Tag Archives: Art

Post Apocalyptic – What is that?

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As promised, I will today talk a little bit about post apocalyptic styles in comparison to cyber/cyberpunk, which I wrote about in one of my last posts (https://wiccamerlin.de/cyberpunk-what-is-that/).

Maybe lets start again with a general description from Wikipedia and then go from there 😉

Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of science fiction, science fantasy or horror fiction literature in which the Earth’s technological civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; natural, such as an impact event; man-made, such as nuclear warfare or resource depletion; medical, such as a Pandemic, whether natural or man-made; or imaginative, such as a zombie apocalypse, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, or alien invasion. The story may involve attempts to prevent an apocalypse event, deal with the impact and consequences of the event itself, or it may be post-apocalyptic, set after the event. The time frame may be immediately after the catastrophe, focusing on the travails or psychology of survivors, the way to maintain the human race alive and together as one, or considerably later, often including the theme that the existence of pre-catastrophe civilization has been forgotten (or mythologized). Post-apocalyptic stories often take place in a non-technological future world, or a world where only scattered elements of society and technology remain.

[Wikipedia]

Post apocalyptic is the time after an apocalypse, that means the world like we know it is gone and we have to live from all that is left over. Most likely electricity is not working in general.. maybe via a few generators that are left as long as we have the fuel to run them. Water might be rare, so the everyday shower probably has o be skipped as well 😉

It probably is a martial, warlike environment, where all just try to survive – anyways how.

Let’s think about what you could wear then or what kind of fashion would be most certain…

I would say makeups will be a rare case, maybe we can use coal or clay, maybe even some berries or fruit that survived, to bring color on our faces. I do not see that very colorful or even neon looking.

For the clothing, when we looted all existing warehouses and clothing stores, we most likely have to wear what we can find, or what we can create out of that. Maybe that’s why I love that genre so much as it is very simple but as well can be very creative in terms of fashion and creating outfits.

Because of the fact, that I really do love post apocalyptic clothing and environment, I really was happy when I heard that there will be an event exactly for that. From the 18th to the 27th of August, the Thereafter event is taking place.

A full sim created in a post apocalyptic style, with many amazing designers who designed fashion, furniture, ambience, poses or landscaping items for exact that futuristic imagination.

Thereafter has a tight schedule of many events. Dj’s, live musicians and a cool fashion theatre are taking place! Event Schedule: https://thereaftersl.wordpress.com/event-schedule/

The outfits and props for my todays post are all from the event and as well the pictures are taken there. Don’t you love it when you can go shopping and as well take amazing pictures or walk around in the perfect environment for the event?

For my first post I chose the “Bena” dress with the amazing belt and scarf. The dress comes in many different colors and together with the 2 amazing accessories it just looks totally amazing, even if you can wear the dress without those as well.

From Boom I used the super cool shoulder plates, that are made of car plates – I just love such neat little details!

Last but not least I am wearing the event exclusive from ~isil~, the extraordinary mask of the “Survival Mask & Helmet” design. You can choose to wear only the mask or the helmet with the HUD that comes with it and as well lets you retexture the whole item to many different colors – even the little light in the mask you can colorchange.

For the rest of the look I am wearing many parts of DeathRowDesign, that are as well the creators of the amazing building in the background of the pictures. The “Sewer Shelter” is a wonderful collection with all kind of fantastic furniture and as well a built that you can use as your perfect post apocalyptic hideout 😉

Over the next few days I will have a few more exciting news from the event, as it became an addiction to make pictures on the Thereafter sim 😉

If you like this kid of style as much as I do, or if you are just curious and want a kick ass experience, even if you just love making snaps in cool scenarios – you should NOT miss out on the Thereafter event!

Thereafter Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sarastro/159/171/26

Details

Outfit: Miss Chelsea – “Bena” (Maitreya) – NEW @ Thereafter

Right Leg: Wicca’s Wardrobe – “Naesala Boots” (Maitreya)

Left Leg: DeathRowDesigns – “Post Apocalyptic Prosthetic”

Shoulderpieces: BOOM – “Plate Armor” – NEW @ Thereafter

Arm Armor: DeathRowDesigns – “Female Armor”

Bracelet right: Lapointe and Beastchild – “Swear Holiday Corded Bracelet”

Mask: ~isil~ – “Survival Mask & Helmet” – NEW @ Thereafter

Hair: Discord Designs – “Senay”

Skin Dirt (incl. nailpolish): Izzie’s – “Body & Face Dirt” (Maitreya/LeLutka Applier)

Makeup: Zibska – “Noir Pack 06” (LeLutka Applier)

Props: DeathRowDesigns – “Sewer Shelter” – NEW @ Thereafter

Poses: Poseidon

Basics

Head: LeLutka – Simone 3.0″

Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”

Shape: Selfmade

Model & Photographer: Wicca Merlin

Location: Thereafter

Wicca’s Wardrobe – Dasyra @ ROMP August 2017

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This round of ROMP we are a sponsor, so to celebrate we have Dasyra. Our latest 100% original mesh creation is made up of a top, a skirt, and bolero and little else. There will be nothing left to the imagination when you flaunt what the Lindens gave you. Since Dasyra comes in three separate parts and along with a massive texture changing HUD, you will have all kinds of options in styling the look that best suits you.

Dasyra is designed to fit Slink’s Hourglass and Physique as well as Maitreya’s Lara.

Limo to ROMP:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pirates%20Cove/110/137/28

Weird Fishes – Or is it me?

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TUNES

Weird Fishes

In the deepest ocean
The bottom of the sea
Your eyes
They turn me

Why should I stay here?
Why should I stay?

I’d be crazy not to follow
Follow where you lead
Your eyes
They turn me
Turn me into phantoms
I follow to the edge
Of the earth
And fall off

 

Yeah, everybody leaves
If they get the chance
And this…
is my chance

I get eaten by the worms
And weird fishes
Picked over by the worms
And weird fishes

Weird fishes
Weird fishes

Yeah I, I’ll hit the bottom
Hit the bottom and escape
Escape

I, I hit the bottom
Hit the bottom and escape
Escape

[Radiohead]

Details

Dress: [sYs] – “Klio” (Maitreya)

Shoes: Blueberry – “Cupcake Boots” (Maitreya)

Hair: [sYs] – “Hanabusa”

Rings: MEVA – “Bento Boho Rings” (Maitreya)

Basics

Head: LeLutka – “Simone 3.0”

Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”

Shape: Selfmade

Set & Props

Fish: [Black Bantam] – “The Friendly Fish Roped 04” (Gacha)

Clock: darkendStare. – “Cat Wall Clocks [Black/Orange Painted]”

Rain & Grass: E.V.E Studio – “Poison Rain {Gold}” & “Poison Rain Spikes Grass M01{Gold}”

Cyberpunk – What is that?

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Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a future setting that tends to focus on society as “high-tech low life” featuring advanced technological and scientific achievements, such as information technology and cybernetics, juxtaposed with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order.

Cyberpunk plots often center on conflict among artificial intelligences, hackers, and megacorporations, and tend to be set in a near-future Earth, rather than in the far-future settings or galactic vistas found in novels such as Isaac Asimov’s Foundation or Frank Herbert’s Dune. The settings are usually post-industrial dystopias but tend to feature extraordinary cultural ferment and the use of technology in ways never anticipated by its original inventors (“the street finds its own uses for things”). Much of the genre’s atmosphere echoes film noir, and written works in the genre often use techniques from detective fiction.

[Wikipedia]

Classic cyberpunk characters were marginalized, alienated loners who lived on the edge of society in generally dystopic futures where daily life was impacted by rapid technological change, an ubiquitous datasphere of computerized information, and invasive modification of the human body.

[Lawrence Person]

Cyberpunk to me is a very interesting style category and not always easy. Many times I saw people confounding cyberpunk with post apocalyptic styles and the other way round. But in the end those are 2 totally different things. While you have kinda nothing to style from for post apocalyptic looks – basically you only can wear what you find, left over after an apocalypse – with cyberpunk you have all kind of fancy, hyper high-tech and futuristic accessories and implants in a sci-fi looking surrounding.

As well for the colors you have a very different choice. While post apocalyptic mostly uses, black, brown and all kind of grey shades, for the cyberpunk stuffs you see a lot of lights, electricity and mostly you have a blue, teal, green, pink and cold/neon looking color palette where you go from – besides black certainly 😉

It is very easy if you just type cyberpunk or post apocalyptic to google and then look at all the pictures and movies you can find. For me a typical cyberpunk movie would be Ghost in the Shell or even the Matrix Trilogy to just name 2 popular ones of so many existing 🙂

Maybe I will go over post apocalyptic soon too, since we are short before the amazing ‘Thereafter‘ event (https://thereaftersl.wordpress.com/), but I had a desire to do some cyberpunk today, because it is such a great style that rarely gets showcased and I really do love it a lot. We can do all the funky things with implants and not yet existing gadgets 😉

You should try it and be not afraid of looking awkward or funky in the first place.. I just can say when you started, it can become an addiction 😉

Only the sky is the limit since everything is a futuristic dream when it comes to cyberpunk  – and all of us have different dreams and visions of the future…

 

Details

Outfit: Wicca’s Wardrobe – “Samara” (Maitreya)

Shoes: *DL* – “Baggers”

Headpiece: Wicca’s Wardrobe – “Commander Headset”

Hair: EMO-tions – “Stars”

Rings: FORMANAILS – “Rings Simple” (Maitreya)

Weapon: Breach – “USP”

Right Arm: [Neurolab Inc.] – “EV3 Android” (Maitreya)

Makeup: Zibska – “Noir Pack 06” (LeLutka Applier)

Lipstick: je suis… – “LeLutka Lips no. 006 [blues]” (LeLutka Applier)

Tattoo: Letis Tattoo – “Rigel Princess” (Omega Applier)

Poses: Poseidon

Location: [Neurolab Inc.]

Model & Photographer: Wicca Merlin

Basics

Head: LeLutka – “Simone 3.0”

Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”

Shape: Selfmade

Wicca’s Wardrobe – Omira Gacha @ The Fantasy Gacha Carnival August 2017

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For this round of The Fantasy Gacha Carnival we have Omira, perfect for your table top game inspired styling! Table top gaming not your thing? Omira is great for any styling you can dream up that is beyond the ordinary. Omira is made up of 2 rares and 20 commons. The rares include texture changing HUDs, while most of the commons come with a little metal HUD

With that many separates, you can mix and match to your heart’s content.

Omira is made for Maitreya’s Lara only.

The Fantasy Gacha Carnivale is taking place from the 7th or August until the 7th of September.

Taxi: HERE

If it makes you happy…

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If it makes you happy

TUNES

I’ve been long, a long way from here
Put on a poncho, played for mosquitos,
And drank til I was thirsty again
We went searching through thrift store jungles
Found Geronimo’s rifle, Marilyn’s shampoo
And Benny Goodman’s corset and pen

Well, o.k. I made this up
I promised you I’d never give up

You get down, real low down
You listen to Coltrane, derail your own train
Well who hasn’t been there before?
I come round, around the hard way
Bring you comics in bed, scrape the mold off the bread
And serve you french toast again

Well, o.k. I still get stoned
I’m not the kind of girl you’d take home

If it makes you happy
It can’t be that bad
If it makes you happy
Then why the hell are you so sad

[Sheryl Crow]

Details

Outfit: Indented – “Bea” (Maitreya)

Hair: EMO-tions – “Denise (V2)”

Collar: Voluptas Virtualis – “Rye Collar” (Maitreya)

Glasses: ANE – “Tehe”

Rings: MEVA – “Bento Maitreya Rings” (Maitreya)

Lipstick: je suis… – “LeLutka Lips no. 006 [greys]” (LeLutka applier)

Basics

Head: LeLutka – “Simone 2.7”

Body: Maitreya – “Lara V4.1”

Shape: Selfmade

Model & Photographer: Wicca Merlin

Wicca’s Wardrobe – Riona Gacha Set @ Gacha Garden August 2017

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This round of the Gacha Garden we have one of our sexiest creations yet, Riona. This naughty number is comprised of a top, corset, panties, skirt, bracers and boots. There are 20 commons and 2 rares. All items come with a texture changing HUD for straps/rim and/or metals, but the rares come with an enhanced HUD offering even more textures and options to choose from.

Our Seed of Inspiration for Riona is a coordinating collar that comes with an enhanced texture changing HUD.

We have a OC SIX scripted version of the Riona collar available.

If you played our machine, won the collar and would like to exchange it to a scripted no trans but copy version, just send us a notecard 🙂

Gacha Garden – How to play? What is a SoI (Seed of Inspiration)?
http://www.thegachagarden.com/?page_id=797

You don’t want to miss out on Riona! (Riona is made to fit only Maitreya’s Lara.)

Location: Gacha Garden

 

Summertime and the living is easy…

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Summer would be so nice, if it would not be so damn hot all the time :p

Ok, I am not a friend of too high temperatures. For me it would be enough round about 25° C with some wind during the days, but I know not too many would agree with that 😉

After a few days off, which were really needed I feel way better again and the little “hole” that the musical left in my life, needs some filling. So I thought, why not do a summer time blog.

The base for today look were the amazing new “Iris Heels” from Glamistry and the “Iela Bikini” from [sYs]. I do have a weakness for unusual things and the “Ilea Bikini” was really something that caught my attention. It is available in 7 different colors and was originally made for the Kinky event, but I am sure you will find it at the [sYs] main store now. It is made for all popular mesh bodies and has a perfect fitting for nearly any kind of movement.

The new “Iris Heels” are super detailed and I fell in love with the strappy design for summer. The shoes come with the amazing, huge HUD system like always for Glamistry. Glamistry always amazed me with their amazing details and materials and this new heels again do so. I love how you can see the shine of the leather for every color and as well you get the impression as you could feel the leather if you would grab it.

The beautiful hair, was made by EMO-tions. The “Summa” hair comes in a normal and a busty version and with all the amazing butterfly attachments! The butterflies are modifiable attachments, so you can replace them where ever you want.

The cool pool scenery I got at Trompe Loeil and it is called “Keliana Pool”. The pool has some inbuilt poses, but for my today’s post I used the “Beach Bunny” and the “Pool Bunny” set from Foxcity. Both sets are bento enabled and just matched perfectly to the outfit and the scenery. I have the pool set up on the little parcel besides the Wicca’s Wardrobe store, which is open to public as well to make photos or just hang out. Maybe you might meet India in her lovely tree housey there too 😉

Let’s take a closer look on the incredible headpiece and the stunning makeup of todays look. The headpiece was made by Noke Yuitza for her brand E.V.E Studio. The headpiece has 2 different versions. one with 2 flowers at the upper side (Version A) and one with one flower only (Version B). For both you get a HUD to customize the flowers, and the pearls.

The wonderful makeup was made by Julie Hastings for [White~Widow]. The “Bird” face tattoo was just so perfect for the look. It come sin many colors and for all popular mesh heads. You have the choice if you want to use it with eye shadow or just the wonderful ornaments around the eyes. For my post I chose the black version with eyeshadow.

I am usually not a summery-butterfly girl but this all fell in place so lovely so I could not resist to play with it and take some pictures :p

Details

Outfit: [sYs] – “Iela Bikini” (Maitreya)

Shoes: Glamistry – “Iris Heels” – NEW (Maitreya)

Hair & Butterflies: EMO-tions – “Summa”

Headpiece: E.V.E Studio – “Etheral Vol.04 HP [Sakura] A”

Chocker: PerveTTe – “Choker [My Sweet Love]”

Nail Polish: Nailed It! – “Water Set” (Maitreya)

Makeup: [White~Widow] – “Bird” (LeLutka applier)

Poses: Foxcity

Pool: Trompe Loeil – “Keliana Pool”

Dogs: {anc} – “Flottante Puppy”

Location: Wicca’s Wardrobe Photoparcel beside the Store

Basics

Head: LeLutka – “Simone 2.7”

Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”

Shape: Selfmade

Model & Photographer: Wicca Merlin

Cat Lady

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SECOND U Magazine // Special Edition July 2017 // Model & Photographer: Wicca Merlin

For the actual issue of the 2nd U Magazine I again was asked to make a few pictures. I always be super happy when Ruby messages me and asks as she usually gives me free reigns of what I am doing 😉

This time it was a special edition – you can read the full issue HERE.

It was not about fashion, or locations or trends… it was about the people and it was great to be allowed to be part again 🙂

I made 3 pictures but instead of posting all 3, I just picked the one that was the most personal to me, you can see all the others in the magazine.

Thank you Ruby for doing such an amazing job with all those awesome ideas for the magazine 🙂

Details:

Outfit: Salt & Pepper – “Cat Lady” (Maitreya, Gacha)

Deco: E.V.E Studio & unKindness

Time to relax… now!

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Today my post might be different as most of my other ones. I had a year full or work and joy, a year of stress and the most fun I ever could imagine.

About a year ago, in May 2016, an idea was growing inside my head. After seeing a wonderful musical, done by kids and adults of an amateur dramatic society not too far from my home, an old dream of mine came up again.

I always wanted to do a musical with mainly kids from a school I am working at. Until that time I never had the right people around me, or I was not allowed to do such a huge project as it would interrupt and interfere the normal school schedule too much and so many other reasons, which I do not even remember.

But this time it should be different.

I spoke to a very close friend of mine, that as well works at the same school and with me. She was at that musical I was talking about before as well and when I joked about, if we could not pull off something like that as well, she only answered “Why not?”. I told her about my weakness of organizing things and my strength of creativity, music and passion for musicals. She is like a soul mate for me or even the sister I never had, so I was totally honest about my fears. She only did listen and did not say a word until I was done talking and I already was scared that she would tell me I am crazy – Which would be no news :p

I was staring at her to wait for her reaction. She looked at me and said “If you are taking the responsibility for everything that has to do with music and dance and all the sound engineering stuffs, I can help organizing stuffs, help with reversals and costumes and as well I can do all the calculation with you”. I must have stared at her with an open mouth and she started to joke about it and asked me, if I did really listen to what she said.

I was speechless as I never would have expected such an amazing reaction. So all that was left – before proposing the idea to our school principal – was to find a musical, that could be done by kids and teens but as well would attract teens and adults as audience. We have kids from the age of 10 up to 18, so it should be something that catches all of them, plus it had to be something with cool costumes and many possibilities of accessories and styles. It took me about 4 weeks to find something that was affordable, would allow changes by me and as well sounded cool enough for the kids.

I found a muscial version of Dracula twisted for kids and young adults with a lot of humor and still the basic Dracula story in it. It was called “Dracula – the ultimate Grusical”. When I told my friend about it, she was all up for it immediately and already saw certain costumes and styles behind her inner eyes. Now the most difficult part was coming up… I had to propose the idea to our boss. He is a passionate musician himself, but as well he leads a school and so I was not sure what he would say about our idea.

His first question was, if I would be sure about all the work and effort and I told him, that I was part of a school musical 3 times before myself and that I am not exactly sure how much work it would be, but that I would know it would not be easy and as well a lot of unpaid extra hours, but the same time, that it would be a life time dream of mine and that I am not scared by a huge work load.

He said he would not have anything against the idea but all the other teachers would have a say as well, as some rehearsals would maybe go through some usual school times. When I entered the teachers room a few days later, I had really wonky knees as those folks who usually work with me, now would have the decision about my dream. Their reactions were amazing and they all told me I would have full support and even had ideas how we could connect the musical project with regular lessons and classes like making accessories and all the stage buildings in arts and have some parts of the text to work in the German language lessons. I was totally overwhelmed and more than happy.

After some mailing work with the publishing house of the musical, I got the text, the music, the songs and everything that we needed – by then it was July 2016, shortly before the long summer holidays. The holidays gave me enough time to adjust text and music according to some requests of our principal and as well to the roles for the kids. When school started again in September 2016 I was done with all this and as well had made a first choice of who would play certain roles. Now I just needed to ask the kids if they would agree and as well I needed my friends help for some more role assignments.

To make along story short, some kids did not like the idea and bailed out even 2 month after we started rehearsing and each of them nearly gave me a breakdown and I saw the whole project die more than once, but we always found a solution and  asked a few former pupils to take part as well. It was a very rough and exhausting year but I do not regret one second. It was a great time to know the kids way more than during a ‘norma’ school year and they all worked super hard. In May 2017, we got another shock 6 weeks before the premiere… Our Dr Van Helsing got a cruciate ligament rupture while playing beach volleyball and I again saw the whole project going down. But again there was an angel, who offered to help and a 16 years old guy stepped up and took over that major role.

14th of July 2017 – Premiere!

I have no idea how we made it and time seemed to fly in the last 3 weeks but we made it to rock the first show of 4 with a sold out house of 200 people in the audience. we are a small school and only have round about 120 kids and having a sold out premiere was more than I ever expected. The kids were super nervous, none of them had done such a huge project before. The musical is about 2 hours long and we added a little break of 30 min between the 1st and the 2nd act. 2,5 hours of high concentration, lots of text and singing. In the end we had about 70 kids involved with acting, speaking, singing on stage, a choir and the school band. All had costumes and makeups and we had amazing help from a few parents who helped with all that behind the scenes during the shows. During the break we had Dracula themed snacks, cakes, sweets and drinks, sold by the association, that supports all kind of our school activities.. it was so amazing really.

Now after the 4th and last show… I only can look back and I am so grateful for all the help and support we got. The kids grew on that project in an unbelievable way and already asked when we would do something like that again.

I probably do not have the power and strength to do something like this right again, but I did not say “Never” either 😉 We will see what the future brings 😉

Maybe now some of you do understand, why I was not blogging as much as I used to in the past months, or why I was not online that much in the past weeks… but that project really took a lot of me – not only time wise – but I do not regret even one second! But now it is time to RELAX – at least for a bit 😉

Details

Outfit: PurpleMoon – “Oriana” (Maitreya)

Shoes: Eudora3D – “Nina” (Maitreya)

Hair with Hat: EMO-tions – “Paola”

Rings: MEVA – “Boho Bento Rings” (Maitreya)

Glasses: Earthstones – “The Yesterday”

Necklace: BEO – “Vanessa”

Nailpolish: Nailed It! – “Lace Set” (Maitreya Applier)

Lipstick: Zibska – “Lami Lips” (LeLutka Applier)

Tattoo: [White~Widow] – “Silence” (Maitreya Applier)

Vehicle: Atelier Visconti – “Paolino”

Location: Wicca’s Wardrobe

Basics

Head: LeLutka – “Simone 2.7”

Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”

Eyes: IKON – “Hope Eyes”

Shape: Selfmade

Model & Photographer: Wicca Merlin