Free, cheap, gifts, stove, rant.

Overheard someone on a chat the other day saying that she was getting too many notecards from a group with offers and gifts and freebies and was 'bored with it'.

Eh what? My suggestion would be: leave the group, or just discard a few or... oh, for heaven's SAKE.

Anyway, stoves. I love them.  And I was making one while this was going on.

See this? I have it in RL. It's lovely. It's new.

 Then there was somebody else who 'didn't even have time to open all the freebie boxes'.

Poor darling. I closed the chat window.

So I made an SL version of it, for 1L.

(The stove in RL was a 'Christmas gift' that Mr RL and I bought for ourselves because... we fell in love with it and given the French electricity system's reliability.... *cough*). 
 
And then yesterday, an item was advertised as a gift (something that would normally, I think, be worth anything from 350 to over 1000L) and it turned out it was going for 50L.

NOWHERE in the notecard did it mention 0L. The writer was not English mother tongue, so 'gift' was probably not a good choice of words, no. I agree with that.

But.

Goes against a wall or in the centre of a room with open back - see notecard in it

Instant outcry. People felt robbed. People felt gifts should be free (well... yes I tend to agree there but then something at a fraction of its normal price is already something of a generous offer, no?).

Did the people who complained and criticised contact the maker of it, to see if it was an accident? Apparently not.  Much easier to make an issue of it and garner sympathy from fellow freebie hunters.

Logs too. Flames on and off, etc etc. 16 prims

'Free' sometimes seems to be about collecting, amassing, piling up as an end to itself, but it's a choice, so fine. I respect that choice.

And I admit that I am the first to snap up some great freebies too, just... not all the time.

Dollarbies, of course, are not free, as somebody on the same chat saw fit to point out so. So maybe I won't see them at Vent du Sud.

Fine also. I respect that too.

But no, I am not going to give my stuff free.   

Offering all my things at 1L to me is a TOKEN I ask for in return for my efforts and time to build stuff, and in terms of money it is... small. It seems to be making quite a few people happy, however, which is great.

French stove. 1L at Vent du Sud. Copy.

Please feel free to pick this up if you can spare one Linden... it is part of a new series inspired by things I see and love in the part of the world I live in. And I'm having lots of fun with it.

PS: It includes a build (for 50L) that I think I have finished. And if anyone is interested in looking, it is here. Also, the first 3 people to ask for one (IM to Ariadne Korda, please), I will send it to them... FREE. (And no, this is not a hint to blog about it but feedback would be nice).

Heh, so I do 'do' free now and then. And tend to give things away when I see people on the sim. My choice ;)

I am away for 24 hours as of a couple of hours' time, but I will get back to you.

(Ermmm having been inspired by the masterpieces by a French maker of stoves, vaguely wondering if I should credit them. France Turbo. Thank you France Turbo for helping Vent du Sud's owner to keep warm in this dreadful winter). 

Fashion blunder... so have a milk churn

So, I crawled out of bed at 7 on Saturday to take pictures for a blog post I want to do on wedding dresses by the gang, with shots taken in my tower to, y'know, attempt to promote both.

Took the photos, and (fortunately) sent them to Alain Papp of AC creations (he of the sumptuous costumes, remember? - see the photo for just one masterpiece with matching outfits. Check 'em out at the link).

"Nice" he said. "But you do realise you have mixed up my two gowns?"

Ah. Oooooops. Fail.

Back to the drawing board again, then. I admit I was in a hurry. I also strongly suspect that SL had refused to keep up with me clicking 'take off' and 'wear' rather rapidly. See, I don't exactly wear wedding dresses regularly.

Anyway, as I said, have a milk churn. Transfer version FREE in the Vent du Sud subscribo. Click for 3 different flowers. Pretty. 4 prims.

Mod/copy version in the store along with other spring goodness such as the bench below (also click to change flowers).  12 prims only, mod/copy.





Enjoy. And click the subscribo anyway even if you're not a milk churn fan: get news of our releases, regular offers and plenty of gifts.

And did you grab the dollarbie daffodil poofer yet? Just drop in at Vent du Sud and help yourself - near the olive trees - click on the rock and it's yours.

Spring again, Robin and another special dollarbie!

R0bin Helsinki (note the zero, not the o) is a hugely active and talented photographer with exhibitions all over SL.

She just loves to share her photos, and travels all over the world  to take them (she just got back from Surinam!). Check her profile for some of her ongoing shows on SL, and she's always happy to talk about the places she's been.

And, fortunately for us, she's a friend of the gang at Vent du Sud, so when I said 'you live in Holland, no? So how about some spring flower-y tulip-y photos?' she hopped right over to offer us a mini-expo in our quiet little courtyard next to Rett's store, easily visible from the tp point.

As always, these are just stunning, and Robin being Robin, at tiny prices for original, incredibly sharp original photos. Or just come and look - you're always welcome here whether you buy or not!

So (preferably after you've snapped up the flower bench and other spring goodies outside Vent du Sud  - see two posts ago - which I am going to put back to their normal price today, by midday SL), do come and see these: they're guaranteed to cheer you up!

I'm also still in a dollarbie mood, so come by and pick up some tulips in a pot: 2 prims, 1L, transferable.  Right by the photos!

(and don't forget to check out Vent du Sud's three great fashion creators for some great spring treats while you're at it? More on their spring newness very soon)

Will spring ever happen?

Yesterday, we had sunshine. Today... pouring rain again plus thunder (yay for lightning-proof socket-thing for the PC) and COLD. Not quite how you'd imagine spring in southern France.

Ugh.

But anyway, it's spring at Vent du Sud... or at least we're gearing up for all sorts of things including some great spring FASHION from Rett, Alan and Ashton &  Lane.

First off today, though, newness and as always a special offer as a kick-off: A whole bench of spring plants (and you can change each sort of flower by clicking - clever, huh?) So lots of combinations of tulips, crocuses, daffs. Including the watering can and the soil riddle. And being mod-copy, you can also help yourself to any of the plants or the watering can separately (the plants and watering can are all 2 prims each). Good deal!

Prims: 12
Mod/copy
Price: normally 195, today at just 100L.
Find it on the square.

Next up, a watering can with three sculpty tulips.  

Prims: 5

mod/copy

Normally 79L, today just 35.

And last but not least, see the rock amid the daffs? It'a poofer and a special dollarbie

Meaning a LOT of flowers for just ONE prim and 1L (and it turns on and off on touch). 

 
Find it near the big olive tree, and help yourself!
 
 
But before you go, hit the subscribo outside Vent du Sud? It's time for another gift in there and I should finish it in a day or two (as my RL garden is a sea of mud...).
 
Hope to see you soon in Vent du Sud!

Another day, another dollarbie from VENT DU SUD

Today's dollarbie at Vent du Sud: a CLASSY wreath: 4 prims, all sculpted (no alpha issues). You'll have to find it (hint - attached to a post not far from the ice rink). But that gives you time to pick up lots of other unique, elegant Christmas decor either free or at giveaway prices (another hint: some on the market stand, right beside the ice rink, at Rett's store).

Christmassy colours for the furnishings too - for instance this classy lantern (8 prims, automatic (SOFT) glow at night, mod/copy) is reduced from 79L to just 40L for a couple of days (again, near the ice rink).

And below, something fantastic from Geek Back: can you believe these shutters are just 3 prims? And the lamp is just ONE? Really, you have to see them to believe them. These lamps are copy / mod - just imagine the saving in prims!

Find them near to his curtains at Vent du Sud (some new models coming soon). He has other amazing sculpts (including roofs that have to be seen to be believed) at his new store, E & E - more than worth checking out.

More specials on the way but don't wait too long: some will disappear to make room for them!

Drop in at Vent du Sud: we're always pleased to see you (and if we do, we tend to hand out gifts).

Or just enjoy a skate, a dance, and watch the waves.