The Dressing Up Box

The Best Moment Of My Second Life

2008-11-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

The following post is written by Dandellion Kimban of "Living in the Metaverse" as part of the SL Bloggers Mix & Match Challenge. The topic was suggested by Crap Mariner.

There are nights in second life when the fake stars on our virtual sky are playing with us. Nothing can help that. Especially because we're not even aware something is happening.

Night we're recalling now was special itself. It was Human's birthday,so the two of us, in two different worlds, were heading for a nice intimate evening in club Reactor. We planned a quiet, calm and intimate night. No candle-lights, but cheese and wine for human and a new set of dancing anims for me. But...

He was sitting on the pillows in the corner, occasionally taking a draw from the water-pipe, goggles resting on his forehead. Cyberpunk kid. Looking in my direction. And while I was reading his profile he threw the first IM. I would politely end that conversation but Human pushed my back to the pillows and we started chatting. Soon enough he took my hand and teleported us to the sim I've never heard of before.

In the meanwhile, somewhere on the other end of the Grid, in the area with all those Orientation Islands, another Ruth came to life. She made a few clumsy steps, probably asked a question or two and headed forward into her second life. Knowing her now, she probably went to the nearest hair-shop. Sure that I couldn't care less for another noob in that moment, how could I know that few months later she will come and steal my heart.

My friendly celebration with Human turned to be a date with a cyberpunk guy. Date? Well, maybe. We were running around the streets of Suffugium. Shooting the trash bins, avoiding the police drones and sneaking in the Lex Neva's private rooms, deep behind the sewer system. We were two kids playing around. Liberated in exploring the dystopian sim. Entertained not by all the cool things around as much as by the joy of showing the discoveries to each other.

Months later, that Ruth will turn into glamour blond. We'll run all around the grid, getting our pleasure not in the cool things we find but in showing them to each other.

So, why am I telling you all this as the best moments of my second life? I spent days trying to isolate events that would be in the competition for "the best moment". And it wasn't working. It's not about things happening. It's even less about buildings and sims, clothes and hairs. It's about people we share our lives with. Those cyberpunks and those glam girls that show us the places and who use their hairs to seduce us... they are the magic that makes all those pixels come alive. They make the moments to be remembered.

The Great Post Swap!

2008-11-12T02:13:00.000-08:00

Today is the day of reckoning for many of your favourite and some less well known (like me) SL Bloggers. Little over two weeks ago ArminasX Saiman of Second Effects together with Vint Falken put out a call to join the first ever annual Mix and Match Blog Carnival. In a moment of madness, I agreed.

Confused? You will be!

I submitted my suggested topic, one very close to my heart as an avid seeker of all things: "The do's and don't of hosting a treasure hunt in Second Life." However, after being thrown into the mix and tossed around a bit I was designated the topic suggested by ArminasX himself, "The Economics of Freebies" which has been published on Nightflower Blossom's blog, Nightflower Blossoming. Thanks Nightflower!

My topic has been assigned to Tempietto and will be published on the Avatrain blog by Chenin Anabuki.

And here, on The Dressing Up Box, I am thrilled to be welcoming guest author Dandellion Kimban who can normally be found Living in the Metaverse. Her assigned topic is "The Best Moment in Your SL" as suggested by Crap Mariner. I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

Below is a full list of the blogs participating in this challenge - have a nosey through a few of them. I've only read a few so far, but there's some fantastic stuff!

Alphonsus's Random Drivel

Unique Needs

Ari K

The News from BardHaven

Second Life

Second Life

Boned

Botgirl's Second Life Diary

Writing the Sonnet

Common Sensible

The blog of Danni- Christian Socialist Computer Addict

Dusan Writer's Metaverse

Eladrienne's Other Life

What is this crap?

Free Finds For Men

Gany's take on (any) life

Geta

Girl Wonder Speaks...About SL

Gwyn's Home

Harper's Bizarre

Her Royal Highness, Princess Ivory

Ingmann Design Group

Joonie's Journey

T I NY D A N C I N G

Wonderland Travels

One Girl | Two Worlds

Living in the Metaverse

Midcourt

Constructs of a Mind

My SLife on the D List

n0nSLensical!!

Nightflower

Tenth Life

The Poultry Report

Quirky Quaintly

Reading Radar

click heard round the world

Stories From Another Life

Samantha Speaks

Second Effects

The Shockwave Writer

SL Fashion Avengers

Socially Mundane

Second Stindberg

The Insane Life of Stuart Warf

Tempietto

The Dressing Up Box

The Winter Market

All Things Tiessa

Tiyuk's Second Life Adventures

What the Fug?

Wild Words

Metaversally Speaking

Avatrain

JohanYugen.co.uk

Second Life of My Dreams

Vint Falken

Writers in the (virtual) Sky

Aviatrix :: Zoe Connolly

Geisha Art

2008-07-31T04:44:00.000-07:00

I always enjoyed making art, right since back in high school, but I've never ever thought of myself as very good at it. Perhaps I compare too much or set my standards too high (ie. anything less than perfection is failure), but I was totally dumbstruck even back then when I got an A at "O" and then "A" level art. I just enjoyed doing it, making things, drawing people, sculpting. It very much went on the back-burner as I concentrated on my studies at university and then my career, just occasionally taking out a watercolour pad or sketchbook during time off. I suppose one of the reasons I specialised in medical imaging though was because I loved taking pictures. Getting the perfect angle, framing a shot and demonstrating what I wanted to show was a challenge I loved, as was interpreting 2D representations of 3D structures. But I never really thought of it as an extension of my artistic side until recently.

Like many people in Second Life, I was encouraged to try my hand at SL photography by Torley's tutorials. I had started to teach myself photo-editing techniques already, out of necessity mainly, to make posters for the SL club I owned but I was soon doing more than just basic posters. My love of dressing up and putting together costumes in SL, recreating looks such as that of the geisha (way before there were many geisha skins or accessories available) and bollywood, and finding great locations in which to photograph them was something that developed over time until early in 2008 I realised that it was something that gave me so much personal fulfilment I wanted to take it more seriously and spend more time concentrating on.

Soon after deciding this, and leaving the club, I started building - initially full sized sculptures, but quickly moving on to playing with tiny prims, loving the challenge of reproducing full sized works in a wearable form. This lead to me opening my store, ~flirt~, and to me concentrating more on making jewellery. However, I continued to take SL photographs and play with some post-processing, uploading my work to my Flickr account and putting a few of my favourite pictures on display in the store, but it's really been much more of a hobby than a serious pursuit, something for my own enjoyment rather than to show others.

I was therefore very much taken aback when I was approached some weeks ago by Chandra Vita, the Curator of Art of Amatsu Shima, an Okiya in Second Life, who had seen and fallen in love with my picture "Geisha's Gaze" and wanted to build an exhibition around it of geisha-related art. So much so that I didn't really believe her at first. In fact, not until I was asked for a biography and told that the exhibition was opening in less than 48 hours!

For me, in my jewellery design as much as in my photography, it is the making of the piece, the design process and creativity that is important, on a personal level, not the finished product or what other people think about it. It's somehow spiritual. Oftentimes I don't know at the start precisely what I am aiming for, or why, but as the process moves on it reveals itself, together with it's meaning, often a personal revelation or truth, deeper understanding of myself or of a situation. Of course, it thrills me when other people like what I make, when they want to buy and wear my jewellery, or hang my pictures in their homes, but that really is of secondary importance (hence what Peter calls my "crazy" pricing structure, and exactly why he is helping me with the business side of ~flirt~).

So I am incredibly flattered, very honoured and still somewhat surprised to have my work, "Geisha's Gaze" on display of the Aizen Festival and Art Walk Exhibition which opens today, July 31st, and would like to extend the invitation to you all to attend.

From the official invitation:

The geisha and students of Amatsu Shima Okiya cordially invite you to the Aizen Matsuri Festival and ArtWalk Exhibition

The event will begin at 6PM SLT, July 31, 2008 at Amatsu Shima landing point. A LM is attached to this invitation and poster. There we will hear a Keynote by our Okasan Suzanne Logan and hear of the significance of the festival from our Kenjasan Mariposa Upshaw, have music and dancing and perhaps other surprises in store for you.

A marvellous procession will take us from there, go through the shopping district of our community and ArtWalk Exhibition. Four extraordinary artists are showing their work here
on the theme: "Geisha in Art."

We will end in the pavilion where there will be less traditional music, dancing and door prizes. Guided tours will also be available of the art exhibition and other showings of art in our community.

Contact Chandra Vita if you have any questions.

Please join us for the culture and fun. We would all be honored by your attendance.

Despite it's late hour for me here in the UK, I am hoping to attend, and I look forward to seeing you there.

slurl to exhibition

My Celebrity Collage

2008-07-17T04:02:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Errr..... I look like who?

Exclusive Tiffany Series Jewellery for Relay For Life 2008

2008-07-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to bring you the next pieces of The Tiffany Range, an exclusive "one-of-a-kind" set in Pink Diamond & Platinum which is being sold by silent auction at the DiS Momento RFL Benefit Auction in aid of Relay For Life 2008.

The Tiffany Stud Earring

Weighing in at a mere 126 prims each, the subtle design of the Tiffany Studs add class to any outfit. In spite of the number of prims, careful design and build technique has ensured that these gems won't lag you down, their combined Avatar Rendering Cost being only 62.

"Sophistication and class ooze from every twinkling gem"

The Tiffany Drop Earrings

Glittering diamonds set in the finest platinum fall in two strings from a large, rare Pink Diamond encircled by precision placed micro-prim diamonds to form an earring that few will surpass.

"Luxury, elegance, and decadent sexuality in equal measure."

The Tiffany Necklace

The simplest of the Tiffany necklaces but no less beautiful The Tiffany Necklace is hand-built for a perfect fit.

"Strings of naturally twinkling prim diamonds closely encircled her neck, the fine Pink Diamond coming to rest gently between her collarbones, highlighting her soft delicate skin, kissing her most sensitive of places"

The Tiffany Pendant

Using two attachment points (chest & spine) this exquisite piece boasts a combined weight of 346 prims, an ARC less than 50 and two pendant types, to suit shapes of all proportions.

"His finger trailed along the necklace's fluid line, moving down between the soft curve of her breasts, his eyes resting on the large pink gem as it rose and fell with each beat of her heart"

The Double Stranded Tiffany Necklace

The necklace of every woman's dreams, this 417 prim jewel should be worn to be seen in.

"The perfect wedding day gift for your bride, it's beauty can only be enhanced her own."

All pieces in the ~flirt~ Tiffany range have been hand-built for a perfect fit, with consideration for your in-world comfort by causing minimal lag (ARC less than80). Be the first to own a Tiffany set in an exclusive Pink Diamond & Platinum setting and help a cause which touches all of our lives, American Cancer Research, through Relay For Life 2008. The silent auction continues until noon on Tuesday 15th July at the Metro Models Agency in Second Life.

A full range of ~flirt~ Tiffany Jewellery will be available from the "Say I Do" Bridal Expo from Thursday 17th July.

~flirt~ Relay For Life Tiffany Rings

2008-06-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Flirt is pleased to be offering four limited editions of The Tiffany Ring for Relay For Life 2008. Available at the ~flirt~ mainstore, all proceeds from the sale of these versions will go directly to RFL and American Cancer Research. Please give generously, thank you.

The Tiffany Ring :: RFL Platinum & Pink Diamond Ver.1

The Tiffany Ring :: RFL Platinum & Pink Diamond Ver.2

The Tiffany Ring :: RFL Platinum & Pink Diamond Ver.3

The Tiffany Ring :: RFL Platinum & Pink Diamond Ver.4

slurl to ~flirt~ mainstore

~flirt~ Tiffany Ring

2008-06-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

The Tiffany Ring was designed for a dear friend of mine, JoshuaSteven Schism as an engagement ring for his now fiancée, Carly Corleone.

As we talked about the design it became clear that he wanted something out of the ordinary, something that she could show off and be proud of, something a bit different to the rings commonly available on the grid. He left the details to me. As I browsed the net for ideas and inspiration it becaome clear in my mind that I wanted to make something that was slightly ostentatious, something that, in the real world, would be coveted and way above the price bracket of average Joe's like Josh and I, but was still elegant and classy. Something in the vein of the classic Tiffany designs... and, well, diamonds are a girl's best friend! Of course, the design evolved during the creative process to become something unique, but in naming the final design I wanted to reflect the source of my inspiration, credit where credit is due, and the Tiffany Ring was born.

The Tiffany Ring :: Platinum & Diamond

Shortly after finishing the ring, after Carly had said "yes" to Josh, Linden Labs announced the introduction of Avatar Rendering Cost, initially on the Release Candidate viewer, but soon to hit the main viewer. At 178 tiny tortured prims, I feared that the lag caused by such a piece, measurable by everyone around the wearer, would be a major negative incentive to anyone wanting to wear the ring, myself included. After much research, experimentation, and learning about how ARC works, I was finally able to come up with a slightly modified design that had an ARC so low it could almost be ignored (see here for details of that process).

And so, I present to you, The Tiffany Ring. Comprising a single flawless 7.15 carat Linden precious gemstone surronded by double row of 75 melee diamonds set in platinum on a band shouldered by a further double row of diamonds, the ring is available with five central gemstones - Diamond, Ruby, Amethyst, Sapphire and Emerald. With an Avatar Rendering Cost of only 20-25 (minumum possible being 10, suggested avatar total being 500-1000) this ring is the perfect way to show a loved one just how much you care. Two rings are included in the box, fitted to the left and right hand respectively, and whilst sized for the average female hand size (20), it is fitted with a resize script to ensure the perfect fit for every shape. Priced at a very reasonable L$349 and available in-world now.

The Tiffany Ring :: Platinum & Ruby

The Tiffany Ring :: Platinum & Amethyst

The Tiffany Ring :: Platinum & Sapphire

The Tiffany Ring :: Platinum & Emerald

All ~flirt~ rings are available for gift-giving, either delivered directly to the recipient of your choice, or as a transfer-only version presented in a ring box which opens and closes for romantic proposals. Please contact me (Skinkie Winkler) in-world to arrange this.

Recovery Island :: Grand Opening Today

2008-06-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

Recovery Island is a new hangout spot for anyone in recovery from any addiction, including friends and family, and is pleased to be officially opening it's doors today, Friday 13th June 2008. Come along and look around, hang out with friends, have a dance and make yourself at home. DJ Crighton Johin will be spinning the decks between 2pm and 5pm for a party hosted by the island's founders, Coughran Mayo and Skinkie Winkler. We look forward to seeing you there!

Recovery Island

On a personal note, Recovery Island is the culmination of a dream I have had for the longest time in SL, made possible by the generosity of Preferred Family Healthcare, and specifically Coughran Mayo who have kindly allowed me to use a parcel of land on their non-profit sim. My sincerest thanks go to them.

The vision was to have a place where anyone in recovery from any addiction can spend time in Second Life, relax and feel "at home".

Chill Out

With occasional organised events and user run spur of the moment parties, I wanted to create a place where people would enjoy spending time in a "safe" environment with other like-minded people.

Curl up with a book or chat with friends

Meet for coffee

Meditate

In building the island we have endeavoured to provide different gathering areas to meet with friends in small or larger groups, and activities including group-run music streaming, dance balls, and games including the Seven Seas Fishing Game. We envisage that the island will be further moulded by it's users to become what they want it to be over time.

Seven Seas Fishing Game

Play

The Two Pines Meeting Centre is available for regular or one off use by any addiction support group at no charge.

Two Pines Meeting Centre

Set on a sky platform to ensure privacy from recreational users below, the meeting centre is accessible only from the island itself. The facilities accommodate small and medium sized groups (max. ~20 people) at present, although this can be increased should there be demand.

Meeting room

Small group area

All are welcome to come and look around the island. Please feel free to contact me or Coughran Mayo if you would like further information or to book the meeting centre.

See you at the party!

slurl for Recovery Island

Avatar Rendering Cost & Jewellery - Some investigations into reducing ARC

2008-05-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

I was a little bit concerned when I read on the Official Linden Blog a few weeks ago about "Avatar Rendering Cost" having just built an absolutely gorgeous, highly detailed and very high prim ring. Would people want to buy fine high prim jewellery once ARC hit the main viewer?

As I routinely use the Release Candidate viewer (unless it has an unbearable bug) it didn't take me long to take a look at how big the damage was from my new design. Ouch! In the red. I wasn't surprised. But it left me wondering.... how does ARC actually work in practice, in what ways could I reduce the ARC of my products, and how would that affect the aesthetics of my work. Would I really have to resort to flat prim texture diamonds?

Over the last few days I have done some "research" - a.k.a. playing with prims. Some of the things I have learnt about "ARC in practice" aren't obvious from the Linden Blog, and some seem to be in direct contradiction. Having chatted to a few designer friends about my findings, I decided to write them up on my blog, so as to share them with the SL(TM) community - perhaps you might find this stuff helpful, or it might help you in your own research.

A quick summary of the key things I've learnt.

Transparency is THE single major contributor to ARC. It counts for a score of 4 for each PRIM FACE it is used on - so, a transparent cube counts for 24 in ARC.
ARC is not always directly related to number of prims in an attachment (see below)
Shiny & Glow add to ARC on a per prim basis, but far less significantly than transparency.
Shiny/Glow/Transparency are "all or nothing" costs - low shiny costs the same as high shiny, glow of 0.01 the same as glow of 1.00
Multiple attachment's total ARC is not equal to the sum of the individual attachment's ARCs if they share the same texture(s) - the cost is for unique textures (see example below)
I've not considered flexi-prims at all as I don't use them. Sorry.

Regarding prim counts and ARC

The most surprising find, for me, has been what seems to be a direct contradiction to the explanations I've read regarding ARC. From the Official Linden Blog ::

"All attachments are then looked at on a per-prim level. The prims are weighted as follows:
- 10 base points for having the prim."

From this, it would seem that any attachment would therefore have a minimum ARC of 10x(number of prims). My experiments, measuring ARC directly, in-world, showed that to not be the case. I didn't test this with normal sized prims as I work with tiny prims, so this is perhaps a feature of tiny prims, their smaller size costing less rendering power, or perhaps it's a bug in the ARC software, or even just me! (I'm blessed, lol). But, certainly for jewellery it seems that high prim counts do NOT in themselves mean a high ARC! Good news for jewellers (and jewellery lovers)!

OK, enough writing, time for me to show you some visual examples. I've written a summarised explanation beneath each picture with the simple maths used.

In the first of the two examples, I have used a simple set of jewellery and looked at what happens to the ARC as I add individual pieces. The jewellery used has no glow, shiny or transparency (~flirt~ Laynie Necklace & A'Dior Earrings Set in Plink).

:: Image 1 ::

:: Image 1 ::
Baseline (clothed) ARC = 479

:: Image 2 ::

:: Image 2 ::
Baseline (clothed) ARC = 479
Baseline + Necklace ARC = 494
Therefore::
Necklace ARC = 15

Necklace has 84 prims
Total Prims = 84

:: Image 3 ::

:: Image 3 ::
Baseline (clothed) ARC = 479
Baseline + 1 earring ARC = 494
therefore::
1 earring ARC = 15

Earring has 7 prims
Total Prims = 7

Note :: An earring of 7 prims has the same apparent ARC as an 84 prim necklace.

:: Image 4 ::

:: Image 4 ::
Baseline (clothed) ARC = 479
Baseline + 2 Earrings ARC = 504
Therefore::
2 Earrings ARC = 25

Earrings are 7 prims each
Total Prims = 14

Note :: Two of the same attachment does not equate to twice the additional ARC, presumably as no new UNIQUE TEXTURES are added.

:: Image 5 ::

:: Image 5 ::
Baseline (clothed) ARC = 479
Baseline + Necklace + 2 Earrings ARC = 514
Therefore::
Necklace + 2 Earrings ARC = 35

Necklace is 84 prims
Earrings are 7 prims each
Total Prims = 98

Note :: Again, the total additional ARC is not equivalent to the sum of it's parts. Textures are only counted once, however many times they are used.

The second example also shows how ARC appears to be unrelated to total number of prims in the attachment. More importantly, it shows how ARC can be significantly reduced, with minimal change to the appearance of the jewellery, certainly not enough difference to be noticeable at un-zoomed distances.

I have used the ring mentioned right at the start of this post. The first set of images are of the ring as I'd originally designed it. These are compared with a copy of the ring which is unchanged apart from removal of all transparency and shiny. I've called these "High ARC Version" and "Low ARC Version" respectively.

:: Image 6 ::

:: Image 6 ::
Baseline (clothed) ARC = 479

Baseline + "High ARC Version" ~flirt~ Tiffany Ring, ARC = 1705
Therefore, "High ARC Version" ~flirt~ Tiffany Ring ARC = 1226

Baseline + "Low ARC Version" ~flirt~ Tiffany Ring, ARC = 489
Therefore, "Low ARC Version" ~flirt~ Tiffany Ring ARC = 10

Number of prims = 178 (both versions)

This huge reduction is ARC is from JUST turning off shiny and transparency on any prim that used them, no other changes were made.

:: Image 7 ::

:: Image 7 ::
"High ARC Version" Ring in build mode :: note number of prims = 178

:: Image 8 ::

:: Image 8 ::
"Low ARC Version" Ring in build mode :: note number of prims = 178

The following images are taken at full zoom in the same light settings. Whilst the snapshot hasn't been optimised for aesthetics, these images give a good comparison of the changes in appearance with removal of transparency & shiny (as well as showing up all the flaws in my workmanship :p).

:: Image 9 ::
"High ARC Version" ~flirt~ Tiffany Ring

:: Image 10 ::
"Low ARC Version" ~flirt~ Tiffany Ring

What the photographs don't show is the slight reduction in "twinkle" between the two versions due to the semi-transparency of the diamonds , an effect that I, personally, like.

So, where does all that leave me?

Well, I will, and already have, be making some changes to the way I build and how I sell my designs. I don't think it is up to me as a designer to tell my customers what they should or shouldn't wear, or if they should or shouldn't be aiming for a low ARC at any given time. However, I can inform them of the rendering cost of my products, and I can give them choices.

As of this week's release, all jewellery I design will have it's ARC at the end of it's name ie. ~flirt~ Tiffany Ring [ARC10], so that customers can see, before they buy an item, if they can sensibly wear it in the way that they wish. Where it is appropriate I will include low and high ARC versions in the folder/box so that someone could, for example, wear the low ARC version of their engagement ring whilst shopping and clubbing, but put the high ARC twinkly one on for special occasions or photographs.

I would LOVE to see other designers follow suit. The most bizarre things have extra-ordinarily high ARC's. A guy I was chatting to today at a party whose initial ARC was over 10000 found that the major cause was..... his prim ears! Who'd have thought it! As a designer I feel we have some responsibility to not put things out there that are that lag-inducing without fair warning now that we can measure this so easily.

I'd love your feedback and thoughts.

Your vote needed - PJira issue [#MISC-1124]

2008-05-01T04:49:00.000-07:00

Do you, like me, keep an eye on the Fab-Free or FREE*STYLE blogs/groups and take advantage of the fantastic freebies designers make available to their groups? Do you have "IM to Email" turned on? If so, you may well have come across this problem and, like me until this morning, not understood there was a bug underlying it.

It seems that if you have joined certain groups, Muism, magi take shop, and 369 amongst them, even if you have left the group you may receive offline emails from the group owner saying "You have a message from [Group owner's name] waiting for you in Second Life. Log in to see it." This was NOT sent by that person, and they are completely unaware of it.

Despite it not being their fault, the persons named in the emails have been the recipients of abuse regarding this. To quote from one profile ::

"I've received IMs abt emails saying there r msg from me waiting for u in SL. If u don't see msg from me after logging on, it's definitely SL playing tricks on us. I've logged ticketsss to Linden. It's a technical issue NOT caused by me but if I could walk into Linden lab to pull the plug I would. So if u want this to stop, log your tickets too. I am usually not rude but I have to ask u to STOP IM or sending me notes on this & if u swear at me, I promise I will report the abuse. "
[Name withheld so not to worsen her problems]

If you have received ANY of these emails, or even if you haven't, but think this should be fixed, I would urge you please, take a few minutes and vote on [#MISC-1124]

If you have never voted on the Public JIRA, below are instructions::

Click HERE
At the top left click on "log in"
Log into the JIRA using your normal second life name and password
You will be taken straight back to the correct page for [#MISC-1124]
Look at the column on the right hand side
Scroll down until you see "Voting"
Click where it says "Vote For It"
Your name will be added to the list of voters

Linden Labs prioritise which issues are addressed in which order partly on how many votes the issue receives, so PLEASE, make a small difference and vote. Thank you.

D'em sticks, d'em sticks, d'em... RED sticks...

2008-04-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

Phew! I have more red sticks in my inventory right now than you could shake a.... well, a red stick at! That, together with the low grade fever I'm running at present (thanks darling daughter!) and I was ... errr..... inspired *cough* to be creative....

I have named the necklace that evolved after the designer of the masterpiece "Red Stick" from which it is created, Laynie Link. The Laynie Necklace is available, in a red stick, in my store, ~flirt~ for FREE! You really can't miss it.

Image gratuitously pinched from Laynie's Blog

Whilst you are there, there are three other red sticks hidden in-store. One contains some original artwork, one some funky pre-release earrings and one a limited edition Interactions Oversized Oval Ring in Silver and Ruby!

Click HERE for slurl

~flirt~ Chunky Bracelets

2008-04-05T12:49:00.001-07:00

These chunky metallic bangles came about as a result of the Interactions Bangle. I so loved the way that bangle looks I wanted to make a version that was simple and affordable and in colours that would go with absolutely anything. Available singly for L$50 each or L$275 for a Fatpack of 7, they are on special offer this weekend with 40% off ONLY at the ~flirt~ mainstore.

Comes attached to the right wrist, but these are all copiable, so can be worn on either/both wrists as you wish.

Also, as so many of you enjoyed the mini-hunt I had last week, I have hidden a jewel box containing the Copper & Bronze Chunky Bracelet somewhere amongst the rubble that comprises the ~flirt~ mainstore. Find it, and it's yours for L$1.

Simple Interactions

2008-04-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

"Simple" merely because they don't include the characteristic wheel of the Interactions range, the 272 hand placed prims that comprise this necklace and earring set do not reflect their name in any other way. In fact the set contains a multi-texture changer written specifically for ~flirt~ by the marvellous Tecak Oyen which allows the wearer to change the metal and/or gemstones at a single click for 24 possible combinations.

Available in-world at both ~flirt~ locations (Juicy and Pamran). Will soon be available OnRez.

Additions to the Interactions Range

2008-04-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

This week has been a week of finishing off items and projects and catching up on things. These two additions to the Interactions range are available at both my Mainstore on Juicy (the one that looks like roman ruins) and my new shop on Pamran.

Firstly, a choker. It comes in all eight of the Interactions colourways, and although it is "no modify" it contains a resize script so you can achieve the perfect fit with just a few clicks.

A second bracelet for the range, this one considerably chunkier but bang on trend (if these things are important to you). Shown in two of the eight Interactions colourways.

Talking of "bang on trend", I hope the fashionista's amongst you will love this ring. Try it with a pair of long black gloves for a look that won't leave you ignored.

Again, these are available in the eight Interactions colourways at the ~flirt~ store in-world, and soon (when SL allows people in) OnRez

Interactions

2008-04-05T04:10:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy building (the store and jewellery) recently that I have neglected to blog my finished pieces as I've released them, so, here is a bit of a catch up, starting with a range that is important to me on a personal level. Let me explain a little more.

Interactions :: Coming Full Circle

Snapshot of Interactions :: Coming Full Circle

This is an exert from the notecard included with the sculpture.

"This piece of Kinetic Art, by Skinkie Winkler is her representation of the interactions we experience as we walk through life. Each curved spoke symbolises a relationship, the circular levels indicating the level of significance, affecting the heart or soul of an individual. As the interaction takes place, as the prims cross , there is disruption of the other, less obvious as the observer moves further away, some causing more interference than others. The prims move on to a period of calmness, before the next interaction, never-ending, ever-changing, the pattern never quite the same again. For the most part the background is slightly blurred, slightly irregular, with highlights and shadows. Yet in the very centre is a small constantly moving window offering a glimpse of what it hidden, what is yet to be, what the future might hold."

Interactions Jewellery

Why art? Because, to me, it has meaning. It's creation changed something inside my soul and expresses a part of me. You may call it what you like - jewellery, bling, junk, it doesn't much matter. To *me*, it's creator, it is art. :: The Meaning Behind The Interactions Jewellery Series :: The design is based upon a kinetic sculpture I built back in January 2008 called "Interactions::Coming Full Circle". This jewellery captures a moment in time, a snapshot of an individual's interactions, their relationship(s) at a point when it is perfectly balanced, symmetrical. At that moment there is perfection, calmness, bliss. Moments later, the balance has gone, but it's not forgotten. It will return, eventually, but it will never last long and it will never be exactly the same. In this wearable art however, it is remembered, treasured and celebrated.

As you might imagine, there is a specific moment in my life that this relates to and was inspired by. Creating this set has allowed me to acknowledge it, to recognise it's beauty, to indulge it's memory and to move on. To look at it and think "wow, that was wonderful" rather than yearn for it's return. Perhaps you have a similar special moment? If so, I hope this piece helps you to remember, cherish and celebrate it.

"Je ne regrette rien"

Interactions pieces are available singly, or as a set. I do not apologise for the high price tag on them. They represent many many hours of work, and, in essence, contain a small part of me.

Thanks go to Noel Oh for the high resolution images of the jewellery.

Available at the ~flirt~ mainstore in Juicy and from my OnRez Shopfront

~flirt~ spiral piercings

2008-04-05T03:27:00.000-07:00

I have made a further two sets of piercings to add to the ~flirt~ piercings range. What I love about these piercings is that you don't have to be a goth/punk/urban/street/ghetto/whatever-usual-clichés-wear-piercings" to wear them. They are a little subtle and truly beautiful whilst giving you a certain "edge". Of course, I'm slightly biased *grins*.

These two sets are based on a spiral piercing, with a "dangle" of either a tiny prim diamond/gem or a tiny sculpted prim heart. Four pieces are included for both ears, right eyebrow and lip. Male and female sizes are included. The male diamond lip piercing is slightly different to the female version to avoid it looking too..... errr... girlie. I think the lip-ring and diamond chin stud however works well. They come in my usual 5 metal colours, plus gunmetal & silver with onyx in place of the diamond.

See in store for full range.

Thanks to the delicious JoshuaStephen Schism for modelling with me for the pictures (it was tough work! *grins*) and Noel Oh for the jewellery close-ups and male silhouettes.

Some Saturday fun

2008-04-05T01:46:00.000-07:00

Apparently I'm not very psychic..... but then you knew that of course.

Are you?

Change to ~flirt~ blog

2008-04-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Due to the recent changes in Linden Lab® policy regarding trademarks and the usage of the name Second Life® and abbreviations, I have had to change the URL of the ~flirt~ blog *sigh*. Please could you update your bookmarks/links to http://flirtacious.wordpress.com

Also, as I am *still* waiting for the ~flirt~ blog to be added to the Fashion Planet newsfeed (and probably longer now I've changed the URL) I will be cross posting store news here for the time being. Not ideal, but that's the way it is.

~flirt~ gets a blog!

2008-03-05T16:28:00.000-08:00

Now that the store is set up and has some stock, and more on the way, I decided it isn't really right to fill this blog with posts about new ~flirt~ releases, that isn't what this blog was for. So, I've started a new blog specifically for ~flirt~ releases and information.

CLICK HERE for the ~flirt~ blog

However, while I have your attention I may as well tell you about my new line of ~flirt~ piercings and the two sets of ear cuffs I released today.

Each pack of cuffs, crafted from precious metals and the tiniest of tiny-prim diamonds (not just texture diamonds), comprises three versions for each ear. Positioned to attach to the nose, mouth or chin respectively you can wear your ear cuffs easily with other attachments such as a face-light or sunglasses without the hassle of tricky repositioning. Male and Female versions are available, positioned and sized for the “average” shaped avatar for each gender. A single pack costs L$75, with the fatpack priced at L$375, available at the ~flirt~ store in Juicy or OnRez

For a limited time I have placed two packs, one for men, one for women, out in the store for just L$1.

PS:: The guy in the ad is JoshuaSteven Schism, a good friend who put up with me getting up-close and personal to get these shots. Josh, you rock! [and you're hot, phew! - cold shower anyone?]

~flirt~? Moi? (and other news)

2008-02-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

I've been a tad slack at blogging over the last month. I could make all sorts of excuses.... but I won't, 'cos I've been SLACK. But.... I will show you what I've been busy doing in SL *grins* Well, hint at it anyway ;-)

~flirt~ is the name of my upcoming jewellery and art venture. The name kinda seemed appropriate dontcha think? It will be part art gallery, with some of my favourite creations on show, maybe for sale, and part shop, selling pieces of jewellery I have created, some of it inspired by the art I've made, some of it requested by friends, and some of it just for fun.

My first finished items are now available FREE as part of the La Reina Valentine Hunt which runs until February 15th. There are cute bright pink hearts hidden all over the shops and boardwalk at La Reina which contain gifts from the vendors and some of the residents. I have put out three special valentine editions of my ~flirt~ Hearts & Diamonds set which includes choker, earrings and two bracelets. Another special set is also being sent out to the ~flirt~ group later today (if SL stops kicking me offline every two minutes). As soon as I have finished the vendor images for this set (they are taking an age as there are 25 variations) I will put them up on OnRez and SLX.

I am hoping to get the shop set up in the next week or so, to coincide with the release of my first "couture" jewellery set called "Interactions" plus some male jewellery I have been working on, so keep your eyes peeled for further news.

Oooohhh, in the "other news" part of this post, I was approached by Celebrity Trollop a couple of days ago and... well... I'm going to be blogging for Second Style Fashionista! Woot! Although I'm not sure I'd call myself a fashionista I will try to bring you some of the more interesting of my finds as I trawl the Second Life designer outlets, corner shops, markets or my already grid-crashingly large inventory.

Aphrodite's Serenity

2007-12-31T11:58:00.000-08:00

It wasn't so long ago that I was commenting (ok, whinging) about the sometimes extortionate price some designers charge for their shoes in Second Life on another blog. I don't think you will be able to make the same complaint about the shoes I'm going to show you today, they are a mere L$150 a pair. Of sculptie shoes. And they aren't just cobbled together (geddit?) either. They are actually pretty damn good.

Aphrodite's Creations
Greyceful Dress (Apple) & Serenity Shoes (Light Green)

I've been a fan of Aphrodite Creations for a while now, since Winter Wonder was released, and met Aphrodite Outlander, the designer, when I visited the store to pick up a copy. She couldn't have been more kind or more helpful. I've since kept an eye out for any new releases, and snapped each of them up. So I was thrilled when she dropped me a pair of her newest release this morning, the Serenity Shoe.

Oftentimes I find that designers tend to be good at one thing and not so hot on another. Excellent clothes designers tend to be not so great when it comes to shoes, hats and so forth. So, I must admit, my expectations weren't high. I was very pleasantly surprised that this doesn't seem to be the case with Aphrodite. In fact, I'd go as far as to say, these shoes are on par with some of the well known & successful shoe designers in SL.

AC Serenity Shoe :: Colour Options

The Serenity Shoe comes in 11 jewel-toned colours that match perfectly with both her own clothing range and the colours other designers are using this season. At L$150 a pair, or L$1250 for the fatpack (almost 25% off!) you have absolutely no reason not to have the perfect footwear for your party frock this New Year! I'll certainly be wearing a pair!

Happy New Year Everyone!

What I'm Wearing ::
Skin :: Series 2 Female Skin ** Special Ed. ** :: DUTCH TOUCH :: (free)
Hair :: Calla Mistletoe Bleached Blondes (Wheat)
Eyelashes :: Cake - Bedroom Lashes - Tintable
Eyes :: Skin Deep real hazel eye SO
Nails :: Skin Within [SW] Creme Manicure
Dress (bottom picture) :: *Punch Drunk*Glam Rock Dress (Teal)
Necklace (Bottom picture) :: Swallowtail Tear Drop Chain necklace!

Hug-fest!

2007-12-23T01:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday saw the début of Random Calliope's newest design, The Amandote!, a truly sensual set of wearable art that celebrates self and one's own sexuality.

I was humbled to read that Random drew some inspiration for the design from his friendship with me and the times we've gone dancing. He is a dear friend and a truly beautiful person. I was also honoured to be involved in it's release - the event took place at my club, Popeye's. And what an event! For over two hours the hugging didn't cease - 1800+ hugs were given in that short time! It was a sight to behold. Slightly chaotic to host, I'll admit, but the love that filled the place was palpable.

One of the 18 different coloured sets of necklace, earrings, bracelet and ring is given away randomly (geddit!) when you recieve a hug from someone wearing the specially designed hugger, scripted by Desdemona Enfield. The hugger itself is a work of art, taking the form of a small red heart which attaches to the left pectoral region, buried deep within the chest, representing "trust, protection, giving, needing, taking." These are also freely available, so anyone may give away this wonderful gift.

Since the debut event I've not removed my Amandote! hugger, and have been randomly offering hugs to strangers in the vicinity of wherever I happen to be. And therein lays a tale. I, like many others, spend a few minutes each morning whizzing around the grid collecting the daily advent gifts from generous creators such as Nefaria Abel (Ivalde), Britneyj Crimson (Second Mirage) and Ninja Petion & Zoey Pinkdot of Digital Dragon Designs. There are many others that do similarly. My gift gathering has taken me a little longer these past two days though, as I have stopped at each location and sought out someone to hug, spreading the love this holiday season and leaving the gift Random has enabled. Reactions have been many and varied, but largely fall into two categories. Those who would never refuse a hug despite being slightly bemused even from a strange and potentially crazy woman (ok, not potentially, hehe). These folk tend to hug in return and are thrilled with the gift they receive. But the other half (and it is roughly half) look taken aback, if not slightly offended, at my simple "Hi X, may I give you a hug?" as if I might suddenly turn into an evil vampire and suck all their pixelated blood before selling their soul to the devil.

I could, of course, tell them in advance they will be rewarded for the simple act of warmth with gems which, if sold, would undoubtedly be worth thousands of Lindens. I'm sure they'd jump at the chance then, knowing the hug would be lucrative. But I feel it shouldn't be about the jewels per se, the reward is the received hug first and foremost, the shared moment of care, kindness, joy, honour, acceptance. So I don't, and won't, pre-warn. People will catch on, in time, and the pleasure I get from their glee when given the gift will perhaps be less, but for now it gives me joy. Maybe this will go some way towards softening hearts, teaching us that when we let people in, allow them to show us kindness and care, we are rewarded in ways as yet unseen.

So thank you Random. Not just for the jewellery, as magnificent as it is. Not just for your generosity, as boundless as it can be. But for the joy of giving that you have enabled. Your gift extends far past prims, past the hugger you have fashioned to reside within my avatars chest, right into my living, beating, loving heart.

Amandote! Huggers available from ::

:: THE SOLSTICE SALSA :: The Amandote! Debut

2007-12-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

Popeye's Beach Club is thrilled to announce that on Saturday 22nd Dec, 8am - 10am SLT, we will be hosting a special event ::THE SOLSTICE SALSA::

This event will see the debut of SL jewellery designer and artist, Random Calliope's newest design, the Amandote! The Amandote!, which comes in 18 colours, celebrates love of oneself as depicted by the dance, the Salsa. Sets of will be given away during the event by Random Calliope himself for the hefty price of....a HUG!

Dress in your finest Salsa dress and dance to music provided by our Live DJ, Gruran Solomon while you find out how Popeye's earned it's reputation as "The friendliest club in Second Life".

Popeye's Beach Club is a venue for the 2007 Winter Festival. Furries, Tiny's, BDSM, GBLT all welcome. Ice skating. Skoopf Vendor. Local shopping including Style Your Destiny, LaynieWear, Vintage Reproductions, and Evolution Creations & Mystics. Skydive SL.

Happy Elfin' Christmas

2007-12-14T02:40:00.000-08:00

This is SO funny, I had to share.

Christmas Shopping Finds

2007-12-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

As tired as you might be after spending a day shopping, the best bit just HAS to be getting home and delving into the myriads of shopping bags to try on your new purchases. With the plethora of gifts and goodies around in this pre-Christmas season it had been a while since I'd had a chance to do such, so it was with much glee that I sorted out my inventory this morning, regaining some of it's normally meticulous order and trying on items as I went.

One of the fun things about this is the sometimes bizarre combinations I end up wearing, with things go on as I get to them. Mismatched hair with mismatched skin, with an ill-fitting hat and mismatched shoes. It's at times like this that I'm happy none of my friends call round unannounced! However, every now and then this randomness creates a winner, and one such happy accident was how the outfit below was born.

The dress/jacket combo is from Cover Girl, a small boutique in a Japanese sim. I'd seen another outfit reviewed elsewhere and went to check it out, but fell in love with the jacket in this set - it looks so soft I can almost feel my fingers sinking into it's fluffiness. I'm not particularly a fan of white, or lace, but the layering on this dress works well. The tights in the centre picture are from another Cover Girl outfit, but they work well here. However I think I prefer the retro-geometry of Bijou's "Stocking E" in pink, shown in the images to the top & bottom .

It takes quite something to get me away from my trademark platinum blonde locks, but as I attached Calla's new "Christmas Rose" demo in Dark Mahogany I knew it was perfect for this. The white of the rose lifts the look, tying in colours and adding a little charm. I picked up the necklace and bracelet at another Japanese boutique, Untone. The earrings are from Shiny Things' Nighttime Gems set.

I couldn't decide which boots I preferred as each give it the look a slightly different vibe, so I've included three variations; the gorgeously funky Chunky Ribbon Boots from Shiny Things in white and pink, Armidi Gisaci Unisex Classic Moccas in red and PixelDolls' LunaViola Basic Boot. We are truly spoilt with the number of fabulous boots around at the moment.

The overall look puts me in mind of something you'd wear to meet your boyfriend's parents for the first time - cutesy girlishness with an underlying kick-ass attitude. Now I just need the boyfriend!

Meet My Daemon

2007-12-12T02:44:00.000-08:00

The Golden Compass, the new film staring Nicole Kidman, speaks of a world where every person has an animal that represents their soul. You can find your own daemon by clicking here. Mine is apparently a Hare - modest, inquisitive, humble, competitive & responsible Could you take a few moments to confirm if this is accurate... or not. I'm not really sure about the modest bit (or the responsible bit come to that!).

Happy Birthday Pamran!

2007-12-05T16:25:00.000-08:00

Warm Fuzzy Feelings

2007-11-23T03:34:00.000-08:00

Ever felt in the mood to sit outside in the wintry sun, the cold air softly biting at your cheeks as you drift off with your thoughts, filled with all sorts of unspoken inner yumminess? Well that's just the way I've been feeling these last few days, so I decided to wrap up warm and head out into the metaverse in search of solitude and serenity with which to indulge myself, whilst you yanks were busy over-indulging.

The Elven sims were one of the first sims I ever explored in SL, the many years I spent playing a high level elven enchantress on EQ never far from my heart, so a revisit was in order. Things change fast in this world, and what were (if I recall correctly) only 4 sims on my last visit has now grown to a small continent of fae/elven role-playing sims, many of which are currently blanketed in snow, adding to the romantic ambience of these nature-inspired lands. I was in my element, and the elements, as you can see from the pictures below.

Dreaming...

Somewhere Under The Rainbow

Feeling Small...

Watched

Oh, the outfit! Sorry, I drifted off with my thoughts there ;-)

Someone recently described me as having "giddy girlishness". Hmmm.... Whatever I think about that statement (/me rolls her eyes) it was the inspiration of this look, and fitted perfectly with my mood of feminine wistful happiness.

The coat, by the fabulous and fabulously named GRANDMA is warm and snuggly with a beautiful Chinoiserie-inspired pattern, perfectly aligned between system and prim layers. The sculptie sleeves needed tweaking a little for my shape, in fact I wondered if the cuffs on the jacket layer were perhaps a little too deep as the brown fur came almost to my elbow, but this is a minor quibble. It took me a while to decide what to wear on my lower half, trying and discarding over a dozen ideas, then finally plumping for the simplicity of PERSONA's woolen [sic] tights in pale blue. Ugg boots are a favourite of mine in RL, although I wear them without socks whenever possible so I can bury my toes in the soft sheepskin, exquisite! Eponymous Trenchmouth's SL reproduction, the "Ugh Boot" doesn't disappoint. The hair, with colour change hat, is Amber by ETD, perfect for chillier SL days, and the skin is the perfectly girlie Celestial/Astral Vogue skin in Amber from Deviant Nation. The look is finished with arguably the most perfect pearl earrings in SL, part of the Mama Harper range by Random Calliope - I adore them.

Toot Toot!

2007-11-19T03:56:00.000-08:00

One of the drawbacks, I am realising, of doing this blog is that I am giving all my secrets away (damn), but I'd not be doing my job properly if I didn't talk about the fantastic crafted and incredibly humorous creations of Tooter Claxton.

Tooter's store isn't one that you come across by accident, and at first glance it's quite unassuming.... until it starts talking to you. Attention thus being grabbed, it is clear that this is no ordinary roadside (or in this case, railside) seller. Oh no. One clearly needs one's sense of humour fully intact and switched on.

Tooter Claxon Mainstore & Salon, Oculea

Tooter sells avatars, and vehicles. Not a huge number of either, all lined up in vendors with huge animated images, floating text and prices blazing down at you. They take the form of magazines propped up on a rusty old newstand, outside a run-down gin-joint. It is as you zoom in that you realise they really are something not to be missed, especially as you do a double take at the prices (L$50-L$250 per avatar).

Extraordinary avatars call for extraordinary locations to be done true justice, I'm sure you will agree, so I took a little trip to a couple of my favourite sims, Tableau and Fluid, to flex my photographic muscles. I'm sure you will agree, it was worth the teleport-crash-teleport-crash cycle that ensued. I have selected a handful of avatars, ranging from the hilarious to the nauseating to give you a taster. Those of a nervous disposition should look away now.

Kicking us off is the hilarious "Your Aunt" who comes complete with iron and an ironing board typing animation. The severe beehive, hairy wrists and specs, complete with neck chain, are the perfect antidote to the plethora of barbie-esque beauties that swamp the grid.

"Why They Have To Add Wrinkles I'll Never Know..."

The "Bug" and the "Fly" are immaculately textured and truly quite grotesque - not for the squeamish! But aren't they great!

A Bug's Life

No Flies On Me

One of my favourites has to be the "Voodoo Doll", not least because of the fun I had getting the photo's. As I was taking these images two innocent explorers/bounty hunters chanced upon me and alone, silent and still as I was, adjusting my camera angle for that perfect shot, presumed I was part of the décor. You can imagine their reaction when I went "Boo!" :-D

"Boo!"

I'll not tell you who I imagined sticking pins into.... I'm sure it wasn't you.... *cough*

Once Tenshi Had Left It Was Safe To Get The Voodoo Doll BackOut

And with Thanksgiving only a few days away, I just HAD to show you the chook. This comes in two versions - fully feathered or the pre-prepared oven-ready plucked variety.

"Whaddaya mean, I'm plucked?"

After the discussions at Orange Island's Identity Summit last Friday, I'm left now wondering which of these fabulous avatars best represents my "brand". I'll leave you to make your own suggestions on that, but whichever of these you choose you can bet it would more than pay for itself were you to enter a themed avatar contest - but more on that in my next blog, "Skinkie's Guide to Winning" [working title] for all you party goers out there.

A Quick Note Re: Photographs

2007-11-19T02:40:00.000-08:00

All snapshots used on this blog are, unless otherwise stated, taken by myself in-world and unedited other than cropping/resizing. This is intended to allow you to see how the outfit/costume/avatar really looks in-world.

The Epic Snail of Doom-ness

2007-11-15T02:29:00.000-08:00

Or, as I more affectionately like to call it, the "Snorse."

A couple of days ago as I teleported into Popeye's (the club I manage) I was confronted by the MOST bizarre and funny thing I've seen in a while! A couple of minutes schmoozing later and I had procured one for myself! What, you ask? I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Epic Snail of Doom-ness::Original

The "Epic Snail of Doom-ness" was made by Ian Everidge and is worn as an attachment to your tush. As you slime around the metaverse it emits a fabulous clip-clopping noise (which seems so much more bearable on this than in expensive shoes) and the occasional whinny of a contented pony. Even more fabulous is that it is fully modifyable, so you can recolour and re-texture to your little heart's content! I just had to make a purple version, and...well...it was screaming out to be Torley-fied, don't you agree?

Epic Snail of Doom-ness::Orchid and Watermelon Versions

OK, it isn't the most perfect bit of prim-work I've ever seen, and the texturing would make any fashonista worth her pixels squirm, but heck, it's fun! And isn't that what SL is about? I *LOVE* it!!!

And great news :: Ian has given me permission to give this away to blog readers for FREE! I've put an original out in a box at Popeye's together with the two recolours shown above, so tp over and pick yours up now!

What I'm wearing::
*Skin::Vogue Skin, Autumn No.3, Celestial Studios
*Hair::Maitreya, Mica-Blond Glow
*Coat::Long Mouton in brown, BareRose
*Skirt::Paper Couture, Libations skirt
*Scarf::artilleri, silky scarf, brown
*Boots::Nastasha Boots in Camel, Insolence

Bollywood

2007-11-13T11:27:00.000-08:00

One would expect that in a metaverse such as SL it would be easy to find attire from every continent of the Real World. Whilst western fashions to suit all tastes, from haute couture to guttersnipe grunge, can be widely found, you can find more Indian Sari shops in a single UK city street than the whole of the Grid. So dressing for a Bollywood-themed event wasn't as simple as it first seemed.

A search for "bollywood" seemed like a good place to start, especially when I quickly found a whole sim of that very name. Sadly, that initial promise soon waned as the sim, beautiful as it is, yielded only a freebie Gandhi outfit as far as clothing goes. Not *quite* the look I was going for. Bollywood is worth visiting for the atmosphere and Indian architecture though. Eventually I found two shops that looked promising - Mashooka Designs and Desi Beatz Apparel.

Desi Beatz comprises three small vendor spaces in a mini-mall surrounding a club of the same name, all owned by Sam1177 Alito - you really would be forgiven for missing it. But don't let the outward appearance put you off. The content on sale is excellent. All things for the Indian female can be found here, from bindi's (the little spots worn on the forehead by Hindi women) and mehendi (henna tattoo's), to beautifully coloured and textured shalwar, kurta (tunics), lehenga and saree. Some of the prim work isn't as great as it could be - the shoulder scarf for example don't fall correctly. But that is a minor fault. The prices are very reasonable, averaging L$300 for an outfit, L$40-100 per bindi.

Mashooka Designs has a much more upmarket feel to it, being a far larger store with western as well as Indian clothing and shoes. The range of clothing feels much larger as well, although this may be due to the clearer layout and labelling. I felt there was a western influence to some of the textures used by Aradhana Voight, Mashooka's designer, which may make the flattering styles more appealing to the masses, but wasn't so much what I was looking for. I still managed to spend far more than my weekly in-world wage there though!

Having decided on a lehenga from Desi Beatz Apparel for my Bollywood costume, I needed to find an appropriate skin. NOT an easy find. I eventually plumped for the Eros range from Nomine in the Ruddy complexion, which, with a little slider tweaking, provided the look I was after. My look was finished with Alexandra hair in Black from ETD, and plenty of gold bling for that Bollywood authenticity.

I loved my finished look and felt very much the Bollywood filmstar as I danced to bhangra music at tiny Indian club I stumbled across. Thank goodness my life doesn't have the drama Bollywood films do though!

*Skin::Nomine Eros Female - Ruddy - glitter [L$1000]
*Clothes::Desi Beatz Apparel - New Red Lehenga [L$300]
*Shoes::Goddess Heels - X3D - Digit Darkes [L$250]
*Hair::ETD Alexandra Black
*Eyes::Midnight Black by Orchid Dreams
*Bindi::DBA Brow Bindi 2 [L$100]
*Mehendi::Mashooka Designs Mehendi special {red} [L$85]
*Jewellery::Gold Bangles for both arms - Anita Angelus, Prim Princess::Elegant Gold Choker - Alyssa Bijoux Jewellery [L$189]::Double Hoop Earrings - Reminisce Jewelry [L$175 for three pairs]
*Manicure::TeteAPied Glitter Nails Pack in Gold

Welcome to The Dressing Up Box

2007-11-12T03:54:00.000-08:00

Don't you just LOVE dressing up? I do. For a formal, a party, a themed event or just for the hell of it, Second Life allows you to be who you want when you want, from the tiniest microscopic fairy, through animals of all shapes and sizes, witches, wizards, robots, UFO's, cartoons and children's characters, to blobs of jelly and spinning orbs of light. Even in humanoid form, the vast quantity of fabulous content available allows a completely different look every day, if you so wish. And it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg [bad pun intended], although the adage "you get what you pay for" is often-times the case (but not always).

Since joining SL early this year I have worked at a club where themed costume events are the norm. Being a perfectionist, and a shopaholic, searching every corner, nook and cranny of the grid to put together the perfect costume has fast become a hobby I love. And, as they say "those that can, do. Those that can't, blog." Until I overcome my inherent laziness and learn to build I guess I'll stick with the latter, and hopefully someone, somewhere, will read.

I'd love to hear from you. Do you know someone who makes fantastic costumes or avatars? Have you got a favourite that everyone just HAS to know about? Let me know. I don't promise to review/include it, but I'll certainly take a look.