It‘s been a busy few weeks here, what with Christmas markets, family visits and finishing up all 175 animals for the shaker keychains! In today‘s short update I‘ll cover some of the recent developments, design changes and timeline.
Production has begun!
After some back and forth I gave the final approval for production of the shaker keychains, shaker elements, lanyards and freebie holographic keychains yesterday, which means production has started!
Design Changes
You know how I said that I‘ll do alternate designs on the tundra, desert and meadow keychain only if the total item count after the pledge-manager is 20 or more? Well we only unlocked that for the tundra…but I really like the winter meadow and midnight desert! So I maaay have just done them anyway. Take it as a little Christmas present
There have also been two adjustments with the animals, but I hope you‘ll understand and appreciate the changes I‘ve made.
In the Mountain Asia Pack I‘ve exchanged the wild ass for the Argali sheep. The wild ass is very similar to the Indian onagar, available in the Desert Asia Pack and the Argali could be a stand in for the American Bighorn sheep, for those of you that missed some American mountain animals.
In the Desert Asia Pack I‘ve exchanged the Indian red scorpion for the Djungarian hamster. The main reason for that is that I really struggled to make the scorpion look cute and matching the other animals in style. The djungarian hamster is found in the Gobi desert and has also become a popular species as a pet.
Timeline
The keychains are expected to ship mid to late January, at which point I‘ll take a few days to do quality control and put everything in cute packaging. That is also the time when I will lock addresses! So if you are planning to move in January or February, keep that date in mind.
Until then I am working on two major areas: other add-ons and packaging design!
Here is what will happen next:
Finalise & order sticker sheets
Finalise & order die cut stickers
Arrange the posters and send them to my friend to check for spelling errors
Design Thank You card
Design packaging for booster packs and keychains, design sticker for washi tape
Order packing supplies (tissue paper, boxes, labels etc.)
So as you can see, while the most nerve-racking part is done there are still a few things left to deal with. I am especially excited for and daunted by designing the packaging. I really want to make something cute but, realistically, it has to be both in budget and not too annoying to assemble. Once I have some sketches and ideas, I‘ll share those with you.
What do you think of the changes I made? Do you approve? Please let me know your thoughts and questions!
hi everyone! I wanted to share a little preview of my next backerkit project with you all, launching late next month -- to the moon and back, which celebrates the lives and sacrifices of animals we've sent to space.
i was incredibly honored to be invited to participate in backerkit's 2025 pintopia campaign! pintopia allows you to support a ton of small creators & get rewarded in the process. this year's collection focuses on pins AND plushies, but with the project coming so soon after the conclusion of the batpacks, I didn't want to do anything too huge or crazy while I'm still focused on batpack fulfillment!
so, my project is going to primarily feature enamel pins & other smaller merch items, all with reference to different space animals!
anyone who's bought from my shop before likely recognizes these two as being my interpretations of laika, the space dog, and felicette, the space cat. these two (& more!) will be available as large, oversized 3in minimum enamel pins, and i think they're gonna turn out gorgeous!
(and, as a special thank you to everyone who supported the batpacks, previous supporters for the batpack project who pledge to this new one will get a special exclusive reward!)
thank you as always for all your support -- my manufacturer has told me that they plan to have these new samples done by the end of the year, so let's keep our fingers crossed! 🤞
Hello everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season!
I just received some excellent news from my manufacturer, the base ita bags and their initial inserts/claws/titles have finished!
To try and avoid any possible shipping delays or monetary issues due to incoming tariffs, I've decided to not wait until the plush are done, and ship the largest portion of the order overseas to me asap.
The plush are not far behind, as well as all the extras. Unfortunately, if I do face issues with tariffs there is a very real possibility that anything outside what I'm shipping now, could be delayed further until I have enough money to pay the extra 20% that wasn't accounted for when creating and funding this campaign. However, I want you all to know that no matter what you *will* be receiving everything. I have a loan offer I have been waiting until some such emergency happens to take out, and if it does come to it, I will take that offer to get the plush and remaining add-ons here. I have taken out a loan with them a few times before so I'm confident in their practices and am confident I can pay it back. (Basically; please don't worry about me taking out a loan! I promise I'm being safe and know what I'm doing. It's through a payment processor I use for most shows, and I've paid off a few of their loans before! I appreciate any concern!! <3)
Anyway, on to happier news!! Here are pictures of the completed bags before being packed up for shipping!!
If everything goes well, the bags should be here by Mid-Late January! However, with the plush, there had to be some changes made (it was just Latte's head, we had to size up Latte just a little bit) and that prevented them from being on the same timeline as I'm getting them made with the same manufacturer. The good news is, 300 plush takes a lot less time than 400 full ita bags, so they shouldn't be that much longer! I'm also on track to receive the pins and charms before February, and will be posting pictures of them as soon as they're completely finished.
If you ordered a plush, you might have to wait a little longer for shipping. However, I plan on offering to ship separately if it does seem they'll be arriving too long after the ita bags initially get here.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
Thank you all so much for believing in me and trusting me with such a big project, it truly means a lot to me. I'm able to live my dream because of people like you and it really fills my heart. Thank you all again, and I hope you look forward to more updates!
hi again everyone! I know youve all been patiently waiting for more updates regarding the new samples -- we've had a bit of trouble sourcing the perfect purple for dreamy bat, so getting to the next stage of sampling (testing out the screenprint) took a bit of time!
here's what i have to share with you so far:
screenprint samples for the honduran white bat! the only change we need to make is adjusting the print pattern on the ear (the ear fluff on the inside of the black lineart is supposed to be white!).
screenprint samples for the dreamy bat! everything looks good here, except for the fact that the purple pleather is a bit harder to find. we were able to find a nice purple for the feet and outer wings, though, which I originally thought we would need to screenprint onto the light purple! so that's great news, since it means the outside of dreamy bat's wings will be much more durable :)
now, getting a bit ahead of the game here, id asked for a few fabric samples to see what might work best for marine bat. of the remaining designs we need samples of, the marine bat was the one I was most worried about finding colors for, so I thought we'd get a bit of a head start on sorting that out!
these were the samples sent to me from the original pleather swatch palette we'd been using -- both nice colors, sure, but not exactly right for marine bat...
so, I asked if we could hunt around for some more options, and I think we found a winner!
overall, the sample process is taking a bit longer than I originally anticipated. it's important to me that we're as thorough as possible in this stage to ensure that the final batpacks come out perfect, so im more than fine with the process taking longer! once we have all the samples in hand, I'll have a much better idea of how our project timeline will need to be adjusted to account for this longer sample period.
in other good news: basically the only things we need to make for tier rewards are the enamel pins! once those are all done being manufactured, i can start shipping out everyone's non-batpack rewards, hopefully a bit ahead of schedule.
hope you guys enjoy these updates! backers may have already seen that i have another, much smaller project planned with backerkit for the beginning of 2025 -- i should have more updates regarding that pretty soon, too! have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 🦇🖤
As we dive into the festive season, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you—our beloved community of adventurers and dreamers. Your enthusiasm and support are what drive us to create and innovate. May this time of year bring you happiness, warmth, and a chance to unwind. Whether you're enjoying a game night or planning exciting ventures for the new year, I hope it's filled with joy and fulfillment.
Thank you for being such an important part of our story. Looking forward to a new year filled with more adventures and memorable experiences!
🏁Project Complete ✔️
All orders outside the US have been dispatched. Thank you, GamesQuest for your great work! By now, everyone should have their Fate Finders, or they are on their way and we will consider this project complete.
⚔️ One-Shot Adventure ⚔️
We are still polishing this up. It should be ready before New Years and there will be a final email or update to inform you about it.
🚚 Shipping Questions❓
If you are having trouble with shipping or have shipping questions, see the info in our previous update.
It is finally time to bring this story to its conclusion.
A Twist of Fate - Part 9: The Final Bargain “Alright, golden boy, I’ll give you your toy back—but only if you sweeten the deal. Let’s just say I’m in the market for a little… preferential treatment. Maybe a lifetime of good luck?” Fienn Smirks
Talisor’s glowing eyes narrow, but a faint smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “Clever. Very well, mortal. I'll grant you my favor. Luck will follow you in ways no other mortal can claim. But beware—luck is fickle, and even my favor may lead you to unexpected places.”
“Sounds about right,” Fenn says, tossing the Fate Finder toward Talisor. The moment he catches it, the writhing thread of light calms, solidifying into a steady beam that weaves itself back into the cosmic tapestry above. The room stabilizes, its kaleidoscopic colors fading into a soft golden glow.
Talisor straightens, his power restored. “The balance is maintained, for now. You’ve made your choice, and the consequences will follow you always.”
With a wave of his hand, Talisor opens a portal behind Fenn, a shimmering doorway back to the mortal realm. “Go, and carry my favor well. Your path is yours to walk—just remember, even the luckiest can stumble.”
Fenn gives Talisor a nod and steps through the portal, back into the familiar chaos of his world. As the portal closes behind him, he feels a subtle shift in the air—a sense that, for better or worse, his luck has truly changed.
🎄Have a Merry Christmas and a great 2025! 🎉
Once again, Thank you all for a great project. 2025 will be a massive year for Sundial Games! Don't forget to sign up to get notified of our next project: the 2026 Quest Calendar: The Souls of Saraku.
May your quests be grand and your rewards plentiful, ~ Thomas and the Sundial Games Family
Well well well if it isn’t me overworking myself for no reason. Turns out we’re supposed to wait 14 days after campaign ends to send surveys! A misunderstanding on my part. The wait gives everyone a chance to fix their initial payment if it failed.
Luckily this gives me time to figure out international shipping costs! Bag numbers and pin numbers are good. Sherbert inserts are at 21 backed so I’ll go a bit over to account for extras and defects. When surveys do get sent you’ll have a chance to add on different pins and also fuzzy worm slap bracelets handmade by EvilWeasel24.
Gonna take a break for a couple days. Wedding anniversary tomorrow and then holidays with family. I hope all of you have such a lovely week. Get some rest and remember to hydrate.
Howdy! I wanted to thank everyone formally on here. I’m working on getting surveys out by this weekend. You’ll find all the add on options (including worm slap bracelets handmade by evilweasel24🪱) and be able to add your address so you have a better estimate on what shipping costs will be. Plus I’ll have a preorder shop for those who didn’t get to pledge in time.
Thank you so much everyone who pledged, supported, and helped out in anyway. I truly am grateful for each of you. Can’t wait to get these started!
First time using my bag, and the tail came right off. Thankfully, I was able to find it, and I'm not sure what it caught on to pull it off. But just be careful so pieces don't get lost!
I feel like a regular snap would have been better/more secure here, or just having those pieces sewn on as part of the bags, just as some feedback. :)
My Alastor is still super cute and I love him to bits!
I absolutely adore my bags, however my B grade and A grade have both now lost their zippers due to normal usage. I can sew myself, but will have to cut open the material in order to reapply the zipper. Is there anything I can do, or is this in my own hands? Wish the quality there was a little better since both have come off the tracks in less than a month since receiving them.
