More goodies in the pipeline...

As well as the curved walls, I've been working doggedly on an enormous set for the 'Construction Industry' theme and it's taken the best part of a month for me to complete. It's a huge series of 'airlock' doors and windows and it comprises an incredible 37 meshes - so these will be split into a small number of sets once I've set up the screenshots. As that is going to take me some time, I've posted some piccies...
Airlock Doorway Arches


A small selection of windows and doors


Also features 'never-ending' sizes for all windows!


Door Colours


Some of the smaller windows
Look out for this series some time in September - another in the ongoing series of 'construction'!

Round the bend

I've gone round the bend [brief pause here to listen for any whispered ruderies].

More accurately, I'm taking walls around the bend. The main curve pictured below is actually a column so that it can be built upon. I'm also designing it so that the recolour template will be easy-peasy - just take any of your favourite 256 x 512 wallpapers and apply!

The set will also comprise of decorative trims for the tops of the walls in different styles, and a few recolours to match some of the Maxis wallpapers we already have. That way, it's not just your castles that can enjoy curved walls!

Caught!

The ornithologist featured in the last entry has spotted the tale.

She laughed good-naturedly, but had that unmistakable look that suggested blogs right across the web are about to be adorned with stories along the lines of: "Cyclonesue's most embarrassing toilet moment!"

I suppose I asked for it.

Lesser Spotted Redface - ode to ornithologists

When TSR rolled out v6 of the TSR website, they smilingly gave a small collection of hapless artists a blog. The purpose of the blog is to announce (to you good people) what we (hapless ones) are doing our best to create for you...

Big mistake!

For I'm about to waste yet MORE valuable 'creation update' space to tell you a funny story instead (and every word of it is true)...

Imagine this: you're a woman in your thirties, and an enthusiastic bird-spotter. Planning a walk, you take your three dogs along with you and your binoculars (in case you see any interesting feathered creature that, for some peculiar reason, is going to hang around DESPITE the fact your three prey-hungry dogs are with you). You're strolling across open bird-spotting country when you see a very peculiar-looking bird standing in the middle of this big, open space. Your eye-sight isn't very good so you put the binoculars to your eyes and peer right up to this strange bird. It doesn't do anything, and isn't bothered by the dogs either, which is fortunate.

Now, let's rewind this tale a little to set the scene. Hours earlier, seasoned birdwatchers the length and breadth of the UK have travelled down to the place where an extremely rare bird has been spotted. It's possibly the first time that this bird has ever been seen in the UK, for it is from southern Europe and might never be seen in the UK again. Therefore, many, many birdwatchers have arrived early and have taken up station in bushes everywhere, their binoculars trained onto the centre of the field where there is a small pond, and where the bird has been sighted before. Eventually, after much waiting, the foreign bird appears. The birdwatchers can't believe their luck and prepare their telescopic lenses for some fine photo shots...

But wait! Some idiot's walking right out towards the bird! (that's you in this sorry tale) To the horror of the hidden onlookers, the thoughtless intruder has three dogs with her! It's fortunate that the bird remains, but no-one can believe that this woman is walking right up to the bird anyway, with her dogs, and is now peering through binoculars directly down at it - about a metre away, if that. The birdwatchers are mortified and can't believe that they've travelled for nothing, that the bird will fly away because of what must be a very inexperienced (or bold) birdwatcher risking everything for some selfish, close-up views. The birdwatchers hold their breath, their telescopic lenses trained on the bird in the hope you will finally MOVE so that they can take some photos for their local Ornithologists clubs before the bird disappears.

Back to you then. Not being able to identify birds easily by sight (your eyesight is poor and that's why you had to stand close to the bird in order to see its detail in your binoculars), you make a quick but leisurely sketch of the bird with the intention of looking it up in a book when you return home. You then realise that (a) you're a long way from home, and (b) you should have gone to the toilet before you came out (you know where this is going, don't you?). You look all around you. Not a person anywhere for miles and no-one really comes out here anyway, so in urgent need of relief, you crouch down near the bird...

It is only as you're finishing this much-needed wee that you notice a glint of metal in a bush not too far away. You wouldn't have paid too much attention were it not for the fact that there is also a similar glint of metal in the next bush, and the next. In fact, you notice rustling in the bushes, and with sickening disquiet, you realise that, in EVERY bush all around you, there are an unprecedented number of bird-spotters surrounding you, all peering at the bird right next to you - or were, until you did what you just did! With horror, you realise that you seem to have walked right in on some very special and important birdspotting event, and that the bird next to you is no ordinary bird at all. You also know that these birdwatchers won't now be able to seek fame by sending their pictures to any Young Ornithologists Magazine - because of you. Worse still, because you live in a small village nearby, some of these people will even KNOW who you are! Yes, you have been caught well and truly with your pants down!

Now, I'm not going to tell you WHO this very special woman is, but suffice to say that she will MURDER me if she sees this, and chances are that she will. However, I could not resist the retelling of this tale as it had me laughing all night. So, I will bid you all a fond farewell and my epitaph, should it be needed for my grave, can be: "Should have kept her big trap shut!"

So, now that I'm married...

Firstly, thank you all for your wonderful wishes! I was surprised and happy to see your messages and comments, and was really happy to read them.

So, now that I'm a married woman, what can you expect? Well, first of all, I'm turning my attentions to some gingham table cloths and matching twee print tea-towels, then some frilly lace curtains in various flowery designs. Then I'll design some homely wall and floor sets for your kitchens. After this will follow some beautiful pot plants, sets of beautiful kitchenware items and...

NOT!

Now come on. You know me all too well already! My creative aspirations are, in fact, leaning towards steel construction girders, cement butresses and shabby old scaffolding - naturally.

Where am I?

Getting married. Today, 12 noon (it is now 2.00 am and so I ought to go to bed in order that I'm awake and manage to turn up for my own wedding in time).

After that, it's back to making Bad Things for our favourite game!

Back soon!

More Pleasantville beauties for you...

To help you celebrate the days of a misspent youth, I've made some garden decorations. If you never once ran off with a supermarket trolley, then I'm sorry, but you simply did NOT have any kind of misspent youth whatsoever. BUT, it's never too late! Litter your Sim homes with trolleys so that they can feel absolutely 'with it'. Naturally, these trolleys do nothing at all - except lower the tone of your neighbourhoods still further. Available 18 August 2006. EDIT: no, I never misspent MY youth stealing trolleys. I'm still (STILL!) enjoying my youth by not stealing trolleys.

Apologising AGAIN

And THIS week's apology is for the Castle Ramparts and Ruins set.

The apology is aimed at anyone who doesn't own an expansion pack. If you don't own an EP and you downloaded this set, the windows didn't show in your game. I have now FIXED these and you can redownload the revised set by clicking the image below...


Castle Ramparts and Ruins - Revised
If you find that other objects I've created won't show, then let me know by sending me a personal message.

Under construction

So, it's started: the thundering sound of masses of construction industry downloads tumbling from the TSR skies...

I thought that, this time, I'd finally outdone myself in nerdiness. I mean, it IS nerdlike to enjoy making cranes, pipes and struts - surely!

But... You LIKE it! And I'm delighted! I've had quite a few personal messages, comments and the like from you saying how you love this latest stuff. So, big grin on MY face! Hopefully, you'll find it gets better and better. I wanted to release the building basics first (walls, floors, columns) but the more theme-specific object sets will come next. As each set is released, I'll be featuring them on my mini-site so that you'll be thoroughly bored by it come September.

And if you think this theme is simply not for you? Trust me when I say that one of those rusted oil drums will look perfect in granny's cosy sitting room.

Lot tutorial: NEW chapter!

I've made TWO important changes to the Lot Submission tutorial.

Firstly, I'd missed out something important when testing your lots: your Downloads folder MUST be empty of everything except the CEP file (_enableColorOptions) if it exists.

Secondly, I forgot to talk about what to do when you use meshes that borrow their textures from other meshes (known as 'master/slave' meshes). You probably already know about bedding (if you don't, I've covered that too), but the same also applies to custom meshes and you need to know what to include in your lot when you use them.

You can download the revised tutorial here:


Who's responsible for these errors and omissions? Well, if I had a secretary, I would blame him, but I don't. It is the ill work of my own hand. So, sue me.