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It's been A Few Weeks in this house, with several international conventions and some customs clearance scares, but I'm happy to share that the Gods and Monsters of Chinese Folk Lore pins are finally here!
The above is a preview of the unpacked pins; they will be shipped more securely than this.
And a detail of Qinglong, which turned out really lovely.
I have unpacked one of each to check them all, and I'm extremely happy with the final result <3
Fulfilment will pick up early June after having graded and carded all the pins, ordered shipping supplies, and restocked on the add-ons. I can't wait to be sending the pins your way :D
Thanks for supporting the project, and stay tuned for your package <3
Over the last month, my production partner has been working hard to produce all the pins for Gods and Monsters of Chinese Folk Tales, and I received good news yesterday: pin production has been completed!
I received a tracking code for four boxes (!) of enamel pins, which means the pins should probably be arriving at my doorstep in 1-2 weeks :D It's honestly the first time I am getting four boxes' worth of pins, so that's a little daunting haha. But I'm very excited to be able to share that we're all on schedule! đź’Ş
In the month of May, I'm still pretty busy with several events (Fantasy Basel, MCM London, attending Dokomi as a visitor, and my newest Backerkit, Portent, launching too) but I will already start preparing what I can. The plan is to do all fulfilment in June.
Cross-collab pledges will be shipped out together with my collab partner, so these may take a bit longer.
Thanks so much for your support on this project <3 It is the best first Backerkit I could have hoped for!
Here's another update with progress pictures for Pintopia 2026 - Gods and Monsters of Chinese Folk Tales!
My manufacturing partner is hard at work and sends me a lot of updates, so I made a compilation of where we are around now. They are going incredibly fast and have said that the ETA of mid June is very doable, so fingers crossed <3
Not everything you see in these pictures is final; I have asked to add a chain to the stone lion pin set, and the freebie QJJ collab pin will still be plated in a pinkish chrome, but it should give you a good indication on where everything stands!
That said, I have given the survey a bit of extra time for last backers to fill it. But since I will be preparing to ship in the next month or two, I will be charging cards some time next week. Thanks so much for everyone who went through the survey and filled it out! I look forward to the moment when I can start assembling your rewards in packages and sending them your way <3
You might have received a notification just now from Backerkit. That is correct <3 I have set all pledges for people who have filled in their survey to lock within 48 hours. That means that, 48 hours from now when your order locks, I can make a final tally for all the pins that need to be ordered and bring my manufacturer up to date about any additional ones that may need to be produced.
A few days later, your card will be charged.
If you haven't filled in the survey yet, do so now to be sure that I can send you your pins of choice: https://gods-and-monsters-of-chinese-folk-tales.backerkit.com/. After April 8, I can no longer guarantee unfilled surveys to get your pins of choice.
Wishing you a Happy Easter Monday with hopefully lots of sun and family (or just a really good day <3 )
Word from my manufacturer just came in, and the first molds for this year's Pintopia are being produced :D
These molds still look fairly rough and silver, don't they? Don't worry, the pins will be plated with pretty rose gold and polished in the end!
I'll be closing the preorder shop and locking orders on Monday to get the final counts for production. So if you still need to fill in the survey or want to update your items, make sure to do that before April 5 end of day.
Update on pin status + reminder to fill out your survey
Hi everyone,
It's been a few weeks since Pintopia 2026 wrapped, and many things have been happening behind the scenes since. I wanted to take the time to give you an update on that <3
All designs have been sent to my manufacturing partner and the proofs are all ready
An initial order has been started and paid to produce at least 20 pins of each design
I will be sending the final amounts t order to my manufacturer soon. That also means that I kindly want to bring up uncompleted surveys. If you haven't completed your survey yet, please do so now. I will be locking orders after April 5, at which point you will no longer be able to add or remove items. So if you haven't filled in your survey yet, you run the risk of not being able to get the designs you wanted after April 5. I feel bad and a bit intense for having to bold these parts, but the order will be finalized to put everything into production after April 5, and I would really hate for anyone to miss it.
But! 88% of all backers have filled in their surveys so far, and that's amazing! Thank you!
To share some fun data with you, here are the most popular enamel pins:
43x selected: Jade Rabbit!
31x selected: Moon Goddess Chang'e and Carp Dragon
27x selected: Nian
26x selected: Shishi stone lions and Huli Jing
25x selected: Baihu
As a creator, it's always incredibly interesting to see how every design is doing, and even though all designs are of course my own and I have confidence in all of them, your picks were really fun to follow <3
There are a lot of freebies to be unlocked! What's best: this is an and-and situation. You can definitely unlock more than one freebie. Here are all the available freebies: Early birds catch the worm! If you back "Gods and Monsters of Chinese Folk Tales" in the first 48 hours of the campaign, I'll add a free sticker set of the Four Divinities to your items <3
If you followed the project before it went live, you will get a mini sticker set of all freebie pins (including the banner and collab pins, if you backed those).
If you back 2+ pins, you can pick one of two 1-inch mini pins: a lotus flower or a ghost fire. Pledging for 8+ pins also unlocks the freebie pin designs to purchase as an add-on in the backer survey.
I am also collaborating with Mini Mustang Madness for a unique pin set featuring more horses! Back both our projects and get this set of two pins for free. A Lotta Unicorns's design is her take on the Qilin, and my design is a tribute to one of my favorite modern stories, A Ballad of Sword and Wine (QJJ).
I'm also a part of Lore & Myth, a Pintopia banner where artists of similar theme gather together. From folklore, mythology, legends and more; check out all other participants. If you back 3 or more Lore & Myth campaigns, you'll get a free exclusive mini pin from each creator you backed!
The designs
When "Gods and Monsters" is successfully funded, the first four designs become available to select as a pin. These designs are based on the Four Divinities. The Four Divinities are the four guardians of the cardinal directions. They are:
The Azure Dragon of the East, Qinglong
The Vermilion Bird of the South, Zhuque
The White Tiger of the West, Baihu
The Black Tortoise of the North, Xuanwu
The Qilin is a mythical creature from Chinese stories, appearing as a pure, deer-like creature with dragon-like features. The Qilin is often associated with the coming of a great ruler, and most famously linked to the Yellow Emperor that way.
The Shishi, or Stone Lions, are protectors of a house. One guardian lion represents the male yang and is shown holding a ball, while the other of the pair represents the female yin and holds a playful cub under her paw.
This is a lapel pin set. Together, they count as one pin. Note that these designs are smaller than other pins.
The Jade Rabbit is a rabbit living on the moon. It is the Moon Goddess's companion and is depicted holding a mortar and pestle as it pounds the elixir of life. The Jade Rabbit is associated with mooncakes and frequently appears on Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake packaging.
From the Chinese folk tale The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, where two people fell in love with each other. But their love was forbidden and they were banished to other sides of the sky, and they were only able to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month, when magpies would form a bridge for the two lovers to meet.
Chang'e is the moon goddess. She lives on the moon with her rabbit, the Jade Rabbit. Chang'e ascended to the moon after her husband, the archer Hou Yi, procured two elixirs of life. One day, home alone, her husband's apprentice broke in and demanded one of the elixirs. Rather than giving him the elixir, Chang'e took both herself. She ascended to the moon, so that she would always still be close to Hou Yi on Earth.
Huli Jing are immortal trickster fox spirits. They can be either benevolent or malevolent, and are known for their shapeshifting abilities. The most famous kind of Huli Jing is the Nine-Tailed Fox.
Nezha is a popular hero from folk legends, whose adventures often put him in the path of immortals—and gave everyone around him a lot of trouble. His weapons include a red ribbon and a fire-tipped spear, and he rides the clouds on his Wind Fire Wheels.
Carps are closely associated with dragons in Chinese stories, and it is said that a carp who is able to climb the Dragon Gate waterfall and leaps over it, becomes a dragon.
The Nian is a mythological beast that would come out from the mountains or sea to raid human villages. It hates loud noises, the color red, and firecrackers. The Nian is a key character in the celebrations around the Chinese New Year.
The Monkey King (or Sun Wukong) is the main character of Journey to the West, one of China's most popular literary works. The story follows his mischievous and legendary adventures. The Monkey King has many supernatural abilities and attributes, a few of which are his flying cloud and a magical staff that can change size and weight, as well as attack opponents.
The Legend of the White Snake is considered one of China's Four Great Folktales. It tells the story of a human who falls in love with a white snake spirit, who was initially full of ill intent but whose nature changed over time. Inevitably, the white snake spirit would eventually be found out.
The Heibai Wuchang, or Black and White Impermanence, are deities who guide the spirits of the dead to the underworld. The Black Impermanence is always dressed in black, and the White Impermanence appears as its polar opposite.
The Four Heavenly Kings are four Buddhist protectors, watching over a cardinal direction of the world. They are often enshrined in Buddhist temples. Chiguo Tian is the Heavenly King of the East. He plays music on his pipa and protects celestial musicians and flesh-eating spirits.
Baigujing, or White Bone Spirit, is a strong villain from the Journey to the West. She seeks to eat the flesh of Tang Sanzang, a central figure in the story. Baigujing's true form is that of a skeleton.
While researching Baigujing, I stumbled across a gorgeous outfit from the Peking Opera. The pin is an ode to that outfit.
