Artistic Works

Guess who became a victim of prim-botox next?




Eliza got a face lift XD This hat is now what I always dreamt of it being.... True Fabulous. It's a near perfect replica of the original, as much as I can do without being able to actually create convincing flexible ostrich feathers (I think I did a great job with it anyway >.>) I've been wearing this hat ever since I first fit it to my head, and dear lord I love it so... it features the new sculpted roses, a sculpted brim, and even a sculpted lace "hair bonnet" and lumpy scarf around the main crown of the hat. There is a bit of alpha flicker for folks who have a lot of alphas in the upper top of the hair, but for most updo's and bangs there shouldn't be any sort of problem. I love this hat.


In other news, I am now officially a contributing artist to the Second Life 4th Birthday celebration! I have both my own little plot on the SL 04 sim chunk, and a little place for my new sculpted roses at the Crescent Moon Museum's plot, run by Tayzia Abbatoir. Shashona Epsilon was an absolute peach to invite me, and I was very flattered. On the SL 04 spot, you can see the Anubis mask again, as well as some photography I've only shown on Flickr.

I love the display I did for my roses so much, that I have actually set it up outside my store in the cherry tree garden. It'll only be up for a little, so don't miss it :)

I've also been working on decorations for the Midsummer Night's Dream Masquerade!! Yes, it's almost time for that! I've been working on getting appropriate music, working on masks (just havent been released yet), and even fae horns, which I'll be working on later tonight ^.^ I'm going to give you fairy things... and a place to wear them.

Love the Skin You're In

I can sort of understand people getting tattoos of names of loved ones... It symbolizes permanence and commitment.. I sort of understand people getting skulls and things permanently added to their skin... but the thing I understand most is the use of tattoos as a celebration of the body. Just like a flattering waistline decorates you, curling lines accentuating your form celebrate one's humanity in a unique way ^.^

So far, only one creator on Second Life seems to agree with me, in fact, she practically wrote the book on it.




If you've ever been to Deviant Kitties, or any "deviant", "gothic", "grunge", any place at all that isn't couture and shows a bit of shoulder, you've probably seen one of Sinjun Soyur's elegant and expertly rendered designs. She runs a modest little store called Etch'd (once "Ink'd" with her partner Laylah Mistral), that has a selection of about 20-25 different patterns (and some fun chunky heavy weave socks), and most of them are new. I've been an enormous fan of hers since I first discovered her through a photography customer (now friend ^.^), and the last time I visited her store she had only just split her inventory and gone out on her own. I had the pleasure of meeting her then, and I think I remember expressing my love for her full body tribal tattoos... well anyway, if I didn't say it, she was thinking it, because she's answered my prayers and completely splurged on delicious, wonderful, beautiful patterns to adorn yourself with.

I tried to do a simple, straight forward photoshoot, and ended up loving these pictures so much I had to edit them... art made me do it! The tattoos shown up at the top are the "Sin's Henna" set above, tinted white to stand out against Nomine's black Aether skin. So far... I can't take them off. Sinjun Soyer made them as a personal set, and got too many requests to buy that she simply had to put them out for sale. And you can see why... the back is incredible, definitely my favorite part, and the front has beautiful curling lines, as well as a rather daring pair of nipple tattoos... Very daring, a bit daring than I was feeling, hence you have to deal with the pretty back. But it's truly stunning. The second tattoo shown right above is simply called "Celestial", which I layered with Sin's celtic armband tattoos. They're all included on as many clothing layers as allowed too so feel free to layer your heart out ^.^

All of them come in an incredibly unique and authentic looking shade of washed out gray, so you really feel like they've been on your skin. Anyone who's worn henna or tattoos knows that tattoos deefinitely don't stay black for long. Sh also uses an absolutely beautiful variance of dark and light to create emphasis for certain strokes... obviously you see that I can't gush enough. BUT there is a little rain cloud...My favorite tattoos are the ones that cover the entire body, and a lot of times that includes the neck... Something that became painfully obvious is that Sinjun Soyer wears chokers. There's a very strong "t-shirt" line where the shirt mesh ends on the neck for many of her top tattoos (but the seams from shirt to pant layers are done very nicely). I don't like looking like I have a tattoo collar, but since all of the tattoos are mod (and did I mention tintable!?), a quick slip of the slider can create a more natural fade down the neck.


I frankly don't care if you don't like tattoos IRL, I mean they're painful, they're permanent, most of them are ugly... but that means you have absolutely no excuses to not like these ^_^ They're gorgeous, they make YOU look gorgeous, painless, easily swapped out for new ones, and even modest little arm bands are perfectly decent for formal occasions...

Speaking as normally the most modest digital lady around... I command you to celebrate your skin <3

SLurl: "Etch'D"
Shown: Sin's Henna, Celestial... Hair by DK "Cheyenne", and Kin "Ash". Black skin by Nomine

Illusions gets a Makeover!

Because makeovers are fun. Notice anything different? I now have a super-ultra sexy banner up top and it's PRETTY!

It's been a very long time since I made something that I felt was iconic and a symbol of my business, and the new Columbina and Civetta masks I feel have an incredible timelessness. With the advent of sculpted prims, it almost makes all of my other masks (except a select few) look crude and shoddy. So with my proudest creations on display, I did a long and drawn out photoshoot, and even grabbed my friends Iris Ophelia and Candy Flanagan into it for a mask-ariffic threesome...


And since I was having so much fun, I re-did my profile picture and made a beautiful, all purpose ad...

All of these are even more spectacular when you zoom in on em, so click away, it's worth it <3


Plus, what do you guys think of the new tag line? ^.^ I'm very very pleased with it, and after bouncing it off of a few people I think it pretty much sums up what I'm all about :) I'm not just a mask maker... I want you to feel and look like a work of art. Much love and happy feelings abound.

I'm a very proud Siyu :)

The New.. Improoved...

I've always been very happy with my roses, those little details I pop on every now and then to hats. It was the very first thing I ever made on Second Life and it made me realize I can really do this building thing after all! I was impressed with myself and so I kept going... I made rose crowns out of them, it was also the very first thing I ever sold to someone, for a whopping 200L (as a noob, I was totally like OMG!). Those rose crowns also weighed in at a whopping 214 prims each, and thus became a long and time honored tradition of mine to be a complete and total prim whore.

But with sculpted prims about, my old beloved noobie roses looked crude, sharp and pieced together.

It was time for something new:



These I pieced together from individually modeled sculpted petals, because I am a crazy perfectionist. And this crazy perfectionism is what makes me so happy to offer some of the best crafted things on Second Life, if I do say so myself ^.^ I pour a lot of love and time into my items, and it makes me darn happy. So despite the fact I've always said I had the best roses on Second Life, I had to out-do myself and make them again.

I'll be releasing them as red stem roses, open and closed, as well as boutineers and hair roses, maybe even wedding bouquets, and anything else you'd like me to make them as :) I am not offering them individually for sale yet, I haven't decided on a price and need to do pictures, but here are the colors that will be available ^.^ Speak up if you don't see your favorite...


Gah, it pains me to add yellow to ANY set of colors, but they do exist in nature unlike.. er... blue... View this picture larger to see better details, the smaller blog format makes some of the colors seem blotted ^.^


Speaking of things that have been renewed and reborn...

Top hats ^.^ Sculpted prims finally gave me a solid excuse to completely overhaul my designs, so now the Sabrina and the Harajuku have a definitely shinier, more professional look, with brand new custom made textures just for them, with sculpted brims:


As you can see the new Harajuku has the new roses on it, and they look absolutely stunning if I do say so myself. Using Miriel's new vending system, I can now offer them in the seven different rose colors you see up there without wearing myself out silly with vending pictures and plugging them into the other vendor. I'll probably keep the Drifting Thoughts vendor for the "old" mask designs, but I'll also be re-doing my other selections. Watch out veils.. you're next!

I've also decided to rename the "Gothic Top Hat" as the "Victorian Top Hat"
I'll be releasing those Victorian Parasols soon, I promise! But again, my crazy perfectionism gets in the way :)

Customers who bought the designs before can get a free upgrade! IM me, and after proving ownership (by wearing it is the easiest way) I'll fob it over and you can rock the new look ;) The prices are also the same, so essentially you're just getting a much better hat now....


So, despite all of the crazy chaos of Second Life today, (oh, god, how did we survive?.... addiction..) I've managed to accomplish quite a bit

A Long Awaited Iconic Mask

Everyone knows the beautiful, stunning setting of the Opera Populaire in Intemptesta Nox... but not everyone knows of the Phantom that lives below it...

From Andrew Lloyd Webber's interpretation of Gaston Lereux's morbid "Angel of Music", since it has become an icon and immediately recognized mask (at least in American culture, I won't speak for everyone else's ^.^), I offer you with pride and many happy feelings... The Phantom of the Opera Mask...


But since this is Second Life... it's the Phantom of the Opera Populaire ^.^

No, sorry ladies, this heart throb isn't available.. I have a fiance and I'm quite happy being a woman XD But he certainly wouldn't be anywhere near as nice looking without a generous and sweet donation by Munchflower (of Nomine)... but she did get a bunch of goodies for her trouble >.>



The best thing... I tell you, the best thing about this mask being released... is that no one will ever ask me again to make one! <3

A New Age of Yummy

I know my little "secret project" wasn't really THAT secret... I mean come on... sculpted prims come, and oh, lots of fabulous hats, but where's my signature piece? Where is the very thing my entire business is built around? Where is the symbol of Illusions, the item which makes me unique, and sought out for events of mystery and elegance?

Here.

It took me many many drafts, hundreds in upload fees, but it's been perfected. Sculpted masks...



Inspired by the Venetian style, I offer to you Columbina and Civetta...

The Columbina name reflects the shape of the mask, as masks that cover the nose yet don't cover the cheeks are normally the signature of a Commedia Del'Arte character named Columbina. She is a flirtatious and savvy little wench who is most famous for her intelligence and her biting wit. The mask is intended for a woman only by character, because it looks just as good on a man.



The Civetta Mask is shown here in the variety of accents and colors I'm offering it in. My usual black and white, as well as silver and gold. "Civetta" in Italian literally means "owl", and these masks are called that in reference to their similarity to the large round "ear disks" around an owl's eyes. This mask comes down around the cheeks and is the ultimate unisex mask, as it has not the slightest hint of gender association. Isn't that marvelous?

I wanted to introduce the new generation of masks with some pizazz, but the plain models of just the shape will be offered within the next day, probably. This truly is a new era of mask making for me, as these shapes will find themselves transformed in a myriad of patterns and personalities to become truly authentic venetian masks, and masks of my own fantasies and devices. Look out Venetian Mascareri's... here I come!!

The Siyu Direction

Things have just been going my way lately!! I talked to the ever helpful and informative Miriel who passed on the wonderfully clever way Nephilaine Protagonist has been protecting her sculpted prims, and so now I need not worry about making mine mod!! I'm absolutely delighted at this, and the news couldn't be better... I guess the pirate stuff I've already released is still at risk, but only from the people who've already bought it.. for I've replaced them with the safer versions :)

Here's the trick for those of you who want to protect your own sculpted prims and yet have them mod: Make it a targa, and make the whole thing alpha channeled. I was worried it was going to ruin the shape, but nope! nada! And of course it probably won't stop the people who really are hardcore about getting to it, but that goes for everything.

My project that I haven't disclosed quite yet is going VERY well, today was a good day for development, made a couple of new textures and new forms and variations, and I think it's almost ready for release. Maybe even expect tomorrow for quite the ground breaking addition to my collection...

I also have something delightfully well timed to share... as soon as I logged on today after posting below about the Bast mask, someone IM'd me absolutely begging and dying to buy it! I KNEW there was someone out there it was waiting for, and we both remarked delightedly upon her luck and how wonderful it was that the right person was going to get it :) So, I can now say that the Bast mask is officially sold out, and so this Sunday you can expect the release of Horus.

I'd better get to work on him then O.o

So the great mystery of the exporting textures was revealed, (finally figured it out on my own), yet problems arose in the application of them, since what I wanted to use them on as a sort of unique construction... Aaaah well, all good things are worth working for, right?

Alright, so I didn't put the parasol out today. I took a Siyu Day, went shopping, hung around my island listening to music and idly terraforming, took some pretty pictures and then returned to my First Life to do some cuddling and cleaning. It was a much needed break after that furious flurry of festive frippery.

You know what's odd, is that there is still ONE Bast mask left and I'm wondering who it's waiting for. Is there someone out there who just hasn't found me yet? Who's dreaming and wishing to become the famed cat goddess? Probably. I probably have to start work on Horus first in order to have that one sell, and hey, this time it'll have sculpies ;)

And lol, as if I didn't have enough projects in the air, I'll be starting work on the Elven series soon, i've been playing with wavies, organic shapes and embellishments and it should be tres nummy ;)

Alright, that's it for today, I'm buggering off!

Braaaaaaaaaaain...

There is some sort of state of mind brought on by forced self tuition, which I have now officially dubbed Tutorial Zombie. I am currently in this state of mind.

I have a rather realistically optimistic view on a very yummy project, that if I could read the right literature, could actually completely cement my position as the only mask maker on SL and might actually get my name bigger than it already is. (Although I must say, being THE pirate outfitter is very fun, and that's had quite a much needed influx of ze munnay since it's the end of the month and rent is due). Here's my get rich quick, crush my competition scheme...












No I'm not going to tell you. Lol, but I will show you in some grand unveiling that... oh... might happen at some nearby event, who knows.

But I will share that it involves UV wrapped textures in Zbrush and I'm putting out a desperate call to anyone who can pass me a link to a good, full tutorial on getting an unwrapped painted uv texture out of Zbrush and into Photoshop. A free Captain's hat is in it for you for your trouble, and a Deluxe Captain's Hat if you're good enough at Zbrush to tell me yourself! (Disclaimer: These tutorials have to actually work, lol). (And no, I shall not accept tutorials in Modo or Maya or any other 3d renderer, I've SEEN the feature in Zbrush and goddamnit I'm going to learn how to use the bloody thing).

EDIT:: I've just found out that Photoshop CS3 could also be a very viable solution to the whole texture wrap problem, but if I don't have to pay for an upgrade I'd rather not :)

Speaking of tutorials... right now, if I see another nicely bulleted step by step instruction on how to do something I'm gonna kick it. I'm gonna kick it, and then I'm going to take off my boot and use it as a pillow and sleep 'cause darn my Tutorial Zombie brain is tired...

So I was mindin' my own business, trying to figure out a way to fit some extra wall space into my store, when Mr. Krimson Gray of "Rendili Creations" decides to give me a full perm leather glove texture that he made in exchange for a Fabulous hat. Well I've never been one to turn down such a lovely and well timed gift, so I can finally offer you... the Cavalier Gauntlets!! mmm YUMMY!



While Raven Pennyfeather was going to oblige me with a lovely texture, have no fears those who were brought joy by the thought of our collaboration ^.^ We're still definitely going to work together, this was just an unexpected boon of timing.

I realized that in my exquisitely architectured Temple to Beauty that is my main store building... it's actually pretty poorly designed as far as the concept of the Second Life Store goes.. To wit, WALL SPACE. So I was examining cheats or possible ways of edifice editing, and found that a plane of glass placed between two pillars was quite sufficient to give me some surface. So once I'm done with the pirate stuff (for now) I'm going to throw it up on that wall. Let me know if you can't find it O.o

I also bring to you a preview of a Victorian goodie which has been a rather long work in progress (not as long as some, but yes, quite long)

I was going to put it out tonight but ran into some unexpected glitches. Things got moved around, and the script is different perms than I thought it was... So it needs to be stuck back on the workbench for a little. But yes, this is the pretty that will be out soon (probably tomorrow)