A Plastik Christmas…

Seasonal clothing doesn’t have to mean Santa Hats and Reindeer horns, sexy fluffy Mrs. Claus outfits and looking like you just fell out of an Igloo.. Aikea Rieko of the Plastik (also here and here) has taken some of her favourite designs and textured them with a whole host of themes, making them wearable for winter and Christmas. She has even taken a number of skins and painted them with Cranberry, Holly, Mint, Candy Cane and Christmas Past themes.



The skins come with matching ears. Price 999L includes one tone, 3 pairs of eyes and several Make-ups. The Cranberry colour is particularly lovely (if a little hard to shoot pictures of) and each skin  also comes in a number of makeup styles. She also has eyes which come in a matching pair or available in a prim version. She has shoes, and Arm warmers, Legging,TShirts with funny sayings, Scarves, Lingerie and Dresses (prices ranging around 199L) .



Everything is beautifully textured (& I admire her perfect seams…so hard to do..) Risk City may not be the first place one would think of shooting a Christmas Themed post, but it’s gorgeous and full of interesting spots… (I do look a little Vulcan on the above pic, dont’cha think??) I also found Katey Coppola’s poses (of Glitterati) to be a perfect expression of what I was trying to show..




Credits: All Pics shot @ Risk City. All Poses from Glitterati. All Magika Reall Prim Eyelashes. All Eyes Plastik Vae Coll.

Skins The Plastik {R} in Christmas Past, Cranberry, Menthe, Holly & Candy Cane. Plastik Outfit 1 – Turtle Dress (poinsetta), Shoes Fir Tree (stilletto), Leggings (emerald) Skin Elven Christmas Past (Cult). Hair Clawtooth be My Girl (snow). Outfit 2 – Dress Bordello (company party),Skin Elven Cranberry (freck), Warmers Poinsetta, Shoes (Goodwill to All), Hair Clawtooth could I resist (Sunset) Necklace Artilleri (group gift). Outfit 3 – Dress Friday (cutsey christmas), Fierri Leggings (holly jolly),Raziel Scarf (howl), Lipstick Gloves (jolly), Skin Elven Menthe (evel) Hair Clawtooth Louise Brooks (softest black). Outfit 4 -  Skin Elven Holly (hollyblooms), Dress Shredder (holly), Studded Scarf (vintage)Hair Curious Kitties Nyanotech (Maylie),Outfit 5 – Dress  Galizie (Decorum), Skin Elven Candy Cane (ice queen), Hair Clawtooth Beg your Pardon (chocolate cake).

In or Out?

It has been snowing all day. The pond is finally frozen over and people are skating…



I am a wuss when it comes to the cold. I am not even wearing boots…



Ice fishing anyone? Ignore me as I perform a perfect face plant in the snow…



I have been here before…years ago I wandered in here one September and a guy in a red suit gave me the grand tour. I am told he is really busy…



My kids have a snow day today. I am told that our ski hills will be opening a week early. Winter is not officially here for another few weeks but don’t tell Jack Frost!

Credits: Pics shot @ New England Lakes, All Poses by Rogan Diesel of Dieselworks Kalli & Cyn {R}. Skin by Glam Affair Eva Skin Winter Makeup (Dressing Room), Outfit by Jane (All on Sale) aviator Jacket (raven), Essence Pants (raven), Aviator Sweater (blush), Shoes Surf Couture Saturday Moccasins (black), Hair (with hat) Clawtooth Cuddle Puddle (Vampire Red) (sale).

Identity Crisis!!!

If a shark stops swimming it dies… I think this holds true of SL as well.  This might explain why I move about once every 6 months. I knew that I needed to downsize but I didn’t want to compromise (with a lower prim count) what I have come to love about living in a RP sim. So My newly converted Tavern is starting to look Christmassy (I will be showing it to you soon) and my new skybox is built with all the features that I need. I tend to buy my houses but prefer to build my own skybox.


I was going for a clean look with room for an office, a big empty area for pictures, or setting up props, and experiments hehe. I used textures from Insight Designs and a mixture of two different packs worked for me. I also wanted windows and light so I bought light textures and added those to transparent prims. You can actually make these pretty easily in in PS as well as adding shadows (which I am going to try from scratch next..).


I have also been madly reading Tutorials, trying to educate myself as to what goes into making clothes. Who ever knew that seams are so difficult to match? I have been haunting the Beta Test Grid wearing uv maps, trying to avoid the newbies who think they now have oodles of money and want me to tell them how to transfer that money to the regular grid… As you can see I have been neglecting my blogging, oh yes I went to 111… I have been wearing the same outfit by Plastik for nigh on a week now, procrastinating about blogging and at the same time marvelling at Aikea’s texturing abilities. Good thing Rogan Diesel sent me along a couple of new pose packs or I might have not changed, or blogged for weeks (my rule is blog it then change). And don’t think I didn’t know that I looked funny decorating my Tutor style Tavern dressed as a Disco Queen…



Skybox Details: All Textures from InSight Designs, TV & Lamp, Rug, 50 ft Woman Artilleri Home, Desk by Dutchie, Decorative Seamstress Insight Designs, Decor wall Art Escher Prim by Prim, Propelled Space Window Art Dummy (which is one of my favourite things…the stars move).

What I’m wearing: Dress Plastik Octane (Partyface) {R} (299L), Lelutka Pow Pumps, Hair Miel Mohito, Glasses Glow Studio (He is Mine!), Baubles Chained Crystal Earrings, Rodeo Blvd. Necklace, Silver Bangle Bracelet (All on sale as the store is closing), Skin Curio (GP) Petal Frex, Autumn Cinnamon. All Poses Dieselworks Odyssey {R} (539-599L).

Don’t Look Back..

Because of time restrictions, I have been to a large part absent from the Blogging community for the last couple of months. I have shopped on the run, blogged on the run, and basically taken only a passing notice of thing that have been happening. I have noticed a number of changes; some wonderful new bloggers and reviewers, economy making it difficult on our creators with many closing up shop, viewers to a large part 2.2 (viewer drama I did take notice..), A number of alternate virtual worlds garnering notice, INWORLDZ and Blue Mars, just to name a few (I did check out BM at the beginning..), both of which I am planning on making a trip to see. Also a number of creators are opening shops in some of these worlds… Now that I have more time again, I am going to be responding where the winds blow me….



I do miss interacting with many of the creators, builders and bloggers whose work I admire. I still find myself a big fan of the people whose blogs sparked my interest in the first place. I haven’t had time for challenges, or skin reviews (I really miss those!) but I will continue to seek out great builds, and try my hand at learning to make more stuffs!!



One of the Bloggers whose work pulled me into the blogging community is Casja Lillihook. Teamed with Gidge Uriza, their blog, It’s only fashion has always offered a human face to the fashion world. Casja is a smart classy lady who has always managed to speak with intelligence, restraint and grace. I may not have a Mad doctor to send you but I am offering all the best vibes, and prayers for your speedy recovery!



Credits: Skin Ugly Duck Lai Gothic, [Gos] Platform Pump, Orinthia Puro Earrings, necklace, Miamai Never Hair Steelgray + Head jewel, wool skirt mini black, Plastik Tayla Souless Eyes {R}, soul Ink – Compendium master Face Tattoo {R}.

Shot @ Selenium Pulse, Second Dream. Poses a mix of Canydoll, >A&A<, and Dieselworks.

Thanks GIMP!!!!

I have been a GIMP user since May 6th 2009. To say that it took quite a while before the program became fairly intuitive would be an understatement. I am glad I stuck with it because I can say that this little program, for all that it is open source and free is almost as good as photoshop. I can say this also because I finally am using photoshop and my transition into using it has been eased by what I learned from the GIMP program. I switched because GIMP doesn’t have quite as many features (no liquify…) I also wanted to learn Illustrator and InDesign which is part of the CS5 Design Suite. And I got tired of trying to translate the PS tutorials into GIMPspeak. I never learned how to expand the GIMP brushes but I did access a huge array of PS style plugins and scripts which have been translated for GIMP.



GIMP was designed initially because there were no powerful Photo editing programs like PS available which worked on LINEX operating systems. It also works on MAC and Windows. Many of the features are the same in GIMP and PS, like the use of layering, ability to use many file formats, colour RGB, Filters etc. (You can even put PS files into GIMP, .XCF is the layered format for GIMPers). It is rather funny because I am still at the point where I am figuring out where everything is in PS and playing with the features. If you have hesitated buying PS because of the price or because you aren’t sure it would work for you, then I highly recommend GIMP. I also can say that you can use it for more than just photo editing and pictures. You can use GIMP to make stuff for SL.The eyes I have been wearing for the last 6 months were made in GIMP by myself. So while I’m still in the whatthehell whereisthatfeature in PS, I thought I’d take a moment and say Thanks GIMP!!!

Credits: Flower Dress by Oyakin Narcissis, Skin Fashionably Dead Essential, Hair Surf Couture Del Mar. Shot in skybox from Nordari, min poegin, Wine and Roses Floral wall Decal set {R}.

You can find GIMP for Download here.

I sing a song of silly things with Kalnins on my feet!!!

Bubbles on Hairnets and Burnt Toast on Lipsticks
Pretty pink party shoes with heels made of ice picks
Doodads and Robots and Olive Juice slings
These are a few of my favourite things..



A Tableau of Houses where nothing real matches
feet stuck in Sea Holes and pants made of patches
Running amok in my out of tune flings
These are a few of my favourite things



When the nose grows
When the bee grins
When I’m feeling Plaid
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don’t feel so bad!!!!!
(aren’t you glad?) it’s over I mean..

Credits: Shot in Tableau, and the poses were by Olive Juice. Wearing (fd) Bird Skin essential 6 freckles, Sea Hole Thriftscore Dress (dark green gray), Kalnins Plastique Shoes {R} which I love by the way.., DooDada Red Robot Earring (purchased at last years Jewellery fair), Hair by Clawooth Rockin Rolls (Salty).

Dude!!!

I know that I’ve been quiet lately. Busy has a way of doing that… I have been around the grid though, managing to get to some events and some sales. I do like to write and miss putting my thoughts on .. a screen. Ok I know I’m not likely to be the first to wear anything anymore, if I ever was and I miss a lot of what is happening. Truth is I sometimes feel totally out of synch with the blogging world. There are so many new bloggers out there!! I am enjoying discovering them though. But I am missing messing about on my blog…gimping and playing with pictures!

 

I have had a few little projects, like finally getting my feed reader set up properly. Part of the issue for me is that I do scan the feeds almost every day. But I lose my favourite blogs in the overwhelming mass of blogs posted to the feeds. So, the feed reader is the perfect solution. I still scan the feeds but when I want to leisurely check out my favourites, I go to my feed reader, and they’re there…and growing every day. Like my nose (which I changed).



My favourite blogs are like an old worn out pair of pyjamas. Most have been around for a while, many shoot on location, a lot talk about daily life and how SL fits into the equation. Or they simply have amazing pics. A lot of newer bloggers seem to have appeared fully formed. (As in the fact that they’re good already, not like my initial attempts…) And I’m happy to see that. I am also sad when a blog disappears.. As quite a few have over the last months. To blog a lot, you need to have a fair amount of time. To blog well, you need to have a good eye and be willing to learn. To be a review blogger you need to be willing to keep in touch with creators, be timely in your postings and creative with a multitude of clothes. I am more of a part timer now..



Credits: Skin Mynerva Summer Nights Butterscotch (summer of love), Hair Truth Midori Cherry, Outfit Silent Sparrow Moonchild Suite Copper (on sale a while ago), The Abyss Barbed Choker, Barbed Wristband, Steampunk Rusted Spectacles (summer of love), Courtisane Allumeuse Boots (black) (shoe fair). Poses were from the LAP sale a while back –Dude!

Kallista

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:
 


Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,
And moan the expense of many a vanish'd sight:
 


Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end. William Shakespeare/Sonnet 30
 


Credits: Skin Rockberry Kallista O Light, Djinn & Tonic (Potter’s Field) The Widow Boot and  Rosalind (Hair Blonde), Tattoos CrowJane Silent Sparrow, Dress Kyoot Army Exquisite Corpse Gown. Pics shot @ Cari Lakebusch and Decay, Twas. If I am remiss in not saying more about all these items, I plead exhaustion, but please check them out, especially the new skins from Rockberry, there are some amazing make-ups here.

Jane..

The girl works at the store, sweet Jane St. Clair
Was dazzled by her smile while I shopped there
it wasn't long before I lived with her
I sang her songs while she dyed my hair

 


I'd bring her gold and frankincense and myrrh
She thought that I was making fun of her
She made me feel I was fourteen again
That's why she thinks it's cooler if we'd just stay friends

 

The girl works at the store, sweet Jane St. Clair
Was dazzled by her smile while I shoplift there
No promises as vague as Heaven
No Juliana next to my Evan



Lyrics Barenaked ladies..Jane, which strangely enough was inspired by a street in Toronto and every time I’m on Jane street I think of the song… One of those songs which gets in your head and sticks there.

Credits: Hair Fri. Hailey Jaded Blond, Skin Tres Blah Hazey Blur, [glow] Studio That Marylin leggings, Delyn Earrings, W&B Lola Bodysuit 50L fri Alice4, Pig Everything will be allright Tattoo, Ohmai Mildred Skirt (skirt was from The Crow show and sale back in November, 09) Sloes Kookie Lazies Desert 50L.

Woke up this Morning….

She said: You’re one in a million
You’ve got to burn to shine,
But you were born under a bad sign,
With a blue moon in your eyes.

When you woke up this morning
All that love had gone,
Your Papa never told you
About right and wrong.

You woke up this morning
The world turned upside down, (Lord above),
Thing’s ain’t been the same
Since the Blues walked into town.  Lyrics by Leonard Cohen..

OK so for some reason I started with Gangurro skin from pink fuel and ended up with a look which was vaguely Jersyish a la Soprano’s in San Fransisco!!!

Credits: Pics shot @ Fisherman’s Warf, San Francisco. Poses by Lap. Skin By Pink Fuel Ember Gangurro, LP Devotchka skirt BlacK, LG TD&theCity cycs, DM Vintage Screwbacks Picks Reward 2, SySY’s Ruffle Tanks Black (upperpt), Kalnins Footwear Wonder newly redone, ILOVEOLIVE Running wth sissors project Themory.

In Lost Town I got my Groove back….

I am feeling pretty good today… Maybe because I have a day off, maybe because I am wearing some of my new favourite things…or I dunno, I just feel like I’m finally getting my Groove back.



I love this skin, its one of the new Pink Fuel Makeups and though I bought three skins, this is my fave. Mochi Milena is not only getting it right with the body and face but she’s quickly becoming one of the better make-up artists in SL too!! The Lingerie is from Oh La La which is a little store I found in Tableau sim, nice hand drawn quality.



The hair is a new offering by Calico Ingmann Designs and this shade is from her Favourites pack, an amazing array of 10 colours for only 200L. The Jacket and skirt are from the new summer line from the Lelutka brand. There are a lot of great clothes and I had trouble picking…. These boots!!! Aw I love these boots from Hoorenbeek, I’m kicking myself now for not buying from there before, really I want more!!!



Credits: Poses by Striking Poses (NLA) shot in lost town. Hair Calico Ingmann Creations Monique Light Dirty Blond, Skin Pink Fuel Ember Honey – Fate, and Cleavage enhancer, Lingerie Ooh LaLa Veronica Bows, Lacy Stockings, Garter Clips, The Rock Diamond Ring by Callie Cline, Boots Hoorenbeek Cowboy Black, Lelutka Buga Mini Club Black, Stigma Jacket Black. (Written on Canada day)

Because it’s Kyoot!!

Whenever life takes a turn to something new, I find myself changing many things in my day to day routines and this tends to affect my SL as well. In my part of the world, people move this time of the year, as soon as the kids are out of school, the moving trucks pull up and large numbers of people are going from one part of the country to another. And so again I have moved in SL. Unlike RL, moving in SL tends to be pretty easy, you need to inform your landlord or estate owner (or sell your property), get all your stuff from the original location, place it in your inventory, make your move, buy your new land….in my case I moved into larger digs on the estate, and voila!



The fun begins when you start decorating. I live in a post apocalyptic sim, which surprisingly gives a lot of leeway with the designs, the only thing you can’t have is a place too neat and tidy or trendy. This kind of sim invites a lot of creativity, there are a lot of bunkers, towers, ramshackle buildings, pretty well anything that would survive a disaster or exist in a desert environment will do. I have been putting together a collection of rustic dwellings, bone piles, windmill and water storage, weird trees etc.which is appropriate to an area called the Fissure!



I bought many of my stuffs, at Botanical Straylight, buildings (windmills etc.) from an interesting builder specializing in rustica…called Never You Mind. (interesting and versatile) bones on XStreet, LC Sculpts,and other items out and about at various stores specializing in all things dystopian. People might wonder why a fashion blogger would pick this sort of place as the inhabitants tend towards the odd and malformed variety but I have found it a perfect contrariness to always trying to get things right. Mainly because the opposite is true here… I tend to build my skyboxes myself and am looking forward to moving on to a texture search…



I have been dressing fairly casual of late and my looks today reflect that. Clothing from the sale at Kyoot, hair Lamb and fashionably dead, skin the gorgeous and beautiful new skin from Tuli Asturias (I love the make ups and eyes), boots shiny things and UBU (some of my most worn shoes are from here). New Tatts from HUZ and earrings from LC, Dreams belly rings. I have to say that I am missing blogging a great deal but know that as I adjust, I will find my way back here as well.

Credits: 1&2 – Skin by Tuli Jade Tone 2 10c glow eyes {R}, Outfit Kyoot Tiny Collar cropped Jacket, Zipper Cords (dark gray), Belt (on all) CoCo group gift, (fd) Messy Bessy (salt), Shoes UBU pornstars low-tops, Dreams Gothic Cross belly rings {R},  Huz Tatts Kanji reborn (black). 2&3 - Skin by Tuli Jade Tone 2 4C eyes honey {R}, Outfit Kyoot Laced Top Knit, Nonsensical Pants (argyle or something), Shiny Things Ginger Boots (oil) {R}, Hair Lamb Lost (powder)LC pierced Heart Earring {R}, Sanu Sticky Notes {R}.Poses by Everglow. If you need help finding any of these stores, send me an IM or note and I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction.

ALaFolie

This ensemble by pixivor Allen of ALaFolie, comes with several pieces which allows for a number of different looks. I had some trouble fitting the belt, which I fixed by making my waist slimmer (and I must admit I like the willow slim look).



The hair is an interesting style from Boon and skin is new from Fashionably Dead. I used a couple of different accessories from several jewellery stores. The outfit comes with the sweater and 2 different skirt options. The shoes are included.



Pics were shot @ Blades Sanctum Land, Annamarie Eterno, which is a RP community friendly to outsiders and with Sonic the Hedgehog as their theme.

Credits: Outfit ALaFolie Graphite 800L includes Shoes, Skin Fashionably Dead (bird skin) Princess, Hair Boon FTN683 Blond, Jewellery JD (JD Design) Bracelet simple, Necklaces Dark Mouse Reversal 0f Fortune & Ticky Tacky Fly Honey – Hot Mama.

Every Picture tells a story…

 

It is only recently, I have noticed that my blogs have a strong narrative or editorial feel to them. I look at an outfit and if I can see a story in that dress or pair of shoes then I just run with it and where I end up no one, not even myself knows. If I can’t see the story then I have to find one… This is probably because of how my mind works, my imagination is often in overdrive. So when I see a new outfit or I open a folder of pieces sent by a designer I often ask myself…where’s the story?…what is the visual that I associate with that piece?




This Outfit is called Bjork, by Ginevra Lancaster, and I realized that I was going for a story which would be open for interpretation.  Luckily, I found myself in an amazing group of SIMs created by Bryn Oh (and a number of other Artists of SL, more info here.), some of the most fertile creative minds in SL. The description of the SIMs stated that they are for the Worlds Exposition in Shanghai. This Machinima was filmed in the first SIM, Utopia 01, and is being shown in the Madrid pavillion of the World Expo 2010. “The Event begins May 1st and runs in Shanghi for 6 months. We will be showing Second Life Machinima of these islands measuring 4 meters each” - from Bryn Oh’s profile. I am in complete awe of this woman’s talent, she shows that we have only scratched the surface of what is possible in this Virtual world we live in…



Ginevra Lancaster makes clothes which are dramatic, dressy and stylish, with a strong visual element. Bjork (420L) was fun to work with especially with the EMO-tions hair and new VIP skin from Dutch Touch. I made myself taller and more model’y to highlight better the clothes.

Credits: Outfit by Ginevra Lancaster Bjork, Hair EMO-tions Lily Snow (also Glitter earrings free), Skin Dutch Touch Isis Cream (trueblue) VIP 500L, Shoes Maitreya Gold Shanti (silver).