For the month of April, the artist of the month is Apple, who is based in Hong Kong. It's not too far away from Singapore, so shipping is relatively reasonable being under S$10. Her keycap creations range from an average of S$15 to S$80+, which when compared to the other options out there it was one of the pull factors for me (beside the beautiful design of course). 😆 

[Keycap Series: Featuring Artists of the Month] 

[Beginner's Guide to Artisan Keycaps: Everything You Need to Know]

In addition to sculpting intricately cute keycaps, Apple also does charms and accessories. I first came across her works on Instagram and went to check it out. Miffy and a Totoro inspired keycap got my attention and I just had to get them as a birthday present for myself.

They are my very first artisan clay keycaps and delivery was faster than expected. They even came with a cute card and 2 adorable stickers. Packaging was solid: the keycaps came in good condition and were protected with sufficient padding. They even had their little case for further protection to make their way from Hong Kong to Singapore.   

Ever since the GST (goods service tax) increased to 9% this year in Singapore, and that all goods will be charged GST... it just gets too complicated for me. It used to be for only items over the value of S$400 having to get charged GST, but now with the new rule, even items below that amount will be charged (supposedly). I don't want to have to pay extra just to get my items from Customs or go through the trouble of having to do so. Hence, platforms which already include GST, such as Amazon, Shopee, Lazada, Qoo10 and now Etsy are a blessing in that aspect as a buyer. 

The platform I chose to get them this time was on Etsy. It was relatively easy to log in, there are a couple of options to choose from signing up brand new or using an existing Google, Apple or Facebook Account. Apple has her own online website shop as well, but I choose to get them via Etsy simply because the tax was already accounted for (on the platform).

The ordering experience was pretty straight forward and simple enough: pick what you like, add to cart and check out. Payment was via Paypal. 

Apple was really responsive and updated once the keycaps were shipped out. It was a fantastic experience. 👍

Update: I succumbed to her recent April shopdrop. 🙈 The sleepy Eevee was too adorable, that my hand had a life of it's own and I bought it! 

This time I tried purchasing it from her online shop instead of Etsy (since it was only available there at the time). It was easy (too easy 💸💸💸) to purchase: no log-in was required, just add what you want to cart and check out. The only downside is that there was no estimated period mentioned on when the item would be sent out in the confirmation email. It would be nice to have that mentioned in the confirmation email. But a quick check on the FAQ section mentions that orders usually are shipped out within 7-10 working days, then about 11-14 business days for international shipping.

In the checkout page, input the address and contact number, then choose the mode of payment - Paypal, Credit card or Apple Pay etc.. I chose PayPal and before I could blink, it was checked out. 🙈 It took about 4 working days for the order to be processed with an email to inform that it is on its way! 😍

Once I get the little cutie, I would be writing about the experience from purchasing from the online shop vs Etsy. So do stay tuned for that! 

Artist Info

• Style: 🧚 Whimsical / Nature-Inspired / Gaming / Anime / Food 🍲
• Pricing (per keycap): an average of S$15 to S$80+ (US$11 to US$60+)
• Shipping to Singapore: less than $10 (US$8)
• Shipping Internationally: depends on your location but should be reasonable
• Wait Time: Orders usually are shipped out within 7-10 working days, then about 11-14 business days for international shipping. My order via Etsy took  a total of 12 days (9 working days) to get processed and reach Singapore (it actually just took 6 working days to arrive from Hong Kong) which is quite good. 
• Material: Polymer clay and protected with UV resin
• Location: Hong Kong 

💗 Loves

Social Media / Shop:

• Esty Shop
• Online Shop
• Instagram
• Youtube
• PinInterest
• Reddit

Have you gotten any keycaps from wildapplestudio? If the answer is yes, let me  know in the comments below what you loved and what did you get! 

[Keycap Series: Featuring Artists of the Month] 

[Beginner's Guide to Artisan Keycaps: Everything You Need to Know]

Enjoying art and fun shouldn't come with a hefty price tag; it can be both high-quality and affordable.

Welcome to this monthly new series where I will be spotlighting talented keycap artists whose work I have come across and purchased from them as I love their designs. With reasonable pricing and shipping options that have proven worthwhile to me, here I am sharing them with you. Whether you're in search of intricacy, uniqueness, or affordability in artisan keycaps, I hope you find inspiration and the opportunity to support these creators.

Getting into the hobby and into the rabbit hole of artisan keycaps can be a bit overwhelming for the pocket as one artisan keycap can cost as much as a whole set, with some costing more than S$80 (not including shipping fees yet). And let's not get started on shipping... If you are in Singapore or South East Asia, sometimes shipping from overseas sellers are more than S$20-40+!😵

[Beginner's Guide to Artisan Keycaps: Everything You Need to Know]

Hopefully this list helps you as it did me (especially if you are from South East Asia) and support the lovely artists who are doing a wonderful job, and making it a little bit more easier for you and your wallet in personalizing your mechanical keyboard!