gris-gris

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Concepts, design, sketches, images, and products are © 2008 Naoki Ninetails. All rights reserved.
Tue Apr 15
We've moved to an official blog! Yay!
I’ve always been inspired by strong female characters in fantasy literature and video games, and playing Jeanne d’Arc for the PSP recently had me intrigued by the magical-girl quality of the heroine’s transformations in the game. Simply put, I’m a sucker for the combination of lace, frills, and armor. It’s a pretty rare combination, but when I see it, I’m spellbound.So I started to imagine something softer, not for battle, but definitely princess-worthy; something not so courtly as a ballgown — something you could run around in, but that still screams royalty. That’s usually the element I love about the wardrobes of strong heroines in video games — the combination of sex appeal, femininity, and practicality. So naturally, the first colors that came to mind were gold and white.I was also inspired (oddly) when I recalled the design of one of the Automaton types in Final Fantasy XI (online), the paladin type (the Valoredge). Gold and white with a red feather in its little helmet, this puppet is about the only thing I still miss about playing. I’d named mine “Clochette”, which means “little bell”.So the two ideas really came together when it was time to sketch this out. I have to say that my original design was lacking, and I didn’t expect to go after it so fiercely as I did, because it was going to be complicated and weird, to say the least. Still, something drove me to try it, and three days later, here are the fruits of my labor. I hope you love it as much as I do.It comes in three colors. The only thing that varies in the versions is the color of the ribbons and the stripes on the sleeves and two skirt types. The difference lends a significantly different look from set to set.The set includes:    -Prim sleeves with prim bells and flexi ribbons    -Sculpty cuffs for the hands    -A shrug with sleeves, a corset, and a bodice — full and on separate layers for layerability    -A flexiprim skirt in two versions: one is plain, the other has a bottom layer with lace (to protect you from the ugliness of the alpha sorting glitch, but to still add a transparency-enabled lace petticoat)    -Knee-high white stockings    -Prim bells and flexi ribbons that attach to the hem of the stockings above the knee    -And an extra bag with all of the top pieces in every possible combination, in case you want to mix and match.The whole set is mod/copy. Make all the changes you like, but save before you do so.The prim parts are tinted a slight shade of gray to offset the glaring light which keeps the texture/prim parts that should match up from being so obviously interrupted. (Thanks so much to Tenshi Vielle for this suggestion). Until LL makes it so that the same color in a texture appears the same on both avatar bodies and prims, this is the very best fix. If it’s too dark or light for you, I encourage you to experiment, but I found this shade to drastically cut down on the stark glare of the prim parts.If you buy the fatpack, you save L$125 — half off the third dress.
I’ve always been inspired by strong female characters in fantasy literature and video games, and playing Jeanne d’Arc for the PSP recently had me intrigued by the magical-girl quality of the heroine’s transformations in the game. Simply put, I’m a sucker for the combination of lace, frills, and armor. It’s a pretty rare combination, but when I see it, I’m spellbound.

So I started to imagine something softer, not for battle, but definitely princess-worthy; something not so courtly as a ballgown — something you could run around in, but that still screams royalty. That’s usually the element I love about the wardrobes of strong heroines in video games — the combination of sex appeal, femininity, and practicality. So naturally, the first colors that came to mind were gold and white.

I was also inspired (oddly) when I recalled the design of one of the Automaton types in Final Fantasy XI (online), the paladin type (the Valoredge). Gold and white with a red feather in its little helmet, this puppet is about the only thing I still miss about playing. I’d named mine “Clochette”, which means “little bell”.

So the two ideas really came together when it was time to sketch this out. I have to say that my original design was lacking, and I didn’t expect to go after it so fiercely as I did, because it was going to be complicated and weird, to say the least. Still, something drove me to try it, and three days later, here are the fruits of my labor. I hope you love it as much as I do.

It comes in three colors. The only thing that varies in the versions is the color of the ribbons and the stripes on the sleeves and two skirt types. The difference lends a significantly different look from set to set.

The set includes:
    -Prim sleeves with prim bells and flexi ribbons
    -Sculpty cuffs for the hands
    -A shrug with sleeves, a corset, and a bodice — full and on separate layers for layerability
    -A flexiprim skirt in two versions: one is plain, the other has a bottom layer with lace (to protect you from the ugliness of the alpha sorting glitch, but to still add a transparency-enabled lace petticoat)
    -Knee-high white stockings
    -Prim bells and flexi ribbons that attach to the hem of the stockings above the knee
    -And an extra bag with all of the top pieces in every possible combination, in case you want to mix and match.

The whole set is mod/copy. Make all the changes you like, but save before you do so.
The prim parts are tinted a slight shade of gray to offset the glaring light which keeps the texture/prim parts that should match up from being so obviously interrupted. (Thanks so much to Tenshi Vielle for this suggestion). Until LL makes it so that the same color in a texture appears the same on both avatar bodies and prims, this is the very best fix. If it’s too dark or light for you, I encourage you to experiment, but I found this shade to drastically cut down on the stark glare of the prim parts.

If you buy the fatpack, you save L$125 — half off the third dress.
Mon Apr 14
The next design on the list — or most likely, is the Fairweather ensemble. Keep in mind I have like twelve billion sketches in my book, but this one was the one screaming the loudest to be made after la Clochette was complete, so I think this is the one I’m going to tackle. Should be significantly easier and a little less bizarre than my last two creations. >;3 Please forgive the rushedness and the god-awful handwriting. That’s me in a hurry when I’m trying to crank out 10 good sketches in 30 minutes.
The next design on the list — or most likely, is the Fairweather ensemble. Keep in mind I have like twelve billion sketches in my book, but this one was the one screaming the loudest to be made after la Clochette was complete, so I think this is the one I’m going to tackle. Should be significantly easier and a little less bizarre than my last two creations. >;3 Please forgive the rushedness and the god-awful handwriting. That’s me in a hurry when I’m trying to crank out 10 good sketches in 30 minutes.
La Clochette is complete! I am so very proud of this. It’s for sale in my shop in Land of Hope now, so you can pick it up today, but there will be two more colors; so if you’d like to hold out until then, you may wish to, since the fatpack will be a bargain. This set contains every possible combination of tops, sculpt sleeves and cuffs, a two-layered flexi skirt with lace (and a plain version), prim bells with flexi ribbons on both the sleeves and thighs at the stocking hem. L$250. Don’t let the price fool you — there’s an extra bag with all the tops as separates and in mixed combinations in case you’re feeling mix-and-matchy. Shoes shown by Shiny Things.
La Clochette is complete! I am so very proud of this. It’s for sale in my shop in Land of Hope now, so you can pick it up today, but there will be two more colors; so if you’d like to hold out until then, you may wish to, since the fatpack will be a bargain. This set contains every possible combination of tops, sculpt sleeves and cuffs, a two-layered flexi skirt with lace (and a plain version), prim bells with flexi ribbons on both the sleeves and thighs at the stocking hem. L$250. Don’t let the price fool you — there’s an extra bag with all the tops as separates and in mixed combinations in case you’re feeling mix-and-matchy. Shoes shown by Shiny Things.
A little more progress… :D Nearing the finish line! The hard work is done. I know it’s weird, but it’ll be worth the wait, I promise. This set comes in so many freakin’ layers it’s a miracle I managed to devise them all. The three pieces for the top alone come in every combination you can think of, in case you don’t want to just wear the full set on one layer. It’s a lot of work, but I would hate to leave my customers unable to wear a single piece if they wanted to match it to something else.  Coming very, very soon now!
A little more progress… :D Nearing the finish line! The hard work is done. I know it’s weird, but it’ll be worth the wait, I promise. This set comes in so many freakin’ layers it’s a miracle I managed to devise them all. The three pieces for the top alone come in every combination you can think of, in case you don’t want to just wear the full set on one layer. It’s a lot of work, but I would hate to leave my customers unable to wear a single piece if they wanted to match it to something else.  Coming very, very soon now!

teensy delay.

La Clochette will be out very soon — I’ve taken a few days to try and figure out some simpler procedures working with avatar templates. Chip Midnight’s is awesome, but it’s still far from accurate as far as the seams are concerned, which means that using the colored stripes for guidance rarely helps, and I waste a lot of time moving this or that seam down a few pixels just to check it in AvPainter. If you ever notice bad seams in my work, understand that it was probably as close as I could manage to get without tearing out my hair. ^_~

Keep checking back!

Fri Apr 11
La Clochette is coming along nicely — but after 10 straight hours of working on it all night, I think it’s time to hit the hay. ^~ I’ll be back tomorrow to hash out some more detail. So far, the original bodice and corset are completely done. The bow, bells, sleeves, and ribbons are all in prototype. I’m planning around 3 colors. If you have suggestions for hues, now is the time! IM Naoki Ninetails.
La Clochette is coming along nicely — but after 10 straight hours of working on it all night, I think it’s time to hit the hay. ^~ I’ll be back tomorrow to hash out some more detail. So far, the original bodice and corset are completely done. The bow, bells, sleeves, and ribbons are all in prototype. I’m planning around 3 colors. If you have suggestions for hues, now is the time! IM Naoki Ninetails.
Thu Apr 10

Lao-Tzu Dress now available

This dress is a whisper of gossamer fabric, endowed with all the fascinating color of a very special type of fish, the betta splenden. The dress is named for my very own, very ancient betta, Lao-Tzu. The purple “Twilight” version is the original, and is the one based on his coloring. Lao-Tzu is named so because he is a Chinese fighting fish, yet he lives in an aquarium with a school of tetras, an emerald cory, an albino emerald cory, and has shared the living space with the odd shrimp and Plecostomus, and has never felt a need to attack them. He is the very picture of zen. Even the pet shop people are in disbelief when we tell them that our betta doesn’t live in a bowl alone. He’s also survived ick, a disease that kills most fish or otherwise leaves them hideous — returned to his full splendor from death’s door soon afterwards. We thought we’d lost him, then — so now we’re convinced he’s become immortal.

Because he is so very old, and because looking at him each day fills me with serenity, I was inspired to create a dress that mimicked the way his large, graceful fins pull through the water as he follows me around the room (as much as his tank will allow). Recalling colors I’d seen in other bettas (and some goldfish), I made the other six dresses.

Each dress comes on all five clothing layers for max layerability (our standard), is mod/copy, and has prim sleeves and a skirt that flow smoothly and evenly as you move.

In spite of the fact that this dress set took three days of solid tablet painting, I’m offering it at the permanent price of L$250. If you buy the fatpack, you get two dresses free — a L$500 savings.
Mon Apr 7
And here’s the other design we have planned this week… the Lao Dress. The concept is derived from the majestic Betta Splenden (Chinese Fighting Fish) — mine, in particular. His name is Lao-Tzu. Thus the name of the dress. ;3
And here’s the other design we have planned this week… the Lao Dress. The concept is derived from the majestic Betta Splenden (Chinese Fighting Fish) — mine, in particular. His name is Lao-Tzu. Thus the name of the dress. ;3