Books are here! Plus quick updates!
over 3 years ago – Sun, Oct 11, 2020 at 12:56:37 AM

Hello hello! Just a real quick update this time! 

First, the books have arrived and they are B-E-A-UTIFUL! I am so ecstatically pleased with every part! Please enjoy this quick little video preview and squeal along with me. 

I will have a limited number of leftover books for sale on my website after fulfillment is completed, so you'll have the opportunity to snag one then if you haven't already!

Second, I heard from my printer that production of the deck boxes completed yesterday, so we can expect the decks to start traveling my way soon. *Happy dance*

Third, just a heads up that I will be charging cards on Tuesday for those of you who pre-ordered or selected add-ons in BackerKit. (If you didn't add anything after the Kickstarter completed, then you willnot be charged for anything.) If you should have received download links and haven't yet, you'll receive them once your payment goes through next week.

And last but not least, if you need to update your mailing address, go ahead and do that! I don't expect to lock addresses for another week, and you'll receive an email alert 48 hours before addresses lock, but might as well go ahead and update it if you need to.

We're getting so close!! 

Enthusiastically,

Charlie

More Updates + Digital Downloads are Ready!
over 3 years ago – Sat, Oct 10, 2020 at 04:35:59 PM

Hello, friends! 

Good news! I've uploaded your digital goodies to BackerKit for you to retrieve! If you backed a pledge level that included the PDF Coloring Book or the PDF Fifth Spirit Tarot Guide, you should have received an email notification with a link to your download(s). 

In even better (or at least equally as good) news, the Guide is available in TWO versions: PDF and ePub. (Surprise!) EPub is a reflowable eBook format that is widely readable on most devices and smart phones, with Kindle being the notable exception, although I understand that there are workarounds for Kindle if you google it. The PDF version is readable on everything but does not contain card images, as it made the file size monstrously huge, but it does contain all the other content. If you have any trouble, feel free to message me and I'll help you to the best of my limited technological ability!

***EDIT*** Since I haven't yet charged cards, if you purchased add-ons you won't have gotten your download links yet. I was planning to charge cards once the decks were on the way, but if you'd like me to go ahead and charge your card now so you can access your downloads, please message me to let me know!

Fulfillment Updates

The deck printer has informed me that, due to the general state of the world, their shipment of chipboard for the two-part deck boxes was delayed. They have received it at this point and have assured me that they're producing our deck boxes as quickly as possible while maintaining their high standard of quality. Our tarot decks are expected to ship at the end of this week or beginning of next week, at which point they'll take about a week to get to me. If this timeline holds, I still expect to be able to mail most, if not all, of the packages before the end of this month.

All the other bits and pieces are in production or on their way to me now! The stickers and bookmarks are being printed as we speak (or read?), the altar cloths are already on my shelves, and I just received word today that the full-length Fifth Spirit Tarot Guide is ready to ship! 

Speaking of stickers...

I figured out that I could get you all the same Empress and Emperor stickers that were promised PLUS four extra stickers of the Aces for the same cost! So I did. 😁 The pink lines are the "kiss cut" lines where each sticker will peel away, and the entire sticker sheet is 4x6 inches.

That's all for now! I'll post more updates as things begin to arrive!

Till then,

Charlie

Production and Timeline Updates!
over 3 years ago – Fri, Sep 18, 2020 at 12:46:11 AM

Hello, hello! I hope you’re all staying safe and well out there. Over here, the production wheels are a-rollin’, and I’ve got some important and hopefully exciting updates for you! 

Important Dates and Deadlines

First, the deadline for BackerKit add-ons and pre-orders is September 22nd! I’ll be locking orders at 10pm Pacific Time that day, after which you won’t be able to make changes to your items. So if you’ve wanted to add a physical book, an altar cloth, or another deck at the Kickstarter backer price, do it by then! I will have decks availabe for regular purchase through my website after all the Kickstarter and pre-order fulfillment is done, and I’m happy to say some select shops will also be carrying the deck at that point. :D

Addresses will not be locked until I’m ready to ship! I repeat: you will be able to update your address until I’m ready to start printing shipping labels, and you’ll be notified at least a couple days before that happens. As you’ll see below, I hope to start shipping in mid-to-late October.

If you added items to your Kickstarter pledge in BackerKit or pre-ordered the deck in BackerKit, please note that your card hasn’t yet been charged for your balance! I’ll be charging cards closer to the shipping date, and I’ll announce that date here when I have it nailed down. If you didn’t pre-order or add anything in BackerKit, you don’t need to worry about this.

Production updates:

The decks are already in production and are expected to arrive to me in the first half of October! (Huzzah!) I’m in the final stretch of writing and editing the full-length Fifth Spirit Tarot Guide, and I expect to send that to the printer early next week, with a turnaround printing time of about 2 weeks. Stickers and bookmarks are also going to the printers before the end of this month, with printing turnarounds of about 1 week. As for the altar cloths, they’re printed and ready for me to pick up now. All the pieces are coming together!

In short, if all goes to plan, I expect to have all the bits and pieces in my possession around mid-October and to start packing and shipping to all of you then. My goal is to have all Kickstarter rewards and pre-orders in the mail by the end of October, with the caveat that I’m a one-person show and can’t enlist backup from my friends during a pandemic.

I will update you if things get delayed due to the pandemic, the wildfires, the hurricanes, the delays in the postal system, or whatever other disasters befall us between now and then. (Frankly, it’s remarkable this thing is still on schedule—knock on wood!)

In parting, here’s a prototype of the box lid that I cut-and-taped together this morning using the artist proof and a lid from a different deck from the same printer. The real thing will look even more professional! Also, the background color has since been corrected to more closely match the color of the cards. I hope you love it as much as I do! 

 Stay safe and stay hopeful,

Charlie Claire

Physical Proofs Are Here!!!
over 3 years ago – Thu, Aug 13, 2020 at 11:18:04 PM

The proofs are here! The proofs are here! The physical proofs arrived today, and everything looks perfect. The color, the detail, everything. I’m especially pleased with the tiny details, which I worried wouldn’t come through in the printing, but they did! I also love the linen finish, which has a really nice, subtle texture that will be great for handling and shuffling the cards. 

Tonight, my partner and I are going to give the booklet proof a full read-through to make sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed. Barring any mistakes there, I’ll give my printer the green light to hit the presses! 

I’m so excited and so pleased that I don’t even know what else to say! So please enjoy this video tour of the proofs for the cards, box, and booklet. 

I’ll be back with more updates as I have them! 

Till then,

Charlie Claire

P.S. The song in the background of the video is "Andromeda" by Weyes Blood. 

Update: Digital Proofs for Box Art, Booklet, and Cards are Approved!
over 3 years ago – Thu, Jul 23, 2020 at 12:59:29 AM

Hello, wonderful backers! 

Whew, it’s been a wild few months, huh? I’m just dropping in with some quick updates and to share the digital proofs for the final card images, box art, and guide booklet!  

But first: if you haven’t filled out your backer survey yet, please do that! They were emailed out in June through BackerKit, and it’s the only way for me to get your mailing address! If you’re unable to find the survey email, please message me here on Kickstarter and we’ll sort it out.

Updates & Proofs

At this point, everything for the deck itself (cards, box, booklet) is finalized and the digital proofs are approved. Now, I’m just waiting on the physical proofs of the cards so I can ensure the colors are right and everything looks good, and then we go to print!! Check it out:

When the box is closed, the top and four sides will all bear the colorful print of the lid on the left. If you turn the box over, you’ll see the central panel of the box base on the right. The four suit symbols on the sides of the box base won’t be revealed until you lift the top lid off. Y’all, I worked a loooong time on this box design, and I’m so proud of it! Hope you’re into it, too!

Above is one page from the digital card proofs. The blue lines show the “safe area” and the pink/red lines are where the cards will be cut, a.k.a. the card edges. None of the pink, red, or blue lines you see in any of these images will be actually printed.

Here’s the front and back wrap-around cover for the guide booklet! This is the keyword booklet included in every deck, not the full-length book. The cover is the right half with the title (if that wasn’t obvious), and the back cover is the left half. The print you see here matches the Symbology Cloths!  

And here are some preview pages from inside the booklet:

Name Announcement!

As you may have noticed in the images above, I’ve started going by the name Charlie Claire! This shift has been a long time coming, with certain friends using this name with me for years, and I’m so excited to see it reflected on the box and covers for Fifth Spirit Tarot. When you reference me by name in the future, I ask that you use Charlie Claire (a double name like “Mary Ann”), or Charlie for short. My pronouns are still they/them. Thank you! :D

What’s Next

The next big thing I need to finish is the full-length Fifth Spirit Tarot Guide. I’m currently chugging away on that, and I’m progressing as fast as I can under weird and challenging circumstances. (I.e. the world falling apart in new and ever-more creative ways every week, as well as two significant family losses in the last two months.) In all honesty, I’m behind where I wanted to be on the book, but my book printer has a very quick turnaround time and we’re still on track for October fulfillment as of now. I’m still hoping to get the PDF Coloring Book out this month, but the PDF Fifth Spirit Tarot Guide won’t go out until I finish writing and editing it. Please know that I’m working hard and doing the best I can, just like I know all of you are in your own lives!

In closing, here’s a lil’ preview of The Fool from the Fifth Spirit Tarot Guide to give you an idea of how the book is shaping up:

I hope you’re all doing well and hanging in there! 

xx,

Charlie Claire