There are 4 different campaign freebies this year! 2 free pins, a 2.5" vinyl sticker, and a 5x7" sticker sheet are offered as incentives. You can follow the launch page here if you haven't already!

Back in the first 48 hours to receive the "Early Bat" 1.5" pin! This pin features dyed black metal, 2 pin posts, and soft enamel coated with epoxy. This is the only soft enamel pin in the collection, all other pins are hard enamel.

This 1.5" pin is also available as an add-on for backers who miss the 48 hour window (or those who want more little bat messengers in their lives).

Shadow & Brass is a part of the Creepy Creations banner—a collection of spooky & horror-themed Pintopia projects. Back 3+ Creepy Creations projects and get a FREE 2.5" sticker from each backed campaign! These stickers are not available as add-ons, and this freebie is only available as a Creepy Creations incentive.

This year, I've partnered with Reverie Realms to provide a Cross-Collab freebie pin! Back both Shadow & Brass and the Celestial campaign for a physical reward to receive both collab pins for free.  Please note these designs are not offered as add-ons and will not be available again until after campaigns are fulfilled.

Lastly, freebies I've already touched on previously:

Backers who followed the project before launch will receive a free 5x7" sticker sheet with their pledge. If you're interested, follow the launch page here if you haven't already! Returning backers who pledged for a previous campaign will also receive a free .75" teacup pin with their order.

Both of these freebies are also available as add-ons for folks who don't qualify for the freebie version.

A minor note, but I've changed the language from "deluxe" pins to "dangling" pins. While I do think these pins are a bit more special, "dangling" is very clear at-a-glance. Dangling pins are also priced a bit higher to reflect the higher manufacturing cost of labor/assembly plus the additional screen print and pearl enamels.

Standard Pins - $18
Dangling Pins - $25

Additionally, higher tiers offer more generous discounts than last year. The more pins you pledge for, the bigger the discount per pin.

If you made it this far, a big thank you! Less than 48 hours now—hope to see you on launch, January 22nd!

The final 4 designs featured in Shadow & Brass are as follows:

The two final pins with a dangling attachment: the bottled skeletal familiars! I'm really excited for these two. Each feature a little bottle attachment, as well as pearl smoke. As a quick disclaimer: my manufacturer has a more subtle, shimmery pearl enamel. I find it very pretty, but it's less bold than some other manufacturers' pearl enamel.

I spent a bit of extra time this week putting the finishing touches on these two! The dark owl will likely need the clock face screen printed, but I am hoping to get away with the light owl's clock face being metal. Of course, if the face needs to be printed, I'll make an update letting everyone know!

The teapot and the teacup mini pin have samples made, and they are so cute. I'm so happy with how these 2 are looking, and the copper metal is a perfect fit for this color scheme.

That's it for the collection! We launch on Thursday the 22nd and I'm pretty excited! There will be one more update showcasing all of the freebies that will be available: an early backer pin, a returning backer pin, a pre-launch follower sticker sheet, and finally, a 2.5" sticker for folks who back 3+ projects in the Creepy Creations banner. Some of these designs have already been shown (sticker sheet, teacup freebie), but others will be totally new. :) 

A look at my two favorite pins of this collection: The vampire and demon duo of the Acquisitions Department™. Nearly all of my illustration work is character-focused, so I knew I wanted to change things up a little this year and try my hand at some character enamel pins. I also knew I really wanted to try some pins with a dangling element!

The Salesman 💀
I knew right away that I wanted a masculine character with a shadowy aesthetic similar to last year's Pintopia campaign, which ended up having a "mascot" sort of character I called the Curator. Grey metal on black or vice-versa seemed a perfect match for this concept, especially since I also knew he wasn't going to have a face in the traditional sense.


For awhile, he remained at this stage. And it had the vibe I wanted—spooky, but in a droopy, mostly non-threatening way. But I realized not only did it not feel finished enough, It was going to be a huge pain to turn into a vector later with so many wonky, ill-defined areas. I also wasn't loving the simplistic, square silhouette! 


So I revisited the Salesman design, moving his right arm to give him a more interesting, albeit sheepish, silhouette, and experimenting with screen printed lines to enhance the metal ones. The tail off to the side seemed like a missed opportunity too. Having his tail hold his lantern is much more fun and a better use of enamel pins as a medium, I think. In the end, I love how sleepy and cute he turned out!

Miss Foxglove🥀
Since this is a collection about duality, it seemed fitting the Salesman should have a feminine counterpart. I knew quickly I wanted a pretty vampire with an elegant, almost early-Hollywood vibe. I also knew the monstrous aspect of her would come out in her clothing—a huge fur wrap/shawl. I think the big mouth was my husband's idea.


She didn't need quite so much work, but she also remained at a middle color sketch phase for a while. It was cute, but a bit boring, and I wanted to make the vampire aspect more obvious. Adjustments to the expression and gesture of the hands helped a lot, and I think the little fangs are a fun touch! 

Character design pins are tougher than I imagined, but I think the effort and iterations these two went through were worth it in the end! I love where they ended up.

Next time, I'm excited to show a little background on the other "deluxe" pins: the skeletal bottled animals!! 

A closer look at 3 pins from the upcoming Shadow & Brass campaign: a peculiar sugar bowl, teacup, and teapot! All pins in this campaign are hard enamel. 

This mischievous object will measure 2 inches tall (50.8mm). The color scheme and metal plate represent the "shadow/dark" theme of Shadow & Brass.
 

Slightly larger at 2.25 inches wide (57.1mm), the teapot's palette and copper plate represent the "brass/light" side of things.

This mini pin is a freebie for returning backers, but will also be available as an add-on for everyone! The teacup will measure .75 inches tall (19.0mm), and also matches the "brass/light" theme. 

Much like Moon Hollow Archive, a little more lore will be forthcoming on the campaign page after launch.👁️ Stay tuned for more reveals soon 🪄