New Construction on Whimsy

The New Home of Chey's Flights of Fancy Store

Written 22 November, 2010

New Construction on Whimsy

A year or so ago Sweetie and I began talking about a new space for Whimsy. It was to be high in the sky and would serve as an orientation center for the sim and a home for my Flights of Fancy store. And, of course, since Sweetie was involved, it had to be BIG.

Sweetie had grand visions which she tried to articulate, and which I couldn't quite visualize. I tried several things with floating platforms, but she didn't like them. She tried several things, and I didn't like them. Then one day I did some obscene things to a 100x100x100 m sphere and made a shape she could live with.

Sweetie added a roof and walls, and, extending the walls below the floor, she created a huge cavern below. She threw out some planter thingies and told me her job was done. Now it was my turn.

It took me several months to persuade her to unlock the wall and roof prims so I could tweak the textures on the sides of the prims just the TEENSIEST bit. Sweetie seldom concerns herself with details.

Even when she had unlocked them, though, I never got to work. Until yesterday.

First, I put some finishing touches on the strange little thingie I had made while Sweetie was manipulating megaprim roofs. I meant it to represent our sim: some science, some magic, and a touch of whimsy.

Then I turned my attention to the planters. I placed four of them and filled them with (at Sweetie's suggestion) trees from Botanical Straylight. Then I added grasses, flowers, and Japanese lights.

Now it was time to work on the landing area. I wanted the Flights of Fancy store to predominate here. I pulled out a box packed with signage from my old store and set to work.

I placed a store sign on the ground, turning it 100% transparent, and then set the top to 43% transparent. I added signs for my blog, and for the until now dormant Flights of Fancy blog, and hung two animated signs on  a big tiki post. Continuing the tiki motif, I made a billboard and stuck on all the small print stuff: join the group, store policies, and a sign explaining permissions of my jewelry.

A word on the design: for the building, Sweetie selected simple stone, glass, and metal textures. They're not exciting, but their drabness accentuates everything else. And so I filled the plain stone containers with bright trees and flowers. I think the signs-- when I make them-- will pop, too.

Wanting something to tie the build in with the theme of the sim below, I decided to use posts in a tiki design. As I add content, the boards will fill up with bright signs.

I thought it a good day's work.

The Space is HUGE!