Pirate Pix The New iPhone Pirate Sticker App

I am in love with Pirate Pix!! The new Photo enhancing sticker app for Pirate enthusiasts and those wanting to add some piratical fun to their photos....

Here is how to effectively use a photo editing Sticker App to customize your photos and get the attention your looking for with more LIKES, SHARES, HEARTS and COMMENTS. – It’s easy just add stickers with the Pirate Pix App.

Here’s How:

“Sticker-izing” a photo can be completely random and chaotic fun or it can be creatively designed with layers and artistic intention. Whatever your goal, you can create a social media masterpiece.

Picking Your Photo:

Start by taking a photo or using a photo from your own photo library. Remember that a good photo has substance. When choosing your photo look at the background, foreground and object of focus and be thinking about what you want to say with your photo & sticker collage. 

Sticker Layering:

Start with the background and build layers. Look at the background of your photo. Is there anything you would like to cover up with a strategically placed sticker? You may wish to cover a road sign with a palm tree or hide a plane with a parrot. The options are limitless. Then turn your focus to the main object. This will probably be you and your best mates. Add realistic stickers to the subject of the photo. Next, turn your attention to the foreground. You can add more stickers to give depth to your photo sticker collage and truly customize it. Lastly, add any text or slogans for the final layer and finishing touch.

Hint: For multiple layers, save your photo to your camera roll and then reopen in Pirate Pix and continue adding sticker layers.
Now make sure the world sees your amazing “stickerized” masterpiece by sharing it far and wide on all the multiple social media platforms, such as: Instagram, Facebook, Pintrest, Twitter, Google, etc. and most importantly make sure you hashtag your photo appropriately, i.e. #PiratePix. You can find more trending hashtags at http://top-hashtags.com/instagram/.

Most importantly remember to have fun and be creative. Anyone can “stickerize” a photo – theming your photo with fun realistic stickers makes it a standout networking masterpiece.

Download your free app now and create a awesome pirate pix!! 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pirate-pix/id1067211739?mt=8

Mermaids & Manatees In Three Sisters Springs FL

A video capturing our beautiful adventure in Crystal River Florida, swimming up Three Sister Springs in our Mermaid Tails, followed by our guys with cameras!! What a remarkable trip with friends. More photos of this amazing adventure can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaThePirate/?fref=ts and an article retelling our experience will be coming out shortly in Mutiny Magazine.... Keep a weather eye on the horizon.

Mermaids swimming in the Gulf of Mexico

Another fun video from our trip to Florida. This is a beautiful behind the scenes look at our beach photo shoot on the Gulf of Mexico, with Jordan Alvarado Photography. My hubby, Jeff took the behind the scenes video.

We accidentally found this little beach heaven on our way back from exploring Weeki Wachee Mermaid Park. We stayed and played in the shallow water until sunset. It was absolutely beautiful.

The most memorable moment was when a Mommy Porpoise and her baby came swimming playfully by. We of course swam out to meet them, they swam out to the horizon and the setting sun. It was truly magical to be in the Gulf, in a tail and swimming so close behind such beautiful creatures headed towards sunset....

Mermaids in Wekiwa Springs

Located at the headwaters of Wekiva River, the beautiful vistas within this park offer a glimpse of what central Florida looked like when Timucuan Indians fished and hunted these lands. The Wekiwa Springs was beautifully surrounded by lush tropical vegetation in the most beautiful greens. The spring was home to a few fish and lots of turtles and many local swimmers enjoying the fresh, cool water. As mermaids visiting the spring we got a lot of attention, particularly from all of the kids who yelled, "Mermaid"!! and came swimming after us. It was a great deal of fun and a beautiful backdrop for underwater photos and video. Another epic day spent with friends.

For more information on the springs please visit: 

https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Wekiwa-Springs

Photos by Jeff MacKay

A note about Re-enactor Costuming and Finding your Place

This note was inspired by the following post: http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150917/NEWS/150919401/

I know the struggle to find the right "costume," or period correct "attire. When I first started out, I was a Pirate "Wench" and to be a "period correct Wench" meant scratchy uncomfortable clothing, no makeup and a tight corset. I really didn't feel attractive in my first few attempts to be an "authentic Wench" so I tried to be an authentic Pirate. Well to be "authentic Pirate" means you end up looking like a boy - again not attractive. So I switched crews and gave up on trying to be "authentic" and or "period correct."

I like to think that my current costuming is, "Authentic Hollywood Pirate." Meaning it accurately represents historical garb, but has more flare and interest and no rules. The truth is, Historical re-enactors are growing scarcer because it's not interesting to the masses anymore - much like history. People today like glamor, color, and drama... thanks to motion pictures and media - everything can be made so much more impressive and captivating.

In order for re-enactors to engage an audience today or to share a message or to even teach history one must be more dramatic, more bold and be an exaggerated representation of historical accuracy.

I hope that anyone struggling to find their place in the re-enactment world would try less to fit into a mold created by a time in history or by a group and just dress in a way that they find comfortable and pleasing to them.

My advice would be to work on creating a persona that represents you and what you want to do - the costume will be born from there. I promise you, if your having a good time and feel good about your persona you will get the attention you deserve and the fun will be contagious - and more re-enactors will be born!!

Talk Like a Pirate Day at the Ohio Ren Fair

The MacKay Pirate Family had a fabulous day celebrating Talk Like a Pirate Day at the Ohio Ren Fest on "Pirate Weekend". We had our Krispy Creme Doughnuts and headed off the the festival! See the fun here...

Saturday Fun! Wilde's first swim in Twin Quarries

Tail Discrimination!

Tail Discrimination!

The Mermaid community is a small, cozy group of enthusiasts who love Mermaids, Sirens, Tails and the Sea and some even like Pirates. You would think as a collective group everyone would be supportive and inclusive - as it should be, right!?. 

Recently, I have noticed, particularly on social media, but also at events and festivals, what I am calling “Tail Discrimination.”

What is “Tail Discrimination” you ask… Simply put it’s tail favoritism or separatism. 

You have a silicon mermaid tail = you can’t swim with us. You have a spandex tail = you can’t swim with us. You have a sequins tail = you can’t swim with us. You have a neoprene tail = you can’t swim with us. You have a cardboard tail = get out of the pool!!

Why are some events “spandex only” or “silicon only” events?? Unless, there is some environmental reason or pool rule – why wouldn’t ALL tails be invited to play?? I mean lets not sit in the shallow end of the pool girls. Everyone needs to feel good about themselves and their tails. 

(I’m NOT talking about for hire or private events by the way. I am talking about fairs, festivals, public gatherings and the like.)

For example if your having a "open swim" or volunteer pod gathering at a local festival - it seems discriminatory to me if you hang a sign that says "No Silicon Tails Allowed." I have heard the argument that "it's not fair" to the women wearing lycra tails.... but, how is this "fair" it to the women who wants to participate in a silicon tail???? So are they supposed to sit at the back of the festival??? and yes, I am being dramatic here, I am trying to illustrate that mermaids are discriminating against their Mer-sisters and women's dreams are being crushed and I am not sure if anyone is even realizing it! I am just encouraging everyone to pause and think!

Discrimination is discrimination.

Let’s be honest mermaid tails are just like the people that are wearing them: they come in all different sizes, shapes, colors, ages and price points. It doesn’t seem fair that ANYONE should be discriminated against because of the kind of tail they have or how much it cost.

Being an owner of several different kinds of tails, mostly all designed and handcrafted by myself, with the exception of one professional silicon tail, I can attest that there is no perfect tail for every situation or event anyway. And although, they are all different they are all equally beautiful and “real”. I would hate for others to dictate which tail I should wear at which event and to exclude me if my tail didn’t match. I am blessed having tail choices.... but, what about the girls that only have one tail hanging in the closet... what if they can't pick and choose what tail they can wear to what event just to FIT IN???

I see the mermaid tail as a tool that can really unite women in a common interest, allowing women to embrace their beauty, and be empowered. NO ONE should be judged on the shoes they wear nor the tail they swim in. Mermaids should be loved and accepted and invited to play regardless of their tail. It is such a small community, we should really do everything WE can to make sure it’s a welcoming and fun place to be creative and expressive.

As a community we need to look at our actions and think about what they are saying..... Are we saying: "Come swim with us?" "You are welcomed?" "You are beautiful?" "Your not your tail?" "Your accepted - no matter what tail you swim in?"

The tail does not make the Mermaid! 

Be proud of the tail your swimming in and remember to be inclusive and empower each other! 

Thanks for reading! 

Getting Dirty! How to Create Realistic Special Effects Dirt

Getting Dirty! How to Create Realistic Special Effects Dirt

In my last Pirate blog we talked about “Taking your Pirate Garb to the next level and Making it Look Real” though distressing and I provided several techniques to accomplish this.

However, we don’t want to go to a festival with our garb looking warn and distressed and look like we just showered and dressed for the faire. It is important that the entire character comes together in a believable package. In order to accomplish this one must enter the world of special effects makeup. Of course there are all kinds of high end products available from the makeup industry and with trial and error you can find the ones that work best for you. These products are all available online, at haunt cons and special effects makeup cons and makeup/costumes outlets.

In this tutorial I would like to discuss the low budget, do it yourself “Dirt Makeup” for Pirating with resources you probably already have around the house or campfire.

Now when you are applying dirt you want to think about covering the areas of your body that do not have clothes: face, neck, arms (if uncovered), hands, calves if you are wearing slops or legs if you are wearing a skirt.

Materials Needed:

-       Sunscreen

-       Charcoal or Star Blend Cake Makeup

-       Oreo Cookies

Step One:

Add the Grease-

Apply a high spf sunscreen to your exposed skin. You want to protect your skin from the sun for the duration of your festival experience, and application after the “Makeup Dirt” is applied is a little messy. Also if you choose a greasy sunscreen it can help adhere the “dirt” and add the look of sweat and “grease,” perfect for creating a hot, dirty, pirate persona.

Step Two:

Add the Dirt-

A tip my Pirate Captain, Jeff MacKay shared with me – “Charcoal”!! Natural Charcoal works perfectly for a really safe and realistic looking dirt and it won’t cost you anything. Simply look around your fireplace at home, your BBQ Pit or the campfire for a nice piece of natural charcoal (NOT HOT) and not charcoal brickets that are pretreated with a lighter fluid.  Again, DO NOT USE brickets such as Kingsford Charcoal, use only natural charcoal produced from burned wood fires.

Helpful tip: Crush the natural charcoal into a black powder and put into a zip lock baggy. You may want to keep this in your pocket for reapplication at the pirate festival.

Net you are going to want to rub the charcoal around your finger nail beds, on the tops of your hands, around your neck and face, on your arms and legs – all the exposed areas. Just like distressing the clothes, you will want to put the dirt in most natural and realistic areas of your body.

Charcoal is of course not the only option. You can also use a special effects makeup like Star Blend Cake Makeup in a dark brown, mixed with a oily sunscreen like Aloe Gator to create a “dirt paste.” Application is the same.

Helpful Tip: Wipe your hands on your clothes throughout the process to add the realistic layering of dirt to your clothes as well.

Step Three:

Pirate Grin-

Now that our clothing and appearance are cohesive, we need to do something about our pirate grin. This is the most fun part of the process and it’s tasty too. You will need to half chew some Oreo Cookies and get them nicely ground into the gums around your front teeth and then smile pretty! This is another stolen makeup trick I am pirating for my Captain J.

Helpful Tip: Keep a bag of Oreo Cookies in your other pocket to munch on and for reapplication during the festival.

You can also purchase special effects tooth paint for the rotten teeth look. It can be purchased from special effects makeup stores. It is called “special effects tooth paint”. It does take some skill and technique when applying to make it look real and it’s not nearly as much fun or as tasty as Oreos.

Your Authentic Dirty Pirate is complete! Enjoy the festivities in true pirate spirit.

Thanks for reading!

DIY Mermaid Shell Tops

DIY Mermaid Shell Tops

Let’s dive into the easy, cheap, and fast way to make a DIY Mermaid Shell Top. First stop, the Dollar Store. The Dollar Store, seasonally sells “Bikini Tops” that are plastic shells with white strings. (If you don’t have a Dollar Store in your area you can also purchase them online) You can find them in the “Luau Party” Section. These are perfect for the DIY Mermaid Shell Top. Be sure to stock up during the summer as you can’t find them in the winter and the possibilities are limitless. You might want to keep a few pairs of these on hand.

Step 1

Supplies:

You will need: scissors, plastic paint, glitter or studs, glue, clear bra strap material, paint brush, clear protective spray. Other options: bikini top, ribbon, string, other sea accessories for adorning your shells etc. You can find all of these materials at Walmart or your local craft store.

Step 2

Remove the white strings from the shells. You can toss them aside or throw them out, as we won’t be using them in this project.

Step 3

You will want to paint the shells with plastic safe paint. There are many options on the market. You can be as creative as you want with this step. You can use several colors and blend them to match your tail. You can customize them as much or as little as you wish. For simplicity I have chosen a solid color of gold metallic, (as seen in photo 1). Let dry completely.

Step 4

You can accessorize your shells with glitter or by gluing on little sea creatures or other shells. However, I chose to embellish my shells with green rhinestones. Attach them to the shells using a glue gun (as seen in photo 2).

Step 5

Next, I spray the finished product with a clear protective spray, and let dry completely.

Step 6

You can then use the holes already drilled into your shells to add your straps. I have used clear bra strap material in photo 3.

However, you have many options: You can use string, ribbon, you can use a triangle bikini top and run the string of the bikini top through the holes. I have done this with several of my tops and it provides a great deal of comfort and extra support and you can purchase a top for less than five dollars. Another option is to adhere your shells to a bra or bathing suit top and add fish net, seaweed and other accessories.

Look through my photo galleries on my facebook page where you can see many of these designs. https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaThePirate

And now you are ready to hit the water with your tail and new DIY Mermaid Shell Top. It’s easy and quick and very inexpensive. With more time and resources you can take this basic tutorial and elaborate on the design and really create some amazing shells. Remember to have fun, be creative and be original.

Thanks for reading.

Take your Pirate Garb to the next level – Make it look real!!

Take your Pirate Garb to the next level – Make it look real!!

We all want to look like “real” pirates who have recently washed up from a long voyage, hopefully with gold in our hold. The distress, weathered look doesn’t just happen after your first festival, not even after a year of events…. It has to be forced if you want to look the part.  Truthfully, the more dirty the pirate and more aged, distressed and weathered the clothes are the more believable the character.

So I will share with you in this “How To be a Pirate” Tutorial just how to get the “real” pirate look I know you aRe after.

Step One:

Fitting-

Make sure your clothes fit the way you want them to. They don’t have to fit in modern day standards because it wasn’t unlikely that the clothes of a pirate might be a small fit or just a bit big as most pirates didn’t have a seamstress on hand nor did they purchase their clothing at the local big box store – it’s more likely they stole them. But your clothes do need to fit your character and your body comfortable. Think about wearing your outfit all day at a hot pirate festival or walking in a pirate parade – it’s not a Halloween costume that you just have to survive until the parties over. It’s your Pirate Clothes! Never think of it as a costume!!

Step Two:

Size up-

Size up your clothing and decide just how much damage your willing to inflict. It’s best to again think of your character and the persona you are trying to portray. The lower your status the more rugged your clothes should be. You want to have an informal plan on how much your willing to distress your clothing – because you don’t want to get carried away with the creative process and lose to much of the actual integrity of the clothing item – again you want to think of this as clothing and you want to wear it to many events to come.

Step Three:

Wash-

Wash your clothing! I know clean isn’t the look we are going for, however, a good wash will help the cloth feel good against your skin, get them clean for use (after all we are not going to use real dirt), and allow the aging process to start, as you will begin to break down the material fibers and allow for some colors to bleed and threads to loosen.

Step Four:

Tea Time-

Make some tea! Broil tea bags in a big pan, allowing the tea to get nice and dark. I also like to throw in some dark coffee. Now place your pirate clothing in the tea/coffee water to set for a few hours…. You can stir occasionally, or as needed, but not to much, I really like the look of the tea stain when it darkens in the creases and unevenly over the fabric… really adds a natural dirt and rustic look that can’t be beat!

Step Five:

Antique-

While the fabric is still damp I like to add some antiquing and well placed, distress stains. You can mix a dark coffee brew for this procedure or dilute a little paint (brown works best) in water and literally paint on your clothing in the areas that would naturally be the dirtiest. For example I like to add sweat rings under the arms, a little around the neck and down the back and the cuffs…. Anywhere you would naturally sweat, get dirty, wipe your hands, pockets, skirt hem, etc.

Step Six:

Distress (Artificially make old)-

After your clothing has dried, it's time to start distressing the material. Starting at the edges, take a razor and lightly break the material. Just lightly go over areas that would again naturally be used more than others – this will allow it to look naturally frayed. Use caution not to cut too much or cut yourself. You may also want to add a few rips and tears. A natural way to do this is with sandpaper and to rub the fabric – going against the grain until it begins to tear or wears through. This again should be done in strategic areas that would receive the most wear and tear. When tearing, cutting, or sanding place a piece of cardboard or wood between layers of fabric so you don’t go through to the other side of the garment.

Step Seven:

Add Some Sun-

Particularly if your clothes are dark you want them to look sun bleached, lightened by age and by the spray of sea salt. To do this add a little bleach to water in a spray bottle… you will want to test this inside the clothing if possible… you can also apply with a sponge… be careful not to get to much… you can always add more as you go and it does dry lighter… so let it dry prior to deciding if you need to add more. Again strategically spray the mix where the sun would naturally lighten the clothing after many years at sea. On a captains coat this would be the back of the shoulders, slightly on the upper section of the arms (never under the arms or down the sides).

Step Eight:

Add some Character-

Now it’s time to add some character. Again think of your persona and who you are as a pirate – this will allow you to add your own creativity to this step. I think its best to lose a few buttons, and replace a few with non-matching replacements. Sew a few patches on by hand (strategic placement). Each step can add to your characters story and help develop your persona – making you a real pirate.

These are only a few suggestions to get that “real” pirate look for your next festival or event. I recommend really thinking about who you are as a pirate and where you have come from so that your clothes can help tell your story and add as proof – credibility to being “real”. Of course you can always distress them by taking them to the shooting range, playing tug a war with your dog, throwing an axe at them, leaving them in the driveway for a few days or burying them in your yard…. Do what works best for you and your crew.

Thanks for reading I hope this helps further your pirate fun and I can’t wait to see what you have created at the next pirate gathering!

If you would like to see photos of pirate clothing I have distressed please visit 

http://www.mackaypiratefamily.com/character-models

Thanks