Designing Worlds visits Earthstones to explore the history of Second Life Jewellery – now on the web!

The latest episode of Designing Worlds –  tracing the history of virtual world jewellery making with Abraxxa Anatine of Earthstones – is now on the web!

Designing Worlds Episode 263 – The Ages of Second Life Jewellery from Richard Elen on Vimeo.

Abraxxa has been creating jewellery in Second Life for a very long time, and she takes us back to the days of prim torture as she demonstrates how jewellery was made before the advent of the sculptie (and why it was possible to crash a region with your ear-rings!). Then we look at the refinements possible with the development of sculptie prims, and finally to the amazing possibilities of mesh.

And along the way we discuss issues such as the use of bling (Second Life’s very own version of the Blink! tag), the pleasures and pitfalls of maintaining jewellery stores across virtual worlds (Abraxxa has a strong presence in Inworldz), the problems posed by the advent of mesh body parts, and the difficulties the use of display names has caused. In fact, some of the issues Abraxxa faces provide a fascinating microcosm of residents working with the changing face of virtual world economies, as we learn in a fascinating discussion with her.

Butterfly rings by Earthstones

Visit Earthstones at: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EarthBound/124/139/25

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Designing Worlds explores the history of Second Life Jewellery with Abraxxa Anatine of Earthstones

Join us at 2pm today, Monday 23rd February for the new episode of Designing Worlds at our studio in Garden of Dreams, when we’ll be tracing the history of virtual world jewellery making with Abraxxa Anatine of Earthstones.

Butterfly rings by Earthstones

Abraxxa has been creating jewellery in Second Life for a very long time, and she takes us back to the days of prim torture as she demonstrates how jewellery was made before the advent of the sculptie (and why it was possible to crash a region with your ear-rings!). Theyn we look at the refinements possible with the development of sculptie prims, and finally to the amazing possibilities of mesh.

The Earthstones Gypsy set

And along the way we discuss issues such as the use of bling (Second Life’s very own version of the Blink! tag), the pleasures and pitfalls of maintaining jewellery stores across virtual worlds (Abraxxa has a strong presence in Inworldz), the problems posed by the advent of mesh body parts, and the difficulties the use of display names has caused. In fact, some of the issues Abraxxa faces provide a fascinating microcosm of residents working with the changing face of virtual world economies, as we learn in a fascinating discussion with her.

So join us, at 2pm today for a fascinating show!

And visit Earthstones at: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EarthBound/124/139/25

The Earthstones store, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Or – if you can’t attend in person – tune in to the web at 2pm SLT on Monday for a showing on SLartist or on Treet – or catch it later in the week on our shows page on the Treet.tv web site at http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds, on the SLArtist.com channel,  the Aview TV Designing Worlds channel – or on the Designing Worlds blog.

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Designing Worlds discovers the challenges of Art at the University of Western Australia

Our visit to the art galleries and installations of the University of Western Australia in Second Life is now available on the web – with a chance to see some of the beautiful and evocative creations that have resulted from the art and machinima challenges issued over the last few years.

Guiding us round the build is Jayjay Zifanwe of the University of Western Australia (in real life Jay Jay Jegathesan, Physics UWA) who takes us on a tour of the Second Life version of the University, and shows us the winners in this year’s challenges for art and machinima, as well as some fascinating work from this year and earlier challenges.

Art and Machinima Challenges at the University of Western Australia in Second Life

It’s a fascinating show as we look at how the University has become a major centre for virtual world art from all around the world -n and learn a little of the impact that has had on the real life University and individuals too.

The University of Western Australia in Second Life

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