Hello everyone! We're in the final 15 hours of the campaign, and I have a few updates to share!
Toffee Hognose Pin Final Design: I have a finished the toffee hognose design for our 4th pin.
Hognose Pin #6 Poll Results: Sunglow won the poll for the final color morph, so our last little friend will be orange and yellow! I'm currently working on it, and the design will be finished in time for Pledge Manager selections!
Axolotl Mini Pins: I have confirmed pricing on the axolotl mini pins. (These use the same design as the earrings and stitch markers, but will require a new mold because the circular hole at the top of the earrings and stitch markers would look silly as a pin.) These pins are sold individual and are now available as addons. They are $8 each. Those who pledged for 3 blind bag or 3 pin pledge levels can purchase them at the discounted rate of $7 each. Those who pledged at the 6 pins, 6 blind bag, or 12 blind bag pledge levels can purchase them at a discounted rate of $6 each.
Surface Finish Test Pin Samples: I have been working with my manufacturer since August to get test samples of the leucistic axolotl dragon pin to ensure that all of the details reproduced well at the intended 42-48mm size of most of the pins of this campaign. The red copper metal is so beautiful with these pins!
Hard enamel is what was advertised in this campaign, and will be available for everything except the adonized rainbow chrome axolotl mini pins. Adonized rainbow chrome is difficult to produce with hard enamel.
I may opt to make the soft enamel with epoxy version available as an option as well. (If this happens, you will choose what designs and finishes you want for your pins in the Pledge Manager.) The soft enamel with epoxy has the advantage of having thinner, more delicate lines. The hard enamel has the more polished, clean surface. I'm waiting to have the samples shipped to me to decide if the soft enamel with epoxy is a finish that is something worth offering as a second option, as it would involve a second production run.
Hard Enamel - A metal pin where the recesses are overfilled with enamel, then polished smooth. This results in a pin that is polished and flat. During the polishing process, a small bit of the metal lines are polished away, which results in the lines becoming slightly larger.
Soft Enamel with Epoxy - A metal pin where the recesses are filled as close to the top as possible without overflowing. The surface tension while the enamel cures means that the middle of each recess is slightly lower than the enamel that touches the edges. Clear epoxy is then added, which makes the surface smooth and flush with the metal. No polishing occurs, which means that the final metal lines are thinner. The clear epoxy creates a "faux hard enamel" finish. When viewed at most angles, the colors filling the pin appear flush with the metal surface like a hard enamel pin. At certain extreme angles, you are able to see that it's a layer of colored enamel that is slightly below the metal's surface, and that the transparent epoxy is a separate layer, bridging the difference.
Surprise 9K Stretch Goal Additions: We have reached 9K in pledges, which means I have a bit of wiggle room to sneak in a couple more designs! Thank you guys so much! I wasn’t planning on adding another stretch goal, but since we have the funding, it seems only right that the hognoses get some mini pins, earrings, and stitch markers too!
I am going to add a final pair of designs for a pair of hognose snake molds. These two designs have a natural hole in them created by a loop in the tail, so I will be able to use the same molds for both earrings/stitchmarkers and mini pins. Like the axolotl mini pins, I will be offering a second color variation of each pose. A snow & axanthic hognose with silver metal for one pair, and a normal & sable with gold metal for the second pair. Right now I have a sketch and a thumbnail for these designs, but they will be finished for you to review before Pledge Manager selections occur!
