Just sending a final reminder to check that your payment has successfully processed please! We have pay over time payments that have also failed, so were are currently going to be $1601 short from the Pledged Amount. Leaving us with a successful collection total of $7778.
Sadly, after getting into the Pledge Manager, it looks like many are repeat failed payment backers, most of whom do not end up paying during surveys.
We are currently $772 short of keeping our Bear and Pig pins goal. And $1,222 short of keeping our ZZZ Bubble and Skinny Crescent Moon Mini Pins.
We are going to keep the Seal and Raccoon goal because I know we can make that $222 up in the surveys. We will also keep the 200 backer Sticker Gift goal.
I know there will always be some failed payments, historically the average for my projects is $433. Generally, being short $500 or less can easily be made up during the surveys so I tend to keep those achievements regardless. In this case unfortunately, I think that gap is too large to risk it. This amount of failed payments so close to the end of the correction window is unlike anything I have ever seen for any of my projects, and with that, I apologize to anyone who is disappointed by any of the lost achievements.
I am planning on sending out surveys on March 2nd. I will send an update when they are sent in case I end up needing a few extra days to finish setting everything up.
Thank you so much for your help in bringing Celestial Snuggles Enamel Pins to life!
Hello hello!! It's been a hot minute since my last update and we have quite a bit to cover! I'm just after recovering from two conventions and an exhaustion sickness, and am back in action.
Without further ado, here's what's new in the world of Ancient Arthropods!
POSTCARD DESIGN
Enough dilly dallying, the freebie postcard design poll is now READY. Here are the contenders:
Two of these (1 and 3) have a possibility of using gold foil accents. There should be a poll at the end of the update, alternatively...
Thank you SO much to everyone who have shared their ideas and cravings in the last update! It seems like the overwhelming majority has voted for more trilobites. And I just can't say no to that!
Blue was the requested colour, so here is Trilobite Seas.
This one different to the other two, for those who prefer a simpler style of sock.
You will be able to choose this sock if you have purchased the add-on, and also pick it up during the survey.
SOCK SAMPLES REVIEW
That's right, the samples have arrived with me a couple days ago and I have made a review on them! This review is made in video format, so click whichever link you prefer:
They will fit multiple sizes, and so far we have tested them on sizes 39,41 and 43 (EU shoe size), and they have shown to still have enough stretch to go slightly bigger, and also comfortably accomodate smaller sizes. (They've got quite the stretch!)
I have had some family members try them on and feel em out, and the resounding opinion is that they are, indeed, incredibly soft to wear. The only difference is that because the arthropleura wraps around the sole, it may feel *slightly* tighter, but in a nice snug way.
I am still waiting for the other manufacturer to return from their holidays to get samples done with them, including the new design, and I will try to (one more time) darken the grey on the arthropleura and change the text to either bright green or yellow/orange.
WIPs
This week I am cracking down on pin artwork as I have finally caught up to the last outstanding custom winter orders. I should have all the pin artwork finalised very very soon, and will start making design documents for my manufacturer.
Here's the first 5 I have done today (along with the sock and postcard sketches)
I have found the Jaekelopterus looked very naked with just colours, so I added some extra 'shines' by the use of metal :]
FAILED PLEDGES & CARD CHARGING
There is still unfortunately 14 of ye that have had their cards fail during the mass processing. Which is totally fine! Because banks freak the hell out when Pintopia started to mass charge.
How do I fix my pledge? The way backerkit handles it, is that you need to go to your failed pledge, and click on 'change card'. If you want the same card charged again, you need to add it a second time. If your bank has flagged the transaction as suspicious, you'll have to contact them. Backerkit has a 'how to fix my card' section right here too!
Cards will be automatically recharged every 5 days I believe, and then I will be in charge of it during the Survey Stage. You can fix your payment at any point, so do not worry too much.
PRE-ORDER STORE WHEN?
Once the surveys launch, I prommy.
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That's all for today! I shall return to finishing the pin artwork now, and maybe eventually brave the pledge manager and setting up the surveys...soon *coughs*
This project has been such a whirlwind, I haven't had time to say until now, but THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!
This has been my most funded project so far, and I can't thank you all enough for the support of these little floral kitties I love drawing so much 💖
🌺 Some fun facts of the campaign:
⭐ Back Cat Botanicals reached 553 Backers with $29,663 in total funds raised!! ⭐ You all collectively ordered 2,483 enamel pins, including sets & mini pins!! ⭐ You smashed through every single stretch goal I had within the first few hours of going live!
I am truly humbled and overwhelmed by the response to this project. 😭💙
Now that we have the sappy stuff out of the way... let's talk next steps.
❗Check Your Payments! ❗
Most pledge payments have processed without issue (thank you!), but there are still a few thousand dollars of failed payments, so this is our first formal reminder to please double-check the cards you used for your pledge!
If your payment details need to be updated, no worries! Backerkit will remind everyone untilFebruary 26th to correct any payment issues you have. After that, the funding will be locked and you will no longer be able to pay for your pledge, so please get those corrections in as soon as possible!
🌻 Survey Phase & Next Steps 🌺
I am hard at work on setting up the surveys all backers will be receiving soon! For those unfamiliar with crowdfunding, a survey will be sent out, usually two weeks after the campaign ends, so that backers may select the designs that wanted for their pledges as well as add on any additional items.
📢 In addition, the surveys will also be where you will pay the fee for shipping the items in your pledge! 📢
Shipping is charged during the survey phase rather than the campaign phase in order to more accurately account for carrier costs frequently changing as well as allowing a smoother fulfillment process overall.
I am aiming for the surveys to be sent out around February 25th, with a smoke test being sent out to a select few backers ahead of time in order to test the survey and ensure everything is laid out properly. So please keep an eye on your emails!
As always, if you have any questions at all, please feel free to comment or reach out!
I'll be in touch again soon when payments close and surveys are able to be sent out.
Good evening, gang! If you're me, and you work the hours, I do, typing this 20 minutes to midnight is still 'evening.' Cool it.
That's all, folks - CHALLENGE COIN CRITTERS wrapped up on Thursday at 4 PM.
Overall, while we didn't unlock everything, we had a pretty successful run. It was a difficult year for Pintopia projects in general, but I'm satisfied with where we're at. I know we wanna get to the meat of things, so...
Here's some quick numbers.
C3 wrapped up at $14,441. We went, in our last 48 hours, from being KPH's second-worst performing crowdfund, to being the second best, behind last year's CRITTER CRIMES in the $15k ballbark.
C3's got 359 backers. This is second to BIRD CRIMES, at 469.
140 of you are returning backers. That's 140 of you who will be getting the silver Loyal Akita pin. Thank you for coming back and sticking with it through it all this year.
194 of you also backed Henrieke's THE HYENA FAMILY. That's a free 1.75" BIG hyena pin for you. Awesome!
We're finishing up with 79 total pin designs for backers to pick from. This is the highest, with GOLDEN AGE PARROTS our runner up.
We are 22 of 22 funded projects in the PIN SAFARI group! Thanks for supporting my animal artist buddies this year.
As mentioned, we have 79 total pin designs. Our two final 1.5" designs are the Duck Toller and the Werewolf!
The Duck Toller is our last-minute sponsor, from a very passionate breed enthusiast. These aren't the most common canines around, but they're an unmistakable working dog. Thank my buddy Fieldpup for this one, dog collectors!
Our Werewolf, ever popular (for better or... for, uh, rabid), will also be available.
You guys don't understand. I have already been paid unspeakable amounts of money to draw this character in compromising situations. Was the halal plate worth it? Who knows, man. But that fish fry got me through vectors, so, thanks, I guess.
We need to have a quick, downer, type of talk about the rest of the MONSTERS tier. I've tried to be pretty open about fraudulent, cancelled, or heavily downgraded pledges being an issue this Pintopia, and, lo and behold, it is going to bite us in the ass a bit here.
Our last-minute $600 pledge I was worried about did end up paying. However, we are out a startling amount due to failed charges right now. Cards just started charging today, so this is recoverable. But, due to an exceptionally high number of failed payments on my last campaign, and the extremely high rate of cancellations already, I am going to be erring on the side of caution.
Go make sure your card is up to date - mine wasn't! I was that guy, too. Sorry, everyone!
I may make the other MONSTERS pins available as cards successfully charge. However, it is a risky move to self-fund 4 more pins with the net amount we're looking at right now. I'm looking for total charges, plus after-campaign numbers, to reach about $16.5k to get here. I'll keep you posted. I'm sorry to disappoint, but, there are other options for now!
There are still preorders, too, to make up that number, so we'll see where we go.
As of right now, these 4 BIG pins, 75 1.5" pins, and all of their corresponding stickers are available to you!
So, what's next?
For me, it's custom pins. I have two of you, one with a good email rapport and references, and one who needs to send me some more information. I'm headed downstate for Chinese new year, so realistically, you're gonna be hearing from me the 20th or 21st. Not too late to send me additional refs or ideas, though!
We're on schedule for surveys, if not a little ahead of time. I've been getting pledge manager stuff set, getting giveaway and promotional backers smacked with some extra credits, and getting pin renders cleaned up. Late February, early March, is a good time to start expecting your survey.
Preorder store's probably coming then, or earlier! If you missed the campaign, you still have a chance to get pins at the $9 a head rate. While discount tiers are gone, and there won't be any more freebies, you can purchase most stuff at the campaign price, and you'll get it when our backers do in the spring.
I have some catch up work to do, too. There's still a few stragglers from CC who need custom work done. If this is you, please reach out to me.
If you purchased a CUSTOM CRIME for CRITTER CRIMES, you were subjected to unfair delays due to circumstances outside of your control. You are entitled to a $10 campaign credit on your C3 pledge. Contact me either in our work thread, or in a new email, to apply this to your campaign. This is even if you got your CUSTOM CRIME pledge already.
What's next next?
This is a hard one, and I will say, outright, I may lose a lot of you on my next project.
Let's stay vague: I am workshopping a mid-sized group event with several other creators for November. It's not golden age-styled animals, but it's something that became very dear to me this past year.
If this project is for you, it will really be for you. But, if it's not, there might be something else from another one of the wonderful, talented illustrators who have agreed to take the plunge with me.
That's all I can share for now, until we all have more done and we're given the green light by BackerKit. I'm hoping I have something to show you all soon.
As of right now, I'm OK with how C3 turned out. Things could have gone better, but in terms of everything I had in my reach, I did what I could. I turned out better than a lot of other Pintopia artists this year. Frankly, there's not really anything that made that difference except my audience. You turned out in droves for this, and for a project I was wary of taking a risk on.
Thank you for being here for these past couple weeks.
Great news -- the setup review for surveys passed all checks, and I was given the go ahead to send smoke tests.
A select few of you will recieve a link to complete your survey tonight. If you did, please fill it out ASAP! Additionally, if there are any issues, please let me know via a comment, dm, or email. I want to resolve any issues before it goes out to the masses, so it's vital you give me feedback if there is any to be had!
The main survey will launch on February 26th for all backers. You will have until March 12th to complete your survey. If you have not completed your survey at this point, I will not be able to guaranteethat the items you want will be avaliable to you, as I will be determining how many of each pin/keychain/etc I need to order thru the counts I get from the survey.
Last but not least, I've attatched a poll asking what you'd prefer for a sequel campaign to this one -- the options are Gamecube, Wii, or Handhelds (Gameboy + the DS family!)!
That's all from me for now. I hope you've all been well this week!
Hi guys! Thank you so much for supporting this project ^-^ the campaign has successfully ended.
Pledge Payment Processing Backerkit has already processed your pledges! There were 24 failed charges in total. If your pledge was among them, please fix it as soon as possible 💛 you can also fix it later during the survey phase.
Surveys In the survey you can tell me which pins you want, which add-ons you want (if you pre-selected them in your pledge), your address and if you want to add any extra add-ons or extra pins :) I'll soon start sending out the survey smoke test. Some of you will receive the survey a little earlier (in the next few days) to test it and check for any bugs or errors. Once this testing phase is complete, you will all receive your surveys to fill out. ^-^
Shipping Shipping costs will be charged once the pins are on their way to me. This means that I can account for any fluctuations in shipping prices and that you won't need to pay everything up front during the first survey phase. I didn't pledge for the campaign, is there a way for me to still grab the pins? Yes, there is! I have already set up a pre-order shop – you can access it here! The pre-order shop will stay open until the survey deadline. Pins and other add-ons purchased from the pre-order store will be sent out with all the other backers rewards, around July.
Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
Hello! The Pudding Party Collection campaign has successfully ended! Thank you so much to everyone who pledged, we were able to unlock a handful of things during the campaign including the Pudding Bag, 4th enamel pin, and 2 new colorways: Pink & Mint!
Backerkit has started processing payments and will continue to do so for the next week, please make sure to check if your pledge's payment processes successfully. Pledges that are not updated with unfortunately be considered abandoned and then cancelled.
Surveys have now been sent! Please fill it out, it will help me get an idea of how much inventory to order for each colorway and design. Backers who chose Pay Over Time during the campaign, you will not receive the survey until after your payment plan is completed. Once your installments are completed, Backerkit will automatically send the survey to you!
If you missed the crowdfund but are still interested in the products of this campaign, I've opened the Pre-Order Shop! Everything that was unlocked during the campaign is available to Pre-Order until June where all additional inventory counts should be locked by that point.
if you have any issues with your survey or any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out! Thank you!
A quick update to start our final campaign countdown and show off the finalized art print artwork for both the Salesman and Miss Foxglove! Miss Foxglove looks so cute, and the Salesman got some tweaks to match her a little better. Both designs are available as add-ons.
Miss Foxglove 5x7 Print
Salesman 5x7 print
Stretch Goal Recap / Everything We Unlocked 👁️
We've unlocked a lot of cool stuff this campaign! With so many emails going out this Pintopia, here's a quick recap of the new pins we've added just in case you missed it. These are on top of the original collection of pins!
The whole initial collection of pins at launch, including freebies/incentives!
Small pins, plus a teacup mini-pin variant
Small ~1" pins, plus a teacup mini-pin variant.
2 NEW options for dangling pins
2 New dangling pins, roughly 3" in size. My new favorites
Last Stretch Goal 🌠
We're a little under $800 away from our last stretch goal: little eye filler pins. I think we might be able to hit this one before time runs out! And remember, if these are unlocked, everyone who pledges $45 or more gets an eye filler pin for free!
The campaign closes February 12th, 1PM PST. Let's finish strong! :D
Little .7" filler pins in black nickel
As we wind down, I'll begin turning my attention to vectoring any designs that aren't yet a vector, and getting the survey and pre-order store set up. Expect an celebration update after the campaign ends, and later, an update showcasing all final vector artwork before it's sent to manufacturers. 🪄
Note on Surveys
Your shipping fees and your pin design selections will be made after the campaign, in your BackerKit survey. Most folks probably know, but the survey is mandatory in order to receive your rewards. The plan is to send these sometime mid-March, but you'll be notified via updates if anything changes.
Backers who are using the "Pay Over Time" feature will not receive their surveys until the pledge is paid in full. Don't worry, I will keep you folks in mind in my item counts!
And of course, a big THANK YOU for your support, as always. I'm so happy with the level of success this campaign received this year. I was kind of assuming it'd be much smaller than my 2025 campaign, and it really wasn't all that much smaller—plus this project has even MORE pins.
It's the nearing the end of the campaign! With just a few hours left I thought I'd make a final update with some new artwork for the Backer's Choice stretch goals, exciting news about a giant dragon pin, and some updated information for the upcoming Pledge Manager stage!
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Foxfire Kitsune 2nd Color Vote Results:
The results are in, and backer's chose the black and green color variant for the second kitsune colorway! As of this moment, only the deluxe pin artwork has been finalized, but the standard pin and mini pins will be taken to a finish in complimentary colors by the time the Pledge Manager arrives.
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Dragon Tide Designs
The Dragon Tide designs are partially available to look over.
In exciting news, the deluxe pin for the Dragon Tide set will be a massive 100mm and will feature a shimmery gradient pearl shift in the water portions of the pin. This extra large size will make the dragon a real show-stopper of a pin for your pin boards and Ita bags.
In even better news, I've spoken with my manufacturer to get a quote for this larger size. While it will cost quite a bit more per unit to produce such a large pin, I'll be able to offer it at the same price as the other deluxe pins for this campaign! Any pledge that has a deluxe pin will have ANY of the deluxe pins as selectable options in the pledge manager stage, including this the extra-large Dragon Tide pin! (Note: after the campaign and pledge manager selection is over, I'll probably need to charge a bit more for this pin if I sell it online or in person, but those who backed the campaign can get it at the same price as the 3" deluxe pins!) At this time, only the mini pin and deluxe pin previews are available. Dragon Tide will have two color variants, the same as the other Elemental Myth pin themes. The final artwork, including the standard pin/pendant and color selection will be available in the Pledge Manager so you'll be able to see exactly what you're getting!
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Pledge Manager Information:
If you've ever backed a Backerkit or Kickstarter campaign before, you may be familiar with the Pledge Manager. If you're not, the Pledge Manager is an easy-to-use tool that allows you to provide your shipping information, specify the exact designs that you would like to receive, add on additional items, and pay any remaining balances for your pledge. (for most people this will be your shipping charge.) It's a great way to review your order and ensure you're getting exactly what you want.
Backer's Choice Designs: The Kitsune Blind, Foxfire Kitsune, Dragon Tide, and Dragon Tide second colorway will all have final artwork at the time of your Pledge Manager selection.
Pledge Manager Timeline: A link to the Pledge Manager should be sent out near the end of February.
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A Learning Experience:
This was my first Pintopia, and I've had a wonderful time participating this year. We reached our funding goal and then some, and all of the pins in this campaign will have their production costs fully covered and be able to be produced! This is truly wonderful to have happen as an artist, and allows me to do something I otherwise wouldn't be able to do. Thank you so much for supporting my campaign.
During this campaign, I've been learned quite a few things I hope to put into effect for future projects. The most relevant of which is stretch goal preparation:
Preparing Stretch Goals: For this campaign, I offered two Backer's Choice stretch goal themes. (you folks were awesome, and met them in short order!) I love that backers were able to voice their preferences for which themes they were enthusiastic to see. The outcome was not what I would have predicted, and I would have chosen different sets if left to my own devices. However, creating pins in response to polls left me with a lot of artwork to create mid-campaign!
My takeaways from this experience are:
The backer's choice stretch goals were a wonderful way to engage with the community and get feedback I could immediately act on.
Doing two complete theme collection stretch goals (4 designs each, 2 colorways each) as Backer's Choice was a bit more than I was prepared for, at least in terms of finishing the artwork before campaign's end.
If I create another pin project in the future, I should only do 1-3 pins as Backer's Choice stretch goals, and have any additional stretch goals that I want to include be prepared in advance with final artwork ready-to-go. A little bit of on-the-spot artwork creation is great! But having most of the stretch goals ready-to-go would have been a boon to both myself and my backers.
Note: You will see the final artwork for Dragon Tide and Kitsune Blind when you make your Pledge Manager selections. I'm just regretful that I wasn't able to finish the final artwork during the campaign itself!
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A Shout-Out to Dragon Hoard Keepers
I've been chatting with my collab partner Dream Vale Studios for the duration of this campaign. They've been a great partner to work with, and it's wonderful that events like this can bring artists together!
Dragon Hoard Keepers is a campaign to create a huggable 7" companion plush designed to safely stow your favorite trinkets, tokens, coins, and other polyhedral treasures! There's even a mini version of this charming plush friend! In addition, hobby-hoarders can celebrate their love of collecting their favorite things through dragon hoard enamel pins. These dragon collectors hoard their favorite dice, yarn, potions, and more! The pins and plush are seriously cute. You should definitely check the out if you're a dragon-fan, or need a unique way to store and transport your dice!
If you haven't already heard, if you back both Elemental Myth and the Dragon Hoard Keepers campaign, you will receive a free cross collaboration reward from both campaigns with the Fire & dIce collaboration pin set. If you back both campaigns, this pin will automatically be added to your pledge in the Pledge Manager stage if you were a backer of both projects. I will send you the dIce gryphon when your awards arrive from Elemental Myth; Dream Vale Studios will send the Fire Keeper when your rewards arrive from Dragon Hoard Keepers!
