to bug anyone) with everyone thinking everything can just be solved if she takes help. What if she doesnt want more? What if she's happy working on her set amount, to the extent that she finds (perfectionist!),and yeah- be selective with the people she wants to work with now to be creative. Too many people approach Raven as if she's like mertailor, or finfolk as if they're like Raven or mernation etc you get what I am saying? None of them are the same and they all have different things to offer and it just depends on what you're in the mood for. I fully believe after all my time in the mermaid world there will never be a tail maker who gets it all the way people want because they'd have to be super human.
Raven makes mermaid tails because she loves the creative process, and she loves to make mermaid dreams come true. She has missed important occasions, gone without food, and greatly suffered for her art because to her it IS art. She doesnt need to do it to live financially, she does it to live creatively. And that's the big difference people gotta realize. One's not better than the other, it's perfectly respectable to be in it to make a living. But people gotta realize the threat of lack of clients isnt a threat lol. Raven wants to work with other creative people, and I believe creatives will always seek her out.
I feel really lucky to have been so established with her right from the start. I was the first person to say, Im going to trust you to do this, take as long as you need , I believe in you. And I think there will always be people who feel that way.
Raven's done stuff with mermen before, but in this instance she found another creative type she hit it off with really well, and I think what they'll produce image wise and tail design wise will be an awesome collaboration. I am excited to see it :)
I think people are just lucky she takes orders at all. With all the insane abuse she's had from people, I wouldnt blame her one bit if she stopped. I told her a few days ago that as much as I want my tail Id rather she be happy and healthy so if she bailed on it last minute as a friend I'd still find a way to deal. (though, she isn't haha. 3 more in front of me, and Tia you ARE in front of me!)
Well said Raina! :)
Well said Raina. I think a lot of our mindset (especially those who are new to the mer world) view it as a commercial deal and not an artistic one. After all, how many things can you buy that you can use that is actual "artwork" and not just another order off of Amazon. I can name 1, A womans wedding dress, and even that is more commercial then art these days. Her work is beautiful, her process, her designs, and the structure of her tails are enviable to anyone. I have Mermaid Minnows pictures (as well as many other mermaid pics) as part of my rotating comp background because the tail is just so stunning and a girls gotta have something to work toward *chuckles*.
I may never own a Raven tail, and that is okay. As long as she keeps making them, I can keep oogaling and appreciating. After all, that "is" what you do with great artwork. I do hope people step back and respect her process, stop seeing her as a machine and see her as a very gifted person instead. Even though you have to pay to own the gift, it is still just that...a gift...she choose to make you a tail, thats amazing!
As for people stealing her tail process, that sucks, and I can understand why she doesn't trust anyone else to help her. That seriously sucks.
I think she is right not to take on help. Seriously, there are too many people that take/steal others ideas or copy artwork, ect, I see it in every hobby I do. Being inspired is one thing, but sometimes people just suck. I wouldn't trust anyone either. She is a wonderful artist and extremely talented and I hope she continues as she has so much to offer!!
hello I read you submarines for some time, I have a fascination for mermaids since childhood, and I love tails merbella, they are beautiful! I wish I could swim with a tail like that someday, but I think it will not succeed, I live in France and here at the pool are very strict rules, and people take me for a crazy I think. ..:(
I wanted to ask you a question I do not understand anything, I read very little English, I use google translator here, why there neoprene with silicone tails, I do not understand is what's the point, are what is better? or mandatory? thank you for helping me to understand
There is another merman here who speaks French, Merman Arion. Send him a message :)
Tomorrow (Monday) is Raven and Tyler's wedding anniversary!
S'il vous plaît parler avec Arion. Il parle français et peut-être en mesure de vous aider.
Happy anniversary to them!
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