Oct
16
Well, first off, I DID get a tablet PC, a really GREAT one so far, but that’s information for another time. For now, I want to talk about me hopefully getting seriously back into designing for SL. Over all of this time I’ve been working on improving my visionary prim skills (it IS hard, but I’m getting a lot better), making new hair textures, and updating my texture changing script. I’ve also been experimenting with some other things, but I don’t want to jinx anything so I’ll keep it a secret for now.
I’ve also started work on remodeling my store for two reasons:
1. I needed a build that uses less prims
2. I’m rebranding
ShH! is nice, but it’s had some unwanted results. Plus I just got a little tired of it rather quickly. I think I’ve come up with something I wouldn’t mind using for all of eternity. <3 You’ll have to wait ’til I actually open it to know what it is though.
So far, the building shell itself is about half of what my current store is, so that’s an improvement right there! Oddly enough, it also seems a bit bigger, though I think it might be a little bigger, it’s about that same size as what I have now. I may use the extra prims to enhance the over all atmosphere and shopping experience, or I might use it for product space. xD
I’m also taking out the eye section and I’ll eventually give them their own store on my land in Peronaut. I may eventually move out all body related content and make my Linji shop a hair-and-accessories only store, but that’s only if I completely run out of space for new hair. I’m also not sure if I’m going to keep the skins in the store or not. I might, I might not. They’re pretty EMBARRASSING, at least I think so, so they may be available only in rental stores and not in the main store.
Anyway, that’s all for now! Time for me to take a break and have some fun.
Oct
3
…that has already been answered! Ever since a friend told me about Wacom tablets and my first visit to their website of delicious tools-of-the-trade, I’ve been secretly lusting for the ability to draw right on my computer screen. Well, it’s been about 7 years since then, and now that I can actually afford one, I have a big dilemma! Which one should I get? I’ve been researching and I think I’m nearing a decision. While I would LOVE to get a somewhat matching-with-my-laptop HP tx1000z, the screen does NOT support pressure sensitivity, which for my purposes is a MUST. I’m not sure why anyone would spend over $1,000 just to write love letters and take notes… even if you’re a photographer I’d think a little pressure sensitivity would be nice, right? If you’re going to spend, do it right. Anyway, I’m currently looking at a Toshiba or Gateway.. either of the two seem to have a pretty large display and resolution… of course that means smaller print, but why would I be reading while I’m drawing?
Another plus, I think, is that the tablets I’m looking at are convertible. When I need to check the internet or something that requires a keyboard and my laptop’s not handy, I can just turn the screen around. How nice!
Anyway, I’ll let you know when I do make a decision. I need to go mail a package now. o:
Sep
3
You may or may not have noticed my ‘mysterious absence.’ Well, school started, for one thing. Another is that I’ve been perfecting textures for days in between homework and trying to have a little fun with some old friends.. I’ve taken note that pretty much ever since I joined IMVU, I’ve been a complete work-a-holic. Even during the summer, I pretty much worked on stuff from the time I woke up ’til the time I went to bed. While I love love love what I do and enjoy it very much, it’s probably not all that healthy. xD I have a few other reason for slowing things down, but honestly, they are none of anyone’s business but mine and the people directly involved. Anyway, I have a short paper to write so I’m gonna go try to do that now, okay? Hopefully, by next week I’ll have my SL hair script rewritten for the new textures and I’ll start to make new releases. o: I’m going for like 3 new hairstyles per week, 5 if it’s a good week. If I make just one on every off day I have from school, I might be able to do 2 more on weekends or something.
Anyway yeah. >> Bye for now. xD I’ll try to write more often.
Aug
21
Hello from Windows Vista.
I just got my new laptop, yay. Just in time for school to start tomorrow. The awesome part is that it’s way thinner and lighter than my old one, but it’s still able to handle my abuse… Well, it should be able to anyway, lol. Well, it’s late, since I have to go back to school tomorrow, so I’m going to log off for now. I just wanted to mention that I’ve FINALLY finished my skins and go t them in the shop, and I also have a new goal of releasing at least three new hairstyles every week, in SL that is. I’m not sure when I’ll start the releasing, but I’ve started the building. I’m working on new textures and I have a survey floating around with some free hair in some example textures. Hopefully I’ll be able to make a decision within the next week or two. It would be nice to have things selling again. xD Even nicer to be building things! I’m really happy because I’ve miraculously developed a better eye for translating real hair into prims, so the stuff I’m coming up with has improved in quality greatly, I believe.
Also, I probably won’t be working on IMVU that much now, at least until I can sell off a majority of these credits. Sorry to everyone, but in my current situation and IMVU’s current state, it’s kind of not worth my time at the moment. If you want to help out, buy credits from me or CDG. I am not sure where I stand with nitro right now and how his business is holding up under the pressure, though the forums are pretty dead these days. =/
Aug
16
It’s been a loooooong time since I’ve posted anything, about 2 weeks, but that’s just because I’ve been BUSY! I’m still working right now, but I’m almost ready to put my skins up for sale. All I need to do now is upload demos (yikes!) and finish up the “try a demo” graphics.. and upload those too… Then I’ve got to pack the demos into a skin, box them up, and then I’ll be done! Hopefully I’ll be ready by tomorrow so I can make an official FashCon announcement.
OH, btw, I’ve named this skin collection FLAIR.
They will be at ShH! and some random rental locations for 600L per skin, 1800L for a 4our skin pack.
Aug
1
I was really bored, and I had taken some pics to ask people for an opinion on part of my skins.. and so I ended up making a little teaser poster. I’m not going to put it up in the shop until I get the template EXACTLY as I want it first, and then start working on the make up, not to mention that the image isn’t the right size since I didn’t take the screenshot are the proper size for what I want. xD I could always chop bits though, so we’ll see. Plus, I don’t even know what to call this skin line, lol. Knowing me, I’ll have tons of time to think about that, though I would like to get these out sometime before school starts (Aug. 20 =/ ) Only 19 days to do, if you don’t count today. I’m really sad. =/ On a happier note, I really liek this theme I came up with, and I may change all my images to this format. o: It’s sort of mechadollie-ish in a way; the border, the transparent strip with side text. Overall, I like it a lot.
I plan on releasing the skin line for IMVU with the September release of Trend Magazine, an online fashion mag for IMVU that I plan on supporting all the way~ The art work for the magazine can sometimes be hard to read with text, but it’s AMAZING and they only get better with each release! Hopefully I’ll make the advertising deadline and with the release of the magazine will be a full page ad for the new skins! Yay. Maybe I can sneak in some male skins with the help of BFF Tristan. xD
Jul
31
That, everyone, is proof that anything can be done. If I can get at least THAT far on something, anything is possible. Say hello to my very first started-from-scratch skin. It’s also what I’ve been working on for the last few days. This is mostly photo-sourced, since I definitely am not at a point to actually PAINT a skin (but I’m getting there, I think). The make up and certain high and lowlights will be/are painted on though. YAY congrats to me. While I originally started this skin way back around March or April, I’ve finally gotten around to finishing it. I had a lot of set backs, but without the set backs, I don’t think I would have been able to paint the lips at all. At least not to the degree of omg-wowness that I’ve done them at. SL really does textures NO justice at all, so I’ll point a close up and watermarked sample of the actual texture later, most likely when I finish working on the upper lip.
You’ll probably also notice that it looks a lot like the lipstick I always use on IMVU/SL… Well, it really wasn’t intended to be this way, but that’s just how it worked out, I guess. When I first got on IMVU, I wanted to make a skin with lips this color and this type of shading.. I tried but I couldn’t, so I gave up. Then later on while I was shopping I found Starley’s skins and I was like “omg this is exactly what I’ve always wanted.” Ever since, I’ve been completely SPOILED. I think I’m going to shake a heads up at Starley though, because now that I actually look at them side-by-side they do look alike. I don’t want anyone to think I copied her or anyone else. After working for like 4 months on and off, and spending part of yesterday and a good hefty chunk of today one *just* the lips, I really don’t need that.
By the way, ignore the eye make up. I haven’t gotten to it yet and I’m just marking stuff out. I’m thinking of even changing the eyebrows too. Maybe I’ll offer different eyebrow options. Overall, I’m really really happy with it, and it’s not even done yet, lol. It’s very rare that I envision something and it looks as good as or even better than I imagined.
Anyway, it’s time for bed. o: Though I’m not really sure if I’ll be able to sleep; I’m so excited about finish the make up template and finally making some awesome make ups for the skins… but first I’ve gotta do some boring things like patch up a couple seams and finish the hands. Oh, I forgot to mention: with luck, you’ll definitely see these make ups in IMVU! I’ve been waiting so long for this moment. <3 I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, lol.