Radio Signals – Kittywitchin'

NOM!, originally uploaded by =^..^=Kitty O’Toole =^..^=.

I’m sure that those who know me best, in Second Life (or real for that matter) would happily confirm that I have a tendency towards being my very best when I have a mug of tea in my hand, and something very large and yummy in my mouth…(insert your own rudeness here)
Fortunately for me both of these cravings have been satisfied by the Lark Strawberry Festival, which runs from June 5th-June 19th.
It’s beautifully described as a small celebration of warm weather and yummy strawberries, and seeing as I scoffed my first punnet this weekend (and very nice it was too) I thought I’d take a wander down to the Annamaria Bushido sim and see if the event really was as sweet as described.
Like the best things in life, this fair is small yet perfectly formed with a select band of creators such as Split Pea, Duh and Scribble participating. It’s neatly laid out, with pretty market stalls enticing you in to view the wares on offer. You’ll found new release items at discount prices, as well as a few freebies to boot, and there are some lovely items here from Lark, as you would expect seeing as this event is being held on the Lark/Agent Orange sim, right next to the store. If you’re a fan of Sienia Trevellion’s work you’ll delight in the clothing and furnishings that are available here; from a delightful patchwork salvage table and stools, to the beautiful white china tea service, embellished with a single strawberry motif.

Clothing wise Sienia has created some gorgeous open lace sweaters in a sweetshop of colours to choose from at L$100 apiece. I’m wearing the hazelnut flavour in this picture, and you must also look out for the ‘I’m A Good Girl’ and ‘Hattie’ dresses if you’re a fan of pretty frocks. They would look perfect with a pair of flats from ‘Duh’, available in strawberry and parchment at L$25 per pair. Split Pea have two slightly more outragous strawberry dresses in the fair, but I opted for the massively gob-filling mouth strawberry, a bargain at just L$1 but it looks great and it’s smothered in chocolate to boot..yummy! La’licious have provided some fabulously summery outdoor furniture items, including a pergola, a texture change patio table set, a family fun pool and a rather fabulous ‘Ticky Tacky Trailer’ that really looks the part and is a mere 59 prims, perfect for living on a small parcel of land! Out of all the La’licious items I’m especially fond of the ‘Adirondack Chair’ that’s available for just L$150 and is perfect for Second Life summer relaxation, featuring multiple poses and a gorgeous pink strawberry print parasol.
My second favourite item from the fair has to be this huge mug from Scribble. As you would expect from Radio Signals( the best named avatar in the sluniverse) this mug has a few hidden quirks. It features built in poses and you can change the wording on the mug to suit. You can also change the colour of the lettering too..a very sweet and nifty item that I know I will get a lot of use from when I’m sat nattering to Amanda and Sable.
But my absolute fave item is this huge strawberry hot air balloon! Isn’t it lovely? It’s a wearable item that attaches to your chest and once you wear it you’re airborne! I love the wee sandbags that are fixed onto the sides of the basket and the comfy poses within…it’s really well textured and so much fun to wear-it’s an absolute steal for L$75 and a real conversation piece.
So, has all this talk of delicious strawberries got your juices flowing? I do hope so, because although as Second Life fairs go this is a small event, it’s certainly one that you shouldn’t miss, even if you’re allergic.

Stock up on the Piriton and CLICK HERE to visit!

One of the things that I love most of all about Second Life is how the artists and content creators in-world unite to use our virtual space to create items that aren’t just beautiful to look at, but that also have an inherent purpose and meaning.

There’s an event that is just about to start that I implore you to see if you care in any way about this beautiful green and blue planet that we call home. We’re all aware of the environmental impact that our actions as a race are causing to the world, indeed sometimes it feels like the Human race is just a parasite draining the world of all that is beautiful and good and just leaving behind a trail of destruction in it’s wake. It almost makes you ashamed to exist. When I see what a mess we are causing and leaving for future generations to deal with it often makes me despair.
Of course, I try to do my bit, but I’m only a speck of dust on the surface and we ALL have to take action to alleviate what sadly seems to be inevitable. Make no mistake, if we don’t do something soon we’re fucked..and one of the most catastophic illustrations of this is the plight of the Polar Bear and the melting of the Polar ice caps. Now, you may be one of those people who is sick of having enviromentalism shoved down your throat and think it’s been blown out of proportion; although we know that CO2 is causing a myriad of problems, we don’t know if it is exacerbating a steady decline that would occur naturally anyway, but what does that matter when we do know for certain that we are making a negative contribution and adding to the steady rise in greenhouse gases which are causing irreversible damage. What a legacy that we leave in our wake, especially for these guys.

‘Melt’ is all about transmitting a message that Radio Signals presented to 25 artists in Second Life. She wanted them to create art that conceptualised the plight of the Polar Bear and the Arctic. She asked them to demonstrate through their works culpability and corporate greed, and the inevitable consequences of these combined actions: extinction.

Radio has said herself that the work that her respondents has produced is breathtaking and has exceeded her expectations,and having had the pleasure of seeing this installation myself first hand I can tell you that she is completely correct.
**More follows**