Hey there, I’m Liz, the creator and artist behind The Snarky Company, a woman and AAPI owned business operating in Raleigh, NC. I've been making enamel pins since 2018 and have designed and produced more than 200 pin designs. I've also run five successful enamel pin Kickstarters. The All Out of Spoons collection will be The Snarky Company's sixth crowdfunded pin collection.
When I create a collection of pins - and by "collection," I mean a series of pins focused on one topic - I base these collections on my life experiences.
When I create a pin collection from my life experiences, the motivation is usually to make art, and that helps me cope with what's happening in my life. My two coping mechanisms are art and humor, and sometimes I mix those two together and add a bit of sarcasm. Do I hope that my designs can spread awareness and help ease stigma? Yes of course...but the ultimate motivation is to create art about my own experiences for the purpose of coping, in hopes that it resonates with at least one person.
There are so many chronic illnesses that the list feels endless, but there are some overarching feelings, experiences, and situations that people with chronic illness understand. Personally, I find it really hard to explain to someone who does not have chronic illness, what life is like with chronic illness. But here's what I can say...
- It's a terrible feeling to feel like your body has betrayed you.
- It's a terrible feeling when people can't see your illness and assume it's not real, or that you're lying, or that your behaviors are personal defects and not symptoms of an illness they can't see.
- It's a terrible feeling when you know your body best, you know something is wrong, and a doctor or healthcare professional doesn't believe you. - It's a terrible feeling when you've lived a portion, or you're whole life with chronic illness but people tell you "You don't look sick" as if every illness or disability is visible.
- It's a terrible feeling when there are things you want to do in life, but your illness precludes you from doing those things for any number of reasons.
- The worst feeling is when you've internalized stigmas and ideologies about your chronic illness and you have to actively work against those internalized thoughts.
So here I am, making enamel pins to help cope with those terrible feelings, and I hope you can relate to them to.
I'd also like to mention that I used way to many spoons to write this intro.
If anyone is curious or just has to know... I have both mental and physical chronic health conditions. I have ADHD with comorbid anxiety and depression, and I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Disease, an autoimmune condition where my body attacks my thyroid causing it to lose function over time. This project was also supposed to be launched last month, but as it turns out, I had a diseased gallbladder packed with gallstones and had to have it removed. Which resulted in a week in the hospital due to surgery, and then a complication, and well, another surgery. Aside from collecting enamel pins, I also seem to be good at collecting medical bills.
All Out of Spoons is the 6th crowdfunded pin collection by The Snarky Company.
Add-ons will be available in your post campaign survey, and are entirely optional. From your survey you'll be able to add on and purchase extra pins, other snarky co. pin designs (not from this campaign), stickers, keychains, and other items. Not all add-ons will appear on the campaign page, but you'll find the final list of add-ons in your survey.
During the campaign you can pledge into any of the open pledge levels. Your money won't be withdrawn from your payment method until the end of the campaign.
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 3-4 weeks after the campaign ends, you will then 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, locking metal backs, or additional pins. Add-ons are entirely optional.
Once the campaign is over you will have a three week window to fill out your survey. After the three week window, we will collect design quantities and send them to the manufacturer. You can still fill out your survey outside of the three week window, but any surveys submitted after the deadline, are not guaranteed to receive their design choices. Pledges are fulfilled in the order that surveys are submitted. We will keep in contact and post updates about when to expect your survey, how to find it, and the submission deadline.
Even if you are familiar with pledging to a crowdfunded campaign please read the "Important information to know" section.
IMPORTANT INFO - Shipping costs will be charged to you AFTER the campaign and SEPARATELY through your BackerKit survey.
Below is a graphic with the shipping rates for different regions. These flat rates apply only to your pledge level, and are subject to changes depending upon shipping rates when the campaign ends. If there is a shipping increase it will only be between $1-$2.
Add On Item Shipping Fees - 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.
All orders are shipped through USPS and come with tracking. International backers are responsible for their own countries VAT or import taxes/fees.
When shipping internationally we will make every effort to properly fill out customs forms. We will abide by your countries customs and shipping laws, which means we will denote the package value as the cost of your order, and mark this as merchandise. Please do not ask us to change the value of your package, or mark it as a gift. We are not responsible if your country holds your package and requires extra payment to release it.
Below you can find the campaign and fulfillment timeline. Please note that timelines are not set in stone and are subject to change, due to unforeseen circumstances or delays.
September 25th - Campaign Starts October 25th - Campaign Ends and backers are charged October 29th - November 15th - BackerKit surveys sent out December 1st - BackerKit surveys locked down and charged for shipping costs December 8th - Final quantities and drafts are sent to the manufacturer 8-10 Weeks - Pin and merchandise manufacturing period Mid to late March - Fulfillment and shipping begins.
Please note that we expect shipping to begin in March but this does not mean you will receive your package immediately after shipping begins. Depending upon the total amount of backers, shipping carriers, and available staff, the fulfillment period can last anywhere from one month to nine months (it averages between 1-3 months). We make every attempt to ship out your packages asap. There is also the possibility that shipping could begin before March 2024.
Early Bird Pledge Levels Early Bird pledge levels are only available for the first 48 hours of the campaign! Early bird backers will receive one free extra pin with their pledge level. The free pin can be selected from any of the unlocked designs. Patreon Only Pledge Levels Patreon only pledge levels are for active patrons of the Snarky Co. Patreon, who are in a pin of the month pledge level. Patrons in the $2 pledge level are not eligible for the Patreon only pledge levels. To be eligible for a patreon only pledge level, you must be an active patron, in a pin of the month tier, for the months of October 2023, and November 2023.
Manufacturing I'll be using trusted manufacturers that i've worked with before, but occasionally things happen and there are minor delays in manufacturing.
I will always be upfront with backers along the way. I will disclose any setbacks, delays, and any other pertinent updates.
It's important to understand that this is a crowdfunded campaign. Crowdfunded campaigns are often subject to delays due to unforeseen circumstances. Please also understand that money pledged to a crowdfunded campaign is a donation or investment. This is not an online store and you will not immediately receive your rewards after pledging.
Please note that minor changes may occur in production, and that the images presented here are my mock up designs. There is a possibility of slight changes in color and size in the physical item.
Pin Grades The Snarky Company offers two grades of pins, First Grade, and B Grade. First Grade pins are the only pins offered in crowdfunded campaigns. Our pins are handmade and may have minor cosmetic imperfections. Examples of First Grade imperfections are as follows, but not limited to: - Small buff marks, scuffs, or scratches on metal/enamel - Small specks, pores, or bubbles anywhere on the pin - Slightly low or uneven fills - Slightly misaligned screenprinted details (for pins with screenprinting) - Slight variations in the distribution of glitter - Slight defects in text (this is usually only in pins with small text) We want to make you aware that these First Grade pins may have small imperfections, but 99% of the time, these imperfections are non-existent or not noticeable.
An important note about color and size. It is crucial to understand that while we have made pins before, the pins in this Kickstarter have not yet been manufactured. The designs you see on this page are mockups, which means the final product may vary in color and size. From our experience, the majority of our pins turn out looking like the mockup design.
Different computers, phones, and other devices have different screen settings which means coloration may vary between screens. We use a Pantone Solid Coated book to choose the colors for our designs. The manufacturers use those Pantone numbers to know which colors to mix and apply where, however, looking at a Pantone swatch on paper, is different than looking at a Pantone color in enamel. Each mockup has a rough estimate of what the size will be. Our sizes are either specifying the general height or width of the pin. The actual size of the physical product may vary.
Glitters, translucent enamel, sand blasted enamel, pearl enamel, and metal plating colors may vary on the physical product.
Refunds or Exchanges After the campaign has ended, you will have ample time to make your design selections in your BackerKit survey. You will be notified before surveys are locked down and any add-ons are charged. Once your order is locked down, we have a no refunds or exchanges policy. The only time we will issue a refund or replacement, is in extenuating circumstances, or if your pin arrives damaged (please read the section on pin grades to determine if your pin is damaged). If you believe your pin was damaged in transit, please reach out to us and attach photos of the damaged pin.
Forfeiture of Rewards Once project shipping is completed backers will be notified via a campaign update. This campaign update with have a final survey completion date. If your survey is not completed, and your shipping costs not paid by the completion date, you will forfeit your pledge payment and rewards. We will not fulfill forfeited rewards and pledge levels after the completion date.
Rubber Backs vs. Locking Backs Each pin from our campaign will come with rubber backs, but we highly recommend purchasing locking backs. If you choose to adhere your pin to a jacket, bag, or other item, with a rubber back, and it falls off, we will not replace the missing pin. We do offer locking backs through our add-ons section in your survey.
Shipping Policies Please visit the shipping section to read about these policies.
Lost or never received packages We make every attempt to get your package from our facility to your home. Packages for this campaign will come with a tracking number. Regardless of tracking numbers, sometimes packages are lost in the mail. We will notify backers with an update when the project is near completion. If you have not received your package by the completion of the shipping process, you will have an extended period of time to contact us about a missing package.
Previous crowdfunded campaigns by The Snarky Company
Own Your Stigma 2 Pin Collection - Launched in 2023 The Pretty Petty Pin Collection - Launched in 2022, The Pretty Petty Pin collection is a series of pins all about breakups and bad exes. Own Your Stigma Kickstarter - Launched in 2019, The Own Your Stigma collection is still one of the most funded and most backed pin campaigns in the history of Kickstarter. The Snarky Pin Collection - The Snarky Pin collection was our first campaign. It launched in 2018 and helped to start The Snarky Company that exists today.
The Snarky Company is a small business located in the greater Raleigh, NC area.
