Divining Your Future.. Today...

Tarot is a subject that gets a lot of different reactions, so if you don't believe in it.. if you do believe in it.. if you find it entertaining, whatever.. set your beliefs aside. I personally have a fascination with tarot mainly because of the artwork and the general ritualistic mysticism associated with it. It also hits my Victoriana nerve same as steampunk. It's been around as long as people have been playing cards, but it really hit a high note in the late 1800's with the spiritual craze that gave us Seances, Fake Fairies and Alistair Crowley. So, you find steampunk goes hand in hand with a lot of the occult fun that also accompanies H.P. Lovecraft, Robert Howard, Harry Houdini, etc. Tarot seems like a good fit with that whole aesthetic.

Using tarot in a virtual medium just fascinates me. I've seen tarot decks, all manner of them in Second Life, and they were all good, but I found them a bit.. lacking. This set was too big.. this set was too hard to set up.. this set, you had to follow links to webpages and try to figure out the meanings of the cards (for those of us who can't always remember). Most of the decks I've seen in SL are wonderful, but aren't very spontaneous nor do they assist you with the casual entertaining reading.

Every now and then, though, you stumble cross something that seems really special. And to my good fortune, the lovely folks over at Relics of Kadath have enabled me to bring that really special something to you.


I came across these Tarot decks while they were still in development and with RoK's permission, they've graciously allowed me to present them in my own store, Capalini Fine Furnishings.



Hence the "NEW" vendor sitting very prettily on the second floor. Now, as I said before.. there are a lot of tarot decks in SL, but these have been the most fun I've used. They come in a small box, that you can rez. It is much easier to tote around, the instructions are easier, and it's just overall, more elegant. There are six decks, of varying styles for you to fit your own mood.. and each deck is very artistic and creatively themed.




When you access the menu, you're given the option of layouts. It gives you six layouts to choose from, and then it rezzes the cards in formation.




They do look lovely on my table, don't they? I should put out some candles.. some colored lighting..

Then, as the reader turns over the cards (and it recognizes reversed meanings), it gives you the traditional meaning for the card. It gives YOU.. the owner.. no one else.. the traditional meaning. So, in a roleplay situation, there's no removal of suspension of disbelief by having the cards speaking to a crowd of people.




In the end, I've given these to friends as gifts before because I found them to be elegant, suited to my avatar, and just in general, a wonderful entertainment suiting any number of situations (from roleplay to a serious reader). By far the best Tarot set I've found in SL.. and now, I'm proud to offer it to you at an insanely reasonable price ($450 L). These are available at Capalini Fine Furnishings, and can be gifted at the vendor.

Just a side note: The creator of these has also informed me that for.. additional expenses, they are quite willing to do custom sets.. something to keep in mind for that extra special gift for someone who has everything.

oh those nutty Faberges...

In the realm of things created down through history, I've always been drawn to objects and creations that exhibit creativeness, intricacies and a genius mastering of mechanics. Steampunk has always appealed to me because it touches upon all those things. You have the beauty of the mechanics (which really is an artform unto itself), the insane creativeness and intricate work. During the 1880's, to my mind, this was exemplified by the work of Carl Gustavovich Faberge and the House of Faberge.

Peter Carl Faberge was the son of Gustav Faberge who founded the house, and his son took the notable Jeweler's house to unfathomable heights under Czar Alexander III. Like Heron of Alexandria, Faberge created some of the most intricate and amazingly crafted pieces in history.

Here's the caveat; As much as I enjoy works of art that incorporate those three things that I absolutely adore.. I find Faberge eggs.. gaudy.

Seriously. If you gave me the option, I wouldn't own one. Okay, I might own one but only for the amount of time it would take me to get ahold of Christie's Auction House. So when a customer a year ago compared me to Faberge (I'll not deny it. I was absolutely thrilled when he called me the Faberge of SL (and it's not that I agree with it, I don't. There are far more detailed and intricate builders than I.), it gave me an idea. Here was a perfect opportunity to put my own craftmanship to the mix and create a Faberge-esque creation. So I started making actual eggs that were tiny, intricate, and were extremely animated. Some eggs, the key is the animation. Some eggs, it's the detailing. All of them are the same size (the egg portion), and all of them are completely different from one another. I've tried to make them all operate uniquely. They all open differently, have different tunes, some turn, some have flowers..

They're not reproductions of Faberge, but they are all made with the same genuine care and love for the genre (minus the insanely bright colors, bling and precious gems). I hope to do more and make this an entire line.

My Capalini Ornate Egg series

To Hunt or Not to Hunt...

There is always a hesitation on my part when I am asked if I am going to participate in this hunt or that hunt in Second Life. This is usually followed by an awkward silence as I try desperately to think of what to say. No, Capalini Fine Furnishings does not participate in hunts, for several reasons. Mainly, I don't have time to create something specifically for a hunt and I don't want to just.. plunk something out crappy and say "Here.. this is for you."
I don't appreciate it when merchants do that when I'm hunting and I won't do it to people I would like to court as customers. So last year, when several of my friends prodded me about speaking to Perryn Peterson about a possible Steampunk Hunt, I was dubious. After speaking with him and going through my usual excitement of showing stuff off, I actually agreed to be in the hunt and was pleasantly surprised at how high the quality of all the merchants was. It really felt that the merchants involved were desperately trying to showcase what they really felt steampunk was. I thought it was a marvelous success. Since then, I have participated in every single Steam Hunt, which .. this is the third one, currently going on. I am STILL impressed with the quality of most of the merchants and find that I am still pleased as punch to be involved.



This time around, I made two offerings just for the customers that will be sold after the hunt. I was going to do this big behemoth steampunky aether chamber because I wanted the whole "HOLY COW" effect when the hunter rezzed it, but it was finally prevailed upon me I probably needed to do something more usable. So my two offerings (pictured here): A fobbed watch that chimes a music box melody and keeps time, with ticks that can be turned on and off..



And a wind up key. Now, the wind up key is very special. I'd been looking for a way to combine my music boxes with a wind up key, because my wind up keys always actually work. You can "wind" them up, and you as the avatar will perform a lovely little ballet dance, much like a wind up doll. But it doesn't seem very sensible if there isn't any music. For this hunt, I achieved what I'd been thinking of. Hours of revising scripting and coming up with an old standard "I wanna be loved by you" in music box format, paid off with a very intricately sculpted key. That plays music. I gave it to two friends who promptly went off in giggling fits playing with it.

I'm all about interactivity.

Now Perryn has asked me about his newest hunt.. The SILK ROAD..

Hmmmm.. what victorian asian thing can I come up for it?