I've been swamped lately and took a bit longer than intended pushing out this update, but I'm excited to once again share fresh new pics of the remaining finished pins 😆🙌 Check out all these shiny lil Shroomies!
Do you have a new favorite?! 🤩
🍄 Mushroom Plushie 🍄
By golly, were the polls insanely close once again, but a final decision has been made! In case you haven't already looked at the poll results on your own, here's our official winner:
Thank you to everyone who participated in the multiple rounds of deciding fabric color for this little guy! 😅 It really was a neck-and-neck race, but ultimately, I'm happy that we stuck with the color of the original design / artwork and kept with the initial vision. The bright red is super classic and fun, and if I do a second production run of this mini Shroomie in the future, I'll likely produce the brighter version next :) For now though, I hope you all enjoy the deep rich burgundy (that will also match the freebie holo sticker that comes with the plushie), and cherish your squishy new shroom friend for years to come!
📦 Production / Shipping Update 📦
✦ Plushies: All of the blue Shroomie plushies have successfully finished production and have been completed for a little while. We're just waiting for the mini burgundy Shroomie plushies to finish so that everything can ship together. 👍 I confirmed the final fabric color for the mini plushie as soon as the last vote closed, so their production has already been well underway by now, and shouldn't take much longer to wrap up. Once these little guys are done, then all of the plushies will make their voyage to my doorstep and get ready for order fulfillment :)
✦ Enamel Pins: All enamel pins are finished—woohoooo!! And since I was a bit slow in posting this update, I actually get to report that not only are the pins done, but they just showed up in the mail yesterday and are all safe and sound with me now! 🎉 They look even better in person too. I truly cannot wait for each of you to hold your shiny new Shroomies in-hand soon.
With everything else ready to go (stickers, shipping material, etc.), it's just a matter of waiting on the plushies to arrive, and then order fulfilment will begin! I'll of course send another update or two before your orders start getting packed up, as we'll need to finalize / lock down shipping addresses and charge cards for all outstanding balances. I'll wait until we get just a little bit closer before pushing out the address lock and payment charge, but if you'd like to stay on top of things and be an extra-awesome person, please double check your shipping address and linked payment method now, and kindly ensure that everything is correct and good to go.
👉 How to Check / Edit your Order:
Simply log into BackerKit > click your profile icon in the top right corner > click "Your Pledges & Surveys" > find and click "Shroomie Shoppe" from the list > then find the "Edit payment or address" link in the top right.
Short & sweet good news: Both of my manufacturers have been gracious enough to cover the tariff fees, so I'm happy to say that we'll be unaffected by extra tariff costs :) What a huge relief!
⭐ Backing Cards for Pins? ⭐
To conclude this update, I have a question and new poll for you all: do you want backing cards for the enamel pins? I've always hand-packed every single pin on a card back, mostly because I love pretty packaging and have always adored the extra presentation that card backs give to pins. However, it is a HUGE time consumer to unwrap and pierce every individual pin. And admittedly, the extra packaging does feel pretty wasteful, since I know most people likely don't keep the cards.
So I'd like to know from you guys, is having your pins packaged on cards backs an important factor for you? Or would it be all the same if they were delivered in their default plastic bags from the manufacturer?
👇 Vote below: 👇
We're getting closer and closer to fulfilment every day now! Which item(s) are you most excited to receive in the mail? 🤩
Thank you a MILLION times over again for your continued support and for following along through the process. I look forward to updating you again when the plushies come in :)
Thank you all so much for your votes on the last poll :) It was an incredibly close call, but the scales were tipped slightly in favor of the burgundy Mini Shroomie Plushie (original art color). I just received the two mini plush samples in the mail so that I could compare them in person too, and I wanted to share some more pictures & videos of all the plushie samples together. Some of you brought up good points on which mini plushie would look best next to the big blue Shroomie, so here's sort of a final round comparison / vote:
Here's some fresh new side-by-size comparison pics of the plushies as well: (TIP: If you don't see the GIF below while viewing in email, click the link to this update at the top to view the full message in a new tab.)
Dark burgundy mini plush & bright red mini plush
Dark burgundy mini plush & big blue plush
Bright red mini plush & big blue plush
Dark burgundy mini plush & bright red mini plush
All three Shroomies together!
All three Shroomies together!
Final Vote:
So, now that we can see all three together (and since the polls have been so dang close), I wanted to give everyone one last chance to confirm their choice on the mini plushie color. Do you still like your original pick, or has this swayed you to the other color?
Since the winner was previously the burgundy mini plushie, I'm going to assume that's the color we're moving forward with, unless everyone mass jumps ships over to the red shroom this time 😂
👇 Vote Below (at the end of the update)! 👇
✨ Enamel Pin Production Pics:
Usually I get more pictures of the pin process (molds, raw pins, etc.), but my pin manu has been so excited to make these and show the finished product, they just jumped straight to the final pins this time 😅 We've been working really closely together on color matching with the artwork, and I'm super pleased with how each of these designs are turning out so far! There have only been a few that I'm requesting slight tweaks on, which is great considering how many colors and how many different pins we're working with here. Please enjoy all these first looks at the Shroomie Shoppe pins that I've received pics of thus far:
(NOTE: Any that are marked *colors pending = pins that I'm requesting updated color(s) on, to better match the original artwork.)
Any pins that you don't see pictured above are still in the production process and I haven't received sample pictures of yet, but once they come in, I'll happily share them with you! 🤩 I hope you're a thrilled as I am to get these in-hand and add them to your shiny trinket collection ~
Until next update, please fill out yourShroomie Shoppe - Reward Survey if you haven't yet, and let me know in the comments below which pin(s) you're most excited to see and receive!
Thank you all for following along in the production process :) It's always SO fun to see everything progressively come to life, and I seriously love that I get to share the excitement with you guys as we go along.
Bonus update! 👀 I just got some fresh sample pictures in from my plushie manu with the BRAND NEW fabric sample color! We can now compare together the original red plushie to the updated burgundy version :) Sadly, we have to pick just one, so let me know in the poll / comments below which color you prefer:
Left: burgundy fabric (new) | Right: red fabric (old)
We did another test run with this burgundy fabric to try and match the original artwork closer, and I think we finally got it / got as close as the physical materials can get! If we go with this version, then it'll match the initial vision of the design, as well as the freebie holographic sticker that'll come with each plushie.
Or, we could go with the more classic look of a bright, vibrant red little mushroom friend, which will veer from the artwork a little bit, but still stand out in your collection.
What do you guys think?! I kinda love both 😅, so this is where I need your help deciding which version goes into full production. Everything about each sample is exactly the same, aside from the fabric colors. Note: the overall shapes will vary slightly between every plushie due to the nature of the item, but the mold / pattern is consistent between them.
A big shiny package full of gorgeous stickers arrived at my doorstep this week, and I'm thrilled to share the first look with you all! 🤩 Check out all of our new holographic stickers and sticker sheets from the Shroomie Shoppe project:
✦ All stickers are made of a high quality, waterproof / UV proof vinyl that's easy to peel, and lasts for ages!
✦ The individual stickers are all made from the same company that produced my previous holo stickers, so rest assured on the consistent quality.
✦ I also used this manufacturer for the sticker sheets above, which is a different producer than my last sticker sheets from the Shroomie Roomies project. These new sticker sheets are the same size as my previous ones, but the cardstock / vinyl is just a little bit thinner. However, the entire individual sticker borders are holographic on these new sheets, rather than having background artwork borders :)👍
I think they all turned out great, and I'm excited for you guys to bask in the super shiny glory once you get them in-hand too!
🔒 Orders Are Locking:
You should have all received an automated email from BackerKit about an automatic order lock for this project in 48hrs. That means you have the next 48hrs to make any last edits to your order (like if you decide to add on any of these lovely new stickers ✨), and then your carts will lock, meaning you won't be able to make any more edits after then.
If down the road, you do decide that you want to add on anything else, you can still use the Shroomie Shoppe - Pre-Order Store, and just notify me ([email protected]) with your order / pledge number to combine the shipping.
👉 How to Add to / Edit your Order:
Simply log into BackerKit > click your profile icon in the top right corner > click "Your Pledges & Surveys" > at the top, navigate to "Your Surveys" > find and click "Shroomie Shoppe" from the list > then find the "Edit Add-Ons" button at the bottom.
Orders are locking for quantity count purposes, but I'll be waiting until we're closer to shipping / order fulfillment before I charge your payment methods for the outstanding balances (shipping costs + any add-ons purchased). With the tariff situation continuously changing on a moment's notice, I'm choosing to be patient, and wait this out a bit before making any firm decisions on how to handle the looming tariff costs. Rest assured, I'll remain transparent with you guys and let you know how this project may be affected as things develop. I won't be cancelling anything, but there is a chance of needing to delay shipment until this all hopefully blows over. Hard to say anything for sure right now, but we'll navigate it together as it comes.
📝 Unsubmitted Reward Surveys:
There are still 9 backers with incomplete surveys, so if this is you, please take a few minutes to fill it out (Shroomie Shoppe - Reward Survey), as this will provide me with your pin selection(s) & shipping address, that are of course necessary to receive your order :)👍 Thanks SO much again to everyone who already submitted theirs so quickly!
Until next update, I hope you all stay safe, healthy and well! And as always, stay shroomy 🍄💖
Hello again, Shroomie gang! Hope you've all been well :)
You may have noticed that surveys have not lockedyet, and that cards have not been charged. This was intentional, despite the previous update giving a specific lock/charge date, BECAUSE: I wanted to give you all a chance to check out and snag this brand-new pin design that's getting added to the collection:
We can all thank a super wonderful backer, Starbask, for pledging for a custom pin tier and coming up with such an adorable concept! Fun fact: the four cats tucked into the scenery here are based off of this backer's real-life kitties, two of which love to climb while the other two are content to flop and chill on the ground :) The big pink tree is also based off of their favorite real-life crab apple tree that's filled with childhood memories. It was so special getting to personalize a design like this, and I hope you all love the new pin as much as we do!
This design is not only packed with a large amount of color layers, but it'll match the bigger jar scenery pins in size at 2 inches. It'll also be hard enamel with double back posts and my engraved logo on the backside. Unlike the other jar pins though, this design will shimmer brightly in a rich rose gold plating to really bring out and complement the vibrant colors of this little garden.
👉 To get this pin:
Simply log into BackerKit > click your profile icon in the top right corner > click "Your Pledges & Surveys" > at the top, navigate to "Your Surveys" > find and click "Shroomie Shoppe" from the list > then find the "Edit Add-Ons" button at the bottom.
👉 EDIT: The "Cat Cottage Garden" pin is also available as a pin selection choice in the main survey questions, so you can either select it as one of the pins that you pledged for, or grab it as an additional pin in the Add-Ons section!
🔒 New Order Lock / Card Charge Date:
Since this final pin just now got finished, I'm of course extending the close-off date for orders, and won't be locking them down or charging cards until April 17, 2025. This gives 2 more weeks for you all to make any edits to your orders and get your payment method ready for charge.
Don't worry too much though, even if you find yourself wanting to add something else to your pledge further down the road, there's always the Shroomie Shoppe - Pre-Order Store, which if you use, I can easily combine that order with your main campaign pledge (and I'll manually refund the shipping cost on any Pre-Order store purchases so that you're not paying for shipping twice)!
💪🍄 Plushie Production Update!
I've been super excited to share the new plushie updates with you all :) Especially since the big blue shroom is getting a sweet upgrade! In my initial sample, the bottom of the mushroom had a flat piece of carboard, cut to the shape of the design, in order to let it sit flat and stand up on its own. However, after having the sample in person for a short while, I noticed that the bottom board easily got bent and distorted, which made the plushie not stand very well on its own anymore. More importantly though, this stiff sheet of cardboard made the overall plushie really ... non-cuddle-able. The big fluffy mushroom cap at the top is SO ridiculously fun to squish, hug and snuggle with, but I couldn't ever comfortably snuggle with the whole plush due to that obnoxious board layer at the bottom.
Never fear though, a solution has been found! I've been working closely with my plush manufacturer over the past month, brainstorming different ideas. We ended up adding a layer of beads just to the bottom of the mushroom, so it'll be slightly weighted now (just under 1 pound)! This not only lets our Shroomie friend sit flat like in the design, but it now stands securely, tall and proud on its own now that it's no longer top-heavy.
Check out this clip from the factory (I WISH I could upload a video here instead of a GIF so you could hear the satisfying smack sound of those weighted beads hitting the table 😆):
This plushie is going to be SO great in person, guys. I truly cannot wait for us all to get to squish our fuzzy lil new mushroom friends in-hand!
And speaking of lil fungi — here's the latest on the Mini Mushroom Plushie:
As you can see, the image quality isn't the best 😅, but I'm really pleased with the larger mushroom cap, darker face and embroidered lines under the cap, and the addition of blush! We also shrunk the legs a bit to make them fit that signature stubby Shroomie look, AND ... a small loop has been added to the top of the cap, so you guys are now free to add your own keychain attachment!
The biggest thing of course, is still the color of this mushroom. Personally, I'm actually digging the look of this vibrant red on the current sample, but we agree that it doesn't match the original artwork. So, we've been discussing other color swatches, and found a new fabric color to test that should fit the deeper burgundy color of the art much better. We're going to try a new sample using the G81 fabric (you can see a sliver of it in the top left of the pics above) and see how it compares to the G55 color previously used. Stay tuned!
❓ Even though this Mini Mushroom Plushie is currently a bit of a brighter red than the artwork, what do you think of the color? Do you still like it, or do you only want to see the plushie in a deeper burgundy palette?
💙 Enamel Pin Production:
All of the Shroomie Shoppe pin designs have already long-been approved and are ready for production :)👍 Now that this final new pin (Cat Cottage Garden) is complete and sent off to the factory, everything will officially begin! I would've liked to have the production process started sooner, but with a crazy busy life schedule right now, it took me a bit longer to finalize and confirm all of the pantone colors + more recently, design and complete the new cottage pin. But the ball is rolling now, and I'm really stoked to receive and share production process pics as they come in!
Stickers have also been ordered, and should be the first finished items that we see, since they're much quicker to produce than our other items.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I'm here to help and answer questions if you need any assistance with your orders / surveys! Take care, and stay shroomy 💪🍄
