So far, I've only posted closeup shots of the new Entice update.
I reworked the stomach today, so now I've taken some full body shots. I still have to tweak the lower stomach a bit, but the seams are done! It was a last minute decision to redo the stomach, but I know that if I just can't shake the feeling that I should change it, that I definitely should change it.
I'm sure there'll be more smaller tweaks in the next week.
Ramble, it's late, shush.
I also took this as an opportunity to compare the current Entice (2.0) to the up and coming 3.0. What a difference! o.O
I reworked the stomach today, so now I've taken some full body shots. I still have to tweak the lower stomach a bit, but the seams are done! It was a last minute decision to redo the stomach, but I know that if I just can't shake the feeling that I should change it, that I definitely should change it.
I'm sure there'll be more smaller tweaks in the next week.
Ramble, it's late, shush.
I also took this as an opportunity to compare the current Entice (2.0) to the up and coming 3.0. What a difference! o.O
2.0
3.0 in progress
I think I'm slowly getting there!
Most of everything is finished. I'm going on to the tweaking stage. This is a bit of a relief, because it means the bulk of the rework is done and I can be lazy and picky without fretting over technical things.
Does that make any sense? Not sure. Seemed like it! :P
More work on the face and body today. I reworked the clavicle/tendons, which is one of those "I'm not sure" areas because it's a very integral area that I feel is noticed more often. The eyebrows are another area of discontent for me. I hate the way SL handles eyebrows and their positions... the outer brow is pretty much glued in place and sliders generally only affect the inner brow. So I can either make short eyebrows that SEEM to move better, or long ones like in the picture.
I may keep these eyebrows and just adjust the outer brow shape so it looks more curved.
Oh yeah, picture.... This is one of the new "drama" makeups which has that faux eyelash look built into it. Same WL settings as last time.
I may be sending out a test skin to a few people for feedback. I can't promise I'll implement anything suggested, but I definitely will listen and take it into consideration.
skin: duh, Nora Entice 3.0 test skin, Champagne
eyes: Nora Gaze
hair: ETD
top: pixeldolls
Most of everything is finished. I'm going on to the tweaking stage. This is a bit of a relief, because it means the bulk of the rework is done and I can be lazy and picky without fretting over technical things.
Does that make any sense? Not sure. Seemed like it! :P
More work on the face and body today. I reworked the clavicle/tendons, which is one of those "I'm not sure" areas because it's a very integral area that I feel is noticed more often. The eyebrows are another area of discontent for me. I hate the way SL handles eyebrows and their positions... the outer brow is pretty much glued in place and sliders generally only affect the inner brow. So I can either make short eyebrows that SEEM to move better, or long ones like in the picture.
I may keep these eyebrows and just adjust the outer brow shape so it looks more curved.
Oh yeah, picture.... This is one of the new "drama" makeups which has that faux eyelash look built into it. Same WL settings as last time.
I may be sending out a test skin to a few people for feedback. I can't promise I'll implement anything suggested, but I definitely will listen and take it into consideration.skin: duh, Nora Entice 3.0 test skin, Champagne
eyes: Nora Gaze
hair: ETD
top: pixeldolls
AGH.
I can't stop working on it!
Okay okay okay. Okay.
I spent more time on the face today, and I have it just about where I want it. Faces aren't hard, but I can end up spending SO much time on them if I let myself. Just a smudge here, or there.... and I notice everything. EVERYTHING. The tiniest change. Plus, some of the mapping in the face can be wonky here and there.
In any case, I made this shot to show off the new chest and neck. I personally love the new bewbs. This is taken with WL settings and NOT total-ambience. I'm not sure it'd be fair to take ambience shots when WL is going to do its thing regardless.
I have no real ETA on this one. I mean, it'll be done when it's done. I'm like the Blizzard of skins, I just can't churn them out. I'll also be revamping the makeups, so that'll add on more time. I suspect 2-3 months. I'll work on it again next week... small breaks between help me notice stuff I didn't notice before.
Woo!
I can't stop working on it!
Okay okay okay. Okay.
I spent more time on the face today, and I have it just about where I want it. Faces aren't hard, but I can end up spending SO much time on them if I let myself. Just a smudge here, or there.... and I notice everything. EVERYTHING. The tiniest change. Plus, some of the mapping in the face can be wonky here and there.
In any case, I made this shot to show off the new chest and neck. I personally love the new bewbs. This is taken with WL settings and NOT total-ambience. I'm not sure it'd be fair to take ambience shots when WL is going to do its thing regardless.I have no real ETA on this one. I mean, it'll be done when it's done. I'm like the Blizzard of skins, I just can't churn them out. I'll also be revamping the makeups, so that'll add on more time. I suspect 2-3 months. I'll work on it again next week... small breaks between help me notice stuff I didn't notice before.
Woo!
April of last year brought to the Grid, Entice 2.0. Entice debuted about 2 years ago, so it isn't a new skin. Some skin shoppes make it a point to offer many different "human" skins with different features and such. I find this to be hard to do for me. I guess one reason is I don't photo-source my skins. I DO use photos for references on some areas, but I don't build textures out of photos. I've done it before, but it's not my goal with Nora to offer realistic skins.
I'm digressing though. I was tempted to make a whole new skin instead of updating Entice(for women), but in the long run I think that offering one or two specific looking skins is what I'd rather continue doing at Nora; to maintain a style that is in line with what I offer and that isn't lost in a bevy of choices. So I decided to update Entice to 3.0. It will be a couple of months before it goes live, because I finish it and take all new product shots. I hate that last part, but whatever, necessary evil. It'll give me a chance to rearrange some of the makeups I have now into more logical choices. I'd like to make a whole pack or two of freckle-skins, for instance.
3.0 is a logical step for Entice - as a skin-designer that works at her own pace, I do learn and after staring at a skin for a year, you begin to think "You know, I could touch that up a bit". I hate the current Entice mouth, for instance. I sometimes wonder what the heck I was thinking when I did it. I'm so self-critical! :P It also gives me a chance to incorporate some of the more popular skin "features" these days. Like defining the sternomastoids (read: neck tendons) above the clavicle a bit. I could ramble on. Suffice it to say, though, I can't guarantee everyone will like the new update. It has to be done though, from a product standpoint.
Anyway, with Windlight on the horizon and being an inevitable evil, this is a good time to re-evaluate Entice for an update. WL is changing the way skins look and it can't be avoided. I spent the last few days tweaking some parts, already. I work in "Champagne" by default so that's the only preview I have to offer right now. And, yes, this shot is taken with Windlight settings, instead of my high-ambience-no-shadows setup.
I'm digressing though. I was tempted to make a whole new skin instead of updating Entice(for women), but in the long run I think that offering one or two specific looking skins is what I'd rather continue doing at Nora; to maintain a style that is in line with what I offer and that isn't lost in a bevy of choices. So I decided to update Entice to 3.0. It will be a couple of months before it goes live, because I finish it and take all new product shots. I hate that last part, but whatever, necessary evil. It'll give me a chance to rearrange some of the makeups I have now into more logical choices. I'd like to make a whole pack or two of freckle-skins, for instance.
3.0 is a logical step for Entice - as a skin-designer that works at her own pace, I do learn and after staring at a skin for a year, you begin to think "You know, I could touch that up a bit". I hate the current Entice mouth, for instance. I sometimes wonder what the heck I was thinking when I did it. I'm so self-critical! :P It also gives me a chance to incorporate some of the more popular skin "features" these days. Like defining the sternomastoids (read: neck tendons) above the clavicle a bit. I could ramble on. Suffice it to say, though, I can't guarantee everyone will like the new update. It has to be done though, from a product standpoint.
Anyway, with Windlight on the horizon and being an inevitable evil, this is a good time to re-evaluate Entice for an update. WL is changing the way skins look and it can't be avoided. I spent the last few days tweaking some parts, already. I work in "Champagne" by default so that's the only preview I have to offer right now. And, yes, this shot is taken with Windlight settings, instead of my high-ambience-no-shadows setup.
Nora Appreciation Week has come and gone.
I wanted to announce the winners on Sunday, and I had more things planned, but I've been having a string of some kind of sinus headache attacks since Friday night. Guh, if it isn't my ISP, it's Nature trying to drag me down! So, I apologize for the delay.
I will STILL be introducing a new set of makeup that was planned for NAW, but it'll just be a bit after the fact. Better late than never, right?
In any case, the winners of the NAW '08 contest are:
I wanted to announce the winners on Sunday, and I had more things planned, but I've been having a string of some kind of sinus headache attacks since Friday night. Guh, if it isn't my ISP, it's Nature trying to drag me down! So, I apologize for the delay.
I will STILL be introducing a new set of makeup that was planned for NAW, but it'll just be a bit after the fact. Better late than never, right?
In any case, the winners of the NAW '08 contest are:
Katiroth Paravane
Bex Hathaway
Cerise Spyker
Scarlet Dallagio
The entries were all so great that I bumped all the prizes up and all non-winning entrants received a $1000 Nora Store Card. I really appreciate the effort everyone went to for this. I hope to do this again next year! (provided SL doesn't blow up!)
I hope to have the "Faces of Nora" exhibit up and running in the next few weeks - if you'd like to be included, just send me a photo of yourself wearing your Nora skin!
I hope to have the "Faces of Nora" exhibit up and running in the next few weeks - if you'd like to be included, just send me a photo of yourself wearing your Nora skin!
Today is the beginning of Nora Appreciation Week!
This means that there will be 50% off sales all week long, every day up until next Monday! I've sent the notice out for today, and the corresponding gift. If you're already a part of the Nora group - you'll get the lowdown on what's going on today as far as sales.
If you aren't, drop by my store in Glenn to see what all this Nora stuff is about!
Remember, entries for the contest are due on Friday!
This means that there will be 50% off sales all week long, every day up until next Monday! I've sent the notice out for today, and the corresponding gift. If you're already a part of the Nora group - you'll get the lowdown on what's going on today as far as sales.
If you aren't, drop by my store in Glenn to see what all this Nora stuff is about!
Remember, entries for the contest are due on Friday!
Woot!
Don't forget!
All you sales lovers, skin lovers, skin sales lovers... I know you're out there!
Next Monday starts Nora Appreciation Week. This means there will be skin sales all week long! Nora group members will receive special freebies as well as future product-freebies. There's a contest as well! That is, if I get any entries. :)
If you'd like to find out more, just head to THIS and read over the Nora Appreciation Week details. The contest doesn't take too much effort either. All non-winning entrants will receive a gift card too. All entries are due April 18th.
Thanks!
All you sales lovers, skin lovers, skin sales lovers... I know you're out there!
Next Monday starts Nora Appreciation Week. This means there will be skin sales all week long! Nora group members will receive special freebies as well as future product-freebies. There's a contest as well! That is, if I get any entries. :)
If you'd like to find out more, just head to THIS and read over the Nora Appreciation Week details. The contest doesn't take too much effort either. All non-winning entrants will receive a gift card too. All entries are due April 18th.
Thanks!
The Dark Elf maiden returns to Nora after a long hiatus!
This new skin may be different than the original Nora Dark Elf skin, but it still packs a Dark Elven punch. Featuring the more traditional coal-colored tone, this skin features three makeups(more are already in the works!); Basic, Blood, and Prophecy. It's a great way to get to know your inner Dark Elf!
Each skin comes with a tintable pubic hair layer as well as a free pair of Elven Ears. (These ears will be made available separately, later this week!) There's also a shape available for sale!
This new skin may be different than the original Nora Dark Elf skin, but it still packs a Dark Elven punch. Featuring the more traditional coal-colored tone, this skin features three makeups(more are already in the works!); Basic, Blood, and Prophecy. It's a great way to get to know your inner Dark Elf!
Each skin comes with a tintable pubic hair layer as well as a free pair of Elven Ears. (These ears will be made available separately, later this week!) There's also a shape available for sale!
Another new set of Gaze optics is here with "Cat"! Who can resist those luscious feline eyes? Cat comes in 9 colors total, sold in packs of 3. Stop by to try a demo!
When it comes to SL™, I spend a lot of time working. Working involves uploading textures, creating new things, troubleshooting new things, shopping for business aides, updating vendors, taking snapshots for products, and helping customers... to name a few. I genuinely do not do much else on The Grid.
Occasionally, like last night, I'll pop over at an event or go tree shopping for my new Rosewood property. This is rare, however, in comparison to how much time I spend "working". It wasn't like this when I was younger to SL™.
Sure, I explored... I went to events... I met people(<3 Artillo)... I went shopping... I played games... but I dunno, I never felt enraptured until I created content. Maybe it's the artist in me; if I'm not creating, am I wasting time/life? I don't know. That's kind of cut and dry for my tastes.
For a while now, I've felt an old itch creeping up on me. It happens every time I listen to music or hear one of my favorite songs playing in an unexpected place. For a bit over 3 years, I was an internet DJ with an amazing, established group of Data Jockeys. I didn't necessarily stop DJing because I wanted to - it was the right decision at the time. I don't ever regret making it. Lately though, I miss it... a lot. It was a ton of fun for me to share my massive love for music with people every week. And especially people who also appreciated music as much as I do. I really loved interacting with listeners over just about anything!
Some have suggested I go back to DJing, but in SL™. Maybe I should, I'm not sure.. it would certainly be one of my top 3 favorite things to do, that I could do on The Grid. I wouldn't know where to start! I'm a personality, and while I know plenty about the technical side, I'm unsure that it would be useful to be a fly by night DJ with no real affiliation. Then, there's the whole legality thing too. The RIAA may suck - but they can shut someone down fast and in an ugly way.
Feh, I'm getting ahead of myself, I think!
Tomorrow - Dark Elf, for sure.
(god there I go working again!)
Occasionally, like last night, I'll pop over at an event or go tree shopping for my new Rosewood property. This is rare, however, in comparison to how much time I spend "working". It wasn't like this when I was younger to SL™.
(™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™rant™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™)
Sure, I explored... I went to events... I met people(<3 Artillo)... I went shopping... I played games... but I dunno, I never felt enraptured until I created content. Maybe it's the artist in me; if I'm not creating, am I wasting time/life? I don't know. That's kind of cut and dry for my tastes.
For a while now, I've felt an old itch creeping up on me. It happens every time I listen to music or hear one of my favorite songs playing in an unexpected place. For a bit over 3 years, I was an internet DJ with an amazing, established group of Data Jockeys. I didn't necessarily stop DJing because I wanted to - it was the right decision at the time. I don't ever regret making it. Lately though, I miss it... a lot. It was a ton of fun for me to share my massive love for music with people every week. And especially people who also appreciated music as much as I do. I really loved interacting with listeners over just about anything!
Some have suggested I go back to DJing, but in SL™. Maybe I should, I'm not sure.. it would certainly be one of my top 3 favorite things to do, that I could do on The Grid. I wouldn't know where to start! I'm a personality, and while I know plenty about the technical side, I'm unsure that it would be useful to be a fly by night DJ with no real affiliation. Then, there's the whole legality thing too. The RIAA may suck - but they can shut someone down fast and in an ugly way.
Feh, I'm getting ahead of myself, I think!
Tomorrow - Dark Elf, for sure.
(god there I go working again!)
This year will be Nora's 4th year of operation. I have "Nora
Appreciation Week" coming up on the 14th, so I thought I'd take a bit
to reminisce all the way back to Day One!Nora originally began as a fantasy-goth clothing store. One fateful day while visiting Le Cadre, during an event, yours truly met Kimmera Madison. Kimmera was a designer, herself, and she complimented me on my skin. My skin was my own - I had worked on it shortly after I began using SL. I spent all 250 of my starting Lindens trying to make it. So, you could say that from my first day, I was a skinner.
Anyway - Kimmera showed me some then-popular skins and what she didn't like about them... and then asked me to make her a skin. Thus it began! I made it to her liking and she was the Prototype for the first Nora skin. She did not mind that I would sell it in my own shop, which was kind of her!
This skin was essentially, 1.0 - it came in 7 skin tones, Vanilla, Caramel, Cocoa, Chocolate, Gothic Cream, Gothic Sky, and Gothic Lily. The skin was a bit too harsh all around, and the colors were somewhat too rich. I sure was proud at the time though! The biggest complaint I received about it was the stomach. Of course, I didn't have a lot of experience handpainting stomachs at the time. Heee!
You may actually recognize the makeup here - it was ripped long ago and spread around as "free". It's called Cherry Bomb. Back then I sold basic skins and then sold separate makeup texture files. It really was just a matter of time, as all thefts are in SL.
This was in 2004, sometime in the fall. I wouldn't be until 2005 that I'd redo the skin for a 2.0 release. ...
Continue reading Nora: A history of chick skins.
This week has been a long one! Second Life's issues have gotten worse when it comes to transactions. Some of you may have experienced these problems, and all I can say is "Sorry - it's SL's fault but I'm here to help rectify it!"
So, remember, if you experience STALE TRANSACTIONS or similar errors when purchasing, don't keep trying to purchase it - just IM me and I'll verify the transaction and send you the item you wanted. It's becoming a real pain, even for me since I now rent a plot for Nora. I haven't been able to pay rent reliably for days now.
Sigh.
In any case - just remember it's Second Life and not my vendors or me or some conspiracy out to get you.
Onto a happier note! Coming soon...
(Vanessa hair by Mirada)
So, remember, if you experience STALE TRANSACTIONS or similar errors when purchasing, don't keep trying to purchase it - just IM me and I'll verify the transaction and send you the item you wanted. It's becoming a real pain, even for me since I now rent a plot for Nora. I haven't been able to pay rent reliably for days now.
Sigh.
In any case - just remember it's Second Life and not my vendors or me or some conspiracy out to get you.
Onto a happier note! Coming soon...
(Vanessa hair by Mirada)This is the new Dark Elf skin I've been working on this past week. It's a remix of Entice and Samantha together with some alterations. While all of my regular skins are tintable, it's hard to get this kind of detail with sliders alone.
I also spent Tuesday making some sculpted, pointed ears for this release. Those will be available separate and the skin itself will include a free pair of the basic set. There are short and long versions in each one. Each skin will also come with an optional pubic hair layer, much like Demonic does now.
I'll also be putting this shape up for sale as well just in case someone likes it!
A note on this skin: I've been using Windlight for weeks now. And from the last product release on, all product shots will be taken using two different presets. The actual product vendor images are taken with an ambience preset, so there are almost no shadows on the model. The display image, such as above on the left, is more of an "in the world" image based on a tweaked version of AvatarOpt by Caliah Lyon. Please be aware that your Windlight settings will effect all skins differently with each preset or settings change. I can only offer a preview of what the skin SHOULD look like without much Windlight funkiness. Your mileage may vary. Don't let Windlight scare you! It's pretty cool but will take a while to get used to.
Next will be the male version! Woot! Further on down the line, possibly for Nora's 4th anniversary will be Entice 3.0.... Uh oh!
Don't forget about Nora Appreciation Week! Sales, freebies, and a contest!
Hi Gang!
Since Nora is relocating from my soon to be gone SIM, Sonata, to a new permanent location, I think it's time for a bit of good vibes!
It's hard to say goodbye to Sonata, but it was either a) move Nora or b) close Nora. Since I still enjoy doing what I do, I went with plan a. To celebrate this happy occasion of Plan A, April 14th will kick off Nora Appreciation Week.
What in tarnation is Nora Appreciation Week? Well, simply put, I'll be putting skins on sale at random all week, 50% off. I'll also pass out a Nora group member only skin pack, with both male and female skins inside.
That's not all, though! I'll be holding a friendly little competition for those who want to participate. All you have to do is take a portrait picture of yourself(or have one of your savvy photo-wonder-friends do it for you), write up a small story about how you found Nora, or why you like Nora skins, or what fun things you've done IN your Nora skins and include that with your picture.
The best way to go about it would be to make your picture full-perms and drag it into the notecard that contains your story. Just send that to me, Sezmra Svarog, for judging. All pictures that are sent will be displayed in store as a kind of "Faces of Nora" display. Your name can be omitted if you prefer your identity be private. You may also include a LM to connect with your own picture display.
Let's recap on this contest:
- Portrait of yourself wearing your Nora skin - afterall, that's why we're here! Take it yourself or have someone do it for you! There are a lot of great photographers out there.
- Small story about how you found Nora, or why you like Nora skins, or what fun things you've done IN your Nora skin
- Send them both to me!
That's easy, right? There will be three winners at the end of Nora Appreciation Week.. or NAW(hehehehe). The prizes are as follows:
3rd place - Nora Store card worth $1000 for use at Nora.
2nd place - Nora skin set of your choice.
1st place - Nora Store card worth $5000 for use at Nora as well as your own custom altered Nora skin!*
* What this means is you pick any skin in store and tell me how you'd like it altered! Design your own makeup, beard, skin color, or have your own face built into it! (some photographs will be required for custom faces) This custom skin will be yours and yours alone!
The winners will be announced at the end of NAW(I love saying that, er typing that), displayed in-store, and posted here with their corresponding entries.
Remember, April 14th-20th is Nora Appreciation Week! So start thinking about those entries!
(psst, all non-winning entrants will receive a Nora Store Card worth $500 just for participating!)
Since Nora is relocating from my soon to be gone SIM, Sonata, to a new permanent location, I think it's time for a bit of good vibes!
It's hard to say goodbye to Sonata, but it was either a) move Nora or b) close Nora. Since I still enjoy doing what I do, I went with plan a. To celebrate this happy occasion of Plan A, April 14th will kick off Nora Appreciation Week.
What in tarnation is Nora Appreciation Week? Well, simply put, I'll be putting skins on sale at random all week, 50% off. I'll also pass out a Nora group member only skin pack, with both male and female skins inside.
That's not all, though! I'll be holding a friendly little competition for those who want to participate. All you have to do is take a portrait picture of yourself(or have one of your savvy photo-wonder-friends do it for you), write up a small story about how you found Nora, or why you like Nora skins, or what fun things you've done IN your Nora skins and include that with your picture.
The best way to go about it would be to make your picture full-perms and drag it into the notecard that contains your story. Just send that to me, Sezmra Svarog, for judging. All pictures that are sent will be displayed in store as a kind of "Faces of Nora" display. Your name can be omitted if you prefer your identity be private. You may also include a LM to connect with your own picture display.
Let's recap on this contest:
- Portrait of yourself wearing your Nora skin - afterall, that's why we're here! Take it yourself or have someone do it for you! There are a lot of great photographers out there.
- Small story about how you found Nora, or why you like Nora skins, or what fun things you've done IN your Nora skin
- Send them both to me!
That's easy, right? There will be three winners at the end of Nora Appreciation Week.. or NAW(hehehehe). The prizes are as follows:
3rd place - Nora Store card worth $1000 for use at Nora.
2nd place - Nora skin set of your choice.
1st place - Nora Store card worth $5000 for use at Nora as well as your own custom altered Nora skin!*
* What this means is you pick any skin in store and tell me how you'd like it altered! Design your own makeup, beard, skin color, or have your own face built into it! (some photographs will be required for custom faces) This custom skin will be yours and yours alone!
The winners will be announced at the end of NAW(I love saying that, er typing that), displayed in-store, and posted here with their corresponding entries.
Remember, April 14th-20th is Nora Appreciation Week! So start thinking about those entries!
(psst, all non-winning entrants will receive a Nora Store Card worth $500 just for participating!)
This week I put out a new set of makeup for Entice! Samantha may be shiny, but Entice needs love too. So, we have "Dolly". Plump, colorful lips are where it's at with this set. There's something sweet, something sad, and something special.
This makeup set is available in ALL skin tones, including Glow! This set is ONLY available at the new permanent location in Glenn. Nora group members also got a little Glow freebie. Woot!
Without further ado, here's the advert to give you an idea of what to expect:
This makeup set is available in ALL skin tones, including Glow! This set is ONLY available at the new permanent location in Glenn. Nora group members also got a little Glow freebie. Woot!
Without further ado, here's the advert to give you an idea of what to expect:
Happy Whatever to you!
I don't really celebrate this time of year, honestly. I just hope everyone's having a nice weekend.
The Vanity Universe skin fair seems to be going okay - I enjoyed setting up the booth there and hope the crowds are having fun with all the great skins to peruse. Plus that means even more people know about Nora! Yay!
I've come to a conclusion, though, I think. No, I'm not planning on closing Nora permanently. It did cross my mind - because I simply am finding myself elsewhere, more often, trying to get back into my first love: art. Okay, so, traditional art. SL is it's own realm of "art".
So, this is how it's going to go down!
Sonata(*sniff*) will be sold within the next couple of months, and in the meantime I'll be passing out a LM to the new store, which I'm setting up now. There'll be a LM giver at Sonata as well, soon. I thought about just throwing everything up on SLEX, but I think it's beneficial and easier for customers if there is still an in-world presence for Nora.
This really won't affect Nora too much, it'll just be in a different spot, but it WILL still be around! I can go back to working on my boots and nail polish at my own pace without fear of "making my SIM payment". You live, you learn!
Thanks to all you Nora Patrons for your support!
Oh! And if you haven't already switched over to the Subscribe-O-Matic group from the regular Nora group, please visit Sonata and subscribe if you'd like to keep receiving updates! I'm closing the group at the end of March, and it'll free up a group slot for you too!
(SIM details if anyone cares:
Sonata
Class 4
Mature
$195 per month
[does not include any objects/prims])
I don't really celebrate this time of year, honestly. I just hope everyone's having a nice weekend.
The Vanity Universe skin fair seems to be going okay - I enjoyed setting up the booth there and hope the crowds are having fun with all the great skins to peruse. Plus that means even more people know about Nora! Yay!
I've come to a conclusion, though, I think. No, I'm not planning on closing Nora permanently. It did cross my mind - because I simply am finding myself elsewhere, more often, trying to get back into my first love: art. Okay, so, traditional art. SL is it's own realm of "art".
So, this is how it's going to go down!
Sonata(*sniff*) will be sold within the next couple of months, and in the meantime I'll be passing out a LM to the new store, which I'm setting up now. There'll be a LM giver at Sonata as well, soon. I thought about just throwing everything up on SLEX, but I think it's beneficial and easier for customers if there is still an in-world presence for Nora.
This really won't affect Nora too much, it'll just be in a different spot, but it WILL still be around! I can go back to working on my boots and nail polish at my own pace without fear of "making my SIM payment". You live, you learn!
Thanks to all you Nora Patrons for your support!
Oh! And if you haven't already switched over to the Subscribe-O-Matic group from the regular Nora group, please visit Sonata and subscribe if you'd like to keep receiving updates! I'm closing the group at the end of March, and it'll free up a group slot for you too!
(SIM details if anyone cares:
Sonata
Class 4
Mature
$195 per month
[does not include any objects/prims])
Just dropping a note about the recent sale at Nora!
The "Matte" set of makeups for all Samantha skins are still on sale, but only for a couple days more!
L$100 for each skin, c'mon, that's hard to beat - get it while you can.
Hopefully I'll have some new stuff (boots maybe!) later on this week, as well.
See you!
The "Matte" set of makeups for all Samantha skins are still on sale, but only for a couple days more!
L$100 for each skin, c'mon, that's hard to beat - get it while you can.
Hopefully I'll have some new stuff (boots maybe!) later on this week, as well.
See you!
Matte Sale!
This week, I'm mixing it up with something different for Samantha! Okay, so Wild Cat was pretty "different" as it is... huh.In any case, I put out three new makeups for Samantha - "Impression". This is just a mixed-tape of fun, colorful makeups. "Nora" is well, just Nora-like! Fresh cheeks, colorful eyes, and cute lips. Green Apple is just plain fun. Ruby has delicate eyeshadow and kissable ruby red lips.
There are demos available for all three new makeups - so pop on by and try 'em out! Remember that even though the demos feature scalp hair, ALL Samantha skins come with a bald version.
That's not all! Yes, there is a sale - egads! The "Matte" collection of makeups for Samantha is marked down to L$100 each! That's one whole zero! GONE! I know, I know. These makeups are having one last round of love before they are adjusted, removed, or discontinued. I haven't decided yet.
Oh, and if you haven't already joined the Nora subscribe-o-matic group, and you're a Nora GROUP member, you've got one more month to drop by and click the subscribe-o-matic! I'll be closing the Nora group sometime after that so as not to be a spammer. Thanks!
Oh, and if you haven't already joined the Nora subscribe-o-matic group, and you're a Nora GROUP member, you've got one more month to drop by and click the subscribe-o-matic! I'll be closing the Nora group sometime after that so as not to be a spammer. Thanks!
What a week! Busy busy indeed.
Stuff! Yay, who doesn't like stuff? There are new makeups for Samantha this week called "Wild Cat" featuring some interesting eyeshadows... leopard spots, tiger stripes, and panthery darkness! These were a ton of fun to paint.
There are demos available, as always, so check them out. You have no excuse not to!
Stuff! Yay, who doesn't like stuff? There are new makeups for Samantha this week called "Wild Cat" featuring some interesting eyeshadows... leopard spots, tiger stripes, and panthery darkness! These were a ton of fun to paint.
There are demos available, as always, so check them out. You have no excuse not to!
Sean Gorham was the model for this ad and she's wearing THIS lovely getup and riding on this awesome Tiger! Rawr!
In the process of all this, Samantha's back was repainted. It was the one part of the skin that bugged me the most. While I was at it, I fixed Sam's nipples. Geesh. SL's nipples are wonky, believe it or not, and if you don't line them up just right, recoloring darker skins makes them look weird. So, check the demos out for the new changes.
Nora introduces STEP!
After 3 years, Nora returns to dabbling in footwear with a new release called "Cuffed". This is the first in a range of sculpted footwear, created and textured by yours truly, Sezmra Svarog.
Cuffed is a kind of casual ankle boot with a charming, fold-over cuff. The heel is a shiny black affair that isn't too low or two high. Also, the material is a sort of "flat" semi-suede, stitched in the back.
Cuffed comes in 10 styles; Black, Verdant, Gold, Navy, Plum, Rosie, Brick, Leopard, Tiger, and Panther.
In the future, Nora STEP will feature other shoe designs, including high heels and pumps.
Demos of this boot are available in store, as well. If you have any problems, let me know! It's been a while since I've made shoes, so there's bound to be something wonky - just IM me!
See you soon!
After 3 years, Nora returns to dabbling in footwear with a new release called "Cuffed". This is the first in a range of sculpted footwear, created and textured by yours truly, Sezmra Svarog.
Cuffed is a kind of casual ankle boot with a charming, fold-over cuff. The heel is a shiny black affair that isn't too low or two high. Also, the material is a sort of "flat" semi-suede, stitched in the back.
Cuffed comes in 10 styles; Black, Verdant, Gold, Navy, Plum, Rosie, Brick, Leopard, Tiger, and Panther.
In the future, Nora STEP will feature other shoe designs, including high heels and pumps.
Demos of this boot are available in store, as well. If you have any problems, let me know! It's been a while since I've made shoes, so there's bound to be something wonky - just IM me!See you soon!
(a big thank you to Sean Gorham for posing as the lovely tiger girl)
Huh! Sam would like you all to know something about her lips. Her debut makeups featured a lot of nude lips. Nude lips was one of the popular requests I had when Entice was released in 2006, and again in 2007 when Entice 2.0 was released. So, Sam appeared on the scene with a lot of neutral lips.
However, I think I left out one little detail.... Samantha's lips are technically tintable with the Makeup - Lipstick sliders. I know! I didn't make a big deal out of it because Sam's lips are a slightly different shape than the "expected" avatar lips are.
However, I think I left out one little detail.... Samantha's lips are technically tintable with the Makeup - Lipstick sliders. I know! I didn't make a big deal out of it because Sam's lips are a slightly different shape than the "expected" avatar lips are.
(original lips)
(tinted lips)
In any case, if you were curious or wondering... yes! Tint your lips, darlings! I highly suggest a lipstick value of 54 when doing so. I've updated the skin displays thusly. For the lipstick mavens out there, there are many lush lip colors in the future for Sam.
Firstly, let me say that I hope nothing's broken at Nora! There's always a chance that SOMETHING is amiss, you know how SL is. Either way, I've reopened the shop, Samantha is here, and there are some new items to be found in the "Body Spa". If you have any problems - let me know, I'll try to fix them!
The renovations took a bit longer than I expected, partly due to a surprise addition to our family.
Secondly, I've gone through with my plan to remove three Entice color tones to make more room and to be less redundant. I know! I'm sorry, but this'll be for the best. I have included a notice as well as a notecard for those who would like to know how to best replicate the now missing skins' base colors. It won't be exact, but it's close. Thanks.
And, of course, Samantha has been officially released. This skin is a bit "glowy" and features a younger face than Entice. Details:
I've also installed a subscribeomatic unit for Nora updates. So now it's easy to stay in touch with Nora and not count your groups. I won't be removing the Nora group just yet. Feel free to subscribe, when you have time!
The renovations took a bit longer than I expected, partly due to a surprise addition to our family.
Secondly, I've gone through with my plan to remove three Entice color tones to make more room and to be less redundant. I know! I'm sorry, but this'll be for the best. I have included a notice as well as a notecard for those who would like to know how to best replicate the now missing skins' base colors. It won't be exact, but it's close. Thanks.
And, of course, Samantha has been officially released. This skin is a bit "glowy" and features a younger face than Entice. Details:
- Four skin colors
- Three makeup sets each
- Bald and Scalp hair in four different colors each
- Two free matching hairstyles
- Tintable with skin color sliders
- Optional, tintable pubic hair layer
I've also installed a subscribeomatic unit for Nora updates. So now it's easy to stay in touch with Nora and not count your groups. I won't be removing the Nora group just yet. Feel free to subscribe, when you have time!
Next week, I'll be closing Nora down for a couple of days for renovations. So if you can't pop in, don't freak out. Just sayin'!
I'll be redesigning the store, re-organizing skins, and releasing Samantha, horray! She's only 4 months late, right? Hur hur.
Samantha has been a huge chunk of my time lately, and believe you me, it's an absolute ton of work releasing a skin line with multiple skin tones. I've done some things different with this release, including giving Sam optional hair in the four basic colors. No, I'm not talking pubes here. Heh! There will also be a couple of freebie hair styles to go with Sam. Holy crap, more bang for the buck!
She's had quite a face lift since we last saw her. Even since the Valentine skin. I really can't leave well enough alone. Probably why I take so long to make skins. Eh! I'll also be making her shape available much the way I did with Hunter/David.
See you later!
I'll be redesigning the store, re-organizing skins, and releasing Samantha, horray! She's only 4 months late, right? Hur hur.
Samantha has been a huge chunk of my time lately, and believe you me, it's an absolute ton of work releasing a skin line with multiple skin tones. I've done some things different with this release, including giving Sam optional hair in the four basic colors. No, I'm not talking pubes here. Heh! There will also be a couple of freebie hair styles to go with Sam. Holy crap, more bang for the buck!
She's had quite a face lift since we last saw her. Even since the Valentine skin. I really can't leave well enough alone. Probably why I take so long to make skins. Eh! I'll also be making her shape available much the way I did with Hunter/David.
See you later!
(skin/hair/shape Samantha Ginger Bouquet-Nora, awesome lashes-Celestial Studios, undies-Nyte'n'Day, pose-Reel Expression)
So far, comments have been helpful! Thanks, folks! I decided to sit down and play with the skins and the skin color sliders to see how close I could get some skins to look like others.
I also perused my sales statistics to see which skin might be popular. At a glance, it seems that Cinnamon is the most popular skin tone for Entice. The rest aren't far behind. I'm tempted to keep Cinnamon because of this.
In any case, my experiment went like this.
The biggest problem is each skin has a gap of "light/dark" that the next skin can't quite reach. It's close, but not exact. Latte and Cream are very similar. While Latte can look like Cream, Cream canNOT look like Latte. I tried it, it just didn't pan out.
Then I tried to see if Champagne could resemble Latte. Indeed, I got close.
Next was Almond. I'm kind of a fan of it, I don't know why. Almond didn't make a very good Cinnamon, but Cinnamon scaled back to make a somewhat convincing Almond. The skin lost a bit of color saturation, but thus is the process here.
Lastly, Mocha and Truffle battled it out. I knew I was keeping Espresso, so I didn't have to fiddle with that. Mocha made a pretty good Truffle. It's not as dark, of course, but it was more "red" like Truffle is.
Below are sample images of the experiment:
I also perused my sales statistics to see which skin might be popular. At a glance, it seems that Cinnamon is the most popular skin tone for Entice. The rest aren't far behind. I'm tempted to keep Cinnamon because of this.
In any case, my experiment went like this.
The biggest problem is each skin has a gap of "light/dark" that the next skin can't quite reach. It's close, but not exact. Latte and Cream are very similar. While Latte can look like Cream, Cream canNOT look like Latte. I tried it, it just didn't pan out.
Then I tried to see if Champagne could resemble Latte. Indeed, I got close.
Next was Almond. I'm kind of a fan of it, I don't know why. Almond didn't make a very good Cinnamon, but Cinnamon scaled back to make a somewhat convincing Almond. The skin lost a bit of color saturation, but thus is the process here.
Lastly, Mocha and Truffle battled it out. I knew I was keeping Espresso, so I didn't have to fiddle with that. Mocha made a pretty good Truffle. It's not as dark, of course, but it was more "red" like Truffle is.
Below are sample images of the experiment:
As you can see, they're close! Now, this does mean that Cinnamon turned into Almond won't be able to go as light in color as Almond could; in all cases, the color slider was maxed out one way or the other in order to reach the other skin's tone.
With this particular arrangement, Latte, Almond, and Truffle would be removed, leaving Glow, Cream, Champagne, Cinnamon, Mocha, and Espresso.
I will mull over this before deciding, but it seems like the logical way to go, given these color tests.
More later!
Making decisions can be hard sometimes. This is one of those times! I've been toying with the idea of removing certain skin tones in the Entice line.
The problem is: which ones? Several are quite similar to each other, but they're all somewhat different as well. Almond is "yellower" than Cinnamon... Mocha and Truffle are similar shades, but Truffle is "redder".
While these skins are all different, they are slightly redundant and kind of a strain on store space. So, some of them need to go.
If you're a Nora skin user - I'm asking you which skin YOU prefer. Along with sales information, I may just be able to make a decision without pulling my hair out! Hee!
The problem is: which ones? Several are quite similar to each other, but they're all somewhat different as well. Almond is "yellower" than Cinnamon... Mocha and Truffle are similar shades, but Truffle is "redder".
While these skins are all different, they are slightly redundant and kind of a strain on store space. So, some of them need to go.
If you're a Nora skin user - I'm asking you which skin YOU prefer. Along with sales information, I may just be able to make a decision without pulling my hair out! Hee!
Thanks to everyone who came out to the sale last night. It was quite a crowd! I know the lag was bad, but such is Second Life.
Over 25,000 skins were sold! Yahoo!
The grid can always use more Nora, I always say! That means, that yes, the sale is over. Just posting that here so people will know.
Thanks again, everyone, and I hope you enjoyed yourselves.
Over 25,000 skins were sold! Yahoo!
The grid can always use more Nora, I always say! That means, that yes, the sale is over. Just posting that here so people will know.
Thanks again, everyone, and I hope you enjoyed yourselves.
This weekend's sale began two hours ago and is still going! If you haven't already heard about it...
All skins at Nora are on sale for L$1! No, I'm not crazy! No, I'm not leaving, I'm just crazy!
Wait...
This sale will continue for a couple of hours more - so this is your chance to drop by and get some Nora skin! All vendors should be working as planned, but if you find one that isn't marked L$1, don't panic - just IM me and let me know.
Once the sale is over, the parcel will be closed down and the SIM ejected. (don't worry, I love you!) I'll give a warning, though. :)
Good luck and thanks!
(you can find Nora here)
All skins at Nora are on sale for L$1! No, I'm not crazy! No, I'm not leaving, I'm just crazy!
Wait...
This sale will continue for a couple of hours more - so this is your chance to drop by and get some Nora skin! All vendors should be working as planned, but if you find one that isn't marked L$1, don't panic - just IM me and let me know.
Once the sale is over, the parcel will be closed down and the SIM ejected. (don't worry, I love you!) I'll give a warning, though. :)
Good luck and thanks!
(you can find Nora here)
