Some long awaited plushie samples!! Shivabelle is finalized ! Nikki Nova needs a couple more edits before finished but we appreciate your patience and love so so much đâ¤ď¸ we are so excited for all the samples to be finally be done so we can receive them and better show yall the details and love put into these !! :3
Welcome to our newest crew members! We did it! Our ship has launched, and the adventure is officially underway. đâ¨
Before we hit warp speed, we need a quick systems check:
đŠâđ YOUR MISSION: Keep an eye on your inbox next week for a transmission (aka a Backerkit survey)! This is your chance to confirm your preferred name for the official crew roster and be forever immortalized in Far Out: Space Adventure!
In the meantime, follow @faroutcolorfor bonus mission updates and behind-the-scenes transmissions.
Thanks for being part of this journeyânow, full speed ahead! đđŤ
Hello all! Reporting back for the fulfillment update. This update contains info for campaign backers and pre-order customers separately.
I've been living in cardboard hell. This is just one corner of it
For the backers who backed during the main campaign
By now, everyone who backed during the main campaign should have gotten tracking info, most likely in more than one way because of certain automatisms.
You should have either: - gotten an email from my e-mail address with a tracking number and tracking link - gotten an email from my e-mail address with no tracking number (just order number), and additionally an email from DHL with tracking number/link
and regardless of that, everyone should have - gotten an email from Backerkit with their tracking number + link
If you have not received your tracking number, you can always contact me either via comment here, via email or via DM on Discord/social media @doombloomart (just make sure you write an informative first DM or else I'll assume you're a bot and ignore). (The exception is of course those who are doing pickup or have other agreements with me!)
Almost all packages are carried out to the post office now. There's only 3 large parcels to the US I couldn't carry out today because their package size exceeded the dimension limit for the shipping type, so I am going to repack those asap - I am waiting for new boxes to arrive for those and it looks like that will be Wednesday. Still, you should have gotten your tracking number and it will stay the same, there will just be no updates until then. I just need to repack to a different proportioned box. Sorry for that!
The shipping carrier is DHL for all shipments.
All the smaller parcels (1-2 glass cups) are dropped off, but the tracking will only start working in 24-48 hours (and rarely more) because these are not scanned until they have reached the sorting center and the time naturally varies depending on how they get routed.
For the Pre-Order backers after the main campaign
If you pre-ordered until today, your orders will be processed most likely by the end of this week! For any pre-orders coming after today, the processing time may vary because I need to restock glass cups designs.
Pre-Orders will also close once I'm caught up with shipping, and the tumblers will enter my regular store a while later.
Important Reminder about Shipping and potential damage/loss/missing items
Since we're dealing with glass, it's important to check your parcel asap for damages *before and after opening* upon arrival and take photos. If we have a case for insurance, it expires within 7 days of arrival. After that period I can't do anything for you.
I packed everything to the best of my ability and until I was confident that throwing them around and pressing them would not break the glass. On top of that, borosilicate glass is rather sturdy! However I cannot anticipate every single form of abuse so naturally I cannot rule out that some glassware will arrive damaged.
1. If your parcel looks heavily abused from the outside, take a photo of it before opening and send it to me if the contents are indeed broken too - the damage reporting has to be done through me, not directly by you to DHL 2. Same if your parcel looks like someone along the way might have opened it and items are missing 3. Regardless of outside damages - if your product does not arrive in the proper condition, email me with all the details (your backerkit username, descriptive images). I'm sure we can sort it out somehow. 4. If you received the wrong item(s), take a picture of everything you received and email that to me
If any of your items require replacement, it can take 1-3 weeks to do so, as I can't guarantee that every design is in stock.
And lastly, if you received an ungodly amount of styrofoam as padding, I'm deeply sorry for the mess and rather non-cute packaging, but it seemed like the best lightweight protector and the safety of your products was my top priority! It's all recycled from the original packaging of these glass cups that my supplier uses for shipping. All plastic bubble wrap is recycled as well.
This update is really only for the Black Apron backers, but since i dont really have any other means of reaching out to them in a concerted method without addressing the comments in the project, this is about the best way I can adress it.
It was just brought to my attention that our highest tier backers, Black Apron, errored on their order import, and as a result none of you have your rewards (aside from the originals which were shipped recently). Furthermore, as a result of Backerkit Crowdfunding being in its infancy, there is no mechanism for creators to get notified of comments in their projects (feedback that I've escalated). I only come aware of this recently when a backer reached out via email to inquire about the rest of their rewards.
Nevertheless, its shameful and your rewards are far past due and for that I sincerely apologize. Though, I can imagine that does little to soothe your frustrations with how much you spent, to which I totally understand.
Since there are only 11 of you, I will be reaching out to you individually to determine the next course of action to right this wrong.
For those who do have your calendars and you read this whole update, I do hope you're enjoying them.
I hope you are all having a good year so far, Andreas
edit: There appears to be a few others who have not recieved their rewards (from address locks to survey), working through those as well.
I'm so grateful for how far this campaign has come. Your support and love for my work are greatly appreciated.
I've had a very fun time searching for new Add-ons that are functional and also related to the project.
The two that made the most sense were a mini sketchbook (Also can be used as a notebook) and everyone's favorite Stickers!
STICKERS + MINI BLANK SKETCHBOOK
You can purchase a blank 3.5"x 5" notebook with two 2.5" x 4" stickers of The Sun & The Moon.
You can place these in your journal like the photo shown, or decorate the blank book yourself. Please check out the poll attached to this update to see if the stickers will be clear or regular vinyl.
These are perfect for traveling and jotting down quick notes or sketches. My mini Kraft sketchbooks frequently contain thumbnail drawings.
While I hope to offer more designs for the stickers, I need to start with one design set first.
That is The Sun and The Moon. If we can sell enough sticker sets, I will add the Lovers Tarot card along with the card back as stickers.
PRINTED SKETCHBOOK UNLOCKING AT 30K
Printed sketchbooks will have a printed front and back. Sample one shown, please see the poll attached for printed sketchbook cover options.
Also 3.5" x 5" These are the same as the blank sketchbooks, just printed with my illustration on them.
The two sketchbooks shown to the left are the normal vinyl sticker and the clear vinyl sticker. Showing what they look like on the journals.
I will add one other add-on set either this Thursday or next Tuesday. I am still waiting on some mockups.
Well, we couldn't get away without having at least one comb jelly in the major arcana set.
The blood belly comb jelly is gorgeous, although quite often it looks a bit... Suggestive. One of its key features though, is its colour (hence the name). Here lies a conundrum. Behold, the teal version;
Its fine. Its nice. It fits the set.
But also for your consideration... The red version;
There's a few tones that carry over in the purples and the pinks, but yes I can see how it doesn't match the set. So we're going to have a poll to decide which one will be included. If its a near even split then we'll have both versions of the pin (if you ordered a full set, you'll be able to choose which version you want) but stick with the teal card (since it matches what we already have). If there's a strong preference either way, then we'll go with that one. If you have opinions, leave a comment!
Also, just a quick thank you to everyone who tuned into the livestream. I'm not sure I conveyed my ideas very well, but it was lovely to see some comments and be involved in the Topia community. The recording is in the community tab and if you're interested in the other projects, you should definitely check it out.
I hope everyone who celebrated had a beautiful Motherâs Day. Itâs been a tough couple of weeksâboth my kids and I came down with the rotavirus, but weâre finally starting to feel better.
Itâs also been two weeks since my last update, so hereâs where we are now:
Tariff Update: The tariffs from China have been temporarily lowered from 145% to around 29â30%. This is a big improvement, but even at 30%, the added cost on our $25,000 shipment is significant and something we were not financially prepared for.
Financial Support: Iâve brought in a financial advisor with logistics experience (especially from the COVID era) to help figure out the best path forward. We expect to have a clearer plan in the next two weeks.
Refunds & Impact: Unfortunately, when all things have been considered, weâve had to issue around $5,000 in refunds, which has further strained our resources and impacted our ability to move forward on production.
Digital Extras:
Previously, I mentioned we were considering offering digital versions of the cards.
Many of you kindly reached out to let me know that offering print-ready card files could violate our artist contracts.
So instead, weâre working on a way to share digital versions that are not print-ready but still enjoyable to view and use.
In the meantime - Youâll receive a print-ready digital version of the guidebook Youâll also receive a digital version of the Spread Book. We will gift a digital copy to everyone even if you did not purchase these items.
About Financial Help:
I also want to thank everyone who has reached out with encouragement and offers of assistance. Your kindness means so much. But I want to make this part crystal clear:
We are not accepting any financial help.
We are not asking for more money.
That is against my personal and professional values.
If we have to wait, we will wait. We will work through this ourselves. Like we have with every obstacle in the past decade of crowdfunding our decks.
Looking Ahead:
I need to be honest: the delays and unexpected costs have affected every aspect of this projectâour timeline, our budget, our future plans. At this point, weâre not even sure what the future of 78 Tarot looks like. Thatâs a heartbreaking thing to admit, but I want to be transparent with you, always.
Trish, who normally handles messages and comments, is currently dealing with a family emergency, so Iâll be handling any urgent communications. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected], especially since Iâm not currently on social media.
Thank you again for your patience, your belief in this project, and your understanding as we navigate these very difficult waters. Iâll be back in touch in two weeks with more updates.
You've done it againâwe've just passed $42K in funding and unlocked the glitter firefly sticker! It's now available as an add-on (and will be included in the All-In tier automatically).
By a solid majority, backers chose the silver finish for the enamel pins, as well. The silver option is my personal favorite, so I appreciate the enthusiasm!
As promised, here are the mockups for the field notes covers. The pika has been unlocked, and we'll unlock the luna moth at $45K.
Honey Scamp Interview
Today we're continuing on with our mini interviews so you can get a glimpse at the people behind this project. Here is a bit about me, one of the co-founders of they Honey Scamps Art Collective.
What is your favorite national park and why? I love Pinnaclesâthe landscape feels like something from another planet and as a sci-fi lover, it's right up my alley! I visited as a young adult and enjoyed climbing through the rocks and acting like a cave troll. (I am nothing if not silly.)
What is your favorite card from this collection? The pika is my favorite. Planning and defense are two values I hold dear as a person with a very analytical brain who also deals with a lot of anxiety. I also really like the dichotomy between this tiny cute animal being so fierce and territorial. I think Emily did a fantastic job capturing the spirit of what this animal and card are all about.
Share a memory of a visit to a national park. I don't have a specific memory, but when my daughter was a baby, I spent a lot of time with her strapped to my back as we hiked through Redwood National Park, where her dad volunteered. She was absolutely delighted by everything she found. Seeing nature through a child's eyes is pure magic!
Taking a walk in the redwoods.
What is the next national park on your to-visit list? I'd love to see Yosemite! I have lived in California my whole life, but have never had a chance to visit the most popular park here. I am hoping the stars align so I can see Firefall at Horsetail Fall with my own eyes.
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Backers, do you have a favorite memory from visiting a national park? We'd love to hear more stories!
