~Gabrielle~
Gabrielle is the newest release from Kouse’s Sanctum. Reflecting Medieval and Rennaisance charm, it’s a gown that incorporates vibrant color with detailed gilt trim to create a lush look fit for a princess.
I’ve decided to make one version of it, the burgundy one, named ‘Wine’, only 99L for a limited time. So if you’d like to pick up a copy before the price matches the main release, do hurry. 🙂
Also new, are the Shiloah jewelry sets, which include a necklace, tiara, and matching earrings. The sets are available in three metal choices, and are all gem change scripted.
You can find them at the main store.
~Naomi~
There’ve been several new releases at the Sanctum recently. One of which is Naomi, which you’ll see a bit of in this post.
It’s very much a lush, fairy-princess type of gown, full of ruffles and detailed patterns worked into the front lacing corset, and in the ribbon threaded onto the belt. A matching jeweled pendant sits at the centre of the belt’s front. The skirt is a very full, ballgown styled, with much emphasis on the flow of the primwork as it moves with you while you wear it.
While the original intention of ‘Naomi’ was to capture springtime pastels, it’s also been made available in deep jewel tones and in more muted hues for those who prefer more earthy colors.
Credit type things:
The jewelry used in these images is from the ‘Madame Royale’ set, which will be released at a later date. Hair is by Exile and Maitreya. I’ve also found use for some very sweet poses from Adore & Abhor which work very well with gowns, and are quite affordable. The eyes are from Banana Banshee by Rosemarie Indigo, and the skin is Sia from League.
~Fashion for Life~
It’s that time of year again! Relay for Life has begun in SL, and kicking it off is Fashion for Life, formerly known as the Relay for Life Clothing Fair. Once again, I’m honored to be a participant in this great event as a merchant. This year’s offerings from me are a mix of old, and new (previously unreleased items).
The theme this year is ‘Beyond Black and White’. Keeping that in mind, my items this year aren’t all the standard purple. The Relay version of Michelle is an example of this, including black, white, and purple with silver trim altogether in one gown. This version of Michelle includes all the same pieces as a standard Michelle set.
For those who enjoyed the Artemis gowns released at the end of last year, she makes another appearance in a rich, royal purple.
Jocelyn is something completely new. It’s a large set with many, many options for customizing the look, only some of which are shown in the ad. This version of the set, at only 400L, includes the black base gown with both knee length and full length skirts, and two colors of belt and apron to choose from.
Next is Faith, another brand new item. It’s a pretty, large skirted ball gown fit for a fairy princess, and I do hope you’ll enjoy it.
I decided this year, to also make some jewelry for the event. Initially I’d meant to only make a crown, but, an IM from the lovely Evangeline Miles nudging me for a full set made me choose to do exactly that…make a complete set. And so, it’s available either with just the crown (three versions included in each package, and they’re transfer for gifting) for 150L, or, for 400L, you can purchase the complete set with includes crowns, necklace, earrings, and bracelet.
Also, there’s a gacha in which you can find the Shulamith earrings. There’s a total of six variations of the earrings. Each try at the gacha is just 25L, and as with the rest of the items, 100% of the proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.
You can find Kouse’s Sanctum at the Fashion for Life event on the Stieglitz sim. Click here to teleport.
~Sophie~
The Sophie gowns are now available at Kouse’s Sanctum in their full range of colours, and my sincere apologies for the delay in blogging it. I’ve incorporated whimsical curls and butterflies into this design, keeping it fairly simple, but also interesting. There are a number of rich colours you can choose from, in either gold or silver trim (thanks to a nudge by a friend of mine, the silver versions exist). Each set includes three skirts, a full ball gown skirt, an evening gown skirt, and a short skirt as a bonus.
I was visiting the Garden of Dreams whilst capturing these images. I suggest paying a visit if you haven’t, there’s beauty to be seen there in every corner. I’d like to mention that the jewelry shown in these pictures is not yet available, but will be released -very- soon, so if you’re interested in it, please keep an eye out for release notices. The set is called Margaret, and will include tiara, necklace, and earrings.
As I work to prepare for the coming year’s events and releases, I’ll leave you with more pictures of Sophie. There are several below the cut, as well as a link to the complete set on Flickr. Safe winds!
~Melody~
The second new release in this brand new year is Melody. You may have gotten a taste of this gown from the ruby red and emerald green versions in the Advent Calendar. Now, this gown is available at the main store in it’s full range of colors. I’ve chosen to make the regular release contain more muted tones as a change of pace, and I find the result to be very pleasing.
Melody is a fairytale gown. With a full prim skirt that moves beautifully with you, and optional lacy prim sleeves, as well as chest ruffles for that extra touch of detail. I’ve paired the Melody gowns with the soon to be released Altheda jewelry set, which includes a necklace and matching earrings.
To view more pictures, please look after the jump!
~Victoria~
I’m still catching my breath from this Holiday season, and it’s not quite over yet! Everything on the Advent Calendar is still there at very low prices. After New Years it’ll be moved, and the prices on the items will increase, so if you want to pick them up while they’re still a steal, now is the time!
December was a pretty quiet month for me release wise. Why? Because most of the time I was working, it was either on goodies for the Calendar, or on one of the three gown sets I’ve been working on concurrently. Two of those are now out: Victoria, and Melody. In this post, I want to give you a glimpse at Victoria.
I paired this gown with the Fiona circlets, which were first offered in a limited edition for the Celtic Magic hunt in November. The circlets are now available in the main store in silver, gold, and wrought iron varieties, all of which have texture change, allowing you to choose from many pearlescent textures.
The Victoria gowns, and the circlets, will both give you points on your customer appreciation HUD when you wear it for shopping. Also, I’ve managed to find time to install the scripts for the system into just about every vendor in the front half of the store. The exceptions to this are the items on the Advent Calendar, and the cheapies at the front that run under 100L.
Victoria gowns are available in 10 colors (not counting the Holiday themed ones in the Calendar). Some of the tones are vibrant jewel tones, while a few are a little more muted. Each set includes top on jacket layer, glitch pants, prim skirt, and chest prims. The chest prims may need slight adjustment, depending on your shape, but I’ve made every effort to make editing it as easy as possible.
More pictures and info about the first customer appreciation reward after the break.
~Johanna~
Johanna is one of the newest releases from Kouse’s Sanctum. It’s one of three gowns made available today, the other two will be discussed later. Johanna isn’t just a gown – it’s also a jewelry set. Both are displayed on the first image. Utilizing vibrant colors and intricate primwork, it’s a labor of love that I hope you’ll enjoy!
I made Johanna with a key thought in mind – versatility. Wear the belt and matching jewelry for a more role play oriented look, or take off the belt itself and you’ll be left with a striking formal gown. The hair roses are included, and match the sculpted roses on the belt, with silver leaves and stems, and petals of fabric.
The gowns are available in several deep jewel tones, and the jewelry, sold separately, is available in both silver and gold, with gem change scripting. More pictures and credits after the cut!
~Celtic Magic Hunt~
As you may know, it’s been some time since I’ve participated in a hunt as a merchant. However, this small hunt was too special to pass up! I made the Fiona circlet especially for this event. It has never been sold in store before. Not only that, but its stone is a lovely, brand new blue stone texture that I’ve never used on anything else. To pick up this exclusive circlet absolutely free, look for the small Triskelle in the main store.
Need a hint? Here it is:
Keep your eyes upon the ground, near some furnishings is where I’ll be found.
I hope you’ll enjoy not only the circlet, but the entire hunt and the goodies therein. It may be a small hunt, but it’s a good one! Stores include yours truly, Avilion Mist, Emo-Tions, Trident, Mikki Miles, and more! The hunt began on November 5th, and will run until the 15th. Enjoy!
~Destiny II~
For those who’ve been following my work for a long time, it may come to recollection a certain gown from June of 2008, called Destiny. Destiny II is a remake of the original Destiny gown, but yet, redone to a point where it’s a completely unique style of it’s own.
I wanted Destiny II to feel like a fairytale in fabric. To achieve this I mixed the soft poof sleeves, and panniers on the skirt with an overlay incorporating more of an angular kerchief look. The same is reflected in the sleeves themselves upon closer inspection. This, along with the silver sequins and metallic stars adorning both bodice and overlay, created a gown that I’m very pleased with.
Destiny II is available at Kouse’s Sanctum now, in a range of colours, from pastels, to brights, to jewel tones. So whether your preference is for light, sweet tones, bold brights, or dramatically deep colours, there’s something there that’ll be sure to please. Â Another image, as well as credits, are after the jump.
~Anarella~
First off, my apologies for two posts to close together. Again in the theme of some catching up, is another very recent release, Anarella. A few times the question has come up, “Where did the name Anarella come from?” There’s a story involved. I shall keep it brief, though. A lovely lady came to me with a drawn image of a very lovely pink gown. She said she really wanted to see this recreated, and posed the challenge of bringing it to life to me. Loving the image right from the start (and I definitely love a challenge) I set to work on what would turn into a long, painstaking, but worthwhile endeavor.
It was this lady’s mission to find a name for the gown. After several days of deliberation the verdict of ‘Anarella’ came in, as a cross between Anastasia, and Cinderella, a crossing of a real life princess with a tragic story, and the fairytale princess who got her happily ever after.
Created in a bit of a mix of the Rococo and Georgian styles, with my own interpretations mingled in, Anarella began to take shape. But when the gown itself was done, I wasn’t satisfied. It didn’t seem to be…enough. The idea of a hat came, and so I made it. A small woven hat with roses and ribbon adorning it to match each respective gown.
More after the cut!
~Grand Duchess~
There’s a lot going on for me right now, a lot of projects that I’m working on that will continue on (some of them) until the end of the year. For now though, it’s time for me to take a break from the sewing machine, and talk about one of the more recent releases.
Grand Duchess is a gown made almost explicitly for role playing, however it can, of course, be used in other avenues. Designed with slight hints of the Royal Court dress of Imperial Russia (Think Grand Duchess Anastasia) while still carrying a more predominant Medieval flair.
I made Grand Duchess initially as a gown that’s trimmings would only be in gold. However, as in the past, the black variety can be obtained in your choice of gold or silver trim. Tiny pearls are strewn across the embroidered hems for that little extra interest. There’s more after the cut, so please read on.
~Irridae~
One of the newest releases in the Sanctum (Kouse’s Sanctum, that is), is Irridae. It’s a set with several options for wearing, from modern, to fantastically fantasy. I’m showcasing the ball gown style skirt in this post, but each set also includes a cute knee length skirt perfect for a casual outing or even am evening of cocktails, as well as a short skirt for those who prefer the freedom. Also, each Irridae set comes with it’s matching jewelry..a choker and two versions of full prim little crown…a straight version and a crooked one for the mischievous among us.
There’s a wide range of jewel tones, and pastels with white lace overlay. Two types of the black version, are available, as well, one with white lace overlay, one with black. A Bridal version of Irridae can also be found in the Wedding section of the main store. It is different from the main release, in that it includes only the pieces from the ball gown version, and a matching veil, the essentials to looking radiant on your special day. To see how the wedding version looks, click here to see the dress, and here to see the veil.
The mini crowns (crooked versions) are also available as a standalone item in both gold and silver. These versions include gem change scripting, so that, like with most jewelry pieces from Kouse’s Sanctum, you only need touch the item while wearing it to view the menu, and select your gem choice from there.
Credits:
Gowns and jewelry: Irridae from Kouse’s Sanctum
Skin: Alison (Glow) from LAQ
Hair: Roxana from Truth Hair
Eyes: Various colours of Antonia Eyes by Rosie’s Thingies
Location: New Trails
~Skye~
For those of you who like things a little more modern, Skye might be a style for you. Designed with an asymmetric bodice and plenty of little details. Made available in a wide array of colors for a selection sure to please. You can find it at the main store now!
There are three color types within one big display to make all easy to find, there are solid colors in both pastels and jewel tones, black with colored trim, and of course some that mix multiple hues, like the ‘River’ and ‘Aurora’ varieties.
Visit the main store to take a look! And one of the models may be there wearing it, so you can see it in person, too.
Notes:
Gowns: Skye from Kouse’s Sanctum
Skin: Angelica from Kouse’s Sanctum
Hair: Tatum from fri.day
Locations: Garden of Dreams skyboxes – check them out!
~Glimmer Midnight and Snow~
As promised, I am finally getting to doing the post on these. The original Glimmer gowns are now available in another type…Snowy and Midnight. The bonus prize from the Ice Hunt back in January left me getting a lot of messages that more of these black meets colour/white meets color combos that I ended up making a bunch for your enjoyment. Now each, black, and white, is available in your choice of 6 different pastel sashes. These versions of Glimmer include all the same options as the original, including a short skirted version!
In other news, there’s a lot more jewelry in the Treasury now, so if “Antigone” is not in your collection, check them out. There’s a lot of unique versions within the Treasury, however none of them are scripted. All are no copy/no mod/yes trans, however, so you can give them as gifts! Gem change scripted versions will be available for sale soon.
There’s another pic after the break, other than that, that’s all for me right now. Have a wonderful day, and a very happy Easter!
Nahlayea
Nahlayea began a long time ago as a princess in a story I wrote one year while I was still in high school. In this story, she was an Enchantress, who, after ascending to the role of Queen with her King by her side, found her realm ensnared by a war with a vast army headed by an evil witch. Nahlayea, using every ounce of her spirit and courage, sacrificed her own life to weave a spell powerful enough to overcome this evil, and protect her country. Of all the stories I’ve written over time, the tale of Nahlayea is still one of my favourites, and I thought I would honour this character with a gown named for her.
Nahlayea was a lady of elegance, and so I attempted to capture that with this gown. Silver embroidery upon the hem of the underskirt gives testament to this, as does embroidery matching the gown’s hue upon the bust.
The over skirt, fashioned of many light layers of gossamer fabric, ties into a neat knot at the front, creating the illusion of an almost Basque waist. Likewise, similar ties fasten the armbands in place. Both are trimmed with silver cords, a simple and pretty way to finish them off.
Below are a few more pictures, I’ll clue up the textual explanation now as images can speak louder and more directly than words ever could. Worn with these gowns is the Themis necklace, also available in store. Also worn is hair from JE*Republic and skin from LAQ.
Peek at First Place!
This is the ‘Current’ set, consisting of necklace, tiara, and earrings. With decadent gems and a few stiffened chains that defy gravity, it’s sure to impress. It’s going to the first place winner of the photo contest!
Sneak Peek at Second Place!
Greetings dear Readers, it’s time for a sneak peek at the jewelry set for second place of the Photo Contest. And, without further ado, here it is:
Remember to get those entries in as soon as possible! A selection of entries can be viewed here:
A Sneak Peek at Third Place…
The top three places in the Photo Contest will win a unique jewelry set. Today, the third place set is unveiled, and here’s your look at it.
Second and first place will be revealed closer to the closing date of the contest!
Sneak Peek at the Mayah Tiara
Here it is! Everyone who participates in the second photo contest (the one running now) will receive this tiara as a thank you prize. Please note that the tiaras will be distributed on the same day as the rest of the prizes. Many entries have already been receieved and they’re just beautiful…think you have what it takes to win this contest? Please be sure to read the rules before entering, the prize schedule is there, also.
And Now, Catching Up…
So here’s the post outlining the newer releases in the Sanctum. As I mentioned earlier, there’s some jewelry, in the form of a necklace, available in both silver and gold. Now, I need customer feedback. Please drop a note on me if you feel so inclined, and let me know the following things:
-Do you want to see more 100L jewelry? This would include pieces such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc, all sold separately, perhaps also available combined in a set at a discount also (IE necklace, earrings, and bracelet at 250L instead of 300L separately).
-Do you want to see other metal varieties available instead of the regular silver and gold, and if so, which metals?
-Do you want to see the Allegra gowns from the Allegra Trinket Hunt available at some point in the store, or maintained as a limited edition item?
-Do you want to see more scavenger hunt type events in the store? Other types of events? Please let me know what kinds, I want to run events that you, the customer, most want to see.
These questions have been rattling around in my head some time, and I’d really appreciate the feedback. I’ll weigh all opinions I hear and run with what the majority agree with.
Now on to the new releases, the jewelry, is a fairly simple, yet pretty necklace, called Cadence. Here’s one of the ads for it:
Also fairly new are the Ryel gowns, named after a friend of mine. They’re available in pastel and jewel tones, all with white trim.
And the Christina gowns, inspired by the beauty of the Maple trees I so adore in my homeland of Canada. These are available in several shades, and the few fortunate were able to pick up a limited edition called Canada that marked Canada Day, in a slightly brighter shade of red, to match the Canadian flag.
Tempest Gowns and April Group Gift
Alrighty I’ll keep it brief…and mostly pictoral. The April group gift will only be in the store for a limited time. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll put it in the secret chamber. And, the ads for the rest of the series, the colors available for sale to all, will be after the break. By the way, the full prim tiaras in the ads are included with the gowns!
Kouse Singh ~*~ Kouse's Sanctum 
