In 1993 I began saving cork from wine and champagne bottles from special occasions that were shared with friends and relatives. I started carving faces out of the cork and got so good at it that eventually someone asked me to make a mermaid for them. I did it but first I wrote a story about fishing.

As I wanted to work with the cork using its own unstable and uneven shape, I gave thought to all of the old Viking ships with women on the front of them that I had seen in movies and in books. I have modified those mental images and have finally come up with these multicultural jewels. I begin by matching and binding suitable pieces of cork together to form a single piece. Then as I carve and reshape each mermaid, her distinct personality develops and emerges, Finally, the colors and embellishments that I choose distinguish each mermaid as her own unique entity. At completion, each and every mermaid is coated with a lacquer finish to protect them as well as preserve their decorative and mystifying beauty. In European cultures mermaids were thought to possess magical powers. I hope that you will experience as much appreciation and enjoyment from my mythical dolls as I do in creating them.

Shay Jones

"Although my cats love them these are not suitable toys for pets or small children!

"Kork Kids" Trademark

Acrylic paints, polycrylic, alkyl propanios, ethylene glycol, n-methyl pyrrolidone