Goin' Retro!

Well, I went to the local Swap Meet with my RL best friend a couple of weeks ago and I got my first vintage cashmere sweater! I usually don't pay that much for sweaters, but it was so cute and unique, and I just HAD to have it! I've been doing the Swap Meet thing with my friend for years, because we both love the styles of the 30s, 40s and 50s, and some of the Swap Meets in the Los Angeles area have lots of great stuff. I've started several random collections of things from those eras (I'll share those with you in future blogs). Anyhow... the cashmere sweater inspired me to make a collection of little button-up vintage sweaters for Miau Haus. It's funny, I've realized that when I start making stuff I'm really interested in, the ideas just flood into my little brain... I could have made so many more! Sweater overload!!!



Then I had to make some cute cuffed clamdiggers too!



Oh! I just finished making some fun tees and jeans... I just need to get off my pixel butt and do the ad photos and stuff. (Doesn't help when SL is being such a butthead like yesterday.) *sigh*

See you cats later!

Copy-Cats Suck!

On Wednesday, I logged on to an offline IM from Noam, saying someone was ripping off some of my Miau Haus ideas. He left me a landmark as well, so i TP'd there to check it out... sure enough this person (who's name I won't mention) had copied several items from my store: my Asian-style tea set, my kitty head cuddle cubbie, my mod cat chairs, and my leopard-print stools and table... hell, he even made an attempt at copying the cat head facade of my store!

The guy had added cat face textures and flexi tails to several of the items, but the concepts and shapes were obviously "lifted" from mine. I dunno, I didn't really want to cause any drama... I've experienced my fill of that during the past month or so, so I just sent him a simple IM, saying I was in his store, noticed that he had copied some Miau Haus items, and that he was now banned from my store,

So many things have been running through my head during the past couple of days... the obvious being the CopyBot fiasco, that I'm sure has been on every designer's mind as well, and how someone will copy you if they're so inclined, regardless if they have a fancy contraption to do it with. And I was thinking about the CopyBot meeting we had at The Block, and how that guy was saying that CopyBot wouldn't really threaten our profits, and not to confuse it with threatening our "pride". Well dammit, it DOES threaten my pride..it threatens my pride in my work! And isn't that what it is to be an artist and designer in this world? Sometimes pride is all that an artist has... pride in one's work is what gives us satisfaction and defines us as individuals. Just look at all those "starving artists" out there... they would choose another line of business if profits were always the ultimate goal, but they're not. As artists we are driven by our abilities to create, and our hunger to do so... profits are just like "icing on the cake." I don't mean to minimize the need to make money and to be able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle for you and your family, but I guess that my point is that money isn't everything for us, it's much much more.

I had an awful, sinking feeling as I browsed through that guy's store the other day, seeing my creations replicated there... in a way, I felt a little violated. I'm sure many designers in SL have felt the same at some point. I wasn't thinking about him taking my profits... I was thinking about him taking my ideas. (In fact, since my IM, he removed all of the copied items from his store and gave me the profits he made from them... nice gesture I guess, but it doesn't excuse what he did, and it confirmed that he knew full well what he was doing.)

Well, I'm adding this to my blog just to vent I guess. I don't think there's a real solution to preventing someone from copying your hard work and original ideas. Maybe we can all look out for each other, like Noam did for me *hugs her Noamy tight*... and let each other know when someone is copying them. Maybe one by one, we can try to shame those people into doing the right thing.

Newbie Improved!

I was reading Canimal's article on PXP last week about the listing she's creating with products in SL that will fit the budget of the average Noob. As I was wracking my brain for things to add, and reminiscing about my own days as a Noob...checking out all the "Places" that came up when I typed "free" in the search... the hours of unpacking those freebie boxes...

It inspired me to make something for the hair-challenged, pasty-skinned Noobs wandering SL (we've all been there!). Sooo, I created a set of "Newbie Skins" that would sell for only $10. As you can see, I did a "Before and After" Ad, rooting thru my inventory for the skins and hair that came with my avie over a year ago to create a "Before" image. Donovan and I had quite a laugh, as I stood there flaunting my pale shapeless nipples at him, flipping my weirdly-shaped hairdo with a little wink in his direction ;-) For the "After," shot, I went to ETD and got their $10 hair package... duuude! there were like a ka-billion colors of hair in that folder, and as you can see, it looks great! Isn't it amazing what a change good hair and skin will make?

The Newbie Skins will only be sold at my main store in Yelas, so send over any female noobs you see... they'll thank you :D

Better to see you with!

Okay, I've had human eyes made for-EVER and finally got them out last night! They're very lifelike, mainly because I photosampled real human eyes (and did lots of retouching). I also added highlights insipred by some anime eye highlights I really liked. Another designer, Miriel, released some gorgeous eyes last night as well... hers have smaller pupils than the Linden templates... well, mine are the opposite; the pupils are a bit more dilated (as if less light were shining in your eyes), plus my irises are a tiny bit larger...I have big eyes in RL :-) So it's great that there are some subtle eye varations that will suit different preferences out there in SL. Anyhow, check 'em out!

Big Brothers are uhhh... the Best!

Well, the first week or so was a little rocky for Stewie and the new kitten, Daisy... there was hissing and growling and big fluffy tails to be seen. But as you can see, they're the best of friends now :-) They play almost all day long, especially during the wee hours of the morning (when I'm trying to sleep, of course). It's like the kitty version of the WWF most of the time... Stewie will pin Daisy down (who is about half his size)... she'll whine and cry... he'll let her go... then she'll come back for more! That's my girl! Then there are the bathing sessions... Daisy is never quite clean enough for Stewie, so there's a lot of grooming going on. Let's just pray that he doesn't lick her bald :-)

Skin Sale next weekend!

Well, I was planning on having a sale on my skins this weekend, but SL has been a total butthead and I couldn't get anything done. Sooo, I'll have a special super low price on all skins for 48 hours only, then they'll permanently go to a bit of a lower price permanently after that. So keep your eyes open on the SL forums and here at my blog for more details later in the week :D

"I've got you...under my skin" *sings in her best Frank Sinatra imitation*

Done! Zeee skin prices will be lowered due to popular opinion (believe me... I truly value everyone's comments here). Just so ya know, I set my prices because I personally buy skins somewhere between $1000 and $1450, so I picked an amount somewhere in the middle, but now I'm realizing that maybe that was too ambitious for my budding skin business. Hey! Ya live and learn! Sooo, if you're gonna buy skins at Miau Haus in the near future, please wait til after this weekend because that's when I'll get a chance to take care of the vendors. PLUS, I'm hoping to get a fun new round of make-up options out this weekend as well. (I'd do it now, but I'm too sleepy and I'm gonna go curl up with Stewie and Daisy and go to sleep.

Thank you again for everyone's honest input and ideas, and for sparing the life of my darling sock monkey!

Skin-ny Dip?

Dear SL Gods,

Hellooo up there! I have a lil problem... my new tattoo skins aren't really selling...I sold very few *sigh* In fact, I only really made sales of my initial "Tasty Skins" during the first couple of days after the release. I know that the quality is very good and comparable to other successful skins out there, and I've received great feedback from friends and peers in the SL community, so I'm not sure what's wrong. I advertised in the forum, I got great reviews from the gals at PXP...

1. Are they overpriced?
2. Is there more I can do to market them better?
3. Are there other types of skins that would be more popular?
4. Should I give up on skins, and focus more on clothes?
5. Should I just finish the giant cat head condo I've been tinkering with?
6. Do I need to make a sacrificial offering to the SL Gods? Like my sock monkey doll? *cries*

The skins are just so dang time-intensive to make, I don't want to make more if they're not going to sell :-( Please help!

Signed,
Discouraged

Exotic Tattoo Skins NEW @ Miau Haus

Hmmm...what's new? Well, I've added a 2nd floor to Miau Hause to hold all of the new skins I'm gonna make! I started off with some Exotic Tattoo Skins, inspired by the art and imagery of Asia, Egypt, and India. (Noam and Donovan have given me more ideas, so I'm sure I'll be adding more in the future.)



The Asia Tattoo Skin incudes a stylized dragon on the chest, a beautiful geisha on the back and delicate blossoms covering the arms and legs. This skin pack has a skin with full red lips and one with small painted geisha lips.



The Egypt Tattoo Skin shows the Winged Isis on the chest, Cleopatra and a Winged Scarab on the back and the Eye of Horus on the upper thigh. This skin pack has stylized Egyptian eyeliner, and comes with berry- and sandy-colored lips.



The Indian Tattoo Skin indludes an array of Mehendi tattoos on the chest, arms, hands, legs and feet. A colorful image of Ganesha (the Indian Elephant Deity) appears on the back. This skin pack has Bindi on the forehead and includes a red and blue version.

You'll find the new skins in my main store in Yelas. They're in the new upstairs area. Demos are available, so come by and try one out! Later pussycats! =^.^=

oooOOOoooOOOooo!

Tuesday night Donovan and I were doing the... "What do you wanna do?"... "I dunno, what do you wanna do?"... "I dunno, what do YOU wanna do?" Then, I remembered Canimal's review of the haunted house in Mew, so that's what we did! We TPd there, and waited for things to rez...and...and...I couldn't move because of the lag :-( Donovan could walk, so we put out our "carrying on shoulders walk" so Donovan could carry me on his shoulders thru the haunted woods and house (I SWEAR...I wasn't faking!) He carried me along the spooky path and up to the house to walk thru the rooms among the ghosties and ghoulies. We had a great time checking out all the rooms and listening to the creepy sound effects. Check it out if you haven't already.

Later pussycats!
=^.^=

Meet Stewie!

You all met Daisy the other day, so I thought you should meet her big brother, Stewie =^.^=

Stewie is a 6-year-old Tabby Cat who I fell in love with at the SPCA.

Stewie's "Likes"
• Eating people food (especially string cheese and Fig Newtons)
• Eating cat food (mealtime is the high point of the day!)
• Chewing on anything plastic
• Balancing on anything narrow (he's such a show off!)
• Playing with the wire cat toy thingy
• Getting scratches behind his ears or on his forehead
• Licking his belly which is almost bald (over-groomer!)
• Napping
• Watching his new little sister, Daisy, and her spastic kitten antics (he's always giving me that look that says, "What the heck is she doing?"

Stewie's "Dislikes"
• Going to the vet (especially the part when they take his temperature)
• Having his nails clipped
• Waiting for me to wake up to give him breakfast
• Riding in the car
• That stupid cat outside that keeps teasing him

That's my lil buddy. He's the cutest :D

The SL exile has ended!

WOOOHOOO!

I FINALLY got into SL last night! I got to see Donovan and give him a pixel hug and he gave me a frisky pounce :P ... I got to see Noam who looked adorable in his skeleton kitty costume for Halloween... I got to shop for some hair and some outfits I've been wanting (YESSS!)... and I lowered our skybox and began to put in Noam's amazing pond and waterfall, plus I got started on our house. Sooo... all's well in Posy's world now :D *happy sigh*