Cap 'n Hand

i started out the day doing my nails. no really. in second life.

i had to have something better than these eeny weeny unresolved cuticles the system gives us. i've got some painted on variety but they are just so, well, lowres. so, prim nails was the choice and prim nails it was going to be. even if the clunky pieces o crap i got weren't any where near what i had in mind. come on people we can craft near real objects in here. let's see what we can do for nails.

after blowing 99L on some nails that looked adequately shaped on the lowres package (i was going to mod their form to one i knew would fit better) i get them on my hand and the editing process is way too much. the attachment and local axes are all off, zooming into my hand stops at the elbow, i put a prim behind to anchor the cam and i get 180'd. then snap, i can zoom no problem. i'm swearing up a storm anyway, why stop when it actually works? you'd have to have been there.

anywho, the form and orientation the designer created wasn't going to be adequate so i fashion a cylinder, hollow it out, taper it at the end, paint it pink and woila, instant prim thumbnail. as soon as i have the textures right and the rest of the nails crafted and aligned, i'll put them out for sale at me little shop of horrors, Behold. bug me if you don't find em in a week. it'll be my Yule memento to all of you. i'm outta here.

The Genius of mirai Jun

some of you might have seen mirai Jun's sweater jacket over at Melanie Kidd's Grid Expectations blog. when i first saw it i nearly freaked. how could someone have made their way into my house and stolen my teddie bear? that cuddly bunny is not something i would ever let anyone get their hands on (well, a few, but that's another story). there must have been some clever photoshopping, altered textures, doctored snaps, heaven knows what. no one can make a sweater look that real!

the next day online, i was way past punch drunk when i saw Mel's post (thank god no one actually thought i might have anything relevant or sane to chat about), i went to mirai's Koenji outlet and waited for all the sculpty balls to transform the environment into a quaint old world cottage. yeah, it took a while, i think the ping to the logon server (latency) is causing some of my lag. [note to self, try logging on to several different locations.]

once i was able to locate the wall display i formally applied for a licence to ownership. 260L later, my transaction was accepted as being among the worthy few would dare carry this gorgeous pelt across their shoulders. yes, the cottage was of that sort of olden time. i'm a sponge. my second time back, there were a few people there doing some sort of primitive reproductive dance ritual. i couldn't stay to play, i had to put the outfit together for this blogpost. oh the sufferage for my adoring fans.

so when i get the doll and her clothes back to the studio, i strip off the many layers and attachments of my pixeldolls coat and slip on the jacket layer top of ms Jun's jacket. the bottom and sleeve sections are the only relevant portions as they show ribbing for the waistband and cuffs of the bulky sculpty upper. they are not as well defined as i would have liked them but the magic was in the sculpties.

i popped on the jacket attachment and it rezzed right away. it was a little farther back than what i expected so i moved it forward and up revealing the pure unadulterated real world magificence of the shape. i cammed in closer and could not believe the perfection of texture flowing over the sculpted form. the high collar, the droopy bottom, all suggestive of the real world bulking of gravity on the thick knitted fabric. swoon, nuzzle, deep heavy sigh. i put the sleeves on, took one look and fainted. i'm living inside a dream!

as Melanie hinted in her post i had to redo my breasts so they wouldn't poke through the prim. i also stretched the chest garment quite extensively. not sure if it's my body or my style, but i just had to have that high collar nuzzling the back of my neck. more fainting. now, how was i going to complete the outfit. i couldn't wander about nekked with just my jacket. yeah, i know, another story....

i tried on a few of Fuscia Jewel's petal necklaces and chose her Dusty Pink Hibiscus for the colour and shape. if you aren't fixated enough on my chest this flower will pull you right in. i tried a number of tops but nothing seemed to work. i didn't want to have any straps showing so i chose a pixeldoll's shoulderless dress top. again simply for the colour to offset the jacket's blue. you can never go wrong with Nephilaine's edge detailing. Lilyana Dryke's checkered miniskirt was in the same pallette so i went with that. i wanted to get a midlength skirt but didn't have the time. ya think this much leg is too sexy? (is there such a thing?) of course, not having any blue boots was easily solved at Maitreya. i've been meaning to find an excuse to get her Bloom sculpties and this fit the bill.

i had a few clunky bangles from Noelle Eilde's but not the right colours. i went to one of her outlets off Zoo and got the fat pack. i'm wearing the plum and violet. of course, the only way to set off this wonderful fuzzy sweater is with Eloh Elliot's Se skin with lust makeup. it's 100L. hahahahahaha. uhuh. enjoy.

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Sculpted Knit Jacket sweater 260L
mira Jun (Ce Cubic Effect)

Dusty Pink Hibiscus necklace 150L
Fuscia Jewel (Petal Meg)

Maitreya Bloom boots 350L
Onyx LeShelle (Maitreya)

Bangles 20L ea (75L fatpack)
Noelle Eilde (Argyle)

photo shoot location
EMJ & AmeTrue Mall

The Earth Moves Me

when i first saw Pixeldoll's "Bout du Monde" outfit blogged (sorry i can't find the blogger or even the link to her post anymore) i knew i had to have it. as per normal in these moments of discovery i resisted most strenously from TPing immediately. it's the madness of self discipline i'm gradually learning. hell, instant gratification's a wonderful thing but i'm on a budget. nonetheless, i would have it. it was just a matter of time.

normally i could go for quite some time with this gruelling and gut gnawing self imposed process. i could sleep. i could carry on a reasonably intelligent conversation. life didn't absolutely focus around having and wearing and showing it off. absent drifting thoughts of running my hands over the fine suede fabric would soon peter off. if i'd done something significant on the pink palace i was especially proud of i'd find that time to reward myself. when i had the time.

however, in this case, maybe because it was Nephilaine Protagonist's (the premiere fashion designer in the entire world), or maybe i just felt that my timely rewards surmounted my measly human attempts at restraint. yes, i had to have it. and nothing, no, nothing was going to get in my way.

unless you count all the technical elements i am trying to deal with. no matter. i TPd to Port Seraphine and amongst all the invisible walls, gray rectangles, and sculpty balls i managed to find Nephilaine's newest release.

now whether it's Nephilaine's proclivity to provide numerous options (read: many layered versions) or my inability to read the item's names, i just couldn't get this jacket on. everytime i'd put one item on and wait what seemed like an endless amount of time for it to rez, i'd throw on another piece. of course, that probably knocked off the piece i was "waiting" to rez. each time any piece did eventually rez, or at least it said it was WORN on the inventory, i'd not see it unless i toggled through Appearance Mode. and that spun me around 180 degrees. so i'd have to realign my sun on my face. is it me or is it getting darker in the world. (oh windlight, oh windlight, where for art thou windlight).

it got so damned (oops) frustrating, i threw the entire folder on me. well that just about did it (minus my mystitool, shoes, sexywalk, hair, ao, ...). all i had to do was cover up my fine Eloh Eliot nipples. if anyone does try this combination (without shirt, undershirt, whatever; i'm sure you'll be quite enamoured with Neph's sexy tailoring). anywho, i did manage to find the shirt but was hesitant to try the bottom (of the shirt). i guess naming it "bottom of shirt" could have helped but that wasn't meant to be. was it the undershirt layer? am i wearing the shirt layer or the undershirt layer? what's this going to knock off?

no matter, i did eventually get as much of it together as i felt comfortable in. i really love the details in her acid wash jeans. if she painted them, as i suspect she did, she has succeeded in keeping me a fan. the lace detailing in the sleeves is just delicate enough to tweak up the jacket's femininity a notch. the jacket's flexis are positioned to give a nicely tapered tail. it's what drew me to her in the first place. eyeballing the bottom texture of each of the skirt's prims gives a very real tactile sense of the fabric's elegant and expensive handiwork.

of course, i didn't have any boots to match. who better than Milla Michinaga to suggest Onyx LeShelle's Maitreya Dune Boots. i'm wearing them without the calf attachments since all of the boots i tried on cut through the flare of the pants. no matter. i like spending all my time editing everything. isn't that what it's all about? working for your clothes? sure, that's it. i love it. once all that's out of the way, i think you'll appreciate the results after your efforts too, go out and show off. don't tell em what hard work it is to look beautiful. hahahahahaha.

Gothic Obsession: LaPointe Designs

Gothic Obsession, on Evocative Island, is a store that specializes in Goth style clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Since I joined Second Life the fashions have been a pleasure for me to look at and wear. In my real life I have been sewing medieval costumes, from the underpinnings to the bejeweled outer garments, for a long time now . It pleases me when I find a designer that takes great care to make the outfit as realistic and complete as possible. I have found this to be true of Paul LaPointe's fashions. His stores are so immense and his inventory so considerable I can't do it justice in just one article; so, I will try to review several of his pieces in a series. I will be choosing a few of his creations in each post to let you see the craftsmanship of each piece.

As you begin your shopping experience at Goth Obsession, you will come to the Men's Gothic section of the large shopping complex. Goth Obsessions is but one part of Paul LaPointe's store lines on the island. This store, as well as all the other main buildings, have multi floor levels packed to the brim with his breathtaking clothing. There are plenty of teleport kiosks throughout so you won't get lost. As you travel towards the center of the store you will see the men’s fashions (wall to wall long coats, pants, boots and accessories) start to mingle with the women’s. Just before the stairs you will find a display of gift certificates, everything's no transfer. The women's section has long gowns, short gowns, and short to long dresses. Each more stunning and enjoyable then the next. When you reach the west side you'll find a central display of jewelry from Paul's partner, Lotus Bastchild, surrounded by more of Paul's baroque beauty.

Ok now that you have some idea of the first floor layout let’s get going and look at one of the pieces I have picked. This is one of my most favorite things to do. My choice for this article is Blood Rose. This outfit sells for 900L and comes with 14 pieces. I like this one because it is made entirely of lace.

On close examination you can see the detail of the lace in each piece. The complete piece has this red/black amalgamation. What a breathtaking dress this is to have with so many pieces that give you so many different looks. I went dancing in Blood Rose the other night and I had several women ask me where I got my dress. The long skirt doesn't quite touch the ground. The detail at the bottom is a larger sized grayish toned flower which has been used throughout the lace patterns. The flower elements are turned in unique directions to give each piece a diverse and a richer look. The fullness of the skirt is produced by the well tailored flexi panels that form it. Each skirt has layer upon layer to create this shape. Paul uses a black skirt and then offsets that with a red skirt on top and then another black skirt. It's color blends are definitive.

The bodice is charming. It has the appearance of a form of lace called bobbin lace. The main theme of the lace is a tulip like flower surrounded by tiny delicate flowers. I adore how the lace shapes itself in curvy peeks to hold in the bust while the back exhibits the same tulip design as it meets to hold the bodice together. I also like it because it gives you a trim waist line that will turn everyone's heads. The sleeves can be worn with or with out the sleeve cap. It just depends on what appearance you are looking for.

The long gloves, the lacey garter belt (which is a nice touch to the stockings), and the stockings (which come with the cutest ankle cuffs) are of the same ornate lace. Once again I appreciate this part of the set because of the detailing. You can see skin peeking through the lace making it a very sensual part that will have your partner going wild for you. But you don’t have to stop there. You can add another short lingerie skirt and have a more flirty look, adding another way to wear the outfit. The lingerie skirt is the same theme of the elegant lace.

Each skirt carries the tulip and small flower motif. The short skirt comes to the middle of the thigh. With the many layers of flexis the skirt has features set that when you walk you see a bit of the top of your stocking and suspenders peeking out from under the skirt. It gies me the feeling of teasing the on-looker like Marilyn Monroe in the “Seven Year Itch” when her skirt flew up and she tried to hold part of it down as she stood over the subway grate.

For the photos I am wearing a short black hair style from Natalia Zelmanov's Sirena Hair & Fashion; accenting the neckline with a silver cross on chain, and the dark red stiletto shoes finished it off. Stay tuned for more of Paul's goth treasures from me later.

Persona's Greta Lingerie

seemed like everyone was showing off their undies a while back. i got this pack from Myllie Writer at about that time but since the crowd was all jumbled up i thought it best to take the next bus. well, now that the gang's over at GLAM i thought it'd be a perfect time to do a show and tell of Myllie's newest sexy lingerie called Greta.

when i first put them on i thought Myllie was channeling camilla Yosuke. either that or she was seriously gunning for rights to her fortune. the fully opaque cups' shading and highlighting are flawless. they suggest, with her expert texturing, the slightest amount of form padding and a hint of underwire. my boobs faintly whisper to be fondled. oh yes they do.

the side's have a semi opaque floral lace detailing which is carried over to the panties front and back sections. the innovative ribbon joining, again tied together with her delicate bows, are just superb with very sharp edging. if you're the least bit shy of your bits showing through, get over it, these panties will either make you or your partner faint. these are not for the timid.

they are available for 99L a pair, or the fat pack, with six colours for 480 at Myllie's Main Persona store or her AmeTrue Mall store. just in case yer wondering, the skin i'm wearing is Eloh Eliot's Se lust, the hair is Mallory Cowen's Champagne, and for that extra kick the boots are the lovely and sexy Bax Coen's handiwork.

UPDATE: the Greta fat pack and singles are now at Behold too.

Respect Your Elders: Caroline Apollo

Caroline Apollo's as old as dirt. maybe older. who knows what she's seen in her days since adopting Second Life as a venue to express herself so many moons ago. 2003 is a long long long time ago. can you imagine what heaven and hell she must have endured in all that time? can you imagine the roller coaster ride from early adoption into this funky world to now? and survive! you have no idea.

and to survive, keep developing her craft, manage all the extreme changes (both technical and social), balancing both real and virtual worlds ... well, you'd have to be a saint. and in that i am absolutely sure that she is.

and now, in what must be another in a long stream of fits of restlessness and creativity caroline's gone about committing herself to a renovation of her sim island. when you go there you'll find a spacious new store housing some of her old stuff and plenty from her more sophisticated line. she has new releases for both her accessories line (Lo Lo) and Caroline's Jewelry right at the store's entrance. a few freebie boxes as gifts for taking the time to come, and some of the nicest and most reasonably priced jewelry inworld.

of course, she's still got her famous Faberge eggs there. i'd consider roping them off in a suitably reverential manner, but they are displayed so even we human forms may touch them. as it is, Caroline's not lost her common touch with us little people. in fact she relishes it.

as i've found with most of my oldbie friends, her calmness and helpfulness seems to be an unending resource even with all the busyness she's doing. if you click about the place you'll notice her name's on everything, from the benches out front to the walls of the building. apparently, putting together her new computer isn't as much of a challenge to her as it's proving to be with me. harumph.

the reason i stopped by was to get her newest release, the snowflake earrings and necklace set. perfect for the holidays. if you join her group (Caroline's Jewelry Group), you'll get notice of the new releases she pushes herself to breaking to provide us. i asked her to provide a one click solution to joining the group from her store but it was not something she wanted to consider. go figure. making us use Search. where's the silver platter?

anywho, the set is priced at a low 125L. so, i bought a few. they make fab gifts. just make sure you leave a notecard where you got them from. the fuzzy little kitty choker at the top of the post (30L!) is no transfer but if you ask Caroline she'll get you fixed up so you can gift that special someone.

when i was talking with our elder stateswoman i noticed she had The article i had been lusting after for oh so long. my knotted pearls. as soon as she turned away i bought it. we don't want her to get the impression i love her as much as i do. i would have bought up the whole store but my practical Scot's blood kicked in. there's only so many tears i'll spill before my purse wrangles me into submission. we have to learn to balance the books after all. i'm learning. you needn't pay any mind. go nuts. make the girl happy. it's all about the money after all isn't it?

oh and while yer around the island, take a flight over the pond and check out the first greenies installment (before rezzable's) east from the store's entrance. starax has done a nice miniature up in the mountain too. i think Caroline wanted to hide it. if you get lost here's the landmark. don't tell her i gave away her secret. it'll be our little secret. and that's okay, right? kk.

Discover Gabrielle Gateaux

i've never met Gabrielle, i've never chatted with her, i don't know anything more about her than this dress of hers i'm wearing (okay, i looked at her profile). but really, if i didn't know anything more about her i'd still marry her. okay, she's got a partner, maybe it'd be best if we didn't delve too much into the issues needing resolution. perhaps we should concentrate on the clothes she designs.

Gabbie, yes, that is what i will call her, has her store, Chez Gabrielle, located on the Chiron sim. it has a new mexico, arizona adobe kinda vibe to it. i was getting all warmed up in her navaho blanketted chairs until i saw the ground covering of her court yard rez. snow! oh please no. with a foot of snow outside and my car stuck in the parking lot, i'd rather not go there.

anywho, the flirty and feminine number at the top of the post is called Taupe. can't you tell by the colour? yes, taupe is a technical designer term for tan, or sand. until i put a box down and painted it with the rgb values i got from the wiki, i had no idea. wish i would have known that when i went looking for some shoes. but that's another matter altogether.

when Fuscia Jewell (Petal Meg Jewelry) threw me over a copy of Gabbie's dress (seems Fuscia is collaborating with some top designers to highlight her unique jewelry) i was quite enamoured with Gabbie's expert texturing. specifically, the shape, gathers, folds, and edging for the top is superb (leave alone the to-die-for lace insert).

this girl knows how our body's frame moves. i couldn't believe how lifelike the texture distortions were. yes, i sat fascinated while i had my dolly follow my mouse left and right just to enjoy the motion. the silky skirt's texture was just as intriquing. expertly drawn and placed. my only problem was with the shorter skirt. i had to edit one of the prims to align with the rest. why it went awry is anyone's guess. putting it back in place was easy. also, i guess that's two, the pattern of the glitch pants was not to my liking. i would have liked a more high resolution fabric. as highly detailed as the skirt prims and top texture, i'm not sure, but something less fuzzy than the one provided. as it is right now it doesn't seem to blend.

the prices for her dresses (there are a few outfits with a pants option and she's got shoes near the back of the store) start at around 150L. Taupe is 200L because you get two skirts with it. one long and one short. the outfits with three lengths are 300L. very reasonable for an expert (born 2005) creator. if you want to dress flirty with a hint of alluring skin you must try Gabbie's stuff. you might not be the only one who's transfixed.

oh, i didnt' have time to go over all the items but she's got a freebie box of discontinued items in her store. yes, freebies are your friend. enjoy.

UPDATE 07/12/07:
Gabi (see i just misspelled it in my post) wrote me a nice IM. she's made some updated glitch pants for the taupe outfit and is looking at the rest to make sure they are top notch (and stand up to the scrutiny of my zoom cam). she'll be updating her display vendors with any new ones. anyone who has any earlier version who would like an update can send her a notecard and she'll get them out to you post haste.