Yokai Enamel Pin Collection

Surveys, Busy, Duck Dunk, Update Photos
12 days ago – Wed, Sep 04, 2024 at 10:07:15 PM

We are now full steam into the production phase for the pins. It's looking like late October for them to be finished. Everything else though (stickers, tote bag, keychain etc) is finished. Awesome pin photos at the end of update :D

Surveys on Backerkit are now locked and cards have been charged. If you have yet to fill out the survey, please do so as soon as you can. If your card has been declined, make sure your card info is correct and you have sufficient funds. Sometimes the charge could be marked fraudulent by your credit card company. In which case, you'll need to reach out to your credit card company to resolve the issue.

Busy.This month is going to be quite busy for us. We are, for the first time, attending local festivals and events as an art vendor. Three of them to be exact. A little nervous obviously because it's our first time, but also because the social thing is quite foreign to us as well as working around our disabilities. Anyways. It could take longer to respond for that reason but we will make a true effort to get back to you asap.

DANTE'S DUCK DUNK Winner

The Winner of the Only One Albino Kirin is:

LUCKY DUCK Backer 69. Congratulations on receiving the Only One Albino Kirin Pin

This was so fun. We spent a good hour or so training Dante to pull a duck out of his pool. Wish we had gotten a video of him flopping in the pool continuously and obnoxiously stealing the ducks from their box and scattering them all over the yard. But at least we got the video of him grabbing the winning duck. Or did we? Heather can't film at ALL apparently haha. Still, it was so much fun. We can't wait to do another Duck Dunk.

No drawings/ prizes this month while we focus on getting organized and situated. Thank you so much for your understanding. 

Update Photos

What are we doing now?

• Waiting for all the pins to be made.
• Preparing for participation as a vendor. 
• Working on new Phantoms Plushies Kickstarter.

New Manufacturer, Order/Survey Lock, Sneak Peek, Update Photos
about 1 month ago – Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 08:39:59 AM

New Manufacturer

The old manufacturer is still having the gold plating issues. So! We have a new manufacturer on board who have already done quite a bit of the molds and some of them even have a bit of color already! This is fantastic news. We will be able to see a completed preview of half of the pins before mass production which we are absolutely thrilled about.

Order/ Survey Lock

The orders have been set to lock in 48 hours. This is your last chance to add any add-ons and your last chance to add the "Albino Kirin" raffle ticket to your order. Only 1 lucky winner will receive this rare pin and it will never ever be available again. So don't miss this opportunity and get your raffle ticket before the orders lock.

Sneak peek:

Remember the question on the survey about what kind of merch you'd like to see? There was a reason, of course! We are going to do another Kickstarter base on our popular Phantoms pin line. And based on your answers, we will be designing merch corresponding to the top 4 answers.

The campaigns main goal will be the number 1 answer which was.....

PLUSHIES!

We have never had the opportunity to make plushies before and we can't express how excited we are to work on the new project! Top answers 2-4 will be stretch goals for the plushie project.  

• Phantom's now have names, stories and distinct personalities.
• Number two answer is MORE PINS! We will have a total of 8 new pins for a Series 2 Phantom Line. 4 will be of the original Phantoms in a grouped themed Halloween costume. The other 4 will be new Phantoms and will be revealed at a later date.
• Answers 3-4 to be revealed at a later date. 

Concepts:

Originally, we wanted to do the original 4 as alebrijes (Mexican spirit animals, very fitting for our ghostly critters) (top colored) While that's still on the table, we came up with cute nano futuristic robot designs (sketched) Both are super cute and fun. We decided we'd like to include you all much as possible before making a decision. What do you think?

Update Photos:

**Wall scroll is going to have a shorter hanging rope but otherwise looks great! 

What are we doing now?

1. Waiting for the new manufacturer to make the previews of the pins. Should be about 15 days from now. As soon as those are finished we will have a more accurate time-frame for when you will be receiving your rewards. For this many pins, we are actually looking to be right on schedule. Woohoo!

2. This past week we have been gathering our recent works to enter in the Western Idaho Fair! Really excited about this. We look forward to it all year long. Most of winnings will be going to make art kits for our military veteran friends to help them through their traumas; though we do like to spend a little bit on ourselves doing something stupid like riding a mechanical bull at the fair, haha!

3. We are having a lot more time to work on the Phantoms. Working on more concepts to share with you later! 

That's all for now! 

~Your OhhSeeDee Team

Sample Arrival, Lotto Winner, Raffle, Survey Lock
about 2 months ago – Thu, Aug 01, 2024 at 08:59:45 PM

SAMPLES 

We have received all but 2 of the samples. Thoroughly inspecting them, we find that they are decent but not the quality we strive for. Some may need some minor color adjustments to accommodate glitter or pearl effects.

With that being said, the manufacturer is still having problems with the plating that we discussed last update. They have informed us that the issue is getting better though and are working to correct the issue. We reached out to other manufacturers and this seems to be an odd issue that's been occurring recently for some of them as well.

What's the solution?

A. We can stick with the manufacturer we have now and hope they can solve the plating issue asap. Due to the shear amount of awesome pins being made, the in hand time has already increased and we are looking at a end of September/ early October to start shipping out rewards. However,  the pending resolution of the plating issues means it could take longer. The manufacturer does have a jump start though having already made a few of the pin molds. So hopefully that will help balance everything out. One thing we do admire about this manufacturer is the honesty and being upfront with us which is so important and helps us be able to bring more informative updates to you.

B. We can look for another manufacturer to produce the pins. This option could lead to faster production but we have no in hand samples of their quality. However, the time it takes to find a reputable supplier that will fit our needs to bring you the best quality pins will also take time. 

Option A is definitely looking like the better direction at this point. But we are proactively searching for another manufacturer just in case. Any thoughts?

EMAIL NEWSLETTER WINNER

Lucky Cat: Patty

Congrats, backer #41 ! We will be reaching out to you to let you know and a credit equal to the next tier upgrade will be added to your Backerkit. 

FIRST RAFFLE REVEAL

Switching gears this month and doing our first Raffle! Long have we wanted to do a pin line that features pins that have only 1 of it's kind. We have dubbed it the Only 1 pin series. Imaginative title no?

-We plan to offer Only 1 items through raffle only.
-Multiple entries are not allowed to keep it fair for everyone.
-Technically 5 of a single item will be made. As pins are handmade, mistakes/booboos can happen. So to give the lucky winner the best pin we can, we want to have a few pins to choose from. The other 4 will be permanently locked in our vault and not available to anyone.

This Raffles Only 1 is definitely special. The Kirin is hands down the favorite pin this campaign. We thought it only fitting to make such a rare pin for such a rare creature. Behold. The Albino Kirin.

Features:
-Glitter: All white areas
-Pearl: All light and dark pink areas
-Rose Gold Metal
- "Only 1" symbol engraved on back
- 2.5", Hard Enamel *** All Kirin pins have been changed to 2.5" due to the detail of the scales***

How to enter

• Go to Backerkit and add the "Albino Kirin Only 1 Raffle Ticket" add-on to your pledge.
  -You will have until August 15  to purchase your ticket
  -The winner will be revealed early September.
  -Only people whose cards are successfully charged by August 31 will be eligible. 
  -Only one ticket per person and is available to everyone
• The money from this raffle will go towards freebies in our next Kickstarter Campaign. 

SURVEY LOCK DATE
Remember, August 15, that's two weeks from now, will be when all surveys are locked. No changes will be able to be made after (except shipping addresses) and cards will be charged. Make sure all your of your info is correct and you have all the awesome goodies you desire. 

No photo updates this time. You have already seen everything. 

What are we doing?

• Discussing with current manufacturer about options
• On the look out for a new supplier that hasn't been effected by the plating issues
• During the wait times, we work on the new Kickstarter project drawing up concepts. We always keep busy. But remember, this Kickstarter is PRIORITY and comes FIRST

Pin Sample Delay, June Email Winners, Update Photos
2 months ago – Wed, Jul 17, 2024 at 09:26:48 AM

Pin Sample Delay

After waiting so long for the sample pins, we have come to find out the reason for the delay. Enamel pins are usually made from zinc or iron alloy. When pins get to the electroplating stage of production, that's when they get pretty plating you see in the final product. This plating can be gold, silver, copper and more depending on what was chosen (Most of the yokai pins plating will be gold) Unfortunately the manufacture had problems with the electroplating process causing the gold plating on the pins to come off in a few days exposing the base alloy metal underneath. They have corrected the problem and are going to ship the samples out in a day or two, which should get here in about a week.

Looking on the bright side, this is a great opportunity to teach you a little more about the process of pin making :D

Email Newsletter Winners:

***The numbers we are drawing are the email list numbers which are then converted to Kickstarter backing numbers.

Congratulations #48 and #5!!!! We hope you enjoy your extra goody which will be sent at the same time as your Kickstarter rewards.

July Email Newsletter Lotto Prize: Free Tier Upgrade! So, for example, if your pledge was for 3 pins (regardless of early bird/normal pledges) you will receive an upgrade to 5 pins and all the goodies that come with that tier! Only one winner will be chosen this time. Good luck! 

***We are still working on getting the email newsletter set up. Hoping to have a test welcome email coming soon. It's a lot more complicated than we realized. Thank you so much for your patience as we figure it out.

Other Update Photos:

What are we doing?
We have received the funds from Kickstarter. So, aside from working with all the manufactures right now, there's not much to do besides prep packages (and figure out the email newsletter lol!). However, we are tinkering with a new Kickstarter idea that we think you will love! But our focus is here until we are completely squared away with the designs for all the pins and other goodies. When all that is left to do is wait while the remaining items are in production, then we will work a little more on the new project. Definitely send some teasers, too ;)

~Your OhhSeeDee Team

Surveys, Email List, More Reward Progress Photos
3 months ago – Fri, Jun 28, 2024 at 05:40:01 AM

It seems the Smoke Test for the surveys has gone well with very few issues/questions. As of this update, the remaining surveys have been sent. Everyone should have one to fill out now. :D

***Purchasing a Set***
If you have purchased a set or would like to as an upgraded pledge or add-on, we are giving you an additional option based on backer feed back.

Options: 1 Pin Set (10 standard/10 variant) OR 20 pins of your choice.
This is a great opportunity for people who like to have a more customizable option. This applies to multiple pin sets as well so:

2 Pin Sets or 40 pins of choice
3 Pin Sets or 60 Pins of choice and so on

So if you purchased 3 sets but wanted 60 Amabie, ABSOLUTELY! Feel the power to choose! 

I chose a pin set(s) and would like to choose my pins please. How do I choose my pins?

• When filling out your survey, pick any set. Doesn't matter. 
• Then type out your pin choices, send them to us here via message on Kickstarter.
• We will then attach your choices to your survey.

FILLING OUT SURVEYS
. You should be getting an Email from BackerKit prompting you to fill out the surveys.
      If you don't:
       -Check your spam/junk folder.
      *If you still don't see it after 24 hours, please reach out to us.

• Make sure when you fill out your surveys that everything is correct including: names, addresses, pledge items and add-ons. If you have any questions or issues please reach out to us.
• August 15th is the Lock Down date for surveys. This means it is the last day to make any changes to your pledge or getting those extra awesome add-ons. You can still edit your address until we have all the items in hand. We are hoping to have the pins in our hands soon around the end of August. So in order to get your rewards to you in a timely manner, we ask that you fill out your surveys as soon as you are able :)
  • You can still fill out your pledge after this date but you will be getting your items later than everyone else. You will have until Oct 1 2024, about 3 months, to fill out your survey. We will send friendly reminders to help ensure you get your rewards. However, if you do not fill out the surveys by Oct 1, your pledge will be considered a donation.
  • Remember, if you have any questions, need assistance, or have suggestions/ comments, please reach out to us.  

Email List Sign-Ups

For those of you who have been asking if we had an email list to sign up to for updates and sneak peaks, there is a question in the survey to do so now. Perks of our email list include:

• WELCOME COUPON: 40% off one item in our Etsy shop
• Monthly Exclusive Coupons to use in our Etsy shop
• First to get updates and sneak peaks at new pin designs/other cool stuff and more Kickstarter projects by us
• CAT LOTTO giveaways at the end of each month
• Polls and Feedback Surveys
• Unsubscribe anytime

This was a much wanted feature for many backers. We are still working to set up our mailing list email, but for those who have already or plan to sign up (Thank you!), we will send your 40% off coupon code though the messages here. 

*Those who sign up before July 1st, will automatically be entered into the June CAT LOTTO. Each month will feature different prizes that will be voted on in the future by the subscribers. But to get things going now... 

June CAT LOTTO Prizes:

2 Cat Lotto winners will receive these beautiful alcohol ink drawings. The first winner will receive the BAKU, while the second will receive the ONI.

• Size: Both are 9"x12" 
• Baku features: Glitter effects for the dream sand and a border
• Oni features: Fine pen details and borderless. 

Next update: Pin Samples

• When the 7 pin samples arrive, we will take videos, front and back, and post them here. It's taken a little longer than we would have liked, but if the quality is good, then it's totally worth it. 
• Manufacturer said they are almost finished with them. About another week to finish up sample production and a week for shipping. So our next major update should be in about 2 weeks unless something comes up. Definitely looking like the shipping time to you will be pushed back a bit. This is due to the outstanding success of getting all 30 pin designs and their variants unlocked and all the fun extras a lot of the pins have. Potentially looking at September as the new date for the rewards to arrive to you. We will keep you posted though

You can always follow our Facebook page for micro updates.

In the meantime:

More photos from the manufacturer have arrived. Hard to tell quality in the Kamaitachi photo but we will get higher quality images/videos for you when the samples arrive. The Keychain looks AMAZING, is finished and on it's way to us right now. We definitely recommend this as an add-on. It's only $5 and you can only receive it as a backer until we lock the surveys Aug 15th. It will not be available anywhere else ever. 

Whew. That was quite the update! Until next time! 

~Your OhhSeeDeeTeam