It has taken me a long time to write this.. this year has been a difficult year for me and after much thought, much debate with my self, much soul searching and agonising and talks with different people who know me, my mental and physical state and my temperament, I am finally going to make some decisions. I've never been good at doing that but the way things are right now, I have to do this. There are basically two paths open to me.


1. Close the store and don't look back.

2. Draw a line.. make new limits and do what it takes to find my way back to loving my craft.


I don't particularly want to close the store. I always loved making skins, it always has been therapeutic and allowed me to make use of my skills and hone them as an artist, in a much different and interesting way to RL. Of course it is amazing that it eventually become a viable business and source of income for me.

Changes are never easy.. and a lot of people usually pout and stomp feet or get scared that they won't benefit from anything, that things will be taken away from them. I have spent a lot of my time trying every thing I can to make my skins accessible for as many people and as many mesh products as possible.. I can understand the disappointment people feel when things change and I hate disappointing people. I know some of people will not like the changes being made and will possibly even stop buying my skins.. but I have to be clear and I have to be firm.. these changes are non-negotiable if I am to keep making skins.

But I have to try to do something to make this enjoyable for me again.. and through doing that I will be able to offer you improved skins, better quality, more releases.. which I hope will make up for any losses. I know I will never be able to please everyone or make everyone happy and I have always tried to do this, much to my own detriment.. but now its time I take control.

The changes coming are the following :

* Within the next 1 - 2 weeks *
ALL skins in the store will be put on 50% sale. You will need the group tag to get the discount as it will work through Caspervend. This sale will most likely last until Christmas and New Year.

THERE WILL BE A NOTICE SENT OUT WHEN THE SALE STARTS

* Once the sale ends *
- ALL skins in the store will be discontinued. They will not be put out for cheap at future dates, they will not be added to Marketplace. I will not be selling them privately. These skins will effectively be dead, though re-deliveries will still be available through Caspervend should products vanish or SL gets hungry.
- There will be customer service in so far as help for faulty appliers / textures
- There will be NO further updates for any appliers for these skins

In the meantime I will continue with my obligations to events so I can keep offering new things through this process.


So what happens next?
I was intending to update the skins with new details at the beginning of the month. A lot of factors stopped this from happening for which I am sorry for.

I will be spending the coming months redesigning the skins with some of the following changes (not limited to) :

- Some body redesign and lessening the need for a V2 upper
- Less skin tones in the main skin releases. There will now be 5 instead of 8.
- The possibility of each face's make up coming with themed make up appliers to mix and match
- Overhaul of freckles to make them hopefully better
- Faces tailored to fit mesh heads better.. possibly separately sold add on appliers in unique faces, I haven't figured this out yet
- Applier HUD changes
- Better Fantasy Skin support
- Male skins making a return

There are other things I am sure I am forgetting but this is a glimpse of things to come.

My hope is that I will be able to eventually offer you my best artwork and more of it.. and in turn there will be less confusion about what I make, what I offer and less disappointment when things don't fit the mesh properly. I want to give you the best I can but also I want to be fit and healthy enough to do this and most importantly, enjoy doing it so I can keep creating for years to come.

I hope that you will understand and I apologise for the length of this. If you have any questions, want some help or even want to chat about the future of the store, please do join the Lumae group in world. The chat is open and discussions are encouraged. Im usually there listening too so I will hear your opinions. The only rule is not to advertise or talk about other skin designers.

Copy and paste the address below into your Second Life chat bar to get a link to open the group window so you can join.

secondlife:///app/group/eeb4e88c-a752-8bf9-23c5-73e032375c31/about

Many thanks for your continued support.
Love and light

Lumiya <3