St Patrick’s Day at Bittersweet!

As a lil giftie, I made this cute mini green hat for the upcoming holiday!  I hope you like it!

@ Bittersweet – slurl.com/secondlife/Osa Menor/30/120/23

Lotería Jewelry from the Cháchara Collection @ Bittersweet

Lotería is a Mexican game of chance, similar to Bingo, but using images on a deck of cards instead of plain numbers on ping pong balls. Every image has a name and an assigned number, but the number is usually ignored.  The lotería is composed of a set of 54 different images, each one in a card. To start the game, the caller (cantor, or singer) randomly selects a card from the deck and announces it to the players by its name, sometimes using a riddle or humorous patter instead of reading the card name.

Lotería is a tradition that involves art, passion, and culture. The origin of Lotería can be traced back to the 15th century in Italy, where games of this type were organized to collect funds for the poor. From there the numeric game migrated to other countries like France, where King Francis I founded the first state that sponsored a loteria. The first loterias arrived to Mexico in the 18th century from Spain.  In the beginning Lotería was a hobby of the upper classes, but eventually it became a tradition at Mexican fairs.  Some have used the Lotería cards as a divination tool, similar to tarot, using the symbolism of the cards as well as the Spanish riddles..  The current images have become iconic in Mexican culture.

Each piece in the jewelry you purchased is scripted to call out the Spanish riddle associated to the card you touch, following with the English translation.  I invite you to take your own symbolism and meaning from your amulet.

See the Cháchara Collection @ Bittersweet

Milagros Jewelry from the Cháchara Collection @ Bittersweet

Milagros, or tiny miracles, are small religious charms that have been used in Mexico and other areas of Latin America for hundreds of years to petition saints for guidance, help and protection.  They are frequently placed on altars and places of worship.  In addition to religious and ritual applications, milagros are often found as components in necklaces, earrings and other jewellery.

The use of milagros is a folk custom in parts of North, Central, and South America, and it is claimed that the custom is traceable to ancient Iberians who inhabited the coastal regions of Spain. The use of milagros accompanied the Spanish as they arrived in Central and South America. Although the custom is not as prevalent as it once was, the use of milagros or ex-votos continues to be a part of folk culture throughout rural areas of Spain—particularly Andalusia, Catalonia and Majorca.

As part of a religious ritual or an act of devotion, milagros can be offered to a symbol of a saint as a reminder of a petitioner’s particular need, or in gratitude for a prayer answered. They are used to assist in focusing attention towards a specific ailment, based on the type of charm used. Milagro symbolism is not universal; a milagro of a body part, such as a leg, might be used as part of a prayer or vow for the improvement of a leg; or it might refer to a concept such as travel. Similarly, a heart might represent ideas as diverse as a heart condition, a romance, or any number of other interpretations. Milagros are also carried for protection and good luck.

Please visit Bittersweet at the SAC Mercado to see our new Milagros Jewelry Collection!

Papel Picado

Papel picado, translated from Spanish, means “perforated paper”.  It is the Mexican art of paper cutting, creating decorative designs that are used in many Mexican fiestas such as Easter, Christmas and the Day of the Dead, as well as during weddings, quinceañeras and christenings. Papel picado can also be made by folding the tissue paper and using small, sharp scissors.  Experienced Mexico travelers recognize a sure sign that a local fiesta is in progress whenever they spy a churchyard or stretch of roadway bedecked with lines of bright tissue paper cut-outs.

At the Stokame Artist Mercado, I have created and decorated the area with papel picado in various designs for the cháchara collection.  All individual peices are for sale for $50L-$75L a peice.  You can also purchase all strings in the Bittersweet shop for $350, or a kit with all designs and colors for $450.

Stokame Lake and Stokame Artist Colony

Feles and I were ecstatic to get a new sim a peice last month!  And after a month of toil and trouble (I swear I am cursed when it comes to terraforming), we have finally opened up the sims for rent!!

Do stop by Candela Este and Osa Menor to check us out!

My new sim, Osa Menor, houses the new Bittersweet Storefront and the Stokame Artist Colony.  My idea is to have a sim that gives new designers a space to live, work and sell in a community environment.  I have learned a lot about building, scripting and texturing from friends in-world, so the idea of a group living and learning seemed a great need for the building community.  And with new and talented designers in one easy to find location, a benefit to the SL shopping community as well.

Each renter has an allocated number of prims to use in a plot, which includes a house and building platform.  The house and building platform do not count towards the renters total.  Also the renter is given a stall in the SAC Mercado, where the Bittersweet store is also housed.  The seller area is Mexican mercado themed, with adobe and Mexican tile textures, and the adorable Frida inspired houses from Mudshake.

Each plot has 700 prims allocated to the renter to be used in the living and working area as well as the mercado.  Rental rates are $1750L a week, and additional prims can be negotiated.  Stop by and visit us at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Osa%20Menor/148/141/21