Category: virtual worlds

Witchy Wednesday – The Wizarding Fayre 2013

Witchy Wednesday – The Wizarding Fayre 2013

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

wizarding fayre_001

There is so much Halloween goodness hitting the grid at the moment that it is incredibly difficult to keep up! However, it’s a Wednesday, and I haven’t posted a Witchy Wednesday in ages, so I’m going to feature an absolute corker for you today. 

Watch out for tons of  Witchy related activity, spooky surprises and ghostly goings on in every corner of the grid, with hunts, events and sales galore celebrating the Halloween theme.  Be wary and wise by making sure that your eyes are glued to the blogosphere for news on the latest events.  I also recommend keeping at least one eyeball fixed firmly in a Mad-Eyed Moody style  on Elysium Hyne’s Pinterest boards. Ely seems to moonlight as a pinning whirlwind and is doing a great job of keeping a record of all the festivities. Last but not least, Seraphim SL offers a myriad of event catalogues that are well worth a browse.

So let me tell you about  The Wizarding Faire 2013. This has been going on for a while already and is due to end on the 20th, but it’s an absolute must-see! (I realise I am late to the blogging party on this one, and I’m playing catch-up.  Real life, what can I say?)  The Wizarding Faire is of course a celebration of all things ‘teenage boy-Wizard’ related, but even if you aren’t a fan of the series of books this event is styled after you will still find lots of interesting items on sale, with some of them more Witchy than others.

There are 48 designers in attendance, and each one has contributed something very special. Gachas, clothing, poses, furniture, the list is endless. Not only that, the sim is beautifully designed and fabulous for visiting and taking tonnes of photographs. Look, you know it’s going to be special when you have to open a wall of rocks to step inside!

wizarding fayre_002

I spent a happy hour here exploring and shooting pictures and buying lots of nice things..

I absolutely fell in love with the ATOMIC cauldrons and potion-making supplies. Ivy Graves is a veritable mesh Goddess, and these look fabulous. They’re a great shape, a little different to the cauldron norm and are beautifully textured to  perfectly capture  a worn feel.  The little jars of essential spell making ingredients really look the part too.  Love it!

wizarding_001

I also need to give a shout out to LARK as well, because Sienia has done it again.  ‘It’ being making mesh magic all on her own. I am constantly blown-away by the work that Sienia does. She is blessed with a talent for great design, teamed with an astonishing imagination making Sienia’s creations an important force in Second Life design.

wizarding_002

Her latest works are these are these awesome ‘Towering  Tomes’ that fit in very well with the Imaginarium Librairium that was such a success at The Arcade this year.  These books are actually able to be worn, or can be rezzed to great effect as a furnishings, which is what I have done with mine…

Snapshot_013 You’ll find lots of clothing items at the event. It’s well worth checking out the astonishing Damien Fate’s FATEPLAY label because not only will you find some fantastic clothing, but also the BEST mesh Witch Hat, called ‘Damadore’, that I’ve yet seen on the grid: nice and plain and simple and best of all A FREEBIE! Whoop! There is so much to enjoy at The Wizarding Fayre. It must be said that the team behind this event have produced a corker; rather than fill it to the brim with items that are of dubious quality, each item is a winner. There’s just enough to enjoy with bucket-loads of original mesh items to splurge upon, and the environment is, excuse the pun, simply enchanting. It stands up so well to repeat visits with so much to enjoy. In a grid that is often teaming with events and occasions it takes just one quality themed event to truly show how it’s done, and The Wizarding Fayre meets that brief head-on.

 I’m NOT going  to blog all of it in the hope that this will encourage you to fly on over there and see for yourself.  Check out the list of designers below, how could you not want to visit knowing these guys are taking part?! 

wizfairelargetrans

As a final nudge to elbow you over to Diagon Alley, I must tell you about the frogs.

Yes, you heard me, frogs. What Witch is worth her salt without heartfelt affection for these amphibious critters? I love frogs, and I automatically fell in love with THIS Gacha when I saw it:

wizarding fayre_004

Yup, it’s full of every kind of frog to fulfil all your ribbety needs!  What drew me to it was the inclusion of the Desert Rain Frog, which is featured in THIS video, which I love.  But readers, they are all equally fabulous. I’ve bought a few of these to decorate the landscaped areas at my new home (more on that coming soon!) and each one of them is an absolute joy to behold.  They’re beautifully created and textured, and I have no idea how BEETLEBONES has crafted them, but I am so pleased that they did! They’re AWESOME. Oh, and yes, Gacha prizes. Damn those addictive things!Snapshot_014

This is Sylvia, she’s my pet Moon Frog and she lives on my fireplace:) 

So, tempted by The Wizarding Fayre? Better hop on your trusty broomstick and zoom on over to the event faster than you can exclaim  ‘Expecto Patronum!’

Snapshot_005

And if you like my broom, this was a group gift from Dutchie this month, and it is great fun! I’m practically already set for Halloween! See you at The Wizarding Faire! 

Kittyhelp: Looking For Landscaping Advice!

Kittyhelp: Looking For Landscaping Advice!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 5 Comments

So I’ve moved locations and I need your help Kittyreaders!  Basically I am bobbins at landscaping in Second Life. Don’t get me wrong, I know a good location when I see one, and love wandering around the beautifully landscaped places that the grid provides.But when it comes to creating my own, I really don’t have a clue.

This is the space that I have to play with: 

Snapshot_001

As you can see I’ve already installed (and furnished, obviously) my wonderful Bazar Arizona Home. That’s non-negotiable, I have to have my home.

I’ve placed it in the corner, on an elevated portion of the land so that I can benefit from the sea view, which is perfect for the back and left side of my house. Here’s an alternative view:

Snapshot_002

To the front and front-right I can see my neighbour’s stuff and things.

Now, I’ve not lived here long, and I have lovely neighbours and no objections whatsoever to what they do to their land, but taste is a very personal matter, and as much as I adore Samhain (Halloween) this view is fair putting me off my cornflakes, as festive as it is:

Snapshot_004

So, I’m looking for ideas Kittyreaders.  For a start, how do I hide my view? I thought sim-surrounds could be an option but I’m confused.  I know nothing about them, but I do need something that will offer me privacy and enable me to enjoy my view.  One thing that is certain is that  I know that I’d like to give the space that surrounds my home a woodland feel, which is my favourite kind of environment.  But I could benefit from some advice, obviously. For example, which stores and locations should I be visiting for design inspiration?  As a reference point, I really like the way that The Seasons Story looked, so I’ve visited  again and clicked on a number of items to find out where they are from, which has given me a number of places to visit to price up nice rocks and trees and things.

Whatever I decide to do, it must fit the following criteria:

  • Fit my land mass (ooer missus). I only have 16400m2 (but the house already takes a small portion of that)
  • Be cost effective. I don’t want to litter my place with cheap-as-chips trees with shoddy textures; anything I buy should preferably be copy/mod so that I get best value for money.
  • Low prim/mesh if possible.

Oh and I need to do all this on about 2, 250 prims (preferably less)

So, Kittyreaders what can you suggest?

I’m really hoping you can help with some cool ideas.  As a total noob to this kind of thing I don’t mind admitting I am completely out of my depth, but I do know that learning, especially in Second Life, can be heap loads of fun, so any advice is greatly appreciated. Oh, and I will of course keep you updated on progress via this blog, and if it ends up looking good I’ll invite you round for a cuppa!

Aside

Kitty Loves A Trumpy Lol! (The Ashdon Collection From Trompe Loeil)

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

Like the leaves falling from the trees and blowing in the wind, autumn brings in the changes.

For me they’ve included losing a dear Second Life friend, moving my virtual home and deciding to completely change the styling of my living room.  Obviously some of these actions were less stressful than others!

Image

Autumn has always been my season, so when I visited FAMESHED and spied the outstanding Trompe Loeil (or Trumpy Lol as I call it, surely I’m not the only one?) Ashdon Collection of sofa, chairs and decorations I KNEW  what I wanted to update the appearance of my living room with.

This exemplary collection includes sofa, chair, coffee table, screen, basket of cushions, pictures and wall-lights and it is bursting at the materials-enabled seams with fantastic styling options.  The sofa and chair include three models each: plain, with a pillow, and with a draped blanket and the textures are simply divine, with 18 fabric, 18 blanket and 25 pillow textures for you to play with. (This of course means you can extend the life of your furniture into all the seasons, because there are plenty of  colour-combos to suit. )  It’s available in PG and Adult versions with  lots of animations for both singles and couples to enjoy.  All of the items co-ordinate perfectly to make furnishing your living-room a virtual doddle.

The sofa and chair are generously proportioned yet simply shaped to look comfortable and inviting. How I want to lay on this sofa and snuggle under the blanket with its chunky knit texture..it’s so inviting!   The coffee table, wall-prints featuring various foliage and antler lamps are all carefully fashioned with simple yet totally effective embellishments meaning that you can create a cozy yet on-trend look in your living room.  For example, classic prints can seem drab and dreary, yet when they’re teamed with bright, bold frame colours they’re brought bang into the 21st century.  I purchased everything except the antlers (unlike most people in Second Life, I don’t do antlers!) and I could not be happier with how beautiful everything looks. 

I  teamed my Ashdon Collection items with the Apple Fall cabinets from The Arcade, some rugs from Zigana, and some other accessories I found in my ever-increasing inventory. Everything works perfectly together and creates a cozy, warm vibe perfect for chillaxing at home.  If you want further information, including pricing, check out Cory’s blog for more details.

ImageI really cannot rate this collection any higher, it’s just perfect and looks fabulous in my virtual home.

In fact,  I think you should zoom over to FAMESHED right now to check it out! HERE’S YOUR TAXI! 

Berry’s Memes: Autumn Challenge

Berry’s Memes: Autumn Challenge

by Lisa Millar ♥ 3 Comments

autumn_001

Another Monday, another Meme Challenge from Berrycakes!  

The instructions are simple: Take an Autumn inspired picture and/or answer the following questions about autumn (Don’t forget to leave a link in the comments of Berry’s blog to your post!) 

1. Is Autumn your favorite season? Why or why not?
It sure is! I think this is because I’m your typical Earth-sign, a Virgo born on the 13th September.  I’ve always thought of Autumn as ‘my’ season. The shades of this time of year  are the palette of colours that feature most in my wardrobe, and I love the way the trees change from lush greens to fiery reds and golden browns. I also love the smells and sounds of Autumn; the crackle of leaves underfoot and the smell of bonfires and roasting chestnuts. It’s a magical season if you ask me.

2. Do you call it Autumn or Fall?
Autumn.  The only time I have ever heard it called ‘Fall’ is in American movies.

3. What kind of weather does your area get during this season?
Well the weather is strange at the moment because we’ve had four days of glorious golden sunshine here in the UK. It’s been better than summer, although obviously the nights are getting really cold. I’ve had to wear a jumper a few times now, and beloved has even put the heating on a few times too, but all in all it’s been rather grand. As I’m writing this the sun is blazing down  onto my desk. This another reason why I’ve always loved Autumn, it’s not too hot and it’s not too cold, it’s just right in my opinion.

4. Which color do you always associate with autumn?
My favourite colour, Maroon. But the palette of colours associated with this time of year is just sensational!

5. Which Autumn themed sim is your favorite at the moment?
Has to be ‘The Trace’, which I wouldn’t know  about if it wasn’t for Caitlin Thomas’s post about it. I’m sure there are many other Autumnal sims waiting for me to discover them though!