UPSCALE LANDSCAPING FOR SIMS OF DISTINCTION – JOSH BELLIC REPORTING

When you first land at “Tranquil Isle” in the Orient and wait for your vision to clear, you see the world around you come to life.  You are pleased by this lovely place. But just when you think it is fully rezzed, it becomes even MORE beautiful, even MORE realistic and even MORE lovely.  It is then it strikes you. This is not just ANY landscape. You’ve landed in a WoodyRacer Emoto Professional Sim and Parcel Landscape! Stunning in its beauty.  Enchanting in every detail, from the expertly sculpted topiary gardens, to the lifelike quality of the water trickling in the stream. This is undoubtedly an example of the BEST landscaping to be found anywhere on the entire Grid!  What Vincent van Gogh did with landscape paintings back in the 1800s, Woody does with pixels two centuries later in a way that would bring that old Dutch painter to tears. 

I managed to catch up with WoodyRacer Emoto the other day, and I asked him how it was that his landscapes creations were so unlike any I had ever seen in over a decade of prowling the countless sims and regions of second life.  Join me as we delve into the mind of this modern-day Monet. 

Josh Bellic (JB):  How did you develop an interest in Landscaping in SL?  Are you a landscaper in RL?

WoodyRacer Emoto (WR):  I have always had a creative side to me, and when I saw what one could do with a team and this program , I have never looked back...........I was a RL Landscape designer and developer for 17 years

JB:  What makes your landscaping different?  How does premium landscaping differ from what we generally see out there?

WR:  I use the talents that God has given me to create virtual environments in SecondLife with a team, that people can come to and escape from all of the pressures of RL.  Our Premium Landscape creations differ from most that are seen out there for the fact that most of our team have been training with this program for almost 16 years now, and God as my ultimate trainer has trained my eyes to see the good, to feel what goes with what for the desire of my clients

JB:  Your landscaping looks very real.  How do you feel about Linden Lab’s efforts to improve the graphic quality of their Virtual World with the creation of Sansar?

WR:  I chose to stick with the original LL SecondLife program, because we are good at it, and wanted to stay with only one training program. Two trainers never makes for a sound horse in RL. LOL  

JB:  Where do you get your inspiration?

WR:  My inspiration comes from my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I do all of my creations for His Glory, not mine. He is the One who has given me this gift

JB:  Where do you find the “building blocks” for your creations? Do you have a preferred supplier for the  plants and shrubs and trees you use, or do you build your own from scratch?

WR:  In my spare time, I search and look, and vet for the best of the best of SL Content Creators. There are many what I call " Scary Brilliant Content Creators"in SecondLife. Using this program and many other outside programs " Scary Brilliant Content Creators" create Virtual content for this program.  My hands are held high to all who use this program, and others along with their own minds to create for SecondLife residents. God has gifted us to find the best of the best, and use it. Just like the master painter searches far and wide for the best paint and materials needed to paint his masterpiece, we are always searching and purchasing  for the best materials for our creations. The best part about this team is that anyone can right click on any item in SecondLife and know who has created it, and go for themselves and purchase it.

JB:  How do you interact with your clients during this process? 

WR:  My Ideal client is the one who knows and trust us as artist, to paint for them the masterpiece they desire.  We always consult with our potential clients to get as much out of their minds and into ours as we can. It is very important to know where they are coming from and what they are seeing, so we can serve them with the best our gifting s.

JB:  “The Orient”  is a lovely landscaped Scene all in the sky.   Have you done other themes as well, perhaps desert, or mountainous? Or maybe an Underwater sim?

WR:  We have lost count over 5 years ago, at 200 full sims and parcels  of landscaping. We do not believe there is a theme of a sim or parcel that we have not created. We always love new challenges here in SecondLife.

JB:  Do you work by yourself, or do you have help in your work?

WR:  Team work is key to building any business in SL or RL for that matter.  I do have a team, and am always vetting others and picking and choosing wisely who I allow to join my team. They are always the best at what they are gifted at.

JB:  Where else on the Grid can we find examples of your work?

WR:  The vast majority of the creations that we do are for private clients, that choose to stay this way..  The best way to to view more of our work is to visit our showroom where we have 3 separate slide shows of our work 􀀀, or look at our flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/woodyracer/

Or join our facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/woodyracer.emoto1

JB:  What’s next for “Team WoodyRacer”?  Do you have plans for expansion?

WR:  Our desire is to continue to demonstrate what one can do with this program, and to continue to be a part of evolving SecondLife into one of the best and affordable virtual platforms for all to enjoy 

JB:  Anything Else you wish to say to our readers?

WR:  Please understand, that this is a world created by its own inhabitants. We encourage all who have even an inkling of creativity to use it and develop it, so SecondLife can continue to evolve. Stop settling for the same ole, same ole here in SecondLife. We are all in this together. Don’t just come and use for free all the talents that others have brought here and exercised. Start paying the top shelf artist here what they have earned. Many like us depend on our SecondLife income to assist in payin RL bills, and we are willing to spend many of our RL hours to earn it. Take care of the content creators, that are creating this world for you. Be well

So there you have it folks, SecondLife Landscaping at its finest, for only the most discerning of sim creations.  But Hey, don’t take MY word for it. Check out the cool videos below, or better yet, pop on over for a look-see yourself.  You will NOT regret it.

Tranquil Isle:  https://youtu.be/Z-QzONdwQis

Tropical Illusions:  https://youtu.be/cwHrm7ZLpvc

SURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tranquil%20Isle/148/31/1530

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Introducing Full Homesteads at Willowdale Estate!

Introducing Full Homesteads at Willowdale Estate!  Available in several styles to choose from, these are professionally landscaped homesteads to suit every taste!

Full Homesteads at WILLOWDALE ESTATE

EM Rights - you can restart your own sim, change the terrain texture and anything else that can be done from the Region/Estate window!

Landscaping - keep the landscaping provided or return it and do your own thing, we will upload your raw file if you have one!  If you start with one layout and decide you might like a change, we can switch it to one of our other layouts for you.

Covenant & Restrictions - absolutely no restrictions or covenant of any kind - you can do whatever you want on your full homestead.

Scottish Hebrides

A mostly low lying land with plenty of building space.  If you're familiar with the Outer Hebrides Archipelago there is plenty that you will recognize here from St. Kilda to the low cliffs, the marshlands and a small beach for a brisk swim.

Mountain Lake

The Mountain Lake layout has a flat open land area big enough for a mansion, castle or even a little village as well as a huge usable water area with a natural bottom deep enough to satisfy the Merfolk and even do a little boating.

Primal Tropical

If you're used to tropical in SL you'll still be surprised with this homestead.  This isn't your typical tacky tiki tropical - this is primal and lush with plenty of places to climb and explore!  There are still plenty of prims for you to make it your own.

Stop by the Willowdale Estate Land Store for landmarks to these professionally landscaped full homesteads.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/WILLOWDALE/54/193/57

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Clear Creek Nursery: Easter Scene

With Easter just around the corner, now is the time to get my new Easter Scene. A great addition to decorate your land. Now only 250L. Copy/mod.

You can buy it here - https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/CC-Easter-Scene/16388052

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Spring is in the air with Clear Creek Nursery' s Lovers Scene

Clear Creek Nursery's Lovers Scene is made for lovers at heart. It has a swing where your lady can sit and you push her on the swing. Say I Love You to your special lady.

• It is Copy/Mod so you can change it how you like.
• 86 prims and sells for $L399!

You Can buy it here - https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/CC-Lovers-Scene/16975449

Watch the video to see it in action! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9iaL8-irfk

Shop all Clear Creek Nursery products

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NEW PRODUCT RELEASE at Clear Creek Nursery - Pond Scene

 - This makes a beautiful addition to your landscaping. It has a bridge and some great landscaping. It is Copy/Mod with a footprint of 19m x 22m and sells for only $L299

Buy it in my Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/CC-Pond-Scene/16813646

You can also buy it from my rezzing platform in-world: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Egret%20Key/236/96/22

Check out my Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/68823

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Spotlight on Clear Creek Nursery Pen Dragon Reporting...

Shopping in Second Life typically means you go to a store that looks like thousands of other standard looking stores, fighting the crowds at events and then coming home to relax. Wouldn’t it be nice to actually have an experience while shopping, to be able to relax and enjoy yourself while you find the perfect decor for your land? That place exists in Clear Creek Nursery.

Owned by Ricardo Avalira, Clear Creek Nursery offers a wide array of trees, flowers, fountains and decor perfect for giving your home or land that extra touch of nature. The nursery is designed to give you the experience of being outdoors as you peruse the wide assortment of items available, all designed by Ricardo himself.

”I lay out my walkways and start decorating around them. It creates a peaceful environment for people to enjoy. I've visited several nurseries over the years and most are just rows of products, I want mine to be different. I encourage people to walk the walkways, to experience the nature, to relax.” Ricardo said of Clear Creek Nursery.

Ricardo is a landscape photographer in real life and brings his eye for the beauty and tranquility of the natural world to his creations in Second Life. His images have even been featured in several galleries and have been sold in Second Life in resizable frames designed to either be put on a small desk or sized to cover an entire wall, affording the opportunity to stand before the image and feel the majesty of the natural world. Ricardo hope to expand his current nursery and offer the images again as part of his product line.

There is so much to see at Clear Creek Nursery, with a winding path that leads you through a beautifully designed garden, leading back to a rezzer that will display different scenes that Richardo has created. The scenes are complete with various seasons, animals and sounds that are sure to be the centerpiece anywhere they are displayed.

He even offers a scene that can be changed to reflect all four seasons. His scenes are created based on the seasons and holidays, often offering special items that reflect nature and serenity, including one at the top of a large tree with a zen garden and swing, perfect for escaping the stress and pressures of everyday life.

Richardo came to Second Life almost nine years ago and has aspirations of being a builder, creating prefab homes because of his creativity and over 30 years in construction in real life.

“I thought I'd be a builder, but instead I wound up designing trees and flowers. I like the creativity of making the scenes.” Richardo said. He opened his first nursery within the his first year in Second Life and hasn’t looked back. The vast majority of his items are now mesh. “I've had my own sim for several years and at one point the entire sim was covered with nursery items. When I first started there was no mesh, only sculpties.” he continued. His newer products are copy/mod and he includes some outdoor furniture in what he sells. “I do some outdoor furniture. Places that you can put out in your backyard and relax.”

Speaking with Richardo I found that, beyond just creating beautiful landscaping, it was very important to him that he provide customers with something that he hopes will allow them to escape everyday life, to relax and find peace. “I want to create a comfortable, relaxing shopping experience for people. I want them to come and connect with nature, give them a chance to escape their problems and relax. Think people move too fast, this gives them a chance to slow down a bit and smell the roses.” Customer support is also among his highest priorities, making sure that any questions are answered as quickly as possible.

When you are looking for that perfect piece of landscaping to complete your home or garden, be sure to check out Clear Creek Nursery where you will not only find all your decorating needs, but will enjoy the beauty of the experience as well.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Egret%20Key/141/94/24

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La Maison Contemporaine; Where Beautiful Living Begins.

With over 9 years of experience, La Maison Contemporaine is premier in landscaping and region design services.  Our goal is to provide you the very best in ongoing maintenance, new installations and renovations. We partner with region owners, developers, and design professionals who strive to make each client’s vision a reality.

Imagine walking into a luxurious yet beautifully decorated home every time, where inspired home design marries superbly with furniture and decor to create a house that is both welcoming and infinitely pleasing. You can have this and more with a La Maison Contemporaine houses or apartments.

Each of our houses is painstakingly crafted to create a living space that reflects our passion for luxury, creativity and style with uniquely inspired pieces that compliment any room and taste.

We also offer VIP Tropical Villas. Nothing says privacy, luxury and seclusion like your own private beach house, set on white sands and surrounded by tropical islands.

La Maison Contemporaine takes the Villa experience to a new level with an inclusive approach. Our VIP Luxury Entertainment and rentals covering more than 340,000m2 in 5 Private Regions and 1 Mainland Region.

Our guests come first and we want La Maison Contemporaine to be a place where you feel safe enough to relax and come back time and time again.

Visit us and see for yourself.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shining%20Star%20Isle/140/105/2995

Contact Л̶ł̶Ͼ̶Ф̶Ł̶Λ̶s (nick0678) online between 00:00 SLT to 13:00 SLT

 Support requests can be made by sending a note card or E-mail/Skype: LaMaison.Contemporaine@yandex.com

Website:  http://maisoncontemporaine.ddns.net

Frequently asked questions

http://maisoncontemporaine.ddns.net/faq.html

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Announcing the Grand Opening of Clear Creek Nursery November 20th at 1pm slt.

The nursery covers 1/2 sim and is beautifully landscaped by Ricardo Avalira, the owner of Clear Creek Nursery. With a discerning eye to detail, Avalira wants his customers to experience the beauty intrinsic in his landscaping talent, and has opened a sim that showcases his talent for all SL community members to see.  This is an especially unique thing, because while many landscapers can conveniently show their clientele pictures of their work, Avalira brings his work directly to his customers, and encourages all to use his land as a place for spiritual growth and meditation.

From the landing point, you can join our group and pick up your FREE gift for group members. The best way to experience the nursery is to walk the pathways as they wind all around the nursery. You never know just what you’ll find around the next bend.

This nursery was created so that you can have a peaceful shopping experience. There’s a meditation gazebo by the pond where you can sit and enjoy the sounds of nature. encourage people to come by and just sit and relax. Customer service is important to us and we strive to respond to your needs as quickly as possible.

At Clear Creek Nursery you will find just about anything you need for landscaping your home, your business or your sim. We strive to keep everything as low prim as possible and at very reasonable prices. We also do custom work, so please don’t hesitate to ask.

Clear Creek Nursery is located at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Egret%20Key/138/93/22

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People doing great things in Second Life - An interview with Mr. Anthony Gartner, owner and creator of The Dreamer Creations – Camury Reporting...

I’ve wanted to write about people doing great things in Second  Life for quite a while because I think it’s very interesting how differently we each see it and the amazing things we can do in this virtual world.

I remember the first time I saw the charming Mr. Anthony Gartner and his intriguing eyes. I was relaxing on my favorite island, The Dreamer´s Island, when I noticed him.

It’s an Adult Island.  The entire beach is full of goodies with excellent animations for both couples in love or singles if you just want to chill on your own.  You can take a hot air balloon, explore, meet people, dance, swim, surf, have fun or just relax. If you’re in the mood for interaction with others, then you can check out the beach club.  You can mellow out to the music as the sea breeze gently ruffles your hair.  There are no strict rules and all avatars are welcome.  The only restriction is that due to the adult nature of the sim no child avatars are permitted.

They say curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back… I clicked on various objects dotted around me to learn a little more about the creator when Mr. Gartner himself appeared. Since I’m always on the lookout for a good story I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to talk to him about Dreamer Island and his creations.

Here’s a little insight into who Mr. Gartner is.  He’s very polite and took the time to grant me this interview. He’s the owner of The Dreamer Island.  You can find and test all the objects in the The Dreamer Creations collection on the island. He has a store on the SL Marketplace. He creates Furniture, prefabs, beach and garden products, tropical tiki and other landscaping items, which include a multitude of different sit poses and cuddles.  The island was built with the explicit purpose of testing Mr. Gartner's creations.  What better way than getting them tested by those who'd be using them.  The result, no buyers remorse.  His creations can be found on a number of sims throughout Second Life.

Interview with Mr Gartner

Camury:  How long have you been in SL and what do you bring to it?

Mr. Gartner : almost 7 years now. Always enjoyed the video games and the experience of a life in a virtual world was exciting.

Camury: How long have you had your store?

Mr. Gartner : since 2010

Camury: What inspired you to start making furniture and decorations?

Mr. Gartner : At first it was the interest of learning to build with prims in SL. I always liked decorating so when I realized I could create things that weren’t too bad I continued and started to sell.

Camury: Did you create  everything yourself or did you you have help?
Mr. Gartner: I work alone.  Although I don't make mesh products.  These days I concentrate mostly on texturing and a bit of scripting and adding the appropriate animations.

Camury: What’ s your favourite thing about Second Life?

Mr. Gartner : It ‘s a bit like asking what is your favourite thing in life.  Everything that can bring some enjoyment: the contact with friends, exploring beautiful places, shopping for clothes or furniture, decorating.  And especially I love animations that bring life and expression to our avatars.

Camury: What don´t you like about Second Life?

Mr. Gartner : One thing that comes to my mind is I think the developers of Second Life could improve the avatars customization of appearance. Now people need to buy mesh bodies and heads created by others to look more "realistic".

Also to be able to create anything pretty in this world we need the use of external tools. Nothing really great looking can be created only inworld.

Also it is a very mercantile world. I hate the business of gachas.

And the sims are too expensive...

 Camury: How do you feel about the economic situation in Second Life?

Mr. Gartner : Probably it's slowing down. There are too many events, people shop more in events and less in stores. Productivity is boosted at the expense of quality.

Camury: What do you love about Second Life more? What makes you keep logging?

Mr. Gartner : It became an addiction over time. It’s a part of my life here now and there's always things to do here.

Camury: Tell me how The Dreamers Island came into being?
Mr. Gartner: The idea of a Tropical Island has always appealed to me and I started creating products specifically for this kind of lifestyle.  I developed rentals on four  homesteads around The Dreamer sim, but unfortunately even though it was well supported I had too many public areas which meant it was unprofitable.  Having a purely residential sim wasn't for me and I stopped this endeavour and kept the main sim for my store and for public enjoyment.

Camury:  What are the rules since it's an adult sim?
Mr. Gartner: There are not many rules.  It's a nude beach, but clothing is optional.  I prefer visitors not to visit in winter outfits though and definitely no children are allowed on the sim.

Camury:  Does The Dreamers Island have a group visitors can join?
Mr. Gartner: The group has been in existence from the time when I had the rentals.  Some people still like to join it but basically it is useless these days.

Camury: Can you tell me what you were doing in SL before starting The Dreamer Creations?

Mr. Gartner : The same except creating, I was a noob, I was discovering SL. And I was playing Zyngo to earn my L$.

Camury: What usually inspires you to create objects?

Mr. Gartner : When I get an idea of something I would like to have for myself and to decorate my own sim or home.

 Camury: Have you had experiences with bad things like copybot and griefing?

 Mr. Gartner : Not really. Nothing I can think of right now.

Mr. Gartner is an example of how SL has encouraged many people to explore their creative side while enjoying a rewarding experience in Second Life.

Thank you Mr. Gartner for taking time out of your schedule for this interview.

SLURL:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Dreamer/48/167/22

URL: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/36507

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Elan's Fine Furnishings and Accessories offer Custom Homes, Furniture, Landscaping and More

Elan's Fine Furnishings and Accessories (EFFA) offers custom homes, furniture, landscaping creating an atmosphere, a mood, and an escape. EFFA makes your Sl world home a place to immerse yourself in.  So if your SL is not quite what you want it need it to be, contact Ericaanne Hastings and breathe some life into your world.
              
E'lan's Fine Furnishings and Accessories where "Dreams Do Come True".

Owner Ericaanne Hastings Co-Owner Seychelles Isles

Teleport:
􀀀http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Baie%20SainteAnne%20Isle/45/12/21

Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericaanne/

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Autumn Decorating for your Land or Home on a Budget- Tea Couturier Reporting...

Autumn is  here and it is time to start (if you are like me) decorating your sim/land for autumn.  It can be fun and  done on all budgets.

It can also make your sim/land look new and updated and make you feel as though you are in flow with the season.  Here are a few autumn buys for your land/sim which I think will be perfect to get you started.

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