Hello little grasshoppers, I have a new update for you like promised about the socks!

Here is V2 from a second manu, which includes the BLUE trilobite socks too!

I think they look fantastic, the colours are so vivid and bright.

Now of course these are pictures from the manufacturer, and I highly doubt I will have them in my hands before March 31st (when surveys close.) So visual pictures is all we have right now of these.

I think the blue trilobites look great, so I hope you all enjoy them <3

Here are the current contenders for popularity!

I think you lot are just as biased about arthropleura as I am... teehee

Now I know surveys close on March 31st which means you won't be able to edit your survey once they're locked.....

HOWEVER....

If you prefer to wait for a review video from me like before before selecting or adding More Socks to your order,  you CAN contact me through Backerkit after March 31st, and I can edit that in your order form! I can add more items and charge for them, or change your selection entirely. So don't worry!
What you shouldn't do is add another preorder. Because then you'll be charged twice for shipping, and I don't want that to happen for you.

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I just got a quote for all the pins, and were refining some details with the manu to make the designs work :]

I have all the manufacturing documents prepared, AND backing cards are done as well.

The main big pins will all come with unique backing cards to match with name and fun fact.

Sorry for the horrible screenshot lol

Mini pins will share cards, as well as the trilobite fossils. I'll be pinning those myself based on how many minis you ordered.

OH and of course, something to mention too... While the minis only have one pinback, it WILL be a locking pin.

These pinbacks are notoriously difficult to get off. Because they lock. On account of their name. Anyway, this makes sure your minis and filler pins don't fall off as easily. Or at all. I think maybe you'd rip a chunk of your bag off sooner than get that pinback off. (I'm not looking forward to taking these off to put on cards.)

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Popularity contest! Who's most popular of the main pins?

Of all the pins ordered so far, Arthropleura is in the lead!! (with 69, Nice) And you guys just keep proving to me that I am right to be biased. Everyone craves the worms. The long bois. The slim gals.

It's okay, I get it.

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THAT'S ALL!! THAT'S ALL I GOT!! Now go forth and edit or finish your surveys before they get locked.

We're getting closer to the real thing ;D Ta-ta~!

This project was funded in just 3 hours and I am so grateful for your support! I have a list of variants and a variety of new designs that YOU backers can choose for stretch goal designs as the project reaches $4,000+ in funding. A new stretch goal will be added at each $1,000 mark beyond!  

First, back the campaign! That will list you as a project backer, giving you access to the backer-only polls I'll be using. Then go to the Community tab of the project and select "Polls", and vote! New polls will be released as designs are selected and finalized and funding goals are reached.

The first 5 stretch goals will be "Variety", brand new designs to the campaign. Following that, stretch goals of $9,000+ will be "Variant" goals, or different color schemes for existing designs. Before the goal is met, a Variant or Variety poll will be live. Once the funding is reached (see achievements for progress) the poll will close, and a new poll for the design category will open. This category poll will be open for 48 hours to give people time to review the options. The sketch poll will be released after that, to determine the final design. Once the design is added to the campaign a new Update will be posted to begin the cycle again!

Important! Pledging to the Ultimate Collector or Complete Enamel Pin Set (Standard & Deluxe) tiers WILL INCLUDE THESE PINS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. In other words, as stretch goal pins are added to the campaign, inclusive tiers will not go up in price but will include more rewards. This is also true for the Complete Sticker Set tier. Each design will have a matching sticker made and the Complete Sticker Set tier will include ALL stickers from the campaign with no change to the pledge tier price. This pricing is EXCLUSIVELY available to Backerkit backers, as without your support these pins would not exist!

I have a list of designs I had considered already, but will be adding to this list based on what YOU are interested in! Go to the project, or reply to the stretch goal update and comment what you want to see and I will pull up relevant research to see if it fits the series. If it does, I'll add the paper here as *BACKER SUGGESTION* so you can spot them right away! 

I am always accepting Backer Suggestions, you can comment them on updates or directly to the project and I will see them! If I have 👍 your comment that means there is a match to both relevant research and it is on theme with the series. Please bear in mind they will not be added until the next poll goes up, which will be once the current poll ends or the next goal is reached, whatever happens first. Otherwise any answers that do not win will still be in the rotation of upcoming polls, unless there is an overwhelming amount of Backer Suggestions. Polls will have 10 or fewer options each time to keep it manageable.  

#1: Canids as pollinators? Nectar foraging by Ethiopian wolves may contribute to the pollination of Kniphofia foliosa


#2: Mummified cave cheetahs inform rewilding actions in Saudi Arabia


#3: Iron-coated Komodo dragon teeth and the complex dental enamel of carnivorous reptiles

Hi everyone,

Great news! The tote bags have arrived at the fulfillment centers! 🎉

I’ve now placed the orders to ship all remaining pledges.

Overall, everything is moving smoothly, and everyone should receive their pledges by the end of April. If for any reason you haven’t received your package by then, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ll make sure we get it sorted.

Thank you again for your incredible support throughout this project. I truly appreciate it. I hope you’re enjoying:

If you’ve had a chance to try the game, I’d love to hear what you think!

One more quick note. Cat Sudoku: Clowder Token Collection is ending tomorrow! If you love wooden cat tokens for your tabletop games (or even just as a fun desk display), don’t miss it:

👉 Check out the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tatewu/clowder-token-collection

Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy everything! 🕯️✨

Cheers,
Ta-Te

Hello gentle robot enjoyers,

Sampling of the Soft Circuit items has been coming along! All of what I'm about to share may already look familiar if you're in the Short Circuit Discord. Join on up over there to get a first look at all related developments. 💚 Basically the second I receive updates from my manufacturing partners, or as I work on artwork, I get excited and spur-of-the-moment share in the Discord. X)

The supplier of our official Byte has come through with a first look at a Python prototype!!

Above is an unedited photo. The body of this lengthy comrade is almost spot on right out of the gate. The bulk of the adjustments needed are concentrated on and around their face, but this is such a promising first attempt that I'm certain we'll get there.

Here's their adorable noggin with my edits - this is what we're aiming for.

With the dark gray and light gray of the jaw reversed and the mouth embroidery upside-down, I think those pieces of the pattern got straight up swapped! Beyond fixing that and bulking up a few areas, the biggest adjustment is to the snoot length and shaping; I'll keep picking at this guy as long as it takes to nail that, up to and including modeling a 3D reference for them if necessary. As a greyhound person, I absolutely know it's all about the snoot. ;3

Most of the changes on the body are just detail placement, replacing some heavy embroidery with embroidery-lined fabric applique, and adding in a few missing details. Otherwise they pulled it off amazingly and I can't wait to drape this absolute noodle around my shoulders.

We're at 52 Python orders presently! With the amount of other add-on purchases we've gotten so far, I've lowered the goal of orders needed to unlock bulk Python production to 70 units. That means we just need 18 additional orders to make them real for everyone, and I'm feeling confident that we can reach that!! If anyone you know would be into acquiring a tubular robot dragon of their very own, please feel free to slip the Pre-Order Store in their general direction~

The two delightful guest art keychains, Byte Bites and Robot Dog Dreams, are now physically in my possession and they turned out great!

The labels on Byte Bites are even more legible than I'd hoped - you can fully read the "nutrition facts" on the back! - and quite well printed. The PVC candy bar portion is somewhat bendy and squishy, which I find incredibly pleasing.

Dog Dreams came out a nice size, the holographic side catches the light beautifully, and they arrived with protective film on both sides. If you missed out on either of these, they're still available in both the add-on section of your survey and the Pre-Order Store.

Last but certainly not least, a few weeks ago I sent off files for the remaining pins to my manufacturer. Given that the Water and Earth Lines have established colorways, these should look more or less as expected, but as always I want to give you all the opportunity to see photos of the real deal in the metal before you make your final selections.

General reminder that if you backed the campaign proper, please fill out your surveys as soon as possible!

We're currently hovering at 89% completion. If we could get just a few more handled, I can begin ordering bulk quantities for many of the items, which in turn would allow me to fulfill the orders without a plush much sooner.

If you stuck it out to the end of this update, I'm excited to share with you that I have three fresh projects currently in early development, all intended to run as part and parcel of wonderful creator-lead group events! 

The project I'd like to highlight tonight will be my contribution to TRIBUTES.

Planned for this November, TRIBUTES will feature projects designed by a line-up of veteran enamel pin artists, dedicated to video games that hold personal meaning to them. Click on the banner above to explore some the early teasers!

I will be participating with Gears of GAIA, a love letter to the Horizon series - perhaps unsurprising to many of you, given my predilection for the intersection of nature and technology. Due to the wild cause and effect of life those games are also responsible for the manner in which I met my wife and wound up living across the ocean, so it was perhaps the inevitable choice when I was invited to participate.

The sketches currently visible on the teaser page are very preliminary and subject to change! I'm still deciding how far to push the circuits, as I look forward to breaking gimmick on these, but the end result will certainly have some overlap with the design sensibilities I employ for Short Circuit. If anything about that tickles your interest, pop on over there and give the teaser a follow for further updates.

That's all for now - thank you as ever for being here and supporting small independent artists!!

Happy Friday everyone!

Hope everyone is doing well :)

By now, all backers who pledged for pins only should have received their rewards (unless you recently completed your pledge manager. Those orders were recently processed).

Great news for everyone who pledged for tote bags 🎉The tote bags have been produced, packed, and shipped, and are currently on their way to our fulfillment center.

A quick note on timing:

China will be observing a short holiday called Qingming Festival in the coming days. During this time, many people travel to visit and honor their ancestors with the arrival of spring. Because of this:

In that case, most backers should receive their pledges by the end of April. If for any reason your pledge hasn’t arrived by early May, or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out: 📧 [email protected]

I’m excited to share an upcoming project: 🐾 No No Puppies. A 2–7 player bluffing party game launching on Kickstarter this June. Your goal is to play puppies doing terrible (but adorable) things… and hope no one calls you out with a loud “No No Puppies!”

This will be my second game licensed to Dead Alive Games, a wonderful team and fantastic publisher I’m thrilled to work with. 👉 Follow the project here:

 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deadalivegames/no-no-puppy?ref=bpql00

Also coming soon: 🐰 Rascally Rabbits. A trick-taking game with a clever “trick-writing” twist, where players customize their own cards and outsmart each other with playful strategy. The campaign will launch on BackerKit at the end of July. If you enjoy unique trick-taking games and light strategy with surprising turns, I’d love for you to follow the project:

👉 https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/af655b1a-21d9-40ac-a8fd-696ad7b60557/landing

Thank you again for your support throughout this project. It truly means a lot, and I’m excited to keep sharing what’s next! 🕯️✨

Cheers,
Ta-Te

At last, the pin samples have arrived! I've got lots to show you!

Here are three of the Crenelated Mutants in all their glory! I'm so pleased with how they've turned out. These pins are made from recycled stainless steel, and each has a solvent-free resin dome. I've chosen green rubber clasps for these 40mm (1.6") pins. As I mentioned in my last update, all of the pins have the origami scorpion back print.

Here's Tetracycline, one of the Antibiotic mini-pins. These are the smaller 20mm (0.8") size. I think they look almost like polished stone! These are stainless steel with black rubber clasps. (The Erratic mini-pins will be the same.)

Another look at the Animal Akademia pin, now that I have it in my hands. I'm still keen to make this in brass rather than stainless steel to make it really special! In this case, it will have a gold rubber clasp.

And lastly, the Key-to-the-Castle Keychains have arrived! These are 65mm (2.6") size and are a Thank You for Returning Backers.

I will set orders to lock with 48 hours notice now. You'll still be able to change your shipping address, and I won't charge cards for shipping fees until I'm ready to ship the orders, around the end of April - fingers crossed!

The pre-order store will be open for another couple of days in case you weren't able to back the project during Pintopia.

My next job is to place the final order for the stickers and pins with the manufacturer, and to design the backing cards! Exciting!