Hello backers and followers, the keychains have arrived. Below you can find photos of them. I have also posted videos on Instagram, TikTok, and Tumblr showing them in action.
A little note about the keychains: they will have a film you need to peel off, I'll share another reminder when they ship out.
As for the stickers, plushies, and pins:
Stickers are still in production, ETA on them is another 2-3 weeks.
You may remember the plushies looked like they had the wrong eye color in the previous update. It turns out the manufacturer did make a mistake with the embroidery colors, and these are being redone.
Pins are still in production, last I heard from the manufacturer the enamel fill is in progress for the new designs, and all the recolored designs are finished.
We're still on track to ship in June provided there's no major shipping delays once those items are done. If the plushies are further delayed I plan to send out pin-only orders first instead of waiting until the plushies arrive.
That's all for this update, stay tuned for more and let me know if you have any questions.
It's time to make sure you've filled out your survey, because today is the notice day that orders will be locked! I intend to charge cards within a week after orders have been locked, no later than April 29th, so it's extra important to make sure all of your information is updated and ready to go.
Hello backers and followers, I finally heard back from the plush manufacturer! Here are photos from them.
These are the only photos I've received, and the manufacturer said they want to ship the plushies soon. However I noticed the eye color doesn't quite match the sample, so I've reached out to the manufacturer for more photos, hopefully it's just the lighting but I'll keep you all updated on any developments.
In the meantime if you're curious, I included a write up of the prototyping process with photos in the backers-only section. Let me know if you have any questions, this is my very first plush so it was definitely a learning experience. That's all for this update. Have a wonderful rest of your day!
Thank you all for a successful campaign! I appreciate everyone's patience regarding this update while I’ve been working through a lot behind the scenes.
Here are the latest updates:
Surveys: The survey is currently being refined with the BackerKit team and it will be sent as soon as it's approved! There's a lot of complexity to the survey and I want to make sure everything is correct before I ship it off.
Enamel Pins: All pin designs were submitted last month to the manufacturer and they're currently in production!
Plushies: I want to be transparent with you all and unfortunately the manufacturer that I'm working with discarded my master plushie pattern for Tsuki and Hina. What that means is that I've had to recreate the sample before moving forward with mass production.
That said, I'm using this as an opportunity to refine the plushies to make sure that this recreation is even better than the last. I'm not making any major changes to the plushies and they will still have all the features advertised in the campaign.
While this adds some extra time to the schedule, I did add some buffer into my estimated timeline for disruptions. Since we are still early in the process and the new sample is nearly finished, I don’t expect this to push the final delivery date back significantly. I am truly sorry for the delay and I will share a revised timeline as soon as I know. I really appreciate your patience while I make sure the final plushies are something we’re all excited about!
If anyone has any concerns about this, please don't hesitate to reach out. You can contact me by commenting on this update, via instagram, or by sending an email.
Next steps:
Surveys will still be coming out soon, so keep an eye out on your emails!
A friendly reminder that shipping fees will be collected in the survey (you did not pay for shipping during the campaign).
I will send photo updates of both the pins and plushies as soon as I receive them!
Thank you so much for your continued patience and support!
Just popping in to say that the pins are finished and they've been shipped to me, they've been stuck in customs :c not sure when they'll move. Heres some pics my manu sent. I'll let yall know when they get here and when i ship them <3 address locking will be pushed back until then
I’ve seen the feedback (and concerns) about colored electroplating / chrome-style finishes, especially in situations where there’s metal-on-metal friction (loops, clasps, hanging hardware). Thank you for being so candid. I’m taking it seriously, and durability is the priority.
❓ What I’m Doing About It (Before we Commit to Full Production)
I’m actively testing multiple approaches with my manufacturer so we can choose the best path without changing the overall look/feel you pledged for:
Hard enamel remains my goal (it’s also the best base for clean screen-prints).
I’m having multiple samples created and exploring protective finish options.
If the colored plating can’t hold up, I’m going to pivot to more proven platings like gold, rose gold, silver, and black nickel rather than switch the pin style!
I’ll share photos/video as soon as I have them in-hand, and I’ll be transparent about the final decision and why. ☺️
🕜 Survey + Pre-Order Timing (And When Cards are Charged)
A quick logistical note so nobody gets surprised:
The surveys and Pre-order Shop will lock/close on Friday, April 10 (end of day CT).
Any remaining balances for add-ons/upgrades will be charged on Monday, April 13. (If you aren’t adding anything new, you won’t be charged again.)
Shipping will be collected later, closer to fulfillment, once I have final package weights, and I’ll post an update before any shipping charges run!
Pay Over Time Backers: you won’t be locked out. Your survey is released after your final payment clears, and I’ll keep a window open so you can submit your choices even if I’ve locked the main batch of orders.
Thank you again for your patience and for helping me make the most durable, high-quality version of these little guardians possible~ I’ll post again as soon as I have some sample media and a clear finish decision. 💛
~ Qesque 🎨 Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and Bluesky: @Qesque
Hello! Apologies for the silence, I was out of town for about 5 weeks but now I am back and ready to get back to work on this campaign! I'll be locking orders tomorrow, so, if there's any changes you'd like to make please do so before then. Next week I will be charging cards for any shipping and extra add ons that need to be paid for.
Hi friends! 💛 I know it’s been a minute since my last update, and I promise I haven’t been avoiding you (or Choir Critters)! 🙏
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of con-booth redesign and travel, taxes/behind-the-scenes admin, and staying in close contact with my manufacturer as we move into production.
🌈 Chrome / Colored Electroplating: What my Manufacturer Warned Me About
A quick manufacturing note: My manufacturer cautioned that colored electroplating is not as durable as standard plating, and it can wear or chip faster if it experiences repeated friction or “collision.” In Choir Critters' case, that matters a bit more than usual because some designs include metal loops + lobster claw clasps / hanging components, which means there’s a higher chance of tiny parts rubbing against the plating over time.
I asked whether a protective epoxy coating could be applied to hard enamel to help with this, but they’ve tested it and haven’t had success with epoxy over hard enamel in a way they’re confident in.
🪽 What We’re Doing About It: Two Angel Opossum Samples
To make the best call before we mass-produce anything, I’m having two Angel Opossum samples made:
Hard enamel + colored electroplating (original plan)
Soft enamel + epoxy over electroplating (more tolerant of friction from attachments)
According to my manufacturer, the pins are receiving plating now, so I’m hoping to have photos/videos soon! 📸 I’ve also requested that both samples be shipped to me so I can physically test scratch resistance, see the finish in person, and then share results with you all. Once I’ve got them in-hand (and gotten your feedback), I’ll be able to move forward with the next round of samples with much more confidence! 💪
In the meantime, here’s a peek at the finished mold for our little Angel Opossum:
🛍️ Survey + Pre-order Shop: Locking Date
Because convention prep took longer than expected (and I promised you an announcement before I lock things), I’m setting:
📌 Next Friday, April 10 as the day I’ll be locking orders and closing the pre-order shop!
If you haven’t completed your survey yet, please try to get it in before then so I can lock counts and keep production moving~
🗓️ Pay Over Time Backers
No stress! You won’t be left behind. Your surveys are released after your final payment clears, and I’ll keep a window open so you can submit your choices even if I’ve already locked the main order counts. (BackerKit sends the survey link within ~72 hours after the final installment processes, so no fear if you don't get it right away!)
🐾🎪 A Little Look at the Con
As mentioned, I redesigned my whole booth and got to show off Choir Critters a bit at C2E2! Huge thank you to everyone who stopped by and/or placed pre-orders at the con. It was an amazing weekend, and I’d love to attend again next year. 💛
That’s all for now!
I’m hoping to share photos/videos of the Angel Opossum samples soon. Until then, have a wonderful weekend, and thank you again for your patience while I do my best to make these little guardians as durable (and delightful) as possible. 😇✨
~ Qesque 🎨 Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and Bluesky: @Qesque
Hey all! Hope you have been well during these couples of weeks! Thanks so much for filling out your survey's and payments :) I just wanted to hop in to show off some production photos! Everything is in full swing and looking great, so excited for everything to be complete and shipped to me! Just a reminder that I won't lock orders until I get ready for shipping, so if something doesn't turn out to your liking you are more than welcome to switch. As always if you need help in any way, reach out to me at [email protected]
Before I get into sharing photos, I wanted to apologize and mention that when ordering stickers I realized I completely missed two designs. These are Maw of the Beast and Sky Guardian. I added them to the backend just now, so if you wanted these stickers you still have plenty of time to edit your survey items. So sorry with the couple of hiccups thus far, it's been a bit of a rough couple of months for me! Appreciate your patience and understanding :)
Now for some production photos! Please note that all of these are unfinished, and these are WIP's!
I think that's all for now! Thanks for checking in and hope you like them so far :)
