A Glimpse of Marc Loves Cleo

I don't have much in the way of photos of Marc Loves Cleo. It is one of those pieces that just surprised me coming out. I hadn't dwelled on it much as it was a purely visual thing.

My dear friend Neit Tackleberry had introduced me to her friend Kaffe, whom I mentioned in my post about Elizabeth. In guessing something Kaffe would like I handed her the unlimited Lady In Waiting necklace with the Matriarch pieces. Kaffe started looking for the right thing to wear with it right away.

(The Matriarch Set Picture is Below)


She sent me a photo of herself wearing an amazing outfit. I didn't even notice she was wearing Lady In Waiting with it. The dress was a real piece of work and I hope Kaffe comments on here and tells everyone who made it.


I barely stopped to think, I just started building. Obviously this was accidental on my part, on Kaffe's part, and on the dress maker's part. There was none of my normal stewing over the design aspects, it just happened. I remember shooting for something in onyx and pearls.


When it was almost complete I realized the necklace was scarab-esque, which also wasn't intentional. I didn't mean to make an egyptian sort of piece and almost never go into creation with a niche like that in mind. What becomes simply becomes.

The first time I really stepped back and took a look at it I realized a few things:
1. I wasn't sure I liked it.
2. It was probably too erotic.
3. I could have made something more complex.

I tossed #3 aside because often simple is better and I ignored #1 and #2. I guess that means I ignored all three. I've since heard someone said it is the shape of an angel, so I suppose it's all in the eye of the beholder. So #3 and #2 have been pretty much squashed. I still wasn't sure I liked it.

The name, Marc Loves Cleo of course refers to #2 and is referring to the Marc Antony/Cleopatra affair.

I made it available to the RC New Jewelry Hotline Group for silent auction. That really bothered me because I don't like the silent auction concept. In the past simply announcing to the group something was available to the first to respond meant that many die-hard fans of my work didn't know I had something new until they were gone because they didn't log in within an hour of my announcement. RL comes first, always, as you know. So the silent auction was the way I handled it.


Well, I don't care for the "auction" part of it because it's not about money. But then I don't know of a better way. I mentioned to someone that maybe an essay contest would be better. I come to suspect that people feel cheated out of something if they don't get to pay for it. Maybe we can get to the point where we take public bids here, but then just because someone doesn't have enough money that doesn't mean they shouldn't have the work. I don't know. I'm pretty much at a loss for a better way.

In the group the bids that won were between $L7,000 and $L13,500. It was a long, long time before I considered doing anything with the "public" availability of Marc Loves Cleo - probably a month while I worked on Elizabeth. That's when I was made aware of Ayeshe's Angels. When I took the two others to the Ayeshe's Angles auction the winning bid was $L20,000 or so. That was just for the necklace. The rest of the set is unlimited.

During the auction Neit Tackleberry unveiled her excellent work on the graphic for it, which features KaffeBean Doowangle wearing the same dress that inspired the piece. I was so happy with Neit's work. I am indebted to her deeply.

Here it is:


So Marc Loves Cleo #10 has been in my inventory unowned for a couple weeks now. I had agreed to donate the last Marc Loves Cleo to a fundraiser to keep a group up and running that benefits so many causes and organizations that it boggles the mind to think about it by informing us all about the need and introducing us to the people.

During all the above I met someone at a blues club whose wit has been engaging me on and off. But Tall Poppy Syndrome? ROFL. That's exactly the kind of thing I needed to know about at exactly the right time.

I had started hanging out at a blues club because I wanted to do something with sapphires. SL really needs some good sapphire work. I know that it's odd I'd think of the blues and sapphire, but it was a start and strangely accurate.

This person I met, who shall remain nameless, and who is NOT familiar with my work at all and whom I have never seen wear jewelry of any kind (I believe jewelry only calls attention to the real beauty, the bare neck), came to Lucas' jewelry shop where Lucas has some very creative designs and good prim work. I think it's the first time my friend and I had been in the same sim at the same time for a couple of weeks. We talked. She told me the kind of jewelry she likes, but only because I asked. Of all the pieces in Lucas' store she was only interested in the dragonfly earrings. So I went on to ask her what her criteria is. I was taken aback that she pretty much described Marc Loves Cleo. She had no idea it even existed.

Right at that time I got an IM telling me that some kind hearted soul had donated $US1,000 to the benefit I had promised the last necklace to and it wasn't needed any more. How's that for cosmic alignment? Someone ought to write a book on that phenomenon.

While my friend and I were agreeing that she would not look into my work, and we did agree (I remind her in case she's reading this although she shouldn't be) I gave her Marc Loves Cleo #10 registered in her name, which at this time I'm not divulging because I'm a stinker.

At the moment I passed it to her she crashed. She didn't know she crashed. She thought I did. She said that while she was hanging out in that eerily quiet "I don't know I crashed" world she put a broomstick in my arms. Ok.... I won't be surprised if I get a picture of that later.

So anyway, she doesn't have it (Marc Loves Cleo) yet, but she will, unless it's in her lost and found folder. Furthermore it must stay in her inventory and never be rezzed or worn because she said she wouldn't look into my work. No tainting of our conversations is allowed by such a blatant act of going back on your word.

The point is that Marc Loves Cleo is now officially gone. They're all owned. It was an interesting piece and I look at it now and I like it. I like it a lot.

Bye Marc.
Bye Cleo.
Thank you for your adventure.