Show off your tops! :)

[Mermaid Saoirse]

You look so cute! The purple really suits you and I love how your hairpiece looks

[Princess Kae-Leah]

Thanks, my headpiece is by Torri Hansen, aka Random, the Lake Michigan Mermaid

[anichanchu]

Currently working on a top that is nowhere near done.

[Mermaid Stardust]

Great tops everyone! Shimmy I love your abalone top

I've only made two tops myself.. I need to make another one. I'm so horrible at procrastinating making new ones, haha Is that just a me thing or do you guys have that problem too? I guess it doesn't help that ever since I few from a C cup to a D cup nothing really covers things.. even the abalone make my boobs look smaller than they are cause a good chunk of the lower bit of the cup I had to cover in foliage.

Anyhow here are my current 2

Attachment 20475

Attachment 20474

Hi, I'm wanting to make a top which will look similar to your beautiful abalone top.

The shells I have ordered are polished (shiny). Do I still need to paint them in a resin clear coat all over to stop them smelling or are they fine as is? I wasn't aware that they had a smell until another mer mentioned it recently.

Also, if I use the e6000 glue on the back and stick onto a nude material bra, will it hold? (especially in water)

Also, (yep another question) for added security I was wanting to (extremely carefully) drill 3 small holes in each one to sew down. How do I do this? Is there a special shell drilling tool?
Thanks

[Winged Mermaid]

Hi, I'm wanting to make a top which will look similar to your beautiful abalone top.

The shells I have ordered are polished (shiny). Do I still need to paint them in a resin clear coat all over to stop them smelling or are they fine as is? I wasn't aware that they had a smell until another mer mentioned it recently.

Also, if I use the e6000 glue on the back and stick onto a nude material bra, will it hold? (especially in water)

Also, (yep another question) for added security I was wanting to (extremely carefully) drill 3 small holes in each one to sew down. How do I do this? Is there a special shell drilling tool?
Thanks

You could resin coat them, but honestly they don't need it. In my experience, they're pretty solid and durable. Coating them in resin, as I've seen on other abalone tops, can actually make any scratches a LOT more visible on a smooth shell like this. I didn't coat mine and it's doing great!

E6000 should work fine, but I personally use gorilla glue for strong bonds like attaching shells to tops or clips to clip bases. It's not the prettiest (it puffs up and cures yellow) but if it's covered by the shells then it's not an issue. Also the glue can be sanded and painted, which is handy if any accidentally seeps out somewhere. I just trust it more than E6000 as to me it seems to have a more solid bond. I've seen other tops made with E6000 where the shells came off in the first few swims, and mine haven't budged. Also see my bit about getting a good bond in the accessory faq thread:

•How do I glue something so it bonds properly?
1) Read the instructions! Seriously, there's stuff you need to know on there. Like did you know gorilla glue's cure is water activated? If you glue without water it won't do much good! So read the instructions
2) Clean the surface well and get rid of any oils. I use rubbing alcohol, but others suggest acetone as rubbing alcohol can leave a residue that can cause issues with some glues.
3) Rough up the sides of what you're gluing together if you can- simple sandpaper is good for this. If you have an x acto knife or something similar you can score the surfaces with a cross hatch pattern.
4) CLAMP IT. #4 is the most overlooked, but by far the thing that will help your glue bonds be the strongest that they can. Little clamps are $0.67 each at Home Depot- seriously worth it. Using the right glue and clamping means sometimes you have to wait a day or night before you can continue to making your piece. To me the piece lasting a long time is worth it, VS using hot glue or some such and having it come apart a few months down the line.

If you don't have the clamps, you can always put the top on, apply glue where needed, situate the shells where you want them, put down a a towel on the floor and lie on your stomach so your body weight acts as clamps with the weight you put on it. It usually takes about an hour or two for the glue to start solidifying (at least if you're using gorilla glue). Just be careful, I glued netting to my skin once doing that.. was rather painful getting off :P

I honestly wouldn't advise drilling them. Firstly, abalone dust is toxic! Another bit from the FAQ thread:

•How do I drill holes in shells?
You need a power tool- either a power drill, or a dremel. You need to take caution when drilling seashells. Seashell dust should not be inhaled, as the particles are very sharp and can do damage to your lungs. Abalone shell dust is toxic. Both can cause lung disease. You need to either use a respirator capable of filtering out these tiny particles, such as a P100 or n95 respirator, or drill the shell while it's underwater so the water will catch all the dust. I actually recommend both, if possible. Remember to wear protective gear for your eyes as well!

To drill the shell underwater, make sure the shell is completely submerged, but ONLY submerge the tip of the bit. I recommend a plastic dish, so if you drill into the bowl you won't drill through the bowl and break (glass) or put a hole (wood) into it. Be sure to rinse the shell after you've drilled it, before using.

Also it's possible if you drill a shell like that that's already been sanded down so much, you could crack it. But if you do decide to go ahead with it, be sure to be safe about it! You don't need any special bits, just a bit in whatever size you want the hole to be.

[Mermaid Stardust]

You could resin coat them, but honestly they don't need it. In my experience, they're pretty solid and durable. Coating them in resin, as I've seen on other abalone tops, can actually make any scratches a LOT more visible on a smooth shell like this. I didn't coat mine and it's doing great!

E6000 should work fine, but I personally use gorilla glue for strong bonds like attaching shells to tops or clips to clip bases. It's not the prettiest (it puffs up and cures yellow) but if it's covered by the shells then it's not an issue. Also the glue can be sanded and painted, which is handy if any accidentally seeps out somewhere. I just trust it more than E6000 as to me it seems to have a more solid bond. I've seen other tops made with E6000 where the shells came off in the first few swims, and mine haven't budged. Also see my bit about getting a good bond in the accessory faq thread:



If you don't have the clamps, you can always put the top on, apply glue where needed, situate the shells where you want them, put down a a towel on the floor and lie on your stomach so your body weight acts as clamps with the weight you put on it. It usually takes about an hour or two for the glue to start solidifying (at least if you're using gorilla glue). Just be careful, I glued netting to my skin once doing that.. was rather painful getting off

I honestly wouldn't advise drilling them. Firstly, abalone dust is toxic! Another bit from the FAQ thread:


Also it's possible if you drill a shell like that that's already been sanded down so much, you could crack it. But if you do decide to go ahead with it, be sure to be safe about it! You don't need any special bits, just a bit in whatever size you want the hole to be.

Thank you so much for all that info
I didn't know they were toxic!
That is VERY helpful. I will let you know how I go with gluing the shells to the bra top. I think I'll give the drilling a miss as I wouldn't want them to break as they are soooooo pretty. And I will definitely by buying some clamps...Having netting stuck to your tummy for days could be hard to explain...lol.
Again, thanks heaps

Also, on a side note...if anyone is interested in Nautilus shells (large ones cut in half for bra tops) I can post the link of the guy I got mine off. He's very nice and packages them very well. These ones are 180mmx160mm (so quite big)

[OceanWhisper]

please do put up the link!! they're stunning!

[Mermaid Stardust]

please do put up the link!! they're stunning!

Ebay item number: 111717832420

[Mermaid Nessie]

Here is the tops I made with seashells from Mermaid Atlantis I also have a Merbellas scale top coming soon

[Lotus the Mermaid]

Hey, everybody! I don't have a top yet, but I love designing and I wanted to post some designs for anyone who would like them!

[MermaidSaph]

Hey, everybody! I don't have a top yet, but I love designing and I wanted to post some designs for anyone who would like them!

Ooohh, pretty! I would only ever be brave enough to wear the Celestial one, though...

[Lotus the Mermaid]

Aww, that's all right! That's actually my favorite one. Haha

[Princess Pearl]

I love the jellyfish one!

[Lotus the Mermaid]

I love the jellyfish one!

Thank you!! Feel free to use it if you like!!! As long as you let people know where it came from, it's totally up for grabs!!

[Mermaid Neri Elvina]

Gorgeous! Lotus you really are talented!

Sent from my XT1021 using Tapatalk

[Celaeno]

That Sea Angel top is hawt!

[A_Koi_Mermaid]

That Celestial top is lovely Lotus! I have been brain storming a top to cover my shoulders since I burn so easily, something like that is perfect!!! A nice blend of armor and femininity.

[PearlieMae]

I LOVE the Sea Angel!

Nice work, Lotus!

[Lotus the Mermaid]

Aww, thank you guys!!! Like I said, feel free to use them if you want to!! You have my full permission, as long as you throw me the design credit! Love you all!! <3

[MerMaisy]

Those are super cute Lotus! Will you post more if you draw them?