Wednesday 31 December 2008

The question is...

Seeing as I'm making them in 2008, but launching them in 2009; which is the correct copyright date...?

*ahem*

Two finalised now... Jocasta has been flex readjusted, and Kazuo has been renamed Nox, and retexured.

Either way... further details in the vendor pics, now taken:




And yes, I know I told myself that I wouldn't use custom skins on vendor photos, but Nox suits my "pale as death and stripy" skin from Ayiki Takakura... *blush*

Until next time,

Kalli

P.S. Yes, this will be my last post for 2008, so a little retrospection...

Well...

Quite a year... never thought that by the end of this year when it hit I would have reengineered my entire range, flirted with sculpties, been making braids left right and centre, and have one of the largest ranges of prim facial hair in Second Life... But meh! Not going to complain!

Monday 29 December 2008

Another one for early next year...

Jocasta...



Yes, it's a dreaded Siren variant, utilising the new Ahab textures. Simple, straightforward, fun!

Coming January 2009

Until next time,

Kalli

Saturday 27 December 2008

Turning a new Paige (sic)

Just a preview shot of the new Paige bob... in black, typically so a lot of the details are a little unclear...



Never mind.... Once I've got it finalised and tinted, I'll rig up a few more in a mid brown as always...

Until next time,

Kalli

It's funny how things come together...

...and often not in ways you expect.

I started work on a new braided style for guys, slightly longer than Kaiba, that drops in front of one eye and is flicked over the other. I planned to call it Kazuo.

But, unwritten SL rule #304a kicked in. This is not a guy's style, now it's all pieced together and all is said and done it's defintely unisex.



Oh dear...

One other thing as well, I better come up with a slightly less manly name for it too... :S

This puts me in a rather unfortunate position, insofar that I've got quite some way with Paige, and a photo is likely to be up soon, once it's tinted. It is defintely a girly one (and targetted at a good friend of mine, if she only knew it)

I've promised two freebies to the update group in the new year, and they were supposed to be Paige and Kazuo... but neither are sufficiently manly enough to make it entirely fair; which means I now need to think of something else. I was planning a couple of proper, accessoried dreaded styles in the next few weeks based on the work that went into Ahab (sans hat, this time) so I might bring one or two of these forward and create something, that while long is more masculine.

Who knows... could even put it to the public vote... We'll see how it goes.

Until next time,

Kalli

Friday 26 December 2008

Just a note to say...

Hoping you all are having a happy holiday season...

On a personal note I'm taking things a little easy right now and am getting reaquainted with Guitar Hero 3; but I should expect to be back in the saddle, working on a new open women's and braided men's do for release in the new year at some point before month's end.

Until next time,

Kalli

Tuesday 23 December 2008

It's full of piratey goodness...

Was asked whether I would consider making a dreaded pirate style... well... I have.

It meant making 73 new textures, but that's all part of the territory; or you would have thought. It was, typically the first time I've made new textures since the store refit... but it went OK, and the result isn't awful! ;)



Oh... and in other news, I've decided to give away my next two styles to update group members, so you might want to consider joining. The first style, tentatively entitled "Paige" is nearing completion, and is a cute choppy feathered bob with a braided detail. The second, a men's do, will be tackled as and when I get teh first done.

Pics of both to follow.

Thirdly, I've expanded the Burns store from 4 to 10 beard styles. Worth a nose if you've not been quite yet!

Until next time,

Kalli

Thursday 18 December 2008

Jeebus Crikey...

Store now refocussed... Still have to add a few signs and book a DJ, but otherwise I'm there...

If you're familiar with the old place, I'd appreciate it if you could run around for a bit and let me know what you think of the new layout...

Until next time,

Kalli

Tuesday 16 December 2008

Mainstore reshuffle commences

Just so you know, I'm playing with the layout over the next few days with the main store in an attempt to drop prims, space things out, decrease lag and free up the visuals so it no longer looks like a junkyard. I'll keep track of all the changes in this little bit here...

So far:

- Teleporters added and identified to all major locations: braids, beards, eyes, main entrance, discount area and coffee shop

- Braided styles replicated in new braids location - parcelled up to itself and advertised as such. Braids to be *removed* from main floor (the north building) as and when I've created signage

- Akira / Kaneda double pack scrapped. Nobody has bought a double since launch... so that's 46 prims I no longer need to house. Sorry guys

- Following styles removed from "full range" and sent to the Discount Hair area, selling only as tone and complete packs for 3 and 9 lindens respectively: Crista, Teri, Londo and Spike. Others to follow as demand for each style wains, and as I make new ones...

- Alice Hoyer has updated the dancefloor ball and finished off the concreting of the shop design... Thanks babe...

- Akira, Kaneda, Layla, Beth, Mai and Lorna relocated to improve the layout a little

Still to come

- SIGNAGE... I promise I'll sort this in due course

- reshuffling to regroup hair into ponytails, long loose styles, piggies, short female and short male styles. This will take a while, but it'll happen.

- Renovation party!

Until next time,

Kalli

Sunday 14 December 2008

Capitulation - and words of a release...

Ok, I did it... Nick is now live...

But I stand my ground, it's NOT overpriced yuletide merch. I'm selling Nick for ONE LINDEN a double for the next couple of weeks, then setting it up at the usual full beard rate of 60L instead.



Now I know some of you would tell me that it's a little ... well... neat and tidy, or even too short for a Santa beard... but it's all about culture how 'Santa Claus' is perceived. Hell, where I'm from, he was traditionally a redhead dressed in forest green before the Coca Cola company struck with the red and white fat guy.

Anyway... enough about pop-cultural history. Back to your lives citizens...

Until next time,

Kalli

Bah humbug...

SL is full of the obligatory Holiday merch... everything in red and white... the same old Santa hats and the rest...

Well... I am not going to launch any overpriced yuletide merchandise... oh no... not me... and yes, I know I make beards and a lot of people have asked for a Santa one.

No... Tough!

I swear... I'm not doing it! Nuh-huh... no way... no how! No really.. you can't make me! Don't look at me that way!

...But I am putting together a thicker, bushier beard, that I'm calling Nick, due for launch as soon as I get the demos organised.



I know what you're thinking, but it's entirely coincidental that the model is in red and white, and the beard shown is one of the whites, OK?

Until next time,

Kalli

Saturday 13 December 2008

Back in the saddle...

Yes... another RL intervention has had me tied up for a few weeks, but right now, I'm back for a while at least, and can present a new release for your delectation.

Now for those of you who've seen me in-world (as my white-haired form) you'll know that I'm as good as the poster girl for Elixir fashions, owned, organised and managed by Khorus Magne... well... a few days ago I got a note from her asking me whether I would rework my Jordan style into something a little more... um... elaborate...

I asked was it a request or a commission... she said request (which of course, works out cheaper!) and in a few hours, I cranked out the new version, Sylva.



So there you are... out now, in the new braids section. Strangely enough, after showing it to a certain blogger, she directed me to a webpage where people on Flickr had been adding styles they were on the lookout for in SL... and one of them wasn't too far removed... so a third version may be in the offing.

Watch this space!

Until next time,

Kalli

Monday 8 December 2008

New competition details!

Yes, releases are thin on the ground, but that doesn't mean everything is on hold...

Announcing the "Face of Discord" competition - $L10,800 of prizes are up for grabs. Just acquire some Discord Designs hair (or beard, or both); take a snapshot of yourself wearing it and embed it in a notecard with your name, and details about what you're wearing.

Send me the note, and the three most original pics (as determined by the judging panel - That is me and Alice Hoyer) win L$3600 of Discord Designs goodies each.

So... what are you waiting for?

Entries in by 4pm SLT on Friday 12th of December please...

Until next time,

Kalli

Tuesday 2 December 2008

Sweet little victory...

I've been informed by the Linden Labs removal team that the copybotted merchandise I 'DMCA'ed last week has been removed.

Thanks guys...

Until next time,

Kalli

Friday 28 November 2008

A swift release over lunch...

Despite the ill-feeling of the last few days, I've managed to get another release orgainsed and out...

More braids... so give it a lookover..


The bandana is colorchange (with instructions supplied)... Hope you like it... Now at the Synchronicity store, and Fantasy Land 3 later tonight, maybe...

Until next time,

Kalli

Wednesday 26 November 2008

Compare and Contrast...

Exhibit A... Roni, by Discord Designs


Exhibit B... Newma Hair Male, 'by' (Not giving them any publicity)


With the former, for 120L you get:
+copy, +mod hair; two variants in two colors (with underlying scalp hair and without), Choice of a full palette of 72 textures, removable auto-adjust scripting in all to allow for easy head adjustment.

With the latter, for 70L you get:
-copy version ... you screw up resizing and it's your problem
One color - matt black so all details in the build are as good as lost, scalp hair variant only. No autoresize feature.

Take your pick... I know which sounds like the better deal to me though...

Until next time,

Kalli

Tuesday 25 November 2008

You know you've made it in SL when...

...somebody rips you off.

I woke up this morning, settled down with my coffee, opened my inbox and...

[17:52] Teagan Blackthorne: I am sending you a landmark of a store with stolen hair. I am not so good with male hair but I know you have braids and they have braids here. I know all styles here are stolen.
[17:56] Teagan Blackthorne: Looking again, I am pretty sure this one is Roni


Thanks Teagan... good call. It was Roni. Hope you don't mind me publishing what you said; but I figure it's fair.

NOTHING in the store was a genuine item. Everything was ripped from another source; and in the case of Roni, it was initially the Grey from Monochrome box 2 that they were able to nick; so the copybotted style has had to be tinted black to get the effect they want, and as a result, it looks 'king awful. they've made no attempt to even retex it; my trademarked three field highlights clearly visible in the object texture window on each prim.

Naturally I doublechecked everything... They've evidently used an object cloner as all parts are now called "object" and come up with the thief's credentials as creator. I even recognise my sculpts...

Well what can I say... The gallows humour kicked in initially and I was even rather pleased to have been the victim of this theft; but as it sinks in, I'm just saddened. Not sad for me, as to be honest, it was a single hair... even if it was one that took me three weeks to put together... and I still have the monopoly on the other 71 shades... but sad that there are people out there who think this is acceptable behaviour. and are willing to piss on the efforts of genuine talented people to grasp at a few lindens. It's truly pethetic.

DMCA reports are being filed.

Until next time, when I hope to share some happier news,

Kalli

Wednesday 19 November 2008

Recent releases...

Hi again... release details after yeterday evening's buzz of activity...


Good grief, it finally happened! The braided piggies are live after 6 weeks of sitting around being judiciously overlooked...



Model found... coat purchased... photo's taken... Forkboy live.



Couldn't resist the mercenaries 2 look... boxed it... but the Travis included is a longer-line variant that I've had at my disposal, unused for quite a while... well it's out... and if you want it it comes with the beard for 90L.

Until next time,

Kalli

Sunday 16 November 2008

Further evidence of expansion...

Noticed a 4096 for rent right on top of the store owned by a pair of good friends...

Checked the prim count... noticed the 1.4x bonus...

Checked the initial outlay... 100L...

Checked the monthly rent...

Salivated...

Bought...

Erected a new store...


Welcome to Fantasy Land 3... 25 styles, neatly categorised for once! Offering the popular braids, men's hairs, pigtails, long open styles and short women's ones.

Might not have the range of Synchronicity but it sure is better ordered...

Until next time,

Kalli

Saturday 15 November 2008

I have not been playing Mercenaries II...

But something somewhere has evidently sunk in...


This is Forkboy... New beard... named after the first track on the Lard album, "The Last Temptation of Reid"... and for no other reason than it looks like a pitchfork at the end...

Speaking of beards, I have come across 200 prims or so on Burns, and have planted a viral ministore there, selling Leon, Robert, Vladimir and Frank... well, it was free, so why not?

Forkboy out when I've sorted some model photos..

Until next time,

Kalli

Friday 14 November 2008

Just for updating purposes...

Odin now retextred and live in Synchronicity...

Until next time,

Kalli

Tuesday 11 November 2008

Back...

...and I was going for a launch tonight, but have noticed a subtle texturing issue so I've got another tint and clone run to do... but hey... Here's Odin.


All you Vikings don't have long to wait now!

As you can see I've shown it with a beard, as I think it looks better... but there's the great debate about which beard looks bbest... That and I plan to make a couple more next week that ought to work well with...

So I settled on Robert, and haven't done the decent thing of fatpacking... yet...

All feedback appreciated.

Until next time,

Kalli

Thursday 30 October 2008

Hiatus

Nothing forthcoming for a few days... as for the first time this year I'm taking a serious break.. 9 days away. Just to let you know that I have a norse men's hair and that set of braided pigtails still on the stands in the workshop; that I'll get back to as and when I return.

In the meantime, play nice! ;)

Until Next time,

Kalli

Monday 27 October 2008

Back to work...

After a long weekend of messing about with the lovely people at the Elixir Bazaar (and spending a small fortune on sale items) I've cranked out the ponytail I've been threatening to for a week or so now.



Laetitia now live in the Main Store and at Hairspray 2!

Until next time,

Kalli

Saturday 25 October 2008

Get Carter...

A new release for you again... Carter is a punky, floppy mohican that is, as you can probably guess... braided.


A nice one for the guys here; and for a limited time available at the Boingo / Elixir Oktoberfest on Fantasy Land 3 (search for boingo and you can't go wrong) as an exclusive double pack - the standard mohican and an undercut full head version.


Fatpacks only of the special though... 200L apiece for 12 colors or 500L the lot; as I have serious prim constraints to work to.

The original is available instore for 60L a double, 180L a tonepack and 490L the lot... so you're getting a good deal.

Furthermore; I've set out fatties of Kaiba, Akira, Taylor, Robert, Vladimir, Roni and George; all marked down by 40%... so do come check it out.

Until next time,

Kalli

Monday 20 October 2008

Closing down sale...

Ok... just to confirm, I'm NOT leaving SL... but I am streamlining a little bit. What with taking on the Hairspray site and the Admicile location, my costs have gone up by close to 20,000L a month, so I'm having to make a few cutbacks. which basically means ditching the locations that are currently running at a loss...

Well, location.

It pains me to say it, but the Suburbs Mall store has been, for want of a better word, unviable since I moved in. Not a single week has gone past where it's made a profit; and in fact it's often 10 days between demo sales there. So basically I'm opting to cut my losses and leave, despite the fact it's owned by some dear friends.

Josey... Sid... I'm sorry.

So basically I've got 24 hours left on my contract... so until it expires at 1pm SLT tomorrow, everything instore is 83% off...

Landmark in the Discordant Retail section.

Until next time,

Kalli

Saturday 18 October 2008

Just as an update...

Both Akira and Kaneda available boxed together...



Until next time,

Kalli

Friday 17 October 2008

Turning Japanese... and turning to the dark side...

Introducing two new men's... well... unisex dos in the form of Akira and Kaneda...




HEAVILLY influenced on Japanese designs, and making use of a new collection of sculpted prims... hence the interesting curves...

Hope you like!

Until next time,

Kalli

Monday 13 October 2008

Late last night...

Launched another beard... This is Robert...


It's somewhat good... and a little bushier than Fidel... I like it... but it doesn't suit my av at all... ;)

Until next time,

Kalli

Sunday 12 October 2008

Two more for the Victorians among you...

Burns and company - barbers to the aristocracy and masters of the tonsorial arts - present their latest brace of facial hairpieces for the astute, sartorially minded gentleman...

...or in 21st century parlance... "Two new beards @ Discord Designs"




Both now live... both now L$60 a box.

In other news, The Admicile franchise has been expanded from 11 to 17 men's styles... Hairspray will be expanded tonight to incorporate some more bits 'n' bobs after investing in some advertising space and if I can swing it, there'll be another norse beard out in the next couple of days.

Watch this space...

Until next time,

Kalli

Wednesday 8 October 2008

200th post... Monumentous events... :)

Well it's happened... hit the big 200-post mark finally.

What's to add? well...

In the last week I've put together a new sculpted cornrow set named Sol, set up a men's showcase store in the French-owned region of Admicile, and not only that, in four hours' time, the door opens on another satellite store on Hairspray 2.

Sol is going to be based solely at the Hairspray 2 location, and will be on sale for A LINDEN a double... yes you heard. Why? Because I want to offer something special at that location, as I feel that the organisers there are doing a great job, and ought to see a little traffic... and as dollarbies tend to attract said traffic... why not?

Links to all shops are now listed in the "Discordant Retail" section on the right hand side.



Hope you like!

Until next time,

Kalli

Tuesday 30 September 2008

Ok... wasn't expecting this, but...

Made a completely random hair... wasn't planning on it... just started doodling and out it came.


Boasts a colorchange sculpted "floppy stovepipe" hat... a long pony tail and heavy bangs; and a;ll for just 47 prims. Why not try it out?

Until next time,

Kalli

Friday 26 September 2008

Taylor now live

Stuck above Kaiba... can't miss it...


Until next time,

Kalli

Thursday 25 September 2008

Once more with longer braids...

Introducing the first long braided styles... This is Taylor... Based heavilly on Kaiba, but using the 12-point braids i've been yapping about for extra length.


This one's no less prim heavy than Kaiba itself... but hey... gotta start somewhere... The full braided jordan is likely to follow, as well as a straight ponytail aimed more at the guys, and I suspect some braided piggies.

Until next time,

Kalli

Wednesday 24 September 2008

It may seem like all is quiet...

Well here's the thing... release wise it is... I've not progressed ANYTHING recently except a set of whiskers that I need to tint and clone... The beard remains in the same state to how it was the last time I posted.. and the reason?

Well..

Blame the five people who mailed me and said "Any chance of making Jordan but with braids all the way down?" You know who you are...

Previously, the answer would have been a resounding no. Kaiba is 244 prims which in turn is close to the 255 theoretical limit for a single attach point. Layla is 216, even... as you can see, sculpted braids are a bitch in terms of prim demands. Worst of all is Roni, clocking in at 253... because the braids are smaller, and even though each sculpt marks six loops... it's painful... and the detail is waning.

So how the frick can you make sculpteds with more detail?

You can... I've found out the answer and thanks be to SLOFT, I've reconstructed them vertex by vertex in-world. so now my braids are as smooth as those on Jordan, but 12 loops per prim, rather than 4... or 6 as in Roni. I also have made them with three levels of rotation, a straight and an inverse corner for greater flexibility.

...and no... I'm not saying how.

Watch this space...

Kalli

Thursday 18 September 2008

Should have said...

36 new cat eyes instore, along with the Leon beard and a completely new men's braided set called Kaiba...




Come get some!

Until next time,

Kalli

P.S. Have to add... Kaiba looks great on men... but equally good on the ladies...


Or, for those of an industrial bent...



Love it!

Tuesday 16 September 2008

Beardie weirdness...

I was IMed randomly with a request for a custom beard... looked at the attached pic and thought "ok..."

So I started to make it... when I spotted another beard en-route...

Leon... NOT the style I was supposed to be making... going live soon...


Until next time,

Kalli

Friday 12 September 2008

Starstruck series now live....

15L each or 75L for a color block of nine shades...

I'm relocating the eyes to the main store as and when they're updated, so for now, come look upstairs by the beards.

Until next time,

Kalli

Thursday 11 September 2008

I mentioned eyes a few weeks ago...

I did... yes...

Confession time. I was going to roll out another two panels of the new series 3 human eye range... but I didn't... because I've been working on a few more. In fact I can now reveal that the series 3 eyes - now dubbed "starstruck" due to the shininess within have been reworked into no fewer than 54 colors... That's 9 more than the last lot.


I'm about to commence loading vendors... so watch this space...

Until next time,

Kalli

Wednesday 10 September 2008

Final confirmation...

Just to announce, Layla and the short hat style (slightly reworked and named) Mai are now live and instore...



Do come by and have a looksee...

Until next time,

Kalli

Tuesday 9 September 2008

In the spirit of "shorter redos"...

I give you a sneak peek at Layla (it's got the servers on their knees) - Short sculpted loose braids with feathered flexi ends and that head wrap off Siren. Presented in low quality LappyvisionTM as my primary building machine is being scanned... :X


Coming soon... ;)

Until next time,

Kalli

Sunday 7 September 2008

BANDANA DAY - September 7th 2008


As a culmination of the events at Hair Fair, Bandana day is a reminder of what it's all about. We're out to raise money for Locks of Love.

On this day way ask that rather than prance about in your usual hair, you pick up a bandana from any one of the hair fair sims instead. Each are priced at 50L and 100% of all proceeds go straight to the charity...

Take off your hair to show you care...

Until next time,

Kalli

Random ideas...

People seem to be loving Lorna... however, it's long and not everybody does long in SL..

So I've started work on a jaw length variant, using the same hat as before.


Not sure what to call it, so I'm up for ideas. Will be released when I get that texturing thing resolved... ;)

Until next time,

Kalli

Friday 5 September 2008

EDITORIAL: My evil twin...

I've been flipping through the web, doing what I often do - being a little OCD and seeing whether anyone has been blogging my stuff; when I came across an article in Strange Pixels entitled "A tale of Two Discords".

The author talks about how there is more than one shop in SL called Discord or something of that ouvre... well... this is indeed true... there is... or more grammatically correctly, there are. Just to make matters worse, they both sell hair.

«Discord» (with guillemets on either side) is a Japanese hair, equipment and clothing place founded in April 2007 by Orange Meili. Discord Designs, my place, opened it's doors in June, but I was trading under the name from February, doing commission work through the Second Life forum.

Who gets to use the name? Well... we both do... despite it causing some confusion as to who makes what. I guess we could thrash it out between ourselves, but I don't speak a word of Japanese, and after standing for forty minutes in the same room as Orange, I don't think he speaks much english.

A case of live and let live I say... but if he sends any customers my way, I'm sure I'm sending as many his... and his stuff is both high quality and very reasonably priced. I have a few outfits from his range and to be honest, I think for the prices I paid for them, I couldn't be more pleased.

Keep up the good work!

Until next time,

Kalli

Thursday 4 September 2008

Despite much protestation and a severe amount of lag..

Angela is now live... Look behind the tree to find the vendor dangling from a chain...

Furthermore, just to "get them out there" the shirts I posted yesterday are now up for sale for ONE LINDEN each until the 10th at around lunchtime... have fun!

Until next time,

Kalli

Throwing caution to the wind...

OK... sod it...

The first seven shirts are now instore...








Comedy shirts are go... I'll get a little more elaborate once I get more confident... and I've promised some guy shirts soon too.

In the meantime, if you sign up to the subscribeomatic group in-store, you get the Disciple tee free. Knock yourselves out!

Tuesday 2 September 2008

Diversification... maybe?

I've never tried making clothes before, although I've always been tempted, the sheer act of drawing has given me a wiggins. Well I finally got over myself. I had a bash today and attempted to make a teeshirt with my Heath Robinson technology dating back to 1998... and this was the result.


Finetuning and a release likely to follow... stay tuned...

Until next time,

Kalli