Latest from the Creator
PROJECT UPDATE
Project Update: Thank You! + New Prototype WIP Photos
Hi there!
This is my first check-in since the campaign ended! I took the weekend to celebrate and am back now with a good update!
First, I just want to thank you all so much for the support you showed during the campaign. Critterfolk received way more love than I ever imagined, and I’m so grateful for every bit of it. Since you’ve shared so much with me, I want to return the gesture and share a little about myself and this project with you.
If mental health topics are sensitive for you, please feel free to skip ahead to the mushroom emoji 🍄 below!
My name’s Marlow, the creator behind Critterfolk. Long before Critterfolk , I was a full-time commission artist known as Critter Valley. I spent my days drawing other people’s characters and making works of art for them! It was honestly a dream job, and I absolutely loved doing it for many years, but eventually things started to shift.
Somewhere along the way, drawing got harder to enjoy, to feel inspired, to feel purposeful. I’ve always loved creating, but over time I’d gone from creating for myself to creating solely for others. I pushed myself hard to grow and I did what I’d learned to do to survive. I hosted raffles to boost engagement, tried to say the “right” things in posts, created ads, followed trends, and worked long hours. If something didn’t perform well, I took it really personally. I was extremely self-critical and self-depreciative. Repeatedly, I ended up burned out and battling recurring depressive episodes. Being so involved with how my art was perceived online took everything out of me.
After months of contemplation, I decided I had to step away. And while I’d been through plenty of woes, this really was one of the darkest points in my life. I hit the bottom and let me tell you, that well went so deep. My art and career had become so tied to my identity that, without it, I felt completely lost. I realized I didn’t have other hobbies or interests, barely any friends, and no idea what to do next. I felt heartbroken and truly grieved for myself. Leaving was soul-crushing, but I wanted better for myself. And in truth, I got worse before I got better. I spent over six months in a deep depression. I was jobless, lacking any motivation, and full of self-loathing during that time. Looking back, I needed time to be sad, hurt, and broken.
I did my best to focus on rebuilding my sense of self. Slowly, I learned how to not push through everything so hard and learned to slow down. Eventually I started a new job, one where I learned so much. I started at a small (but big!) online shop as a fulfillment and shipping assistant. I learned how to pick and pack orders, process preorders (over 10,000 orders and 2,500 preorders!), and later moved into a purchasing role. It was scary at first, but it taught me confidence, and I stopped being so afraid. I stopped being afraid of failing, of losing, and so many things other things that held me back. Would you believe me if I told you I was too afraid to make simple, animal inspired products because I thought "that's been done too many times already"?
Little by little, I started creating again, and somewhere along the way, the Critterfolk were created. At first, I kept them close, sharing them only with my inner circle. I didn’t want anyone’s feedback or expectations to shape them for me. Once I finally felt grounded in their concept, I shared Critterfolk with you all for the first time this summer — and here we are, at the end of this wildly successful campaign! 🎉
I’m sharing this story because I know some of you might be in a place like I was.
It’s amazing to look back now and see how that hard decision led to the extreme happiness, gratitude, and sense of fulfillment that I feel today. Had I not stopped, I would have never gotten here. Letting go let me show up for myself, tackle big fears that one froze me, and find myself again.
If there’s one thing I hope you take from this, it’s this: healing takes time. It might get harder before it gets easier. It can feel like setting a broken bone — painful at first, but necessary to heal.
Also, you may never feel “ready,” but you’ll know when it’s time.
🍄 Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has been there for me. Thank you to my partner Arin for supporting me these last two years. By handling finances when I was down, to always trying to encourage me and lift me up, you have been just as much a part of my growth as I. Thank you to my friends, who’ve shown me unconditional love and given me the best support, feedback, and advice. Thank you to my online community, who saw Critterfolk’s potential even before I did and pushed me to launch this plush line. And of course, thank you to every one of you here now. You’ve been an huge integral part of this journey, and I’m so grateful for each of you. Thank you. ❤️
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🌱 Now onto some Prototype WIPs!
First, here's a peek at Rowan and Honey's prototypes!
As a reminder, the first samples are rarely perfect, so they might look a little silly right now. No worries, though! We’ll make improvements and get them looking just right before they’re finalized! I have not edited these images yet.
Rowan is looking so cute already!
His cheeks and tail look so perfectly fluffy and squishable. We still need to tweak his colors and face, but overall he is looking really great!
Honey is almost perfect! While the pink fur makes her look like a cute cotton candy bunny, it just doesn’t quite fit the natural aesthetic. (Sorry to everyone rooting for her to stay pink! 💔) She’ll be a soft cream color instead.
But honestly, I’m so happy with her shape and pattern — it’s looking great! My manufacturer is really getting the feel for Critterfolk’s style, so I’m hopeful we’ll see even faster progress on samples from here!
My last show and tell is a sample of Frasier's Signature Outfit!
The lighting in these photos isn’t the best, but I couldn’t wait to share!
Despite that, the colors are looking amazing, and the fit seems pretty good too. I might ask to try out a different fabric but overall I’m really happy with this first look at the clothes!
That's all the prototype updates I have for now! Which clothes or plushie are you most excited to see next?
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🌱 Surveys are scheduled to go out by November 15th
I have almost completed setting up the survey! I only have a few steps left, so keep a look out for updates regarding it's launch.
🌱 The Backerkit preorder store will open after the survey launches
I know many creators typically open their preorder before the survey goes out, but I will be waiting until after. This is to avoid any unnecessary complications between backers and preorder store customers!
🌱 Weekly Update Schedule : Check in's every Wednesday
Just to keep everyone in the loop, I’ve decided to check in every Wednesday until all rewards are fulfilled! Even if there’s nothing big to report, I think it’s important to keep communication open and updates flowing. I'd much rather send too many emails than not enough!
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Please let me know if you have any more questions!
As always, you can reply to this update or email me at [email protected] for private inquiries!
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🌱 Now onto some Prototype WIPs!
First, here's a peek at Rowan and Honey's prototypes!
As a reminder, the first samples are rarely perfect, so they might look a little silly right now. No worries, though! We’ll make improvements and get them looking just right before they’re finalized! I have not edited these images yet.
Rowan is looking so cute already!
His cheeks and tail look so perfectly fluffy and squishable. We still need to tweak his colors and face, but overall he is looking really great!
Honey is almost perfect! While the pink fur makes her look like a cute cotton candy bunny, it just doesn’t quite fit the natural aesthetic. (Sorry to everyone rooting for her to stay pink! 💔) She’ll be a soft cream color instead.
But honestly, I’m so happy with her shape and pattern — it’s looking great! My manufacturer is really getting the feel for Critterfolk’s style, so I’m hopeful we’ll see even faster progress on samples from here!
My last show and tell is a sample of Frasier's Signature Outfit!
The lighting in these photos isn’t the best, but I couldn’t wait to share!
Despite that, the colors are looking amazing, and the fit seems pretty good too. I might ask to try out a different fabric but overall I’m really happy with this first look at the clothes!
That's all the prototype updates I have for now! Which clothes or plushie are you most excited to see next?
---
🌱 Surveys are scheduled to go out by November 15th
I have almost completed setting up the survey! I only have a few steps left, so keep a look out for updates regarding it's launch.
🌱 The Backerkit preorder store will open after the survey launches
I know many creators typically open their preorder before the survey goes out, but I will be waiting until after. This is to avoid any unnecessary complications between backers and preorder store customers!
🌱 Weekly Update Schedule : Check in's every Wednesday
Just to keep everyone in the loop, I’ve decided to check in every Wednesday until all rewards are fulfilled! Even if there’s nothing big to report, I think it’s important to keep communication open and updates flowing. I'd much rather send too many emails than not enough!
---
Please let me know if you have any more questions!
As always, you can reply to this update or email me at [email protected] for private inquiries!
PROJECT UPDATE
Project Update: 45 Minutes Left + Plushie Video!
Hello again fellow critters 🐾
We are officially 45 MINUTES away from the end of the campaign!
I wanted to sneak in one last update to share a video of me handling the plushies!
I meant to do this much earlier, but I was a little self-conscious about my hands. For years I’ve struggled with chronic nail-biting, so I’ve spent this whole month working on healing my hands just to make this video! 🥺❤️
Here’s a short video of me wiggling them around and showing off more details!
(You will have to open the update on Backerkit to watch the video!)
Look at their cute little faces! Frasier's little paws! Clover's little dew claws! They are so soft and fun to stim with!
Alright, now this is the final reminder! Now’s your LAST CHANCE to submit or update your pledge before we wrap things up!
Thank you all SO much for your amazing support this past month. I've teared up a few times today because I'm so happy and grateful to have had the chance to share my love with you, and to have you all give back so much more. Thanks for believing in me and my critters! I'll chat with you all again soon ❤️
(By the way, even though the campaign is set to end in 45 minutes, overtime mode is on! Every pledge adds an extra 10 minutes, so let’s keep it going as long as we can! 🎉)
PROJECT UPDATE
Project Update: New Prototype Photos + Cross Collab Reminder!
Hi again so soon!
As mentioned and the end of the last update, I have more to share! I couldn't fit it all comfortably into one update, so you're getting spoiled with 2 check-ins tonight ❤️
🌱 Juniper & Willow Prototype WIPs
Photos of some plush prototypes have started to arrive! Let’s take a look at them! 👀
As mentioned and the end of the last update, I have more to share! I couldn't fit it all comfortably into one update, so you're getting spoiled with 2 check-ins tonight ❤️
🌱 Juniper & Willow Prototype WIPs
Photos of some plush prototypes have started to arrive! Let’s take a look at them! 👀
As a reminder, the first samples are rarely perfect, so they might look a little silly right now. No worries, though! We’ll make improvements and get them looking just right before they’re finalized!
First up is one of our most popular critters, Juniper!
Juniper’s color choices turned out perfect on the first try! That’s pretty rare in plush making, so it’s definitely worth celebrating! Their overall body shape looks fantastic too. All the fixes will be super easy, so I’m hopeful we’ll have Juniper completed soon!
Next is our kitty, Willow!
First up is one of our most popular critters, Juniper!
Juniper’s color choices turned out perfect on the first try! That’s pretty rare in plush making, so it’s definitely worth celebrating! Their overall body shape looks fantastic too. All the fixes will be super easy, so I’m hopeful we’ll have Juniper completed soon!
Next is our kitty, Willow!
Willow is coming along nicely as well! The grey color isn’t quite right, so we’ll switch it to a dark cream/light tan instead. But the brown on her face, arms, and legs is spot on! Her shapes are nearly perfect too, so I’m really happy with how her prototype is looking so far. Just a few tweaks and she’ll be perfect!
And here’s a little update on Frasier!
We decided to change his longer fur to a higher-quality fabric. It’s a small change, but one we really wanted to make!
The new fur is much fluffier and looks more realistic, plus it should have a better feel than the old fur. This new type of fabric will also be used for the rest of the plushies! This change doesn’t affect the short fur used on most of the plush bodies.
Below is a little video from our manufacturer!
That's all the plush updates we have for now! We will check back in again soon when we have more to share ❤️
🍬 Circus Sweeties Collab 🍭
Our cross collab campaign partner, Circus Sweeties, is also in its final 40 hours!
Charmsey is SO close to unlocking her last cookie! It would be so awesome if you could help her reach her last goal too ❤️
Our cross collab campaign partner, Circus Sweeties, is also in its final 40 hours!
Charmsey is SO close to unlocking her last cookie! It would be so awesome if you could help her reach her last goal too ❤️
As a reminder, when you pledge to both of our campaigns, you get a total of 4 FREE stickers!
Please check out Circus Sweeties to collect all the treats without any of the tricks this Halloween! 🎃🍬
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Thank you all for reading! I'll check back in again soon ❤️
Thank you all for reading! I'll check back in again soon ❤️
PROJECT UPDATE
Project Update: Pay Over Time Payment Feature Now Enabled
Hey guys!
This is a very short yet important update!
It turns out the Pay Over Time feature wasn’t enabled like I thought, but it’s now up and ready to go! Let’s quickly cover how it works:
The Pay Over Time option lets you pay off pledges over $150 across 4 months. It is handled directly by Backerkit without any third-party loan companies!
If you’ve wanted to increase your pledge above $150 but could’t do so, now you can choose to pay over time! To set it up, simply manage your pledge and go through checkout again. If the option is available for your pledge, here’s what your checkout should look like:
As shown above, here’s what you agree to when you choose to use Pay Over Time:
This is a very short yet important update!
It turns out the Pay Over Time feature wasn’t enabled like I thought, but it’s now up and ready to go! Let’s quickly cover how it works:
The Pay Over Time option lets you pay off pledges over $150 across 4 months. It is handled directly by Backerkit without any third-party loan companies!
If you’ve wanted to increase your pledge above $150 but could’t do so, now you can choose to pay over time! To set it up, simply manage your pledge and go through checkout again. If the option is available for your pledge, here’s what your checkout should look like:
As shown above, here’s what you agree to when you choose to use Pay Over Time:
- I understand my rewards will not qualify for shipment until I have paid in full.
- I understand that any partial payments made are not eligible for a refund.
- I understand that I will not be able to access the pledge manager survey until after I have paid in full.
I wanted to make this feature available to those who need it, so please use it if it helps!
That said, if you’re able to pay your pledge in full, it would be a huge help to both of us! Paying in full gives you immediate access to the survey, which lets you add more plushies, outfits, stickers, and other goodies! The survey also helps me start estimating my bulk order and planning fulfillment based on your choices.
Another trick to split payments without using Pay Over Time is to pay your pledge and current add-ons tonight and then select any extra add-ons in the survey to pay for later. This is my preferred way, but the choice is yours!
This feature is new, so please let me know if you are having any trouble! ❤️ Sorry for the last-minute update, but I hope it’s still helpful!