This week's release from Miriel is Starburst, a necklace and earrings set with one color changing stone each. It comes in three metal colors, and the stone can be changed between nineteen colors using a voice command. Buy it singly (L$30) or as a collection of all metal colors (L$80), and choose between copy/modify/no transfer and no copy/modify/transfer. Working demos are available.

Get it at my store at Nouveau 115, 205.

I have a question for anyone who feels like answering.

At some point in the future -- way, way in the future -- I'm going to be remodeling. One thing I'm thinking about doing is changing the way my eyes are sold. They'll go up on the wall by color, one color per box, and those boxes will be what you buy single pairs from. There will also be another vendor up on the wall to sell collections, and it'll let people choose their own set of four eyes. You'd pay it, choose size and permissions, and then touch the boxes of the eyes you wanted. (You'd get a confirmation menu for each color, after you touched the box.) Alternatively, I could try scripting the single eye vendors so that they keep track of who's bought what, and give rebates to people who buy four eyes within X amount of time. I also may sell some premade collections, because I know people can freeze up if they have too many choices.

What do you think? Does this sound too complicated? Like something people are unlikely to trust?

This week's release from Miriel is... lots!

First off, we have a freebie set of earrings called Teardrop. These Art Nouveau style earrings come in four metal colors, and are actually based off an RL jewelry design that I almost made.

Next is a Medieval/Renaissance hairstyle called Eleanora, which comes with a color changing headpiece. There are thirteen colors to choose from, and the trim and center part of the piece change separately, giving you a wide range of possible color combinations. The hair itself comes in fourteen different colors. L$100 for a single shade, and L$290 for a collection of all fourteen. Choose between copy/modify/no transfer or no copy/modify/transfer. Working demos are available for all hair colors.

Finally, I'm releasing a Medieval/Renaissance style outfit called Lene, named after the woman that commissioned it. This is a satiny dress that comes in ten rich color combinations. All boxes come with three different kinds of arm pieces (including sculpted arm puffs) and both gold and silver embroidered versions. Demos are available for every single color. L$350 for a single; L$1000 for all ten colors. Your choice of copy/modify/no transfer or no copy/modify/transfer.

Get them all at my store at Nouveau 115, 205.


Teardrop:


Eleanora:



Lene:


(Click the above for bigger.)


(Drow picture separate because I forgot to include it in the big image!)

95 people in Jewelry Expo's merchant role.

95.

Next year, I'm putting in merchant limits. This is ridiculous. I don't even know how I'm going to fit all those spaces into the build.

Today I blew some of the dust off the vendor and got back to work on it. I know I'd had some problems with it before, but I couldn't remember what they were. It seemed to be working okay, except for one feature, which I fixed. So now I just have to clean it up (it chatters incessantly to help me with debugging), stress test it, and then start in on the beta test. Any bugs I forgot about will hopefully show up then.

The automated packaging script isn't doing so well, though. Undoubtedly I've made some particularly stupid mistake, but damned if I can find it.

I've decided to do a customer survey. Totally optional and all that, though there are some unreleased eyes in it for you if you respond. (For every four questions you answer, you get two pairs of eyes. Since there are ten questions, this means you can skip two. I always liked it when teachers gave me that option on tests.)

On with the questions:

For every four questions you answer (in their entirety), you get a unisex gift. (Since there are ten questions, this means you can skip a couple and still get both the presents.) This offer expires on Saturday, September 1.

1. How did you find out about this store? (You saw a product of mine mentioned on a blog, you saw my ad at NCI, a friend bought one of my products, etc.)

2. The eye collections (the four packs that sell for L$125) contain a wide variety of eye shades (for example, the natural collections typically have a blue, a green, a brown, etc.). Do you like this, or would you prefer them to be focused around only one eye shade?

3. How aware are you of an item's price before you actually right click and choose "pay"? Do you mouse over the vendor to read the price?

4. The store is broken up into departments. Would you prefer a more open floor plan (such as one big room that contained everything)?

5. I'm thinking of breaking the store up into a bunch of little buildings (one for eyes, one for jewelry, etc.) around a central area. Would you find this more convenient or less? Do you think you would explore the different buildings, or just go into the one containing what you came for?

6. Have you gotten interested -- or more interested -- in one of my products after seeing it on one of my live models?

7. How laggy is the store for you? Does this impact how much you shop here?

8. For each of these product lines, do you think my prices are too high, a fair amount below what you'd be willing to pay, or just about right?
a. Jewelry (Miriel line):
b. Jewelry (Miriel Everyday line):
c. Clothing (Miriel line -- this would be everything but the Little Retro Dress, currently):
d. Clothing (Miriel Everyday line -- this is just the Little Retro Dress, right now):
e. Hair:
f. Eyes:

9. Do you like my contemporary items better, or do you prefer my historical and fantasy pieces? Would you like to see more of one or the other?

10. Is there anything else about the store that you dislike, or do you have any other comments?

I've finished the Jewelry Expo ads, too. Yay!

Say, does anyone know when Armidi is supposed to be opening? Is it still opening?

For those of you that might have been curious about that custom dress I've been working on forever now, here's a picture:



And yes, it's done now. And it will be on sale.

This is only marginally related to my SL business, but it's my blog, so nyah.

Today I went to my first class to learn how to make RL jewelry! (I liked making it so much in my second life that I wanted to learn to make it in my first.) I dropped almost everything at least once (blessed exception: the acetylene torch), cut a gash in my finger with my saw, and the ring I made has a couple discolored spots on it for some reason, but I'm really looking forward to the next class.

RL jewelry making is a surprisingly non-girly pursuit. Behind all the pretty sparklies there's a lot of fire and acid and banging on things.

I'm almost done with the custom dress and with the Jewelry Expo ads. Huzzah!

I'm going to be taking a two week break from releasing things, starting this week. Sorry, folks, but RL is limiting the amount of time I'm able to spend on SL things, and I need to use the time I do have to finish some things for Jewelry Exposition and work on a backlogged custom piece. I'll have some nice things for you all after I come back on the 21st.

(Oh, and I'll still be around for customer service and such. Especially given how lax SL has been about delivering orders lately.)

This week's release from Miriel is Antiqued, a bracelet set with semiprecious stones. It's available in four metals (antique gold, bronze, black, and old silver) and nine stones, and all the stone textures are entirely hand drawn. No photosourcing, no texture baking, just work and a Wacom tablet. All boxes come with two copies of the bracelet: one for the right wrist, and one for the left.

Sold singly (L$80) or in collections of all antique gold, bronze, black, or old silver items (nine pieces per collection, for L$230). Choose between copy/modify/no transfer and no copy/modify/transfer.

Want to see it on yourself first? Try one of the demos available.

Get it at my store at Nouveau 115, 205.





(Whew, and I had to rush this one! I built it last night at 3 AM after finally having some inspiration, and then finished it up today.)