Announcement

[AniaR]

Hi everyone!
I regret to say I won't be able to purchase a MVD tail as originally planned. This has nothing to do with Mike I think his work is amazing. Originally I was fine with waiting until 2012 but I recently have had an influx of bookings and I don't believe my current tail is up to the task. I have the possibility of something GIANT in Sept that would see me on the world stage if it goes through... and with international attention on me I do not want to be wearing a mertailor tail.
So I contacted my sponsors who have helped me fundraise for my MVD tail. I had almost enough but in order to get the tail I wanted in time I'd need to afford a rush order which I can't, and also I know Mike isn't taking new orders. So I sent him a polite email telling him my opportunity in hopes he'll understand and in high hopes I'll still be able to purchase from him in the future.


Thanks to one of my contacts I have found a new up and coming tail maker whose work simply blows my mind. We're talking super realistic with tails that rival current tail makers on the market. They only make tails for select clients as they're a lot like Mike- got a lot on the go, but 1 look through their gallery has me thrilled. I'm not going to tell you who it is until I have the tail to show, and even then I might wait a bit. I want to surprise you all and if you go off googling it'll ruin the surprise but this will be epic!


I sent this person a big email explaining my sitch to see if they could make me a tail in time and to my specific design an ideas and needs. Not only are they prepared to do it all they're going it for a very reasonable price and even offered to send me swatches of the work so I can see and feel for myself! Progress photos too. They're only going to work on my tail and I believe 1 other of a different style for the time being. Again, a lot like Mike. Just a busy artist who needs to keep things in line. I contacted some of their other customers as well all with great reviews.


It's going to take pretty much the full amount of money I have raised, but I am still going to raise money for the other mers out there who are trying to raise money for a tail. I ran this by my supporters and they all agree and I am still donating my old tail in Sept to another mer!


I am very excited about this new development. You know the artist is good if I give up on a MVD tail for the time being! But with the opportunities in my future I just can't afford to wait and I dont think I'd be able to raise/save enough fast enough! I will keep you posted on things, but in about 6 weeks I will hopefully have a brand spanking new AMAZING tail!!!

[Princess Kae-Leah]

That is so outrageous Raina! *Mer-hugs* Congrats on becoming such a famous mer! Honestly, I wouldn't mind meeting you some day and getting your autograph, you just may become bigger than Hannah Fraser and Linden!

[Mermaid Jewel]

I'm so happy for you! I can't wait to see your newww tailll!

[AniaR]

you just may become bigger than Hannah Fraser and Linden!

LOL I doubt that! Those women do it full time all the time, I have other things to do!!! But I'd love to meet Linden some day!

[New York Mermaid]

Yaya I cant wait to see the new tailand OMG the suspence is killing me

[AniaR]

im really excited I feel like its been such a long time coming! years of sub-par tails...

[mermaid hannah]

im so happy for you raina! i can't wait to see pics of the new tail! get the pictures up soon!

[Spindrift]

That's amazing! Really happy for you and can't wait for updates Also I'm very curious to who the tailmaker is. :P

[Princess Kae-Leah]

Raina, the tailmaker wouldn't be Emily Angelfish by any chance would it? I noticed on her website that she now has a really nice-looking line of high-end latex tails.

[AniaR]

sorry, you'll all have to wait and see....

[OrcaMatt]

Saw the post on Yuku two hours ago and head STILL asploding. Seriously you can't post tantalizing mysteries like that! When I saw the first 'mystery material' post on the ALEX tail thread on Yuku that was like, my whole day trying to figure out what it was Going to be going nuts for weeks now, I'm sure! Congratulations though!!

*twitch* Ok...................so it is somebody from Yuku or a person largely unknown to the community? I can't believe there'd be somebody doing work like that flying so far under the radar! I have two theories.

[jukumerboii]

OMYGODFISH!! Raina i swear u deserve every mer-thing that is coming ur way,,i've followed since i found yuku and on fb,,i cant even put into words of how excited i am for u right now,,,i wish u the best of luck in everything u do!

[AniaR]

You guys are so funny. I asked them to send me progress pics so I may post a few when I get them and the guessing game can continue

[AniaR]

I can't get over the customer service from this person! Obviously from my past experiences I'm pretty nervous, I've been messaging them like crazy asking questions and sending ideas and they're being sooo patient with me!! @_@

[Siren]

I'm so excited for you! You deserve every scale of it!!!

[Nessadelle]

This is so exciting, Raina! I cannot wait to see the new tail and progress photos!

[AniaR]

Me either! I'm going with silicone this time! I'm hoping the extra weight will help me sink a bit better, but I've also been working my butt off at the gym hoping to gain more muscle too. I believe it's going to have a competitor monofin for a nice big fluke but I remember Doreen saying they worked the best in the ocean. Sept is when our ocean water is the warmest for about 2 weeks it's like bath water and I'd love to finally actually swim in aside from splashing around in the surf.

I have a lot of gigs still lined up with the mertailor tail, I'm going to try and do 1 or 2 more photoshoot send offs, and then I'm going to re-paint it and make sure it's in top condition when I give it away! The girl I am giving it to is from my city and the only other local mer I know. She made a tail but it's pretty heavy! We're going to do a photoshoot with the two of us together and I'm hoping to book her with me for future gigs

[MermaidRaven]

Raina, the tailmaker wouldn't be Emily Angelfish by any chance would it? I noticed on her website that she now has a really nice-looking line of high-end latex tails.

Kae-Leah: Please do not take any offense but WHY ON EARTH WOULD ANYONE BUY ONE OF THOSE TAILS FROM HER?! She clearly just fallowed the threads on mer.yuku and is making tails using all the info all of us worked really hard to develop and shes taking credit for it? also shes charging "$945.00 Total for U.S " That is retarded. Eric's latex tails are only $575.00 and thats WITH the recent price jump. At least Eric has been making tails for years, she has been making nothing but fabric tails until conveniently around the same time realistic tail tutorials pop up. I have proven you can make a realistic tail for under $400.00 and thats it you buy absolutely everything extra. You CAN make a tail for less but cutting out costs like airbrush and compressor ect.

Sorry this just really pisses me off.

[mermaid hannah]

i agree with you raina!

[Princess Kae-Leah]

@Raven, ooh that really sucks, I'm sorry! I must confess that I'm strictly a spandex mermaid and don't know much about realistic latex tails and the processes of making them, I just say pictures of some tails that looked aesthetically pleasing to me and that's as far as it goes.
BTW, all that said, please don't use the word "retarded" any more, at least not on this forum! I'm developmentally disabled(Asperger's Syndrome, to be exact!) and to a lot of us it's really no different than using the infamous N-word for people with dark skin. There's now a campaign to encourage people to stop using the "R-word", even when the context has nothing to do with developmental disabilities. You're a mermaid that I have admired and respected for a long time, and to see you use such an awful word so casually is hurtful, even though I'm sure you didn't mean it to offend me that way.
www.r-word.org
I don't want to cause more drama for the mer-community(goodness knows we need that like we all need bicycles, hehe!), but of all the social issues I care about, the one that's nearest and dearest to my heart is disabled rights.