Most of the Steamlands have held steady over the past few years, with only a handful of new entities coming online.  There, however, is a slowly developing trend to integrate Steampunk aspects into new sims, without making the entire sim into the them.  Some succeed, some struggle, but one which stands out is a beautiful new sim established by two exceptionally talented designers (Mr. M. Inkpen, and Ms. S. Azalee), named The Looking Glass.

… and again, their build and texturing quality is exceptional – likely some of the best in SL, imo.

The Art Nouveau design of the amphitheater caught my attention, so passing the tulips and “healthiness” of the build, I came across a very unique (but sadly not for sale) item…

… this stone head of a statue of a Victorian Gentleman, complete with monocle!  As an additional bit, illuminate lightbulbs waft around his stone cranium.

The design of the Art Nouveau stage, along with an appropriate Victorian musical piece (one can never go wrong with a piano!) was well done, with plenty of space in the surrounding areas to enjoy any performances provided – close enough to enjoy, but without being crowded.

Off to the distance, the Flying Eye Art museum, ah, caught my eye, so to took a leisurely stroll to the edifice in anchoring itself in the midst of the sim.

Again, notable Steampunk-esque relics abound in the museum, along with artwork from noted Second Life designers…

… such as my good friend, Mr. Skusting Dagger.  The contrast between the aged and weather exterior versus the decor and polish of its interior is a perfect locale to display art from talented individuals in Second Life.

As one heads to back of the museum, taking a backwards glance a the classical architectural silhouette, one then turns to see….

… what looks like an endless Victorian cobblestone bridge appears, extending towards a vague object in the distance….

… which is actually a work titled La Mer, a beautifully detailed cello “housing a lonely fish who is dreaming of living ins a more luxrious abode than its fishbowl!”  A beautiful work, which I certainly have an eye on for the Heliograph!

The Looking Glass is an amazing sim – I’ve touched on what could be seen as the Steampunk aspects of it, but there is so much more to investigate, explore, and experience!  Perfect for photography, couples, or simple relaxation, I heartily recommend a visit to The Looking Glass – to do so, please visit…
http://slurl.com/secondlife/horizon%20dream/199/109/56/

To learn even more about The Looking Glass, I would suggest…
Miss Honour McMillian’s blog entry on The Looking Glass
The Design Challenge review of La Mer
and their homepage, located at: http://www.jmrart.com/thelookingglass/

The Big Weekend is upon us!  One of the most talked about Steampunk conventions, Steamcon III, will be taking place this upcoming weekend, in Bellevue, Washington!  For those fortunate enough to attend, there is a cacophony of events to partake in, such as…

The Airship Awards Banquet (Friday, @ 7pm) – Presenting the second annual Airship awards to the outstanding contributors to the Steampunk genre.

The Amphirite Society Annual Tea (Saturday, @ 2pm) – The exceptionally talented Unwoman will be performing, as well the Bathing Costume Competition (oh, and tea, of course).

The Nautilus Concert (Saturday, @ 9pm) – The soiree will be opened by Miss Unwoman, followed by the exceptional talents of the phenomenal Vagabond Orchestra and the Clockwork Dolls, so it is certainly an event not to be missed!

The Wayfarer’s Bunch (Sunday, @ 11am) – Engage in a discussion of the expanding world of Steampunk, involving differing cultures from around the Victorian age!

With plenty of guests of honor, merchants, an art show, and much more, I would certainly pay a visit to the Steamcon III website, to learn yet more about this seminal event in Steampunk… so close the hatch to your boat and head to: http://www.steamcon.org/index.php