Last Thursday, you all helped this campaign succeed!  Since then, I've taken a few days to rest and also to complete the finalized design for the most popular option for the Stretch Goal sticker.

Enjoy the reveal of the polished sticker before we get down to next step details!

I hope you all enjoy the final version of the freebie sticker!  The other two designs that were in the running may show up in my Etsy shop at a later point, but for now, ALL Backers of this campaign will be getting a freebie sticker of this design included in their pledge items!

The only thing you need to do is fill out your surveys (once they're sent out) to make sure you recieve your freebie.  Those who do not have physical rewards will be able to choose whether or not they'd like to pay shipping for their freebie or if they'd prefer to skip out on the freebie instead of needing to pay shipping for it.

And now to business!  Here's what's going to be happening to get this campaign fulfilled.  I'm currently waiting on the funds to transfer into my bank account, which is predicted to happen September 22nd.  After this date, the real fun begins!

This is all best case scenario barring any Life Happenings (TM).  As I am a one-person biz working with family and friends to get this fullfilled, I ask for patience.  I will do my best to communicate any unforseen delays.

Also, back of house note.  There're a couple of pledges that have failed to process, which means there are a few of you who need to double-check your payment sources.  Once I open up the Pledge Manager, you'll be marked as 'failed payment' and will need to settle your balance in the Pledge Manager instead before I can send your items to you.

Any questions?  Consult the project FAQ, leave a comment on this post, or drop me an email to angela(at)angelasasser.com directly.  I'm happy to help!

Wishing you all inspiration!
<3 Ang

Thanks to your efforts, the Stretch Goal sticker design has been UNLOCKED!  Thank you so much to those of you who have pledged and shared this project.  The design that has had a consensus amount of love towards it in the polls and comments has been A from this set.

I'll be polishing this design while the timer ticks down and prepping next steps for after the campaign ends.  The B and C choices may appear sometime down the road because I love them so much, but for now, I'm going to focus on the most popular design for our chosen freebie.

We're into the final 24 hours on this campaign now, so keep on sharing these posts on the socials for the final push!

Thanks for all your enthusiasm!
<3 Ang

This campaign has performed so well that I wanted to cap it all off with a stretch goal freebie for all my lovely supporters here as a Thank You gift and one last tidbit to entice us for a final push for the last few days!

I sketched this new design in Procreate on my ipad representing Phedre and Joscelin as the Cassiline sword and the briar rose. These are work-in-progress sketches.  The final chosen design will be polished for the final sticker, so there may be some small changes along the way.

A - An Art Nouveau inspired design with more naturalistic roses.
B - A more stylized medieval rose motif with a lady's favor wrapped around the sword grip.
C - A simpler design with a single dramatic rose bloom.

Which one do you like most?  I have my personal favorite, but I want to know which one you all enjoy most to help me choose a final single favorite for your stretch goal freebie!

The plan is to finalize my favorite of these designs, then the final chosen sticker design will be included free for all physical orders IF we reach can reach $3000.  Backers who don't have physical pledges/add-ons yet would also be able to get this sticker for free as long as they pay shipping for it. 

(FYI if unlocked, this freebie sticker won't be free in the post-campaign late pledge pre-order shop that will be open for a week after this campaign ends.  This stretch goal item will only be free for you special few who helped to make this campaign an initial success).

So please tell your Kushiel's Legacy-loving friends and art appreciators who might enjoy this art!  It'll only take us a little push to get to this goal.

As ever, here are the links you can share and comment on to help spread the word:

Perhaps if there's love for ALL three of these designs, I may decide to finalize all 3 at a later point after the campaign, but I need to hear if there is demand for them. 

Shout out in the comments if you can't decide and want them ALL!

This campaign will be ending soon (7 days as of today) and then the real journey begins to make all of these dreamy art items a reality.

Thanks for all of your support thus far!
<3 Ang

With 12 days left on this campaign, I am so floored by the overwhelming support for this project!  A passionate 26 backers have helped fund this entire print run, as well as blown past the minimum required to help bring it to life.  

I'm currently brainstorming on what I can do for a fun stretch goal if we reach $3k.  I'm thinking of a design that combines the briar rose of Phedre with the sword of Joscelin.  I hope to do a small update with my idea within the next few days!

For now, however, let us continue the art journey with "Sworn Servant" with a glimpse at how I designed Joscelin Verreuil's Cassiline weapons! 
(If you missed the previous Art Journey posts, see the list of them at the bottom of this post).

Watch this 1 minute video for a peek at the process:

I actually consider weapons and armor my weakness as an artist usually more accustomed to drawing flowing dresses and jewelry.  "Sworn Servant" presented an opportunity to expand my skillset and deep dive into researching medieval European equipment and weaponry, which sent me down the rabbithole of researching re-enactors, antique dealers, museum collections, and historical plates.

A peek at a small section of my equipment reference and mood board for Joscelin (see individual image credits at the moodboard on Pinterest):

The breakdown of Joscelin's gear created as reference for the final painting:

If this kind of process glimpse lights your creative fire, I encourage you to check out my Patreon where I document the in-depth process for many of my paintings for all of my paid members at $2 and up (or you can purchase any post you're interested in individually).

You can take a look at the project archive showing free & paid posts here.  I always try to provide a good mix of public and private posts so there's something for everyone to enjoy:

More soon!
<3 Ang

Let's keep the momentum going for this project!  Your comments and replies on these social media posts would be especially powerful to help spread the word:

My sharing of the long, intense art journey I went on with "Sworn Servant" continues with Part 2 - Joscelin's Armor. 

Cassiline monks like Joscelin, the solemn warrior featured in "Sworn Servant", don't just wear any tunic, but prescribe to a unique regalia that includes modest metal bracers, traditional weaponry of a longsword and dual daggers, and a specifically long cut mandillion coat of the softest lanolin.

In "Cassiel's Servant", the main character, Joscelin, describes his armaments in exacting detail as someone proud of his service and the care of his equipment, so I had many lovingly detailed descriptions to work from!

This meant exploring clothing terms I wasn't familiar with.  What is a mandillion tunic?  What is lanolin?  Watch my 1 minute short video for a quick breakdown of the process of exploring Joscelin's look with a focus on his 'clubbed hair' and his layers of armor and clothing I needed to design for this painting:

If you'd like to know the answer to the questions of what exactly are mandillion coats and lanolin, you can find out in my in-depth Secret Sketchbook research of Joscelin's weapons and armor available to all of my Patreon Patrons at $2 and above (or buy the entries you want individually for $3 a piece).

See the Patreon archive for my Cassiel's Servant project to pick and choose Secret Sketchbook entries you're interested in or simply enjoy browsing the free public posts:

Go back to Part 1 of the Art Journey Updates for the complete updated list of Art Journey posts I'll be sharing over the course of this campaign.

Next, I'll be sharing a glimpse into designing Joscelin's armaments, the modest, but deadly weapons of the esteemed Cassiline warrior monks.

<3 Ang

Let's keep the excitement going for this campaign!  Remember, you can help me spread the word about supporting my gold foil print by sharing these posts on my socials (commenting is especially helpful so we can beat the algorithm!):