STORYLINE: The Black Baron had spent years developing a wondrous steam powered android. But tragedy struck when he was paralyzed in a Zeppelin crash. He planned to remove the android head and attach his own to the golden mechanical body. However learning of his plan, the "wondrous creation" had other ideas and loped his master's head off first.
On the last day of the Engine Room, Contraption dropped an awesome new item, the Thibaut Waistcoat for 25% off. I only discovered the sale late night and tried to get this posted to alert you guys. If you missed it, don't worry, it will be at mainstore now. Fortunately, in my rush to get this image is out, actually had a set ready to go. Lucky turn of events! (It was an idea I had while my computer was down.) Here are some badass items from the 2nd round of Engine Room. The next round will be in September.
This amazing robot head is by Wicca Originals, it comes in sizes for men and women and robust texture hud to change out its many textures zones. The Ear gramophone comes with it and is separate from the head. On the table is the Skeletal Globe Lamp by Schadenfreude. It comes in several base texture, and includes light options.
The Home and Garden Expo this year has must-see attractions such as a preview of the NEW mesh Linden Homes for premium members, and the rideable animesh Teegle Horse, as well as excellent hunt goodies including a car in the Expo Hunt, speakers and workshops, not to mention purchasable homes, decor and garden items to support the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. ...And then there is what has kept me busy the past week....
It's even bigger and better this year! 16 winners drawn in a lottery compete to decorate 1 of 16 different style homes. There's a 500 prim limit and 1 week to decorate. Once the decorating period ends, the houses are voted on by visitors by paying the Kiosk in front of each house. All money goes to a good cause.
This year, I took the feedback I received from last year's competition, and applied it to this year. I paid extra attention to the garden, land impact, lived-in decor, and staying on theme with the style of the home. It's an intense challenge. Each time I try it, my decorating skills improve. Hey, ...Why not try it yourself next year?
My idea for "House 11- Stone Cottage" is French Country & Artist.
Please visit my house, and if you like it, or other houses, please vote! Merci beaucoup! Home & Garden Expo Design Challenge: House 11 - Stone Cottage http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hope%202/171/29/27
Storyline of house: Louis couldn't believe it. He had been a lowly art student in America, but after taking a DNA test and working on his family tree, the most unlikely thing happened.... Long story short, he inherited the family's ancestral home in France. It was fully furnished too. But there was one catch to his ownership, -- he was the estate's new caretaker. If he failed to properly maintain the cottage, someone else would get the job. Sounds like a dream come true, right? Well, he learned quickly its neither easy nor cheap to maintain such an old building. So many things required urgent repair. He needed to find a way to make money quickly. At first he tried offering tours of the home, then he tried opening the house for weddings. Then one day while working in his secret artist's studio in the attic, inspiration struck. His pet cat Gigi made the most curious pose. It reminded him of a famous painting. He quickly started a remake of this masterpiece, but with a cat instead of a person. His whimsical Cat Paintings were a hit with tourists. They were selling in Paris, and he had the waiting list of patron to paint each of their cats in their own famous painting. He was never hurting for money again. The family was so impressed, they decided his most famous painting would become a permanent part of the family estate. It would become the duty of the next generation to protect his painting, his legacy, along with the rest of the family estate.
TIP: Sometimes you may need to be creative over a home issue. For instance, the neighboring house has a very different style. To keep the mood and theme of my home visually intact, I used a simple one prim wall with an excellent medieval brick texture on the sides of my home. ...Another creative solution I used was use a teleport system to access areas not reachable by walking. Hallways: Harpsichord:Fancy Decor Harpsichord RARE, gacha [mesh] Table: Fancy Decor Opulent Half-Moon Table RARE, gacha [mesh] Plant:Apple FallHydrangea Bunch - Pink [mesh] Drapes: Opi - Mesh Curtains & Pillows Arched Drape Curtain [mesh] Suitcase:Apple FallAF Worn Luggage Bag [mesh] Coat Rack:Unlikely Designs ::UD:: Black Coat Rack [mesh]
TIPS: Link objects to save prims. Do it to ONLY to non-scultped, no script, or items that contain no poses and animations. And do NOT try this with your non-copy Gacha wins. You could explode the prim count on the item and be unable to fix it.
You guys remember the "Linden Home Challenge" I did for Prim Perfect magazine? I have some awesome news, the idea has sparked a great fundraiser event for this year's Home and Garden Expo, -- a Decorating Competition! The challenge is: Decorate one of 6 homes for prizes in 4 days, with less than 500 prims, and including 3 Relay for Life donation items from the Expo. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners are determined by votes paid with Ls for the best designs. All the money from the home design votes goes to Relay for Life! You can read more about it here: decorating-competition. I love how this contest embodies the spirit of the event. Of course, I had to jump in, and I was lucky to get drawn to decorate a house, the Eco IV by Maven Homes.
STORYLINE: The owner is not actually an Astronaut, but people always refer to his house as the "Astronaut House." ("NASA Rover Engineer House" doesn't have the same ring to it.) The owner worked on the Mars Rover Curiosity team. All his family and baby pictures are of the rover! His new project is to design a people mover for the human mission to Mars in 2030. JPL is not too far from his home, so he loves to commute to work in an old 50s experimental Flying Platform.
STORYLINE: When facing a difficult design problem, he will often sit down to play music. It helps clear his mind of distractions to find a creative solution. Music area: Cello:NOMAD Cello 03, gacha [mesh](75L) Harpsichord: Fancy Decor Harpsichord RARE, Fancy Decor: Harpsichord Stool, gacha [mesh](50L) Rug: Soy Shag Round Rug w. texture changer [mesh](100L)
Once in a while I get a really good challenge that takes me outside my usual comfort zone. This post was inspired by Swagga's Harajuku Boy. Harajuku is a district in Japan where cosplay meets innovative streetwear. It's a great place for people to dress up and hang out with their friends. One Harajuku style that has really taken off is Decora. (It's like the Lisa Frank of fashion styles. lol) It's colorful, youthful, mismatched, and over-the-top in accessories. Basically it turns fashion into a toy, in fact, wearing some toys is a good idea too. lol And it's not just for girls, the guys are rocking this whimsical style too. The Swagga Harajuku Boy shirt, pants, and jewelry are on sale now at Sanarae. You can pick them up in either of the 3 color options for shirts and pants. Adding a cool J-rock touch to the look is the Mateo hair by Ayashi. I used the wild colors from the Summer pack. Animated Chainsaw by Nerox is a gacha at the Gacha Garden. From Jian is the delightful Silly Shibes gacha. This little guy will follow you and sit when you sit. He even barks every now and then. The swagga pants come with a lower leg, but I wanted to add the legwarmers by Krankhaus. They are actually made for Avatar 2, but I was able to make them work. They come with a hud with many excellent and colorful texture options. From NOMAD is the Tossing Barrels arcade game backpack. It's animated! Very cool. From Neverwish is an older gacha with fun shoes that work great for the Decora. Sometime in the near future, a new 2016 version of the shoes will be released. From Apple May is the bandaid gacha. You can find it at her mainstore in the guys gacha section. From [ni.Ju] are the face sticker stars gacha, and the group gift metallic nails appliers. The group is free to join. For the head, I used the COCO Doll Male face with Ikon eyes. Feeling like you want to try this style? Check out the video linked below for more inspiration. This picture was taken at the lovely Blur sim that recreates the sakura lined canals of Japan.
STORYLINE: Much has been written about the boy who never grew up, but few know the true genesis of the tale. Behind the sweeping adventures in Neverland, there was always the sound of a ticking clock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.... Perhaps one needs to look no further than the archenemy of the boy, Captain James Hook, for an insight on what was really going on. Hook was forever trying to kill Peter. But isn't it odd the fearless pirate grew weak at the sight of blood?
Enchantment is going on strong with many wonderful creations, live performances, and of course the popular hunt. This round's theme is Peter Pan. Each round I enjoy making my own twist to the fairy tale. This time I found an interesting detail about story's creation, I hope you enjoy it. ... Shown above is the Pan Pants by Pucca Firecaster. They come in male and female, two leg lengths (one long and one for boots), and also include a hud for texture change. The pants are mod, so you can tint them too. The wonderful Admiral hat is by Remarkable Oblivion. You can get red, blue, brown, or black. The hats come with a resize script. The Skull and Crossbones eyepatch is from the gacha by Astralia. By AiShA is Corsair Hook Hand. There were several other hook styles, this one worked great for me under the coat and it's rigged. In the background is the Neverland Clock by 22769 ~ [bauwerk]. The clock keeps time and makes noises too. Finishing out my outfit is the jacket, sash, tattoo, and necklaces by BareRose's Pirate Emperor. The boots from The Raider outfit by Quality Designs. They are sculpted prim that attach to the upper leg and foot. The traditional Captain Hook has a black ringlet wig but I would much rather rock a Jack Sparrow style so I used the No Smoke dreadlocks by No.Match. They come in both male and female fit. The goatee is by Scared, and the sword with texture change hud is by Kalopsia. The Season 5 ears by Mandala are awesome! I picked them up during the 12 Days of Savings going on right now in the marketplace. Just type "12 Days of Christmas" in the search and you can see all the deals. The Tox skin by Tableau Vivant you can buy as a system skin, shown above, or face applier for the TMP head. For body appliers for SLinka nd TMP, you can get those at the mainstore. This picture was taken at pirate island in the wonderful adventure game PaleoQuest by Linden Labs. I love that place, its so fun to visit.
I love these decor pieces, makes me feel like a kid again. How awesome is that pirate bed by Nomad? It comes in 2 colors and it's mod so you can tint it too. The Captain's desk by Tia has so many wonderful details from the story Peter Pan built into it. Setting: Bed:NOMAD // Pirate Daybed // Red, 10li [mesh](Enchantment)(350L) Chair, Lamp, desk:Tia Captain's Chair, Captains Chair Lamp, Desk,11li [mesh](Enchantment)(750L) Clock, top image: 22769 ~ [bauwerk] Neverland Clock, 10li [mesh](Enchantment)(165L)
STORYLINE: A blizzard raged in the City That Never Sleeps. Unseen to those struggling against the wind and snow drifts was a billowy shadow moving across the towers. His time was fast approaching. The penthouse over looking Central Park was a secret pleasure the ghost enjoyed returning to each year. It had been an easy task for him to create wealth, afterall foresight had it's perks. As he passed through glassy facade of his abode he was shocked to discover giant cobwebs covering everything. Below his dusty Christmas tree was a nest of giant spiders eggs guarded by a mutant spider. The distinct scent of a blood drinker hung in the air. He had not foreseen this! Who dares trespass on the Ghost of Christmas Future!
Don't hate me for sneaking in a Christmas theme post before Thanksgiving! lol ...This image is inspired by the awesome Death Row Burton theme decor and the Nomad Gothic Diva gacha. I love the Burton Clocks, the hands spin wildly around on all the faces, both front and back. I put them with the Abstract Sculpture by Nomad, that has a very Ghost of Christmas Future vibe! On the pedestal, I used the new Wood Wreath by ASO on sale at the Creator's Collection Box. I tinted the holly very dark for a more gothic feel. The current round of CCB has a lot of cool Japanese New Year theme items and Christmas, as well as gifts. The striped chair by Death Row comes in adult and pg versions, and has hud to change the texture patterns on the chair (black, white, striped, or checkered). The Death Row Burton table also comes with a texture change hud. On top of the table is the Death Row burton tea set. The Candelabra is from the Nomad Gothic Diva gacha. The gorgeous curtain hanging in the window is by Papermoon. It was a gift from the Nightmare event. The mainstore has other color and textures in the curtain for you to scoop up (I hope to see a gothic color theme set for the curtain set in the future!) The Christmas Tree is by Dysfunctionality. It can change color theme and it only 2li. It's also mod, so I tinted it for a more dusty look. Also tinted are the Botanical Spider Eggs under the tree. And the cute little Spid-eek is by Silent Sparrow. He's animated. All the cobwebs are from the Death Row Mystery Mansion gacha. The skybox is a beautiful new release by Haikei on sale at Kustom 9.
STORYLINE: On his way to rendezvous with Lady Edelweiss, the Black Baron became suspicious he was being followed.
The outside of the Trompe Loeil Iona Conservatory at night with the street lights is just phenomenal. The materials and lighting work together to create awesome depth like the shiny copper roof, and sheen to the tile floor. I added scaled up Noctis paperweight Gargoyles out front. They're from the from the Gothmas Tree and Gargoyle set. Inside I created a lush plant grouping with a fountain I hacked. The serene looking mermaid has been replaced by a gargoyle spitting out blood. Hey, a blood fountain is way cooler. lol ...But you may be looking at this fancy guy. He's wearing the beautifully detailed Richelieu gold glasses by AIR. They come with chain either the left or right side, and a resize script. The pipe is a group gift by Epia. Hair is a new release by Tableau Vivant available at the main store. And the warm red Aran Knit sweater is a Men Only Hunt hunt prize by ::K::. It comes in male and female, with under shirt and without out. The head is the new TheMeshProject Anime head, it's perfect for villainous bishounen styles! (I will make a separate post about it to tell you more if time allows.)
STORYLINE: After an enjoyable evening with Lady Edelweiss, The Black Baron got down to business. Shipments of Royal Blood were being attacked by a criminal gang calling themselves The Wrath of Horus. The disruptions of the blood supply were unforgivable. He reviewed the latest military gadgets, such as the biplane bomber, and drew up a battle plan to ambush the crooks. Unknown to him, a raven listened closely to his plans, then silently disappeared up into the night sky.
The cozy Mission Armchair set by Artisan Fantasy comes in either warm or dark wood. It has 2 solo unisex animations, 4 female, 4 male, 5 cuddles, 3 adore, and 5 adult. The ottoman has 4 solo animations, 5 adult, and 6 punishment. To the left is the Roawenwood Sleek Bondage chair. It comes in either light or dark, with RLV or non-RLV, and 18 animations. On top of the ottoman is the Biplane RARE from the NOMAD diesel punk gacha at OMG Gacha. When you touch the radio controller, the plane will take off and fly and then drop temp rez bombs before landing. Fun. The London Map by Never Totatally Dead is from the Jack Ripper inspired From Hell gacha. The lamp and rug are part of the Noctis Baron Von Scarlet Soft and table set.
STORYLINE: The leader singer of a California punk rock band, Dino had a passion for video games. The bright colors and happy 8-bit bleeps made his child's heart glow. He repaired old arcade machines and game consoles as a side business to supplement his income in-between gigs. But there was one game he longed for that he could never find. Until one day he got a mysterious email.
This gamer room makes me feel stupid happy, like a cozy hideout where your buds come over and you shoot the shit for hours. lol You can get the Retro Game goodies at the new round of Level Up, but you need to be fast, the 5th is the last day. From Level Up: The little green hair elves are wearable pets gacha by swagga. The Tossing Barrels Arcade game by Nomad is a wearable backpack and it is animated! (I scaled it up larger for the picture and hid the backpack straps.) The Pac Man Ghost wall art is by Frogstar, and the black art poster is by Unrependant. On the table are the brick cube, coin, and question mark box are by Mien. The Gamer bracelet and ring are a gacha by Nomad. It's non-rigged so you can adjust it for a good fit. The Headgear is by Swagga and it's also editable non-rigged mesh. The glass elements on the eye piece are animated and you can change the color with a hud. Other things I am wearing: The new years group gift hair from Tableau Vivant comes with all the color huds and it has fits for girls and guys. The piercings are by Haus of Darcy and were on sale at the last round of Tengoku-no-rakuen. (Also by Haus of Darcy on sale at Creation.Jp are nipple piercings with several styles of piercings.) The jean vest by 7 Mad Ravens is on sale right now at the Cosmopolitan Sales Room. You can get it in Punk like above, camo, or rebel styles. The Wasted jeans are also by 7 Mad Ravens. The New Rock boots are subscriber gift from Hoorenbeek. To get them, join the subscriber group and wait 15 days. Then go back to get the gifts. Now, perhaps you are noticing how nice the details are on they arms and hands here. You didn't? Look again. That is a fitted mesh body for men by Kauna. It's on sale right now at FaMESHed. (In a later post I will tell you all about the new fitted mesh bodies for the guys.) Happy New Year, Game on!
In this 2nd view of the game room you can see the Vintage Gamer set on the right by Fetch. it includes a retro game console, table, and flat screen tv. To the left is the Gamer Living room by NOMAD. It includes couch with single and couple animations, tube table, and barrel toss wall shelf. The little guy by the sofa is Mr Molimar by Monster Slayer. on the backwall are a series of framed art from the Frogstar gacha Art Prints. Each artwork is a theme game style. On the table top is one of the board games by Hopscotch, "Don't get angry, avatar." In this image, Dino is wearing the NOMAD Retro Gamer's wristwatch. The face is a pong-like game and it keeps real time! I set mine to the SL PST time and the 12 hour cyle.
Setting, Game Room 2: Table, console, tv screen:Fetch Vintage Gamer Set [mesh](Level Up)(295L)
Wall Art:Frogstar art prints, gacha[mesh](Level Up)(25L each)
Board Game: Hopscotch board games [mesh](Level Up)(150L) Shelf, coffee table, couch:NOMAD Industrial Gamer living room [mesh](Level Up)(250L) Plushie:Monster Slayer Mr. Molimar [mesh](Level Up)(100L) Key holder:WimeyTake This Key Holder [mesh]
