The Chromatic Fates Tarot

New Stretch Goals for Chromatic Fates! Questions and Answers and Lots Of Stickers
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Jun 16, 2021 at 01:48:52 PM

Hello wonderful Backers! I come bearing news about STRETCH GOALS, which I know many people have been wondering about.

I did not initially plan for stretch goals higher than the 60,000 mark because that seemed like a complete daydream! But because of your incredible support we are already exceeding even our optimistic goals with this project. So we now have FIVE bonus stretch goals, and they can be viewed on the updated Kickstarter main page! I will touch on them here in more depth:

I’m really excited about all of these, and you may notice that we’ve already smashed the first one just recently which is: Card Sticker Readings unlocked as an add-on. The reason I didn’t announce this goal right away was that I wanted to be absolutely sure it was going to be feasible- I’ve wanted for a long time to offer journaling stickers of the tarot cards, as well as custom readings that arrive in a little sealed envelope, so I combined them in one add-on! The nature of the idea is incredibly labor intensive because each little packet would be unique. But that’s also what makes it awesome! I am about to order samples and put together an example for everyone to see, but the add-on should be available to select starting tomorrow, and there are no order quantity limits. The stickers themselves will be vinyl and have an excellent color and detail clarity, and be around three inches tall- perfect for journals or sketchbooks.

The second bonus-stretch goal is FREE CONTOUR CUT STICKERS for everyone! My sticker enthusiasm has been unleashed upon the world, as you can see. These stickers will feature a fresh design made specifically for the Chromatic Fates project, and they’ll be included in every tier that involves a physical deck. They’ll also be either prismatic or holographic stickers because... we love color. The design for these has NOT been made yet, but we’re already brainstorming away and just like the box design, you’ll be able to see the whole process from thumbnail doodles to final product.

The third new stretch goal is drawstring DECK BAGS, if we reach $80,000, and this is the one that I have a secret soft spot for in my heart, because velvet or plush Tarot bags are just luxurious. I’m hoping to have a really beautiful little embroidered design for our deck on the bags, and if we reach this goal they’ll be unlocked as a very affordable add-on (about five dollars) to cover the increased cost of our fulfillment partners packaging them up for their journeys.

If we reach $90,000 (I feel like fainting just typing this), we have a really incredible livestream session planned that Backers can join in on, where the artists all get together and talk, probably eat some snacks, draw collaboratively and give some insight into their artistic process. Because there are so many artists, this might be spread over a few sessions and the recordings would be available to you in case you miss them.

And last but Definitely Not Least, our huge 100,000 stretch goal is a mirror Tarot deck of Chromatic Fates, featuring our adorable animal companions acting out each of our cards. This will be digital! And adorable! And no animals will be harmed, of course, though many will likely be bewildered and surrounded by household goblets and other things. It’ll be amazing.

That’s the Additional Stretch Goal Update!! I cannot thank you all enough for your support, it’s truly surreal and dizzying to me to be able to write this. I apologize for the lack of images- as I get samples of each type of stretch goal I’ll be sure to share them with you!

Some folks have had some questions and I want to address a few of them here in case they haven’t been answered yet in the comments:

Q: Are the artists getting paid?

A: Yes of course!! I am actually earning just as much as any other artist on the project. We are taking out production and manufacturing costs, as well as commission fees for the artists who are designing our add-ons (this can be a bit stressful and tricky so I wanted to make sure they got paid like any designer) and splitting the remaining profit equally. That’s the primary reason that I’m aiming to keep the stretch goals and add-ons manageable. 2020 did a number on many of us who would normally sell art at conventions, so I’d love to be able to have the artists earn as much as possible.

Q: Will early-bird backers be able to upgrade to Collector Tier or add add-on products and still get their package in the Fall?

A: Yes! That is- hopefully, if COVID related delays in shipping don’t hold back their packages because they’re waiting on a pin or something. It’s my goal to ship the early-bird decks from my house as soon as I can. We’re using a local fulfillment warehouse for the 700+ (and growing) number of packages that will need to go out afterwards. It is my HOPE that I will be able to speed up the delivery ETA of the Collector’s Edition packages as well, though they will likely still ship after the Early Birds.

Q: Where are the shipping estimates for countries outside the USA?

A: This delay is my fault! Securing reliable estimates is very hard right now because so many countries are adjusting to the upheaval that COVID caused. The UK in particular is very hard due to the increased VAT fees for imports now, but I will definitely get out reliable numbers as soon as I can.

Q: Can I add on an extra deck as an add-on?

A: Yes! The add-on feature for additional decks, pins, and altar cloths should be going live within the next day. Just be aware that additional decks will affect weight and shipping cost a bit.

Q: Will decks be available after the Kickstarter ends?

A: Yes and no. Because this project involves so many people and they’re all due an equal cut of profits made, the Color Tarot Project itself won’t be putting decks in its storefront- it would just be an insane logistics process for me. Instead we’ll be distributing stock among the artists at-cost when the campaign ends and shipments are made- basically this means that your friends who miss out on the Kickstarter MIGHT be able to secure a deck from an artist, if they have a few extra, though this probably won’t be an option until around this time next year. The decks likely will not be designed to be sold in stores either. It’s a passion project and we’re hoping to reward you with a limited edition luxury item!

If you have any other questions feel free to ask! I’ve begun work on the gold-foil accent details that will be unique to every card face, as well as the box! As the Campaign winds down I’ll be really excited to share the creative process behind everything with you.

Have a great week!

-Stephanie, and the Color Tarot Project

Pin Designs, Stretch Goals, and our TAROT READER Surprise Stretch Goal!
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 01:39:59 PM

Wonderful backers! I hope you've had a peaceful weekend and are doing well. Once again thank you so much for your ongoing support with Chromatic Fates, it would not be possible without you. I kept trying to draft this update and stretch goals kept being unlocked, WHICH IS AMAZING, so here I am with a whole handful of new updates.

First of all- we've reached the 55k stretch goal, and are 400% funded (!!!), which  means we're going to have gilded card front designs- VERY exciting for us- essentially each card will have a second vector layer created for it, which will pick out shapes that will be printed in foil and make the decks really shine (literally). We've also unlocked black core cardstock, which is a way of printing cards with a middle layer that provides a nice density but also will help prevent visible wear and tear, which is a nice inclusion for decks that we hope will be shuffled and used for years and years.

But the most recent stretch goal in particular is really exciting to me- I've been hoping that we would be able to make a pdf "making of" guidebook that provides more room for in-depth card meanings, artist quotes and process images. It's my hope that we'll be able to show you sketches as well as different concepts that weren't used in the final product, and talk in more detail about design and iteration. And because this is a digital product, the colors will be absolutely stunning, without being constricted to printing specs. The stretch goal allows for labor hours, as it'll be the most time consuming post-Kickstarter activity, and we will likely hire a layout artist and graphic designer to make it as special as possible.

That's it for stretch goals for now! We have one more still to reach, the Deluxe Deck Box, with foil details, and I really hope we get this one too. It's likely that the deluxe box will be Kickstarter-Exclusive, and the design process and illustration will be something you'll be able to watch from start to finish. We're all brainstorming more stretch goals (in a state of surreal euphoria), and though I can't officially announce any yet, it's likely that stickers or a deck bag may be in our future. And possibly... a set of "alternate" tarot card images involving all of our pets. Possibly.

SPEAKING OF items! Our amazing artist Sam Gauss, who illustrated 9 of Wands, is our designer and vector artist for the enamel pin. Currently the enamel pin is only available as part of the Collector's Edition or Canvas/Acrylic Reproduction tiers, but soon will be made available as an add-on that anyone else can access. I wanted to share Sam's iteration process with you, because it's REALLY COOL and I am just losing my mind about it. We'll be trying to keep a similar brand aesthetic across the card backs, the box, the altar cloth and the pin, and I'll talk a little more about this later on. Credit for kicking off the iteration process and designing the tree motif goes to the incredibly innovative Carly A-F (carlydraws.com) who tirelessly worked on card-back designs for several weeks. 

Keep an eye out in the coming updates for both a finalized pin design as well as our altar cloth reveal!

I have one more big update, but first I want to mention again that all of our card art is available to view at a nicer resolution over at the Color Tarot Project's main website, just click on the suit you're looking for and you'll be able to see some bigger images!

OKAY! Now for our SURPRISE STRETCH GOAL, which our 2 of Cups artist, Kami Hines has been working on in secret for the last few weeks! Kami marries programming and art really well, and she came up with this idea as a surprise. It's a virtual Tarot Reader, with a simple three-card spread. Simply ask your question and get your reading, and it will generate a Query for you. 

The project is on-going, and will soon have artist quotes as well as simple interpretations of card meanings. It's A LOT OF FUN and frankly a bit addicting. Take screenshots of your spreads and use the hashtag #ChromaticFates, and let us know what your interpretations are! Keep in mind that the future can always be changed, with a little bit of wisdom!

If you're interested in a lot of my personal interpretations and views on Tarot, I've recently done an interview with Hometown Haunts podcast, which you can find here, where I talk a lot about the process of organizing the project, and how I use Tarot as an artist and creative. I'll be doing a few more interviews in the next month, and interviewing other artists as well.

That's it for now! Thank you for reading, for backing, and for being so supportive and amazing. Have a great week!

-Stephanie, and the Color Tarot Project

PS: Oh! Also a big thank-you once again to Barbara Lucas, Aria Fawn and Sarah Carter, who you'll see in the comments section answering questions. A common one we're still working on is international shipping estimates- that'll be in the next update!

Stretch Goals, Acrylic Blocks, gold foil and more updates!
almost 3 years ago – Fri, Jun 11, 2021 at 06:56:12 AM

Where to begin! Welcome to our second official Chromatic Fates Kickstarter update! 

First of all, I want to thank everyone again on behalf of all 78 people on this project, for helping us bring The Chromatic Fates Tarot to life- we funded very quickly, and continue to do well: Kickstarter just awarded us "Project We Love" this morning, which is an incredible honor. It still feels pretty surreal.

And we couldn't have done it without you! Your enthusiasm and love has propelled us into the stratosphere, and I'm only wishing that I'd made our stretch goals chart ahead of time! Here it is, and as you can see we've blown right past a few goals already in the last four days.

Some notes on stretch goals: I am not absolutely sure yet what TYPE of foil we'll be getting on the card edges. There's a chance that the edges or card backs will be holographic (multi colored) while the detailing on the front could be a solid color like gold (assuming we reach this next upcoming stretch goal!). This foil detailing on the card fronts is going to be very labor-intensive because separate files will have to be created for all 78 cards, BUT! It's been a dream of ours since Day One, so it'll definitely be worth it.

A note about ACRYLIC: For those of you who may be considering the $400 Canvas Print Exclusive tier, we've unlocked an alternative to canvas, and you will now be able to specify if you'd like an acrylic block print instead. You may be asking how to switch or go about specifying your choice: this will be handled during the fulfillment surveys when the Kickstarter ends. Acrylic is a gorgeous option, and in my personal opinion is a beautiful way to present vibrancy and details in a piece of art. The canvas prints come with a small wire for hanging on walls, and the acrylic prints can stand on their own, on shelves or desks, so if you're in this tier be aware that there are now more options! There won't be any additional cost if you do decide to switch.

Many of you have been asking about where to see the cards in better detail, and we've set up a page on our website for this purpose! Please head to: colortarotproject.com/chromatic-fates for ways to view each suit's cards in higher resolution.

Those are all the updates I have for now! Thank you again for supporting our lovely deck. We're all brainstorming right now about future stretch goals, so if there's anything you'd love to see feel free to drop us a comment and let us know! Our priority is still going to be keeping shipping (weight) costs low, and a shipping estimate for other countries should be out before the end of this week.

Happy June!

-Stephanie and the Color Tarot Project team

Chromatic Fates is FUNDED! A BIG THANK-YOU!
almost 3 years ago – Fri, Jun 11, 2021 at 06:55:02 AM

Hello everyone!!

First of all, please let me thank you from the bottom of my heart for such an incredible, overwhelming response to our first Tarot deck launching into the world. Organizing The Color Tarot Project and creating the Chromatic Fates deck are enormous endeavors that would have seemed impossible for me to even THINK about spearheading a year ago.

Big “pie in the sky” dreams like this happen organically, bit by bit, as one artist connects with another and each facet of the whole product comes into focus. Each “Wouldn’t it be cool if we-” or “I bet we could-” is a priceless moment where excitement solidifies into reality. Today I was blown away by the energy as it came rushing back at me from not only the other artists but from YOU, the supporters! This enthusiasm and creative energy from the universe is what art is all about, and the power to make our “I bet it would be gorgeous if we-” into a REALITY is so, so humbling. Thank you.

I don’t know many of you yet but I’m looking forward to the next month ahead, giving you updates and insights into our creative process as well as the business side of what it means to wield a behemoth project like this and make it into a luxury good that you can hold in your hands.

My priority is making the best deck possible, and to ensure that each artist on the project is rewarded for all their hard work. The campaign is designed around longevity and highlighting the work of each artist, so while Stretch Goals will be unlocked based on funding, a few of the Add-Ons will be unlocked and revealed based on calendar day.

STRETCH GOALS! I am just gonna say this, I’ve not slept in about 48 hours so this is going to be sweet and brief for now! There are several stretch goals, and the first few will be revealed in the coming week. It’s safe to say that the first one, foil edges on the cards, has been unlocked at the 15k milestone, but we’re going to wait until we’ve all had a bit of sleep to reveal everything else. But, like, think “more metallic foil” and you won’t be far off for a big one coming down the line. ; )

Thank you again, truly and deeply. And thank you to the amazing artists that are volunteering their time to field questions as they pop up as quickly as they can, you will be meeting them soon in a more formal way!

Have an amazing, inspiring weekend.

-Stephanie

More than 60% funded in less than 2 hours!!!
almost 3 years ago – Fri, Jun 11, 2021 at 06:53:29 AM

Can't believe it has gone this quick! Almost half of our Early Bird decks are spoken for, so if you know someone who wants that deal, share it now!