As of last week I received the first few pictures of my silicone tail. She is being painted right now and the colors look absolutely gorgeous there’s still a bit of work to be done but she should arrive at my house by the end of the month, fingers crossed. Right now she is pictured with the seams very pronounced but I ordered an upgrade where the maker will disguise the seams to make it look less like a costume and more fishy. So for the first time on any social media I resent to you my tail!
This crown was experimental in shape as it doesn’t sit on your forehead as most of my crowns do. This one in fact is similar to a Mohawk as the two sides start joined together on your forehead then run all the way to the back of the head with the shells sticking up to give the Mohawk effect. This was by far the hardest shape to create as I had to bend the fabric base in a way it did not want to be bent. The wire structure was also being difficult and didn’t want to move the way I wanted either. I might try and make this style a few more times and see if I can do it easier and get better at it but if not this crown might be one of a kind.
It was around this time I previously thought that my tail would have arrived. Unfortunately there has been quite a few delays. Silicon tails are airbrushed to add the color and designs, for this process you need an air compressor. My tail maker, Merrowfins, his air compressor was broken for a few weeks and therefore put off painting tails for a while. He has now got it back up and running but I do not anticipate my tail arriving for another month as I have not received and update that he has begun painting my tail.
Tatiana Camacho has joined the Ocean Grotto team as manager. Her goals are to gain experience in small business management and financing as well as helping a friend advance a personal dream. Already she has been a huge help, she has created a schedule of events that will make a profit, she has calculated my expenses and profits, and she is collecting information from other mermaids and ocean shops to help better our own business.
This beauty is the largest crown yet, and also the heaviest. It it exquisitely made with natural shells and accented with freshwater pearls. I added a blue sheen to the top of the shells to help represent the beauty of the water in the shells, it is very subtle and almost looks natural. I individually placed many glass beads along the edges to blend the shells with the base. This crown will be going up on my shop as soon as I get some better shots of it.
As of now the only crowns I have made are designed to lay flat on your head as to prevent drag while swimming. These crowns must be tied very tight to stay on as they do not simply sit on top of your head but act more like those bands sushi chefs wear around their forehead. While these are ideal for water use they are not as practical on land so I decided to experiment. I am working on a design that will sit on top of your head more like a tiara. I crafted a custom extra strong headband out of wire and fastened the foundation of the crown to it. When I tried it on it held on to my head extremely well an I have high hopes for this design. I intend to use painted shells for this crown instead of natural shells like I usually do. Multiple new experiments are happening.
On my journey towards creating a greater variety for my customers I have made hair clips. These clips are much cheaper than a full crown to help appeal to a mermaid Whois just starting out and unsure whether they want to fully invest or just mermaids with limited pearls. I believe these small clips will be very popular among both children and adults.
Lately I have been playing around with making mermaid heels. I’m still working out the kinks in my designs but so far they look great! I have found a good shoe brand that are incredibly comfortable to use as a base for all the glitter and sparkle. The only issue is that these take an insane amount of time and effort to make so I’m afraid of compromising my low prices but that might be a sacrifice I’ll have to make.
So far three different crown designs have been made. I have a small crown with a lavender seashell accent with pearls and a choice of either blue or purple rhinestones ( I am working on having mor customization options). The next crown is medium sized and has a sea star as the center piece. The shells used are both cream and reddish orange coloured, there are large blue teardrop pearls strategically placed alongside blue rhinestones. The largest crown is quite heavy and is made to represent the natural beauty of the ocean. All materials used are their natural color and instead of rhinestones many small pearls were used to add sparkle. This crown was by far the most labor intensive as I also placed individual seed beads along the edge. For now I think I will stick with these crowns and move onto expanding the range of my products until these crowns sell out.
Welcome to Ocean Grotto, an underwater themed shop for art, mermaid accessories, and ocean goodies. All objects are handmade with the intention that they will bring attention to the ocean and its animals, and inspire people to reflect on their impact on the environment.
Mermaid crowns are meant to reflect the beauty of the open water. Their natural shells mixed with biodegradable glitter, pearls, and rhinestones truly encapsulate the childlike wonder that is the ocean. Not only do these crowns represent the ocean but they have the ability to become one with the ocean as they are waterproof. These crowns will transform you into mermaid royalty underwater and on land. There are currently more crowns in the works.
Coming soon to the shop will be a series of art prints. This series is called “The Many Faces of the Ocean”, and will encourage reflection of our impact on the environment. These pieces are highly symbolic each one portraying a different sea creature. Each creature is given a human face and is swimming through a sunken city.
This blog was created to help spread my shops message and document its expansion.
Ocean Grotto Shop Expansion 