First and foremost, we are a guild centered around character development, creation, and expansion. We are looking for members who share the same creative flare for their pets that we do. Our goal is to find other creative individuals who want to expand on their pets lore, characters, find roleplay partners, find the perfect customs to match their characters, and help keep one another inspired and on track. Work at your own pace, make some friends, and bounce ideas off one another!
If you're interested in joining our ranks, please continue on below!
Be kind. This should really go without saying, but kindness goes a long way. We expect members to respect one another, and will not tolerate anything less. We do our best to avoid sensitive subjects, but sometimes real life topics come up. Please be respectful even if you disagree, and if you can't, either remove yourself from the subject or message the council/mods.
Introduce yourself. Say hello! Share what name you'd prefer to go by and share your WIPs! We'd love to see what you're working on and what your goals are. Do you have world building plans or character goals? Are you working on a petpage or a custom? Or have you finished things you're proud of? Show it off! We'd love to see whatever you've done, whatever you plan to do, and cheer you on along the way.
Do not steal art/writing/coding. Of course this also doesn't need to be said, but it's put in here– just in case! Of course, you're allowed to use what other people have given you/what you've paid for, just don't pass it off as your own and please make sure the artist/writer/coder is credited, thanks!
Neopets activity and character creation is a must. We're a guild centered around character creation, after all. We know real life comes first and that everyone moves at their own pace, but we do expect our members to work on their pets. If you have other OCs feel free to work on them as well, however the center focus for our guild and community are our Neopet bases and we encourage anyone who joins to focus on the same when sharing.
Because we are a character based guild, our main focus on Neopets is character development. As such, character development for your pet should be the majority of the focus when it comes to Neopets topics. Obviously, if you've traded for a new pet, adopted a new base, you're trying to find a petpet, traded for some new NC items or completed an art trade– please do share! We just request that the guild keeps its main focus on petpages and characters when it comes to Neo, and would appreciate any outside drama be kept out of the guild conversation.
This doesn't mean you cannot talk about topics outside of Neo! We're happy to talk about our day, vent about work, and chatter about things unrelated to Neopets. We aren't super strict, and strive to have a fun group to unwind with and share ideas, as well as making lasting friendships.
If you're going to be inactive for a period of time, please let us know. We have a schedule for sweeps of inactive members (See "participation requirement" under Ranks for more info), however life and all its ups and downs come first. You don't owe us any details you aren't comfortable divulging– just a quick 'Life got crazy be back later' will absolutely suffice and would be noted to save you from a sweep. You're always welcome back if you've been removed, of course! Sometimes you can't get on to notify anyone and that's absolutely fine, but your rank might be reset depending on the length of absence if we hadn't been given a heads up beforehand.
We reserve the right to revoke membership if rules are not followed or members are made uncomfortable. Please be respectful to your fellow members, and do not bring up topics that otherwise might be upsetting. There is never any reason to trauma dump on unsuspecting members (emphasis on unsuspecting, not a member consoling you, there is a difference), you have no idea what other members have been through and that is both unfair and unkind. If someone has said something unintentionally that has upset you, please DM a moderator or the person so it can be handled peacefully. If you badger or harass anyone on the guild boards, or on neo, or in private, we have the right to remove you without warning. This also includes people who are not members, and with provided proof we will discuss it with you. This should all go without saying but is being added just in case. Our members' comfort is our utmost priority, and we will not allow unwelcomed behavior, ever.
When we first started, we were just a small group of people who found each other through shared interests: creating characters. In hopes of finding people who shared the same passion, Kib had suggested we make our group into a guild, and we all unanimously agreed! We needed a space for a webpage, and Manda happened to have a space, and thus, Enthusiastics was born! I like to think she's a fun loving, bright and thrilling vibe who probably sparkles and glows everywhere she goes.
Our mascot, Enthusiastics, was designed during our first and opening event. We had beautiful entries from so many talented members, and left it up to an anonymous vote! The design to the left was created by our lovely Farren for us to use for the guild's mascot! Everyone had such beautiful entries, and some of them are even being used as designs for new characters! Our runner up design by Nomo became our secondary mascot, Enthuse's bff Sparklurs, where we host the guild art page.
Bootcamp:
Sparkledog Enthusiasts will be hosting two annual petpage bootcamps, each lasting 8 weeks. We will alert members of the upcoming event one week in advance to gauge interest and give everyone a chance to sign up.
Bootcamp 1: March-April
Bootcamp 2: August-September
Art Exchange:
We host two official art exchanges annually –
Exchange 1: May
Exchange 2: November
Monthly Art/Writing Prompts:
Our writing prompts are hosted every single month! They are open-ended prompts that can be inspo for either art -or- writing. Guild members receive a patch for their quilt for every prompt they complete! (Gotta collect 'em all!)
Check-Ins:
Official Check-ins are posted every other month to prompt our members to say a little hello. Summarize what you've been up to in life, share anything you've been creating that you haven't had a chance to share here (or perhaps that isn't neo-adjacent but has been taking up your time), and take up some space here in the community! Check-ins fulfill our participation requirement (so no worries if you're unable to participate in fully-fledged activities for a couple of months due to real life or other engagements, just stop by to say hello). The idea is to ensure no one gets left behind or forgotten! Our goal always with Sparkledogs is to create a close-knit, supportive community.
Bonus Events:
Random bonus events will be dispersed throughout the year. Some of these will be run by council, others by high-ranking guild members. This includes but is not limited to custom contests, creativity prompts, roleplays, and so much more.
This year we are hosting a year long bingo activity! Grab a board-- writers, artists, or a combo of the two, and start crossing off those accomplishments! This event is run and created by our wonderful Gromit! Thank you so much for hosting this, making the boards, and handling every step. We appreciate you so very much, and we're so lucky to have you. ♥
Our ranking system emphasizes guild participation as well as both character & account improvement. You can rank up by fulfilling the requirements listed here. Each rank has certain requirements that include a "points" requirement. Scroll down to learn how to earn points toward your rank up!
First level, everyone starts here.
Join our secret society
Collect 25 points.
* At this rank you may join in on the art exchanges and other exclusive events.
- 350+ posts in secret society.
- Participated in at least 2 monthly prompts or guild events.
- Collect 75 more points, or 100 total.
1,000+ posts in the secret society.
- Participated in at least eight monthly prompts or guild events.
- At least 5 character pages completed or near completion*
- Collect 200 more points, or 300 total.
*Portfolios, while stunning, do not count toward this, nor do all in one character pages. These must be individual character pages.
** At this rank, you may take leadership of events and roleplay plots with admin permission. You will be added to a special Event Committee for ease of communication in planning events alongside council & guild elders.
- Participated in at least twelve monthly prompts or guild events.
- 10 character pages completed or near completion.*
- Collect 350 more points, or 650 total.
- Have led/organized 5 guild events.
*Portfolios, while stunning, do not count toward this, nor do all in one character pages. These must be individual character pages.
** At this rank, you are a treasured elder member of our guild. You will gain access to an exclusive area for guild elders + council only. This enables the council to 'consult our elders' whenever we feel the need to gain extra insight or to solicit opinions. Thank you for being a part of our community and helping us shape our micro-culture here. We appreciate you!
Adoptables:
- 1 pt per adoptable
- This is a flat rate; 1pt is awarded regardless of size, detail, or whether it's a gift.
- Neopets paint/base colors do count for points.
Create art for one neo-connected character:
BASIC POINTS:
- 1pt for headshot.
- 2pts for full body.
MODIFIERS:
- +1pt for shading
- +1pt for abstract background
- +3 points for detailed background
- +2pts per extra characters in the same piece
- +2pts if it is a GIFT for a guild member*
*not as part of a trade or exchange but a genuine gift; adopts are excluded from this
To be credited guild points for your written creations, the writing must be about one of your neo-adjacent characters. We would especially love to see it showcased on their petpages but we will accept messages/mails/uncoded pages. Your contributions to an ongoing roleplay between yourself and another guild member may also be submitted, but you need to put ONLY your responses somewhere where we can word-count, thanks! If your writing partner wants to also submit theirs, they may as well, but again only their responses mainly so it's easy for us to break it down. Note that rp replies only count for guild members and not anyone outside of the guild.
- 1pt per 500 words of original writing.
These extra points can be added to the base points if you qualify:
+1pt if it involves any kind of interaction or relationship with another guild member's character.
+2pts if the writing is a GIFT for another guild member.
- Customized lookup for one pet. 1pt
*Premades are fine, but some character details or an image/adoptable must be displayed for points to be assigned.
Remember to submit any art you create for your lookup under the art category for points!
- 3pts for a Petpage layout started for a character. Header, layout, and structure presented but does not need to be completed, just started.
Once a petpage is started, you may obtain these points as well:
- Stats added for your character on their petpage. 1pts.
- Story content added. (See writing for point breakdown). +2 points for adding to a petpage.
- Relationships, friendships, family section added. 2pts
- Petpage button added. 2pts.
- Petpage graphics added. 1pt/graphic* (max 3pts per page).
*Graphics should be more complex than just a special font. We accept Moodboards, fancy headers, graphs/charts, etc. Graphics ≠ Art. If you're not sure please ask!
- Participate in the beauty contest. 2pts
- Submitting to Art Gallery or Neopian Times. 2pts
(Be ready to share your submission with us!)
- Win a creative neo contest (BC, art gallery, Neopian times, poetry contest). 5pts
- Participated in one guild prompt/event (art or writing). 2pts per event
- Lead a guild event. 5pts.*
- Lead a guild roleplay or writing prompt event. 5pts.*
- Create a sticker or badge for the guild. 2pts.*
*This star denotes that these points are only officially available to members glitterbomb and up, who have been admitted onto the guild committee.
NOTE:
Petpage, Character Hub, and Petlookup points are available retroactively, meaning even if you created them BEFORE joining the guild, you can tally points for them. We only ask that if you intend to remake the entire page, you do NOT tally those points. The point system is meant to inspire and motivate you! We just ask that you use it to your advantage and honor the spirit of it.
Art, writing, and neo contest entries are only eligible for points if they're created AFTER joining.
Activity levels are important to keep our guild relevant and cohesive. We want to cultivate a community here that really knows and cares for one another. A close-knit, supportive community of creatives. This guild is meant to support you in your creative endeavors, especially those centered around character creation (with the added silliness of our ties to neopia). We cannot achieve this if we have a large number of inactive members.
Every two months, members are required to have participated in at least ONE guild event (remember, Check-Ins count!) and to have been present and active in the community. Anyone who does not meet these requirements will be eligible to be removed from the community at the discretion of our guild leaders during our "member assessment & sweeps" that will occur every two months. This is not meant to be a stressful rule, this is just to keep the community alive and connected! If you get swept in an activity sweep, you are always welcome back when you have the time for the group again.
Members are required to track their own points for ranking. We do have a rank-up form available to members to help with tracking! When you've been admitted to the guild, just ask us about it and we will point you in the right direction. Thank you for creating with us, and for keeping track of your points! We love seeing our members rank up because it means they've been creating all sorts of amazing things!
Note: Applications are currently closed.
To join our ranks, please send your application to Kib. Our application process ensures a shared interest in a single goal— character creation on Neopets. We do require more than one example and we do require that you're over eighteen years old. If your app is longer than 2 mails please put it on a petpage so it doesn't get lost, thank you! The council will review your application and pass it down to our members to review so your reply might take a day or two. If you do not get a reply within a week please send again! We do not ignore applications! : )
Main Account & Account you'll be joining on: You absolutely can join on a side! We have no preference either way.
Name you'd prefer to go by: Nickname, real name, whatever you are most comfortable with.
Favorite pet & why: Tell us who your pride and joy is! Brag about your favorite character and show us your passion!
Examples of current characters: We request that you have some active examples of characters and that you showcase your interest in creating pages. Please share your current petpages, portfolios, character examples, etc. Art is not a requirement if writing tends to be your strong suit! We are not critical of your art, we just like to see your creativity shine through. We do expect our members to be semi-literate in writing examples. (Correct punctuation, spell check, proper sentencing format, etc. No one is perfect so we do not expect perfection, but legibility is a must.) If English isn't your first language, no worries! Just let us know (:
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
We're actively looking for people who share our passion for expanding on their characters through story, lore, pages or creativity. We'd also love people who are excited for events and participating in our monthly events so we can all grow together.
Note:
Feel free to neomail with any questions you might have before applying, and if your application is not accepted please do not take it personally! If we do have to say no, which we hope we don't have to, we will be honest with you. Most applications not accepted are due to a high volume of 'I want to do this' or 'I have an idea' but not enough examples of current characters. You will be welcome to apply again if you're still interested later on down the road!
If a member veto'd your joining, however, they will remain anonymous for the comfort of said member. Thank you for understanding and we hope to hear from you soon!
