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Monty Mothman is the second Plushpanion™️, as chosen by you!
🕯️ Monty is an interactive plush toy that comes with four candle making magnetic props as well as an apron. Check out our stretch goals for other moth plushies to unlock!
Get yourself ready to pledge on launch day.
Sign up to join BackerKit
or Log In to check if you are ready.
Just a reminder that the Laisy Giveaway ends May 24th!
I'm also happy to announce that Laisy's safety is complete, so it's all about packing and shipping now. Wish them luck as Laisy braves the stormy seas!
"Laisy Giveaway"
Back to the Giveaway, here are the details from the previous update:
🎁 The Giveaway
There are 3 Laisy Plushpanions that will be going out, for this giveaway.
You must be an original Backer of the Series 2: Monty Mothman campaign.
To Enter: Share a favorite fun memory of a loved one, short and sweet or long and descriptive, whatever feels right! (MUST share your story in the comment section of THIS UPDATE to be a valid entry!)
Commenting will be open to Backers only, so all comments to this update sharing a story, will count.
If you just want to share a story, but not enter the giveaway, please just include that you're not entering at the beginning or end of your comment.
🎪 Upcoming Events:
We are headed to Tidewater Comicon this weekend, so if you're attending, we hope to see you!
✍️ Gigantic Plushpanions and Life Update! BONUS LAISY GIVEAWAY! ✍️
"Gigantic Plushpanions and Life Update!"
Hey, Wild Ones!
There is a lot to cover, so let's catch up. We will be including all Plushpanion followers in this update, because it covers a few closed chapters of Plushpanions, as well as some newly opened ones!
✍️ In this update...
We will finally be putting to rest the legal case with Joyus Toyus, our initial custom plush manufacturer (see this previous update, if you don't know about the headaches they caused us).
Monty's magic powers!
New bags for in-person shows and events!
Laisy's safety testing should be completed any day now — unfortunately two holidays fell within their testing time which is the main cause of their safety delay.
Dottie's progress details — chocolate bar sample images!
Major website update!!
L's personal health (don't worry, this is good news, but the main cause of such a long period without check-ins).
Laisy giveaway, in honor of L's grandmother — 3 winners, Backers only. 🩵
"Joyus Toyus Finale"
As you may or may not know, Plushpanions ran into trouble right off the rip when we first started to make plushies! We tried to work with another US-based business, thinking that by working with a party that claimed to be "experienced" and "have connections", we would be better suited to meet timelines for shows, have successful communications about complex designs, and the like. Little did we know that this would end up causing us major headaches along the way, instead! If you're unfamiliar with what happened, check out our previous article/update on the situation, here.
Summary At the End of The Article: "After launching the plush project (Kidd Krampus plush) in November 2023, everything went smoothly at first, but repeated delays, skipped edits, and communication issues began in March 2024. After months of frustration, I requested a refund in July 2024..."
⌛ Here's What Has Happened, Since...
When we initiated our refund request in July 2024, we gave a strict response date, due to breakdowns in communication in the past. Christopher Gann of Joyus Toyus did not respond well to our request, claiming "this is a substantial amount of money" ( yes, which is why we want it back ) and he did not work in good faith to reach an agreement, within a reasonable timeline, so we had to seek legal assistance.
While working through our legal team, Gann would often state that he would like to get the matter resolved as quickly as possible, and that he was open to a repayment plan, but when it came time to sign any paperwork in a necessary, timely manner, he would ghost us— then suddenly claim to have legal counsel. He claimed this twice, without any legal counsel ever reaching out to ours, or being able to name his counsel.
During this time, he would send $500 repayments at random, without any warning, reliability, or consistency. By the date of June 15th, 2025, he was still sending sporadic repayments. By that date, he had only sent 7 repayments, accounting for less than 15% of what was owed to us. Thankfully we sought legal help when we did, because it was a long and draining process, both fiscally and emotionally.
After months of red tape, we finally had a court hearing date scheduled for March, 2026. At this point, Joyus Toyus, having failed to work with us in good faith, had already defaulted on the judgement. We just needed to have the judge sign off on the final amount owed. When Gann caught wind of this ( because we finally found an address we could reach him at ) about a week before the hearing, suddenly he wanted to take care of everything in a quick manner. Initially he offered even less than the owed refund amount, always claiming to not know what was owed, even though receipts were sent after every repayment. We ignored this initial offer, as it was insulting. Then, a second offer was sent, which was more on par with what was owed, but did not cover legal. My counsel responded with the actual owed amount, and he complained that it was "much more than he anticipated".
In the end, we settledwith an amount that was more than our refund, while coming a little bit under the full costs put into the process, when you consider legal fees. He would have saved more in the long run, by simply refunding us initially, or even on a signed and consistent basis.
You might wonder, why not take him to court for triplicate, and it is a simple decision on our end: nothing is guaranteed. Even if you get a large owed amount, then you have to collect, which is just more sweat, tears, and costs. Our counsel's advice was, money in the hand is always best.
Our loved one's advice was fantastic as well: He could skip town tomorrow, and you would get nothing. This idea really struck a chord with us because, nothing could be more true. That is why we agreed to settle, put it behind us, and use that energy to work on growing Plushpanions.
The settlement agreement has no limits on discussing the case, so we would like to take some time to summarize other businesses' situations with Joyus Toyus — these are from signed affidavits, but we will not share business or personal specifics, because they are not necessary. What is necessary is sharing these stories, so that it can shed light on issues that can arise, when you work with anyone you've never met before:
Business A: Ordered plush toys that took well beyond their promised date to prototype and ship. There were constant delays and missed deadlines, that were promised by Joyus Toyus. Once the prototype was accepted, though still not in line with their original design or expectations, they were approved and shipped. These toys were originally ordered to be stuffed in the US, which is $1.00 USD per plush. Even though that was the order, the plush toys arrived stuffed from China, which should only cost $0.50 per plush. Additionally, only three boxes arrived! As of this date, that company has not been refunded the cost difference of the stuffing inconsistency.
Business B: This business also experienced delay, after delay, and missed deadline after missed deadline. They also never received their original protype, and only ever received part of their order (380 received of 500), and additionally an approved embroidery feature was missing on the final product! At the time of writing this, they have not received nor been refunded for their missing and incorrect plushies.
Others: Other creators and small businesses have reached out to us, based on our previous BackerKit update post, which is why we want to emphasize and write about everything we can with regard to this company. Other businesses deserve access to the information that we didn't have. When we were researching Joyus Toyus originally, none of these articles existed and thus our business fell victim to this poorly run, middle-man plush "service" — at a time when our business was just getting off the ground. We would also like to highlight that Gann Memorials, which was a previous business run by Gann, that seemed to have caused similar headaches for customers. You can read some reviews here, at Revdex.
🤔 So What Do You Do, Instead?
If you're a small business reading this, and wondering what to do instead, we highly recommend working directly with factories. US and UK businesses will often be middle men for products that are mostly manufactured overseas, so why not just work directly with the businesses whose foundations are built on the process of plush making? It will take a mixture of research and time to find the right fit, but it is always worth it.
Look at their work, ensure their plush photos are not AI, shop around for estimates and search for reviews of each business to ensure there are no horror stories that follow. Review images are great, but sometimes they can be posted by the company, so unfortunately a lot of manufacturing is trial and error.
With all of that said, we are happy that this chapter has closed, and hope that no one else has to go through anything similar. However, if they find themselves in a similar situation, we wish them strength and patience.
"Monty's Magic Powers"
We would like to switch gears drastically now, and start sharing some cute news!
A few days ago, we received the sweetest message from a Plushpanion adopter that we met at AwesomeCon, this year. What she shared with us absolutely melted our hearts, and reminded us why we continue to pour our passion into this brand!
She gave us permission to share her photo and story, so here it is:
"Monty's Magic": A story of conquering the fear of the dark!
Accessibility Description of the photo: A screenshot from Instagram messaging shows a message received from a recent Plushpanion adoptee, that says,"Hi! I bought a krampus and moth from you at awesomecon a few months back. They were so cute and I fell in love instantly. Turns out my five year old daughter also fell in love with it when she saw it! She has been snuggling and sleeping with mothman and it's been helping her with her fear of the dark. Wanted to share how your plushies have been such a help to one of your youngest fans!". The photo shows a child in a teal outfit, snuggling a Monty Mothman plush, her face is covered with a green heart emoji.
"New Bags and Info Cards"
We are also excited to share that new bags are in! Our very first branded bags.
These 100% recycled cotton bags include handles and a new drawstring to help keep your Plushpanion extra safe and cozy! These bags come free with every Plushpanion purchase at in-person events and shows!
Plushpanions new 100% recycled cotton bag.
We looked at bags for weeks before we found one that had the exact features we were looking for. We wanted you to be able to show off your friend, even as a little backpack, but also have them fit inside to be able to travel securely! The drawstrings make it so that you never have to worry about the weather when you bring your companion along, and the handles on top make it easy to grab and go!
🛍️ Laisy loves it!
Laisy shown in the bag, with the drawstrings closed to show off their face.
The closed bag, with Laisy nestled inside.
"Laisy's Safety"
Speaking of Laisy, their safety testing should be completed any day now.
Unfortunately, their safety testing dates fell between two major holidays for our manufacturer, which is the cause for the delay. They also have a lot of accessory pieces to be checked! It'll all be worth it, and Laisy will be flying home to you soon. More updates to come!🩵
"Dottie's Progress"
🍫 Dottie is finally moving right along — embroidered wings and a chocolate bar, ahoy!
Dottie's embroidered wing details.
Dottie's "Hungry Trick-or-Treater" outfit, version 01.
Dottie's chocolate bar prop (magnetic)
The color of the jumpsuit outfit is fantastic, but you can see the collar on the outfit doesn't quite match the original image, or the inspired jumpsuit, so that edit has been sent back. The chocolate bar also looks great, but we have asked for some bits of the lined embroidery to be removed, since it cuts through what would be a bite of the chocolate bar.
Edits to chocolate bar embroidery.
🍬 They are still nailing down the yellow candy piece, and the mouth cover of the costume, but we are almost there.
We would also like to extend our sincerest thanks for your patience with Dottie. We were originally told that the prototypes for Laisy and Dottie would be worked on simultaneously, but that did not end up being the case. We are actively asking for updates and will always let you know, as soon as we know, when approvals are met and pivotal steps like safety testing and production are initiated.
"Website Update"
We have been taking a lot of time recently to freshen up our website!
If you haven't seen it yet, go check out www.plushpanions.eco — our biggest changes are the addition of our Wholesale Shop, and our added Roadmap page!
🛒 Wholesale Shop
Initially, our Wholesale Accounts consisted of memberships and custom generated coupons, but now it's as easy as applying for a membership to gain access to the Wholesale Shop! There, bundles of Plushpanions can be purchased at the reseller rate. Wholesale Accounts are available to brick-and-mortar retailers only. Our first ever Wholesale Account was Big Bear Coin and Collectibles, in Richmond VA, so if you're local to the Richmond Virginia area, be sure to check them out!
🗺️ Roadmap Page Our Roadmap showcases Plushpanions' Crowdfunding Campaigns, Programs, and Ideas, all in one perfect page! It's a great way to see where we are, and where we are going, in this wild and crazy adventure.
"Patient Program" Details, from the Roadmap page.
Accessibility Description of the photo: Illustration of chibi elephant in a doctor outfit, next to an axolotl with a bandage on it's arm. Next to text that reads: "Patient Program -- When Plushpanions travel from one place to another, whether by land, air, or sea, they can sometimes have accidents. Plushies can get scratches or tears, and rather than discarding them, we mend them. Each Patient is mended to the best of our ability, and their adoption fee is discounted, so they are still available to find their forever home. -- Soft Launch"
"Wellness Center" Details, from the Roadmap page.
Accessibility Description of the photo: Illustration of chibi capybara in a spa pool, cucumber slices on their eyes and a tengerine on their head. They have tea, and their head is resting on a rolled white towel. Next to text that reads: "Wellness Center -- Our Wellness Center is the perfect place to send your Plushpanion when they are in need of some rest & relaxation. Our center is a place that welcomes companions that need some extra care! This pampering program focuses on mending Plushpanions, rather than having them be discarded.. -- Idea Stage"
"Series 3: Fabled Friends" Details, from the Roadmap page.
Accessibility Description of the photo: Image of chibi green dragon plush design (Digby), with oak armor headband, shirt, shield, and sword. Next to text that reads: "Series 3: Fabled Friends -- Help save Plushpania by going on an adventure and making new friends! -- Bring to life our newest Plushpanion Digby Dragon, and unlock more friends, armor, outfits, and props along the way! -- Est. Launch, Summer 2026"
"Springtime Celebrations" Details, from the Roadmap page.
Accessibility Description of the photo: Illustration of chibi white rabbit plush design, with yellow/white striped shirt and blue overalls. Next to text that reads: "Springtime Celebrations! -- Hop into Spring by unlocking colorful Plushpanions and accessories! -- Plushpanions: Rabbit, Lop-Ear Rabbit, Jackalope, Duck and Chicken -- Clothing: Overalls, Striped Shirt, and more Spring-Colored Attire -- Accessories: Baskets and Painted Eggs -- Idea Stage"
🩵 Don't forget to subscribe on the website!
Scroll to the bottom of the page on desktop, and in the upper right "+" menu on mobile! Don't worry, you can always adjust your email settings in your "Notification Settings", within your account.
"L's Personal Health"
Thank you for taking the time to read this update in full, you and your support mean the world to us, which is why we feel we owe it to you to share why we had to take a break from updating, these past few weeks. Don't worry, again, this is really good news!
L is comfortable sharing that she struggled with pelvic health for 9 years, before she found anyone that would listen to her or take her seriously. Much like millions of other women in the world of women's health, she was disregarded and had to keep finding new doctor after new doctor after new doctor. It was defeating and exhausting.
Finally, she got up the courage again earlier this Spring, to find a new doctor. She went to Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine and finally, she felt seen and heard. The doctors there estimated, based on her symptoms, that she had Endometriosis — however the only true way to diagnose Endometriosis, currently, is by a Laparoscopic excision surgery. She opted for this surgery and was quickly scheduled for April. They did indeed find Endo. Thankfully, it was found early enough before causing any irreversible damage, and it definitely had her in a literal twist. It has been just about four weeks since the surgery and she is healing well!
"Tidewater Comicon -- Save the date! -- May 16-17 2026 -- Virginia Beach Convention Center"
"Laisy Giveaway"
This final section of the update comes with some sad news. One of Plushpanions' biggest supporters, L's grandmother, passed away earlier this month.
The main reason we have opted to share this with you all is because that now means that we will have some Laisy Plushpanions without homes. Most of the Plushpanions that she ordered will be donated to her local hospital and community center, that she would regularly donate to — but we would also like to extend a few of them your way, in honor of her and also as a gigantic "Thank You" for being a Backer of this project.
🎁 The Giveaway
There are 3 Laisy Plushpanions that will be going out, for this giveaway.
You must be an original Backer of the Series 2: Monty Mothman campaign.
To Enter: Share a favorite fun memory of a loved one, short and sweet or long and descriptive, whatever feels right!
Commenting will be open to Backers only, so all comments to this update sharing a story, will count.
If you just want to share a story, but not enter the giveaway, please just include that you're not entering at the beginning or end of your comment.
Entries Open: Once this update has been posted Entries Close: May 24th, 2026, 11:59pm EST
Winners will be announced in the comments and will also be notified by email.
"as always... -- Thank You!"
If you ever need assistance with your order, or want to check in, send an email to [email protected] or reach out to BackerKit support — please don't leave comments on the community page, because we don't receive notifications about those!
That's everything for now, which is a LOT! Thank you for your support and for being you. Have a great weekend ahead, and see you in the next update!
I'm back with a progress update about Laisy, and about recent order fulfilment of pledges with Collab Pins! Without further ado, let's get going!
📦 Recent Fulfilment 📦
If you had a notification of a tracking number recently, then your order is on the way! All orders with items in stock, specifically Collab Pins, were scanned in at the post office, yesterday. It has been snowy where I am, so give the post a few extra days, but your Mothmen, pins and stickers should arrive soon! 🎉
I am stoked to announce that we have Mothmen flying to Italy, Poland, Australia, and even Latvia! It is a very warm and surreal feeling to be fulfilling orders almost all over the world (wherever safety tests permit us, currently). I look forward to the day when we can ship globally, but I won't let that overshadow the amazing accomplishment that this already is! I absolutely have to shout out BackerKit for making this an accessible and well-marketed platform to gain support and grow on.
Any orders that include Laisy or Dottie are in waiting and cannot be fulfilled, yet - but Laisy should be raring to go into safety testing over the next few weeks!
🌙 Laisy's Prototype 🌙
As Laisy's prototype design was getting down to the finer details, our manufacturing partner suggested that they mail the current prototypes for personal inspection and edit requests. After several weeks of waiting for customs and winter weather shipping delays, Laisy arrived! Naturally, I had hoped Laisy would be flawless, but I had just a few changes that were vital to make, before safety testing and final production. Laisy's prototypes look very close to complete, but there are just a couple of things holding the overall design back that have forced me to ask for additional changes. Below are some of the notes that I have sent back to our manufacturer. Once these notes are taken care of to the Plushpanions standard of quality that we are striving for, it's highly likely the Laisy will be ready for production soon!
The Notes Requested: 📝 Glasses must be removable, not sewn onto the face. 📝 Both the Night Sky Blazer and White Dress Shirt should have Velcro added to the under side of the wing hole, to allow for easy dressing/undressing. 📝 The map prop should have the string shortened and sewn to the back of the map, so the string is not easily lost. 📝 The props should have larger magnets, that match our current size and standard.
Top L: Laisy in their full outfit | Top R: Laisy's Wings | Bottom L: Krampus wearing Laisy's outfit | Bottom R: Laisy wearing Krampus' cloak!
As you can see, even though Laisy isn't fully ready for the spotlight, they are still adorable and we've had lots of fun trying different Plushpanion outfits and accessory combinations! Doesn't Kidd look distinguished as much as Laisy looks so cozy in Krampus's cloak? Laisy and their accessories already make a great addition to the Plushpanions family!
Also, a very important discovery was made mid-way through dressing Krampus in Laisy's outfit: We found that Kidd Krampus in a white collar shirt and blue trousers looks remarkably close to a famous baker and show judge... 🤔
Kidd Krampus in white collar shirt and blue pants, compared to a photo of famous baker, Paul Hollywood
📐 Organization Station 📐
On a more personal note, I have been taking the beginning of the year to re-budget, both personally and professionally. I am making great strides! I will be moving out of a storage facility this week, and making more room at home for Plushpanion storage. I took the budget for a continuous storage unit rental, and put it into new wire shelving, instead.
There is a transformation video coming out, soon, but for now you get the picture preview!
A photo showcasing the "Before/After" of the corner of a carpeted room. Before is a stack of 9 boxes, the After has the boxes, plus some more, staked onto wire shelves. The lower photo shows all three new shelves, full of boxes and bins.
There are still boxes to stack, label, and organize, but it feels like a whole new world already! Take a peek at some of my inspiration on the right, see if you spot anything you know! 👀
I would also like to pat myself on the back a little and say that the "WildnCrafty LLC" sign is from my very first vendor show, AwesomeCon 2024, in DC! I'll be celebrating a vendor anniversary of sorts, because I have been accepted back this year as a vendor, too. I'll list more shows WildnCrafty Designs x Plushpanions is currently scheduled for, a little later on in this update.
✨ What's New? ✨
There are a few new looks and patterns being massaged into new and current projects - you've already seen one in our title "Plushpanions Update" header image. I'll be exerting more effort when it comes to the imagery and the look of graphics and branding. A great example can be seen in the Fabled Friends Teaser Page!
🩺 I'm also excited to announce that our new Patients Program will be launching this year!
The Patients Program is for plushies with small to large imperfections, that are fixed up as best as they can be, and sold with an "adoption fee" (price) discount.
When it comes to manufacturing and delivery in large quantities, there is always product that arrives broken from shipping - even plushies!. Larger companies will either throw them away as "damaged inventory", regardless of the wastefulness, or sell them to you as-is, knowing it doesn't meet the standard they claim to represent.
Smaller businesses, instead, often take the time and put forth the effort to make every product count - and that's where Plushpanions comes in!
Chibi illustrations depicting two different images of cartoon Plushpanions. Left: An axolotl getting a band-aid from an elephent in a doctor's outfit | Right: A capybara vibing in a spa with cucumbers over their eyes.
Plushpanions that arrive with damages or imperfections will be mended to restore them as close as possible to their intended integrity - and will then be given a price to match their final quality. Patients will range from an A to a C grade, an "A Patient" being minor to invisible mending, and a "C Patient" having an unfixable feature, like a mis-sewn arm or embroidery mistake. This program stems from my love of the imperfect. As a kid, whenever selecting a plush on the shelf, I would always check to see if there were any with permanent imperfections and select that one to be purchased, thinking, this plush would be the last one to be chosen, if chosen at all, so it was the one that needed a home the most.
Adding the Patient Program has a secondary, but equally important, purpose which is to widen the range of affordability of our eco-friendly plushies, which is a win for everyone!
Further information and specifics about the Patient Program will be released in the weeks to come, so stay tuned!
💭 What's Next? 💭
While we slowly, but surely, wrap up the Eclipse Pals project, I am prepping for our next campaign, which is of course: Plushpanions Series 3 - Fabled Friends! As mentioned previously, the Teaser Page has been updated to include current prototype images and what to expect with the project. Head on over there to get a brief overview of what is in store for the campaign! We are shaking things up a bit with the format which is very exciting!
Additionally, the start date of the Fabled Friends campaign has been pushed to May 5th, 2026.
This delayed start comes after much consideration and internal reflection. The project start date being moved back is not only so that I can focus on properly wrapping Eclipse Pals, but it also gives me the time for Digby's prototype (along with any accessory prototypes) to be completed and in-hand to help spread the word on social media about the campaign! This also helps to ensure a fast production track, once the campaign is complete. Further details about the delay are included on the Teaser Page!
Character Card: "Digby Dragon"
Accessory Card: Digby wearing Oak Armor set "Oak Armor Set"
Prop Card: Plush backpack "Adventurer's Pack"
Prop Card: Magnetic red and blue potions "Potions"
🐲 Loving how everything is turning out?
Join the Teaser Pageto give Digby the best possible start on launch day, May 5th, 2026! 🎊
🎊 In the Works - Celebration Clothing!!! 🎊
I wanted to share a little preview of our first ever clothing-only production coming soon! Plush toys are often given as gifts to celebrate birthdays, graduations, special occasions, or just being your wonderful "you"! Which is why I wanted to craft an image-based clothing line centered around the idea of "Celebration".
An image speaks a thousand words, which is why I opted for image-only designs on the clothing. This also breaks down any language barriers, making the clothing accessible for anyone who wants to give their Plushpanion friends a little extra flair. With that said, here's the first look at some of the designs!
Celebration Clothing Collection: Progress Flag props, Rainbow T-Shirt, Cake T-Shirt, and a Confetti Blazer with matching yellow trousers and bow tie.
Magnetic Prop: Progress Flag
White T-shirt with embroidered rainbow
White T-shirt with embroidered cake
A "Celebration Suit" with a rainbow confetti blazer and matching yellow trousers and bow tie
My ultimate goal is to have everything complete by our upcoming Pride Festival show day, in June, or at least to have the flag and rainbow shirt completed. We may potentially do a quick blitz campaign here on Backerkit when these are closer to finalized, so keep an eye on your inbox for more updates!
🎪 Confirmed Events for 2026 🎪
Last, but not least, below is our current show schedule for 2026! 🍀 MARCH 🍀 AwesomeCon - DC | March 13th - March 15th
☀️ JUNE ☀️ Loudoun Pride Festival - Leesburg, VA | June 6th
Plenty more live show dates are still in the works!
If you're local and want to stop by and say hey, we would love to see you! 🩵
Right out of the gate, I'm thrilled to announce that the Laisy Luna moth prototypes (Regular and Special Edition) are in the process of being mailed to me for final checks! Normally, we would start safety testing right away, but with holidays wrapping up and all of Laisy's details, I want to confirm the plush in person before signing off.
More juicy details on the Luna moth's back-and-forth design delays below, if you're interested in a look behind the curtain!
❗🌙 Laisy Pre-Order Price Still Active! 🌙❗
Laisy Luna moth's pre-order price will end once the plush arrives, so if you've been following the campaign but haven't placed an order yet - now is the time!
The shop will read as "Closed" until January 2nd, but you are still able to place Pre-Orders.
Another fantastic announcement is that the collab pins were miraculously found! If you recall, these pins were ordered back in February, prototyped and produced throughout June, received by PrinceFizz in August, and then shipped out to me via Royal Mail in October. As time went on, we both found that the tracking of the pin shipment had never updated from "prepping order", and additionally, Royal Mail never responded to Fizz's snail mail inquiries. Then suddenly, on December 15th, the tracking updated to the next step of porting out to the US! As of today, the tracking reads "delivered", and I'll be able to confirm the good news 100% once I'm home from the holidays. Once confirmed, I will ship out all orders that are able to be fulfilled, that include a Collab Pin! 🎉
This is one of many heavy weights lifted off of my shoulders, to be able to deliver these to you, so we can all come a little lighter into the New Year!
🔭🌙 Laisy Production Details - Telescope! 🌙🔭
It felt like this day would never come, but I am so happy to say that... Laisy's prototype is virtually complete! I'm waiting for the prototypes to arrive for final approvals, since this is a very detailed plush, and then we will roll into Safety Testing and Production! I'm crossing my fingers that we hit Safety Testing during a slower part of the season, and hoping it will wrap up fast, which would lead into a quick turnaround of shipping out your mothy orders!
I wanted to share that there were many updates I almost made previously, but it became a lot of back and forth between the designer and I - and I only wanted to share concrete progress with you all. Specifically, what took a lot of over-communication was getting across the telescope design. This prop became a larger challenge than originally anticipated, by far!
Two "photos" showcasing the (L) intended look for the telescope prop and (R) Ver. #2 of the telescope prop.
(L) Version #3: Telesc. no embroidery, big blue oval on one side | (C) Ver. #4: Telesc. with embroidered details but dip in the top of front lens | (R) Ver. #5: Telesc. Longer version with all correct embroidery and scale
Switching from 3D to 2D caused some confusion at first, and in addition to that, it was difficult to get across the intended look of the mirrored image of the lens on each side. We also found out with Version #4 that when the top shape was attached, it caused the inward dip of the top of the front-lens portion of the telescope! After some testing and editing, the final result successfully shows the embroidery of the lenses on each side, reads "telescope" at first glance, while only losing about 10% of the more exaggerated cartoon features - which is difficult to maintain at a small scale, while also working passing for Safety. Overall, I am content with the result considering it is just one piece of the whole picture!
💫🌙 Laisy Production Details - Blazer!🌙💫
We came to realize that the telescope wouldn't be the only bump in the road, but the blazer, too. Specifically, the button styles were challenging to communicate, but we have finally arrived at some lovely yellow/gold buttons and cufflinks!
(L) Version #2: White fabric buttons with gold embr. outline | (C) Ver. #3: Complete gold embr. button | (R) Ver. #4: Yellow embr. button with gold outline
Originally, we were focused on closing the blazer while having a nice look. A cut of Velcro wouldn't have been long enough with the type of "close" wanted for the look of the blazer, while on the other hand a snap button was unlikely to pass safety. The manufacturer liaison had a great idea of a magnet close, which we made some edits to, to have a sleeker look. Then it was the uphill battle of the buttons... Originally a small, fuzzy, yellow button was used but I was finally able to convince them to use embroidery only.
Once the fuzzy button was discarded, we were able to version up the flat embroidered buttons. Version #2 of the buttons featured a soft fabric interior and gold outline, which didn't stand out well on the jacket, nor did the soft fabric process as a "button" upon feeling. Version #3 was a miscommunicated look, where gold embroidery overtook the entire button, rather than looking like the final intended look of Version #4 which has a bright yellow button, with a gold outline, which greatly contrasts the blue blazer!
If you notice the red line on Version #4, this is the area where the cufflink button will be moved to, as a final edit, to register as "cufflink" more easily. This will be one of my final checks, after the prototypes arrive.
🎀🌙 Laisy Production Details - Ribbons!🌙🎀
Another behind the scenes look I would love to give you is the ribbon selection for the props! Plushpanion props have a new feature, which is a small looped ribbon, so that when the props are tagged together it doesn't puncture the fabric at all. This helps keep props grouped together for shipping, vendor shows, and for wholesale orders to shops!
Check out the matched ribbon selections below:
(L): Map compared to blue cobalt ribbon | (C): Pencil compared to white ribbon | (R): Telescope next to navy blue ribbon
📝🌙 Laisy Production Details - Final Checks🌙📝
Lastly, there are just a few items left to confirm before safety testing, which are very particular. I've asked for the sleeves on the white shirt to be made bigger so that it's easier to pull the arms through.
Laisy's white shirt sleeve
As mentioned previously, I've asked for the cufflinks circle to be moved closer to the opening of the sleeve. And finally, in addition to the ribbons, we will also be adding a logo tag to the blazer - much like Monty's apron! This is so that if the clothing is seen separately from the plush, the brand can be easily identified.
Thus these are the items I will be checking, once the Laisy prototypes arrive:
✅ White shirt sleeve size ✅ Button on blazer sleeve placement ✅ Magnet check on body and props ✅ Blazer sewn tag logo
💀 Dottie Death's-Head 💀
Dottie had to be put on hold while Laisy was completed. From what I understand, one designer is tasked with specific orders so that patterns can be crafted more consistently and without stylistic error. What I mean is, if a second designer had picked up Dottie, we may have run into more inconsistencies and mistakes, rather than the best case scenario, which would be an immaculate pattern right out of the gate.
With all of that said... Dottie is on the way and it's really just her wings that require the most focus - so I have a good feeling about her production schedule!
I hope you're doing well and enjoying BackerKit's Holiday Market so far! There are so many amazing creators crafting cozy creations just for you ~ be sure to explore the flair board to find amazing holiday gifts for your friends, loved ones, or just yourself as a little treat!
Grab a Krampus cloak and bell necklace for your Monty or maybe a Mystery Sticker pack!
Plushpanions Holiday Palooza - 2025
🕯️ Monty Has Taken Flight! 🕯️
Some of you may have already found a funny little fella at your front door, and some of you that are a bit further away might be waiting just a little bit longer because... a whole eclipse of Mothmen flew out last week!
In your care package, you should have received a QR code to leave your review of Monty Mothman on www.plushpanions.eco - Reviews help small businesses grow, so please consider taking the time to let us know what you think!
If you lost your QR code, and would like to write a review, please email us at [email protected] ~ We look forward to, and appreciate, your review! ✍️
"Safe Travels!" | Left photo: Stacks of 19 boxes, "An eclipse of Mothmen!" | Right photo: Monty with his accessories and tags, "Monty in a box"
📮 Royal Mail Hullabaloo 📮
All orders that have Collab pins attached are still waiting to be fulfilled, unfortunately. Emails and calls were unable to reach Royal Mail, as it turns out they only resolve claims by snail mail. This inspired the image you see below.
Fizz is already on it, so hopefully we will hear from them soon, and they'll say... "Oh, here are the pins - they're on the way now"! 🤞
Snail Mail: Illustration of yellow snail mail carrier with blue and tan post outfit - carrying mail in hand, bag and shell.
🌙 Laisy's Blazer - Complete?! 🌙
You heard it here first, Laisy's blazer is just about complete! They only have to swap the embroidery color on the buttons, now. They are currently running into issues with their designer skipping notes, but they're working on adding some new designers to the team, so hopefully edit turnarounds will be a lot quicker, once that is settled.
We also had an update for the telescope, but it needs an entire retry, as it does not resemble the image I've submitted. The pencil has locked, and finally, we are just waiting for the white shirt sleeves to be a little less tight!
Left photo: Laisy's blazer open, showing the magnet corner | Right photo: Laisy in blazer, closed
💚 Current Projects from Swell People 💚
I wanted to shout out these current projects going on, check them out, below!
Happy November! 🍂 I hope your Halloween was fun, and that you're starting to be able to wear comfy cozy sweaters and breaking out some hot coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, soon! I come with the usual assortment of updates, both good, not-so-good, as well as some brand-new information, entirely! 👀
Buckle up, we have some items to cover!
🎄 Firstly, I would love to invite you all to BackerKit's first Holiday Market! 🎄
"Plushpanions": "Holiday Palooza" | Krampus hosting a little market stall with his reindeer brother, Reinhold
This unique event runs from November 18th to December 1st.
What makes this holiday market unique? Well...
🎁 No Funding Goal! - This is a shopping experience, thus there's no funding goal or "products-to-be", this is just a way to fill your friend and family's stockings with thoughtful items made by small creators, so it's a win-win!
🎁 Only Items That are Already in Stock! - Selling items that are already in stock, and ready to ship, means that items will easily get to you before the holidays, so there's no worries when it comes to gifting!
🎁 Flair Board Shopping! - Just like previous Pintopias, you'll be able to check out a Holiday Market Flair Board, to find other shops that may be of interest to you.
Early Birds ( Backers who make a purchase within the first 48 hours of the shop being open ) will receive a free Plushpanions Holiday Palooza 2025 sticker!
This sticker will only be released for this event. It features Kidd and his brother Reinhold, back to back, behind a "Plushpalooza 2025" sign! Imagine this "picture" as taken after a long day of selling and wrapping gifts at the holiday market.
Below is a sketch of the sticker to be - stay tuned for the full render, before November 9th!
Sketch of Early Bird sticker: Reinhold and Kidd sitting back to back, behind a "Plusha palooza - 2025" sign
Holiday Palooza Subtitle 2: "What's in the shop?"
Below is a sneak peak of what you can expect at the shop!
🎁 Mystery Sticker Bundles
From moths, to bats, foxes, and more, you can give yourself the gift of mystery, by letting us select three stickers for a discounted bundle of stickers! There are also theme-specific mystery bundles, like Moth, Animals, or Cryptids, so you can be sure you're getting your favorites!
Image of yellow mystery bag with a red bow and a big green question mark on it
🎁 Kidd Krampus and Monty Mothman Plushpanions
Keep an eye out for special holiday deals, specifically for this event! 🤫
Left: Kidd Krampus & accessories sitting in the snow | Right: Monty Mothman & accessories sitting in the grass
🎁 Newsprint Yule-Patterned Wrapping Sheets
These are printed with soy-based inks, so unlike your average wrapping paper, they are actually 100% curbside recyclable!
🎁 Eco-friendly matte stickers of cryptids, bats, foxes, moths and sloths
From Left to Right: Mothman "I chase the light, for I have none." | Black and Brown Fox bats | Luna moth
🎁 Eco-Friendly Wooden Keychains
These keychains are crafted from fast-growing maple wood, from managed forests.
From Left to Right: Fox keychain (gold chain) | Honduran White Bat and Brown Vampire Bat (silver chains) | Sloth (gold)
He came a long way, and got a little seasick, but he is in good spirits and is thrilled to be home with you, in time for the holidays!
Polaroid-esque graphic of 7 cube boxes, full of Monty! | "Monty's Arrival!" - "11/04/2025"
Please remember that if you've ordered Plushpanions other than Monty, like Laisy or Dottie, you'll need to wait for them to arrive, before your full order is sent.
This is so that orders don't get confused, and more shipping doesn't need to be charged. Please email [email protected], or open a BackerKit ticket, if you need any edits to your shipping address.
Monty will be shipping out this week and the next, I just have to give each one their designated health inspection, tagging, and dressing before bundling him up in a little box to send to you! 💚
📍 Collab Pin Update 📍
This is an unfortunate, but necessary, update. PrinceFizz has recently gotten back to me about the pins, and it appears as though the pins were never scanned into the tracking system of Royal Mail. I have never worked with this shipping service before, but from the information I have been given, the pins should have been dropped off around October 15th - however Royal Mail has been "Expecting" the package since the label was created. Fizz is contacting Royal Mail and hoping to locate the pins, and I will be calling them tomorrow. If the pins were never dispatched, I will have a backup plan in place to execute immediately - one of the perks of being an over-planner problem-solver!
✨ A little honest, small business moment, here: This is one of the more stressful aspects of being a small creator. You can plan everything as well as you can, however, events out of your control occur. There are elements that can simply fail, and it is also rare if you'll ever get the resolution you are hoping for. These hiccups are stressful, and sometimes even needless, but it not everything is within your control. The road gets even more bumpy as you try to partner with other people - it's just like it was, in school! 😂 You can never estimate who anyone is, their availability, communication level, or what they will go through in the near future - yourself included, but you become tied to the results, all the same. You have to reach the promised outcome. The most difficult part can be pushing through the previous negative experiences and trying again - but you have to try again, or there's no chance for growth.
You have to remind yourself to take it one day at a time, or else your candle will burn out, fast. With that said, once the skill is learned, you'll be all the better for it and can even hope to share that wisdom with others, to pave their path a little bit more than yours was.
Back to the crux of it... as of right now, I am unable to send out any Monty Mothman plush orders with collab pins included, as I cannot parse out items within a shipment. I will update here and on the Discord as soon as they are located. However, again, if the worst case scenario rears its ugly head, I will have a backup plan ready to go. My sincerest apologies to those who are looking forward to the collab pin, please know that I did my best with swift follow-ups at all stages, but be prepared for any scenario.
🌙 Laisy Update 🌙
The design behind Laisy's blazer has been a head-scratcher since the beginning. Originally I wanted a snap, however when crafting children's toys, there are only specific snaps that pass through safety - and the snaps that we tried, never worked as needed or would have tugged at the fabric aggressively, wearing it over time. Thus, and to no one's real surprise, we have turned to magnets! While this may interfere with some props, I do not think that issue will come up too often, and I am happy to have a child-safe and functional resolution, over throwing in the towel for an element of the original design.
Left: One updated tailcoat shape shown - "Tailcoats!" | Right: Both tailcoat shapes shown - "Tailcoats!!"
🎃 Dottie 🎃
There has been no direct Dottie update, however the request for the wings to be embroidered may indeed take a little while longer, since the designs are so detailed. This is a more than acceptable reason to wait, because the feel of Plushpanions, from tactile to soft, is intentional.
🐲 Bonus - Digby Update! 🐲
Lastly, as a bonus, we have a Digby Dragon update! This is our newest plush creation partnership, so there are some stylistic choices that we are working out - namely the amount of printed fabric, versus actual fabric with added embroidery, scaling preferences, and a few other items.
Digby Dragon - Left: No clothing/accessories | Right: "oak armor" tunic and pants
Considering this is the second iteration, Digby is pretty great! Mainly his hands need to be resized and detailed correctly, however he is very cute so far!
Don't forget to join the Fabled Friends launch party! 🎉 We already have 99 joined... who will be the 100th?! 👀
Thanks as always, and keep an eye out for the mini update on collab pins, coming soon!
🎆🚀 Welcome to the Monty Mothman & Eclipse Pals Launch Party! 🚀🎆
New to a Launch Party? Me too - here's what to expect!
🚀 A dedicated page to highlight key updates and important dates for the campaign. 🚀 Updates delivered directly to you, including the exciting Plush Giveaway announcements! 🎆 🚀 Opportunities to participate in polls and discuss pledge goodies before the official launch.
🕯️Monty Mothman 🕯️
Monty Mothman is the second Plushpanion™️, as chosen by you! He’s an interactive plush toy that comes with four magnetic candle-making props, as well as an apron to keep his fur wax-free while crafting, of course. And he’s not alone! There are five other moths waiting to be unlocked. Here’s a sneak peek of Monty's prototype and props:
🌱 What Are Plushpanions? 🌱
Plushpanions are interactive, eco-friendly plush toys made with 100% Global Recycling Standard ( GRS ) fabrics and filled with 100% PLA cotton, which is hypoallergenic and biodegradable or industrially compostable. Each plush includes internal magnets at the mouth, hands and head. This feature, paired with their fun magnetic props and removable clothing, allows for endless customization for your companion!
🔒 Unlockable Plush Designs 🔒
Once Monty Mothman's funding goal has been reached, new stretch goals will be set to unlock more moth plushies! Once each plush design is unlocked, the character and props will be brought to plushy fruition, and prototyping will begin as soon as their goal is met.
Initially as you pledge to the campaign, you'll be selecting an amount of plushies, but no specific characters. This is so that once the campaign is complete, you'll be able to select which plushies you would like to receive, of the characters unlocked.
📍 Exclusive Pins 📍
Two exclusive pins are available to backers of the Monty Mothman campaign. Both are golden metal pins with a "stamp" design. You can earn both pins by meeting the necessary criteria! 🎉
Early Bird pin - Monty Mothman Gold Stamp ✨ If you back the campaign within the first 48 hours, you’ll receive a free Monty Mothman golden stamp pin. ( Sample pins are in production; image below is a mockup. )
2. Previous Backer pin - Kidd Krampus Gold Stamp ✨ If you’ve backed any of my previous campaigns, including Kidd Krampus, and contribute to this one, you’ll receive a Kidd Krampus golden stamp pin. ( Sample pins are in production; image below is a mockup. )
🎉 Our First Cross Collab! 🎉
For Pintopia 2025, I have the honor of working with Princefizzart for a Cross-Collab! Cross-Collabs allow pledgers to get 2 exclusive free pins by backing both of our campaigns, at a physical level. The pins are different for each creator, generally matching their themes. Here are ours!
Be sure to check our Princefizz'z campaign, as it is another delightful and "dressable" plush. 💚
