Snughouls Series 3

Happy Monday critters!! We're (almost) one week away from launch day!

Over the weekend I updated the launch page with some new surprises, so give it a peak and sign up for launch notifications if you haven't already-- it's free and you'll get free stuff for doing it if you decide to pledge during the campaign 🤩

(If we hit 2k prelaunch followers, I even have a new snughoul reveal for you, so let's go gogo! 😜)

Now onto our exciting announcement! I made the decision last night to increase the size of the mini ghouls from 6" to 9", giving us more room for the important details and making the more complicated critters like Dandyheart possible! They'll still be small, ultra portable, and about half the price of a standard snughoul, though, making them awesome collectibles and travel companions.



Last week we also got our first look at one of the most anticipated new snughouls, the notdeer! I'm guessing the next sample will be the final one, so there's a good chance I have their sample in hand before the campaign ends (which means lots of fun pictures coming down the pipe soon) 💖


As if that's not exciting enough, even more samples arrived today and I've got a lot of photo taking ahead of me. Expect a deluge later this week!



Have you already decided who you're adopting? 🥰 What's the first thing you do with your new plush pals when they arrive? 

Last night I got the ball rolling on a long requested line of snughouls (name TBD), and first up to be zapped with the shrink ray is our beloved Gutsy!!



I'm so very excited to see the first sample and hope we'll have something viable before the launch of Series 3. Regardless though, mini 'ghouls will be part of the October launch, even if it's only a couple to start with!

Who should we hit with the shrink ray next? 👀 I was considering Pumpkin Patch or Fairy Floss, but let me know what you think by voting in the poll or dropping your suggestion in the comments!

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This week I was also surprised with a lovely first draft of the Loch Ness Snughoul!

I'm genuinely impressed by how close they are to the concept art (the off colors are a miscommunication on my behalf) and I wouldn't be shocked if the next sample is the final version. Aren't they adorable already? 🥹



Big Bite is now tentatively finished too, and should be on the way home soon along with the seraphim and cactus cat!




Who should be hit with the growth ray next? I have the concept art for Foggy Were ready to go, but I'm open to suggestions.



I'm thrilled to be expanding our horizons and offering snughouls in all sizes for better accessibility and better cuddles, so if you don't see your favorite friend in the line up right now, please don't fret. I fully intend to keep adding to the collection, even once the campaign is over 💖

Happy Wednesday, cryptid cuddle club!

It's been a minute since my last update, mostly because I have yet to receive any new plush samples (let's hope that changes soon, I need a dopamine hit stat 🫠)  I do finally have some exciting updates to share, though! Two new creatures are in the works as of a couple weeks ago, and based on the last poll a lot of you are going to be extremely excited-- can you guess who they are?

JUST KIDDING, ya'll know I'm terrible at keeping secrets. Check out the newest cuddle club creatures, Nessie and the notdeer!



And then I received an admittedly hilarious (and absolutely zooted) Bites-a-Lot update that I have to share.
 

Before I go, I also want to touch on some things about Series 3 that I find especially cool. With over 5000 snughouls having found loving homes in the past several months alone, I've received SO much feedback-- on what works, what doesn't, areas that are prone to failure and features that make certain snughouls less accessible/enjoyable for some. You name it, I've probably heard it!

And I appreciate that, even when it hurts to hear. Your feedback is valuable to me, and I strive to address as much as I can with each new iteration of the snughouls. That's why with Series 3 I've made several changes to the way I work and what I prioritize:

Softness

Faux fur is an extremely mixed bag with softness varying wildly across colors and brands, and it's really hard to determine how something will feel through pictures alone! You'll notice with Series 3 there are several snughouls with no long fur at all, while our fuzzier friends' fluff has been selected with texture sensitivities in mind.

Of course they still won't appeal to everyone- that's a virtually impossible ask -so softness ratings will be included with each 'ghoul during the campaign so folks can make an informed selection.

And finally, sometimes during the production process material swaps are made by the factory when there isn't enough of the original material for sale to complete the batch. In the past I've approved these swaps based on color alone, but if this happens during the production of Series 3 I'll be requesting swatches be shipped to me first so I can know with complete certainty if the substitution is acceptable or not. 

Weight

All Series 3 snughouls come with beans in their paws and bottoms! This has increased their weight by as much as half a pound (it varies per 'ghoul) and gives them some much needed heft. They were already great cuddlers, but now they feel even more alive, you know? 😊

This is one of my favorite changes, and I know you guys are gonna enjoy it too.

Durability

A common point of failure on each snughoul is the thread sculpting on their paws. This is somewhat inevitable. A failure rate of around 5% is something most businesses who outsource their goods account for when ordering them, but I know it's disappointing to receive a plush with a defect and then have to wait for a replacement, so I want to minimize this as much as possible.

Several Series 3 creatures have little to no thread sculpting to minimize this issue, and I'm looking into cutting it out altogether by switching to embroidery. The jury is still out on this one because it will look a bit different, but once I have an example I'll be sure to share it here.

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And these are just the conscious decisions I've made, but I'm sure the cuddle club has influenced me for the better in many other ways! Thank you all for continuing to comment, participate in polls, and for sharing your thoughts with me.

If you like seeing how the sauce is made you can also join the snughoul discord! There's no pressure to post-- just come for the development updates and jump in to the convo if the mood strikes 😉

Good morning critters!
 
Its hard to believe we're less than two months out from the launch of Snughouls Series 3, and I'm both so excited and nervous!! I've been working closely with the cryptid cuddle club to bring these guys to life, and boy we do have so many little guys...



More recently the baku and capricorn have also been finalized, and the cactus cat and seraphim are hot on their heels! With Series 3 we're striving to prototype as many snughouls as possible before launch, that way we have a huuuugue selection of cryptids and cryptid-adjacent creatures to unlock and can segue directly into production after the campaign wraps up.

In other words: despite being our most ambitious project yet, Series 3 should also (in theory 😅) have our fastest turnaround to date!




Cactus Cat and Seraphim sneak peek! (These guys are still in development, so some details are likely to change.)

I leave you guys with one more sneak peek of a particularly self indulgent entry in the snughoul lineup 😊 A familiar face, in a new (and somehow even cuddlier) form! This is just a shape test so colors are not final and will ultimately match the original Bites-a-Lot, but isn't he looking perfectly pillowy already? 

I'm so excited, folks!! Stay tuned for even more reveals! We've got some downright devilish new 'ghouls on the way, ones that really put the creepy in creepy-cute and I can't wait to share them 💖