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March Mesh Madness is on its way!

February 20, 2012

I am bursting at the seams to share with you what I have been wanting to write in this post! First of all, this isn’t going to be just about March Mesh Madness, but it is what I am highlighting here right off the bat.

Beginning March 1st, 2012 one of the most anticipated events for mesh lovers will kick off at FATEisland. Mesh creators will be coming together in one place to showcase their designs in a grand event. This will be a hot sim to be at opening day!

Creators featured here will be coldLogic, Aura, Jane, FATEcreate, Decoy, Wasabi Pills, Magika, and many more! So, be sure you mark your calendars and remember this SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/FATEisland/128/128/22

March Mesh Madness

The more I wear mesh, the more I like it. I am definitely saving my lindens for MMM 2012!

Now, to showcase another design from the mesh brand coldLogic (yea, yea, my third coldLogic post in a row…but when you are inspired by something you just need to run with it)! When I saw this dress initially, I knew I wanted to do a sort of a retro or vintage look. When I was browsing the fashion feeds recently, I caught the new fringed oxfords by Annex which had a color that matched the buttery yellow dress to perfection!

I also wanted to feature this pose I am using by Essential Soul that can be found at the Proposers Expo. An amount of the proceeds from the expo will be given to ASA also known as the Autism Society of America. The event ends February 25th, so check it out if you have not yet been there!

Zaap just so happened to sneak up behind me while I was experimenting for the first time with the Exodus Viewer on some country back road. He coincidentally was wearing a yellow shirt. I’m not sure he knows I am posting this picture…but oh well. I liked it!

I really think the image quality of Exodus is exceptional. The clarity and crispness is amazing. I still get some lines on my images, however, at least I now know an effective way to deal with them.

After messing around posing myself with him in the background, I then had him try this adorable pose with me by Nspiration that can be found at the expo as well…

STYLE CREDITS:

SKIN: Aiko Deep tan 11 HB cleavage and Lip Layer 3 by Belleza
HAIR: Mourray in AlmostGoth by Lelutka
MAKEUP: Love my eyes Liner and Mascara -thick by *BOOM*
JEWELRY: Gloria Watch and Nana Earrings by Donna Flora
DRESS: Reed in Butter by coldLogic (MESH) ***
SHOES: Fringed Oxfords in Beige by Annex

SINGLE POSE: Above The Fold by *ES* ***
COUPLES POSE: One Heart by Nspiration ***

LOCATION: The Mother Road

Items in italics and *** note promo copies.

Are you on Flickr, Twitter, Plurk, or Facebook? Add me! I love seeing the blogs and pics of other SL residents!

Like A Kid On Christmas

January 30, 2012

I was like a kid on Christmas when I logged in to SL this evening to find some blogger goodies from coldLogic, the new brand I featured in my last post. It was something I was not expecting, and I feel very honored to have been allowed an even bigger peek at coldLogic’s upcoming collection. I sense some big things from this new designer brand, and I really think I have found a new favorite store (once it opens).

I just wanted to highlight an ensemble I put together quickly; I was eager to blog it. I have another look in mind to blog for next time, so watch for it in the upcoming days!

So, in keeping it short and to the point…photo and credits below.

STYLE CREDITS:

SKIN: Aiko Deep tan 12 HB and cleavage by Belleza
EYES: Sunrise Eyes in Light Arabian Blue by Fashism
HAIR: Charmed in Brown 10 by Elikatira
MAKEUP: Hi-Gloss Lips in Clear by Blacklace, Love my eyes Liner and Mascara -thick by *BOOM*
JEWELRY: African Earrings & Necklaces by Je Suis
FINGERNAILS: Female Mandala Palette 1 Medium by Mandala
SHIRT: Watts in Plum by coldLogic ***
PANTS: Cooper in Ebony by coldLogic ***
SHOES: Coquette Glitter Edition for TFG in Deep Purple by N-Core
GLASSES: Skinny Framed Glasses #002 by HOC

Items in italics and *** note promo copies.

Are you on Flickr, Twitter, Plurk, or Facebook? Add me! I love seeing the blogs and pics of other SL residents!

coldLogic Is Blowing In

January 28, 2012

Awhile ago, when mesh was first being released in Second Life, I stumbled upon a mesh creator who offered templates for the Blender challenged (ahem…me). I love to try out ways of utilizing my creativity, and even if a template is used, an imagination is a powerful tool. Much can be done with a template to make the final item unique. One important thing however, is the mesh template itself must be of good quality and easy to figure out. The template I purchased was both high quality and easy to use.

The particular high quality mesh creator who I am referring to is Damien Fate of FATEcreate. Recently I received a notice through the FATEcreate Group that a new brand of mesh clothing was underway. This new brand is a collaboration between Damien Fate, Zyrra Falcone, and Janie Marlowe and it has been dubbed with the moniker coldLogic.

I am truly excited to see the entire opening collection, as the designs pictured in their promo photos on the coldLogic blog look fantastic.

Right now, anyone can get a small taste of what will be coming. coldLogic is holding its very own contest to promote the launch of their new brand. Head down to the store location and add yourself to the group. You will receive the free gift they have offered to their subscribers for the photo contest. Rules can be found on the coldLogic blog, and in order to enter, you must submit a photo of yourself in their Winter Dress to the coldLogic Flickr Group. It is as simple as that!

Just be sure you get your photo posted by January 30th! The deadline is soon!

Here is the look I have created using the clay colored version. I love the slight balloon the sleeve creates around the wrist. The entire dress moves extremely well with the body, and makes use of the standard sizing system that has been developed as a mesh creation sizing guideline. Therefore, there are five sizes of each of the three colors of this dress that you will receive upon joining the coldLogic group.

Click here for more stores that create using standard sizing.

STYLE CREDITS:

SKIN: Aiko Deep tan 2 HB cleavage by Belleza
HAIR: Bebe Streaked in Treacle by Truth
MAKEUP: Love my eyes Liner and Mascara -thick by *BOOM*
JEWELRY: Magnitudo Necklace in Silver by LaGyo
DRESS: Winter Dress in Clay by coldLogic (MESH) Free Subscriber Gift
TIGHTS: Crossed Stitch in Cobalt by Peqe
BOOTS: Radical Boots in Black by Maitreya (MESH) Partially visible.

Are you on Flickr, Twitter, Plurk, or Facebook? Add me! I love seeing the blogs and pics of other SL residents!

Bollywood Times

October 19, 2011

I have had this bridal ensemble from Arya Boutique in my inventory for a little while, and I was looking for the perfect backdrop to shoot it against. I finally found it! When I began the post processing work, I sort of got lost in tinkering with different effects and it turned into more of an art photo than a blog photo. I decided to fix up a couple of different photos to showcase the look for my blog entry…

I’m not going to write much in this post because I am currently listening to some Bollywood music and my concentration is pretty much nil at the moment. Haha.

STYLE CREDITS:

SKIN: Aiko Deep tan 3 HB and cleavage by Belleza
HAIR: ME Dark Chestnut by [69]
MAKEUP: Eyeshadow, Doe Shimmer in Gold by PixelDolls, Love my eyes Liner and Mascara -thick by *BOOM*
JEWELRY: Suvarna Bangles, Suvarna Kundan Earrings, Head Jewel, and Nose Ring by Zaara
OUTFIT: Fusion Red Bridal Saree by Arya’s Boutique ***
TATTOO: Henna Tattoo Hands by Secret Luminos (Can’t find this inworld or on Marketplace.)

Items in italics and *** note promo copies.

Are you on Flickr, Twitter, Plurk, or Facebook? Add me! I love seeing the blogs and pics of other SL residents!

Jewelry Fair And The Dorky Chick’s Opinion Of Mesh

September 15, 2011

Excited for the Jewelry Fair 2011? I am! It seems there are many events going on this week, but the Fair and mesh were the top two subjects I wanted to write about in this post.

I was lucky enough to be included in the Jewelry Fair blogger list and was able to get a sneak peek at some of the jewels for this yearly event. The theme is based on the elements of earth, air, fire, and water. There are four separate sims, one for each element. Over 100 Second Life creators are taking part, with proceeds from charity vendors, exclusive item auctions, and gatchas going to benefit the organization of Oxfam.

The venue opens to the public on September 16th, and runs through September 25th.

Je Suis is one of the many jewelry fair participants, and I just had to show off Julia Merosi’s new release! It is a delicate set of jeweled chandelier earrings and necklace with color change gems and metals. So pretty!

Now, on to mesh. I love that Eboni Khan of Hucci has been sending out a color of her latest mesh items to her group members as gifts. I liked her first sculpted mesh dress so much, I bought it in pink too! It is a great way to help introduce mesh to those who have not yet tried it. Just a note to anyone who hasn’t plunged into this new fascination yet, you need a mesh enabled SL viewer to see these items properly.

With a hunger to learn more about how meshes are made, I turned to the virtual classroom that is YouTube. From my understanding, mesh is still a sculpt made in a 3D modeling program like Blender, but different weights are applied to the sculpted mesh in the program in order to get the type of movement on the body that is desired upon importing it to the grid. That’s the basic idea.

With that said, my overall opinion of mesh clothing as a whole is a bit…mixed. Like anything new, there are positives and negatives. While I think the implementation of mesh on the grid gives some things more flexibility, it also has limitations.

So, the positives? Obviously, I love that the clothing moves with the body rather than retains a stiffness that often can result in extra photo editing or posing issues. Another thing I love is the clothing makes the curves on the body look better. The Julesa Dress, the most recent group gift from Hucci, is a rocking one shoulder ensemble that is super sexy. The sleeve shape really has dimension and depth, and I adore the print.

While I am excited about this creation, it did take me a little while to tweak how my body fit into it–even with the alpha layer. It is not the clothing that fits to the body, it is the body that needs to fit with the clothing. This is the case with mesh.

The biggest complaint I see on the blogs is regarding meshwear and body shape. Most people would prefer not to change their shape to accommodate what they wear. “Why should we have to do that? My shape is unique to me.” Well, to be honest…I don’t mind tweaking my shape slightly in order to not have my body poke through my dress. Sometimes, it just has to be done.

Would I want to have to adjust my shape for every clothing item I wear? No. I do like my own shape. Some creators have been including multiple meshes in varying body types, alpha layers, or glitch layers to aid in hiding the visible bits, however, for me the alpha was not a fix all. I had to reduce my bust size a few digits and decrease some of the muscle mass in my thighs to avoid the edges of the dress being interfered with. Once those things were adjusted, I was good to go.

Now, if I buy or receive a mesh outfit, I copy my regular shape, edit it to fit the clothing, then place the newly edited shape in the outfit folder for added convenience.

I will be trying more mesh in the future. It is far from eliminating our current methods of clothing construction and I don’t think it will ever come close to doing so. I do think, with any advancement of technology in the metaverse, designers will continue to improve and creatively integrate mesh with our current methods. Just think about how SL design has evolved from using regular and flexi prims to using sculpties. We are sure to see more exciting evolution ahead!

STYLE CREDITS:

SKIN: Aiko Deep tan 9 HB cleavage with Lipstick 0 by Belleza
LASHES: 2011 lashes, Long by LeLutka
HAIR: Siri in Kala Jeera by Maitreya
MAKEUP: Love My Eyes Liner and Mascara – thick by *BOOM* @ Kozmetika
DRESS: Jalesa Dress in Blue Print by Hucci (Group Gift)
JEWELRY: Leah Jewelry set by Je Suis (NEW @ Jewelry Fair)
FINGERNAILS: Female Mandala Palette 1 Medium by Mandala

Are you on Flickr, Twitter, Plurk, or Facebook? Add me! I love seeing the blogs and pics of other SL residents!

Don’t forget to visit the Jewelry Fair!