Enter the Forest of Light 'n Dark Photo Contest!

FOREST OF LIGHT 'N DARK PHOTO CONTEST
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We are celebrating the opening of the new Fantasy Kaleidosope Gallery with a fun photo contest! Please submit a picture you took at either Enchanted (light) or Bewitched (dark), or you can submit one from each! We will be giving away prizes for each sim individually. They are:

FIRST PLACE: 5000L
SECOND PLACE: 3000L
THIRD PLACE: 1000L

Yes, that's right, you have the opportunity to win up to 10,000L if you enter pictures from both sims :) The winners will also be displayed in the gallery entrance for a while, then moved into the gallery as art on exhibit.
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You may submit as many pictures as you'd like. We are not judging based on how well your pictures are edited or processed, because we realize not everyone has the means to do that. We are looking more for originality, most magical, and most interesting.

Please submit the pictures either here in SL in a notecard labelled "Photo Contest Entry" as the title to Natalie Montagne (Nat Enchanted) OR to the Flickr Enchanted and Bewitched group:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/enchantedelvenrealm/

Please be sure and label ALL entries "Photo Contest Entry" as the title either way you submit them. Also, don't forget to list your avie's full name. You may put a title or description with the photo if you'd like.
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We will accept contest submissions from now until Sunday, May 8. We will take a day or two to decide and announce the winners on Wednesday, May 11.

Please let Natalie Montagne know if you have any questions. Otherwise, enjoy!!

Official Fantasy Kaleidoscope Gallery Opening!

ka·lei·do·scope [kuh-lahy-duh-skohp] A continually changing pattern of shapes and colors.  /kəˈlaɪdəˌskoʊp/ Show Spelle

First, I'd like to apologize for being rather quiet for a while! There's been alot of excitement going on at Enchanted and the new sim, Bewitched, as you can imagine. Along with the addition of the new haunted sim, and with the help of Andrek Lowell, I was also working on a gallery exhibiting Second Life artists' work above Enchanted. I had mentioned this in a past blog, but have never officially introduced it as being open. Well, this is the official announcement of the opening of the Fantasy Kaleidoscope Gallery above Enchanted! Andrek has done a beautiful job seeing that it blends well with the forest below, all the way from the scenery to the frames around the pictures. In keeping with its purpose, the gallery is truly its own piece of art! It is something that will always be in the works and continuously updated, as we have new art we want to recognize all the time. That is the main purpose of the gallery, to show off/exhibit fantasy art created within game and to give it the recognition it deserves. For a while I was recognizing a piece of art from Enchanted and a piece from the Finest of Fantasy Art group in Flickr each week. After I left it on the sim for that week, I'd move and place it in the gallery. I still plan to do something similar, but instead of just two pieces of work each time, it will be a variety each time and go along with a particular theme. For example, this week I will recognize art having to do with the theme, "Light and Dark". We are having a photo contest with this theme, so thought it would be perfect. I will display the artwork within the theme at the entrance to the gallery each time and depending on the event or what is going on, it could be displayed for a while, not necessarily just a week. In order to visit the gallery, please use the tp door at the landing point entrance to Enchanted.

There will be a post following this one explaining a photo contest meant to kick off the gallery opening, so please be sure and watch for this and enter the contest! I've posted some pictures from within the gallery in keeping with the light and dark theme, but please come by and visit, you'll be glad you did!

Teleport landing point

Nat standing in front of one of the gallery sections

Closeup of the frames used for this natural setting

Beautiful bridges and walkways to each section of the gallery

One of the four sections of the gallery, each with its own central fantasy statue

Another gallery area

Gallery lit up at night

A New Sim Joins the Enchanted Family!

I have some exciting news! Some of you may already know about the new addition to Enchanted, but I'd like to go ahead and make the announcement official :) We now have a new sim adjoined on the north side of Enchanted where the dark forest is located. The sim itelf is Elven Mist and it contains another wonderful forest built by Andrek Lowell called, Bewitched, formerly known as Bentham Forest. Lauren Bentham, who integrated her creations with Andrek's build, was the original owner of the sim. She decided to sell it and contacted me to see if I might be interested in purchasing it...and here we are :) If you've never visited this sim before, you are truly missing out! It is a haunted, dark forest full of beauty, whimsy, spooks and frights! In order to get the full effect of the sim, you need to set your environment to midnight at the entrance. I did a blog about Bentham Forest in my other blogger, here is the link:

http://nataliemontagne.blogspot.com/2010/09/bentham-forest-spooky-and-fun.html

There is also a great youtube video about the sim:





I hope you all are able to visit soon. When you arrive at the entrance, you'll be offered a landmark, notecard, url to this blog and a group invitation. Please come and enjoy!

Introducing Elven Realm's Enchanted!

On the bridge from light to dark

I've created this blog especially for events, happenings and special writings pertaining to my new sim, Enchanted. I've wanted my own region for quite a while and knew all along what I'd like to do with it. My vision was to create a beautiful, magical fantasy forest incorporating realism with a touch of whimsy. I think it turned out above and beyond what I envisioned and I'm very happy with it. Andrek Lowell (creator of Chakryn Forest and Bentham Forest), environmental designer extraordinaire, is who I entrusted in creating the sim. I believe with both our ideas, creativity and his designer know-how, together we've created a lush, dreamy fantasy land for the delight of all elves, fairies, pixies, nymphs, fauns, drows, wizards and yes, humans of Second Life. If I left anyone out, you are welcome too!

Rainbow waterfall and little chapel

Relaxing at the gathering spot

This amazing sim has a variety of "areas" to visit, along with hidden caves and places all over to discover. Alot of thought was put into placement and flow of each area. If I tell you every single must-see, it will ruin the surprises for you. A few of the areas are the mushroom forest, unicorn pasture, flower field, fae gathering spot, mermaid inlet, candy cove, and the dark forest.

The mushroom forest

The castle tower at sunrise

The premise of the sim is to serve as a refuge or sanctuary for the rare unicorn, dragon, and all other woodland animals. You will see many animals of all kinds scattered throughout the land. Also, a percentage of any donations given to Enchanted will be in turn given to the national animal rights advocacy group, Friends of Animals. There is a group you can join, plus we will have a Flickr group page to submit pictures taken at Enchanted and, of course, this blog site. There are also two quests that can be completed on the sim. Enchanted is definitely worth a visit and once you do, I think you'll want to return many times again!

The dark forest

The underground mermaid inlet

Our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/enchantedelvenrealm/

Our slurl: slurl.com/secondlife/Elven%20Realm/160/154/22