Nothing too dramatic to report this time. Just a quick check-in to let you know that everything is moving along nicely!
🖼️ Sticker Survey Follow-Up
First, a huge thank you to the sticker backers who responded so quickly to the survey! For the kind words and for those willing to wait, thank you so much!🥹💕
I’m still waiting on one response, so if you think that's you, please check your Spam folder in case it got flagged! 😱
And for anyone seeking a refund, if you could please reach out to me by email I'll get that sorted out for you right away! 🙏
I really appreciate how flexible and understanding everyone has been about the whole corrupted-files situation. It made what could’ve been a much bigger headache surprisingly easy to sort out. Now that the initial letdown has worn off a bit, I'm actually kind of excited to get back to work on these again. 😊
📌 Pins Are in Mass Production!
All of the final edits for the remaining pins have been sent over to my manufacturer, along with the final production counts.
That means the PokéBites pins are now officially in mass production! 🎉✨
At this point, it’s mostly a matter of letting the manufacturer work their magic and waiting for everything to make its way back to me.
🃏 Backing Cards: Take Two! ~
And I’ve got one more happy little update:
The reprinted Pokémon backing cards arrived… and this time they are PERFECT! 💖
❓ What’s Next?
That’s really all for now!
Everything is currently on track, and my next major milestone will be getting the finished pins in hand.
Once they arrive, I’ll post another update and share the final date that shipping charges will be processed, so everyone has a chance to double-check their payment information before fulfillment begins.
Thanks again for your patience and support~ We’re getting close! 🫡✨
~ Qesque 🎨 Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and Bluesky: @Qesque
This update has a little bit of everything: some unfortunate news, an important decision I need a handful of you to make, and then (thankfully 😖) some much happier production news!
I’ll be sending a short survey specifically to the affected backers so you can tell me how you’d like me to handle your stickers.
Everyone else is welcome to skip past the computer-disaster saga and head straight to the shiny new pin samples below. 😅
💀 The Bad News: The Great Computer Disaster
So... both my desktop and my laptop decided to die within about a week of each other. They're both back up and running now, thankfully! Unfortunately, getting there came with some casualties.
Despite having backups, several files were unknowingly overwritten with older versions during the recovery process, and at least two files were completely corrupted. And, naturally, those two happened to be the PokéBites sticker files, as they're what I was working on during both crashes. 🫠 I didn't even realize this had happened until just a couple days ago, since I'd been so busy during all of July focusing on my back-to-back cons and was still waiting on the desktop power supply to ship.
I initially hoped I could at least recover a flattened snapshot of the artwork. I would lose all my layers, but since the illustrations were mostly finished, that would've been enough to get them printed. Unfortunately, it looks like the files were actively being written to while the computers were crashing. What remains is essentially a whole lot of useless zeroes with little-to-no recoverable artwork inside.
So... that's neat. XD
🖼️ Sticker Backers: I Need Your Input!
Before the crashes, I was nearly 2/3 finished with the sticker artworks (both grass and fire were basically complete), and I could have easily completed the third and final design while the remaining pins were in production.
Now, I'd essentially be starting the sticker portion of the project over from scratch. And I do not want these three sticker designs to delay fulfillment of what is, first and foremost, an enamel pin campaign, especially when the pins themselves are so close to completion. 🥹
The good news is that I checked the orders in BackerKit, and only 7 backers have sticker SKUs in their orders. Since it's such a small group, I'm happy to work with each of you and honor whichever solution works best for you. 💖
I'll be sending those backers a short survey with three choices:
Option 1) Still receive the original stickers I will recreate all three designs (Grass, Fire & Water) as originally promised! Your pins will ship without waiting on their completion, and I'll send the stickers to you separately at a later date, at no additional shipping cost to you. Important: Choosing this option means you're okay with the sticker timeline being pushed out considerably. Once PokéBites fulfillment is underway, much of my attention will need to shift toward fulfilling Choir Critters, so I don't want to promise a sticker completion date that I may not be able to meet. For the couple of sticker backers who also backed Choir Critters, I may be able to simply include your completed PokéBites stickers with that shipment instead, should you choose this option!
Option 2) Substitute something else If you'd rather not wait, I'm happy to work out a replacement of equivalent value with you. Each sticker was $5, and most sticker backers selected all three. So, for example, a $15 sticker bundle could easily be exchanged for one $15 Pokémon Pin (or another equivalent product from my online shop at qesque.com). We can work out the details individually depending on what you ordered and what you'd prefer!
Option 3) Refund the stickers If neither of those options appeals to you, I'm also completely happy to refund the cost of your sticker add-ons. No hard feelings whatsoever. 💖
Once the survey is ready, I'll send it directly to the affected backers. If you're one of them and have questions before choosing, please reach out!
🗞️ Now for Much Better News!
･: *✧✨ The Remaining Pin Samples Are Here! ✨✧*:･ﾟ
I received samples for:
😎 Squirtle + Magnetic Sunglasses
🥗 Chickpea Salad Filler Pin
🍣 Sushi Rolls Filler Pin
🍢 Takoyaki Filler Pin
🍡 Dango Filler Pin
And they look fantastic!!
I'm extremely happy with how these turned out, and aside from a few minor color adjustments (scroll down to see what those look like!), and assuring the white screen-print of the Dango Filler Pin is printed on top of all of the others, everything has been approved and is ready to roll. 🎉
And we're now firmly in the final stretch of pin production!
🃏 Backing Cards: Beautiful! ...Mostly!
I also received the backing cards for the Pokémon Pins! A couple of these were suggested by you guys. I hope you like the chosen designs. 😊
They're really lovely and exactly as I'd imagined and hoped for...
...except for one teensy-tiny-major problem:
The inside of every card was printed upside-down.😂
So that's a bit of a problem.
I'm reaching out now to see about getting those reprinted correctly. Thankfully, the artwork and print quality themselves look great, so this should just be a matter of getting the orientation fixed.
🗺️ What's Next?
My hope is that everything will be finished and in-hand by the end of the month (stickers excluded for any who choose to wait for them) and I'll finally be ready to begin fulfillment! As soon as my manufacturer sends over the final batch of pins, I'll give everyone a heads up for when shipping will be charged!
We're getting very, very close. 🙌
Thank you all again for your patience through the unexpected hiccups. Apparently my first solo campaign is one of trial by fire. 😅🔥 I really appreciate you sticking with me, and I can't wait to start sending these little guys home!
'Til next time, signing off. 🫡
~ Qesque 🎨 Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and Bluesky: @Qesque
If you’re just here for the fun new art and want to skip the logistical bits, feel free to scroll down to the sections below, especially the part at the end where I’d love your input! 😄💖
For everyone still with me, here are a few important updates on the production side of things:
1) Production focus temporarily shifted, then shifted back! I had my manufacturer temporarily focus on sampling a couple things for my other campaign, Choir Critters, while I worked through some durability concerns involving colored plating. Now that they’ve finished the first set of samples for that project, I’ve had them return their focus to PokéBites. The good news: 👉 All of the PokéBites pins are currently in production, and I’m hoping to have them in-hand next month!
2) Production has definitely been slower overall… I’ve noticed that pin production in general has been moving more slowly than expected. That said, the quality of the pins I’ve received so far has been exceptionally high, truly some of the nicest I’ve worked with, so in this case, I honestly do feel the extra wait has been well worth it!
💌 A Quick Thank You
I know I had originally hoped to have this campaign wrapped up by this month, and as my first solo campaign, I’m definitely still learning a lot when it comes to planning and timelines.
So, although I know I’ve said it before, I really do mean it: thank you so much for your patience.
I’m incredibly grateful for how kind and understanding you’ve all been, and I’m so excited to finally get these little guys into your hands. 💖
🎨 Final Design Reveals!
Onto the fun stuff! ✨ Above are all the remaining vector files that haven’t been shown off here yet:
😎 Squirtle with Sunglasses
🥗 Chickpea Salad
🍡 Takoyaki & Dango
🍣 Sushi Rolls
The images include a few little notes explaining any design changes I made along the way. In general, I worked to keep everything as true as possible to what was originally shown during the campaign, while also taking into account the limitations of the final enamel pin medium.
I’m really happy with how these all came together, and I hope you enjoy seeing the finished design work! 💖
🎴 Backing Card Suggestions Wanted!
And now: the part where I’d love your participation! 👀✨
Above is the rough design for the final backing card, styled after the classic red PokéBall. In addition to this PokéBall version, I’d like to create 5 more designs, for a total of 6 backing cards altogether!
I’d love to hear your suggestions:
Which PokéBalls would you most like to see used as backing cards?
They can be:
The same designs as the backing cards I’ve used before (shown below) or
Totally new suggestions!
I’m aiming for a good variety of color, and I’ll likely give extra consideration to designs that are especially iconic or easy to recognize at a glance, but I’ll definitely be taking popular suggestions into account.
So if you would please:
🗨️ Leave a comment with your suggestions, and/or
👍 Like other comments if you spot ideas you vibe with!
And if I don’t get many suggestions, no worries, I’ll simply use my creative powers accordingly and pick the designs I think people will enjoy most. >3
💖 That’s all for now!
Hopefully in the next post I’ll have pin photos from my manufacturer to share with you all. Thanks again for sticking with me through the process!
~ Qesque 🎨 Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and Bluesky: @Qesque
I’m back from my Comic Con adventure and completely drained, but very happy! 😄💖
I’d meant to post an update before leaving, but con prep turned out to be a much bigger task than I originally expected… especially because I ended up re-designing my whole booth, as one do. 😅
Still, even with all of that chaos, I’ve got some PokéBites progress to share!
📦 Pins Have Arrived!
Several bags of PokéBites pins were delivered to me from my manufacturer, and with the help of my amazing mom, the vast majority of them have been graded! 🎉
And honestly? They look amazing. 🤩
There are hardly any flaws in sight. Even the pins that do have minor issues, they're such incredibly small things, like a dust-sized speck in the screen-print or a tiny scratch in the metal. Overall, I’m so pleased with how these have turned out, and I really think you all will be too. 💖
🌿 PokéBites at C2E2
I also got to show off the PokéBites pins a bit at C2E2! So please enjoy:
A little before-and-after of my booth makeover
Some booth photos from the event featuring the PokéPins
It was a lot of work pulling everything together, but I’m really happy with how it turned out~ And it was extra special getting to see PokéBites out in the wild a bit before fulfillment. ☺️
📆 Timeline & What’s Next
I know I’ve pushed back my original timeline with this project, and a lot of that came down to how unexpectedly huge Choir Critters became while PokéBites was already in motion.
That’s not something I take lightly, and I really appreciate your patience with me.
Now that I’m back from C2E2, my full focus is on wrapping things up for PokéBites and getting everything finished off properly. That means:
Finalizing any remaining loose ends
Continuing prep for fulfillment
Getting these pins packed up and on their way to you
I’ll keep sharing updates as I move through the final stretch!
Thank you again for sticking with me through the delays, the convention chaos, and all the little moving parts behind the scenes. I’m really excited about how these pins are turning out, and I can’t wait for you to see them in person. 💖
See you in the next post!
~ Qesque 🎨 Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and Bluesky: @Qesque
I know it’s been a little while since the last PokéBites Update, and I’m sorry for the radio silence here!
My Choir Critters campaign went way harder than I ever could’ve imagined (in the best way possible!), and a lot of my time and brainpower got pulled into managing that whirlwind. That said, PokéBites has not been forgotten. I’ve still been busy working on things behind the scenes, and I want to catch you up on where everything stands. 💖
💎 Mega Stone Poll Results
Let’s start with something fun:
The Mega Stone Enamel Poll was… absolutely no contest. 😅 Transparent Enamel won by a landslide!
So the final Mega Stone design will use the Transparent Enamel version, the one that lets the metal underneath shine through and gives it that gemmy feel. 💎✨
Although I hadn’t officially announced the winner here until now, I didn’t leave the pin in limbo: 👉 The Mega Stone (and friends) have been in production since the poll ended!
🎛️ Production Progress & Next Steps
Here’s where things stand on the production side:
The pins are safely with my manufacturer and in progress.
I’m still working on finalizing the Squirtle + Sunglasses vector art, but this doesn’t stop the rest of the pins from moving ahead.
I’ve asked my manufacturer to send me the first batch of pins next month, so I can:
Start grading them (checking for flaws, sorting A/B grades, etc.)
Get a head start on quality control while the second batch is still being produced.
As I get more sample photos and production pics, I’ll keep sharing them here so you can see how everything’s coming along! 📸
🎉 C2E2 Announcement!
On a related bit of life/news:
I got an email letting me know I’ve been accepted into C2E2, running March 27th–29th! If you’re in town for the show, please come say hi! I’d love to see you! 👋😄
The only small downside: This does mean I’ll be a bit out-of-pocket in late March while I’m:
Prepping inventory
Traveling up north
Surviving convention goblin mode
I’ll still be around to answer messages as I’m able, just possibly responding a little slower than usual during that window~ 🙏
If the timing works out, I may even have some PokéBites Pins in hand at C2E2 for you to see in person. 👀
That’s all for now!
Thank you so much for your patience and for sticking with PokéBites through my slightly chaotic multi-campaign life. I’ll continue to share updates as more samples arrive and batches come in from the manufacturer.
See you in the next post! And maybe at C2E2~ 💖
~ Qesque 🎨 Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and Bluesky: @Qesque
