10,000 refugees lived in Turkey in 2012. Within five years, as the Syrian conflict raged and destroyed lives, the number of refugees has swelled to over 3 million. The vast majority of these refugees struggle to find the work necessary to support their families and provide meaning in their own lives. They are forced to depend on others for their own well-being. Ms. Hind weaves a Shirvan carpet Sanliurfa refugee camp The Anka Cooperative is a social enterprise created to empower Syrian women refugees by teaching them transferable skills, providing them dignifying work, and enabling cultural integration into their new society through the creation of fine carpets and traditional crafts. We currently empower 250 weavers in two camps. By pledging for a world-class quality carpet through this campaign, you'll allow us to expand into a third refugee camp and employ more weavers. This Kickstarter will sustain our initiative and move us towards our goal of impacting 20,000 refugees by 2020. Join us! One weaver can knot about 10 sq ft per month; this rug will employ these women for nearly a year   Our Rugs We have partnered with Woven Legends, an industry leader for decades, to make the highest quality rugs in the world. Hertz 8x10––Woven in Adiyaman Camp, this rug employed one refugee for over 8 months and contains nearly 650,000 knots   This peaceful Ushak is both calming and inspiring   All our rugs are painstakingly designed and inspired by carpets made in the 14th to 18th centuries   Wool: we only use hand spun, lanolin rich wool sourced from sheep free grazing in Eastern Anatolia. The wool is never treated to chemicals through the cleaning process, resulting in lustrous and stronger yarn, giving the finished rug a glowing aura that will last for a century or more. Dyes: we only use the highest quality natural, vegetal dyes. Naturally-dyed carpets will not fade and the colors will never run––they blend poetically and the color and richness will last for generations. Naturally Dyed Handspun Wool Weaving: we partner with master craftswomen to train, supervise, and instruct our weavers. Progress and quality are examined multiple times per day. Our refugee weavers respond well to the challenge of learning this skill. Finishing: when a rug is finally cut from the loom after months of weaving, we triple wash the rug using cold water, then press it to ensure it retains its intended shape. Over one million knots in this rug have been individually inspected for quality prior to final shipment The Anka Cooperative has already had an extraordinary impact on women’s lives. One of these women is Neriman from Damascus. Neriman is in her early 40s and has six children. Unlike many of her unfortunate relatives, she made it safely to the Adiyaman refugee camp in Southeastern Turkey. Neriman is college educated, and prior to the war she worked for many years as an accountant. But in the camps, of course, there are no accounting jobs, no freelancer websites to apply her trade. Idle time brings painful memories. She jumped at the chance to work at the carpet workshop. It’s a new skill, but she is learning and just as important, she is earning. Neriman is paid the same as her Turkish counterparts. She is saving to buy gold earrings for her daughters, and hopes to save for a home for when they return to Syria. Neriman represents the 250 Anka weavers who have chosen to make the best of their difficult circumstances, and are the reason Anka exists. Where We Work Our workshop in Sanliurfa empowers 25 women in a safe, clean environment Sanliurfa: The Sanliurfa camp has a capacity 10,000 and a current population 14,000 living in containers. The camp has paved streets, lighting, water, sewer, A/C, and even a TV. It's a secure facility but residents can come and go as they please. The weaving workshop is in an activity center that also houses an art room, restrooms and laundry facilities. We employ 25-30 weavers in a well lit and ventilated hall with windows and A/C. Neriman weaves with her daughter after school in one of our six workshop tents in Adiyaman refugee camp Adiyaman: The Adiyaman camp has a capacity of 20,000 and a current population 29,000 living in tents. It has paved streets, lighting, water, sewer, A/C, and TV. It's also a secure facility but residents can come and go as they please. The weaving workshops are in six tents. We employ 225 weavers in a well lit and ventilated tents with windows and A/C. Our future site in the Gaziantep Refugee camp in S/E Turkey Coming in 2017, Gaziantep: This campaign will allow us to expand. We have been approached by camp management to expand our training and empowerment model the refugee camp in Gaziantep, Turkey. This expansion will cost the Anka Cooperative over $100,000 for looms, supplies, training, transportation, instruction, etc. The Three Pillars of The Anka Cooperative Empowerment Through Employment: The weavers love their work, not only for the income, but also because it provides companionship and a place to share laughs and to stay active. As a skilled weaver can weave up to 10 sq feet per month, an 9'x12' rug will employ one weaver for nearly one year. Weavers are paid the exact same as Turkish weavers. These women proudly display this rug they crafted for an Embassy in Turkey Cultural Integration: The Anka Cooperative helps refugees learn traditional Turkish language, culture and customs by learning the craft of weaving and by interacting daily with Turkish teachers. We partner with other charities to expand our reach beyond the refugee camps. Many of our rugs will delight children of all ages Education & Awareness: We use our proceeds to support charitable organizations that tell stories of refugees' lives and struggle for dignity. We further strive to share our fundamental belief that empowerment and dignity comes from work, not a handout. We teach women to fish, we don't give them fish. Teaching Her How to Fish   Rewards   $25: Rug Coasters Reflect on your impact with every sip when you back us at this level     $50: Framed Rug Fragment Show your support for Anka by hanging this handmade carpet fragment in your home or office     $250: Carpet Christmas Stockings Stunning and meaningful Christmas stockings are made from world class handwoven rug fragments. We have a variety of already woven rugs we are offering as rewards. See them below, and click on each tier link to see more options. You will be able to pick your rug during the survey after the campaign. Risks and challenges Our co-founder is Turkish-American and has been training women to weave rugs for 35+ years. We have excellent relations with the management of the refugee camps, and have been working there for 5 years. We currently have over 500 existing rugs that are awaiting a new home. The risk and challenge we may have is keeping up with demand. We're hopeful to take on this challenge as we will then be able to sustainably empower so many more refugees. We feel confident we will be able to follow through, and will keep you updated along the way.

Join me as I expose the history, politics and secrecy involved in raising money, building & operating presidential libraries. With your backing I will be able to complete my research and write The Last Campaign: How Presidents Rewrite History, Run for Posterity and Enshrine Their Legacies. To do that, I need to visit and examine the six presidential libraries that made major changes in the last few years. As a backer, you'll become part of the final phase of my ten-year journey to research and write this book. THANK YOU to everyone who backed and supported this project! WHAT Presidential Libraries Are Presidential libraries seem like innocuous tourist attractions. The older libraries are modest, valuable repositories that contribute greatly to our understanding of presidents, politics and events. But the modern ones are oversized taxpayer-funded legacy-burnishing monuments full of skewed history...and hundreds of millions of important presidential records that won't be available for decades, if ever. Few understand the hidden history of the libraries - federal institutions operated by our tax dollars - and the level to which money and politics play a role in everything from exhibits, public and educational programs to the choice of location and even personnel. This is because the story of presidential libraries – the documented, historical story – has never been told. Until now. The Last Campaign: it's about our history, and why it's different from how it's told to us. Accountability. Transparency. Freedom of information. And what presidents do to keep us from knowing what presidents do. WHY the book is called The Last Campaign When presidents run for re-election, they often call it their "last campaign” because no future electoral contest awaits them. However, they do engage in the fight to shape their legacy: to rewrite it, control it and enshrine it. For decades, former presidents have seen their approval ratings rise each year they are out of office, due directly to the aggressive, ongoing campaign at their library - and the fact that their most important records are not available to us. There are now thirteen federally-run presidential libraries in the United States, from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush. President Barack Obama has begun plans for his own, and locations across the country are vying to be selected as the site. The libraries are the greatest sources of popular American history of the last eighty years, through their exhibits and educational and public programs, and the books, articles, theses and films produced using their resources. Yet few books have been written about them, and none has examined the libraries’ politics and political history – especially the role that big, private money plays in their planning, development and operation, and the way that political parties use some of these federal institutions for their own purposes. WHO I Am I'm a recognized expert in presidential libraries. I've managed oversight of the presidential library system for the U.S. House of Representatives, directing hearings and investigations of the National Archives (NARA) for the Committee on Oversight & Government Reform. I've researched the presidential libraries - and this book - for over ten years. See my full bio for more details. WHEN I Have Worked On This Book Since 2003, I've spent about a month in each of the twelve presidential libraries from Hoover through Clinton, and I've taken more than 50,000 photographs - and hours of video - of the exhibits, architecture and records at the libraries. I've interviewed dozens of researchers and historians, and current and former presidential library directors, curators, archivists, exhibit specialists, educators and public affairs officials. I've worked on the book at night, on weekends and in lieu of vacations and financed my research and travel to the presidential libraries with my savings. But in just the last few years, five of the libraries have renovated their permanent exhibits, and thousands of records have been released. And a new library – for George W. Bush – just opened in Texas. I need one more round of visits to explore the records and the new exhibits, see how they tell their stories, and compare them with their original displays – and with the objective histories of their eras. This will be the first book ever written with primary research at all the presidential libraries. HOW The Last Campaign Will Make a Difference In The Last Campaign, I will demonstrate how the influence of private contributions and political parties have radically altered the look and purpose of presidential libraries, from archival storehouses of history to extravagant, politicized showplaces where the goals of the party, the family and former officials intent on future promotions trump the historical – and often inconvenient – facts. This influence also has altered the way presidents and officials create records - or don't - out of concerns over possible future disclosures. And it's altered the process by which presidents release - or hold back - their own records. I will tell the story of presidential records, and how it relates to open government, transparency and freedom of information. And I will reveal major previously-unreported stories about presidents - using their own records from their libraries - shed new light on some well-known controversies, and demonstrate the negative effects of unregulated presidential commemoration on our political process. Most importantly, drawing on my experience as a Committee staffer and Legislative Director in Congress, I will provide a legislative and governmental blueprint for successfully reforming the presidential library system - and returning us to Franklin D. Roosevelt's original goal of preserving and making presidential records available to all. WHERE I Will Visit for My Research To complete the book, I must travel to document the new exhibits and research in the archives at: the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, NY; the Lyndon B. Johnson Library in Austin, TX; the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA: the Jimmy Carter Library in Atlanta, GA; the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA; and the George W. Bush Library in Dallas, TX. My photograph of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Hyde Park, NY Risks and challenges The vast majority of the research for the book is complete - except for these last visits to six of the libraries. There is little risk that I will not complete the research. I have an excellent literary agent, and we are in the process of negotiating with a publisher. A successfully funded Kickstarter project would enable me to finish my research more quickly, but I will publish this book.  

public art project that represents the VERY tall tale of Jack and his Beanstalk using tens of thousands of balloons. Who are you guys? We’re 2 artists from Rochester, NY, working collectively under the Airigami, who specialize in making ginormous & awesome sculptures entirely out of balloons. You might know us from our previous (and successful!) Kickstarter project, “Once Upon a Time” or may have seen some of our projects making the rounds on the web. Acrocanthosaurus at the Virginia Museum of Natural History made with 5000 balloons. Mona Lisa - Part of the Airigami Masterworks series What did you two come up with now? We want to continue our exploration of fairy tales and create a full scale installation of Jack & the Beanstalk, entirely out of balloons! We’re talking a four-story beanstalk complete with a Giant’s Castle in the clouds above! We’ll be enlisting the help of community volunteers to help create this massive sculpture and we want you to be a part of this project. Initial sketch for the massive project. A much smaller beanstalk shot in the limited space of our studio. Imagine this on a much grander scale with garden and house on the ground and a castle above. Why on earth? If someone says they’re going to build a five-story beanstalk-castle extravaganza entirely out of balloons, do you really need a reason? Where did this idea come from? One of our most popular projects to date was a series of giant balloon castles. It’s been five years since the last Balloon Manor, and we’ve been begged (that's no exaggeration) to bring it back. This castle will provide a chance for artists and community members to work together, once again, on a huge scale project for everyone to enjoy. What do I get? Above all else, your contribution results in a spectacular public art project that will be built Feb 1-4, 2014, with the resulting sculpture remaining on display through Feb 9. But we do have a series of rewards that we think you'll enjoy. For starters, we're holding spots on the build and popping crews for those that want to join the fun. We also have fine art prints, balloon twisting kits, T-shirts, and other unique items to make your contributions more memorable.   Where's the money going? This giant community art project is going to be open for all of the public to enjoy, free of charge. Therefore, there are a bunch of things things we need to pay for. We’ve set a low goal to cover the bare essentials, but we’re hoping, with your help, to become a Kickstarter dream story. Project costs include: Balloons Location rental Security Rigging equipment Artist fees (if we go above the $6000 we've set as our goal) Aside from the many hours that the two of us will put into this by the time it's completed, there are a number of key crew members that will also be putting an enormous amount of time into the project. We're committed to completing this even without payment, but we're hoping that the Kickstarter community will go above and beyond our goal so that our key crew can be paid and reimbursed for travel costs. How many people are on this crew? There are artists, team leaders, and tech crew that are needed to make this happen. The size of the crew will depend on the amount of funding we receive, in part because the crew will come from our Kickstarter backers, but also because the funding we receive will determine how large this project can grow. In the past, we've had up to 450 people, including artists, and members of the local community, take part in construction. Can I be on the crew? Yes! Please become a backer of this project. At this time, the only way we are adding crew members is through Kickstarter and outside sponsorship. What happens to the sculpture? This sculpture will be built using compostable latex balloons. At the end of the public exhibition we will have a Popping Party to take down the sculpture. All backers, at all levels, will be invited to join in on the fun! Can I come and see the sculpture? Yes, please do. The sculpture will be on public display February 5-9. You can even come and watch us as we build it February 1-4. Viewing of the sculpture will be FREE! If you have the means, please contribute so everyone can enjoy this work. Risks and challenges Every new project is a new challenge, simply because it's an untested design. We know that each small component of the design will stand on its own, but there's simply no way to accurately prototype a piece on this scale. It will be built for the first time in the days leading up to the public display. This is, of course, what makes this such an amazing project. We will follow our design as closely as possible, but in the end, it's a work of art that will take on a life of its own as it grows to its full height. We will continue to sculpt up until the day it opens to the public. Our team of internationally renowned artists have the skills and experience to make it look spectacular, even if the final form is slightly different from the original concept drawing. Constructing something large with balloons requires that everything be built at the last minute prior to displaying it. Years of experience has made it possible for us to build to something of this magnitude with reasonable certainty that it will be completed as we desire. But the short, inflexible timeline always means that equipment failure (balloon pumps and air compressors), damaged product, and mistakes leave us with no head room for recovery. So let's look at each of those: • equipment failure - We have a mechanic on our crew, RIchard Hughson, that carries the title of MacGyver. To date, we've never had a structure or piece of equipment fail that he hasn't been able to get working. And yes, that has even involved duct tape and chewing gum. • damaged product - The folks that make Qualatex balloons have always stood by their product. Whenever we've needed more balloons, either due to damage during shipping, our error, or some other disastrous situation, they've found ways of getting replacement materials to us in time to complete the project. • mistakes - Oh, no! An artist misread the plan and used all of the red balloons while making something four times the size it was supposed to be. That's happened. But we're a creative team, and this is an art project. What's important is that it looks amazing. We can change and adapt and usually use what seemed like a mistake to make things even better. Spontaneity can be fun. In other words, our biggest challenge is time. But we always make our installations work out. The dates are set. We can't move it. It will happen on schedule and it will be awesome!

We’re CORE Foods, and we’re creating the world’s most nourishing restaurant. Literally every ingredient we use is 100% produce. Seriously. Over the past 5 years we refreshed your breakfast on-the-go with our award-winning CORE Meals, and became the 29th fastest-growing company in the Bay Area. Now we're revolutionizing your lunch with the world's first produce-only restaurant. We've secured a prime downtown Oakland location, Whole Foods and the City Council are on board, and we already have health and planning department permits. Come this Fall you'll be able to stop in for the most nourishing lunch you've ever experienced, have us cater your next meeting, or find our most popular items in grab-and-go retailers and food carts around the Bay Area. But we need your help to begin this revolution in fast food - please contribute now! Menu Preview (all ingredients 100% organic) Signature Combinations 12 explosively delicious global cuisine recipes like Thai, Mexican, or Italian served in your choice of container, like: Collard Leaf Burrito packed with potatoes and avocado Stuffed Bell Pepper overflowing with plantains and black beans Zucchini Pasta drenched in freshly cracked coconut lime sauce Grill Items Warm, hearty produce-only meals hot from the grill, like: Sweet Potato Black Bean Patty topped with tangy BBQ sauce Teriyaki Veggie Kebab with pineapple, mushroom, and onions Portobello Pizza with marinara and cashew cheese Everything we serve is at the foundation of your health. No sugar, flour, oil, powders, additives, preservatives—nada. This is the most nourishing food ever created! Launch Plan Our first CORE Kitchen location will be at City Center in downtown Oakland right above the 12th St. BART Station, serving the thousands of people that work for Pandora, Clorox, Kaiser Permanente, and hundreds of other local businesses. We've signed a lease for this space right here! We’ll then be opening locations in major cities across the US. Your contribution today will put you on the ground floor of a national revolution in our food system! Over the past 5 years we’ve grown a nationally distributed packaged food business and we’ve put years of research into planning the CORE Kitchen. To make this dream possible we need:   $120,280+ for construction costs to retrofit the Kitchen in our leased space $90,288+ for specialized equipment like dehydrators and refrigerated prep stations $24,300+ for architecture and engineering design County Health Department-Approved Architectural Plans Funding And Goals CORE Foods is a not-for-profit business, which means your health is the only bottom line. 100% of our profits are reinvested back into our food, our community, and our movement to cultivate a healthier planet. But that also means we need your help. You, our supporters, are our sole investors, and you're the ones that can make this a reality. We need at least $234,868 total for this project. We've secured loans for a large part of it, but we'll still need at least $90,000 to make this happen. Help us meet our initial and stretch goals to grow our distribution even further! Goal#1: Equipment - $90,000 Funds our initial equipment purchases and installation so we can serve you at our City Center location! Goal #2: + Grocery Delivery - $135,000 Fund the retrofitting of our company car, new production line, packaging, and ingredients so we can deliver our items pre-packaged to grocery stores across the Bay Area! Goal #3: + Food Cart - $150,000 Funds food cart equipment, packaging, and permits so we can serve you at other great locations across the Bay Area! Help Make This Vision A Reality Some more info about our rewards: Any of our Lunches in the Kitchen pre-sold for rewards such as the $10 and $25 levels mean you get a Free lunch combo certificate to redeem for a full meal any time after we open! For the Long Distance packages, our packaged CORE Meals are a full bowl of hearty oatmeal shaped into a meal-to-go. Simple ingredients with no garbage, these are perfect for breakfast, workouts, travel, outdoors, busy days, and anytime you need a portable nourishing meal. CORE Meals come in your choice of Almond Raisin, Walnut Banana, and Cashew Cacao flavors! (see below) Special thanks to: Our local workforce partner St. Vincent dePaul Kitchen of Champions Lynette Gibson Mcelhaney, City Council President Erin Harper and the Whole Foods Market Local Producer Loan ProgramJimmy Collins and Giant Slice ProductionsSean Mcdow and DueDrop Productions The countless others who have helped get us here! Risks and Challenges We’ve worked hard to mitigate our risks - a few major points: Getting Funding: We’re diversifying our funding by receiving financial support from Whole Foods, Bank of America, and the SBA in addition to these critical Kickstarter funds. Legal/Permitting: We’ve mitigated a lot of logistical issues already by signing a favorable lease, completing architectural plans, and receiving Health Department approval. Budget/Business Model Viability: We’ve carefully budgeted our model through extensive foot traffic surveys, menu tastings, market research, and supplier pricing comparisons. Our strategy also balances multiple income sources through direct sales in the restaurant, catering, wholesaling packaged food, food carts, and more.

Hand Picked Farm will construct a hoop-house to extend the growing season and provide more organic food to the community year round. StoryHand Picked Farm is the culmination of my growing experience.  From being a child in my Pappou's (greek for Grandfather) garden, to engaging in a full time apprenticeship in Sussex County, NJ, I have grown food with care and love.In order to share this love with the community year round, Hand Picked Farm will construct a hoop house to extend the growing season, and more importantly to increase the capacity of the local food system to feed those in the community.  Pairing my knowledge and the protection the hoop house provides, I will be able to grow some excellent produce every month of the year!The first harvest will be complete by August 2013 which is projected to be 2 tons of organic, heirloom tomatoes.  Varieties include Brandywine, Moskvitch, Red Pear and SunGold.  It does not end there though, once the tomato vines have had their run, zucchini and summer squashes will take over and harvested in late october, providing a taste of summer as the seasons change.  Through the cold winter months I will produce organic greens: spinaches, kales, chards, cress's, asian greens, etc.  Once the greens are harvested transplant production will start for 2014, then tomatoes in the spring, and the cycle continues!$1000 will get all of the material to construct a 15'x65' hoop house, irrigate it using water-saving drip irrigation, and cover all of the fuel cost for driving around getting all of this.  I already have 432 tomato plants in plug-flats ready to move in!  This is a small sum in comparison to the bounty of fresh, organic and unique food that I can produce within the hoop house.I will construct the hoop house over a 5 day period with the help of friends.  I have already tested the soil, spread manure, and tilled the site to a fine tilth.  Your support not only directly helps my efforts, but keeps the agricultural tradition alive by ensuring the viability of farming as a career for a young farmer like myself.  Your pledge is a vote that strongly says "I support small scale sustainable agriculture!"Risks and challengesFarming is risky business - lets be up front! This hoop house and irrigation are a big part of risk mitigation for the farm, as it allows me to control a few of the variables in the growing process. That being said a hurricane could potentially damage the structure, and if we have a serious drought I will have limited ability to irrigate. I have a good deal of experience and endless enthusiasm and love for growing food! 

A special reward for the last 48 hours of our campaign, as we try to reach our stretch goal of $130K: Your choice of a package of Little Lotus swaddles or sleeping bags, or the cozy blanket AND the magical "Spread the Warmth" hardcover children's book, the story of Embrace helping babies around the world (pledge $130 - regular price will be $175)! Keep your baby at the perfect temperature with Little Lotus, a new line of baby products by Embrace Innovations. Each purchase will help a vulnerable baby with the Embrace warmer. Why Moms & Pediatricians Love Little Lotus: "I never thought as a pediatrician I would be so concerned about my baby while she was sleeping. But quickly I learned I wanted to make sure her temperature was just right. Despite being well dressed with other swaddles & sleep sacks, her little hands & feet are frozen in the morning. When she wears the Little Lotus, her whole body feels perfect to the touch. The fabric is made of the highest quality & gentlest material. The best feature for my sleepy daughter at bedtime is that it is easy on/easy off. There is no need to pull anything over her head, just a few snaps and a zip." Elizabeth B. "When I tried the Little Lotus sleeping bag I felt like I had discovered a natural winner. Unlike sleep sacks I have used in the past, it is clearly designed with the practical needs of a parent and baby in mind. My son often falls asleep while nursing…it takes some serious ninja moves to slide his arms through the holes of our usual sleep sack without waking him. The Little Lotus is different. I can just lay him on top of the product and quietly zip him into it. My son had taken some great naps in the Little Lotus and I can only assume that it's because his little feet are always warm. When you touch the fabric of the Little Lotus you can feel the difference Note: Our products include a swaddle (0-3 months), sleeping bag (3-12 months) and cozy blanket (0-5 years). The Little Lotus products are special because: They use proprietary fabrics inspired by NASA spacesuits to keep your baby at the perfect temperature, so they can rest better & you can have peace of mind. Studies show that SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is linked with babies being too warm or too cold. With Little Lotus, your baby will stay warm without overheating. Our swaddles & sleeping bags have a unique design that make them easier to put on and take off than existing products, with a bottom zipper that allows for a diaper change with the baby is still inside. "When the name of the game is don't wake a sleepy baby, no other swaddle works as well as this one." - Little Lotus mom For every product purchased, a baby will be helped in a developing country by the Embrace infant warmer.The Embrace warmers have already helped 150,000 vulnerable babies across 11 countries. We hope to drive this number to 1 million with the help of Little Lotus. What makes Little Lotus products different than other baby products? Little Lotus products use a proprietary fabric that is super soft and baby friendly. Originally developed for NASA, these materials are designed to help balance your baby’s skin temperature to reduce overheating & cooling. The technology draws excess heat if your baby is too warm, and releases the warmth if they start to cool down. This means less temperature fluctuations and your baby staying more comfortable. Studies show that SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is linked with babies being too warm or too cold. With Little Lotus, your baby will stay warm without overheating. n addition to the proprietary fabric, the Little Lotus swaddles and sleeping bags have unique features that make them extra easy to use. The bottom zipper and the enclosures on both shoulders allow you to take the swaddle/sleeping bag on and off much more easily than other products. You can do a diaper change with the product still on. The swaddle has wings that can be folded back, when the baby's arms want to be out. Please Help Us Spread The Word! Risks and Challenges Little Lotus Baby has a team with extensive manufacturing experience. Specifically: 1. We have a top tier team with many years of experience bringing new products to market. 2. We have deep expertise creating products for babies. 3. Little Lotus Baby products is the result of detailed planning. We’ve spent a lot of time designing, prototyping, testing, and re-designing to achieve the final designs. Despite our expertise and careful planning, there are risks to the project: RISKS IN MANUFACTURING Although we’ve carefully selected a factory that has a history of producing high quality baby products, this is our first time working with the factory and we can’t anticipate how well their production quality will satisfy our strict QC standards. There may be production delays if we need to address quality issues as they arise. Little Lotus Cozy Blanket (0-5 years) The Little Lotus cozy blanket has a layer of premium cotton on top. The bottom layer, which contains our proprietary technology, has a soft and luxurious texture. The blanket is finished with a satin border.  

Story I love traditional bandanas. For a long time, I have wanted to design one with a little extra pizzazz. In this case, peppered with the added menace of angry paisleys, monsters, pests, a plethora of bats...the world’s first BADbandana. Don with prototype. Approximate color. I’m going to reproduce this drawing as a 21-inch square bandana. White creatures on traditional deep blue background. These bandanas will be 100 percent cotton printed right here in the good-old USA. (Dyed, not that stiff, obnoxious silkscreening we all hate.) What do you get? A total of more than 400 obnoxious creatures. All combined into a serenely symmetrical composition that is an homage to the paisley-enriched bandanas of yesteryear. Bandanas have so many uses in fashion, personal hygiene, and piracy. No one is going to want just one. So I’m offering reward levels of BADbandanas in packs of three. BADbandanas make superb gifts. So even if you aren’t a big fan of bandanas, you may want to get a bunch to share with your friends, family, and favorite cowboys. Do you need a reminder of how you can use your BADbandanas? WHAT ABOUT MORE CALAMITYWARE PLATES? Yes, more Calamityware plate designs are coming in 2015. I’ll keep doing them until you’re sick of them...or I am. I hope calamitous bread plates, bowls, and mugs can get into the mix too. Watch for email updates or like the Calamityware Facebook page for fresh news. Meanwhile, if you have gaps in your Calamityware plate collection or need gifts, visit Calamityware.com. Isn’t it obvious that BADbandanas will make excellent napkins for use with your Calamityware plates? Risks and Challenges The basic techniques of making bandanas are centuries old. But even this simple and mature technology can probably still go wrong in surprising ways. I’ve learned from my previous Kickstarter projects that fiascoes lurk everywhere. [Cue the inspirational music] I can’t promise you that this project will unfold smoothly. It might. But based on recent experience, I doubt that. I’ll do all I can to anticipate problems and vanquish threats. For example, I’m now aligned with a new shipping team (Fulfillrite) for this project in hopes that your rewards will be sent in a much more timely and transparent manner. So far, they have been wonderful to work with. Whatever happens, I promise to get my sponsors whimsical bandanas as soon as possible after the project closes. Your BADbandanas will reach you in good condition and be ready to enjoy—a distinctive blend of beauty, utility, and humor.

Risks and challenges Risks and Challenges We are so excited about this project. We’ve had many sleepless nights making sure that everything is perfect. While we can’t anticipate every issue, we are committed to resolving any challenges that might arise during the fulfillment process. Product Manufacturing Final has been producing FinalStraw for two years with a trusted manufacturer. We will maintain constant communication with our manufacturer to ensure on-time delivery and to address any production issues that may arise. Shipping Our third party logistics company is ready to begin fulfilling orders and shipping packages as soon as FinalWipe is received at their facility in Los Angeles, CA. Product Guarantee All Final products come with a limited lifetime warranty. We are in the business of making products that solve problems—if you are unhappy with your purchase, please let us know! Story   This project is promoted by Green Inbox Risks and challenges Risks and Challenges We are so excited about this project. We’ve had many sleepless nights making sure that everything is perfect. While we can’t anticipate every issue, we are committed to resolving any challenges that might arise during the fulfillment process. Product Manufacturing Final has been producing FinalStraw for two years with a trusted manufacturer. We will maintain constant communication with our manufacturer to ensure on-time delivery and to address any production issues that may arise. Shipping Our third party logistics company is ready to begin fulfilling orders and shipping packages as soon as FinalWipe is received at their facility in Los Angeles, CA. Product Guarantee All Final products come with a limited lifetime warranty. We are in the business of making products that solve problems—if you are unhappy with your purchase, please let us know! Long-lasting design Designed to last forever, FinalWipe is made from durable material. Reusability and recyclability FinalWipe is designed to replace single-use wipes. Sustainable materials FinalWipe is made with eco-friendly bamboo fiber material. The counter container and travel case are made from recycled plastic. The CleanTab is made with non-toxic ingredients. Environmentally friendly factories Our manufacturing facility has environmental and social responsibility certifications. Sustainable Distribution Our shipping packaging is 100% plastic-free. Something else Single-use plastics are a disaster—polluting our lands, endangering marine ecosystems, and contaminating the food chain. Our mission is to create reusable, responsibly made, badass products that reduce the need for single-use products, empower individuals to change their buying habits, and raise awareness about the impacts of our everyday decisions.    

Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG inspired by the classics. A prequel story set in The Messenger’s universe, it tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who will combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic, the only force capable of fending off the monstrous creations of the evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer. Promising the Sabotage touch in every system, Sea of Stars aims to modernize the classic RPG in terms of turn-based combat, storytelling, exploration and interactions with the environment, while still offering a hearty slice of nostalgia and good old, simple fun. Coming to PC and Consoles in 2022. Key ingredients : Engaging turn-based combat. Combat gameplay includes active player input during attack animations (timed hits), multi-character combo attacks, boosting, and strategic defense options to hinder enemies while they are channeling powerful attacks or spells. For a more immersive experience, there are no random encounters or transitions to separate battlefields, and no grinding. Both navigation and combat happen in the same environment. Unshackled traversal. Swim, climb, vault, jump off or hoist up ledges as you run through the world with a navigation system based on platformer expertise that breaks free from the classic bound-to-the-grid tile-based movement. Prequel story set in The Messenger’s universe. Dozens of original characters and story arcs will take you on a captivating journey. Sometimes epic, sometimes silly, and other times emotional, Sea of Stars does its RPG duty of exploring classic themes of adventure and friendship, while also being chock-full of the unexpected twists and events you’ve come to expect from a Sabotage production. Full-on dynamic lighting our custom-made render pipeline allows the creation of a breathtaking world coming to life by pushing the limits of 2D pixel-art games. The Sabotage treatment on the turn-based RPG genre. Every system has been deeply analyzed to create an experience that pays respect to retro classics, while reworking some elements in order to offer a modernized experience free of irritants and overly lengthy sequences. Turn-based combat No random encounters, no separate battlefield: Considering immersion a top priority, combat is initiated by physical contact with an enemy, and battle takes place in the same field as navigation, seamlessly, with no loading or transition. No grinding: Character progression in Sea of Stars flows naturally along with the story, without the need for any grinding. This concept is supported by a combat system which relies mainly on strategy and skill rather than statistics. That being said, you will very much be leveling up, increasing your stats and unlocking new special moves. Synergies: During battle, everything is based on building up momentum and effects over a few rounds, to eventually unleash massive damage by cashing out on your build up. Featuring six very distinct playable characters, and a lot of synergies between each of them, there are a lot of ways to take down opponents. Timed hits: Celebrating the greats of our childhood, we top it off with a ‘timed hits’ mechanic, where precise player input will increase damage done by your characters, or mitigate incoming attacks. Losing a battle doesn’t mean you should go back and grind, but rather that it’s time to apply what you learned from the enemy’s attack patterns and improve your execution the next time around. With skill and strategy as your main weapons, there is always ample room for improvement when a particular encounter proves challenging. Spell-breaking: Making a point to break the potential linearity of turn-based combat, enemies can mount especially strong attacks or spells. While a good use of timed hits will always remove a good chunk of the damage dealt, even the smallest minion can be lethal if left unchecked while casting. Enemies in a casting state display a bar with what we simply refer to as “locks”, each with an icon representing the damage type required to break it. For every broken lock, the ensuing spell’s efficiency is reduced. Break all of them, and the enemy’s action is entirely cancelled. This spell-breaking gameplay mechanic truly comes to life when groups of enemies demand clutch reactions and choices as more than one is preparing a spell, coupled with playable characters capable of combo attacks and multi-hit special moves. Boss fights: No RPG would be complete without big bosses, and of course Sea of Stars is no exception. For bosses, we are also looking at breaking the potential linearity of rinse and repeat for x amount of rounds to win. Each boss will present different attack patterns to learn, evolving through manually scripted phases and special events. Banking on the synergies, timed hits and spell-breaking mechanics, bosses will offer ample room for longer-haul strategies, giving players the freedom to see how much damage they can really deal in a single round with enough preparation time. Boost: To shake things up even more, performing a regular attack generates “Eclipse Orbs”, which can later be absorbed to double the effect of any action (regular attack, special attack, healing, spells, etc...) Depending on the situation, it may be wiser to save your orbs for later, perhaps to quickly get rid of an enemy that begins casting a spell with too many locks, or, in the case of longer battles like bosses, to dish out as much damage as possible once everything has been put in place for damage to be increased during a short window. Unshackled traversal - no rigid tile-per-tile movement Putting our platformer experience to good use, we make a point for moment-to-moment gameplay to present satisfying controls, micro challenges, and varied traversal opportunities. In other words, venturing through the rich environment should be accompanied by a feeling of freedom. While multiple paths and approaches can lead to your objective, leaving the main road and exploring less accessible (or hidden) areas will be rewarded. Climb, jump, run, swim, vault and dive as you progress through villages and dungeons of all kinds. Anytime it feels like you can interact with something, the odds are that you can. Hoist up on rooftops, or jump off ledges into deep natural pools to explore underwater tunnels. Stick to the main objective, or follow your curiosity and see for yourself what wonders lay hidden. World Map Traveling between points of interest takes place in a classic World Map view where adventurers can roam around, free of enemy encounters. Those who like to go off the beaten path will find many optional areas concealing upgrades, vanity items, and side quests. Sailing Since traveling between islands is a key part of the adventure, the party naturally gets its own boat. With full analog control, you will be invited to negotiate waves, and take advantage of the upwards and downwards formations to optimize for speed. While it isn’t anything that will ever block the casual sailor wanting to get to the next objective, we expect a lot of adventurers will be spending extra time sailing the world to play around with waves, look for sunken side-areas, secondary islands, or simply take a break from the hardships of heroism. The boat also acts as a mobile base of operations, which can be explored in close-up character view, where the party is fully settled in, and available for banter and guidance in-between major story beats. If you ever find yourself struck by the infamous “haven’t played in two weeks” RPG curse, you can rest assured that someone on your boat is ready to offer clear reminders as to what you should be doing next. Full-on dynamic lighting and shadows To truly convey the story of warriors using the power of the moon and the sun, we had to go hard on the lighting system. Spectacular spell effects thus being a given, the game also features real-time dynamic day and night cycles, which the player eventually gets to control with full granularity. Focusing sunlight through a prism in order to open some secret area may only be possible at high noon, while a magic flower blooms exclusively in the evening. You may want to follow a trail of glow-in-the-dark aquatic plants only visible at night, while some monsters like to sleep during the day. All of this ties into properly telling the story of Solstice Warriors , while also allowing for multiple puzzles and mechanisms dealing with light, shadows and reflections. Oh, and to make sure this world truly comes alive, we are also throwing in weather variations! Please back us. Six Unique Playable Combat Characters Sea of Stars features six unique playable combat characters, each with their own backstory, personal objectives, play-style, special skills, and synergies with the rest of the party. In this multi-layered story, motivations sometimes align in unexpected ways. In the interest of allowing you to go into the game without any major spoilers, we will only be revealing the two main protagonists here. Born on the Summer Solstice, Zale is optimistic and bold. He wields a sunblade, through which he can absorb Eclipse Orbs whenever his attacks need an extra kick. As a blade-dancer, he walks the path of the Guardian God Solen. The Elder Mist foretold that, in order to find his light and achieve his full potential, he will first need to “stare at the night inside of him”. Born on the Winter Solstice, Valere shows curiosity and balance. Gifted with Lunar Magic, she can absorb Eclipse Orbs in her moonstaff to dish out massive damage. Trained in the martial ways of the monk, she walks the path of the Guardian Goddess Luana. The Elder Mist sees great potential in her, believing she might one day be the one to “create paths on water”. Even though we will be keeping our favorite ideas under wraps for the foreseeable future, we’re happy to show you above a few of the things we've been working on for the protoype! For the sake of your enjoyment once the game releases, we want to be very careful with spoilers. However when it comes to mentors, villains, villagers, critters, pirates and abominations... as a full-fledged RPG, you can rest assured that Sea of Stars will have it all. Languages The Messenger is known for its quality localization that keeps the story intact, and we won’t settle for less when it comes to Sea of Stars. Everything will be localized by finely selected external partners who have a track record of excellence. Extra care and resources will always be directed towards ensuring that every language our games release in lets their player base enjoy the stories and events at the same level of quality as everyone else. At this time we expect to release with full support for the following: Platforms The game should be completed sometime in 2022, and is designed to be played on PC and console. For specifics, rest assured that we are in touch with the key players of our industry, and that the game will be wherever the players are. It is hard to predict platforms as we seem to be at the dawn of a new era, but we are keeping close watch, have extensive porting experience, and fully intend on supporting all current generation platforms with Sea of Stars. Risks and Challenges We are aware that Kickstarter projects often come with a certain level of risk for the backer, but we want to reassure you that this game will be completed no matter what happens during this campaign. Our team has extensive experience shipping games of all scopes, and we are surrounded by veterans from other studios who we can always rely on for sanity checks and feedback. It is our promise to every backer, that to the best of our knowledge and experience, the Sabotage team will always make sure the finances are aligned with the vision, that this vision is clear, shared by the team, technically feasible, and validated by players. Challenging each other is embedded in our culture, and no stones will be left unturned. Languages The Messenger is known for its quality localization that keeps the story intact, and we won’t settle for less when it comes to Sea of Stars. Everything will be localized by finely selected external partners who have a track record of excellence. Extra care and resources will always be directed towards ensuring that every language our games release in lets their player base enjoy the stories and events at the same level of quality as everyone else. At this time we expect to release with full support for the following: Platforms The game should be completed sometime in 2022, and is designed to be played on PC and console. For specifics, rest assured that we are in touch with the key players of our industry, and that the game will be wherever the players are. It is hard to predict platforms as we seem to be at the dawn of a new era, but we are keeping close watch, have extensive porting experience, and fully intend on supporting all current generation platforms with Sea of Stars.

The Project The time is now for The Mushroom Tarot! As I write this we are currently living in a day-to-day struggle of trying to stay connected to the people & things most important to us; what better metaphor for the ultimate–invisible–network of connectivity than mushrooms. Now more than ever the concept of mycelial networks connecting fungi, plants and animals is attractive to us humans. People all over the world are fascinated by the complexity & importance of mushrooms not only to our survival, but to the health of the planet! When I stand in the woods–usually while looking for mushrooms–I can sometimes visualize this underground mat of infinite fingers. Layer upon layer of a sparkly white tapestry, tying everything together & vibrating with life, endlessly spreading and sharing. Whoa. *** Mycelium Magic *** Tarot, as a format for artists and as a way to reflect on ourselves & our decisions, is attracting more and more intrigued followers as well. No wonder, with the timeless archetypal applications for assessing where we stand in relation to the world, ourselves and to all the wild happenings happening around us in a swirling cloud of radness. This deck will include the original 22 Major Arcana Cards from the first deck revised and colored, the 56 Minor Arcana cards with a mushroom genus attached to each suit in full color, and the 3 Myco Guide significator cards from the original deck. Updated Major Arcana Art Examples of Minor Suits & Court Cards There will also be an updated version of the original Info Guide with information about the Minor Arcana–why I chose the mushroom groups for each suit and a little about the wildlife chosen for the court cards. If we meet the initial goal–with your help!–of $11,200 the deck will be printed on 280gsm stock (just like the first deck), and will be in a matte-finish tuck box with a 24 page booklet. This will be the same specs as the last version of the deck, and everyone has seemed really happy with the deck quality. See way below for details on Stretch Goals, but if we reach the first stretch goal of $17,200 the deck will come in a 2-piece box for extra flashiness & sturdiness for the long haul. Some Background My name is Chris. I am an illustrator & screen printer & extreme mushroom enthusiast living in Corvallis, Oregon. I am a working artist. My day job is Corvidopolis–an art & apparel company featuring my illustrations that I hand print onto shirts & paper. I split my focus online and in-person at art & mushroom festivals. As a working artist focused on retail sales of my work I have a good amount of experience fulfilling orders in a timely fashion, scaling orders & inventory and working on a timeline! I've been fascinated with mycology and foraging for over a decade. Starting with some casual forays into the Oregon Coast Range with my brother back in the college days, and evolving into an annual schedule structured around mushroom seasons. It has been an amazing passion, built friendships that may have otherwise never gelled, and mixed with my art it has fueled a really unique aesthetic that I am daily amused by & truly feel blessed to work on as my livelihood. I have forever been graphically intrigued by Tarot, but only in recent years have I been introduced to Tarot in a different light. Through creating the First Edition Major Arcana deck in late 2018 / early 2019, and the subsequent experience of releasing that & meeting so many wonderful people, I feel like I've developed a personal connection to the system. Telluride Mushroom Festival 2019 With an almost immediate and truly humbling crowdfunding effort through my main art Instagram, Corvidopolis, I released the First Edition of The Mushroom Tarot as a black-and-white Major Arcana deck. It was an unexpectedly HUGE success, and I am still stunned and blushing with all the support for my work and this project! Right away folks started asking if I was going to complete the deck with all 78 cards, and many asked if the next version would be in color. So, without any further ado: A Full Color Mushroom Tarot Deck with 81 cards!!! Colored Major & Minor Examples I cannot stress enough that the realization of this project cannot happen without the help of all you lovely people!! I have received so much kindness, positive feedback & SUPPORT for the first edition, and met so many amazing people excited about the synergy between mushrooms & tarot, that I am 1000% pumped to see this become a real, live thing. Look below for some details on the different options for backing this project! Until we meet again: In the name of The Hyphae, The Spore and The Holy Host, may you and yours be well during this strangest of earthly times... Backer Tier Info EARLY BIRD 01: Get your preordered deck + a Limited Edition 6-color Silkscreen of The Spore card–only available on the first day of this Kickstarter! Signed & numbered and hand printed by me on French Paper Co. 100# Construction (US Made Paper) with water-based inks. Features a wicked split fountain (gradient ink pull) in the background with some bright sunrise:sunset action. The Spore 8"x10" Silkscreen EARLY BIRD 02: Get your preordered deck for the cheapest it will EVER be! A great option if you want to make sure you get one of this First Edition of the Full Mushroom Tarot, and you want to back early to help us get the word out & increase the likelihood that the project will get funded! Do it!! STICKER PACK - Comes with the 3 stickers shown below. The 2 die cut stickers are digitally printed by Stickermule, and the Death Card sticker is screenprinted on vinyl by Sticker Guy!. Sticker Pack HAND PRINTED TAROT CLOTH - 20"x20" All Natural 100% Cotton cloth with 1-color drawing hand printed with water-based ink. Hand Printed Tarot Cloth / Bandana HAND PRINTED SHIRTS OR TANKS - Choose from these 3 Major Arcana cards printed with super soft inks on 100% Cotton Black tees / tanks. Printed with love in the Corvidopolis Shop by me! Tees are Unisex available in XS-2X & Muscle Tanks are Ladies sizes S-XL. Hand Printed Tees Hand Printed Ladies Tanks 1ST EDITION, MAJOR ARCANA DECK - This was the original crowdfunded Mushroom Tarot from early 2019! There a limited number of these left for purchase, so grab one if you want to be part of origins of this project!! 1st Edition Mushroom Tarot, Major Arcana THE NEW MUSHROOM TAROT - This is what we're here for! This is the 1st Edition of the FULL Mushroom Tarot with all 22 cards of the Major Arcana, 56 cards of the Minor Arcana & 3 Myco Guide cards in FULL COLOR!! Depending on where we're at with stretch goals it will come in a tuck box or a sturdier / flashier 2-piece box––tell your friends so we can get that upgrade action! ORIGINAL PEN & INK ILLUSTRATION - If you back this one we'll have a chat about what mushroom : card combo you're imagining and how that might manifest itself. Then I'll lock myself in my studio & whip it up to match the style of the existing Mushroom Tarot cards. Only a few of these available, so act quickly if you want a custom original!   A WALK IN THE WOODS - If you back this ultimate package of Mushroom Tarot goods with an experiential adventure in the Oregon woods with me & my good friends, the Mushroom Kingdom, we will have to chat to make sure we can work out all the nuts & bolts of the real world. After that, you'll have a couple choices about habitat & delicous mushroom-centric food, and we'll have to figure the optimum time between your schedule and the seasonal preferences of shrumps. It will be rad, and we will walk in the woods most definitely. ADD-ONS - I'm new to Kickstarter, but as this plays out I'll try to figure out how we do add-ons. I see no reason why we can't do add-ons for any of the goods after we get this funded and we're working out all the details. Stay tuned for add-on prices and methods. Stretch Goals (GOT IT!!!) STRETCH GOAL 1 @ $17,200 - If we hit this milestone, we can upgrade the box to a sturdier & flashier 2-piece number. Mind you, I haven't had any negative feedback about the good ol' tuck box that is the standard, but who doesn't want to kick it up a notch for some unpackaging video slow-mo gold! Also at this mark everyone who backed at $20 or more will get a FREE Mushroom Tarot Psych sticker! STRETCH GOAL 2 @ $28,000 / REAL LIVE GUIDE BOOK - Alright! This one is a big time investment, but I think it is totally worth it!!! And you are all so amazing that I'm sure we will hit it! At $28,000 I will upgrade the small 24 page Info Guide that would be in the box to a full-fledged book (length TBD, but ~40 pages) that comes with the deck!!! This will be a perfect bound 4"x6" book full of all my thoughts on mushrooms + tarot + magic and a load of scribbles & sketches about my process and nature adventures!! BACKER MINI STRETCH @ $30,000 / Q&A WITH CHRIS - If we get to this milestone we'll sit down and have a nice chat! I will schedule a 60 minute Q & A on Zoom to meet with all the amazing backers of this project and talk about mushrooms, the woods, magic and tarot. I am not the most tech savvy individual, but we'll figure out how to make this work! Warning: I am prone to excessive rambling about the great outdoors and especially about mushrooms. STRETCH GOAL 3 @ $35,000 / GOLD FOIL ACCENTED BOX + STICKER - Pretty straightforward, but a welcome addition to the sculptural wonderment of the Mushroom Tarot box. This will push the box from a container to an objets trouves to ogle on your bookshelf or desk! Gold foil accents making that box pop!! Also, everyone who backed at $10 or more will get a FREE Mushroom Tarot Mantra sticker with our motto, "In The Name, of The Hyphae, The Spore and The Holy Host." BACKER MINI STRETCH @ $40,000 / PDF COLORING BOOK - Everyone who has backed the project will get a PDF Coloring Book of The Mushroom Tarot, Major Arcana with some limited edition drawing additions just for kicks! About 25 pages on 8.5x11 format; easy to print & fun for the whole family?! More Stretch Goals will be added if we cross these!! Let's do this!!!! Risks and Challenges As with everything I ship for my art & apparel web shops, I will be using recycled shipping materials, and doing my best to source supplies from small businesses with positive mission statements.

Meet DigitAize – the innovative digital mapping system for acoustic string instruments. If you play the violin, viola, cello or double bass, then take your time to discover all the great possibilities that open up through DigitAize! DigitAize is an innovative technology, introducing a digital mapping system for use with acoustic musical instruments. Our sensor-based technology can be mounted onto any string instrument and allows you to control virtual sounds, use real-time auto pitch-correction, live-notation - all this in a true polyphonic system with the lowest latency you shall ever experience. DigitAize is the perfect tool for music-making: it gives you the freedom to play your own instrument whilst also opening up the immense potential of digital music-making. Sounds interesting? Take a closer look at our newly developed technology… I. Control virtual sounds with our fully digital fingerboard. Wanna play drums on your violin? Check this out: II. Control synthesizer and samplers and shape them in a unique way. DigitAize brings virtual sounds to life: III. Use the build-in gyroscope to control MIDI-parameters and shape your sounds:   IV. Perform real-time notation on any digital notation software. V. Visualize and monitor the movements on your instrument. Keep track of the instrument movements, monitor its position and create beautiful personalized visuals:   DigitAize is an innovative digital mapping system for acoustic string instruments. You can mount it onto any violin, viola, cello or double-bass. We have created complete solutions for easy integration regardless of the sizes and scale lengths. Thanks to our adaptable housing, DigitAize will fit any instrument. In this pack you will get our patented sensor and the hardware module. With easy step-by-step instructions you will be guided through the mounting process. This pack includes 3 sensors, 1 DigitAize device, a wooden box to store the removable hardware module and 1 microUSB charging cable. DigitAize Pack - includes 3 foils, 1 digitAize module, 1 wooden box, micro-USB charging cable and mounting instructions DigitAize can be mounted on any string instrument. Together with DigitAize you will get the access to our powerful software infrastructure (read below...). !! Be careful to chose this pack if you play Violin, Viola or Cello !! Oversize instrument - special conditions. Be careful to choose this pack if you play Double Bass. Also here DigitAize can be mounted on any double bass. This pack includes 2 sensors, 1 DigitAize device, a wooden box to store the removable hardware module and 1 microUSB charging cable. 3. DigitAize for Violin You can also order DigitAize directly mounted on an acoustic violin. In this case you get a complete DigitAize factory-mounted on the instrument, so you won´t have to care about the mounting and calibrating procedure: Choose DigitAize Violin Set to get a fully mounted instrument. Just turn it on and start creating music SPECIAL OFFERS: Be quick to grab our special offers. Only available shortly: 🦅Super Early Bird Discount - only from 10.-12.03 - get a crazy price on each product. 🦆Early Bird Discount - only from 12.-15.03 - get a special price on each product. SPECIAL PACKS: 🎁 Gift DigitAize - make a special gift to a colleague or friend. DigitAize allows unlimited creative possiblities. And this is the greatest present one can get. ✅Get one, 🎁gift one - share this journey with that friend of yours. Experience togehter DigitAize: one little secret: you can even connect multiple instruments to the same computer and play digital duets together...just sayin´... DigitAize Education - we encourage innovative e-learning methods for musical education and endorse many music schools in evolving in this direction. With your reward you can gift a school with a DigitAize instrument and allow the next generation of young musicians to learn music in a new way. Before you get started, let us give you a more detailed insight on our product. Discover all the components that make DigitAize unique: DigitAize uses a patented high-resolution sensor, directly attached to the instrument. What it does? It keeps track of your finger movements while playing. It consists of a multi-layer construction, ultra-thin and ultra-precise. Ouf foil is the result of years of research and optimization. There is a patent pending on this technology Our foil is the result of years of research and optimization and we have a patent pending on this technology. Its high resolution is mind-blowing: the 12-bit converters provide up to 4096 values, which means that roughly 150 contact points fit under your fingertip. Even the slightest movement on the fingerboard is registered, making it the most powerful mapping system ever designed for any acoustic string instrument. Its patented multi-layer construction is the result of years of research and optimization. We studied the integration on the instrument carefully, thus developing over 7 different prototypes. Our patented sensor works as a second skin, measuring your precise finger position. It´s thin construction will literally disappear on the fingerboard The sound of your precious violin should never be manipulated, and we, as musicians ourselves, understand it well - that's why we put so much effort to let the DigitAize literally disappear on your instrument: it works like a second skin. This is the hearth of our system and we baked a lot of fancy tech into such a little device. Our goal was to put together all that is needed for making music, not more, not less. DigitAize is made to fit on any acoustic instrument. You will be able to adjust it and make it fit perfectly on your string instrument Inside this tiny shell we packed: 4 ultra-precise analog to digital converters. High-quality digital microphone that allows you to stream your audio wirelessly A digital mems-piezo microphone for perfectly tracking the volume of your microphone, with perfect noise cancellation system from external noises. A high-resolution gyroscope and accelerometer that keep track of even the tiniest movement on the instrument. USB rechargeable battery with up to 5 hours life Low latency Bluetooth and WIFI modules to stream all data We combined cutting-edge technology and high-end design to create this unique digital instrument, empowering you with new possibilities, to enhance your creative ideas. We worked hand-in-hand with instrument makers and luthiers and spent countless hours designing the best possible integration on the instrument, reducing the acoustical and optical impact to the minimum. The module is, unbelievably, only 7 mm high and 50 mm long and weighs just 20 g, fitting perfectly under the fingerboard of a violin. DigitAize Connect is the invisible bridge connecting your instrument to the major audio-workstations and music making software on your computer. We put great attention to every detail, to make DigitAize literally merge with your instrument. Modern times set demanding challenges for artists and innovators: DigitAize is our instrument, to empower your imaginative mind. Here all the features of DigitAIze at a glance... Real-time pitch tracking Control virtual sounds, a separate midi channel for each string and real-time auto pitch-correction, enabling a polyphonic live notation. Track instrument motion in real-time Visualize movements, track and record exact position, use gestures to trigger parameters or visualize graphics. Digital audio signal streaming Record audio wirelessly, keep track of intonation, control digital sound envelopes MIDI Device Unlimited MIDI channel and CC customization possible, customize parameters, control each string simultaneously, choose between monophonic and polyphonic MIDI, choose different playing modes: using tapping (playing without bow) or bow mode. Open strings detection might be slightly limited (depending on the instrument). Access raw data via open terminal Get unfiltered, raw data for research and academic applications, access to up to 12 different parameters streamed live. Usability and Innovation Non-invasive mounting on any instrument, strong and durable components, 5 hours plus battery life, patented sensor-based technology, multiple connection possibilities via Bluetooth and WIFI Of course, every great hardware needs a robust software to support it. During a long and complex feature analysis and developing period, we created an easy yet powerful software architecture that gives you immense freedom of expression. Let´s discover it! DigitAize Connect is the invisible bridge connecting your instrument to the major audio-workstations and music making software on your computer. There's almost unlimited scope for controlling the data from your instrument; routing MIDI channels, customizing MIDI AND CC, exporting raw data in higher resolution, visualizing 3D movement, setting advanced tuning options (as well as quarter tones!). Connect to your instrument in multiple ways, using Bluetooth, WIFI or Hotspot connection Connect multiple DigitAize instruments simultaneously, making music with your friends Get real-time notation with your instrument: Write music just by playing it. Get great 3D graphical visualization of the instrument movements allowing real-time motion tracking Customize MIDI channels and parameters, such as Pitch Bend, Aftertouch or ADSR, with the CC-matrix Open terminal for data stream – get the raw, unfiltered data using OSC protocol Compatible with the most common audio workstations: DigitAize Connect is compatibly with the major audio workstations The software also features a large collection of graphic interactive games, making practicing or playing music a lot of fun! Our software is the perfect bridge between your instrument and your computer. This powerful background application let´s you customize every parameter for the greatest flexibility of application Why not playing duets with your smartphone? Just saying…. Visualize and monitor your instruments mouvement directly from your smartphone monitor your instruments mouvement directly from your smartphone Monitor your digital fingerboard from your smartphone and record MIDI-track on-the-fly visualize your digital fingerboard and record in-App MIDI tracks The DigitAize App is the FIRST EVER App to connect directly to your acoustic instrument.It provides maximum flexibility, allowing you to work on your music anywhere. You can easily record MIDI tracks on-the-fly or just practice using the build-in metronome and advanced tuner. The App lets you also share your recordings on the fly. Have a look at all the cool features of this powerful tool: Connect using WIFI or Bluetooth Record, edit and create music. Easily create MIDI and Audio Recordings on the fly and export or share them from the App. Practice using the build-in tuner and metronome Keep track of the tuning of each string individually with advanced tuner options Catch and manage all streamed data, allowing communication with the major audio workstations and music-making software Experience your instrument in a completely new way with the DigitAize Smartphone App! Our hardware module is literally a powerhouse in a nutshell. At a glance: We worked hand-in-hand with instrument makers and luthiers and spent countless hours, conceiving and designing the best possible integration with the instrument, reducing the acoustic and optical impact to an absolute minimum. We gave great attention to small details to make DigitAize be able to literally merge with your instrument. We worked hand-in-hand with instrument makers and luthiers and spent countless hours designing the best possible integration on the instrument, reducing the acoustical and optical impact to the minimum. We put great attention in little details, to make DigitAize literally merge with your instrument. Have you ever struggled to practice on the train, in a plane, car or at a station? Have you ever got this will to practice but you don't have your instrument with you cause you simply can't take it everywhere? We have what you need! We are working now on a new gadget for string players – a special pocket fingerboard, that can be put anywhere, allowing you to practice without your instrument everywhere! And you can connect it to your smartphone to hear the sound. Cool, right? It will allow you to capture, visualize and evaluate the playing activity, your 3D-position and motion from your smartphone. We are also working on extending the principle of DigitAize to wind instruments as well. Our most recent project focuses on a new flute digital mapping system which will allow to translate classical wind instruments to the computer in real-time. We are close to producing fully-digital sensors that will be integrated into acoustic wind instruments. To keep updated with our projects. We, Alessandro and Rafal, are NIMIKRY - a Vienna based experimental composer-performer duo. In 2015 we met at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, where we were both studying. We have a very classical musical education, but our hearth beats for contemporary, experimental music. Out of our creative curiosity and curious artistic research, we suddenly found each other working in a very similar direction: we both wanted, as eager instrumentalists, to develop our instruments further, go beyond their limits. And so, we joined forces and started first to make music together. And our approach was from the start very unconventional: making music together for us meant to find a new language to communicate together, and this through our own prototypes, which we were developing. After sleepless nights working on new sounds, soldering components, coding audio effects, we started to find our own language. Since then, we compose our music four-hands. And finally, not students anymore, we engaged on this new challenge of bringing the results of our artistic and technological research to you! Our work combines technological innovation and artistic research on the highest level. We developed digital mapping systems as well as new amplification methods for our acoustic instruments and use this technologies for new artistic solutions. Modern times set demanding challenges for artists and innovators. And NIMIKRY displays our very own perception of the musical reality. DigitAize is the result of our long artistic and technological research to expand the possibilities of acoustic instruments into the digital world. We are happy to share this innovative product with you! Alessandro // I come from Italy, I am composer, instrument-maker, flautist, performer and inventor. Since my early years of education, I was interested in building stuff using my hands, I have a great passion for design, graphics and handwriting music. I develop the design of the product, as well as the GUI of our softwares and the graphical aspect of DigitAize and am responsible for the development of features. Rafal // I come from Poland, I am viola-player, composer, programmer and inventor. I cultivate a strong affection for electronic music, contemporary classical and drum&bass. After playing my way through many bands in Poland, I moved to Austria to pursuit my studies. I develop the software and hardware architecture for DigitAize. I am also responsible for the technological integration of DigitAize with other softwares. Discover our music: Being musicians ourselves we know the needs of creative people and we have designed our products from this point of view: our products are from musicians for musicians. And they will always be. Accessibility and child education Music had an enormous impact on our life, and we believe that it is so for everyone. We see great potential for our instruments to allow people with hearing disabilities to make music and learn a musical instrument. At the same time, we are working on the possibilities to use our technology for musical education in early stage. The possibility to visualize data in real-time, can be extremely helpful for this and we are working currently on extending our software infrastructure, creating new visual-auditive interactions. Music research Our technology can be a powerful tool for music research institutes, because it can guarantee a high-resolution capturing technology at a minimal invasivity, thus not influencing testing results. Especially for the research oriented towards the analysis of the instrument-instrumentalist interaction or vibro-tactile feedback on musical instruments, DigitAize can have a great impact, opening up many new fields of research. Our engagement in education started together with the development of our new instruments. We think it is crucial to invest energies and creativity for the younger generations. Our team is constantly active in workshops, lectures and other educational projects both at universities and music schools. We are happy that this technology opens up completely new possibilities and we are eager to use this powerful instruments in the future. We decided therefore to invest part of this project also to bring DigitAize in music schools and universities. If you want to endorse us in our mission, choose the Education Packs in the list of pledges and make sure a music school gets DigitAize. Start a little revolution with us! We greatly appreciate your support and are excited to bring our DigitAize products in the hands of our backers! Here is a little road-map for the campaign: 1. During the campaign: Choose your tier from the exciting list of rewards we’ve put together, then select your shipping country and proceed to check-out. The money you pledge will only be booked when the campaign ends and is successfully funded. DigitAize works on any string instrument (Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass). You don´t need to tell us straight away which instrument you play. This will be done after the campaign. 2. After the campaign: Once the campaign is over, we’ll send you a survey confirming the details of your pledge and asking for your shipping address, as well as other details. All data about gifts, sizes, instrument type, special requests will be handled during this period. Note: In some countries our products might be subjected to import custom taxes. Please be aware, that we do not cover such expenses and you will be subjected to some additional costs, when buying our products from: USA, Japan, Switzerland, Russia and South Korea. Risks and Challenges Creating a new technology for string instruments, which are produced today in the same fashion as in the 18th century, was indeed a great challenge. We believe that innovation is crucial also for such a traditional instrument, in order to really value their timeless quality. - We are working hand in hand with our manufacturers for over 2 years to improve our technology and test it further. - We are improving the production and preparing for serial production. - We are testing the initial mechanical parts of the new housing system straight from the factory. - We’ve tested multiple designs, optimizing for international certifications and long-term quality. - Our firmware and software development are well underway, which means the prototypes you see in the videos are actually making music!  

*Home To Home™ is a program of Panhandle Animal Shelter which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization - your pledge to this campaign may be tax-deductible. Home To Home™ is making the difference in the lives of pets and the people who love them. Watch this video to see a story about a special dog who is living happily ever after because of Home To Home™ and Dr. Marty Becker, "America's Veterinarian", author and founder of Fear Free Pets who endorses the program. Home To Home™ is a non-profit pet rehoming program that saves pets' lives by partnering with animal shelters to keep animals in loving homes, before ever having to enter the animal shelter system. Everyday, people are faced with difficult decisions. Sometimes, this means having to find a new home for their pet. If you’ve ever been in that situation, it can be hard to know where to turn. Can you take your animal to a shelter? Yes. Is there a better way? Also, yes. Animal shelters are run by wonderful people who love animals. Unbeknownst to many, overcrowding in animal shelters is an issue that many shelters face. Because of this, animals can - and are - euthanized for space. Home To Home™ wants to help change that. What we need, and why we’re asking for your help We need 150K for our first round of funding. This will cover: A complete website rebuild. As Home To Home™ grows and scales, we need to be able to meet our growing needs and our current platform is not equipped to keep pace with this growth. Your contribution could result in saving thousands of pets lives by allowing us to upgrade our platform, which will allow us to be in more shelters nationwide. Home To Home™ serves people and pets in the following ways: Benefits your local shelter Allows your local shelter to offer Home To Home™ as an alternative to surrendering their pet to the shelter. This allows for more space for other animals that have no other option: strays, emergencies, protective custody, etc. Benefits the animal Animal shelters exist for a reason, and their need in our community is important. As nice as animal welfare personnel strive to make the animals’ experience as positive as possible, it still causes stress and anxiety for the animal. By bypassing the shelter, they never have to experience this stress of entering the shelter system. Benefits the current owner When life circumstances happen and people realize the best place for their pet is no longer with them, it can be devastating. Taking your animal to a shelter is not only stressful for the pet, it’s equally stressful for the family! When current owners rehome their pet via Home To Home™, THEY get to choose the next home for their pet, which is a very comforting feeling for the current pet owner. They know their pet better than anyone, so they are really the best source to pick their pet’s next home/family. Benefits the future adopter The future adopter gets to meet the current owner first hand, ask any questions they may have, learn about behavior and medical history, do a meet and greet with their existing pets, etc. This doesn’t always happen when adopting directly from a shelter. Let’s be the change. Let’s support current owners in their rehoming efforts, not shame them for having to rehome their pet. Let’s spare the shelter so that resources and space can be used for animals that don’t have any other option. When you use and adopt via Home To Home™, you are helping your local animal shelter, your community - and your current or future pet! How does it work? An animal shelter joins the Home To Home™ program, receives training, creates their customized Home To Home™ website, and promotes the program. When a pet owner contacts the shelter needing to rehome their pet, the shelter offers Home To Home™ as a solution. The pet owner creates a pet profile and the shelter or rescue promotes the pet on Home To Home™ which is integrated with the organization’s Facebook page. When a potential adopter is interested in the pet, they communicate directly with the pet owner. The pet owner screens the potential adopter and decides if they are a good fit to adopt their pet. When the pet owner chooses an adopter, the pet goes from one home to the other, without ever entering a shelter. What makes Home To Home™ different than other rehoming programs? No adoption fees are ever exchanged. Shelters partner with their communities to rehome pets. Pets are promoted across broad networks, instead of just within a pet owners’ network. Home To Home™ looks at rehoming differently. It was started by a shelter, for shelters. We understand the challenges that shelters face, and the challenges that owners face when making the decision that the best life for their pet is no longer with them. Home to Home™ is managed and operated at each individual shelter. This provides the best results for both their community and pets. Shelters are the trusted resource in their community, they can provide services and advice to help keep pets in homes or provide a better transition into a new home. Plus, people in the community who are interested in adopting are already looking at the shelter for potential pets so pets on Home To Home™ have a greater chance of being seen and adopted. We exist to Help pets and the people who love them. Keep pets out of shelters and in loving homes, so that shelters can apply resources to other animals in their care that have no other option. We do this by Partnering with shelters to add Home To Home™ to their programs that are focused on supporting their community and keeping pets in homes and outside the shelter. This allows Home To Home™ to be operated at a local level which increases engagement at a community level (vs. a national blanketed website). Focusing on solutions, not fear, judgment or worst-possible outcomes. Why this matters We have almost four years of data and experience to demonstrate this approach works. We want to share it with the world (starting in the United States). Home To Home™ was founded by Panhandle Animal Shelter (PAS), an animal shelter located in Sandpoint, Idaho. PAS serves over 8,000 animals each year through its shelter operations and programs aimed at keeping pets in their homes where they belong. In 2015, PAS experienced a big increase in the number of people surrendering their pets to the shelter. They wanted to seek a better solution for owners and their pets. PAS started Home To Home™ as a pilot program with the goal of helping people rehome their pets instead of turning them into the shelter. “We knew our social media platforms reached a lot of people so we decided to create a website where pet owners could post their pets when they needed to rehome them. We wanted to truly support pet owners so we made sure the website integrated with our organizations Facebook page so we could promote the pets to all of our followers,” said Mandy Evans, Executive Director of PAS. “Immediately after launching the pilot, we experienced fewer people surrendering their pets to the shelter and more people trying out the program. Honestly, our community LOVED IT. People who had to rehome liked talking to new potential families and the new adopters enjoyed having the opportunity to hear all about the pets before accepting them into their homes. Plus, the shelter experienced a 31% decrease in owner surrenders!, “said Evans. With such promising outcomes, PAS wanted other shelters to know about the program. Today, 17 shelters in 13 states are using the program, and all are experiencing positive results. But, this is just the beginning of what is possible. Using current adoption and euthanasia data its projected that if all shelters in the United States used Home To Home™, we would experience a significant reduction in the euthanasia of healthy or treatable dogs or cats in shelters. Panhandle Animal Shelter GuideStar profile: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/94-3071245 Executive Director Mandy Evans' LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandy-evans-84984632/ Rewards Below are the designs for the sticker, tote bag, and t-shirt, and pet ID tags: Sticker T-Shirt Front   T-Shirt Back Canvas Tote Bag Pet ID tag Risks and Challenges For Shelter Sponsors, we will do everything we can to apply your funds to an animal shelter of your choice. We cannot guarantee the animal shelter you choose will want to join Home To Home™. In that event, we will apply your funds to a different shelter that wishes to become a member. We also cannot guarantee how quickly the animal shelter on-boarding process will take.