Serenite

Sim Redo Update

2010-08-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

Well it’s been a couple weeks of prim flinging.

The Garden of the Moon has been relocated to its new home, it is now on the west edge of the sim near the NW corner. Its new location ties it more to the structured areas of the sim but it also has a more secluded feel than it had before. It is still canopied by Botanical’s trees but now overlooks the vast ocean. The radio station is still set to play those old jazz and big band classics. Looks like folks are finding it, I see couples spinning the night away.

The magic shop is moved to its new home, just a little up the path from where it stood. It has been re-merchandised to hopefully make it easier to find things.

On the sim at large some of the walking paths have been redirected and some new ones have been added. The walking and hiking paths are still in flux so more changes are still to come.

Still in line for some cosmetic overhauls and updates, the hub area, the cutting garden, the grotto, and the gypsy camp so keep your eyes peeled for new things to explore.

On new releases for KX Designs I am actively working on the most requested item, sim terrain texture packs. I won’t be selling my personal sim textures but instead will be making all new sets in a similar feel to my personal ones. Ill be testing them out on Annwn as I go if you want a peek.

Thanks for your continued support
KX

Renovation and Rebirth

2010-08-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

Well if you’ve been on the sim you’ve seen some dramatic changes to the retail portions of the sim. Don’t panic, I’m not opining a mall, all the retail areas are to be used be me and those select friends who have been showcasing wears in the Wicca store who all embrace the immersive experience. Motivation is twofold, free up some much needed prims that can be used for landscaping in other areas and I’m in real need a good o’l creative kick in the pants to fall in love with SL all over again.

The old shops are all coming down and being replaced by a small village complex. The village while taking up less of a footprint than the old shops did feels more expansive and more importantly less jarring that the old retail did. I wanted to create more of an immersive shopping experience vs just in your face retail while also adding to the character and story of the sim… imaging tradesmen coming and going, offering their various wears to the shopkeepers to sell. Those just intent on wandering can now wander by all the retail without feeling it being forced in your face. The sim is finally turning into my original vision of it.

The KX Headline store is pretty much all moved into its new home, what appears and many small niche shops from the outside is really all just one space. The holiday items are all moving to a dedicated shop at the base of the hill that will run year round and rotate featured items as the seasons change.

The KX Tree display garden that was crammed in the back corner of the sim is now up in the Prefab skybox (skybox will be eventually be getting an overhaul too) so those who need to see the tress in person before purchase can quickly find and buy the tree they are looking for (the teleport pads located around the sim will zip you up there), the old spot is soon to be reclaimed by woodlands. The KX Tree purchase point area is real close to where it was before its just becoming more of a village garden shop. Planning to add more plants and pots soon. I am also looking into a better method to display a lot of trees in a smaller space.

The Wicca shop’s ‘Practical Magic’ original build is coming down, its new home is just a little up the path, first small cottage store on the right. The new location is smaller (and a lot more prim efficient) and hopefully will be easer to shop from. The remerchandising of the wears should make it easer to find what you are looking for. Look for new items to be appearing soon as we begin gearing up for fall.

The old PM location will soon be reclaimed by nature. Waterways will be rerouted to give you new vistas and there will be new paths to explore. The Hub area will also have a bit of a freshening up and waterway changes. The cutting garden will forever remain, but will have a cosmetic overhaul, want to create more of a farmers flower market feel too it. Gypsies being as the are may find a new campsite, never know where they may turn up.

A new addition coming to the sim that I’ve always wanted but never had before is a small pub, not a ‘SL club pub’ but one of those small locals hangout spots. Once completed all will be welcome to use it as a waypoint to hang with their friends. May in the future have some events there but the intent is to keep it relaxing and low key. Construction has begun if you’d like to take a peek, it’s at the top of the village trail with a spectacular view of the sims.

Well that’s your update, hope you enjoy the changes.
KX

Spring and Inspiration Blooms Anew

2010-03-26T23:38:00.000-07:00

Work finally starting to slow down a bit allowing me to have some SL time again... and yet again I'm feeling the urge for some Second Life rebirth.

I keep revisiting the same idea over and over again in my wanderings, and feeling the urge to make that idea come to prim reality. My first thoughts of Serenity all those years ago when I first imagined my own sim was that it was a tiny seaport village, tradesmen coming and going and bringing their wears (and exotic plants!) to the port, the village being a collection of small curiosity and antiquity shops all clustered tightly together to be protected against the elements and sea. Ultimately with the goal of letting the retail that supports the islands blur into the unspoken story of the sim and reinforce the setting and the stories those who visit it create. Visitors being able to wander and shop while still staying immersed in their escape from the grid.

So the idea is to bring together the various elements of the sim, my headline store, the wiccan shop, the cutting garden, the ship port, and the piano garden (garden of the moon), and a few fun new elements into one cohesive whole that feels right, and fits the sim, and most important, do it without compromising the predestine nothing that the sim is that I love.

Challenge yes, but if it wasn't a challenge it wouldn't be worth doing now would it!

Thank You all for your continued support over the years, it is you who make Serenity come to life.

Jacaranda Trees

2009-07-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

As you may have figured purple is one of my favorite colors so it was just a matter of time before I started making purple trees. *laughs*

Introducing the KX Jacaranda Tree. These are in bloom all across Southern California this time of year so here a little taste of CA sunshine for you. :)

Just a update on the shop and sims.

2009-06-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Serenite!

Just a little post on whats happening on the sims and what to look for over summer.

Well the most obvious change, I tore down the old KX shop which just wasn’t working well and built an all new one. While it doesn’t disappear into the land as much as the old one did it is a lot more functional space. It’s now more of an indoor outdoor space, with the garden areas as more of a focal point to bring more focus to the landscaping products. The build itself is a lodge so it is now reflective of the log homes I sell. The relaxed style furniture also works better in it and the more airy space is easer to get around in.

Parts of the old shop’s build will probably be turning up around the port area sometime this summer so that folks can still use parts of that structure for RP and Photography proposes.

The building that was housing Robins ‘Yummy Skins’ was taken down but don’t fret her skins are sill here, they are now inside the Practical Magic shop on the upper floor.

The less obvious change is Annwn will be converting to a homestead sim this month, it was just too expensive to keep it running as a pure recreation area as full sized sim with no retail support.

I intend to keep the feel of a lot of the areas but things may be shifting around a bit to better use the space on fewer prims. Mostly noticeably I will be expanding the waterways so as to make it feel less empty with fewer prims. The Cave, the Beach, the Falls, and the Grove are all elements I will want to maintain, they just may end up shifting to new locations.

One element I do want to try and add to Annwn is an art gallery, but a gallery in the style of my art show last year, where nature and art are mixed together, a nature walk where the art is discovered amongst the land. Prims willing that will happen sometime this summer.

Update for Spring 2009

2009-05-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

Update for Spring 2009

Well the last of the snow has finally melted away, lush green again the dominate shade rolling across the land. New changes are again underway across the sims.

The KX tree collection already having outgrown its new home needs more room to spread its roots, I’m going to be spending my time re-envisioning the retail areas of the sim to make them easier to navigate as well as in hope to recapturing some of that precious waterfront for more relaxing pursuits.

Annwn most likely will be scaling back to an open space sim, with SLs changing in pricing and keeping the retail areas to limited amounts keeping it as a full sim is just not viable option any more. I will be try and incorporate some of its favorite relaxing spots back into the grounds Serenity.

Enjoy the spring!

KX Designs 2008 Christmas Tress are Out!

2008-12-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

The 2008 Christmas Tress are out and on display in the showroom. They are also available to purchase directly on Xstreet

Other new products in the shop...

Christmas Wreaths and Boughs
Sculpted old fashioned kitted stockings
Stone Fireplaces
and an all new line of whitewashed Shabby Chic furniture

Merry Christmas

KX Designs Update, Fall Winter 2008

2008-11-12T12:31:00.001-08:00

KX Designs Gets a Total Remodel!

The Main store has been in long need for a remodel, the first and most drastic of the changes taking place last night, as the old structure came down replaced with an all new, more substantial build. There’s is still a lot of tweaking to be done but the core of the structure is in place. The main goal of the remodel was to show the product in a more cozy and homelike setting as well as provide proper display areas for the KX Trees and Fine Art products that the old shop was unable to handle.

The retail areas are more finished and organized now...
-Seasonal, Landscaping, Prefabs and Home Furnishings are on the bottom floor.
-Bedroom Furniture and Window Treatments on the upper floors.
-Trees and Landscaping Sculpts are in the back hall and display Garden.

All the KX Trees now have both an easy to shop from purchase point in the back hall, as well as full display garden in the back to see them all fully rezed if needed.

The Prefab homes purchase points are in the back corner on the main floor but they are also still available for viewing full size, just look for the green crystal teleporters and they will whisk you up to them.

I also now have a few of my SL landscape ‘paintings’ for sale. Look for more KX Fine Art works to be released soon.

Due to popular request I will be bringing out the KX Christmas products earlier this year. Look for KX Christmas trees and Décor starting to arrive this weekend!

new winter trees

Fall is Coming!

2008-09-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

If you have been to the 'Elements and Inspirations' art show you already had a teaser of what KX fall was going to be like this year. Well now those teaser tress are up for sale in the KX Designs showroom.

And a bit of a tease... The harvest is in and annual tradition of the KX Halloween pumpkin shop will open Oct 1st!

The shop includes both carved and uncarved pumpkins and traditional Halloween decor. You'll find the old favorites and some new friends to spook up your SL home!

Elements and Inspirations

2008-09-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

Elements and Inspirations,
the Landscapes Portraits and Prims of Keith Extraordinaire

September 20th - October 13th 2008
at Sunfire Gallery

Review in Prim Perfect

The show consists of all new woks including landscapes and portraits all set in a garden installation of my design. Been having a lot of fun putting this all together.

Island Changes Update 3

2008-09-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

Itsss backkkkkk…. well mostly! lol.

For those who have been missing it the crystal cave is for the most part reinstalled on Annwn. Its location is a bit different from where it was and the areas leading to it are still very in the rough so watch your step. I wont tell ya how to get there as the finding is part of the fun. :D

I’ll be adding back the pose balls and areas for relaxing in there sometime tonight.

Enjoy!

Island Changes Update 2

2008-08-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

One of the island's hidden spots has been expanded as it has moved to its new home.
Cant tell ya where it is, or where it was, but those who knew how to get there will have no problems. ;)

Island Changes Update 1

2008-08-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

Well one part of the sim upgrades is complete and that was to rip out each and every Linden tree!

I cannot believe the change the new pine trees have made to the place, its seems so much calmer now. (LL Pines whipping around violently in a slight breeze always bugged me.)

Also on that note... KX Designs now has sculpted trees!!!

Several varieties are now available, the Pines shown above, Mesquite, Olive, Palo Verde, and a tree from my imagination, Misty Hollow.

More trees to come!

Serenite Newsletter August 2008

2008-08-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

(copy of inworld notecard)

Hello Serenite Friends and Visitors,

Just thought I would pen this note to let you know of sim changes that are underway. Get ready to see some major changes around Serenite and a complete overhaul of Annwn.

Don’t Panic! I know that Serenite has long been a haven for many, and I do not intend to loose those qualities that make the sim what it is. It’s just been the same for such a long time that I am feeling the need to evolve it as I and my texturing, building, and imaginings have evolved. Some of the favorite spots will be altered and moved to new locations to accommodate the land and structural changes I will be embarking on.

Things that will remain consistent are the sense of space, calm, quiet meditation, nature, long winding walking & riding paths, lingering spots, couple retreats, hidden spaces, celtic myths, and of course, piracy arrrr.

So then what is changing you ask, well I’ve embarked on a joint project with my long time SL build bud and friend, Baron Grayson. We are each in our own individual way exploring a mythological culture of our own design, it will be a blend of ancient, of technology, of myth, and lore, its inspiration in Celtic fae. (If your now saying to yourselves ‘Oh no, not another cutesy elf sim’ I say, with the two of us feeding off one another just you wait, ‘cute’ is not part of the equation ;) )

Annwn was always planned to be a place were reality fades as surreal nature takes over so this project is the push I needed to realize that dream, As you make the journey through the lands south from the Serenite hub, what was real fades, what was, dissolving into a surreal dream or to wherever your imagination chooses to let it take you. There are planned ample open RP settings and opportunities, the feel of the lands intentionally vague enough so that whether you are a role player or not you will not feel out of place when exploring, the ultimate goal being that whatever SL background you come from you will find places to call your own.

I am looking to push myself, so look for a bit of experimenting with ideas and shapes as things evolve. What may be a lake today may be a mountain the next day and a city the next, so don’t get too attached to anything, lol. If you are interested in watching as the changes evolve on both my sim of ‘Annwn’ and Baron’s sim, ‘The Nameless Isle’, you are welcome to wander the lands as we work on this joint yet individual project.

One must always create and reinvent or one stagnates and fades…

KX