When I finish a commission for someone, I ask them to leave me a small testimonial about their experience.
They are free to list good & bad things, experiences, thoughts,... Whatever they think explains their thoughts about the process.

Testimonials are ordered alphabetically and not chronologically.
I also took the liberty to underline some key words

amourningrain

If I could personally hire gawariel to create all my layouts, I would be broke but happy. Everything she does is wonderful. She is very upfront about what she can and cannot do and she listens to my incoherent ramblings and still manages to create something wonderful. She keeps me updated at every step of the way and is more than happy to tweak things to my satisfaction. If you know what you're looking for, gawariel can bring those ideas to life. I just wish I had an ounce of her talent and skill.

Gawariel just finished the second layout for me and she did an amazing job!!! Where we started and where we ended up are light years away from each other but that's a good thing. She is always willing to work with you even when you change your mind and she does a fabulous job of offering different suggestions that I never would have thought of. I never hesitate to put in a request to her and I will do it again when she makes the offer available. Not only does she listen and do her absolute best to give you exactly what you want, she really knows what she's doing and if it's not possible, she will tell you. Gawariel said to leave even negative comments because they will help her but I can tell you with complete honesty, I have nothing negative to say. :)

aneyah

I just recently got my first layout from Gawariel, and I am very happy with it. Despite the fact that I was vague at first, and there was a complete change in design half way through, she made a layout that fits me and who I am, and did it with professional aplomb that is rare to find. I would recommend her to anyone who wants something beautiful for their layout. My recommendations for other people is to take one of two routes... 1: have a very detailed description of what you want with examples, or 2: have a picture you love, and leave everything else to her.

baronbrutalius

I've always been a fan of Lotte (or gawariel as you know her) and have used her free layouts since I first started using LJ. I remember using "The Bard's Song", "Lone Wolf", "Time" and quite recently "Jade Flowers". And I thought these layouts were fabulous. I had no idea what I was getting into when I commissioned Lotte to make not one, but two layouts for me. I just gave her a picture, and she created something out of it that was far better than I had ever expected. From then on, all you needed to do was adjust minor details. That's how amazing she is. Also, I am a very, very picky person ... up to a point where I feel like chastising myself (I think Lotte will agree with me on this =p). She was kind enough to accommodate my fickle mindedness and need for precision, which I'm sure most would find irritating. I would find it irritating LoL! She was also very open to my ideas and also tells me when my ideas wouldn't work. And needless to say, her ideas were always amazing. She's very easy to work with and very polite throughout the whole thing. I don't understand why she's charging so little for such hard work... she really tries hard to help you achieve the layout of your dreams (yes, I'm a geek LoL). Also, I've earned a friend out of all of this. =)

calaris

I personally really loved how gawariel tried everything to make my ideas and wishes possible. I also loved that she contacted me that often and always showed me how everything looked, from step to step. Good about her is the fact that she also told me when something I had in mind would not look good. She talked about her personal opinion, which helped me a lot. Actually, it was a real joy to write e-mails with her. She was really polite, informed me about every single detail and helped me to make my ideas into reality. However I think it would be good for someone who requests something from gawariel has enough pictures avaiable plus a basic image in mind of how the finished layout should look like. I guess it would also be advisable if someone would not just want to push his/her own idea through, but would also listen to her ideas as well.

contentcontempt

I have not 1, not 2 layouts created by gawariel, but 3! One for my personal LJ & I also commissioned her to do a custom layout for my community & the Makers community! And I have not been disappointed on any of them! If you can give her an idea of what it is you are looking for, she can take it & make it a reality. She's easy to work with, offers her own personal opinion, & she also send you previews of your layout as she is working on it. If you have any changes you want done to the previews, she'll either complete them or she will at least offer you her own personal opinion on what might look better. And that is very important to me. I want my layout to look good & if something I had in mind wouldn't work, she will let you know. If any of my friends mention they want a custom layout, I send them to gawariel!

denorios

I asked gawariel to make a Numb3rs layout for me and it was amazing! Seriously. I was ridiculously vague on what I wanted, because I didn't really know, but the result was more than I'd ever expected. It's my favourite of all my layouts and I'd jump at the chance to get another one made. The whole process was painless and fun, and she referred back to me at every point, showing me the work in progress on a test LJ. She even logged into my LJ and photobucket accounts for me and sorted out the mess I'd made in installing the layout! I honestly do not have a bad word to say about the experience and I would most definitely recommend gawariel to anyone wanting a seriously awesome layout.

Gawariel is nothing short of amazing. Seriously. I adore my layout - it's a billion times better than I was hoping for. Gawariel kept in contact with me every step of the way, showing me what she'd done so far on a test LJ and asking my input on every point. She was friendly and helpful, an absolute dream to work with. And after the layout was done and installed, she was very quick to respond with help with a few things I wanted changing after having seen it in situ. I honestly don't have a bad word to say.

dreaded_destiny

Gawariel's work is downright amazing. She was incredibly quick to respond and the layout was done within three days of my request. I absolutely love my layout! Gawariel kept in constant contact with me during the making process, sending me previews, asking questions on what I would like, etc. I couldn't have asked for a better experience!

mollypocket

I've been a fan of gawariel's design work for some time. (How can you not, really? Every layout is beautiful and different from the next.) I commissioned a layout and I absolutely love what came of my vague ideas. gawariel was able to see potential. I have no layout making skills and limited understanding of html and despite that, I was treated very kindly and patiently in the steady contact via email. Not only did gawariel have one option for me but suggested up to three options and even a few things I hadn't considered at all. Terrific work by a wonderfully patient artist.

pelirroja_ljc

I 've been using gawariel_design's layouts forever. When I had a chance for a custom layout I jumped on it. Gawariel's very easy to work with and her instructions are crystal clear. She graciously supplied me with minor tweaks to the code twice when things didn't quite line up as planned. I'm thrilled with my Twilight Layout!

quoth_the_ravyn

When I asked gawariel to create and LJ Layout for me, I had no idea what I was getting into. But with a great deal of patience, she diligently worked to put together what I now have and love. I must confess, my artistic talents do not include layout designs and color schemes, so I was of little help in this area and yet she managed to do wonders for me. Below I have listed a few things that I know I learned in the process. Totally have a picture(s) and at least a vague theme ready for when it is your turn. Don’t wait until she sends you the email asking if you’re still interested. Planning ahead not only helps you get exactly what you want, it helps her get it to you faster. Don’t be shy or uneasy when critiquing what she offers you for your layout. She’s good and she takes her work seriously, but if you don’t like it, say so. If you’re not completely sure that’s what you want, say so. In all my confused ramblings and silly questions, she never once made a negative comment, made me feel guilty for being unsure and was unwilling to take the time to explain and tweak pictures and layouts in various ways so I could see the differences. Just talk to her. Cannot stress how willing she is to help you through this process. If you have detailed, workable ideas fabulous. If not, don’t be afraid to say so. Knowing what she is working with is probably very helpful from the get go. I love my Layout and would be more than willing to work with her again. It seems almost crime at how wonderful she is to keep her work affordable for everyone, because she is so very good at what she does. If you’re thinking about picking up a commissioned layout, I can’t see how anyone could be better.

snuggle_muggle

Working with gawariel for my Live Journal design was a wonderful experience and it was definitely worth the wait. First of all, she was very helpful in prompting me as to what I actually wanted and helping me narrow it down to specifics. Then she was extremely quick to get samples back to me for approval in each step of the process. How I loved to get her e-mails! I knew I would love everything she sent and I was always right. The final design is beautiful and more than I, at least, expected. She's also very flexible and willing to make any additions or customized pieces. For me, she even designed an entire additional layout for a companion journal that I decided to create at almost the last minute and it is just as stunning as the one we had worked on for so long. But the real pleasure in working with her came when I was ready to install the customized layout. She made the process so easy to understand and do. I was terrified and apprehensive about knowing how to do it but by just following her thorough instructions I was able to perform the installation fairly easily. On top of that, everything is so clearly marked and explained that I have been able to make some minor changes and additions and haven't even had to bother her. I would definitely recommend her work to anyone and I love the way my sites look now and am so proud to show them off. Making the decision to work with her was one of the best things I did for my site!

ysbail

First let me begin by saying how much I love what gawariel created for me. I didn't provide much of a prompt but what she created with it was so in tune with what I wanted, I really couldn't have asked for more. I need to add, while she was working on my layout, how quickly she responded to any queries. How, even though it says 'patience is a virtue' in the sidebar where you're listed as 'waiting' - she really does possess a lot of that patience herself. It didn't matter the query or request - change that a little, remove that please, change this, change it back - she did everything rapidly and with such good humour I really think I was blessed to have someone who could cope with my ignorance. Believe me, I had to have a couple of things explained to me. Suffice to say, the small amount she requests as a donation for her creations doesn't really measure up to what she deserves. Thank you gawariel. Thank you.