Archive for the 'second life' Category

Sanu Stuff: A little inspiration from Shakespeare

Published
by
admin
on January 6, 2010
in Digital, Sanu Stuff and second life
. 0 Comments
Kat Johnston: Ahhh, it really is a gorgeous piece of work, if I do say so myself. This has to be my favourite skybox in SL, and not just because I made it!

Ok, so my hubby still doesn’t have the scanner set up… so I’m going to show another Sanu related item! I’m saying this, by the way, as he is dutifully plugging it in beside me.

Anyhow… this is not a recent recent release - it was put out a little while ago. It is, however, one of my favourite releases ever. This lovingly made little skybox is just gorgeous, with luscious textures and little details that make me smile. Working curtains that pop back and forth with a click, a placard with multiple Shakespearean play titles built in, so that you can have a different one set up every day, and even a built in pose so that you can be the star of the show without much ado.

Making it was a bit of a laborious process, because I wanted everything just so. I had a little vision in my head of what this skybox would look like, and it really needed to be fulfilled. There was quite an amount of ‘umming’ and ‘ahhhing’ as I was testing out extra little bits and pieces - candelabras, wall sconces, additional decoration… but in the end, what was created, when finished, did exceed my every expectation.

I’ve got to admit, that is one of the things that I do so love about Second Life - the creativity and freedom to explore an idea without as much trouble of ‘messing it up’ because you did one thing wrong. So long as you back up your work along the way, you’re fairly fine. You can explore all your options, tweak and obsess until you get it juuuuust right… which is a great thing for me, because I am a bit of a tweaker (something, I must admit, gets me into trouble now and then with media that can’t be reverted back to a previous version with a click).

As this post draws to a close, it would appear that my dear scanner has finally been plugged in and is ready again to scan away to its heart’s content - so you can expect a post with an actual drawing soon!

Are you in Second Life? You can get your own Shakespearean Theatre Skybox by teleporting to my store here. There is a demo set up too, so you can see it in person before you buy!

Sanu Stuff: Hi there… it’s been a while!

Published
by
admin
on December 22, 2009
in Sanu Stuff and second life
. 0 Comments
Sanu Stuff: It's a Christmas succubus! Isn't she pretty?

It has been a while since I’ve posted to this blog… what can I say? I’ve been busy! Buuuut, I really should get into the habit of posting again. Since my printer/scanner is not currently up and running though, I am restricted to what I have on hand. What do I have on hand, you say? Why, I have images from my Second Life stuff!

Here is one of my most recent creations… well, part of it, anyway. I have done a range of succubi outfits, and this is a special little something just for Christmas! Sanu products in this image include the eyes, ears, horns, wings, choker and candy-cane, all of which can be purchased in-world along with a whole heap of other pieces to the set. Isn’t it wonderful when creativity strikes?

Sanu: Ok… I’m going to start posting some Sanu things here again…

Published
by
admin
on July 11, 2009
in Bunnies, Digital, Sanu Stuff and second life
. 0 Comments
Sanu in SL: Oh yeah... this is one kick-ass looking sign, don't you think? This is a competition for the truly creative!

Because I am seriously too lazy to maintain two blogs. I know, I know, I should really learn how to maintain the two, but it is harrrrrd… so occasionally you’re going to get something like this sneak through. Besides… I’m really proud of this sign! I mean… come on. How cool is this sign, guys?

As many of you may know, I maintain a little hobby business in Second Life, and as a part of that, I am holding a little competition. Sanu has held four ‘quests’ since it opened (I’m not including the mini-quest… it was just a space filler!), and there is now a competition on to see how people have been inspired by them! The rules are simple: make an image inspired by one part of a story, and go to town with the creativity. The images will be posted on the Sanu in SL flickr group (which can be found here) for everyone to see, and the grand prize winners will get a whole swag of goodies. Full rules and all that can be found in the Sanu flickr group discussion section, too.

So anyhow… that is my bit of creativity for this morning, though the sign was started last night. Something was just off for a little while there, and it had me stumped, but now I think I have it looking rather snappy. Yay Sanu!

Edit: I’ll have to replace the image with a properly resized one at some point, because the automatic resizing that occurs when a larger image is used on the blog has made some of the smaller text blurry… and it isn’t actually blurry! Uhhh… so… ignore the blurriness, ok?

Sanu: Dark Unicorns and an Anti-hunt.

Published
by
admin
on April 9, 2009
in Digital, Sanu Stuff and second life
. 0 Comments
Sanu stuff: My delicious dark unicorn is in store now, with a whole heap of options. Silks sold separately!

Its actually been a few days since I put these up in store, but I have been rather neglectful when it has come to posting things up here over the past few days. As always, life is busy - its just one thing after the next. Which is fairly good, when you actually think about it. It’s when things stop that things are a little screwy.

So, that said, lets pop the unicorns to the side for today (some silks have also been released - you know how to get to my store to find them). I’m going to tell you a little about something I’ve started a’brewing. The grid is currently swept from every direction with hunt-mania. There are dozens upon dozens of hunts, both gridwide and store-centric, with everyone getting in on them. I, like many others, am just plain hunted out. I’m almost sick of seeing notices popping up saying ‘hunt hunt hunt’.

Please don’t get me wrong - I actually like hunts. They are a fantastic way to bring people to your store and get them to cam all around, while offering some brilliant prizes in the mix. I absolutely pride myself on the hunts that I put together for Sanu. However, I’ve reached my hunt saturation point.

I so incredibly appreciate the offerings put forth by the wonderful and generous designers who are offering their time and effort in producing goods which will be offered for free or close to it during the duration of a hunt. But I’ve had enough. Places take forever to rez as it is, and with gridwides being as they are, you’re often faced with hundreds of stores to attend, and in many cases you have to cam around for a while to find what you need to progress to the next one. I’ve had enough.

I’m doing a gridwide with a difference. Its not a hunt - its an anti-hunt. Gifts are going to be made very, very easy and obvious to find, and you get a cheat-sheet from the start listing all the stores participating and the location of their prize. The goal of this event is not to increase traffic at a store, but to get objects into people’s inventories which will absolutely make them want to revisit the stores they got them from.

To me, the quality of the prize or gift has always been key. The same goes for freebies. Yes, you can offer a million freebies, but you don’t just want someone stopping in at your store to pick something up, never to wear it over once the day is through - you want them to come back, again and again. A freebie should not just be something you aren’t willing to put up for sale because it’s not good enough: it’s like a sample at the supermarket. They don’t give you last week’s stock when they give you a taste test, they give you a bit of the best, so that you’re urged to buy the full product when you go down to the deli section.

Anyhow. More information is currently available in the Sanu group, for those who are interested. I’ll be popping together a site (either an offshoot of here, or somewhere new entirely) with solid information once plans are more refined, with lists of participating vendors and so forth.

Phew! Time for bed!

Update and Sanu: Another new hair… and integration.

Published
by
admin
on April 3, 2009
in Announcements, Digital, Sanu Stuff and second life
. 0 Comments
Sanu Stuff: Another new hair style, Anayla. Slim and refined at the front with an elegant piled look at the back.

Another hair is up at the store, the Anayla. I could write about it, but pictures really do say what words cannot. Anyhow, that is not the main reason I am writing this post.

Although I know it is going to be some measure of work, I have decided to integrate the Sanu and regular photostreams. Since the creation of the Sanu flickr account, my main one has sat relatively untouched. Since I have made moves to integrate both Sanu and art related things into the one blog, I’ve also decided to do so with the flickr accounts. For that matter, I’ve decided to start actually using the account for my artistic stuff, which is something I have neglected to do for quite some time. Sooooo… expect me to start putting my blog images onto the account. It’ll take a while, but it’ll get there! I’m going to start from day one, and just see it all the way through.

On that note, the old Sanu account will remain active and I will not be pulling down the images from that account to put them on the new one. Not at this point, in any case. Phew! That’s all for now. Please update your contacts and start checking out the new stream! The button to the right will now take you directly to the Kat Johnston/Sanura Sakai stream… no need to look up the separate addy for Sanu.

Sanu: Never say that big things can’t happen in a micro-economy.

Published
by
admin
on April 2, 2009
in Digital, Interesting Links, Sanu Stuff and second life
. 0 Comments
Sanu Stuff: Yes, that's right, I like melon. So much so that I made a kitty-hat out of it and dyed my hair pink. Mmmm, yum!

Relay for Life (Australian link) is an organization raising funds for cancer research. Under the banner of the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life also steps out of the real world and into the second to raise real cash.

Each year, Relay for Life takes over Second Life, with hundreds upon hundreds of volunteers pouring their efforts into raising money to go towards the charity - donating items, holding events and offering donation points wherever the eye can see. Raising a mere $5000 or so back when they entered the Second Life Universe in 2005, it took only until 2007 for that number to grow exponentially to $117,000 (source). Each year, the efforts of volunteers have risen dramatically as more and more people get involved.

This year, things kicked off with a clothing fair which, within that week alone, raised approximately L$4,500,000 to go towards the charity: that’s about US$16,698 in real terms (source). The site for Relay for Life of Second Life is currently down due to technical issues, so I cannot give an exact current running total for this year at this point. However I have been told that so far it is in the region of approximately L$14,000,000 so far, cresting US$50,000.

Sanu Stuff: I also like apples... and blue. It seems a good match, doesn't it?

So where does all this fit in with these pictures? Why am I telling you about this organization? Because these are my offerings for Relay for Life. Donation vendors, where people must donate a certain amount to receive a thank-you item, are set up by content creators all across the grid as their way to get involved. Now I’m one of them. These two fun hairs require a donation of L$150 to purchase, with all funds donated going directly to the American Cancer Society.

It might be a little thing I am doing - but put it together with all the thousands of people who are donating their items, buying things in support, holding fund-raisers and so forth. Relay for Life of Second Life: proving that lots of little things make big things happen.

Sanu: Hair… its a Second Life addiction.

Published
by
admin
on April 1, 2009
in Digital, Interesting Links, Sanu Stuff and second life
. 0 Comments
Sanu Stuff: Hair is wonderful stuff... especially in Second Life, where you don't actually have to style it yourself. Unless you are crazy like me, that is.

Hair. We all seem obsessed with it, whether in the ‘real’ world, or the next. I love my real hair, even if it is a right pain at times. It’s been about as many colours in this world as it has in the second, from green to blue to pink with purple leopard spots and everywhere inbetween.

There are some things I said I wouldn’t make in Second Life, but slowly the list has been getting shorter. I said I wouldn’t do big builds, yet I’ve done castles. I said no shoes, yet I’ve now released one pair and have another sitting in my inventory waiting for me to do signage for it. I even said no hair. Yet here we are.

I’ve finally tackled the beast that is hair and this is the result. An elegant knot low on the neck, it’s certainly an elaborate style: I don’t seem to be capable of doing things by halves in cases like these. With the endless possibilities that are available in Second Life, how can I not play with all the things I can do with it? It is a fantasy world, after all!

Unlike my jewelry, which I have sworn will not be named after people, I’m changing that for hair. This one has been named after a good friend of mine who has been supporting my store since almost day one. Abra Exonar was the first person I’d known to have blogged my jewelry back when I had my first seasonal dollarbie in October of last year… back when I had about half a dozen products and that was it. The store has come such a long way since then!

In case you were curious, Abra has her own blog too, so if you are into Second Life fashion, I suggest you check it out.

Sanu: Pro-unicorns vs Anti-unicorns… Unicorns win.

Published
by
admin
on March 30, 2009
in 'The Hubby', Digital, Sanu Stuff and second life
. 5 Comments

Sanu Stuff: Cuppy unicorns... seriously... where do I come up with these ideas?
I hope to the lord above that I’m not committing career suicide by posting this… but my hubby talked me into it!

Second Life is a fascinating place - so many things go on that get no further than a chat with friends over drinks otherwise. I’m not sure if I’m normal in this respect, but ‘pro-unicorn vs anti-unicorn’ is something that I and my friends could happily discuss for a good while… it comes under the same banner as the discussions we sometimes have regarding something like the morality of being with a werewolf - theoretical, but fun. Thing is, in Second Life, there actually are unicorns. And werewolves, for that matter.They’ve even gotten some bad rap in mainstream news some time back - controversy regarding the acquisition of baby unicorns in Second Life if you’re so urged to look it up. Anyhow, back on topic…

A particular shopping district, the Starlust Motel, is currently having a heated debate - and it’s spreading. All over the grid, people are choosing sides, forming factions… in some cases, its all out warfare. I’ve picked my side. Super fun sparkle ponies (with horns) rule - so there! The hubby, on the other hand, is distinctly anti-unicorn. He’s all for the tyrannosaurus, which according to him is the natural enemy of the unicorn. I can see it from both sides, however, for now, I’m going with the unicorns until someone convinces me otherwise or I have the unresistable desire to do up some anti-unicorn propaganda to brainwash the masses too.

As a result, I made a whole set to celebrate unicornyness! Top to toe, all you have to add is hair, skin and eyes… perhaps some clothes if the cream-puffs don’t do it for you… lets face it, they are rather, uhhh, revealing.

So… I guess the real question is… which way do you swing? Pro-unicorn, or anti-unicorn?

That’s all for today, folks!

Sanu: Ice-cream is out, cuppy-cakes are in.

Published
by
admin
on March 29, 2009
in Digital, Sanu Stuff and second life
. 1 Comment
Sanu stuff: Cuppy-cakes are the new ice-cream.

You know, I’ve had my ice-cream obsession… its had a good run… and I am certain to return to it in the fairly near future. However, I’m currently taking a break from it and refocusing on another awesome food-group… cuppies!

I recently did three batches of cupcakes for my husband’s birthday, decorating them with little fondant pacmen to give them the geekish flair they so desperately needed. Both he and I are geeks at heart, as are a good majority of our friends, so they went down great. With that baking of cupcakes, and with Shep’s release of a lucky cupcake item, it was time for a change: ice-creams are out for the moment, cupcakes are in.

I’ve been madly making cupcake items like you wouldn’t believe. The above item is just one of a plethora of items now available in store for the cuppy fans: 50 new cupcake fish in the 7seas custom prize server, 72 cuppies in a lucky dip style lucky-cuppy, and even a cuppy head covering in the group archives for those situations when 172 prim hair just isn’t going to cut it. Hell, there’s even a cupcake skirt and pasties in the group archives.

And there’s more on the way. Keep an eye out for more cuppy items coming soon!

Sanu: Adventure Quest - Hunt on the High Seas.

Published
by
admin
on March 26, 2009
in Digital, Sanu Stuff and second life
. 0 Comments
Sanu stuff: the promotional signage for the Adventure Quest hunt. Yay!

Argh, I have been ill ill ill, and it hasn’t been pretty. Coughing and hacking, sniffling and sighing: I really don’t take well to having the flu. On the upside, I’m starting to feel somewhat human again, which is rather a blessing indeed.

In celebration of feeling human again, I finally sat down and mucked out another quest for Sanu. Those who know of my hunts, know that I like to give them a bit of a narrative to make the hunt more interesting. As has been the tradition, this story links into those that have gone before it - this time, it goes into a story about Chloe, the wife of Pip (the star of our first adventure) and mother to Hamish (star of the second). The hunt will run through to the 14th of April, with full instructions available at the store. So, without further ado, let me give you the first part of Adventure Quest: Hunt on the High Seas.

Little Juniper was the tinest bunny of the litter, and the youngest besides. Indeed, it was for this reason that she would spend her evenings sitting below the bush that carefully hid the entrance to the warren and sigh with wistful abandon. All the other bunnies were larger, stronger, and more athletic - she just didn’t feel special by comparison.

One evening, her grandfather spied the young doe by the doorway, shuffling across to sit down beside her. “Good eve, little Juniper.”

Juniper sighed. “Hello Grandpapa Pip.”

Grandpapa Pip was saddened by the folorn nature of his young kinsfellow. All knew of Juniper’s feelings, but even the encouragement of her esteemed father or all of her brothers and sisters seemed to do little to make her smile. Grandpapa Pip thought he might know just the thing. A story.

“You know, Junie, it doesn’t always pay to be the strongest, or the biggest. There was once another young bunny, very much like you who didn’t need any of those things to achieve great things.”

Juniper stirred from her thoughts, showing a curiousity none had seen out of her for weeks. “Who? Who, Grandpapa?”

Grandpapa smiled, patting his lap. Juniper scrambled up and settled herself within his warm, comforting embrace.

“Her name was Chloe - your Grandmama. It was soon after we had our firstborn, your Da Hamish.”

Juniper gasped in surprise. Her very own Grandmama? But how?

“The sun had just slipped below the horizon when a messenger flew into the entrance of the very warren we sit in now. With chest heaving, he delivered a message: the keys to the sacred jewels belonging to the rabbit king of the next dale over had been stolen: and by pirates, no less. He offered bountiful rewards for any who could return them.”

Juniper bounced in Grandpapa’s lap. “You mean she found them? She found the keys? What happened, Grandpapa?”

“Well, Chloe and I had just had your Da, but what the King of the Dale asks for, he must receive. The messenger came for us, for the King knew of my adventures before. I, however, could not leave: I’d broken my paw only a week before - it lay completely useless. Your Grandmama, however, could search for them.”

Grandpapa Pip paused for just a moment. Juniper’s eyes shone brightly as she waited expectantly for him to continue.

“Chloe packed herself a basket, with a few things she thought she needed, and she set out from the warren, leaving me home to tend to our newborn. She first set out for the cherry tree, within sight of our home.”

Chloe’s adventure had begun.