Magic: Get Inspired By This Short Video Featuring Franco Pascali

Last week, this inspiring video featuring 19 years-old LA magician Franco Pascali (@francopascali), was selected as Vimeo Staff Pick. The well-produced video showcases Franco's incredible handling of a deck of playing cards and what drives him as a young magician. Here's what director Jacob Rosenberg has to say in the video description,

... magic and cardistry are intensely personal and individually orientated in terms of the endless practice that is required to master them. Tricks are performed with decks and each person embodies a style that is distinctly their own. That style is reflective of the influences they devoured when they were coming up and their intrinsic sensibility that they develop as they mature. As I spent time with Franco I immediately wanted to point my camera at him to capture the way he dressed, the way he talked, the breathtaking way he moved cards and the feeling I had in encountering such raw talent. 

Check it out...!

 

Deck featured on video: Monarch Playing Cards by Theory11.

Deck View: Black Tiger (Legacy Edition) Playing Cards

Bold. Dark. Legacy.

A truly bold deck redesigned from the ground up by Ellusionist as a celebration of the incredible talent, creativity and accomplishments the company has done in the custom playing cards arena.

The Black Tiger Legacy deck comes in completely black playing cards with eye-catching red and white pips! The tuck box has been updated and prominently showcases the iconic tiger on the front. The tuck is adorned with black foil and sealed with a custom seal.

Check out the Legacy Box Set on JP Playing Cards.

News: The Original LUXX is Back! JP GAMES Releases LUXX Redux Red Playing Cards

The original LUXX is back! JP GAMES has just released the LUXX Redux Red, designed by Randy Butterfield, featuring a stunning tuck, all new design, and an improved back design. Gorgeous!

According to founder, Paul Middleton,

The original LUXX holds a very special place for us here at JP GAMES. The birth of our own brand of premium playing cards back in 2014 was a resounding success and the brand went on to thrive with multiple releases over the coming years. Now, Randy Butterfield is back with a rework of our beloved original.

For the packaging JP GAMES kept the best of the original tuck: Thick black matte stock, gorgeous foiling and superior detail. Using the same style box as for the Palme decks, Randy has refreshed the wrap around design to suit the new housing.

Redux Red features a set of two jokers, and an all new design. The back design has been subtly tweaked and improved to show off the now instantly recognizable artwork.

Available now from JP GAMES. There will be options to pick up a brick; include one of each of the other colors - silver, gold, orange and blue and a set of 5 (1 of each - redux red, orange, blue, silver and gold).

Cardistry: Find Your Style with Classic Dots Playing Cards by Usagi Creative Studios

Cardistry is one of the fastest growing art-from within magic and the community is a collective of like-minded individuals, who strive to find their own distinctive style to express themselves within the community. This is obvious with the popularity of decks created specifically for cardistry, such as the Virts, Fontaines and Dealersgrip.

Usagi Creative Studios (@usagicreativestudios) headed by Julian Stiber aims to change the game by creating a platform that enables cardists and card enthusiasts to channel their creativity into a deck of playing cards that is truly unique and tailored to their style.

I came up with the idea of making the cusomter choose the colours they want, before the deck is made, essentially creating an "on-demand" card shop with my design as the base canvas for everyone to use.

With that concept in mind, the "Classic Dots" is the first release from Usagi Creative Studios. According to Julian,

The main concept behind Usagi Creative Studios is that I wanted to provide a way for cardists to get a deck of playing cards that is more personal than just a regular or even a limited release.

From the color of the deck to the trim, dots and banner of the back design, everything is customizable and the various color combination can be used.

Also, the face cards are custom designed by Usagi Creative Studios and the color of the courts ARE customizable as well. 

headphones in Our boxes are black and white, with a window in the back to see the colours of the deck.

A post shared by Usagi Creative Studios (@usagicreativestudios) on Jul 25, 2017 at 4:34pm PDT

This is an interesting concept and first of its kind. It really is exciting to see where the brand could go in the future! On the future, Julian said,

I'm already thinking of ways to further expand the possibilities of customization in the future, so that's really the core of the brand. Also it was important to me, that the deck is accessibly, both in price and in quantity.

The custom deck will cost 25€ and will be digitally printed on-demand by Cartamundi, hence the best quality will be ensured. Available from 28th July, 4PM (UTC+2) from Usagi Creative Studios.

First Look: Burger Playing Cards by Flaminko Playing Cards

Launching on Kickstarter August 8, the Burger Playing Cards are designed by Australia-based Flaminko Playing Cards (FPC). The inspiration behind the Burger Playing Cards, designer Nick Zeitoun has always loved burgers,

Not just as a balanced nutritional meal but also as a design. It is great fun to draw and design different types of burgers! The iconic presence and bright colors mean with burger design everyone can recognize and enjoy it.

Nick decided to go with a Burger theme for FPC's first deck of playing cards, for a duality of reasons,

Firstly the design was fun, secondly, we want to bring playing cards to a wider audience. We think everyone should own a high quality and custom deck of playing cards. Kickstarter has been an amazing source of incredible playing card designs. Despite this influx of so many new designs, it is mainly avid magicians, cardists and collectors who might actively look for these decks.

In using burgers Nick is trying to craft an entry level deck,

Hopefully creating a small bridge where more people, after being pulled in by the design, would ultimately then really come to appreciate the quality of the cards and other playing cards!

This fun and dynamic deck feature an entirely custom made burger decal with unique faces and jokers. This deck will be housed in an embossed, matte, full-colour tuck box.

The deck will be housed in an embossed matte full-color tuck box and will be printed by Cartamundi on their 310gsm black core stock with B9 Superluxe finish.

News: 5 things you should know about SANCTUS Playing Cards by Lotrek

We just got word that Lotrek will be releasing a new deck of playing cards tomorrow (Wednesday, 26 July 2017). The deck is called SANCTUS, which was being developed in secret for the past four months. Here are 5 things you need to know about Lotrek's new deck.

[Updated] Sanctus Playing Cards are NOW available for pre-order!

1. The fact that nobody is expecting this deck, gave Lotrek great freedom to experiment and try new things. "In SANCTUS, I used new techniques based on the LITURGY Treasure courts. I explored the use of white opaque ink and foil on both the back and faces. I wanted to create a full bleed back deck that is simple, subtle and at the same time luxurious. I decided to play with two different shades of gold foil for the back design against a metallic bronze stock."

2. Byzantine religious art is perfect for SANCTUS, as artists of the time made extensive use of gold. As such, SANCTUS courts are similar to LITURGY Treasure courts with a few changes in the use of white ink. The ace of Spades, jokers and figure cards are different, making the deck clearly distinct!

3. Creating the SANCTUS tuck case was challenging. Due to the fact that Lotrek wanted it to summarize the spirit of the deck which is 'quiet luxury'. "After rejected many designs, I ended up with a tuck that is very detailed and at the same time, plain. I'm using a combination of matte and shiny gold foils as a background, with black foil for the letters. These are the only elements of the tuck."

4. Improved handling. "Although such decks are not meant for playing or cardistry, I tried to improve the handling and I came up with an improved formula. Coating is always a work in progress as especially with foiled decks it is very difficult and challenging because each stock reacts differently to a given varnish."

5. Only 350 hand numbered copies of SANCTUS will be produced. Of which, 300 will be sold through Lotrek's website on Wednesday 26 July 2017 at 12:00 noon EDT. Shipment will begin on Friday 28 July.

[Updated] Sanctus Playing Cards are NOW available for pre-order!

Deck View: Pantheon Playing Cards

Stunning. Mythology. Gold.

Pantheon Playing Cards by Thirdway Industries is an individual deck featuring greek mythology focused on the Olympian Gods. Fully custom, from the Aces, Pips, Tuck Box and the card backs, which features the 6-pointed impossible star that is the main symbol of Pantheon. Also, the gold foil card backs are STUNNING! The Pantheon tuck is embossed, double foil on the exterior and red foil interior on premium soft touch dark blue paper. Meticulously printed from Expert Playing Card Co with Classic Finish.

For more cool decks, check out Thirdway Industries online shop.

Cardistry: Carrot Fontaines Released, Sold out in 79 Minutes!

On Wednesday, 18th July, Fontaine cards released its orange-colored deck at 7pm PT for $22. 'Carrots by Anwar Carrots edition Fontaine is a collaboration with Anwar carrots (@carrotsbyanwarcarrots).

Just after 8pm PT Wednesday, the deck is all but sold out! To ensure his fans have a fair chance of picking up a deck, Fontaine Cards founder Zach Mueller limited all orders to a maximum of 3 bricks.

SOLD OUT in 79 minutes... limited to 3 bricks per order, gone 1 min faster than sleights 👀

A post shared by @fontainecards on Jul 19, 2017 at 7:04pm PDT

This is the third release by Fontaine Cards this year, selling out the Green Edition and the Sleight Edition, a collaboration with Sleight movie.

When news broke earlier in July that the Carrot Fontaines will be released in-store at @roundtwohollywood, fans queue up around the block and quickly snapped up the decks.

Shouts to all who lined up for the in-store drop at @roundtwohollywood ❤ Thanks to @adam.shrp for the edit

A post shared by @fontainecards on Jul 17, 2017 at 12:47pm PDT

News: Dan and Dave's Camp Cards Are Back With All New Colorway

The second release by Dan and Dave last week, the Camp Cards are designed for those who venture onward and live adventurously. Illustrated by Christian Watson 1924US in collaboration with adventure brand, Bradley Mountain.

The latest edition of the popular Camp Cards feature a new green colorway and updated back design. Also, the deck has been further enhanced with a burnt-orange color tone to the face cards to make identifying the suits easier.

Each deck features a custom designed woodland court-cards amidst hand-lettered spot cards, each laid against an ivory background. The cards are encased in a beautiful letterpress-printed box by Clove St. Press that features a map of Yosemite Valley on the inside.

Precisely printed by the U.S. Playing Card Co. and available now from Dan and Dave for $12.


Images from dananddave.com

Card Gear: antnO

Card Gear is our monthly feature dedicated to discovering new inventory, setup, and accessories used every day by card designers, cardists, magicians and collectors. The concept originated from the popular social media site, Instagram: #passthepockets. Whenever one of these hashtags come up on the social news feed, there's always something new to discover, no matter who that person is.

From Málaga, south of Spain, Antonio's account is one of the most creative and visually inspiring playing cards-related accounts we follow on Instagram (@antnO). antnO is a team member at Art of Play and is responsible for taking photos and playing a big part in creating contents that Art of Play publish. When not working on anything card-related, antnO is a freelance who works for an advertising agency, specialized in graphic design and motion graphics.

Here's what you can find if open antnO's bag (Italics are antnO's comments):
+ Notebook & pencil (You don't know when or where you can have a good idea)
+ iPhone 6s (This is my work tool. All my pics have been taken with it)
+ Deck of cards (I have always one in my pocket. Cardistry Con is perfect for this July)
+ Wallet (You don't know when you have to bribe someone)
+ Headphones (I don't imagine the world without music)
+ Phone case with Extra battery (Due to I work a lot with my phone I need it protected and full of battery)
+ Games or puzzles (perfect for entertain yourself when you're waiting in a queue or a traffic jam)
+ Sunglasses
+ Car keys
+ Brick of playing cards (Have a brick of different cards that allow you have always the perfect deck for taking a picture)
+ MacBook Pro (Perfect tool for design and make my animations)


Don't forget to subscribe to antnO's Instagram. If you would like your card gears to be featured on Kardify, contact us.

News: Drifters Playing Cards From Dan and Dave Available Now!

One of two releases from Dan and Dave last week, the Drifters Playing Cards is a gorgeous deck designed by Curtis Jenkins, illustrator of Monarchs playing cards.

Born from the wilderness, a sense of adventure and the wonders of the unknown, the Drifters Playing Cards showcase the majestic beauty of the great outdoors.

The deck features fully custom courts, jokers, beautifully illustrated aces, and gorgeous back with incredible line work. Every shuffle and cut of the cards is a reminder to never settle, to chase a life of freedom.

The cards are housed in an eye-catching custom letter-pressed tuck case featuring intricate detail and incredible line work. Printed to the highest possible standards by the U.S. Playing Card Company. Available now from dananddave.com for a reasonable $12.

Images from @bucktwins Instagram Stories.

News: FREE Second Issue of Kardify Magazine Now Available!

We just released the second FREE issue of Kardify Magazine. We will be moving to a subscription-based model on Patreon from Issue 3 onwards. If you find value in this monthly magazine, please head over to Patreon and help support us.

With the funds, we would like to be able to support the site, keep it running and growing, with new quality content, features and deck reviews each month. Also, support designers by backing crowd-funded projects and magic & playing cards retailers with new releases.

We aim to help you stay on top of playing card news. The monthly magazine will be a compilation of selected articles we’ve published. If you have an idea for an article you would like us to pursue, do get in contact with us. We hope you enjoy the read.

In this issue:

+ Lance T. Miller: 5 things you didn't know about Lance's Fox Targets Playing Cards.

+ Sybil Deck of the Year: Find out who won the annual Sybil Deck of the Year was announced in Los Angeles.

+ Kings Wild: Busy month for Kings Wild. Legal Tender shipped and new project, Intaglio Playing Cards now funding on Kickstarter.

+ Cardistry-Con: Images from the biggest cardistry ever held in Los Angeles, July 7th-9th.

+ The Burger Playing Cards: First look at Australian designer Nick Zaitoun's new fun and dynamic deck.

… and more! 30 pages of articles, deck images and more!

Deck View: Animal Kingdom Playing Cards

Wild. Nature. Animals.

Produced by Theory11 and illustrated by Hatch Design, the Animal Kingdom Playing Cards is a collaboration with World Wildlife Fund to bring a special edition deck of cards. Animal Kingdom Playing Cards feature hand-illustrated fully custom artwork - from Ace of Spades, Jokers to the court cards were designed by hand from scratch.

Available now from JP Playing Cards.

Cardistry: All the NEW Cardistry Decks Spotted in Cardistry-Con 2017

Another Cardistry-Con has come and gone, and this year's event was the biggest global cardistry event in history. Attendance grew by 100% compared to the previous year in Berlin. A strong crowd of more than 300 cardists attended cardistry-con in downtown Los Angeles within the Arts District at The Springs. In addition, new cardistry decks were introduced over the Con weekend. Here's what caught our attention (Image above from @cardisfornia_apparel):

CMYK Souvenir Deck by Cartamundi

Only 200 were produced specifically for attendees of Cardistry-Con.

If you are at Cardistry Con and you heard the announcment be sure to be one of the first in at the venue tomorrow and pick up your free deck!! #cartamundi #cardistrycon #CMYK #playingcards #cardistry #poker #custom #smallbatch #whoshuffleslikethat #comeandgetit! #webringgifts

A post shared by CartamundiCards (@cartamundicards) on Jul 7, 2017 at 12:34pm PDT

Waist Playing Cards

A unique deck of cards with new form and design.

)( Waist playing cards😀 a new concept and design 😥 By:@faro13 Cardist: @sn.bloksy Patent pending #cardistry #cardistrylab #cardist #cards #cardistrylife #cardistryporn #flourishes #cardsflourishes #bestcardistalive #cardistrycon @cardistrylab @enjoythemagic

A post shared by ✨FARO✨ (@faro13) on Jul 2, 2017 at 1:05pm PDT

Carrots by Anwar Carrots edition Fontaines 

Probably one of the most sought-after deck outside Cardistry-Con. Founder Zach Mueller will have these available for sale next week. Even at a higher price, we expect these to go fast!

Cards and Juice. #cards #cardporn #cardistry #cardistrycon

A post shared by Chris Kenner (@chriskenner) on Jul 7, 2017 at 4:27pm PDT

Pineapple Playing Cards

From Hanson Chien Production Co. these limited edition decks are a fun take on the popular Bee Playing Cards, only 150 decks of each color (Violet, Maroon or Brown) were produced.

Pineapple playing cards, 2017 CCC limited edition, which color you got? 🍍 #pineappleplayingcards #hansonchienproductionco #printedintaiwan #bestcardistalive #artofplay #cardporn #cardistrycon #cardistrycon2017

A post shared by Hanson Chien Production (簡子製造) (@hansonchienproduction) on Jul 8, 2017 at 4:14am PDT

Hype Playing Cards

Michael Stern's fun take on hype decks. Volume 1 is a mash-up of Cardistry-Con 2016, DealersGrip's STRIPE, Fontaine and the Virts SS16 decks.

Only about 800 decks left. It's been a hour. You guys are incredible. Xoxoxo -My Turn

A post shared by Hype Playing Cards (@hypeplayingcards) on Jul 7, 2017 at 1:27pm PDT

Technique Playing Cards

Conceptualized by cardist Chris Severson, Technique Playing Cards is a tool to help cardists create modern Cardistry movements and concepts. 

Technique. Pick a color. Start Creating. A band of rotating colors forcing you into new movements and creations. Every time you break off a packet and new back design is revealed giving you endless options for contacting new points of color. Just pick a color and see what you create. Available for pre order in 2 weeks! #techniqueplayingcards

A post shared by Technique Playing Cards (@techniqueplayingcards) on Jul 7, 2017 at 2:23pm PDT

News: Ellusionist Releases the Red Edition of Knights Playing Cards

The Knights Playing Cards by Daniel Madison and Chris Ramsay are one of our favorite deck from Ellusionist. With artwork by the creative Oban Jones, the deck oozes sophistication with its simplistic, elegant and stylish design.

Ellusionist has just released an all-new colorway of the Knights that you will want to get your hands on. Draped in striking eye-catching red, the Red Knight tuck case features a stunning gold foil exterior and interior print.

The card backs, Ace of Spades and Jokers have all been updated with a touch of red.

Printed by the United States Playing Card Co. A crushed stock, coupled with a smooth finish and traditional cut, make this deck feel as good as it looks.

Card Radar: Cadenza Playing Cards by NKW Playing Cards

Six months in the making, Cadenza is a deck designed by Hong Kong magician NKW with the working magicians in mind. The deck features a classic, timeless floral back design.

Hidden in the vintage floral back design are several powerful features that allow you to perform miracles. Cadenza comes with 3 different marking systems, each with its own features and functions.

The deck comes in two colors: blue and red, giving it a vintage feel to the deck. The ace of spades and jokers are custom. The tuck that houses the cards is elegant and printed on durable synthetic paper, which is waterproof and tear proof.

Printed by Legends Playing Card Co. on diamond finish, the deck comes in Mnemonica order out of the box. Also when you purchase the deck, you gain access to the e-book that explains all the marking systems, the gaff cards and the tricks you can do with it, for free.

Available now from Legends Playing Card Co. for $20.

Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Jannieke van Geet of Diamon Playing Cards

Currently funding on Kickstarter, the eye-catching Diamon Playing Cards by Artedame Dutch Design Studio features diamond patterns with shades from lime to forest green and cyan to night blue. The diamonds are assembled with mathematical precision to create a harmonious composition.

Fully customs, the traditional courts and pips have been updated to harmonize the theme and pattern with complementary color palette. The theme is translated beautifully and functions incredibly well, making flourishes, fans and shuffles look great!

We managed to catch-up with Jannieke van Geet, founder of Artedame Dutch Design Studio to chat about the inspiration behind Diamon Playing Cards and the design evolution of the deck.

For those of us who don’t know, tell us a little about Artedame Dutch Design Studio?
Our Design Studio has existed for more than 15 years. Arte: stands for 'art' and da me: stands for 'from me'. (So roughly translated: "the art that stands close to me.") Art of mine created for you. The designers who we work with are creative and view each project as a work of art. We share the common passion for creating and are only satisfied when the customer is.

What do you guys love most about being a designer? And what are some favorite projects you’ve worked on?
As a designer, you find art in everything and you aim to make things look good. Creating is a journey from the beginning to the end; the designer plays with shapes and colors until they achieve satisfaction. Sometimes it is difficult to be obliged to complete a task. Working on an assignment limits the free spirit and hand of the designer. That's why the Diamon Cards project is definitely one of our favorites, as it was realized without any imposed boundaries.

Can you describe the Diamon Playing Cards? and why you guys are passionate about it?
Nowadays there is a trend of minimalistic card designs. As a team, we wanted be artistic without giving up a deck's main purpose. The recurring diamonds in our cards are assembled with mathematical precision. When experimenting with compositions and hues, we were left with an infinite amount of unique patterns. That is what we aimed for and it greatly compliments our passion for endless creation.

Talk to us a bit about going from the first draft to the final version. How did you get to this finished product?
For the first Diamon Cards deck, three designs have been created. These were extensively tested and improved several times. Eventually, the choice for the back has fallen on design N°2. In collaboration with various cardists and magicians, the design has come to an end product. A design that perfectly fits the summer season with its bright green and blue colors.

What was your most brilliant breakthrough when designing the deck?
An important breakthrough with the creation of No. 2 was choosing the two complementary colors; lime and night blue. The shades immediately gave the card that wonderful summer feeling. The enthusiasm grew further and we decided to go for a 100% custom deck. The pips and the court cards fully match the overall design. In addition, the subtle blue arrows on both sides of the deck make the cards stand out in fans and table spreads.

What’s next? Can we expect more deck designs in the future?
First, we hope that collectors, magicians and cardists will be as enthusiastic as we are and we will reach our Kickstarter goal! But yes, we would love to continue with this Diamon pattern, as mentioned before, the are endless possibilities to create unique playing cards.

Finally, what are your favorite playing cards?
Our favorite playing cards are obviously our own! We shaped it entirely to our own preferences and we love the outcome. But we are sure that the next deck we create will be even more beautiful.

Thank you for your time and all the best! If you like what you've read here and want to support Diamon Playing Cards, you can find it on Kickstarter Here! 



Pledge starts from €10 (~USD$11.5), Diamon Playing Cards will be printed by the United States Playing Card Company with Air-Cushion finish on Bicycle or Tally-Ho grade stock.