Yeppers! I’m back! What, you forgot me? Oh dear. Well, this is my final interview. I ran out of subjects and I don’t get on to Second Life as often as I used to, so I apologise to any of my regular readers. All 2 of them. One of them being me. Ha. Anyway, enough of my rants, here’s Hinamori Burleigh for you…

Hinamori Burleigh nyanyans~~ =^.^=
Kuro Neko: Oh hello there! So, would you like to take a seat?
Hinamori Burleigh: sure
Kuro Neko: Unfortunately poseball-less…but i’m too cheap to buy decent furniture.
Hinamori: hehe its ok ^^ i actually made a few furniture myself.
Kuro Neko: Or theres the cat basket…
Hinamori: Mmm should i nekofy myself first?
Kuro Neko: You’ve been on SL for a couple of years now. Would you say you have achieved your goals so far or are there still more things you would like to try?
Hinamori: there’s still more I’d like to…June Dion (Owner of Bare Rose) got me started on working an AO for B@R, however she wanted it to be my own so It changed from B@R AO to my own company. Though I switched names like 3 times already
Kuro Neko: Hey girl you’re answering all my qyestions at once!
Hinamori: I babble alot X)
Kuro Neko: So, you’re pretty much the cutest model at Bare Rose. When did you get involved in Bare Rose?
Hinamori: Well I definitely wouldn’t say the cutest, but I started at least…no more than a month at June’s place in Gnoma.
Kuro Neko: Gnoma?
Hinamori: June used to have a small 512 parcel there for the start and I’d come by often..then she asked me to help so thats when I started dedicating my time to her store.
Kuro Neko: When was Endless Dreams (Hinamori’s AO store) born?
Hinamori: That’s tricky X) I first started making AO’s when B@R moved to Wolof, but during then it was B@R AO and after a while it turned to Celestial Designs.
Kuro Neko: That already exists.
Hinamori: Right. So then I changed again to Endless Dreams once the BareRose sim came. Now there’s a club called that after I change T_T i can’t change anymore..
Kuro Neko: Hehe.
Kuro Neko: What was your first animation that you made, can you show me a pose?
Hinamori: Hmm…first animation
Kuro Neko: Cute. Can i take a snapshot?
Hinamori: Oh no this isn’t it ^^ there’s one way more horrible, believe it or not X)
Kuro Neko: You need a sword or something.
Hinamori: It was actually for a keyblade i randomly made..i randomly played with a pose to try it out with
Kuro Neko: That’s a big ass key.

Hinamori: Apparently I was a bit wild when i did that X) Well it’s embarassing this is my first pose what I can do now :p
Kuro Neko: Everyone has to start somewhere.
Hinamori: Yea X)
Kuro Neko: When you’ve got some free time in SL, what do you enjoy doing?
Hinamori: Mmm most my time I just chat with friends and watch them work. Or if there’s any new clothes or hair I go out shopping some.
Kuro Neko: What are your fave shops?
Hinamori: Well Bare@Rose definitely, but I can’t necessarily shop there when I get everything already xx
Kuro Neko: Heh.
Hinamori: Kin’s, DE Designs…
Kuro Neko: What is your favourite anime?
Hinamori: Oh thats tough…I’ve got a few I liked watching. I’m all for love anime, so Suzuka, Ai Yori Aoshi, and Lamune are ones I loved the most.
Kuro Neko: I like Azumanga Diaoh ‘cos it’s so weird. I used to watch Love Hina a lot too.
Hinamori: Ah I did see Love Hina before Didn’t get to watch all of Azumanga Daioh, though.
Kuro Neko: And they show Elfin Leid in England now.
Hinamori: I’ve seen clips of that but never got into the story..it was gory xx
Kuro Neko: Do you have any big plans for your rezzday at the end of September? (NB: This was back in September 2007!)
Hinamori: Mm no, it just seems like an everyday day. One ‘birthday’ is enough in the year :d
Kuro Neko: thank you Hina for being so nice.
Hinamori: Comes natural :p
Kuro Neko: I don’t doubt that. Well, see you around!
Hinamori: Mata ne X)

Hinamori Burleigh in an interesting pose.

The long awaited Honey Fairweather interview! Honey is such a nice, fun and hardworking girl, much credit has to go to her. And thanks so much for agreeing to this interview at short notice. ^_^ This is from way back in September 2007:

Kuro Neko: What made you devise the Fashion Consolidated group?
Honey Fairweather: The very best reason I hope! Just because I was in too many groups, wanted to join more designers’ groups, thought “this is crazy, ok where’s the single group I can join?”, looked and to my surprise didn’t find one. So I made one! Well… I IMd a few kind designers, some big, and they were kind to naive little me and said “yeah!”. Then I did the usual: agonised for a month, eating a lot of sweet foods and chewing my nails. THEN I set it up. And people liked it! Yay.

I think I was simulaneously awestruck *and* nonchalant about IMing those big designers. It’s weird… I’m very truly immersed now, in the sense that I feel close to 100% the same as my av (I have difficulty even typing “my av” – it’s me), but in the first few months on SL, I don’t think you are. You have more nerve then because it’s less real. Now I’m trapped *bangs on glass and grimaces, manga style*.
Kuro Neko: You must be close to about 2000 plus members now. Did you ever think it would be this popular?
Honey: No! I remember when I set it up, I thought it might be something a few hundred people may like, but they’d be hardcore buyers like me, because of the ton of notices they’d get (and I was thinking “from dozens of designers” – now it’s many hundreds). I didn’t dream so many people would join, and more realistically, stay – I have no clue what the turnover rate is, as LL don’t give us good group tools, but there seems to be a spookily constant net gain of 80 members and 20 designers joining per week. I was also very surprised at the results of the questionnaire I did after a few months: that most members like so many of the notices, are likely to stay etc etc. I also had no clue I would be googleable for this when I set it up. Waaa!
Kuro Neko: Do you ever regret starting the group, considering the amount of time and effort needed now to maintain it?
Honey: Does one ever regret having a baby? I’ve not had one, but I’d guess you sometimes want to shout at them, lock them in a room, or send them to bed with no supper, but you always end up feeding them and making them sandwiches for school the next day.

Right now it’s tricky – my poor hands have a tale to tell and it’s increasingly hard to use my crappy old laptop on SL, so the 3+ hours a day it takes to run I’m finding very hard to make right now. Just occasionally, people get a bit cranky about not being added as a vendor for days, say. I can understand why, to them it’s just a flick of a switch and it must be annoying that I won’t just flick it on demand. To me I get 20 applications a week, and i have to scrape details from my website (http://fashcon.com), tabulate, change roles or invite, send out the appropriate kiosks, IM them with details and a designer welcome, answer questions and record that I’ve done it so I don’t go crazy later. So it pays to do it once a week only, at weekends. Similar stuff with other jobs. The website’s my little helper.
Kuro Neko: Would you class yourself as a “Second Life celebrity”?
Honey: Hahahaahahaahahahahaahaha (fades into the distance, again manga style!). The other day, someone god bless them introduced me as “The FashCon CEO”. I nearly fell off my perch! I’ve never CEO’d anything, and while SL seems to plunging headlong into business suits and limited companies, I seem to be going the opposite way. No, is the simple answer. I live in 1024 sqm of rented land, a dump of a house with a cat that never shuts up and a fridge that swallows people (*Editors note: I was swallowed by it!) and I’m always scraping round for money to buy some of these fab designers’ clothes! Sometimes people do say “wait you’re THE Honey” but I assure you it’s only those crazy FashCon fanatics, and I run away blushing
Kuro Neko: Before you started FashCon, what did you do in Second Life?
Honey: Isn’t it weird how SL time is (I think literally – I once worked it out) 10x the duration of RL time? It feels sooo long ago… let’s see. I set up a Fairweathers group to try to find all my distant cousins, brothers, sisters and evil uncles who had signed up the same time as me and picked the same name. That’s why I like LL picking names for a limited duration: you don’t get too much choice, like in RL, and you immediately and permanently get a RL family of people with the same name born around the same time as you, that dates you all. I basically naively spammed (!) all the Fairweathers asking them to join, and 100 did! I did nothing since but i have visions of catching up with the few remaining ones in 2010 and seeing what we all did to keep us on SL. And possibly bumping off the richest one and stealing his fortune, in film noir style.

What else? I rented a treehouse, and got kicked out with no notice by some medieval roleplaying NAZIS for not saying “good morrow sir knight, how goes it? lolz!” every morning. That was good! And I am proud to say I was, am and always will be (sounds biblical) the undead holy virgin mother of the Church of Elvis, and have recently given birth to a small version of said singer on the bonnet (hood) of a cadillac during a church service. You can delete that last bit, right? (*Note: No, nothing gets deleted, Honey).
Kuro Neko: Do you have any plans or aspirations which you no longer have time to do since FashCon started?
Honey: Well, RL had to go for starters, so I strictly live on a stretcher with essential nutrients supplied by doctors now. Other than that, I had to dump my only SL job as an events hostess due to time, but I love that kind of thing, making people giddy with stupid fun. Like most people who aren’t, I’d love to design clothes, have a million ideas, but just no time to give it a go, or maybe I’m scared. I have killer ideas though for a brand of stuff! If any hot hot designer wishes to contact me and co-release a set of FashCon “inspired” clothing, QVC style, I’m up for it! I’ll be your Joan Rivers.
Kuro Neko: Have you made a lot more friends as the group has grown?
Honey: Oh a TON, people are so lovely. I have the usual problem of any hoarder or coward who has amassed a 300-person friends list and doesn’t have the heart to prune people she hasn’t talked to since day two. So if any of the bikers who took me in when I looked like a blob then wish to IM me, sure And living in the finest place on SL, Amicitia, is a direct result of being on FashCon.
Kuro Neko: Do you find that FashCon actually helps you keep up with the fashion scene in SL a lot more than before?
Honey: Ooo I’d hope so, otherwise I’d resign. Yes it really does.
Kuro Neko: What is your favourite style of clothing in SL?
Honey: When I get invited to a posh event, I find myself crying on the floor of my SL bedroom under a pile of dresses looking for something vaguely presentable, and usually going in my Pushbutton PJs. My favourite personal styles are Urban Sprawl, Japanese Waa! and Vintage Ooo!
Kuro Neko: Are you a fashionista in real life?
Honey: Curiously, I spend my days swanning around the Riviera in Edith Head and de Givenchy dresses, trying to catch a notorious cat burglar while worrying about runs in my stockings. I’m never out of ballgowns. I am close personal friends with John Galliano and water his plants when he’s away.
Kuro Neko: Do you think you get a lot of respect in SL or do you feel like you are underappreciated?
Honey: Aw now, this became the psychologist’s couch. I think sometimes 1% may think I under or overdo and tell me so, which I guess means I get it right… But people are lovely, and often give me far more credit than is due. Remember I don’t *make* anything – all I make is a bridge for others to show their work, and still more to buy them.
Kuro Neko: Finally, how did you feel when approached for this interview?
Honey: Nice! Flattered, baffled, and faintly pinkish.

Silly questions (as requested by Honey Fairweather):

Kuro Neko: Which is better on ice cream: sprinkes or sauce?
Honey: It would have to be sauce: sprinkles get stuck in your teeth, and some contain small microtransmitters left over from the Cold War/alien spaceships. Not many people know that sauce was subsquently developed by MI5 to absorb the transmitters signals, especially the yummy raspberry ones, thus thwarting an evil empire. This is fact, stop looking at me like that.
Kuro Neko: If you were stranded on a desert island, what ONE outfit would you bring?
Honey: Oh GOD! It would have to be my wedding dress from the Church of Elvis. Useful for fishing, a flag to passing oceanliners, the petticoats as small but functional mosquito net, and handy for showing off my grace and charm to island goats.
Kuro Neko: If someone called you a bitch, what would you do?
Honey: Almost invariably, be very scared, try to call them something back, make a total mess of it and run away.
Kuro Neko: Have you ever licked a carpet?
Honey: Only in anger.
Kuro Neko: When was the last time you sat on a cake by accident?
Honey: Ok that’s spooky, yesterday, in Amicitia, at a picnic, while wearing Moire Georgette’s dreamy pink picnic dress. I can give you three names to attest to the truth of this. Someone offered to lick it clean…
Kuro Neko: Who’s your favourite kitty?
Honey: Me! And on SL, Frank. Hi Frank! Good kitty.

Obviously I was not a favourite. But, hey, I’m used to that. Ciao for now!!

Oh no! Honey has committed suicide! Or is that fashion suicide with that awful dress….hehe joking.

Kuro Neko: Tell me how your freebie paradise venture began.
Sarah Nerd: There were a lot of freebie places when I was a newb, but I always wanted one that had better stuff, and more organized. So when I had a club I started a freebie area in the corner, and eventually moved it to its own lot.
Kuro Neko: Is it as popular now as it was back then, or more so?
Sarah Nerd: More popular now. When I started getting into estates and enlarged it , it caught on more.
Kuro Neko: The first time I heard about you was when I got a weiner machine. Do you still make stuff like that?
Sarah Nerd: *laughs* When its really late and I get really bored, I make totally usless stuff now and then.
Kuro Neko: I do remember getting fat off weiners back in 2006.
Sarah Nerd: Awesome.
Kuro Neko: When you began Second Life, did you ever think you’d be so successful?
Sarah Nerd: No, first 6 months or so I paid a lot to play, just loved it so much. Started dealing land to help support a club I had.
Kuro Neko: Was it much cheaper back in 2005?
Sarah Nerd: Nah. tier has been the same since I started. Island prices went up though.
Kuro Neko: Uh huh. Crazy prices now. For the average user.
Sarah Nerd: But they were raised before I bought my first estate sim.
Kuro Neko: Is the land business your true calling now?
Sarah Nerd: Yeah I love it to death. Been doing it awhile, so I feel weird in slow periods.
Kuro Neko: To be honest, you are very reasonable.
Sarah Nerd: Thank you.
Kuro Neko: The land market is a bit bad at the moment, for selling. something like 6 or 7 L per sqm (Marsha’s note: at time of interview!)
Sarah Nerd: LL [Linden Labs] has been flooding the market all week with new mainland sims to get the price down. Usually they flood, it drops down, and when they stop it goes up a little and levels out.
Kuro Neko: When you get quiet periods where land prices are low and no one is selling, do you go off and make weiner machines?
Sarah Nerd: Yeah.
Kuro Neko: Cool.
Sarah Nerd: I hang out with my friends or build a little.
Kuro Neko: Yes you gotta make time for your social life as well.
Kuro Neko: This next question you do not need to answer, but I’ll ask it anyway.
Kuro Neko: Does your avatar reflect your RL self at all? (inlcuding the “nerd” part?)
Sarah Nerd: Nah, I’m a fat girl in Ohio. I have had purple hair before, but my avatar is more like what I wished I looked like than what I acually look like.
Kuro Neko: I have always thought your av looks kind of cute. I like your Nifty Fifty [Sarah's discount affiliate store] sign pic.
Sarah Nerd: Thank you.
Kuro Neko: Do you still think SL is a lot of fun or do you kind of think of it more as an income?
Sarah Nerd: Yeah, it’s fun, but sometimes the business part makes it a little stressful. But I love this game and I love the people. I’m so attached to so many of my friends.
Kuro Neko: I enjoy it, I enjoy meeting people I admire. I always get nervous of meeting people in the game, because I think they will look down on me since I am technically a nobody.
Sarah Nerd: I know what you mean, I feel like that a lot. I think people just know my name here now because I’ve been here so damn long *laughs*
Kuro Neko: So, you have a lot of stuff going on in SL, what with the land, your affiliate programs and stores, how do you keep up?
Sarah Nerd: Bella Wilberg [Sarah's partner] helps me a lot. Theres rarley a day I dont log onto SL.
Kuro Neko: *thinks* What about 16 June 2006, you were not online then.
Sarah Nerd: I dont even remeber the 16th of June 2006.
Kuro Neko: I wasn’t around then anyway, so I guess I can’t prove that rumour.
Kuro Neko: If you could sum yourself up in one word, what would it be?
Sarah Nerd: Thats a tough one.. independent?
Kuro Neko: Are you asking me?
Sarah Nerd: *laughs*
Kuro Neko: I was going to suggest ‘Purple’.
Sarah Nerd: Yeah, that’s totally me. Thats how most people think of me. Purple.
Kuro Neko: I’ve never known anyone so devoted to one color.
Sarah Nerd: I used to see this old lady all over town in real life who was always covered in pink. I’d see her at flea markets and stuff.
Kuro Neko: What was her name?
Sarah Nerd: Didnt know her but it was easy to remember her because she always had big pink hats and all pink clothing all the time.
Kuro Neko: She sounds very cute. So, I hear you like Nine Inch Nails.
Sarah Nerd: Love Trent Reznor. Have since I was a teenager. Got to go to 6 shows last summer, was in heaven *laughs*
Kuro Neko: Yeah, but you’re getting old now.
Sarah Nerd: Yeah I am =) But I’ll never be to old for Nails shows…

Me with Sarah Nerd on the steps in my skybox.

Kuro Neko: What made you come up with the name Wrong?
Kaysha Sion: The store was initially called “House of Wrong”, with the intention of selling elaborate goth clothes. This was really pretentious and not my style….over time I just dropped the first two words and went with a more casual style.
Kuro Neko: You have recently re-designed your store. Are you getting any feedback from customers about that?
Kaysha Sion: Oh..I re-design almost every week it seems. Always trying new things, testing what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes I get notecards from customers with feedback, whether negative or positive I always appreciate it.
Kuro Neko: Do the clothes you make in SL reflect your RL style?
Kaysha Sion: Yes. I only really make clothes that I’d wear in real life.
Kuro Neko: What kind of thing do you find the hardest to make?
Kaysha Sion: Pretty, girly things. Dresses. If you meant technically, then shoes and hair. Prim skirts that blend nicely. And MENS. It’s near impossible to make textures sit nicely on a male mesh!!
Kuro Neko: Where do you look for inspiration?
Kaysha Sion: Real life – real clothes. Stuff I buy or see other people wearing. Magazines, websites.
Kuro Neko: Which other designers do you admire in SL?
Kaysha Sion: Radical Twang of course, the boy next door I don’t really know any other designers personally. I admire anyone with the patience to do this.
Kuro Neko: Can you remember the nicest and nastiest thing anyone has ever said to you regarding your store and its products?
Kaysha Sion: Hmm the nicest things are small compliments received in notecards from customers – just to say they enjoy my clothes. Always makes me happy and motivates me to make more. The nastiest thing? I don’t really remember. My work has been torn up in anonymous blogs in the past but I’ve never really cared.
Kuro Neko: Is there anything you have attempted to make but just found too difficult?
Kaysha Sion: A friend asked me to make a simple white tennis skirt and I pulled my hair out over it for weeks. It just never happened. Blending a white prim into the avie mesh is ridiculously difficult, apparently.
Kuro Neko: What is your most favourite outfit from your store?
Kaysha Sion: I probably wear my black zippy pants the most…and the jeans. Those jeans took forever to make and I love them to bits.
Kuro Neko: Ever thought about becoming a neko?
Kaysha Sion: I’m a dog person.
Kuro Neko: Finally, what’s the best piece of advice you can give to any new, aspiring designers entering Second Life?
Kaysha Sion: Focus on the details. Don’t rush anything. Don’t source. Don’t copy. Be professional. Ignore designer drama.

Me and Kaysha at FORM.

Kuro Neko: When did T & S Dezigns begin?
Sherry Case: It started back in November 2004 under my original avie, Sherry Callahan.
Kuro Neko: Did you ever try building anything else before settling on furnishings?
Sherry Case: Yes, i started making clothes but just have no patience with it..that’s why admire people that can make clothes in SL.
Kuro Neko: Do your ideas come from your head or do you get influenced by real life designs?
Sherry Case: They all come from different sources..my head, magazines and people that asks for stuff that they want.
Kuro Neko: Do you make all your own poses?
Sherry Case: When I started no, but it’s hard to find poses that matches or fits the furniture that I make so I started learning them (and still have alot to learn!) and ever since then I make my own.
Kuro Neko: Have you made any sculpty furniture?
Sherry Case: Yes I have..I made a living room set, well a new version of the latest one I made, the Living Room Set 107. The original one is 450+ prims and now it’s down to 238 prims I think, which is really great cause now we can save prims…YAY!
Kuro Neko: What is your favourite suite?
Sherry Case: My latest one..Living room set 107 cause it’s identical to my RL set.
Kuro Neko: What piece of furniture do you find most difficult to construct?
Sherry Case: Bed! always the bed! lol.
Kuro Neko: How much would you say your business has grown since you started?
Sherry Case: Well it has grown alot although I know that there’s still alot where I need to improve on but I’m just very happy that I don’t need to go to craft stores in RL to make stuff. Before I joined SL I love building doll houses. Not from scratch ok? hehehe..I used to buy the kits and put them together and furnish them but now that I found SL I am happier because I don’t have to make any more mess like I used to
Kuro Neko: Do you make a good living on Second Life?
Sherry Case: Well I make enough to pay my tiers and pay some bills.
Kuro Neko: When you want a break and decide to sit down, how long does it take you to choose which couch you want to sit down on? (Silly question!)
Sherry Case: Hmmm…is that in RL or SL? LOL!
Kuro Neko: Tell me about some of the people you have met in Second Life that really inspire and influence you.
Sherry Case: Well I didn’t meet her in SL. We met in there.com, Xandi Mars. She’s actually the one that convinced me to play SL and I thank her for doing that! TY XANDI!
Kuro Neko: Finally, what kind of futuristic furniture can we expect from Sherry Case in the next year or so?
Sherry Case: Well I plan on making more furniture sets in sculpties (but still need alot to learn in using the software for it) to save on prims. And hopefully one day I’ll be able to make some clothes… HOPEFULLY!

Me and Sherry at T & S Dezigns, sitting on some furniture that used to be a leopard.

Kuro Neko: Firstly, tell me how you felt when you were approached for an interview.
Iris Seale: I felt amazingly flattered.
Kuro Neko:Tell me how Punch Drunk was born.
Iris: Well, I heard about Second Life in a ‘cyberarts’ class at school. I’m a Theatrical Costume Design major, so I thought maybe it would be a cool way to reproduce some of my designs in 3D before I built them. I made lots of friends after I joined and they all asked me where I got my ‘outfits’ from. Eventually I started designing things just for SL and decided to open Punch Drunk.
Kuro Neko: May I ask, why did you name your store Punch Drunk? Is it because you want people to be stupefied by your designs?
Iris: Heh, stupifying people with my designs has never really occured to me I knew what I wanted the feel of the store to be: something girly but tough, fun, and bright. Punch Drunk was the first name to occur to me and I thought it fit all my criteria.
Kuro Neko: How would you class your clothing?
Iris: Definately girly! But like I said before, tough girly. I love bright colors and fun shapes. So..I guess I’ll have to go with bright and girly.
Kuro Neko: How many stores do you currently have around Second Life?
Iris: As of right now, I have my first and main store in Mischief Cove, a store in Fashion Mode on the Docks, a store in Cross Roads, and another in MO island. That’s a lot of stores!
Kuro Neko: Who are your favourite designers in Second Life?
Iris: There are WAY too many to name. I love funky, handdrawn clothing so I tend to frequent those stores a lot.
Kuro Neko: Do you consider Second Life to be a form of income or just a bit of fun?
Iris: Just for fun. While I’d love to someday say that my hobby is my job, I’m not crossing my fingers for it right now.
Kuro Neko: How often do you play Slingo, and how often are you lucky?
Iris: I play slingo far too much I usually play with some friends at another friend’s ‘park’, but you can find me at Parrothead sometimes. My sweet landlord, Claude Kirshner, just put a slingo solo freeplay machine in my loft, so I’m loving that. In group slingo, I think I’ve won maybe a total of five or six times. I’m not very lucky!
Kuro Neko: Do you feel you have found your true calling in Second Life, or do you think the future holds more for Iris Seale?
Iris: I definitely think I’ve found what I want to do in Second Life. I can’t imagine anything more fun than making up clothes.
Kuro Neko: Do you receive a lot of customer feedback?
Iris: Not nearly as much as I’d like, actually. If I’m in my store with customers, most of the time they’re really quiet. I don’t know, maybe I make them nervous by poking around.
Kuro Neko: What is the single most strangest thing that has happened to you in Second Life?
Iris: Well, i had a few interesting stalkers, but i think the strangest thing is people liking the clothes i put out I’m always afraid that people won’t like my style. It’s my style, though, so it’s not like I can do anything else.

Yes! We are wearing the same dress! And yes! That is Sydney Opera House!

Bellinda Box: Hello!
Kuro Neko: Hey there.
Kuro Neko: Interesting clothes. How have you been?
Bellinda Box: Very well, thank you.
Kuro Neko: Do you want to sit in the cat basket?
Bellinda Box: Perfect.
Kuro Neko: If there is a question you do not wish to answer, just say.
Bellinda Box: Ok Marsha. You know i am french my english is not so perfect.
Kuro Neko: I’ll bear that in mind. I am very patient. Tell me a bit about yourself, and your art.
Bellinda Box: I do squared box with perspective in 2D, this is the base of my work. I start my artwork that I called ‘Bellinda’ 3 years ago, and now it’s become my artist name.
Kuro Neko: So the art was dubbed “Bellinda” and you used it as a psudonym?
Bellinda Box: People called me Bellinda, so now I feel my name is Bellinda. But firstly it was the name of my universe, my concept.
Kuro Neko: Do you feel you have lost your true identity?
Bellinda Box: Not at all, the contrary. I discover myself in my work.
Kuro Neko: How did you get the idea of bringing your art into Second Life?
Bellinda Box: It was so natural! I work on 2D with perspective, so SL was perfect to show and to realize it. When i arrived in SL, I pictured my work straight away in the game.
Kuro Neko: So you saw the potential straight away. How popular was your gallery at first, how did you promote it?
Bellinda Box: No, many people came and they really like the atmoshere so they come more often and they bring some friends, also people were happy to try to give me ideas and advice. I make really good friends in my gallery.
Kuro Neko: Has Second Life helped you gain more recognition as an artist?
Bellinda Box: Yes, because in SL you have more time to share with people than a real vernissage, and I can make more huge exhibitions in SL.
Kuro Neko: What is a vernissage?
Bellinda Box: Private viewing before release to public. I mean in SL you have more possibilities to show your artwork
Kuro Neko: Ah, right ok, so you’re saying SL gives you more time to talk with people.
Bellinda Box: Yes, because if I am busy they’ll come back to meet me. In real life is different.
Kuro Neko: Where do you get your inspiration
Bellinda Box: I get my inspiration from every day life, what I see on tv, on the street, the big shops. What I see inside my fridge. Everything.
Kuro Neko: Has Second Life spawned more inspiration for you?
Bellinda Box: Yes indeed. I know Second Life changed my vision to see things. I never used 3D before Second Life.
Kuro Neko: Do you think there is a distinct lack of art galleries in Second Life?
Bellinda Box: I dont know. I visit lot of galleries in Second Life but I was a little disappointed. But I also find some good artist in Second Life!
Kuro Neko: Have you discovered the delights of Machinima?
Bellinda Box: Not yet but someone spoke to me about this.
Kuro Neko: Machinima is very popular here, and also very many examples of it around the web, used to promote businesses here in SL.
Bellinda Box: For the moment I create clothes for SL.
Bellinda Box: I’ll go soon.
Kuro Neko: No you won’t. I’m almost done..stay in the damn cat basket!
Kuro Neko: I notice you are very pink. Do you think if there was a competition in Second Life for the pinkest avatar, you would win?
Bellinda Box: I hope!
Kuro Neko: Woooo! Finally, can you tell me what the future holds for Bellinda?
Bellinda Box: I dont know. I have to think about it
Kuro Neko: Thank you Bellinda for taking the time to answer my questions. I really appreciate your cooporation.
Bellinda Box: Thanks to you Marsha.
Bellinda Box gave you Bellinda Skull and Rose shirt.
Bellinda Box: One of my t-shirts.
Kuro Neko: Thank you
Bellinda Box: I hope you’ll like.
Kuro Neko: Well let’s see. It’s nice
Bellinda Box: You like ?
Kuro Neko: Thank you Bellinda.
Bellinda Box: You’re welcome!
Kuro Neko: If you have a few seconds, I can show you my garden.
Bellinda Box: Ok.
Kuro Neko: It’s a really lovely place here.
Bellinda Box: No flower?
Kuro Neko: Maybe one day. I’m not really a flower person.
Bellinda Box: Why not?
Kuro Neko: Maybe I could put up some art. Do you know anyone who does art?
Bellinda Box: Me! Have you visited my gallery?
Kuro Neko: Yes I went briefly. I was told to leave because I was a cat.
Bellinda Box: Really?
Kuro Neko: Nope, just kidding.
Bellinda Box: Haha..because I have a dog…
Kuro Neko: They don’t scare me.
Bellinda Box: Ok Marsha I go to my gallery.
Kuro Neko: Sure!
Bellinda Box: So you want to come?
Kuro Neko: I have to do another interview, i’m sorry.
Bellinda Box: Ok no problem. Come when you have time.
Kuro Neko: I will see you again soon.
Bellinda Box: Good Bye!

Visit Bellinda Gallery in-world by clicking here.
Visit Bellinda’s website by clicking here.

Me and Bellinda snuggling in the cat basket. I annotated it for your benefit.

This is a quick announcement to say that I have created a group on Second Life now which will enable you to receive updates on new posts/interviews on my blog. If you want to join you can either IM me (Marsha Ling, in case you didn’t already know) for an invite or search on Groups tab for Kuro Neko’s Blog Update Group.

Also, quick update now – next interview up will be Bellinda Box from Bellinda Gallery followed by Iris Seale of Punch Drunk. Still waiting on Kaysha Sion’s questions, and I met with Sarah Nerd a couple of days ago. So, look forward to those!!

-Kuro Neko.

I was fortunate enough to catch up with Nyte Caligari of Nyte’N'Day recently, and managed to get a quick interview with her between her busy schedule. So here it is…

Kuro Neko: How long ago did you first open Nyte ‘N’ Day?
Nyte Caligari: I’m not sure of the exact date anymore! I think it was probably around August 2005.
Kuro Neko: How quickly did business pick up?
Nyte: It was a few months. I used to get so excited when I would check my transaction history and see I’d made a sale. I would excitedly check them every day and do a little happy dance when one was there. Haha…being a new designer was so much fun. It’s still tons of fun!

Kuro Neko: What was your first outfit?
Nyte: Hmm. Not sure about the outfit… but I remember my first shirt. It was a tank top “thing”. Haha! It was very odd-looking but I keep it around for sentimental purposes.
Kuro Neko: How difficult do you find making skins?
Nyte: Well… they’re for sure more difficult then clothes for me. However, each time I work on my skins they get easier. Not sure if easier is the right word… Comfortable. There’s the word. The more I do, the more comfy I am with making them. I’m working on a new skin now and I’m finding this one to be going much more smoothly then any previous ones.
Kuro Neko: What would you say was the most popular thing in your store?
Nyte: That’s hard to say, everyone has different tastes, so there’s no clear “popular item”.
Kuro Neko: Do you get recognised a lot in Second Life, and if so do you get a lot of praise?
Nyte: I hardly ever leave my studio anymore! I’m always creating or doing something to do with Nyte’N'Day.
I do get recognized sometimes when I’m out and about. It kinda makes me uncomfortable to be honest when people are like “Oh my God, you’re Nyte Caligari!”. I mean, of course it’s awesome, but at the same time I dunno, I don’t like being in the spot light…even in a fake world. It’s just kinda weird, humbling and flattering all at once.
Kuro Neko: Do you ever try and replicate your favourite items in real life, or do you only come up with unique designs?
Nyte: I draw a lot of inspiration from real life clothing. Most of the time I open Photoshop and just start playing around though. A few times I’ve dreamed of clothes then woken up and made them. It’s pretty disturbing when you dream of SL. haha!
Kuro Neko: Nah, I do it all the time. Haha.. so, name some of your favourite places to go and shop in Second Life.
Nyte: I’m always on the hunt for good modeling poses, oh, and hair. The list is endless of places to shop! My latest fave hair came from Calla.
Kuro Neko: Do you ever get approached or instant-messaged by people asking for opinions on their clothing designs?
Nyte: Rarely. It used to happen more when I was just starting out, but hardly happens ever now.
Kuro Neko: What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you regarding Nyte ‘N’ Day?
Nyte: Wow. Many people have said many nice things. When I was really sick I got to know how loving and friendly SL is as a whole. I got so many IMs and well wishes it blew me away. It meant a lot (and still does) reading messages of support. I could barely be on SL but dragging myself to the computer long enough to read them was, to say the least, very touching.
Kuro Neko: Have you ever experienced griefers in your store?
Nyte: Unfortunatly, yes. I dislike being an enforcer but sometimes they make me.

Visit Nyte’s blog to see latest updates at Nyte ‘N’ Day by clicking here.

Kuro Neko: When you entered Second Life, did you always know what you wanted to do here?
June Dion: Yes, I was looking around SL Exchange (online shopping boutique for Second Life) and found some nice clothes, so I wanted to be make my avatar to look nice, had not thought I’m gonna make clothes at the time.

Kuro Neko: How did Bare Rose start?
June Dion: Starting with tiny store, very small one. Have not got store name at the time. I got First Land as 512m2. I named the land to Bare Rose, it was the starting point.

Kuro Neko: How long after you founded Bare Rose did you hold your first big party?
June Dion: When we moved to 4096m2 land, was the first big party. Asked to use Japanese club called Roppongi, no longer there now sadly, but the sim was full of people so I remember it was a big party

Kuro Neko: How big would you say is the gothic scene in Second Life at the moment?
June Dion: Quite big, not only goth people, also lot of people like goth style as part of their avatar. It’s not only for human, some goth furry around a lot.

Kuro Neko: Did you ever think that Bare Rose would be so popular?
June Dion: Never, was just making clothes that I wanted becouse cheaper than buying some :p and make stuff what makes friends happy. So I thought never would be popular.

Kuro Neko: Are you into gothic fashion in real life?
June Dion: No X) only allowed for young people :p but still love it.

Kuro Neko: Are your ideas and designs inspired by real life designs you see, or are they entirely unique?
June Dion: It depends on design, half for them are unique like combined culture one. For casual, I got ideas from what I saw in the station in Tokyo every day

Kuro Neko: What outfit of yours are you most proud of?
June Dion: Lot of outfits I have. Combined culture is one. It makes meet person and person who living different country each other on store. Also some fantasy combines one to makes people own story with our clothes. As another new outfits haven’t seen in RL/SL before.

Kuro Neko: How popular are you skins at the moment?
June Dion: Not so much I guess, since not many people know we sell skin :p

Kuro Neko: What do you anticipate for the future of Bare Rose?
June Dion: Well, I am close to 1000 outfits total now. So, I want to try to go for 2000 outifts after that

Me hanging out with June at Bare Rose HQ.