Happy to say the pins have arrived and they are quire lovely looking! I will be at AX this weekend and so will not have time to send them out until after. Next week I will be locking addresses to please make sure to update that in case you have moved. Here's pictures of the lovely little angels~ Super hyped! Thanks again for all who supported this project <3
The wait is over on the remakes for the Archangel pins and the screen printing is done and they look gorgeous! I am so happy with how the new ones turned out and very excited to get these all sent out to you soon.
Archangel Michael
Archangel Gabriel
Archangel Raphael
Archangel Uriel
We will be charging cards soon for shipping and any add ons so make sure your information is correct so there is no hang up on delivering your rewards.
Thanks for your patience and as always. Happy Summoning, ~Alara
Hello backers, I have graded all the pins and have photos for you all! And the plushies arrived and are graded as well. But before those, some reminders: you should have received an email from Backerkit about your surveys. These have been unlocked, and will be locked again in 48 hours.
If you change your selections at this time or have not yet submitted your survey, and there are an insufficient number of items to cover your selections, you may have to select different items. If I cannot fulfill your order, I will email you to inquire if you would like to select a different item; or would be satisfied with a seconds grade pin or plush instead. Please make sure you can access your Backerkit email. If you would like more information on my pin grading system, please see myAbout Page & FAQ.
Once surveys are locked again I will charge cards for addons and shipping, and addresses will be locked as well. Be sure to check your payment information and shipping address are correct. If you lost your survey, you can recover it here.
Some Reminders
Once you receive your package, please contact Backerkit supportor use the ask-a-question link in the FAQ if there are any issues with your rewards. I can accommodate replacements or exchanges if needed. Do not message me on social media or via my shops.
It's my first time grading plushies so if you catch any issues please let me know. The plushies may arrive a bit squished so one tip I have is to...basically punch Sammy back into shape LOL I've also seen videos recommending putting plushies in the dryer with no heat but didn't try this myself. There may be a few stray embroidery threads but you can carefully trim these with scissors without hurting him. Let me and the other backers know if you have other plush advice in the comments!
If you submitted your survey on-time, you'll receive a random seconds grade pin! So if you see an extra pin in your order that's why.
If you ordered all three Iron Lung pins before March 1, you'll receive some bonus stickers, they are are also available in limited quantities in the addons section.
If you ordered a keychain, it will come with a film on each flat side that you will need to peel off.
Shipping Rates
Just a reminder that you will be charged for shipping. Shipping is flat rate, here are the rates:
United States $6
Mexico $18
Canada $18
Australia $21
UK $20
All other countries $21
And now without further ado, here are all the pins.
I've also posted videos on Instagram, TikTok, and Tumblr showing them in action. I'll be back with another update to let you know when the rewards have all shipped out to you.
Future Campaigns
After Forgotten Fables, I have some ideas for future pin series:
Eldritch Pantheon will be in the spirit of my previous Eldritch Saints campaigns, and feature my own take on ancient Greek and Egyptian deities. I hope launch this campaign in October.
The Drowned Choir will feature angelic and eldritch mermaids, as well as reprints of a few ocean-themed pins. I'm planning to launch this campaign as part of Mermay Makers Market next year in May.
Pride Angels IIwill revisit thePride Angels pins with recolors and some new designs, I hope to launch it in June 2027.
After these, well, I'm open to ideas! I made a poll if you'd like to weigh in. If you have ideas for these campaigns you can submit them at my Google form. You can also suggest other campaign or merch ideas, as well as request restocks.
Finally here are some bonus photos from when I was unpacking the plushies, I thought the Sammies looked so funny packed in like sardines LOL
After Forgotten Fables I plan to run Eldritch Pantheon (themed around Greek/Egyptian mythology), Drowned Choir (angelic/eldritch mermaids), and Pride Angels II. After these campaigns which would you like to see most?
Hello backers, I have another update for you all: the pins have arrived and I am in the process of grading them. I will send another update with photos once all the pins are graded. You can find my pin grading policy in my About Page/FAQ. For now, I've posted videos on Instagram, TikTok, and Tumblr showing them in action. Pin grading entails sorting each item as standard (one or two minor flaws) or seconds (more noticeable flaws). All campaign backers will receive standard grade pins. If there are serious issues with any of the items I will let you all know.
While you're waiting, now is a great time to review your survey to make sure your address and payment information is correct. If you lost your survey, you can recover it here. Once I have the items graded, I will send an update with photos, and surveys will be unlocked for 48 hours if you’d like to make any last-minute changes to your selections. Just a reminder: if you change your selections at this time, and there are an insufficient number of items to cover your new selections, your pledge may be delayed further. I saw some other Pintopia creators mention there may be an issue with backers who were eligible for the event freebies not having them in their orders. Please be sure to double-check your survey before orders ship out to make sure no items are missing. If you have any issues with your survey or other concerns: please contact Backerkit supportor submit a question via the FAQ.
Shipping
Just a reminder that you will be charged for shipping, right before items ship out. Shipping is flat rate, here are the rates:
United States $6
Mexico $18
Canada $18
Australia $21
UK $20
All other countries $21
As for the plushies, they should be arriving soon. Thank you all very much for your patience, and I hope you all love your pins and plushies once you receive them. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments.
Hey there! Just wanted to hop in with a real small update to let you know that addresses are set to lock soon and cards have been charged! You should have gotten a notification, make sure you double check that your card successfully processed! I cannot ship out orders until shipping has been paid for! As always feel free to message me at [email protected] if you need additional assistance, I'm happy to help and will get back to you ASAP!
I'm about halfway done with grading and packaging all the pins and within the next 1-2 weeks will begin shipping! I'm so excited to get these goodies to you and hope you like them!
I also wanted to hop in and say that today is my birthday! I'm running a 25% off sale this week on my Etsy shop to celebrate! Click HERE to check it out if you're interested!!
Thanks so much for checking it out and for all the support! I truly cannot express how much your excitement and support for my work means to me!
I’ve got our first physical samples to show you, and I also have some quick housekeeping notes.
🐁 Sample Previews: Angel Opossum + Hanging Mouse Charm (Hard vs Soft Enamel)
I uploaded a YouTube video (about 15 minutes long) showing the sample pins in detail:
📹 Feel free to watch on 2x speed and/or jump around! And apologies if I sound a little stuffy in it, I was under the weather at the time. 😅
In the video, I show:
Hard enamel Angel Opossum + Mouse Charm
Soft enamel with epoxy Angel Opossum + Mouse Charm
Side-by-side comparisons + close-ups
“Shake tests” (to simulate friction from the charm on the halo loop)
Additional colored metal samples my manufacturer sent that are apparently more durable than the chrome plating options
While the images below are a great quick glance, I highly recommend watching the video, as seeing the pins in motion can make all the difference.
Here’s the gist of what you’re seeing (with more detailed notes below):
Hard Enamel
Enamel and metal are sanded/polished to sit level with one another
Texture: because there's no epoxy coating, you can feel the metal ridges
Colors appear just as they do in the Pantone book
Soft Enamel + Epoxy
Enamel sits deeper in the mold causing subtle shadowing in the fills
Texture: smoother overall because epoxy sits on top and levels everything out
Screen print sits on top of the epoxy and can cast light “depth” shadows
More detailed notes (for those who like specifics 😉):
The enamel colors appear slightly more “true” for the hard enamel (I mostly notice this in the tan, which appears darker in the soft enamel version, though this can be remedied by choosing a lighter Pantone to compensate). In soft enamel, the fills sit deeper, so you get a little natural shadowing. The screen printing itself looks consistent across both, but in the soft enamel version, since the print sits on top of the epoxy layer, you can sometimes see faint shadowing depending on lighting. The metal lines also appear slightly thinner in soft enamel because the enamel can “climb” the edges of the mold, whereas hard enamel gets sanded flush, so the metal ridges stay fully visible. Finally, hard enamel has more tactile ridges versus the soft enamel + epoxy feeling smoother.
Below are images showing the pins before and after shake testing them:
The tough part: friction at the halo loop
Unfortunately, neither variant holds up as well as I’d like at the exact friction hotspot where the Mouse charm rubs. The epoxy struggles to coat very thin, narrow metal sections evenly, so while it can protect wide surfaces, thin metal edges still end up being a weak point.
BUT this is where the additional samples my manufacturer sent become very interesting…
🔮 A Possible Solution: “Translucent” Metal Plating (Soft Enamel Only)
My manufacturer recommends a more durable colored metal approach that's essentially a translucent tinted layer that (per her) holds up better than chrome-style colored electroplating. In the video I describe it as something like “clear epoxy mixed with enamel coloring,” but the key point is:
✅ it may let us keep colorful metal vibes ✅ it may be more durable than the chrome-style plating ⚠️ it can only be done on soft enamel pins (not hard enamel)
So here’s where I'd like to hear from you guys! Vote in the poll to help me decide what to sample next 👉 [POLL LINK]
Sample A: Soft enamel + epoxy with the translucent metal plating
Sample B: Hard enamel with a rose gold plating (the closest pink alternative)
Sample Both: It’s hard to know without seeing them, so maybe both
I don’t want to progress into more sample production until I have a clearer read on what you all are comfortable with, but I will keep vectoring and finalizing designs while we decide on the final finish for our pins~ 😊
🧿 $150+ Bonus Omen Charm (Good News)
All remaining qualified $150+ backers should now see an $8 credit in their surveys (including the Pay Over Time folks)! Your survey should also be unlocked, allowing you to make your Bonus Omen Charm selection.
How it works: use the $8 credit to add the Cryptic Omen Charm you want in your survey and the credit will cover it.
If you believe you qualify and don’t see the credit yet, please message me and I’ll take a look! 💛
💵 Note on Charging Remaining Balances
Some of you may have noticed I did not charge cards in April for survey add-ons/upgrades, even though I’d previously mentioned a date.
I decided I didn't feel comfortable charging remaining balances until we’ve landed on a direction you all feel good about and production can officially move forward. I hope this didn’t negatively affect anyone, and once we’ve got the next sample(s) that we’re happy with, I’ll share a clear date before any remaining balances are charged. 🙏
🎬 Behind-the-Scenes Progress
Even though sample decisions are in flux, the work continues:
Almost all charm vectors are complete
Archangel Raccoon is well underway
I’m doing a final cleanup pass on the Purrincipality Cats
After that, I’ll begin the base mold vector for the Purrincipalities
Occasionally, I'll stream some things to Twitch, so feel free to peek in for some Choir Critters vids 👉 [LINK]
Thank you again for your patience, your opinions, and your trust while we make sure Choir Critters is not only gorgeous, but long-lasting. I appreciate you all so much, and I hope you have a lovely remainder of your week. 😇💛
~ Qesque 🎨 Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and Bluesky: @Qesque
Hi all! I'm happy to say that the remainder of the pins are in! Which means I have all items and can begin shipping soon. I've taken photos and videos of all the pins, stickers, keychains and plush toys which you can find on a google drive HERE!There were far too many to post in this update alone, but below I'll post images of all the pins! I anticipate taking about a week to grade and package all the remaining pins and will start shipping shortly after.
As always, if you have questions, comments, concerns, or need any help, message me at [email protected] and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
Locking Orders + Charge Date
You'll have until this Friday, 6/12, to make any final changes to your survey. You're more than welcome to update or adjust your selections, but please note that this might cause additional delays if I need to order any more stock. I'll be shortly charging for shipping and add-ons after locking orders, so be prepared for an additional campaign charge.
Reminder that I will not ship orders until your survey is complete and paid for. Please ensure your surveys are filled out accurately and payments are made in a timely manner so you can get your order sooner than later!
Pin Pics
As promised here's pics of all the pins that I took! Reminder that you can find the other items like keychains, stickers and the plush toys in addition to videos of all the items in the google drive link posted above!
Please note my grading policy with pins. I consider pins defective if they have a defect that is noticeable from an arms length. Most pins are covered with epoxy to make a smooth top, this can sometimes cause some flooding in corners of the pins which I do not consider a defect unless excessive in nature. I will do my best to ensure that every pin you get is the highest quality, but some may have some very slight imperfections upon closer look.
Also note that rainbow pins vary in color, they are hard to capture on photos! I cannot guarantee specific colorations or patterns of rainbow pins.
That's it for now! I hope you're excited as I am! I can't wait to get these packed up and on their way to you!
Hello angel enthusiasts, my new campaign Forgotten Fablesis launching next week on June 16. This campaign features designs inspired by lesser known fairytales. You can vote on and suggest more fairytales to add in this post; and also vote on stretch goals in this poll.
Forgotten Fables is partnered with Fairy Tales Enamel Pins if you pledge to both campaigns you'll receive exclusive Crane Wife pins. Both campaigns are also part of Pin Quest, be sure to check out the other campaigns if you're in the market for fabulous pins. If you pledge to three or more campaigns including Forgotten Fables, you'll receive a bonus freebie mini book pin.
I wanted to give you all assurance that I am committed to fulfilling Sammy the Sundog Plush first and foremost. Usually I like to completely wrap up one campaign before launching another but the production and shipping times has been slower than usual so there is a little overlap. I anticipate this campaign to overlap only with the funding and survey stage of Forgotten Fables, so it should not conflict with fulfillment. If you've pledged to my previous campaigns, you'll know this sort of overlap has happened before but hasn't caused any issues.
If the Forgotten Fables campaign sounds interesting to you I hope you'll consider pledging. But I understand if you prefer to wait for this campaign's items first before pledging. If you miss the Forgotten Fables campaign, just like with this campaign there will be a post-campaign preorder store. If you have any questions or concerns you can leave them in the comments. Thanks for your support and patience!
