Hello folks - apologies for the delayed post-campaign update. I had a convention/setup from the 12th to the 15th and so didn't get a chance to put something together.
While we didn't end where I'd hoped, thankfully we did not dip under base goal at any point - that said, currently we are sitting at $970 in failed payments. This puts us at barely enough funding to cover just the base goal of bags. I was planning to make the 1st stretch goal, at least, available at this point regardless of us ultimately reaching that goal, but with this number of failed payments, it unfortunately will have to join the pins which will need additional funding to be put into production. For more details on that click here to read an update detailing the process/plans for that.
That said, please fix any failed payments! You should have received an e-mail giving you the option to change your card; in this same screen, you should be able to re-enter the same card to re-charge that one. Completing this ASAP ensures those funds will be sent with the rest of the collected funds. If most of the missing funds are collected, then I will be able to put the order in for the Quasar pin & its mini pin, plus the two mini pin sets from base goal one right away!
I am currently working on the pledge manager and survey - the current plan is to send that out to you on February 26th. Because I am planning to get all pins made, please ensure you choose every item you would like to purchase (so long as you're comfortable potentially waiting a bit longer to receive your pins/carabiners). This will allow me to collect accurate counts, and secure funding to fulfill these orders sooner. I will be charging for items only right away. Shipping will not be charged until I am ready to begin shipping the items out; You will need to fill out a second survey/update your survey with your shipping info at a later date. I don't like charging in two batches or sending two surveys, but in order to ensure all the pins are able to be paid for and made, I'll need access to any additional funding ASAP. This will be the first time I've done this type of charging for a survey, so please bear with me as I figure things out.
To give us the best chance possible of getting all the pins funded, I will be offering all merch items I currently have produced to the offerings; this includes Pastel Witchy pins (which shipping for all except pin remake orders will be completed in the next week). I will also have all freebie items available for purchase in the survey as well.
This is also a final reminder that backers will only qualify for freebies if you pledge for $15 total or more - adding items post-campaign in the survey does qualify you, though, so if you were under that amount during the campaign, be sure to add enough additional items in your survey! The $1 from the add-on tier does count toward that total.
Next update will likely be shortly before surveys are sent. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post a message below, or feel free to send me a message on any of my social media or send an e-mail ([email protected])! If you are having trouble fixing your payment I am always happy to help work with you - but I cannot help if I don't hear from you at all. So please reach out if you have any issues, questions, or concerns.
Hello folks - just popping in to give a quick end of campaign update! I have been extremely busy, and a bit unwell, so apologies for the lack of updates otherwise 🥲
Unfortunately, there have been a lot of cancellations over the last few days - not unexpected, but it has driven us farther from stretch goal 2.
I am hoping that we can have an end of campaign rally of a few more pledges - please share the campaign with anyone you think might enjoy it, as that’s the best way to gather more interest. I would love to see us reach stretch goal 2 before the campaign comes to an end in a few days~ :)
Thank you so much for your support so far, I cannot WAIT to get these bags, pins, and more made! I did receive the samples, and will try to get some lifestyle photos in the next day or so to show them off better.
It literally JUST became known to me that Pay Over Time was NOT enabled even though I swore I did enable it. Apologies for this! If you have a pledge $150 AND ABOVE you can now choose PAY OVER TIME to pay for your pledge!! This is also a reminder that I am able to ship to the EU this campaign~
Alright folks - it seems that enough of you are okay with/interested in the idea of all pins becoming available during the campaign, and being funded the rest of the way OUTSIDE the campaign over the course of the next 4-6 months.
If you DO NOT want to wait - please only pledge to UNLOCKED ITEMS! Or, there will be an option to pay additional shipping to have your items shipped in batches in the post campaign survey!
I have ALSO adjusted stretch goals - I've removed the planets carabiner as an option, tightened my margins on stretch goals (with the intention of paying out of my own pocket to cover any gaps in that funding) and came up with new, lower, goals. With how things are now, we are actually only $663 away from unlocking stretch goal #2, instead of over $1300!
I have updated achievements to reflect these new goals, as well as the story graphics :)
Keep in mind, that the pastel rainbow bag colorway will NOT be part of the items available for funding post campaign. This mostly means that even if we fund a significant amount more between now and the 12th, but don’t unlock the bag, the final 2 stretch goal pins will take a lot less to fund than the ~$3250 shown. Most of that is the cost to fund an additional bag colorway.
That said…
ALL PINS UNLOCKED!
Here is how things will work:
ALL PINS will become available to pledge for! Yay!
Oort Cloud and J1407b pin sets have been made available in the add-ons section. THREE new all-in tiers have been added. I have also added THREE additional planet & star pin set add-ons (3, 6, and 10 set add-ons!) for those who don't necessarily want all 14 sets, but still want a bunch. These are slightly discounted, as well (the best discount is the all in mini pins set however).
Any amount of funding required to produce the remaining pin sets will be calculated post-campaign by me - I have the totals already squared away, at least, so that part should be easy! I will make these goals known to you all through updates.
That will give me a better idea of how long, realistically, it should take to complete funding and get everything above and beyond what was reached during the campaign made.
I will set a strict deadline for me to secure these funds.
If this date is not met, I will refund any pre-orders of those items that are not going to be produced.
I am very tentatively setting this deadline for all remaining items to be in production no later than July 2026. This date may shift a little forward or backward, depending on how much funding increases (or decreases) over the next ~12 days.
You will all fill out your pledge manager surveys as per usual; choose whatever designs you want! I will ONLY include items that I fully intend to produce.
Barring a massive influx of backers before the campaign ends, I do not forsee the planet carabiner, the other large pin designs and their mini pins, or the additional ita bag colorway getting produced. Maybe another day!
Those of you who are NOT pledging to items that may take longer to produce will have your orders fulfilled first.
This includes Quasar & her mini pin, any already produced add-ons (plus bandages, prints, large stickers, extra inserts & straps), and Midnight Springs' and Chocolat Chaud's black kitty mini pin sets and any freebie items. More might be included in this list if we hit the newly calculated 6.25k goal for carabiners & two more mini pin sets!
Anyone who has an item in their pledge that needs additional funding can track updates on how that is going through here, post-campaign! I will update at a minimum monthly, and have a section for updates on the status of those items :)
Please note - if there are a LARGE amount of failed charges post campaign, and the funds I receive end up being significantly less than expected based on the amount raised, this may re-lock items and require additional post-campaign funding to unlock them again.
All In Pledge Tiers Now Available!
THREE all-in options are now available - All In for ALL the pins; All In Planets and Stars; MEGA All-In Bundle
All In, ALL PINS: This pledge tier includes every pin revealed in a stretch goal so far; three large pins and their accompanying mini pins, as well as ALL mini pin sets; this includes 5 NEW sets I designed myself (had these on the back burner, and want them made lol); 4 separate sets that are a pastel rainbow gradient with gold metal, and a black version of the return backer freebie pin. A grand total of 14 mini pin sets, and three large & small pin sets, for a whopping 34 individual pins. Retail value of $435, available to you for $350 ($85 off the total; or $5 each individual bundle!)
All In, Planets & Stars: this tier is JUST for the 14 planet and star mini pin sets (return backer freebie will NOT be part of these tiers; I have made the decision to make these items campaign-exclusive outside of ready-to-ship events and conventions moving forward. They WILL be available for purchase full price in the post-campaign survey). Retail value of $308 for only $250 ($58 off the total, or ~$4.14 off per set!)
MEGA All-In Bundle: This includes ALL campaign items that will be unlocked either immediately post-campaign, or with additional funding via pre-orders or self-funding in the future; One ita bag (plus an extra strap AND 3 inserts to make room for all your pins); all three large & small mini pin sets; all 14 star & planet mini pin sets; all three carabiner colorways; you will also receive, as an extra thank you, a full set of the pin design stickers free. This is a total retail value of $640 for $460 or $180 off the retail value.
Please note that pledging to ANY of these three tiers will mean that you may be waiting longer to receive your items; however, if you DO want ALL the items in this campaign, pledging to these tiers will also bring us closer to each goal, and ensure each item that isn't quite funded is that much closer to reaching the goal :)
I believe this about covers everything - if you have any additional questions or concerns, please comment below, or e-mail me at [email protected]; alternatively my instagram and Facebook accounts (both my business name) are checked with relative frequency as well!
This is the final update I will be sending to my whole audience. Backerkit will send out a few more, but those are not in my control 😅.
So, I did a lot of thinking, and wanted to get everyone's thoughts on the following option - since it seems that the majority of folks (who voted on the last poll, anyway) are MOST interested in mini pin sets and large pins/mini pins separately (vs sets) being funded, I would float the following option:
If ALL pin options were to be unlocked, regardless of funding status, but slowly funded completely either through pre-orders or convention/storefront funds over the course of this year, would you be okay waiting potentially up to 1 year to receive later stretch goal pins?
For example - since oort cloud was 3rd most popular in the polls, his pin would likely reach funding requirements later in the year. This DOES also depend entirely on a) my manufacturer, and what they're willing to do to split costs and b) the shipping cost of potentially sending all of these pins to me in separate batches. The benefit of pins is that they are small, however. This would not work out well for bags or larger items.
Vote below if having to wait a while to receive your package (if you want items that need time for me to gather funds to produce) doesn't bother you; I know from experience because Pastel Witchy has been taking me FAR LONGER than originally planned to begin (and complete) fulfillment that you all are extremely patient & kind to me about that delay (as well as Popsicle Panic folks whose orders will be shipped with their Pastel Witchy rewards), but I want to be sure that you all seem okay with this option.
If, ultimately, you all are okay with this idea, I will be introducing a PINS all-in reward, and a TOTAL all-in reward. Pins all-in will be just that; for folks just wanting one of each pin. That will be ALL thus revealed mini pin sets, and all three large & small pin sets. The TOTAL all-in reward includes all pins, as well as all three carabiner colors, and an ita bag (plus an extra insert and strap!) freebie items will not be included as part of these all-in tiers.
I had also REALLY wanted to include a 5+ pin freebie pin set, but at this point the funding is just not enough to add another freebie into the mix. I apologize for that - if I see enough of a bump as the campaign comes to a close in about a week and a half, I will consider changing that.
Bandages have been officially added as an add-on as well - feel free to add those to your cart now! They will be produced regardless of campaign outcomes, but the image is just an art mock-up at the moment :)
PLEASE VOTE ON THE POLL BELOW; the more votes, the better understanding I will have of whether or not this is something you all are interested in! This update is going out to my ENTIRE AUDIENCE in case anyone who chose not to follow earlier on because their desired pin or item wasn't available might be interested in pledging now!
Hello folks! I come to you with exciting news - not only have we reached stretch goal one, but I have a photo of the base goal bag in the correct material, AND I ALSO have a photo of the additional colorway.
Photos of the Ita Bags
When I receive all the samples I will go ahead and get some styled lifestyle photos of both, and be able to see how many pins and items can fit inside! The holo sheen on this bag is a lot more subtle, which I kind of love, and the stitching will be pastel rainbow colors as well
I am much happier with this new fabric, though it IS still a bit more light gray than I hoped, so I have gone ahead and ordered some samples for additional suppliers so I can find the PERFECT option.
The holo sheen on it is exactly what I'd hoped for, however, and so I'm thrilled to see it much more in line with my vision.
Some minor adjustments need to be made to the insert file, so that none of the while around the edges shows, but otherwise I'm loving it~
The stretch goal bag has the wrong insert, but the correct one will be sent along with that bag as well so I will take better photos of that when I receive the bags.
It's difficult to tell in these photos; I think they may have used the same stitch colors as the black bag; so red, orange and yellow - but that is something that can be changed when the bag goes to production, if we manage to reach this goal.
The interior of the pastel rainbow bag makes me SOOOO happy. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it contrasts very nicely.
I originally planned on black for the interior of the black bag, but I think I might go with a dark red instead, so that things don't get lost as easily (I've noticed that I lose stuff in my black bags way too much lol).
New add-on - BANDAGES!
Because these were on my plate as something I wanted produced ANYWAY, I am adding bandages as an add-on item. The base amount will be $15 for 25, $25 for 50, and $35 for 100! If you want more than that amount, I am open to offering even greater bulk discounts; just let me know. I am also working on some more cat-themed designs, but those will be available in pre-order on my storefront in about a week.
These will be latex free, standard bandages :) the colors may end up a touch less vibrant depending on printing; they will also be vectorized so the gradients won’t be *quite* as smooth.
Stretch Goal Reworking
As we enter the typically slower period of crowdfunding (especially group events, where it isn't unlikely to see a lot of cancellations as folks dial in what they can realistically afford), I want to get a feel for what folks want; this update will be going out to the entire audience who has followed this campaign as a result.
I have attached a poll to this update with some different item groups; the additional bag colorway; carabiners; large & mini pin sets; and the planet & stars mini pin sets. Please choose which item type you are MOST excited for. From there, I've got additional polls planned to dial in what you all are most hoping to have funded. While I am PERSONALLY super psyched about both carabiners - if it looks like folks are just not about that, and would rather, say, see the second bag colorway funded first, or the large & mini pin sets, I'm happy to shift things around to make those goals more attainable. Especially if it means encouraging folks who are waiting to back for a specific design to hop in and help get it funded, or convincing someone who cancelled a pledge because the item they wanted didn't appear like it would fund to re-pledge :)
I also have a history of ensuring all items get made, even if funding is a bit short - while I would LOVE TO do that during this campaign, I unfortunately do NOT have that amount of wiggle room here. However, I WILL open pre-orders for a lot of items that were not funded when we get to the post-campaign survey, and if folks don't mind waiting some time, I may try to use convention funding from this year, or otherwise, to squeeze a few more items into the mix. The cost of this would be waiting a bit longer for fulfillment - however, since I have already baked in an entire year, just to be safe, I think that I may be able to afford production of a lot of these items anyway. This does mean that I will be charging for ITEMS at the very least first, and doing a second round of shipping-only charges once fulfillment begins later this year. This is a new thing that I believe Backerkit is introducing to more creators, and I will hopefully be able to implement it.
I apologize for the wordiness and length of this update - I would really appreciate everyone's thoughts on the bags AND the reworking of stretch goals as well as pre-orders for any unlocked items described above. That will help me determine how desperately certain items are wanted by you all. If there's something in a much farther along goal (i.e. a large or mini pin design/pin set design) that you just NEED to have, tell me! The more voices I hear, the easier it will be to determine if this is something that is worth putting the time and effort into setting up :)
Thank you all again - I am so extremely excited to at the VERY least be getting the bags, THREE mini pin sets, and Quasar funded (and, honestly, I will probably ensure the metal carabiner is funded as well, because I want several for myself lmao); plus the cross collab freebie keychain and a buttload of cool stickers :) Y'all are amazing and make me so excited as usual, to continue creating!
