Aeliana's First Silicone Tail

[Mermaid Whisper]

That tub sounds fintastic *is quietly jealous*.

I've messed up a lot of my clothes with this cursed "creativity"! India ink on my pajamas, sparkly acrylic paint on my only jeans...when will I learn? Art has a price, and it's up to you to make it worth paying for!

Merwandering, go to sleeeeep. I always wonder how much coffee you've had


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[PearlieMae]

I wear my art spattered clothes as a badge of accomplishment.

And I wonder the same about MerWandering!

[AelianaNympha]

Scales! The pinky ones are supposed to be copper. And that's not the pattern I'll use, just wanted to show the contrast in the colors. I'll have to put a slime coat over them when I finish securing them to the body, and I'll use more pigment when I do, but I'm so excited!!


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[Sammi the Sleepy Mermaid]

Ohhhh, so cool! What is a slime coat and why would you use it? I'm learning so much from everyone's process!

[AelianaNympha]

So after you pull your silicone from your mold, it's a little dulled (usually if you use an unsealed mold from plaster or resin). But you notice when you've poured the silicone and it cures in the mold, the surface layer (the back of whatever's in your mold) is super glossy and shiny. So when you've put everything together, you can pour another thin layer of silicone on the outside to give it that glossy shiny look. It's easiest to thin that coat down with a solvent so you can paint it thin enough.


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[Sammi the Sleepy Mermaid]

Oh nice! That makes sense. I had a feeling that was what you're doing, but I've never heard of it being called a slime coat

[AelianaNympha]

Just laid both sides of my fluke back to back and it matches up almost perfectly!!
The scallop pattern got messed up toward the middle of the fluke - that's where the mold didn't cure right and I had to put clay in to try and recreate it. Didn't quite work. BUT scissors are a thing. I just poured some pearly champagne scales for the belly of the tail. I'm LOVING the slight difference in scale colors with each pour. It creates such depth!! Pearlie Mae was truly inspired with individual scales. I remember thinking it was such a cool idea when I first dreamed of making a tail - I hadn't found mernetwork and didn't even know how it could be done. I hadn't seen anyone else do it and had no clue how to figure it out. Then a few years ago I found Pearlie's threads and holy poop! I was so in awe. I never dreamed I'd be able to make something that beautiful myself and here I am!!
On a slightly negative note, I think I'm gonna get rid of the pectorals from my original pattern - the left mold I made got broken in the move and the more I looked at it, the more I felt the design really didn't match what else I have going - i.e. Fluke shape and scale design. I think I'm just gonna keep it streamlined and go with that. I'm worried about it, but with the trouble I had with the fluke mold and then the second pectoral breaking... I just don't want to deal with that again.

*edit* look at my pretty granite counters in the new house! (I hope no one thinks I'm boasting or anything. I'm just super excited; it's me and my husband's first house and I literally want to lick everything so everyone knows it's mine. If I talk about the house too much just tell me to shut the eff up.)

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[Mermaid Caspiana]

I love your fluke!!! And the granite counters!!! That's exactly what my mom and dad want in the kitchen.
I seriously can't wait to see you finish this! <3

[AelianaNympha]

Yay!! Thanks caspiana!! We went smaller on our house so we could go bigger on upgrades. and omg I can't wait to paint the fluke!! I may be able to do some tomorrow - I'm playing the music during the offertory at church tomorrow so I've spent most of tonight practicing until my fingers fall off. But painting will be a great way to celebrate being done!!


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[merwandering]

Congrats on the new house! So exciting I love love looking at houses. Each time you take a picture of the scales, you do it in a different room with a full view, so that I can see it all. Yes?
excellent.
DONT LET YOUR FINGERS FALL OFF>
I saw a video if an incredible African woman with no arms taking care of her baby, rocking and feeding and changing it- but I don't really trust that your toe painting skills are quite there yet. Keep them fingers.

[AelianaNympha]

Oh my gosh merwandering, your comments bring me life. Haha. I'll see what I can do - master bath next?
I pulled my last pour a little early. Three scales have gummy spots. I'll leave it on the counter over night and hope it finishes cause DUDE like HELL am I wasting 3 scales.


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[AelianaNympha]

Whelp. Won't be playing the piano at church anymore... Only been preparing for it all summer. My dad went biking with a friend this morning and they got hit by a car. Now I'm on my way to urgent care.


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[Sammi the Sleepy Mermaid]

Whelp. Won't be playing the piano at church anymore... Only been preparing for it all summer. My dad went biking with a friend this morning and they got hit by a car. Now I'm on my way to urgent care.


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Omgosh! I hope they're okay! Positive vibes for ya today! Here in Charleston people on bikes get hit a lot downtown. My fiance's brother has been tore up before, so I hope this isn't anything too bad for your dad!!!

[merwandering]

Oh no!!! Honey! I'm so sorry:( How scary. Hope everything is okay.

[AelianaNympha]

He's alright. Been in the hospital for almost eight hours but they're sending him home. He's got some real deep bruising around his ribs and his shin - he's walking a little shaky. He's in good shape so he's doing okay for his age. But his buddy's blood pressure dropped and he almost passed out when he was about to be released. Some dumbass in a suburban said he "clipped them with his mirror", except there's a huge dent in his front bumper and both my dad and his buddy were sent airborne over the curb and their bikes were drug fifty feet up the road. Moron. Don't worry we are totally pressing charges. But dude. Seeing my dad almost crying like four times - way too much. The only good thing is my husband is a rad tech at the hospital so we got to see him at work when he took my dad back to CT.


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[AelianaNympha]

Alright. My dad's super sore today, but he went into work for a half a day. He never stops working. He even works on his day off.
Yesterday I poured some neutral colored scales to use for the belly.
They're the two rows on the bottom. So I now have two shades of green, coppery pink, pale pink, and neutral-shimmer. I poured some black and painted the duo red-blue over them today.
I only painted the duo over the last two thirds cause I didn't mix up enough and I wasn't sure how it would turn out. But I like it! Lastly, I've started to paint my fluke!
first I did a thin layer of red-blue and a thick layer of copper.

Then I did another layer of the red-blue and blended it into the copper.
Lastly I added a thin layer of the blue-green-purple interference which I can't capture on my phone evidently. But here is my best shot.
I'll definitely be painting another layer of that. And some gray purple and gold will be blended somewhat streaking between the interference and the copper. I just wanted to have a base of the interference to blend the last two colors into. it's looking so great I'm losing my mind!

Only thing I'm nervous about is sewing the mesh sleeve for the body. I have a body double to pin if around, but I am by NO means a seamstress. The last time I sewed ANYTHING was a finger puppet I made in sixth grade named Bubba the Rappin' Worm. (I'm quite proud of that venture though. Rappin' Worms became a craze in my class and I had a full-time after-school gig sewing my friends' worms and writing raps for them. Don't judge. We were in private school. We were a little weird.) I don't know what sort of stitch I should use or how tight I should stretch it around the body. Or what kind of thread to use. Or how stiff I need to stuff the body. Any pointers?


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[Lili]

Hey, so I have a few questions and suggestions,
1. Are you air brushing or painting with a brush?
2. Regarding the sewing, I used a zig zag stitch, not sure what it's technically called but you know what I mean, that stitch helps stretchy fabric hold up well, as far as the shape, I found that tracing legs is the most efficient way to do it...and quickest (make sure to leave at least an inch on the sides for seam allowance
3. As far as the actual dummy, I am trying to figure out what the best way to go about it is as I'm nearing the the part of my tail that actually needs to be stiff for me to glue scales on...I would make it as stiff as I could, but use fabric or some sort of foam, I wouldn't use paper to stuff it only because it's not soft enough for the pins to penetrate through, as in they'll just fall right off probably


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[Lili]

Alright. My dad's super sore today, but he went into work for a half a day. He never stops working. He even works on his day off.
Yesterday I poured some neutral colored scales to use for the belly.
They're the two rows on the bottom. So I now have two shades of green, coppery pink, pale pink, and neutral-shimmer. I poured some black and painted the duo red-blue over them today.
I only painted the duo over the last two thirds cause I didn't mix up enough and I wasn't sure how it would turn out. But I like it! Lastly, I've started to paint my fluke!
first I did a thin layer of red-blue and a thick layer of copper.

Then I did another layer of the red-blue and blended it into the copper.
Lastly I added a thin layer of the blue-green-purple interference which I can't capture on my phone evidently. But here is my best shot.
I'll definitely be painting another layer of that. And some gray purple and gold will be blended somewhat streaking between the interference and the copper. I just wanted to have a base of the interference to blend the last two colors into. it's looking so great I'm losing my mind!

Only thing I'm nervous about is sewing the mesh sleeve for the body. I have a body double to pin if around, but I am by NO means a seamstress. The last time I sewed ANYTHING was a finger puppet I made in sixth grade named Bubba the Rappin' Worm. (I'm quite proud of that venture though. Rappin' Worms became a craze in my class and I had a full-time after-school gig sewing my friends' worms and writing raps for them. Don't judge. We were in private school. We were a little weird.) I don't know what sort of stitch I should use or how tight I should stretch it around the body. Or what kind of thread to use. Or how stiff I need to stuff the body. Any pointers?


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Also, that copper is SO beautiful

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[merwandering]

O.
M.
G.

HOW did I miss this information about the worm puppet??????????
Bubba the sixth grade legend.
thats fantastic.
yeah fabric would be great for the form- the best areas of my form are made of pool noodles and a million plastic shopping bags (but in responsibile cities they arent a thing.)
stuff it pretty firm
do you have any pictures??
sorry,
I can't focus on anything but this worm puppet

[AelianaNympha]

Lili: I'm painting with a brush - I didn't want to spend any more money on something like an airbrush and I have a lot of experience painting by hand so I knew it would probably come out better that way. I actually need to buy a few more, but the ones I bought were from the dollar tree and they worked like a dream! All different sizes, no natural hairs, and all for a buck!
Thanks! I'll have to stuff my dummy a little more I think...

Merwandering: isn't it? I'm so enthralled. Luckily I think I have a few more sheets that we used moving so I'll just jam 'em right in! I had a bunch of bags, but we just used them to pick up all the dog crap in the yard so...
I'll go see if I can find Bubba in a little bit. (We had my brother and sister and law over last night and I'm down one bottle of champagne. So I'm feeling a little sub-par.) I made a house for him out of a shoe box and built furniture out of Popsicle sticks and fabric scraps. I destroyed a faux leather jacket so I could make him a biker vest. I think most of that is at my parents' though. Bubba may be here somewhere.


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