JEWELRY FAIR 2014: ‘Chianna’ by Earthstones

JEWELRY FAIR 2014: ‘Chianna’ by Earthstones

Earthstones Blurred

Here’s a preview of some of the astonishing goodies that you’ll find on sale at JEWELRY FAIR 2014, and it’s from one of the most well-known and respected  jewellery designers on the grid, Abraxxa Anatine, the genius creator behind the EARTHSTONES brand.

 You know, EARTHSTONES in a real Second Life success story. I can remember going there in 2007 to purchase jewelry, and you’ll find numerous examples of Abraxxa’s work on this blog. I have worn a LOT of EARTHSTONES jewellery (I’m sorry, I cannot type jewelry, I’m British and we just don’t spell it that way!) and I know I will continue to do so in the future because it is some of the most carefully crafted and beautifully designed that you’ll find anywhere upon the grid.  The fact that EARTHSTONES has been in-world for so many years (practically a lifetime by Second Life standards) should tell you all you need to know about the products on offer in store. Abraxxa produces an ever-expanding range of styles to suit every taste and budget, and every genre and Second Life sub-group can find something appealing in her store.

So what is it that makes Abraxxa’s work so good? How has she managed to stay in business where others have failed? Quite honestly, it’s the quality of her product. For a start, she creates the very best, most authentic looking crystals and minerals for necklaces, bracelets and earrings that I have ever seen in-world. The textures that she uses are so precise and detailed that it feels like you are gazing at that particular gemstone in real life. I own a LOT of gemstone items in-world, but it’s always the EARTHSTONES items that stand the test of time and that is because they look so true to life.  For example, when you gaze at a chunk of Labradorite or Tigers Eye in real life there’s an inherent luminescence to the stone, a shimmering aspect that makes the crystal come alive. Abraxxa can do that with crystals in Second Life too; she captures their allure and perfectly places that into our pixellated universe.  It’s an amazing talent.  She sets her crystal creations into intricate designs crafted from precious metals, and I’m pretty darn sure she adds a sprinkling of magical pixie  dust into the mix too, because the finished products are ALWAYS perfect.

The items I’m wearing in the picture above are a perfect example.  This is the Chianna set, in the ‘Burning Embers’ colourway,  comprising of  earrings and pendant necklace (there’s a short necklace as well) Every component of this is beautifully rendered, from the links and fastener upon the silver chain, to the perfectly executed spiral that hangs upon it and the crystals that  are strung underneath. This particular colourway features gems such as Tigers Eye and Carnelian to capture the fire of Fall, and is perfect for wearing on Autumn nights.  It’s statement jewellery of the highest calibre, but works equally well in both formal and casual settings. For example, this necklace would look fabulous worn over a chunky winter tunic with jeans and boots, but it also works when worn with a simple black cocktail dress. Awesome isn’t it?

You’ll find this terrific set, and other pieces at Jewelry Fair 2014. I’ll be featuring more wonderful items over the coming week, so stay tuned! 

Earthstones

Kitty Plays ‘Catch-Up’

Kitty Plays ‘Catch-Up’

As I’m sure regular readers know I work in real life (Shh! I know we don’t like to talk about that!) so my time in-world is often limited.  This means I have to play ‘catch-up’ when I finally come back in, and I have to say that at the moment Second Life is really overwhelming me due to the amount of events that are currently running on the grid. I shouldn’t complain too much though, it’s a good time to be an avatar, especially if you want to be a super-stylish one too!

Problem for me as a blogger is that there are so many events in-world that I know I can’t possibly do justice to them all on these pages. You have to appreciate that these kinds of occasions take weeks of planning and organising so it’s only fair that when they begin they receive the quality coverage they deserve.

Perhaps one of my issues is that when I attend an event I like to take my time and wander around them, and then I  get distracted, go back to stores repeatedly and have another look, and then forget where I saw things that really caught my eye in the first place. I do actually have a notebook that I use to remind me of locations and places where I’ve seen fabulous items, but of course, that only works if you remember to write in it….DOH!

In a situation like this when I feel that there’s just so much going on that i don’t know where to start, I find a good visual aide to be invaluable.  It saves me time if I can see what an event is offering by checking out a dedicated web-site,or checking out the feeds to see what other bloggers are covering.

Fortunately we are blessed with resources like Serpahim which seems to cover the majority of sales and events on the grid. To be honest, I’d be lost without that blog; it’s become my go-to on a daily basis to find out what’s happening and where, and a quick nosy at their snapshots always help me plan my spends ahead.  I’m also  finding myself glued (or should that be pinned?) to Elysium Hyne’s Pinterest selections for event reportage too. Here’s a huge thank you to Elysium and all the team at Seraphim for their hard work!

Anyway, let’s get on to the good stuff. I have managed to treat myself to a few lovely things this week, so I’ll do a quick post about a few things I’ve spotted at a couple of events before I scurry off to check out some more!

First up, The Liaison Collaborative has gifted us with ‘The Boutique’, which features a superb selection of fashion, accessories and poses. The theme is ‘Fresh’, and they aren’t joking, featuring zesty contributions from Baiastice, !Bang, Belleza, Bilo, Cae, CNS Emotion, E! Apparel, Earthstones, Elikatira, Essences, Flowey, Glam Affair, Gos Boutique, Half-Deer, Haste, Hopscotch, Ikon, Inside Lab, Ispachi, Izzie’s, Just Designs, La Petite Morte, Lassitude & Ennui, Lavallie, Leezu, Noodles, NYU, Olive, Rebel Hope, Valentina E. and Vanity Poses. Phew!   I always enjoy these events; they’re not so large as to leave you feeling bewildered, and the selection of designers that contribute are all well-established, quality brands. There’s a real feeling of finesse to this event and I always get the impression that there’s been a lot of care taken by the planners behind the scenes to ensure that they have curated the very best goodies for the event. That’s why you find brands like Belleza showcasing skins, and how I wish they wouldn’t.

</me Kitty shakes fist angrily!>

Because yet again Belleza have adorned their sublime Mya skin with some utterly glorious make-ups and naturally I couldn’t avoid them. As I’ve said before, I love make-ups and it would take some serious coaxing to get me out of my Izzie’s skin and into another, but Ava proved way too hard to resist, with her winged eyeshadow perfection in a variety of colours. It would be just plain rude to not indulge. So I did.

And I look fabulous, see? 

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Don’t even get me started on the totally delicious array of IKON eyes at the event either; I had to walk away lest I spent my rent. Suffice to say that IKON are my favourite brand of eyes in world (I am wearing them in the picture above of course, but these are an existing pair from my collection) and seeing new ones made me all teary and misty-eyed. So to avoid further distress I swiftly departed on to my next destination, The 100 Block.  

This is a ‘Depraved Nation‘ event and it features over 100 participating designers and artists. That’s way too many to list in this post, so if you click HERE you can go visit the official blog and review the selection yourself, but suffice to say I found it very satisfying indeed.  I’ve been zooming all round the, erm, block, most of the morning  with gay abandon and totally relishing the fabulous fashion on display.

There are some really special mesh items on sale and it’s nice to see that there are some goodies for the chaps as well as the ladies, and there’s also hair, piercings and tattoos.

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I discovered a new brand of hair whilst I was at the event.  In the shot above I’m wearing ‘Toffsy’ (Maroon) by Adoness and I really love it. It’s an unusual combination of bob shape with added oomph and curl, and I think that it makes for a winning combination.

But what’s also rather special is this fantastic frock that I discovered at the event.  I’m all about Leopard print in Second Life, well, I am called Kitty after all, and I was really blown away by this stylish gown that I found hanging on the rack at Ellemeno.

I’ve blogged CarrieAnn Lemon’s label before and it’s a relatively new yet well-produced brand that is especially focused upon the mesh boobs market, but don’t let that dissuade you from investigating their goodies because you don’t have to sport mesh boobs to look sensational in them. I was going to wear my Lola’s for this shot, but in the end I thought I looked fabulous enough without.

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Taking a traditional gown shape and bringing it bang up to date with Leopard print is a brave move, yet it works beautifully. Now I wear a LOT of leopard print and there’s one thing I’ve noticed, especially with mesh items. If the textures aren’t carefully applied, and to be frank if a decent Leopard print texture isn’t used in the first place, the result can be a bit..well, rubbish.  But there’s no such worries here with this gown; the print really looks the part and the shape of this dress is nothing short of perfect.

I wish I could wear this in real life, but alas, I’d look like Bella Emberg channelling Bet Lynch.  

But at least in Second Life I can look divine, eh?

So anyway, because I’m still playing catch-up I thought I’d share a small list of events that I really do think you will enjoy checking out, and to make things even more fun for you, I’ve included links (to either Seraphim or Elysium’s posts) so that you can have a peek at the good stuff before checking them out in-world.

Who knows, I may even bump into you at one of these!(You’ll recognise me, a bewildered looking idiot) Be sure to say ‘Hello’ if you do see me!

Happy Shopping! Oh and a thought, if you find something nice why not tell us about it in the comments below? Toodles!

Indian Summer

Indian Summer

Zaara is one of those shops that I really should frequent more. It’s always a starter for ten when the sim a store is set upon is ravishing, and this one certainly is. It’s simple yet colourful, with beautiful architecture that perfectly evokes the ethnicity behind the label. Walk around and you’ll discover painted Asian elephants, sacred cows and a fabulous temple in honour of Ganesh.

The clothing available for purchase here is just above and beyond. It’s fabulous. For example, you can buy the the best (imho) scarves in Second Life here, featuring the most beautiful prints, as well as some absolutely stunning jewellery and accessories to complement. If like most avvies you have a ballet flat fixation, then check out the ‘Ilaida Modri’ flats in store here. They’re ravishing; an Asian twist on your typical plain flat shoe and they’re available in a jewel-like array of colours making them perfect for summer sunshine.

And seeing as we aren’t having a Summer in the UK, it’s a darn-good thing that I can enjoy one in Second Life, especially when I’m wearing one of the newly released ‘Ashima’ mesh blouses from Zaara. Deceptively simple in their styling, low cut and loose, with a cinched waist meaning that you can wear these babies with anything. Shorts, skirts, jeans…perfect. This particular style that I’m wearing is called ‘Acid’ and I must confess, the tie-dye appeals to the hippie in me:) Isn’t it just sublime? I love the colours and textures selected for all of these blouses, and you can choose from a fantastic selection of print or plain. The shape is cut brilliantly too, and all sizes included with your purchase cater to the standard sizing brigade. Mesh perfection really. Plain colours are L$225, patterns just L$250 a pop; fatpacks are available.

To further enhance my look I’m wearing a fabulous freebie necklace and earrings from Earthstones, which is still available in store free to Earthstones VIP group members. Now, if you aren’t a VIP group member then you’re a buffoon, because there’s a vast array of quality freebie jewellery that can be yours for a group fee of L$250. Membership also gets you into the exclusive members area; a plush skybox perfect for Second Life quiet time. (Not only that, you can buy previous VIP exclusives at a knock-down price should you wish to from this location)

On my noggin I’m wearing ‘Ashlee’, the latest release by the ‘God Of Hair’ aka Mr Truth Hawks. Now as all readers of Kittywitchin should know I’m a bob-fiend, and I still haven’t gotten over missing out on the freebie bob that Truth gave out last year (November I think it was. I’ve seen pictures, it’s a perfect bob. Don’t get me started…) Ahem. Anyway, anything that Mr Hawks releases that’s roughly bob-shaped gets me all in a tizzy, and that’s precisely what ‘Ashlee’ has done to me. This is a glorious, shaggy style. OK, it’s not quite a bob, more like one that’s being grown out actually, but it is perfectly styled with delicate movement and flexibility. I love the way that the strands of hair have been built around the crown into a gentle-side parting, and obviously you can’t see the back of this style on my picture but trust me, it’s shaped beautifully. Truth Hawks doesn’t do crap hair, it’s as simple as that. Not only that, but you get a bounty of hair in each pack. Purchase price is L$250 per pack which (usually) features five shades, but each pack also includes ‘root’ and ‘streaked’ versions of each colour, meaning you get shed-loads of incredibly versatile hair for your Linden.

Last but not least I’m wearing a skin by Gala phoenix’s ‘Curio’ label. This one is from her ‘Beach’ range and I think I purchased it last year. It’s typical Gala; in other words, skin perfection,but it’s a shame she’s having to pay such a heavy price for her artistic brilliance at the moment.

I really want to write a blog-post about the whole fiasco, but in all honesty I’m sure whatever I write won’t add anything new to a situation that’s already been covered countless times on better blogs than this one.

What I can say from the bottom of my heart is that I’ve never for a moment doubted Gala. I’ve always been a fervent supporter of her work, and it’s long been my considered opinion that she creates the best skins in Second Life. It’s painful to think that such a talented individual is suffering due to the actions of a ‘competitor’.

I always try to stay on the fence where Second Life dramas are concerned (purely because they are so frequent) as regular readers know, but on this issue I just can’t, because it’s so divisive and just didn’t need to happen. It’s plain wrong.

Anyway, I’m not going to elaborate further, merely point you in the way of some blogs (Salome’s posting is awesome hence my linking it here) and the SLUniverse forum (all 56 pages of it up to now) where you can read up on the whole story.

And once you’ve read about it, get your Lindens ready for a rather special fundraiser starting next week..I’ll write more about it nearer the time:)

 

Time to Collabor88!

Time to Collabor88!


Collabor88 has started again and it’s featuring some utterly amazing finds. My first selection to share with you is this stunning tumbled stone jewellery from Earthstones, a store which always delivers when it comes to adornments. Every single stone chip is stupendously textured and would compliment any outfit; looking especially good with your beachwear. My personal favourite is ‘Nature Walk’; a selection featuring muted hues of red, blue and green.( I think there’s some moss agate in there, not sure what the other gemstones are)Each set is a measley L$188..bingo, bango bargainalicious!

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