Latest from the Creator
PROJECT UPDATE
Project Update: Timeline Changes and other updates!
Good afternoon cuddle club members! I have one more big announcement for today!
I wanted to make this update sooner rather than later so we're all on the same page and all the most pertinent info is in one place.
With the insane amount of success this campaign has seen and the many new add-ons and designs, the timeline will be changed to reflect all the prototyping that needs to be done and the incredible amount of plushies that will need to be manufactured.
The original estimated ship date of February will now be moved to July-August which will give us lots of room to perfect each design, be it a plush or an accessory, as well as make sure you're receiving the highest quality plush possible.
As mentioned previously, I'm actively shopping around for the best fulfillment center to fit our needs. I've spoken to several people already-- some even have warehouses in various countries across the globe that would allow me to offer the cheapest possible shipping fees, especially to my international friends (and don't worry Canadians, I'm looking out for you as well!) More importantly though, this will cut down on shipping delays, errors, and other issues that could slow us down and (hopefully) compensate somewhat for the longer production timeline.
Why the need for such a long production timeline to begin with?
Prototyping can be slow, unfortunately, with each plush taking anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to fully develop and in some cases even longer. While we can work on some designs simultaneously and some are even perfect on the very first try, I know a project of this scale is still going to require a number of revisions .
The good news is most of the designs simply require a color change, which is (generally speaking) much faster than developing a plush from scratch.
Why can't you ship the finished designs first?
This comes down to cost. Consolidating orders and shipping all at once is cheaper than shipping several pallets at different times due to the huge amounts of space, labor, and time involved. I will discuss the logistics with the manufacturer and possibly begin the manufacturing process on some designs before others, but they will still likely all ship at once.
And finally a note on international shipping and the preorder store:
Because of the extended production timeline, the preorder store that opens in October will remain open for a longer period as well. The upside to this is, if we don't meet the 500k goal for the second run of Series 1 in the next 22 days, this gives us a lot more time to do so!
It will also ensure we have a visual on all the new designs so no one has to purchase a plush unseen and hope it comes out to their liking.
The preorder store will also offer international shipping. I am hoping to decide on a fulfillment center by then, which will allow me to put together more accurate shipping estimates for countries outside of North America.
Anyway, I tried to keep this as concise as possible and I hope it all makes sense! If you have any questions or concerns, I invite you to share them here. Even when I don't respond, I read every message and take your feedback to heart 💖
I wanted to make this update sooner rather than later so we're all on the same page and all the most pertinent info is in one place.
With the insane amount of success this campaign has seen and the many new add-ons and designs, the timeline will be changed to reflect all the prototyping that needs to be done and the incredible amount of plushies that will need to be manufactured.
The original estimated ship date of February will now be moved to July-August which will give us lots of room to perfect each design, be it a plush or an accessory, as well as make sure you're receiving the highest quality plush possible.
As mentioned previously, I'm actively shopping around for the best fulfillment center to fit our needs. I've spoken to several people already-- some even have warehouses in various countries across the globe that would allow me to offer the cheapest possible shipping fees, especially to my international friends (and don't worry Canadians, I'm looking out for you as well!) More importantly though, this will cut down on shipping delays, errors, and other issues that could slow us down and (hopefully) compensate somewhat for the longer production timeline.
Why the need for such a long production timeline to begin with?
Prototyping can be slow, unfortunately, with each plush taking anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to fully develop and in some cases even longer. While we can work on some designs simultaneously and some are even perfect on the very first try, I know a project of this scale is still going to require a number of revisions .
The good news is most of the designs simply require a color change, which is (generally speaking) much faster than developing a plush from scratch.
Why can't you ship the finished designs first?
This comes down to cost. Consolidating orders and shipping all at once is cheaper than shipping several pallets at different times due to the huge amounts of space, labor, and time involved. I will discuss the logistics with the manufacturer and possibly begin the manufacturing process on some designs before others, but they will still likely all ship at once.
And finally a note on international shipping and the preorder store:
Because of the extended production timeline, the preorder store that opens in October will remain open for a longer period as well. The upside to this is, if we don't meet the 500k goal for the second run of Series 1 in the next 22 days, this gives us a lot more time to do so!
It will also ensure we have a visual on all the new designs so no one has to purchase a plush unseen and hope it comes out to their liking.
The preorder store will also offer international shipping. I am hoping to decide on a fulfillment center by then, which will allow me to put together more accurate shipping estimates for countries outside of North America.
Anyway, I tried to keep this as concise as possible and I hope it all makes sense! If you have any questions or concerns, I invite you to share them here. Even when I don't respond, I read every message and take your feedback to heart 💖
PROJECT UPDATE
Project Update: Carewere Giveaway! 🎁✨
I'm very excited to offer three different opportunities for folks to claim a carewere of their very own!
First up is a twitter giveaway! All you have to do to enter is retweet, and comment with a gif that makes you smile.
Next up we have an instagram giveaway. Again the rules are simple-- a like and tag is all you need to do to enter.
And lastly is a super awesome, ultra special BackerKit giveaway!
The prize is a carewere of your choice from the unlocked designs, as well as a cuddle club pin and bandana.
To enter share a picture of your carewere. This can be a drawing, a photograph, or generated via the build-a-were creator. The only requirement is that they are 1) a carewere (new species and creative reimaginings are a-okay) and 2) special to you in some form or fashion! Submitting art you've already drawn is also fine as long as it fits the prompt.
(If you're looking for somewhere to host your image, try https://imgur.com/)
Then share a link to your creation in the comments, and you're done! Winner will be chosen based on creativity and sincerity, so you don't have to be a seasoned artist to win 💖
All giveaways end on 10/3!
PROJECT UPDATE
Project Update: Series 2 Update: Addresses locking on November 20th!
We have an ETA on that massive snughoul shipment, critters! Series 2 is expected to reach the warehouse on December 6th.
Obviously this is awesome news! This date comes directly from the freight forwarder so I am optimistic that it's accurate, but I do want to include a disclaimer that customs could still delay the shipment by a few days to a week or so (🕯️🕯️🕯️manifesting a speedy customs clearance now🕯️🕯️🕯️)
In preparation for their arrival, addresses will be locking on (or shortly after) November 20th. If for some reason your address is up in the air at the moment, please contact me so I can make a note of it and hold your package until you have somewhere to receive your items (unless we already discussed a hold, in which case you're good to go).
Speaking of reaching out, I've been in migraine city for most of this week but am finally on the mend so I will be touching base with everyone who has already reached out asap. If you don't hear back from me within the next 24 hours, please feel free to resend your email.
AND FINALLY, I've updated the checklist with the new dates and info! It's a bit redundant at this point, but what can I say....all those green boxes make brain go brrrrr 🥴 We're in the homestretch folks!!!
Obviously this is awesome news! This date comes directly from the freight forwarder so I am optimistic that it's accurate, but I do want to include a disclaimer that customs could still delay the shipment by a few days to a week or so (🕯️🕯️🕯️manifesting a speedy customs clearance now🕯️🕯️🕯️)
In preparation for their arrival, addresses will be locking on (or shortly after) November 20th. If for some reason your address is up in the air at the moment, please contact me so I can make a note of it and hold your package until you have somewhere to receive your items (unless we already discussed a hold, in which case you're good to go).
Speaking of reaching out, I've been in migraine city for most of this week but am finally on the mend so I will be touching base with everyone who has already reached out asap. If you don't hear back from me within the next 24 hours, please feel free to resend your email.
AND FINALLY, I've updated the checklist with the new dates and info! It's a bit redundant at this point, but what can I say....all those green boxes make brain go brrrrr 🥴 We're in the homestretch folks!!!
PROJECT UPDATE
Project Update: Series 2 Update: The 'ghouls are on the move!!
Once again I apologize for the stretch of silence in between updates critters! I was worried that as soon as I posted an update something especially exciting would happen (or worse yet, I'd get our hopes up over nothing).
But the wait has finally paid off! The snughouls have officially left the factory!! This is what roughly 1200 boxes of snughouls and snughoul accessories look like 😳
But the wait has finally paid off! The snughouls have officially left the factory!! This is what roughly 1200 boxes of snughouls and snughoul accessories look like 😳
Now the clock starts on their estimated arrival. We're looking at about 35-45 days in transit since they'll be arriving by container ship. I will be sure to share an update here as soon as their status changes/they reach the port/etc etc.
Another bit of good news: the 'ghouls passed their 3rd party inspection with flying colors! Out of 500 plushies inspected (across all styles and colors), only 2 had major defects that would categorize them as a b-grade which is frankly incredible. Some defective plushies are to be expected, but as long as the failure rate is below 5% I'm a happy camper and the odds of a backer receiving a damaged snughoul drop dramatically.
All and all, I'm happy, relieved...anxious over what fulfillment will look like when they finally get here 😅 But right now everything is looking great and I can't wait for everyone to receive their snughouls!
A final note: remember we have a hoppin' community over on discord so come join us if you would like something to tide you over between updates! I share something there almost every day, whether its illustration WIPs, graphic design, plush samples for future projects, you name it.
I also share tons of more mundane, behind the scenes stuff like inspection reports, the sampling process and so on so if you're thinking about launching your own plush project someday you can come learn from my mistakes 🥲
That's all for now critters. Thank you so much for your patience thus far, and I'll see you in the next update!