We Did It!
over 2 years ago – Tue, Oct 19, 2021 at 09:36:09 AM

And that's a wrap! Thank you so much to every single one of you. I'm so excited that we're going to be able to make these pins!

What's next?

There are a few pledges that need to be fixed. Kickstarter sends reminder emails, but I'll send a personal message the day before the cut off (7 days from now). If something happens and you can't fix it before that, but still want these pins, there's good news. Backerkit gives you the option to fix your pledge after the 7 day cut off. Please reach out to me if this is a route you'd like to go so that I can calculate that. I'd really appreciate if you could fix this ASAP so I know what we're working with for funds!

I'm currently working on backerkit to create your surveys, as well as putting some add-ons for pre-existing pins and stickers that I have. Because backerkit doesn't let you put different quantities for pins in a single listing (example: my birthstone pins have 12 options, but I can only but a quantity for the whole). That said, if there are any other pins you want that I've made, I'll be sending out a code to combine orders with your pledge.

What about the pins that weren't unlocked?

When you first get your survey, those won't be an option right away. They will be available as add-ons, and right now I need about 8 orders of each to unlock them. That will change since I intend on using the money from my shop. 

So what will happen is that I'll get you to pick from the 6 unlocked (which would mean putting doubles in for some people), and when they're unlocked, I'll update your options and if you want to switch it, you can. Another bonus for backerkit is that you can alter your surveys. It's better to do it this way instead of just waiting to fill out the surveys altogether, that way it's just a quick switch at the end and if there's anything else you want, you'll be able to get them. 

I'll update you guys again when backerkit is ready to go and surveys are out! Thank you again. If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to reach out on here or instagram! 

Goal Assessment
over 2 years ago – Sun, Oct 17, 2021 at 06:12:53 PM

I said that I was going to take a look at the money and everything about 12 hours before the kickstarter ended, and I just realized that I was going to be asleep for that, so now is close enough. I went through and recalculated every goal again, and while the final goal to unlock all of them is $1500ca, I broke the numbers down a little more.

Good news: As long as this campaign ends with us over $1000 (we're at $1006 at the time of posting), Venus can be unlocked. That means 6/10 pins would be funded.

More good news: This also means that since the goals are a little more broken down, there's a very good chance that people grabbing things on backerkit will unlock the rest of them (based on the last three kickstarters I ran via backerkit), as well as being supplemented by the sale I plan on having from my shop will supplement the rest of them. This would mean that the people that pledged for 10 don't necessarily have to get doubles of things, and backerkit surveys can be altered when things become available.

So when I wake up in the morning, if we're still the same or above $1000, I'm going to let the kickstarter go through. 

I truly hope that everyone stays on, and that we get another backer or two in the next twelve hours, but if you don't, thank you for your support up to this point. I truly do appreciate it! 

See you guys at the finish line!

Final Push! Last 40 hours!
over 2 years ago – Sat, Oct 16, 2021 at 03:34:44 PM

We're down to our last 40 hours in the campaign and I do have some news that may help us a little bit. After some more information gathering, and lots of math, I'll be able to unlock all 10 designs at $1500 instead of $1700. I know that this is still $467 away at the time of posting this, which might seem far, but it's still a bit of an improvement! If you were hesitating to up your pledge, of if you know someone who was hesitating to back this project at all, now is the time to do it! 

Whether we manage to do this or not, know that I still appreciate the support from each and every one of you! 

Our Funding Status
over 2 years ago – Thu, Oct 14, 2021 at 06:09:22 PM

A few people have reached out to me via DM, a bit concerned about the funding of the stretch goals. I admit, I was expecting to be further along at this point. There does tend to be rushes of changing pledges in the last 48 hours, so we'll see how that goes. There are quite a few people following this project, more than most other ones I've done.

I recommend that you do not drop your pledge if you're still interested in these pins. If the funds go down, it starts re-locking designs, and usually stops any additional interest at the end of the project since it puts goals farther out of reach. Many of you are pledged for a lot of pins, and without you guys, we're essentially back to just one pin unlocked. To keep this risk free for you, I'll assess the kickstarter in the last 12 hours, and if it looks like there's no chance of more designs being unlocked, I'll cancel it altogether so you won't be charged. I don't like doing this, but I have done it before. I've been super lucky to have all my kickstarters reach initial funding, but if you look at my profile, I think half of them have been cancelled for this reason after discussing it with backers. You've been so generous and awesome to help try to back this project, so I've got your back in turn!

So what can do we in the meantime? The best way to help is to share my posts on instagram and twitter because both of them are stupid about who they share posts with (to be blunt 😂), especially while trying to avoid certain tags. If you're in different pin discord communities, sharing it there (when you can) also really helps. The same for facebook groups. I've been sharing them where I can too!  

If this gets cancelled, I already have the mold made and the metallic stickers on the way (both of which I was hoping to cover with this kickstarter). I'll likely get a small amount of the Moon one made just so the mold doesn't go to waste. I technically can't afford it, but I'll suck it up and change my monthly budget somewhere else. Just means that they'll be super limited edition in that case!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Thank you for everything so far! You guys are awesome! 

Jupiter Unlocked + Freebie Roundup
over 2 years ago – Mon, Oct 11, 2021 at 04:15:13 PM

By only $4, we've unlocked Jupiter! That means that we have half of our pins unlocked! 

Let's talk freebies. I've been mentioning that I've been working on something, and that's because I was waiting for my most recent batch of pins to come in so I could check them over. Since the quality turned out great, I've decided that all backers are going to get one free randomized mini pin from this set (from my last kickstarter):

It's going to be random, but if you you backed that kickstarter as well, you can let me know which ones you already have. 

So that means we have the following freebies:

• 1. Random mini gemstone pin (for everyone)
• 2. Bonus sticker sheet (for everyone)
• 3. Metallic 3" sticker (backers of 2+ pins)
• 4. New sticker sheets (1 free for backers of 5+ pins, 2 free for backers of 10+ pins, when unlocked)

I'm working with my manu for these pins now to see if there is some form of discount that comes with buying more pins, and getting more accurate numbers, so hopefully in the last day or so I might be able to knock down the last goal or two, but we'll see how it goes.

Getting traction on social medias is so difficult lately, even for more popular pinmakers. If you could share this campaign, it'd be a huge help.

We're almost there, and I know we can do it!