I was really inspired by these pins to do something similar to what I've made in the past with my Schrodinger's Cat pins. These pins were originally made with raised metal and screen print, but for this i wanted to make some with recessed metal details. This effect would allow the radiographic image of the cheetahs skulls and bones to appear 'below' the print of their modern, living likeness for a very cool effect. Since this is your pin, I leave this choice in your hands! Choose from the following possible effect options and vote in the style poll. From there I will make the standard follow-up poll of which sketch you prefer:

1. Deluxe Pin (similar to Harmonic Future Wolf pins in the campaign, these pins have a great amount of fine details, multiple screen print colors, and special effects): Options for variants would have one primary design featuring the cheetahs discovered in the study. Variant options that would be available include: Modern (living) variant (cheetahs appear as they lived), Mummified variant (bones and skulls are represented in recessed metal as they appear in the radiographic images of the study), and the Combination variant (a mix of both, part of the bones are printed over with living decedents, part allows the bones and skull to show through the print)

2. Chained Pin Set (similar to Melanistic Odisha Black Tigers pin set, these pins will feature the full body of the cheetahs, both Asiatic and West-African): These pins will feature screen print in a Modern (living) variant.

3. A combination of BOTH: Deluxe Chained Pin Set. This would include the recessed metal effects and variants of #1 in the full body chained pin set style of #2. The compromise here is that the details in print and recessed metal for this option would not be as precise, due to the pin size staying the same but the animal representation being smaller. This option would have the same variants available as #1 (Modern, Mummified, Combination)

The reason for this separation is ultimately pricing. The Deluxe pin will be priced similarly to Harmonic Future Wolf pins due to the amount of effects. A chained pin set similar to the Odisha Tigers would be the same price as it would be the same level of effects; however, this option will only have one variant as recessed metal effects cost more to produce. The combination of the two would put pricing near the Bat Harmony pin, due to the combination of effects, but would also allow all 3 variants to be produced.






These pin examples are here to illustrate what I mean for the Deluxe version of these pins with the skull and skeleton details in 3D but recessed. This means the enamel fill would leave the pin with an even, flat finished surface (as in the 2nd photo), but show the 3D details below (as in the first). 

Thank you again for your support of this project!
Starr Vipi

Here are the sketched compositions to choose from! 

From my sketchbook to your screen, these pen drawings are for composition purposes, final designs will have additional details and will vary some. Each version of these designs include an Ethiopian Wolf with pollen on their nose to represent the core of the study. 

Thank you for all the voting you've done in these polls so far! The poll for Prehistoric Cave Cheetahs will be up next!

Thank you for voting in the last poll, the winning design subjects were Canids as pollinators? Nectar foraging by Ethiopian wolves may contribute to the pollination of Kniphofia foliosa & Mummified cave cheetahs inform rewilding actions in Saudi Arabia! I'll be sketching these designs over the next couple of days, at which point you will have the option to select which composition you like best to become part of this campaign! At that point the poll for design #3 will close and the cycle will begin again.

When the pin designs are complete, I will post an update with the finished designs and they will be added to the campaign. Any pledges to the Ultimate Collector: All Campaign Rewards tier will include any stretch goal rewards without any increase in the tier pledge price. Same for Complete Enamel Pin Set (Standard & Deluxe) and Complete Sticker Set tiers. Once you pledge to these tiers, stretch goal designs and variants are INCLUDED.

Thank you again for your support and participation in this campaign! Your collaboration efforts and enthusiasm is so inspiring for me.

I appreciate you all,
Starr Vipi


As a reminder, here are the papers for the current poll*:

✨BACKER SUGGESTION ✨ Pollen analysis of Australian honey
✨BACKER SUGGESTION ✨ Soundboard-trained dogs produce non-accidental, non-random and non-imitative two-button combinations

Evidence of active sound production by a shark

🌟WINNER #1: NOT INCLUDED IN FUTURE POLLS🌟 Canids as pollinators? Nectar foraging by Ethiopian wolves may contribute to the pollination of Kniphofia foliosa

⭐WINNER #2: NOT INCLUDED IN FUTURE POLLS⭐ Mummified cave cheetahs inform rewilding actions in Saudi Arabia

* I am still accepting Backer Suggestions, but bear in mind they will not be added until the next poll goes up, which will be once this poll ends or the next goal is reached, whatever happens first. Otherwise any answers that do not win will still be in the rotation of upcoming polls, unless there is an overwhelming amount of Backer Suggestions. Polls will have 10 or fewer options each time to keep it manageable. 

There's currently a TIE between Flexible use of a multi-purpose tool by a cow and Canids as pollinators? Nectar foraging by Ethiopian wolves may contribute to the pollination of Kniphofia foliosa! These are likely our winners for design #1 & #2 but Mummified cave cheetahs inform rewilding actions in Saudi Arabia is right there with only one vote less than them, so please vote if you haven't already.

Over the weekend I'd injured my hand but I'll be doing some sketches tomorrow so there will be visuals to vote on for the next stage: Design selection! Backer's Choice Design #3 is already unlocked, so that poll will be up once this one closes.

Again if you have any subjects you'd like to see please leave a comment and I'll do some research!

Thank you all for your support of this project!



As a reminder, here are the papers included in the poll*:

*BACKER SUGGESTION* Pollen analysis of Australian honey

* I am still accepting Backer Suggestions, but bear in mind they will not be added until the next poll goes up, which will be once this poll ends or the next goal is reached, whatever happens first. Otherwise any answers that do not win will still be in the rotation of upcoming polls, unless there is an overwhelming amount of Backer Suggestions. Polls will have 10 or fewer options each time to keep it manageable. 

Y'all are the best! I'm so happy to read your comments about the research put into this project. This is my third of Science series and it's so exciting to see what is interesting to you all!

The poll for designs #1 & #2 will be closing on Tuesday, at which point the new poll for designs #3 & #4 will be available. If all 5 stretch designs are unlocked, new stretch goals for variants will open!

As a reminder, here are the papers included in the poll*:

*BACKER SUGGESTION* Pollen analysis of Australian honey

* I am still accepting Backer Suggestions, but bear in mind they will not be added until the next poll goes up, which will be once this poll ends or the next goal is reached, whatever happens first. Otherwise any answers that do not win will still be in the rotation of upcoming polls, unless there is an overwhelming amount of Backer Suggestions. Polls will have 10 or fewer options each time to keep it manageable.