Nova

One of the groups I belong to – Havoc – seems to offer group gifts each weekend, and only for the weekend.  Their group is FREE to join.  I haven’t been in the group long enough to know if this is a regular thing or not, but the last three weekends have seen gifts.  This weekend, I’m quick enough to blog one, and if you’re quick enough, it’s yours as well!

This bikini and top is three separate pieces.  There are sizes for Lara, Legacy, Kupra, Freya, and Hourglass.  It’s also a generous fatpack, with a HUD containing thirteen plain colors and eleven patterns.  You can color each of the pieces individually.


Vivian

Hello sweets!  This is a lucky chair win from Pure Poison.  The are four chairs at the store for members of the group, which is FREE to join.  There’s also a chair for members of FabFree, which is also FREE to join.

This outfit is sized to fit Lara, Legacy, Isis, Freya, and Hourglass.  The boots are included and come in fittings for the same sizes as the dress.  I’m not much on high platforms, and normally with a dress this short, I’d wear flats.  These boots are nicely done however, and if you get your hover height just right, they look pretty good when walking.

Both the dress and the boots come with separate thirteen color HUDs to personalize them.  You can color the top and skirt of the dress separately, and there are four metal colors to choose from.   The boot HUD lets you color the main boots, the platforms, the heels, and the toes all individually, which might make for some clownishly eye-catching combinations!  The boots also have four colors for the soles.

This is a very nice FREE gift.  The only drawback is that the chairs are on a fifteen minute turnover, which is quite a long time if you don’t get lucky and have your letter come up quickly.  I had to wait over two hours for this one!


Black Angel

Here’s an eye-catching group gift from Black Angel.  Their group is FREE to join, and there are lots of past group gifts available.

This dress with its strappy overlay is all one piece, and is sized for Lara, Venus, Freya, Isis, Hourglass, and Physique.  It comes with an eight color HUD that allows you to set the color of the dress and straps separately.  As you can see, the dress is materials enabled, although it really could have done with a proper spec map to make the glitter pop, never mind.


Rylie

The Fifty, the monthly event by the organizers of Fifty Linden Fridays, is celebrating an anniversary this round, and there are FREE gifts at most every creator’s stall.  Simply wear the Fifty Linden Fridays tag – FREE to join – to get them.

This bodysuit is the pick of the gift outfits.  It’s a wonderful design with the sheer fabric and lace ruffles.  There’s also a floral patterned version whose main fabric is more modest.

Sizes include Lara, Lara Petite, Legacy, Legacy Perky, and Reborn.


Alana

Collabor88 is on at the moment, and I was having a wander around and I saw this dress.  The photo showed what I thought was a daring side cutaway crossed with ties.  I should have tried the demo, but as it was only L$188 for a single color and one of my favorite colors was staring me in the face, I didn’t.  When I tried it on, I realized the dress should have been 50% off, because it’s only 50% there!

Sizes include Lara, Lara Petite, Legacy, Legacy Perky, eBody and eBody Curvy, Kupra, Belleza Classic (I’m guessing Venus?), Belleza Curvy (I’m guessing Freya?), Reborn (and “Juicy” addons”).

There’s also a fatpack available for L$1488.


Irina

This is another gift for members of the teleporthub.com group.  The group is L$10 to join.

The romper is sized for Lara, Lara Petite, Legacy, Legacy Perky, and Reborn.


Paloma

This is a group gift for members of the teleporthub.com group by Sexy Princess.  The teleporthub.com group is a tiny L$10 to join.

There are fits for Lara, Lara Petite, Legacy, Legacy Perky, Kupra (all), Venus, Freya, Isis, Hourglass, and Physique.  The sleeves are separates and you can obviously wear them or not.


Zara

It’s the UniK Event’s 4th anniversary this month, and most creators have anniversary gifts available for all.

This glittery dress is one of the FREE gifts.  It’s base color is a lovely emerald teal, with a fabulous underlay of glitter featuring lilac, this is one made for us red heads!  It’s sized to fit Lara, Freya, Hourglass, Reborn, Kupra, Gen.X and Gen.X Curvy, Erika, eBody Curvy, and Star.


Late reporting: SLink

In case you missed it, SLink, a major creator in SL for a very long time, closed their doors on the 1st of January, effective immediately.  While I was aware of it at the time, I generally don’t report on events such as this on the blog, but I’ve just realized that every article I post is linking to a now nonexistent region.

Slink made the original replacement for the (horrid) system avatar’s hands and feet.  I wear both on a day-to-day basis, and as such, at least the hands get photographed in every post I do.

So, I will use some magic on the blog and redirect the Slink links to this article so newcomers don’t get confused.  If you ended up here, that’s why.

Details on Siddean’s decision are on Slink’s blog, but as I’m sure that site will disappear in the future, here’s the article quoted directly:

It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing the closure of Slink, One Bad Pixel and Cinnamon&Chai in Second Life.

Second Life has been an all-consuming part of my Real Life since I first joined in 2007. I opened Slink a few weeks after I joined with a single skin, a single t-shirt and a single skirt. Slink has gone from strength to strength since with the release of my first sculptie shoes in 2009, my avatar enhancement hands and feet in 2011/12 which set the SL shoe market ablaze, and then the Physique Original body in early 2014, followed by Hourglass and mens bodies in 2015 and 2016.

I have curated and cultivated a wonderful cottage industry of my fellow Second Life creators and enjoyed a lot of support from them over the years. I’ve also really enjoyed teaching people how to create for Second Life, building in blender, weight painting, troubleshooting etc. I think my desire to assist and enable others to create is what motivated me more than my own creative endeavours.

Following two stressful years of pandemic which I am sure we have all been affected by in one way or the other, I suddenly lost my mother in September of 2021, my grandmother in January of 2022 and my cat Cleo in June. I have been unwell and enduring a lot of chronic pain. I have to be very honest, my spark has dimmed a little and I no longer have the energy to pour into this business like I once did.

I’ve done a lot of soul searching over the last 18 months and have come to the very difficult decision that for my own physical and mental wellbeing, I need to move on from Second Life. I am starting something new, and can only hope it will be half as much fun and as fulfilling as my time in Second Life has been.

For my loyal customers – thank you from the very bottom of my heart for your support over the years, for your engaging and entertaining conversations in our group chat, for your enthusiastic cheerleading for me and the work I do, for whispering in my ear when I made some oopsie, so I could sneak in and fix it! I cannot express what your support has truly meant to me, and I know these words will never be enough. I love you all, and I will miss you so very much.

For my brilliant creator community – you made what I do so much better! Thank you so much for your fabulous, innovative and gorgeous creations that made mine look so awesome. Thank you for jumping on this incredible ride with me!

I never imagined I would do this for even 5 years, let alone 15. I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment about what I have done over the last 15 years, the impact I have had on the development of Second Life through the various Linden Lab projects I participated in, and opening my very first creators kit which let other SL residents design nailpolishes for my hands and feet. I have learned so much as a business owner, and grown so much as an artist, and I feel ready to embark on my next adventure.

The Slink Mainstore sim and Marketplace store will be closing on the 1st of January, 2023. The Slink and Slinkwest accounts will not be available for contact.


Rope

Here’s some lingerie for the shibari/kinbaku enthusiasts.  This is a FREE group gift from Havoc, who’s group is FREE to join.

The bra and thong are separates and there are sizes for Lara, Legacy, Kupra, Reborn, Hourglass, Freya Perky. and Impressions.  There’s even a naughty version without the lace!

The outfit also comes with HUDs that let you choose from fifteen colors for the rope and lace.