Funded on Friday
about 7 years ago – Sun, May 07, 2017 at 04:10:42 PM

Hello Everyone!

 

Whoo-hoo! What a great way to start the weekend! 102% funded (YAY!!), and it’s all thanks to you, our fantastic backers! Wow, this is really a great feeling. It’s because of all of you that we have reached and exceeded our goal in just over two weeks. You cheered us on, encouraged us, and made us feel like if we don’t get this funded we’re going to feel some serious guilt that you won’t get your puzzles. So, we did it and you ARE GETTING YOUR PUZZLES! But the ride isn’t over yet. We’ve still got a ton more art to unlock, Dragon King’s Daughter being the next in line.

Awaken the Dragon King 

 

We have received messages, comments and emails expressing a deep desire to get your hands on DKD. We hear you loud and clear. The issue is the cost involved, not only the cost of production, but also the freight, taxes, duties, fees, etc, and then getting it to you. Eric is going back to our freight forwarder to see what costs we’d be looking at if we wind up ordering both puzzles. We’ll re-crunch our numbers, check the exchange rates on Monday, and then see what we can do about bringing that first stretch goal a little further within reach. We can’t make any promises as far as that goes, but we’ll do our best.

 

We’ve sent the art for DKD off to our manufacturer last night, so we should have a prototype of the box sometime next week, at which time we’ll share some photos of it. For now, here are some more images to wet your appetite (pun totally intended).

The Proof is in the Puzzle...Proofs

Since we’re guaranteed to have Altar in the Forest produced, we thought we’d give you a sneak peak at the box and puzzle template that we send to our manufacturer. Getting the specs just right isn’t easy, but it sure looks pretty when you’ve got the finished product in your hand.

 

This is an exciting time for us, and we sure love hearing your excitement and enthusiasm! Keep those messages and comments coming, nag us about DKD, anything to keep us going because our coffee supply is starting to run low.

 

In case we haven’t said it enough, thank you for your support! Please keep sharing and we’ll keep pushing to make this campaign a huge success!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone  

All the Best,  

Lara, Eric & Mike

Still Alive at Seventy-Five
about 7 years ago – Sun, Apr 30, 2017 at 04:53:38 AM

Hey Everyone!

First, we want to say, “Thank you so much!!” to all of you who have come out to support us, thus far. For those of you who are returning backers, thanks for sticking with us. You’re awesome! For those of you who are new, WELCOME (you’re awesome, too)! We’re so glad you found us, however you found us. And we are thrilled that you want these puzzles as much as we do.

Next, we want to thank each and every one of you who have sent us your comments, questions, and well wishes. We want to hear from our backers, so if you haven’t already, feel free to drop us a line. Let us know your thoughts on the project or just keep cheering us on. Believe me, it helps.

Own Flow? Let Us Know

Just 11 days into our project and we are currently 75% funded. We just need to keep up the momentum. As many of you have already said, we’re doing good, we can make this happen, we just need to keep going. We’re doing our part to spread the word, but we really need YOU to help share.

 

If you own Flow of Goldfish already, then you’re familiar with the quality of our puzzles, and there’s a reason you’re here now. So, you’d really be helping this project along if you could share in the comments section why you’re here and why you’re looking forward to Altar in the Forest and/or Dragon King’s Daughter.

Puzzles Waiting to be Discovered

Also, quite a few people have asked about the other puzzles up for pre-order on our website. While we have had pre-orders for many of the puzzles, we still don’t have enough to go to production. One thing that we have found is that pre-orders are not nearly as attractive as an actual item in stock, not surprising. That’s why we invested our funds to have Flow of Goldfish made, and the resulting sales have been great, both on our website and on Amazon.com.

 

We turned to Kickstarter because if we can get Altar in the Forest made then we can move on to Dragon King’s Daughter and so on, gaining momentum as we go. For each puzzle we make, we’re that much closer to producing the next. This is a great place to build an audience and a fan base.

 

Remember, if we are fully funded, we’ll have Flow of Goldfish, Altar in Forest and maybe Dragon King's Daughter puzzles in your hands as early as September. 

 

We admit, these puzzles cater to a niche market, but it’s a market worth penetrating. As you can see from some of the images here, it’s unlike any other puzzle art out there. Even if you’re not a huge fan of puzzles, the art is pretty fantastic, and with the quality that we’re offering, it’s just a really unique item to own or gift.

Have a wonderful weekend!  

All the Best,

Lara, Eric & Mike

Dragon King's Daughter
about 7 years ago – Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 09:22:30 AM

As we're about to celebrate our first week into the campaign, we wanted to share a bit more with you about another special piece we've got planned.

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In Dragon King’s Daughter by Fuzichoco, we find ourselves in the underwater palace of the Nāga King, Sāgara, one of the eight dragon kings. Longnü the daughter of Sāgara, was said to have attained the profound secret treasures of the Buddhas and had perfect wisdom, enlightenment and compassion for all sentient beings.

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Through this stunning imagery, Fuzichoco paints us her extraordinary representation of the virtuous young girl enveloped by Sāgara who has taken the form of the watery serpent or dragon.

The Dragon King’s Daughter, also known as the twelfth chapter of the Lotus Sutra, forged the path for the enlightenment of women within the Buddhist culture.

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Spreading The Word

We're now 67% funded, with 23 days to go. While that is certainly not bad, we need to continue to ensure that we're spreading the word so that we keep moving forward and reach our goal, which will enable us to get these beautiful masterpieces into your hands. 

For those of you who already own Flow of Goldfish, we encourage you to share your experience with us of putting the puzzle together, and share pictures by tagging us on Twitter @PlayingGrounded. We would love to hear from you! 

Here are a few vibrant images you can also share on your social media profile, along with the campaign link and some of our favorite tags. #Fuzichoco #AnimePuzzles #AnimeArt

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Thank you so much for your continued support and let's have a fantastic week!

Lara, Eric & Mike

Almost 50% Funded In 24 Hours!
about 7 years ago – Wed, Apr 19, 2017 at 08:30:26 PM

First we would like to extend a big THANKS to you for your support, and for jumping on board with us in the first 24 hours!  We're truly grateful and excited to have the opportunity to offer you more Fuzichoco masterpieces, and we're just getting started.

46% Funded In 24 Hours

We couldn't be happier with the progress we've made so far, and we still have almost 4 weeks to go!  You can help us reach our goal faster and unlock Dragon King's Daughter by helping us spread the word. Here are some ways you can help:

• Share the campaign with people who you think would enjoy these puzzles, by tagging them in your post. Sometimes social media posts get lost in a sea of other posts. So tagging one or a few friends who you know would appreciate them can be more meaningful and effective.
• Be sure to include a picture from the campaign page in your post. A picture is worth a thousand words, and we want others to experience the beauty in Fuzichoco's work.
• Change your social media profile picture to one of our badges that we've created below.

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Here is a sample message you can post to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

"Limited-edition anime 1,000 piece puzzles, beautifully illustrated by #Fuzichoco. Now on #Kickstarter! http://kck.st/2pPKEPS"

Adding the following hashtags to your post are also helpful; #Anime #AnimeArt #Fuzichoco #Puzzles #Kickstarter

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Finally, be sure to follow us on our social media accounts to stay connected.

Twitter: @PlayingGrounded 

Facebook: @playing.4ever.grounded

You can also track the progress of the campaign on Kicktraq via this link https://www.kicktraq.com/projects/playinggrounded/limited-edition-puzzles-anime-illustration-by-fuzi/#chart-mini

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We hope you have a wonderful day, and again, thank you so much for your support!

~Lara, Eric & Mike