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
