A New Look for Shengri La OpenSim

The very first thing that our visitors to our corporate OpenSim islands want to do is customize their avatar, if for no other reason than to get rid of default Ruth.  That can turn out to burn the clock, which is costly when we are actually trying to get substantive work accomplished.  To help reduce the delay, we have created a pair of new default avatars, Jane and John. 

Jane and John are both corporate avatars, with a gravitas appropriate to the work we are doing in our OpenSim islands.  Jane is a 40-something exec in a jacket and dress with very nice heels and an updo; John is a 40-something exec in a suit with prim captoe shoes and a corporate hair cut.  Both are appropriately dressed for a business meeting, and if visitors to Shengri La OpenSim feel a need to further embellish, they can find a range of corporate clothing and a change of hair styles already in their inventory.

Shengri La OpenSim female default avatar Jane

Shengri La OpenSim default female avatar Jane

Shengri La OpenSim default male avatar John

Shengri La OpenSim default male avatar John

Rescheduled Ode Hunt for Wednesday, January 21, 5 pm SLT

Courtesty of SL’s bumps and pains over the past weekend, the second Ode butterfly hunt has been rescheduled for this Wednesday, January 21, at 5 pm SLT. Join us on the lovely islands of Shengri La for the only five sim Ode butterfly hunt. With any luck, the grid will cooperate and we can all hunt butterflies! See you there!

Designer Tiffy Vella Welcomed into the Emerging Avatar Apparel Designer Program

The Fashion Research Institute is pleased to welcome Miss Tiffy Vella into the Emerging Avatar Apparel Designer Program on the scenic Shengri La islands.  Miss Vella joins other talented designers with her unique take on historically inspired jewelry.  Please visit Shengri La to purchase Miss Vella’s work.

Tiffy Vella, creator of Eclectica Jewellery
Invited into the Shengri La Vintage Marketplace on January 6, 2009

I first rezzed into SL on March 23, 2007. I make prim jewellery. The name of my jewellery line is Eclectica. My style is very eclectic, hence my name, Eclectica. I do love vintage adornment, so draw upon Art Deco (love Erte), The Arts and Crafts Movement (love Frank Lloyd Wright) and Art Nouveau (love Mucha). However all work is original and is a product of sl, born from sl conditions and techniques. I love to produce sets that allow flexible options, often including several earring styles, or pieces that can be worn on other parts of the body. They are all pieces that I have created for my own use first, and if they aren’t enjoyable to wear, they never reach the shop. So far, I have belonged to the field of virtual jewellery, but will branch into complimentary areas soon…. I’ve listed some rl artistic inspirations. Another inspiration is the strong sense I get from the SL world and it’s human community, and the need we all have to find our niche, add our layer to the artistic/intellectual diversity. What do I love most about SL? Too much to list. I love the equal opportunity we have to find our place here. And shoes, in both universes. I’m a total Imelda.

Ode Hunts in the islands of Shengri La

We’re moving our usually scheduled Ode hunts to the 18th this month.  Our two monthly Ode hunts will be held on Sunday, January 18th at the usual times, 7 am and 5 pm slt. 

Please note to our loyal Ode hunters that the sims will be closed and locked an hour prior to each hunt to reset the sims and allow the butterfly handler to release the butterflies.  The islands close at 6 am, and at 4 pm slt. Anyone on the islands at this time will be asked to leave.  The islands will reopen, promptly at 7 am and at 5 pm. 

We hope you will join us for the only 5-island Ode hunt on the grid.  New users of Second Life in particular will find this a good opportunity to learn to move, cam, and generally engage with a sometimes confusing interface – and be rewarded with lovely pieces of jewelry for their efforts!

See you in Shengri La!

Emerging Designers Wollemia Sands and Yoona Mayo

The Fashion Research Institiute is pleased to announce the invitation of Wollemia Sands and Yoona Mayo into the Emerging Avatar Apparel Designer Program on Shengri La. 

Designer Profile: Wollemia Sands. invited into the Shengri La Vintage Marketplace on November 10, 2008

I rezzed into SL on July 21, 2007.   The name of my fashion line is Bull & Bear and consists of apparel that is targeted to the businesswoman who is seeking finely tailored career wear.  My vision for Bull & Bear is to continually expand the line and evolve it alongside the transformations of virtual worlds.  I find Second Life to be incredibly inspiring but I am particularly inspired by the freedom to create and to own the IP (intellectual property) in Second Life.  In real life, I love creating designs and artwork which are inspired by nature and great artists. I learned fashion design when I was younger and had worked in garment manufacturing. Then I studied IT and humanities subjects in University and worked in IT. After that,  I had the pleasure of learning pottery and make things in clay.  My current studies and work  as a Master of Fine Art candidate have inspired me to make artwork and fashion in 3D virtual worlds!   I hope that my Bull & Bear creations enhance experiences of cross realities in virtual worlds and also can become functional physical world productions.  And I am very excited by and very happy for the opportunity to have my creations included in the Shengri La Vintage Marketplace for six months!

 

Designer Profile: Yoona Mayo, invited into the Shengri La Vintage Marketplace December 12, 2008

Thank you very much for inviting me to the Shengri La Vintage Marketplace.  This is a wonderful opportunity for me.  I rezzed in SL on July 14, 2007.   My jewelry line is called Cocoon.  SL is the world where the thing that I want to make can be made. I can make imaginary shapes in SL, although there is a little restriction. I want to design a unique, beautiful shape and make accessories that actually exist.  I want to be always original…I am bearing it in mind although it is the most difficult to do, an original design.  I think that it is important to add individuality from the hint to the design because the hint  is received from various information.  I am delighted when my friend is pleased when accessories are presented.  Friend’s impression and opinion of accessories become hints of the following work.  The hint is very important for me.  My enjoyment in SL  is to make accessories. Prim’s transformation is difficult, and it is difficult to reflect my idea in accessories when there is upper limit of the number of Prim.  However, I get excited very much when my image was able to be reflected in  accessories under such situations.  Another enjoyment is a conversation with my friends. I often obtain  ideas and hints of the following work from the conversation with my friends.