Joy Club Laser Cutter funding party

Totem & Arrow is a Laser Cut Indie Biz creating colourful and fun designs that amp up your feel good vibes. Let's shout out loud to the world who you are, because you are magnificent! Let's share the joy!

Hello I'm Kim, I'm from the Granite City in Scotland and founder of Totem & Arrow. I'm the one girl band to this colourful fun jewellery and homewares biz. Colour lover, Joy advocate, sweet tooth and pug mum to Peanut. I love bringing the Joy and my mission is to help others tap into their joy through colour, fun and the Joy Club community.

This is my story

I moved to France last year with my partner and found it difficult to continue my biz without access to a laser cutter. I made the hard decision to move back to Aberdeen for a few months to build up my biz, have access to the laser cutter lab to continue doing orders and to work towards my dream.

My plan was to do Crowdfund for a Laser Cutter in March. I would have fulfilled the campaign pledges in April and moved back to France at the end of April with laser cutter in tow. But then Covid-19 happened and the world turned upside down. I felt like launching my Crowdfunder wasn't the right thing to do at the time and I felt stuck.

It's been such a hard decision to leave behind my partner and best chum in France. We've been apart for 5 months now - I know there's lots of people in my scenario being distanced from their loved ones, sending you the biggest digital bosie (that's an amazing Scottish hug btw). I wanted to share the deeper meaning to me personally what the laser cutter would bring. It brings me back home to my partner and allows me to continue doing the business I love which i'm hoping will have a greater impact locally and globally. 

So it really is life changing and by you pledging on this project you will be an integral part of my story bringing a ridiculous amount of joy. I bloomin' Love you!

I want to raise funds for an essential part of my business, a Laser Cutter. For the past few years i've been using laser cut services and going to laser labs to create my jewellery. It's been a wonderful journey but now i'm at that place where i'm ready to grow.

During Lockdown it's been a challenge both professionally and personally. The Laser Lab in Aberdeen I went to is closed, and laser services have their pros and cons. For me, I love every aspect of the creation process and not being able to laser cut my creations myself feels like a massive part of the process is being missed. 

My process brings me Joy and those good feeling vibes infuse into my jewellery or totems as I like to think of them and that is passed on to my amazing customers. I often get feedback about how happy my customers feel opening their box of joy and wearing their jewellery, they say their happy vibes are boosted throughout the day and they feel like they are glowing. How amazing is that?! This is what i'm here for.

Having a laser cutter would be a game changer not only will I be able to create every single item from start to finish, but I will be able to grow and flourish. 

I will be able to provide an improved customer experience so you will get your orders quicker, you'll be able to order custom design pieces for special occassions or to treat yourself ;) you'll be able to find me in shops so you can touch and feel the pieces in person, I'll do amazing collabs with other awesome Indie Biz owners to give you super cool limited edition pieces. 

I'll be able to Give back, I want to create collections that will raise funds and awareness to charities and causes that are close to my heart. I want to make a difference.

Having a laser cutter has been a dream of mine for several years and now is the time to make those dreams come true. 

During Lockdown i've been thinking a lot about what I want in life and what I want to achieve. I've got a dream board with my ideas of what I want to do and experience and i've got a big scary dream I've had on there for years. So, i've decided to start walking on that path. I've mustered up the courage to say it out loud.

I want to create a fun, colourful joyful experience platform that helps people to tap into their joy and share it with others, through fun, colour, education and community. Owning your joy is powerful and can change the world.

The Joy Club Community is a free facebook group for all Crowdfunder Pledges.

This is the first step toward that dream, that vision. I am starting a Joy Club Community, it will be hosted via a facebook group to start with. I'll be sharing tips, tools and resources to help tap into your joy. I'll be hosting workshops, challenges, online parties, lives with other joyful indie biz owners and more.

As a yoga instructor I'll be sharing well being in the group too, so I'll be giving yoga classes, meditation sessions and more. 

Your joy is something you can access whenever you want when you have the know how and the community to help you.

Every pledger will receive the password to join the exciting new Joy Club Facebook community group.

How does it all work together?

You may be feeling like what? you make jewellery and want to run a joy club - Kim are you Bananas?! 

Yes I am Bananas! But, I LOVE THAT. And i'm pretty sure you colourful beans are bananas too. As human beings we have many facets - we're not just one thing. The main thing that ties this all together is Joy. Feeling good. Harnessing your inner power. 

The things we buy connect to who we are. They speak volumes. 

I buy things that make me feel good. Brings me Joy. 

I make things that brings me and others joy. 

The Joy Club is a way of bringing us all together so we can lift each other up. 

and In the future when I create the physical and online platform of my dreams, my designs ( and maybe other amazing indie biz owners designs ;) will be featured in an amazing joyful shop so I mean it all makes perfect sense right?

What you can get from this Crowdfunder Project! Below are some poster to show you the jewellery and homewares collections featured in the Crowdfunder, there’s also some Secret Squirrel designs and things that will be revealed during the next few weeks so keep them peepers peeled.

All my jewellery is made from Perspex acrylic made in the UK It is 3mm thick with a 2mm or 3mm backplate depending on design. The Statement necklaces come with a fun corded extendable necklace chain  and the necklaces come with a silver plated 18 inch necklace chain.

Here you find the specific pledges on offer, below each pledge poster there’s more details on the specific pledge like sizes and colour options etc.

Every piece of jewellery is specially priced for Crowdfunder when they go into my shop they will retail at a much higher price.

Some pieces will be more expensive than others so you can really grab yourself a treat. I priced the pledges in groups so your journey and experience was easier 

Choose from any of the statement necklaces in the collections available Special Crowdfunder price of £50 - RRP pricing will start from £55 with some pieces being £65! So grab yourself a cheeky Crowdfunder bargain on your favourite Jewellery Totem

Dimensions of necklace are between max 18cm by 11cm 

Choose from any of the brooches in the collections available Special Crowdfunder price of £25 - RRP pricing will start from £30 with some pieces being £40! So grab yourself a cheeky Crowdfunder bargain on your favourite Jewellery Totem

Dimensions of brooches are between max cm by 9cm by 9cm ( based on the largest brooch T-rex) 

Choose from any of the statement in the collections available Special Crowdfunder price of £30 - RRP pricing will start from £35 with some pieces being £40! So grab yourself a cheeky Crowdfunder bargain on your favourite Jewellery Totem

Dimensions of the earrings are between max cm by 9cm by 2.5cm (based on the largest size which is the bananas)

Choose from any of the standard Necklaces in the collections available Special Crowdfunder price of £25 - RRP pricing will start from £30 with some pieces being £40! So grab yourself a cheeky Crowdfunder bargain on your favourite Jewellery Totem Please note this tier does not include statement necklaces

Dimensions of the necklaces are between max cm by 10cm by 3cm or 8cm by 4cm

Want fun and colour in every aspect of your life? I love using the mirror to put my make up on every day it's the perfect start to my day revving up those fun feel good vibes. Boring to do list? Why not try the wipe able white board - doodle on it or make lists for your day in a fun and quirky way.

White come blank so you can write whatever you like on them, mirrors have engraving as seen in the posters

The measurements will be approx 23cm x 10cm - sizes will vary depending on design.

Introducing Totem & Arrow Homewares ! Jazz up your room with these fun and colourful acrylic pieces of art ( one of them ticks) Choose which one you'd prefer from the options below

The measurements will be approx 15cm x 28cm - sizes will vary depending on design.

These designs are Exclusive only to this Crowdfunder!! These are super special limited edition and will never be made again. The number of each design will be engraved and dated on the back.

The banana sundae is a statement necklace and measures approx 18cm by 10cm 

The rainbow ice cream cones come in either a necklace or brooch and measure approx 10cm by 5cm

Coming soon

A colourful + fun digital pack of joy includes: Colourful Digital Art Print Dress up paperdoll activity sheet art to do list print out page Joyful Journal prompts sheet Sweet treat and Dinosaur Colouring Page

Need some cute and colourfulness to spruce up your plant pots ( and remind you what the hell type of plant they are ) grab yourself 5 fun and funky plant pals featuring dinos, bananas, donuts and sweet treats. 

Not a plant person? That's ok I've got some Cocktail stirrers for you to get the party started in your Pina Colada! Just choose which option you'd prefer below Plus Joy Club community access

Want happy ears? You'll have plenty of choice from this quirky and colourful collection of cute stud earrings putting some love onto those lobes. 1 - banana studs 2 - donut studs 3 - rainbow studs You will receive 3 designs

Party in a box for one, everything you need to make a fun and colourful necklace. Perfect way to spend and afternoon filling up your joy tank and learning a new skill.

I will be running a vote during the Crowdfunder on which design gets featured in your DIY box. So the design is up to you :) 

You will receive,

Acrylic pieces

Necklace chain

Jewellery findings including link and lobster clasp

Pliers

Instructions

Here’s an example of previous DIY boxes I have done in the past

Join me for a jewellery workshop online party on zoom. I'll send you a party box and we'll have an amazing jewellery workshop with party hats, confetti, sweet treats and fun! There will be an awesome community vibe where we can have fun and a chat with like minded beauties. The workshop will last a minimum of 2 hours, choose which party box you'd like and it'll be sent to you with plenty of time in advance.

You will receive,

Acrylic pieces

Necklace chain

Jewellery findings including link and lobster clasp

Pliers

Invite to the party

party hat

Sweet treat

And surprise 

Here's a link to a video of me talking about the DIY boxes and Party Workshop on https://www.instagram.com/p/CB0syIEFY_3/

Interested in stocking The collections in your online or physical store? Drop me a message and I can create a custom wholesale tier to fit your needs 

Here's some pictures of my current jewellery collections available and best sellers so you can see the quality of my work.

How will the funds be used

The main chunk of the funds will be to fund the laser cutter, shipping and material costs.

Stretch target

If I reach stretch goal I would love to buy a chiller unit and BOFA filtration unit which would make my laser cutter more effective and eco friendly.

Timeline

The project launches on Friday the 26th of June at 8pm BST, it will run for 4 weeks and finishes on Friday the 24th of July at 8pm BST. I will hopefully have the laser delivered the middle of August and then will take several weeks to make and fulfil the orders. So i'm expecting to ship the order out in September.

Payment

Shipping

I ship internationally, UK postage will be £2 and international standard postage will be £4. If you would like international tracked please send me a message and i can sort that out for you.

Risks and challenges

The Risks and challenges - are that there will be delays in getting the laser cutter and possible troubleshooting of laser set up. The laser I am wanting has amazing support so I don't foresee this be a problem but wanted to be transparent. It will also take me  little time to 'get used' to a different laser cutter system but i'm pretty sure i'll be a whiz in no time, again I have an amazing group of laser babes that I can ask for help with the same machine. If there are any delays or issues I will communicate these with all pledgers.

Links

Come find me on Instagram where I share behind the scenes 

https://www.instagram.com/totemandarrow

and head over to my website to see more of my designs 

https://www.totemandarrow.com

Team members - Peanut the Pug, Head of customer service.

I couldn't leave my VIP - Very Important Pug out of this... he's an essential part of Totem & Arrow, he's the head of customer service and snackies. Got to admit though he does sleep on the job sometimes...