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6 days ago
Aijung Kim
commented on a project updatethanks stacey!
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6 days ago
Aijung Kim
commented on a projectthank you dale and dee! it'll be ready soon - next month at the latest!
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on May 15
Aijung Kim
Posted project update #6Golden Moth Sneak Peeks!
Hello Everyone!
I have been quiet for too long, and now I have some exciting updates to share with you. For those of you who have trouble viewing this message in your e-mail (I noticed that the pictures are sometimes too wide to fit in the screen), click on this link to view it properly.
A couple weeks ago, I visited the Archaic Mess studio to do a press check. Taylor Ball (right) of Parcell Press and Travis Robertson (left) are the duo behind the Mess. Taylor mostly handles the printing and Travis mostly handles the finishing (paper trimming, stapling, etc), though I'm sure both help out in either realm.
A glimpse of the workspace where the magic happens.
Taylor wrote a detailed printing task list!
Out of the contraption and into the stacks - hundreds of golden moths!
Keeping in mind that we are but human individuals with varying schedules working on this project, Travis delivered most of the cards to me a few days ago. "Most" - meaning that there are still some cards that need to be trimmed due to the fact that he needs to get the guillotine blade re-sharpened, but it shouldn't be too long before he can deliver the rest. Check it out some of the cards!
Some of you may notice that I changed the design of the border slightly. I was going to use blue in the border, but decided that it looked too busy.
In the meantime, there is still some work for me to do to get these cards into the hands of my Kickstarter backers, and then to the general public. I have to corner-round the cards:
And I have to hand-cut the boxes and assemble them - this is the step that I think will be the most time-consuming!
Then the cards need to be collated into numbered order for each deck. All of this goes into a package with the Arrow Spread Sheet:
and Handbook!
The Handbook looks really cute, don't you think? For some reason, I was almost more excited about seeing the Handbook than I was with the actual card deck, maybe because I still have to work on the deck but the Handbook was delivered all finished and pretty by Archaic Mess.
I was so worried about writing the book, but once I finally got into it everything flowed well. My aunt and older sister helped a lot with editing. I hope that the Handbook will be helpful and informative to others.
Oh, almost forgot - I also have been working on the mini-art that goes to Kickstarter backers who pledged $30 or more. Here is a sampling of some of the art I have finished:
So now I need to get back to the drawing board and chug away at all the details. I also need to finish the notecard and poster designs, and I will hand screenprint the poster. I am hoping to start sending packages near the end of this month, with the goal of having everything delivered by June. Thanks everyone for your patience! And if anyone in Richmond is interested in helping me out with some of these finishing touches, give me a holler. I can compensate your time with food and artwork!
With the extra money I raised from my Kickstarter campaign (I raised $4,800 when the original goal was $4,000) I decided to up the quantity of decks, spread sheets, and handbook from 250 to 300. I was also able to order a larger variety of postcards.
Thanks everyone who cast their vote on the postcard and bookplate designs. Here is the choice you will get if you ordered postcards:
And here are the bookplate designs:
For those of you who know someone who wasn't able to get in on the Kickstarter campaign but would like to order a deck or related products, I will be listing them for sale in my etsy shop, Sprout Head, after I have shipped out orders to my Kickstarter backers, since you guys deserve to receive them first!
Once again, thanks so much for your patience and let me know if you have any questions or comments.
love,
aijung
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on April 21
Aijung Kim
Posted project update #5Still Working...
Post CommentHello Everyone,
I just wanted to update you on the status of The Golden Moth Illumination Deck. I initially estimated the delivery of rewards by April, but as of now the tentative deadline will be mid-late May/possibly extending into June. I have a lot of packages to send out and I will work as fast as I can, but it will take me some time to send everything out. Thank you all for your patience.
I finished illustrating the cards and the handbook last week. It is scheduled to go to print next weekend, and then I have to work on some finishing details and packaging. I am also working on the illustrations for the notecards and poster, and will update you on the status of those products soon.
Once I have finalized everything, I will send out the surveys asking for your addresses and confirm your reward choices. A few of you have asked me about adding or changing rewards. If you would like to upgrade to a different reward, just message me and let me know so I can send you a paypal invoice. However, I will eventually list all the different products in my online shop, Sprout Head, so you also have the option of purchasing at a later time.
I am really excited to see this project materialize! I have been working really hard on it, and at times it has been rather overwhelming. But it has gotten easier now that I see an end in sight. I will send more updates soon and give a sneak peek of some of the printed products when they are available.
Take care everyone and I hope you're enjoying the Spring!
aijung
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on April 3
Aijung Kim
backed a project
Cartoona by Robert Burke
A creature-building, tile-laying, tabletop game featuring the colorful pop art creatures of Robert Burke.
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115% funded $16,107 pledged
- 408 backers
- Funded Apr 05, 2012
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on March 15
Aijung Kim
commented on a project updateHey everyone! thank you all for your feedback. I'm very close to picking out the final designs, but i'll wait a little longer to get some more feedback. so far, #16, 18, and 19 are leading and will definitely be chosen for the final design. and it looks as though most of you like the blue/gold color scheme for unifying the project. some of you have been asking me how to add an extra pledge, and i'm trying to figure out the best way to do that since the fundraiser is over and i can't accept more donations through kickstarter. i will update you guys on that soon. Thanks!
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on March 11
Aijung Kim
Posted project update #4Oops, last-minute addition to Bookplate Choices
I forgot to add in one more image among the choices for the bookplate designs (see Update #3). The additional image is #20 - the moth.
Thanks!
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on March 11
Aijung Kim
commented on a project updatethis is exciting! can't wait to see the progress.
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on March 11
Aijung Kim
Posted project update #3Success! & I Need Your Input about the Bookplate Designs
Dear Backers,
The project was successfully funded last night at 9:49 pm. As I watched the minutes tick away, I felt a satisfied relief that the campaign was over. Thank you Backers for all that you have done to help create a successful campaign - from pledging to spreading the word, to sending encouragement. It is an amazing experience to know that 127 people have got my back!
While I have enjoyed this campaign and learned a lot from it, it has felt a bit unreal at times since most of you are people I haven't seen in years or never met in person. But come April, it will certainly feel real when I package and ship 127 rewards! And for those of you who live in Richmond, VA I am planning on a special release party so you can pick up your rewards in person if you choose - more details to follow.
Though the campaign is over, I will continue to send updates on the artwork as it is completed. In the next week or two, I will also e-mail you a survey asking for your address and reward specifications (like which postcard designs do you prefer and if you'd like to be entered into the drawing to receive a $50 gift certificate from my online shop, Sprout Head). Some of you chose a reward at a lower pledge level or a level which had multiple options - if you decide to change your reward, just message me and I will make note of it. I want you to receive exactly what you want!
The Golden Moth Illumination Deck has been the biggest project I have ever taken on. It has warranted a great deal of work and planning:
- Making the video - it took me a full week to do
- Promoting the project and sending updates
- Figuring out costs of printing, shipping, and the reward tiers
- Figuring out measurements, papers, and inks for printing
- Drawing the artwork, scanning, touching it up, and laying it out (I know those symbols are tiny, but it takes me at least an hour for each one - white-out is a perfectionist's best friend)
- Communicating back and forth with the printer
- Ordering shipping supplies
- Writing and designing the guide booklet (eek!)
- Planning ahead for the release of the deck and how to promote it further
- & Finally, packaging the rewards and sending them out to you!
Now I need your input about the bookplate designs. Please leave a comment to this post or you can message/e-mail me directly. For those of you who are unfamiliar with bookplates, these will be self-adhesive acid-free stickers measuring 2.75" x 3.5" that you can stick onto the inside covers of your favorite books. "Ex Libris" is latin for "from the books." There is a space for you to write your name on them so you can revel in your book ownership and build up your own personal library. They are great for reminding those friends who you loaned your book to that it's actually YOUR book (and would they please remember to return it?) I plan on printing 6 - 9 different designs. Backers will be able to choose 1 design per 12-pack of bookplates, or a variety. The bookplates will be printed in a two-color scheme. Here is a sample of what the bookplates will look like.
I originally wanted the bookplates to be printed in a brown/vintage red color like the examples to the right. But I wondered if my Backers would prefer the blue/gold color scheme I used for the card design. So I'd love your input on which color scheme you like best, since I can only print one. And just to clarify, I had originally wanted to print my cards using a metallic gold ink. But when I looked at the actual color samples, I realized the gold wouldn't be as "gold-y" as I thought. It looks more like a slightly irridescent brownish color. So I have chosen a mustard-gold color instead. I'm actually happier about this decision because it means that all the inks used by Parcell Press to print the cards and other products will be soy-based which is better for the printer's health and the environment.
I'd also like your feedback on which symbols you like best for the bookplates. I plan on printing 6 - 9 designs, depending on the variety of feedback I get. Please let me know which are your favorites.
Also, if you haven't already - please check out Update #1 - Postcards! I would love your feedback on your favorite postcards. I plan to print at least 6 different designs. As of now, the top 6 designs in order of popularity are: Firefly, Radishes, Polyp, Zoom!, River Hand, and Stillness. Soon, I will list some of these images as 8.5" x 11" archival reproduction prints for sale in my shop! My friends at BuyOlympia have done such a wonderful job producing these high-quality prints for me and selling them in their online shop. I will also be listing the other rewards (cards, bookplates, notecards, postcards, and poster) in my shop once they are produced.
That's all for now. Thank you so much for everything!
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Lizzie Watkins on March 15
Kia ora Aijung - you must be pretty excited!
I prefer the brown/vintage red colour but the blue/gold is attractive too.
1, 4, 8, 13, 16 and 18 are my faves => -
Aijung Kim on March 15
Hey everyone! thank you all for your feedback. I'm very close to picking out the final designs, but i'll wait a little longer to get some more feedback. so far, #16, 18, and 19 are leading and will definitely be chosen for the final design. and it looks as though most of you like the blue/gold color scheme for unifying the project. some of you have been asking me how to add an extra pledge, and i'm trying to figure out the best way to do that since the fundraiser is over and i can't accept more donations through kickstarter. i will update you guys on that soon. Thanks!
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Terry Byrne on March 17
Congratulations, Aijung! I like the red/brown colors. My favorite designs are 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 12, 16, and 18.
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Post Comment -
on March 10Funded!
The Golden Moth Illumination Deck by Aijung Kim
A deck of illustrated symbolic cards to be used for inspiration, advice, and reflection.
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120% funded $4,800 pledged
- 127 backers
- Funded Mar 10, 2012
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Aijung Kim
Richmond, VA
I am an artist, writer, and printmaker. I graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Fine Art Printmaking. I currently live in Richmond, Virginia where I make fine art, prints, illustrations, crafts, and zines. I am inspired by the minutiae of everyday life, nature, gardens, toys, children's books, and comics.
I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on the deck! You should be so proud, everything is beautiful.
thanks stacey!