Welcome to Pintober!  — a celebration of creativity and collaboration from a diverse group of artists collectively running enamel pin crowdfunding projects from Oct 8th through Nov 1st.

Freebie Cross-Collaboration Pins — Back 3 or more Pintober campaigns and get a free sweet treat mini-pin from each of the artists you have supported! 🍬🍬🍬

My freebie pins (yes, pinS! Each qualifying backer receives THREE mini stars!) are designed after those yummy, sweet candy dots you eat off of paper backing - but in the shape of cute puffy stars in a variety of pastel colors! Each pin measures 20mm (roughly 0.79") in size and will be dyed metal - additionally, they will be three dimensional with a depth of 5mm (roughly 0.2").

After my first enamel pin campaign (Peets 'n' Beans) earlier this year for Pintopia, I caught a SERIOUS pin-making bug - which led to my newest concept, a space-horror themed pin collection! I have always been fascinated by the universe, and all the real (and not-so-real) concepts located within - and since many of those concepts and unknowns are pretty terrifying, it seemed like a no-brainer to put a spooky spin on a space themed pin set!

The first funding goal will allow the pin I've dubbed Dead Inside to be produced - this 1.5" enamel pin will feature a space helmet with off white, gray and glittery royal purple soft enamel - the center will feature a raised metal skull with translucent gray enamel over top to give the illusion of a transparent visor! This pin will have dark nickel metal and two pin posts on the back, and as with all of my pins thus far, will have a layer of clear epoxy over all the soft enamel areas.

To illustrate what the translucent enamel over the raised metal might look like, here are similarly made pins from my previous campaign (available as add-on random gacha spins as well!). Below that is a 3D rendering made by Sunny Nika on Instagram (find a link to her profile in the credits section!)

Everyone who backs both my campaign and Midnight Springs' campaign for at least 1 pin each* will receive each of these pins as freebies! These pins are based off each others' theme - my collab pin will feature an eclipse of moths in dyed black metal, screen printed with starry details and moths. This pin will measure 1.5” tall, and was inspired by a suggestion from my collab partner - Killer Moths from Outer Space a la “Killer Clowns From Outer Space”!

Midnight Springs' freebie will be another of their gacha-only moths titled "Abduction"! This pin will be 22mm wide and will be available ONLY through backing both campaigns, or a randomize pull from Midnight Springs' gacha machines (purchased either during the campaign, or at future in person events and in their online store once all pledges have been fulfilled. 

*This means that add-on only and Starving Child Treat Fund backers who do not also add a pin to their pledge are not eligible for the freebie pins. 

If you are an EARLY BIRD backer (back within the first 48 hours) then you will be getting the best possible deal on these pins - retail price will be $15 per pin, and you will be getting your pin choice at $13! This reward stacks, and you will be able to receive all unlocked pins at the $13 price if you pledge to the respective early bird pledge tier (up to 5 individual pins, which can be repeats). Once the 48 hours is up these tiers will no longer be available.

ALL backers of my previous Peets 'n' Beans project (as it was my first!) who back this campaign will receive a special free glow in the dark sticker! This sticker will be using my Killer Moths from Outer Space pin design - all the moths, as well as the white stars will be glow in the dark - due to how glow in the dark works, the darker moths at the top of the sticker will glow less than the lighter ones, which will also give the illusion of depth!
Once I have these stickers in hand I will post a photo here (or in an update) to show what they look like in sticker form both in daylight, and once the lights are out :)

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There will be a total of FOUR stretch goals for this campaign - each will be an additional pin design that fits with the theme.

Stretch Goal #1 - Spaghettification (unlocked at $900)

This 2" enamel pin will feature my interpretation of a spaghettification diagram - An unfortunate space farer being sucked into the crushing center of a black hole, their body stretching out to a stream of atoms the closer they get to the event horizon - depicted with ivory, dark gray and white soft enamel. The spacey background will be glittery black soft enamel and dark nickel plating, and a top layer of clear epoxy.

Stretch Goal #2 - Devourer (unlocked at $1300)

This 1.5" enamel pin will feature a fictional, made-of-dark-matter, serpent-like, planet-devouring monster - this pin will be made with glittery dark gray soft enamel, white enamel for the teeth, black glittery soft enamel inside the mouth, and a planet with screen printed details moments from being devoured! As with the other 2 pins, this one will have a glossy clear epoxy finish and dark nickel plating.

Stretch Goal #3 - Red Supergiant (unlocked at $1650)

This 1.5" enamel pin features the very real (albeit far away) fate of our sun - to become a red supergiant in roughly 5 billion years when it ceases hydrogen fusion. Thankfully none of us will be around to experience the potential engulfment of our little blue planet! The red giant will be made of red-orange glittery soft enamel, with our (very dry and very toasty) planet featuring soft enamel and screen printed details. This pin will be gold metal, with a standard epoxy top coating.

Stretch Goal #4 - Gamma Ray Burst (unlocked at $2100)

A gamma ray burst is the most intense, luminous, and energetic type of explosion recorded in our universe - these devastatingly concentrated beams of energy emit from the supernova phase as a star collapses into a neutron star or a black hole. This 1.5" (wide) pin demonstrates a very real (but extremely unlikely) gamma ray burst enveloping the Earth in its devastating radiation - this pin will feature a translucent green enamel (representing radiation) over top of the earth, devoid of all signs of life. How cheerful! :) The lighter green portions of this pin will actually be done in a "stained glass" method, meaning it will be completely see-through!

If all four stretch goals are reached (or it appears they'll be reached) then I will release some other pin concepts to be voted on for production! (Some possibilities include asteroid shower, black hole, and solar flare!)

The add-ons for this campaign will be a bit more limited than my previous campaign - because I will likely be doing fulfillment of this campaign at the same time as Pintopia 2025's I want to ensure I have many fewer moving parts than I did for Pintopia 2024. That being said, you will still have plenty of fun add-ons to choose from! Including gacha spins from Peets 'n' Beans, stickers, a brand new pin board design (do be revealed shortly into the campaign), the previous paw pin board (available as a fully customizable add-on which is unavailable anywhere outside this campaign), stickers, and more. As each pin design is unlocked it will become available as a specific add-on as well!

My cost breakdown for this campaign will be exactly the same as my previous one! 10% to account for BK fees, 10% to account for shipping of pins to me, and 80% to go toward manufacturing of pins (including freebies), as well as any additional campaign-exclusive items (stickers, acrylic pins, 3D printed pin boards, etc.)

Using my experience with my previous campaign, and adding in the fact that I likely will not be able to get the pins shipped until after Chinese New Year (when all factories are closed for an extended holiday), I am adding in some extra buffers for my fulfillment timeline.

This campaign will run from October 8th to November 1st. Surveys will be sent out as soon as possible post campaign, to ensure I receive an accurate count of items before manufacturing begins. Once funds are received roughly 2 weeks post campaign I will start the manufacturing process.

This should take roughly 3-4 weeks after funds are received in mid-November, unfortunately almost ensuring overlap with the CNY. This means I likely will not receive the pins until March or April. Once they arrive to me, I am giving myself 4 weeks to inventory and grade all pins, pack orders, and ship them out. I have extended my packing/shipping time from my previous campaign, as I will be packing and shipping orders likely from BOTH Pintober and Pintopia, and I have found that I am still not accustomed to sending packages (though I am getting better at it!). My hope is that I will be able to beat some of these deadlines, as I am not planning to attend any conventions until May at the moment (although that may change), which means I will not be packing orders in between frantically crocheting new stock for events.

October 8, 10:00 AM PST - Campaign Starts
November 1, 10:00 AM PST - Campaign Ends
November 15* - Funds Collected, Surveys Sent,
End November - Manufacturing begins
December 15 - Surveys Closed, Begin packing orders without new pins (add-on only and tip orders).
Mid-End April* - Pins received, inventory & quality check begins
Through May* - Pins & add ons shipped

*These time frames are estimated, and may be earlier or later depending upon Backerkit and manufacturers. I will update all backers any time a major update altering these timelines occurs. 

For anyone who decides to order only addon items through a support tier (i.e. items that are already manufactured and ready to ship) those will ship within 8 weeks post campaign (depending on when funds clear and surveys are answered) - as I am able to get these manufactured/made much more easily (and some will be pre-made). 
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See the chart below for estimated shipping costs - keep in mind that these are only potential estimates, and not a guarantee, and are likely to increase rather than decrease. Shipping costs are charged after surveys are sent out and I have gathered your address, so keep in mind that shipping is an additional charge on top of your pledge. This allows for a much more accurate shipping price and eliminates guesswork (that often ends in a deficit in funds on my part!).

You will have the opportunity to add on extra items in your post campaign survey. Add on items may come with additional shipping costs depending on the final weight of your order. Apologies in advance for the high price of any orders that will be shipped outside the US - and big thanks to all who decide my pins are worth the extra cost <3

*EU/UK shipping is subject to order minimums

 
I will be shipping all orders through USPS Ground Advantage, or, if you have an exceptionally large order, potentially UPS, FedEx or DHL. Only UK orders greater than 135£ / EU orders greater than 150€ will be processed. Others must be refunded due to VAT law.

The USPS Ground Advantage packages have an ESTIMATED SHIPPING TIME of 3-7 business days for USA and a 7-21 business days for Everywhere Else. I am unable to guarantee shipping times, and so these are only estimates and I cannot be held responsible for shipping times that exceed these estimates. Please ensure your shipping address is up-to-date when filling out your backerkit survey - if you need to make any changes, they must be made prior to your package shipping out, or I will be unable to accommodate any change requests.

Backers who need rewards re-shipped due to incorrect or insufficient address will need to pay for the additional cost of shipping. I will provide ample time prior to shipping orders out for you to make me aware of any shipping changes that may be required, and intend to have several reminders in my updates as well.

*In the event your package is lost by the mail carrier despite accurate address, please reach out to me for resolution*
 
If shipping internationally, I will fill out all customs forms accurately and truthfully. Please do not ask me to modify the value of your item(s) or mark them as a gift, as I will not do this. I am not responsible for extra charges as a result of VAT or other taxes. 

My pins come in 3 grades - A grade, Standard grade, and seconds/B grade

A Grade pins have no visible flaws up close, at least from me looking over them. These would be considered collectible and I recommend they be used for display only, or inside an ita bag with a clear covering.

Standard Grade pins have a few extremely minor flaws that can be seen up close, but flaws cannot be distinguished from 2+ feet away. Those flaws may include low enamel, specks or scratches in enamel, specks or scratches in the metal plating, slightly miscolored enamel, slightly flawed printing, and the like. These pins are ideal for display where they may be open to the elements (on an uncovered ita bag, a backpack, a lanyard, a lapel or other clothing item, etc.)

Seconds grade pins are ones with noticeable flaws even at a distance. These may include flaws like holes/craters in the enamel (caused by bubbles that were polished down), large or dark specks in the enamel or metal, very significantly low or missing enamel, smeared or very uneven printing, overflowed enamel, really deep scratches in the enamel, visible metal behind glitter. When I sell seconds grade pins at conventions, people usually do not care about the flaws and happily purchase them anyway. These pins are a good option for someone on a budget who still wants to add to their pin collection and may not care about imperfections and larger flaws.

EARLY BIRD & RETURNING BACKER PLEDGE LEVELS
Early Bird pledge levels are only available for the first 48 hours of the campaign. Early bird incentives can be stacked up to 5 pins (total value of $65 for a savings of $10).

Returning backers will be able to receive 1 freebie glow in the dark sticker based on my Killer Moths from Outer Space design.

DESIGN

PRODUCTION

REFUNDS & CANCELLATIONS

If you are familiar with Kickstarter, Backerkit functions in a very similar way!

While this campaign is live, you can pledge to any open ledge level - at the time of pledging, your payment method will not be charged. Backerkit is an all or nothing platform, which means that you will only be charged if the base goal is funded. If the base goal is not funded, the pins will not be made, and you will not be charged.

Once the campaign ends you will be charged for the cost of your pledge level only (shipping costs are paid later within your survey). Roughly 2 weeks after the campaign ends, you will receive a BackerKit survey to choose your designs, pay shipping fees, and add your shipping address. In your survey, there will be an add-ons section where you can add extra items, such as stickers, pins, lanyards, stretch goal pins, and more.

Even if you are familiar with pledging to a crowdfunded campaign please read the "Disclaimer" section. 

My cross-collab partner, Midnight Springs, is the entire reason I am even doing all this (again! lol) - my first enamel pins last campaign ignited a fire within me to make even more, and I am excited to be collaborating with her again to get even more pins made!