They're HEEEERE!!
over 2 years ago – Wed, Dec 01, 2021 at 10:42:18 PM

Hi everyone! I just wanted to send a quick update to let you know that the decks are finally HERE!! (Cue the confetti!) Well, the first batch of them that is. The first 500 decks are now in my possession! That is enough for me to begin the process of fulfilling about half of the orders. The rest of the decks are coming by boat and their journey will likely take a few more weeks, but I'm so excited that they too are officially headed this way! 

Here is a little peek inside the boxes:

I now have everything in hand to begin fulfilling the orders, with the exception of the printed guidebooks, which should be here next week. 

Downloadable PDF Guidebook

Whether you purchased a printed guidebook or not, EVERYONE will have access to a full PDF file of the guidebook. I am including little cards in your packages that have a QR code you can scan to quickly download the guidebook. So keep an eye out for those in your package. BackerKit also has an area to add digital rewards, so I may also upload the PDF to BackerKit as well so that there are two easy places to get it. As always, if you have any trouble accessing the PDF or lose the QR code, don't hesitate to reach out to me for help. I'm always happy to help (and love to hear from you). 

Please be patient with me as I start the fulfillment process. I have LOTS of orders to get through, but I'm SO excited to package up all your orders with love and care! I will begin sending out packages this week and will continue the process over the next few weeks. I'm hopeful the second batch will make it in time to have all orders sent out by the end of the year so that you can all start 2022 with them in hand! I will keep you updated on the movement of that second batch of decks. 

Sending love and gratitude to you all! XOXO

Jennifer

We're in the Final Stretch!
over 2 years ago – Mon, Nov 01, 2021 at 12:51:52 PM

Happy (almost) Halloween everyone!

I just wanted to check in and give you all a quick update on the progress of everything.

Surveys

There are still about 80 of you who have not filled out the survey in BackerKit yet. We are getting VERY close to having decks ready to ship, but I will not be able to ship to anyone I don’t have an address for. So pretty please with sprinkles on top fill out the survey so I can send you your goodies soon. If you have lost the link to the survey, you can follow this link to have a fresh one emailed to you: 

https://tarot-disassembled.backerkit.com/

(If you have not received a survey link or are having trouble accessing the survey, please reach out to me directly at [email protected] and I can help you get it resolved.)

Progress

Things are moving along smoothly with the printing of the decks! The proofing process between myself and the printer went wonderfully and they are being mass produced now! Here are a few pics of the untrimmed card sheets from the printer. (These are a bit blurry but I’m still giddy seeing them in the last stages of production!)

Here also is a short video showing the box and card mockups the printer created. You can see the spot UV gloss on a few elements on the box as well as that matte red card edge detailing! (This first round of mockups had a small centering problem with the graphics on the back, but that has been resolved for the final boxes.)

Even without the decks in hand yet, my house is already being taken over with boxes! I have already received:

• Stickers
• Postcards
• Spread Cloths
• Journals

That just leaves the art prints and guidebooks! (Which both have a short turnaround time for producing and shipping once I order them.)

Guidebook

Speaking of the guidebook, I have been a VERY busy bee continuing to write the guidebook. I originally estimated approximately 100 pages for the guidebook, with a glossary section for common symbols as well as a full page for each card in the deck. But that page count has long been exceeded as I JUST. CAN’T. STOP. WRITING. Some of just the individual symbols alone have such fascinating histories that I can’t help but want to include some of the more in-depth details. So you’ll basically be getting more bang for your buck as the guidebook continues to expand from the original size.

I have also included a “Quick Takes” section for each card that has quick meanings related to each card for when you would like to do a simple reading, but the deep dive of the individual symbols feels too overwhelming. My hope is that this guidebook will allow for deep, intense Tarot study while also providing options for quick and easy readings.

The printer I am using for the guidebooks needs only about a week to produce and ship them to me, so even though finishing the guidebook has taken longer than I anticipated, they are still on track to arrive in perfect time to go out when the decks arrive.

Shipping

Decks will be shipping to me from the printer VERY soon! (Whoo-hoo!!) I am using a wonderful printer based in China that has over 15 years in the industry specializing in card and deck printing. The typical ship time by boat is approximately 25 days. But I have seen many other independent deck creators mention that there have been delays once they reach the main ports. I am hoping for an expedient journey for them, but to offset those potential delays, I have decided to pay extra to have about half of the decks sent to me via air (which is typically closer to a week to arrive.) That way, I can begin the process of packaging up orders sooner than I would waiting for all of them to arrive by boat.

(The good news is, even if we encounter delays in the shipping, we are still ahead of schedule from the original estimate listed in the Kickstarter of January 2022!)

I am also currently looking into a company local to me in Colorado that produces 100% recycled content boxes that are also fully compostable for the shipping supplies.

That’s all the updates for now! We are in the final stretch my friends! And I cannot wait to get these decks in your hands soon! Thank you all again for being on this journey with me and making this deck a reality!

Hugs and love to you all!

Jennifer

A Quick Update
over 2 years ago – Thu, Sep 30, 2021 at 02:37:14 AM

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to touch base on a couple quick things.

Decks at the Printer

First and foremost, the most exciting news… I sent all of the final artwork files to the printer last week so these babies are officially in production! Whoo hooooo!!! My printer has promised to share some pics and videos of them when they are rolling off the press, so I’ll be sure to share those with you all when I receive them.

Surveys Wrapping Up

Next on the hit list… Surveys. As of today, it looks like about 86% of you have filled out your survey. Thank you so much for knocking those out!

If you have not filled out your survey yet, please do so as soon as you’re able. Surveys were sent out from BackerKit a few weeks ago, so if for any reason you haven’t seen yours come through email yet, please let me know. Occasionally they go into a spam folder so you can try searching for an email from BackerKit, or you can also use this link to try having a fresh survey sent to your email: https://tarot-disassembled.backerkit.com/  If you need help, I am happy to go into your account for you and note your box color preference and update your shipping address. Just let me know.

Lock Orders Date

Orders will be officially locked in BackerKit on October 4th. So if you would like to add any additional add-ons or make any changes, that will be the last day to do so. (You can still update your shipping address after that date though. So if you move or have a change of address, not to worry. You can change your shipping address anytime before decks are shipped out.)

Did you know you can add-on an additional deck to any pledge for a discounted rate? This is something I am only offering to my amazing Kickstarter backers and will not be available again after October 4th. Just something to consider in case you have a friend you’d like to gift a deck to or need both box colors for your collection!

And Finally… A Card Reading for you All!

As many of you are aware of, Mercury officially went retrograde yesterday! (Oh joy!) Mercury retrograde can have a tendency to send many of us into a complete tizzy and may even bring up a dash of dread. I asked my prototype deck “What do my amazing backers need to be aware of during Mercury Retrograde?” Guess who popped out? The Queen of Swords! The Queen of Swords invites us to create strong boundaries and encourage healthy communication at this time by being direct and crystal clear with our words. Avoid sugar coating things and speak with precision and intention. She also warns us that now is not the time to let the emotional heart be in the driver’s seat, but rather defer to our intellect when making decisions. I ADORE the Queen of Swords and can almost picture her having a good laugh at the notion that something so trivial as the movement of a planet would ever throw her off kilter. Be like the Queen of Swords and Mercury Retrograde will be a breeze my dears.

If you're not already following me on Instagram and would like to enjoy more readings from this deck, please follow me @ferociousink. I even have my kitty and pup helping with readings occasionally! 

Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart for helping make this deck happen! 

Sending wishes for many good things to you all!

Jen

Updates and Surveys Going Out Soon
over 2 years ago – Fri, Sep 10, 2021 at 10:47:13 PM

Happy Friday everyone! I have a few updates for you all:

Card Edging

I’ve tallied all the votes for the card edge color and the winner is…. (drumroll please)…. RED! It was a close race but the votes for red outweighed yellow by a bit once it was all said and done. I personally think the red will look wonderful with either box option. It will match the red color found throughout the deck and will be a colorful contrast to the yellow or black box.

4th Postcard Design

I’ve also tallied the votes for which design should be the 4th postcard in the set that all backers will receive and the winner is… Death! As one backer pointed out, it might feel strange to send someone a postcard with Death as the theme. But as most of us Tarot lovers know, the Death card holds amazing potential and beauty in its energy of letting go what doesn’t serve us and welcoming in new beginnings.

Thank you to everyone who voted and shared your thoughts on both of those options! I’ve loved hearing from everyone and getting to include everyone on some of the fine details is so much fun!

Surveys

I have been fine tuning the surveys with BackerKit to make sure all of the important option questions are included. Some of you will begin receiving a link to your survey from BackerKit as soon as today. (BackerKit sends out the survey to 5% of backers first to test the waters.) The rest of you can expect to receive your survey sometime next week. Please keep an eye out for the survey in your email and be sure to let me know your options for box color and any other selections you might need to make.

New Add-On

As some of you might have seen on my Instagram account (@ferociousink), I will be offering one additional add-on that was not included in the Kickstarter campaign... a journal! I REALLY wanted a journal to work with for myself with this deck. So I decided to go ahead and offer it to everyone. And of course, it wouldn’t be an official TD journal without offering both a sun and moon edition (just like the boxes!)

I’ll be ordering the journals from a company called Denik because I am VERY persnickety about my paper goods and they have a superior journal notebook. But even more importantly, each product they sell helps to fund education projects such as building schools worldwide! 💛

These beautiful journals will have 

• water-resistant cover
• 144 pages 
• thick, recycled premium bleed-free paper 
• library quality smyth-sewn binding 
• soft, layflat cover

If you are interested in ordering one of the journals, you will have that option in the BackerKit survey.

And Finally... Another Deck I love!

I wanted to share another current Kickstarter project I think is amazing! Tarot of the Everlasting Day: An Initiatory Tarot Deck of 22 Major Arcana ten years in the making. This deck has phenomenal artwork and so much research behind it! Check it out!

Thank you all again for all of your support, love and kindness! I can’t wait to get these decks in your hands and I will be forever grateful that you’ve made this deck a reality!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Jennifer

Thanks to you all, an amazing finish!
over 2 years ago – Thu, Sep 02, 2021 at 11:20:01 PM

Hi everyone!

The Kickstarter campaign officially ended Thursday morning and I am SO amazed at the incredible support and love you have all shown this campaign! Thank you all so much for backing this deck and helping make this dream a reality! I can’t wait to get these decks (and all the goodies) in your hands as soon as possible.

What’s Next?

Kickstarter will begin collecting pledges and will release the funds to me in 2 weeks. The cards and box designs are all ready to send to the printer (except for a few last minute checks to make sure every little detail is perfect… I am a Virgo after all!) So as soon as those funds hit my account, the printer will be able to begin printing these babies!

BackerKit Surveys

I have partnered with BackerKit to more efficiently gather information and manage pledges. You will all receive a survey via BackerKit in your email next week. This is an important one! This is where you will be able to let me know your choice in box color as well as choose the design for any holographic art prints you may have ordered or that are part of your pledge. You will also have the option to add-on any extras you may still want that weren’t originally added to your pledge. So please keep an eye out for that email next week.

Stretch Goal Updates

Thanks to you all, we unlocked 2 more stretch goals before the campaign ended! An additional shimmer card stock postcard (bringing it up to a set of 4 for all backers) and a signature Picasso quote holographic sticker!

I’m letting you all choose which design you would like for the 4th postcard. Here are the 3 I have narrowed it down to. Simply comment on this update to place your vote!

Other Updates

Edge Color: Thank you to everyone who has weighed in on their choice of card edge color! It is a VERY close race so I’m going to leave it open for voting for a few more days. If you haven’t shared your preference and would like to, simply comment on this update with your choice!

4 Remaining Wand Cards: I finally completed those last 4 card designs last week and thought I’d share them here:

Guidebook: I have been making great progress on the guidebook! The guidebook will be printed with a different printer than the cards and can be printed and shipped faster to me so I have some time left to finish all the writing and still have everything arrive on my doorstep at the same time.

The guidebook will include a page for each card in the deck that breaks down the individual symbols on that card and then puts it all together for the “fully assembled” card meaning. Astrological, planetary and elemental associations will be included with each card. There will also be a separate “glossary” section of the book that includes all the most commonly repeated symbols throughout the deck, as well as a few custom spreads unique to this deck.

And Finally... Another Deck I love!

Since I know many of you are deck lovers like myself, I wanted to share another current Kickstarter project I adore! Odin’s Playbook: A Norse Tarot Tale is A Viking Age Tarot Deck created to assist you in the energetic connection to the Norsemen and Odin The Allfather. Check it out!

That’s all I’ve got for you all for now. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions. Thank you all again for making this an incredible Kickstarter journey! I am so very grateful for you all!!

With gratitude and love,

Jennifer