IMPORTANT: A number of changes…

Hey guys. I know it’s been a long time since I posted, that’s actually one of the many things in the works to change here soon. I do have a number of important announcements though that will be affecting both existing and future clients…

Availability: As of recently, my availability has changed and I will no longer be able to take on the volume or scale of projects that I used to. I have recently begun a new ongoing contract that will take up the majority of my time indefinitely, and will not permit me the time to take on anything larger than smaller sized projects and maintenance work (needing something fixed, adjusted, added etc). Even then I may have to occasionally turn down inquiries for smaller projects, as I will only have the available time to take on so many, and with the number of clients I have I may not be able to fit you all in in a given timeframe. I will however always do my best to be here for you guys if at all possible, and you are welcome to inquire about any needs. Just please bear in mind that should you need anything of fair size, I will not be able to offer turnaround times as I did previously, as my available time to work on your project will be much more limited.(Clients that had existing projects booked, rest assured I am temporarily pulling extra hours to get you completed as soon as possible.)

Hours: I have recently been working harder to reign in my hours and get on a more set schedule, which can be very difficult in design. There’s always 20 more things in your inbox that weren’t there when you started work for the day that need tended to, just one more thing you want to try and get finished before logging off, and those times you just push and push because something hasn’t quite come together right yet and you know a client is waiting on you to bring it on home. It can be a vicious cycle that if you don’t draw set lines with, can suck you in from the time you get up til the time you go to bed.

As much as I adore all of my clients and want to be there for them 24/7, I have to draw stricter lines for not only my sanity, but my family and health as well. Recently another designer friend of mine was diagnosed with high blood pressure and sleep deprivation from their hours, and sadly my first thought after concern for them was thank god, it’s not just me. Sometimes as designer’s I think we push too hard, feeling the expectations of our clients and wanting so badly not to disappoint them, but the weight of those expectations can often leave us burning the candle at both ends and missing out on our own lives. It isn’t their fault in any way, but my own for not setting better boundaries between my work life and home life.  I need to learn to actually walk away from work, and your understanding and help with that would go a long way.

So starting now I am more strictly implementing my hours and will not be available after 5 PM EST  or on weekends, except for emergencies. Come 5 pm, I will be shutting everything down cold. Should you have an emergency that absolutely has to be tended to in my off hours, please be aware that there will now be a $25 fee for after hours service.  I have never been one to implement fees, however if there is something that absolutely cannot wait until the next day and requires me missing dinner or homework time with my family, or requires me to leave a family movie to come and tend to, I do ask for a small fee to compensate for the personal time lost to come back to the computer, boot it up, start my programs and locate any necessary files,  and tend to the task.

Any inquiries that come in after 5pm, if they are not labeled as an emergency, will be answered on the next business day. Please bear in mind as well that even with emergencies, I still might not be able to tend to you at that time if I am not home.

Niteflirt Coding Changes: As I am sure you are all aware, Niteflirt is implementing the new restrictions on what code they will and will not allow. For many of you, this means you will likely end up with broken listings, as all listings I designed were compliant with their standards at the time and prior to any mention from Niteflirt of the change. As much as I would like to help out and fix things up for you guys, I do have to ask for a small fee if you would like your listing converted, as I could not have foreseen Niteflirt changing and breaking designs and this change was both beyond my control and not my fault in any way. So please keep that in mind when you email me about any Niteflirt related issues with your designs. I will always fix anything that was a genuine mistake of mine at no charge, but if I provided a product that was correct at the time, and it is no longer working due to a third party’s changes, that is beyond my control and I do have to ask for compensation for the time and labor to fix an issue that someone else created.If you do need conversion done, let me know and I will do my absolute best to work you in as soon as possible.

Freebies and sale items: Depending on how things go with my new schedule and availabity, I plan to set aside more time now that my schedule will be more under control to releasing more freebies on a regular bases and putting up some items for sale (templates and other items.) There are also some services I have in the works that should be coming along before too long, so keep an eye out for those as well.

So I think that about wraps up the announcements. Sorry to hit you guys with so much at once, but it’s been a big month between my shedule changing, Niteflirt going all to hell with code changes, and all kinds of craziness. Hopefully I will still be able to help most of you out with your needs, and for what I lack in availability now, I plan to try and make up for in freebies and other items of interest.

If you have any questions about anything above, please do not hesitate to email me and inquire. I will be happy to address any concerns you might have.

Aside from that, hope you are all well and making great money. =)

XOXOLlara

New Freebie Element Set! (Black-White-Pink)

It’s been awhile since I have released a freebie set, and I have neglected you girlies that use black backgrounds for awhile, so I have released an elements set especially for you. Simple, but sleek, in black, white, and pink, it includes an extensive collection of buttons as well as a header to add a little something to that existing page that maybe needs a new tweak, or help a new flirt with some starter imagery for that new listing. As always, please obey the terms of usage:

1) Do not claim the images as your own work.

2) Do not hotlink any images, you MUST host these images yourself or on a free image hosting site.

3) You say “Lara freakin rocks” 3 times while they are downloading. (If you have a high speed connection you may want to practice saying it very quickly.) Other than that they are yours for the taking, enjoy! =)

For more freebies, check out the freebies page HERE.

Introducing Sparklewhore Elements with Freebies!

My hotlinking post was depressing lol, so I decided to go ahead and toss out a few freebies I had in the works and launch the new section to the site I’ve been tinkering with, Sparklewhore Elements. Not everyone wants a full out design, and I know many of you enjoy working on your listings yourselves, tweaking them and making them your own. For those that don’t want the whole package, but occasionally like to spice thing up, I will be offering both free and premium elements to spice up your pages. Elements are everything from backgrounds, buttons, picture accents, listing “sets”, and even pre-made headers or other imagery. As it grows I’m sure it will expand to things I haven’t even thought of yet, but to announce the launch I’ve done up a little starter flirt freebie elements set. The set contains header and coordinating buttons for a white background listing.

You can click on each element individually, or download the entire set HERE.

Next Page »