WILDEWOOD - Violaine Villota came to Second Life to explore her fairy self and make beautiful things to adorn herself. Wearing wings and pretty costumes inspire and cheer her - and her growing collection of customers.

"Gypsy Tripsa got me hooked!" Villota explained. "I know her in real life, and she was telling me all about how much she loved her second life better than her first, and how she was a fairy there... and she told me we could make stuff. That did it! First thing I asked her was, 'are the costumes pretty? can we wear wings?'."

"The idea of making wings, as elaborate or crazy as I wanted, for people to (virtually) wear was too irrestible," she said.

Villota has drawn or painted since she was in the 4th grade and was a graphic artist until 2002.

"I hadn't painted anything though, for the last couple years, just due to overwork and stress - and my damned perfectionism," she said. "I would overwhelm myself thinking of how long it might take to get it 'just the way I want it' and then just not start. But SL seemed like something I could do. Small projects - and I could start with just making pretty wings, which I'd been doing in real life anyway, just not on the computer."

"I've always been obsessed with fabric and costumes. When I was a kid I actually made my own paper dolls and my closet is full of fabric that's still waiting to get sewn into something - problem is I take forever to sew anything. SL solves that problem! Now if I could just manifest the clothes out of the computer screen..."

For Villota, Second Life is a creative outlet, another job and an escape.

"I only make stuff that I want to make, so that couldn't really be called a job.. but I make a little bit o' cash... And an escape? definately!" she said. "When I first joined up I spent HOURS online, my husband was starting to feel left out!"

Artists, movies and nature inspire Villota's creations.

"As far as artists go, Brian Froud and Wendy Froud both blew my mind when I first discovered their work. Brian designed the whole world of the movie 'The Dark Crystal' and that had always been a favorite of mine, then he put out some books of his faery art and I just had to see everything he's ever painted. So I guess when it comes to fairies in particular I really consider them the 'king and queen' of fairy art. I also get inspired from nature."

One inspiration came from an incident that took place when Villota was dog-sitting.

"The dog came into the house with these two tiny insect wings stuck in his fur. No bug attached! Just the wings by themselves," she said. "They had that iridescence to them, and I thought they looked so much like