Watch: Apothecary 2 Playing Cards by Alex Chin on Kardify Spotlight

We've partnered up with @thegentlemanwake on a series of 'spotlight' videos to give you the rundown on some of the latest and unique decks of playing cards around. We aim to publish the 1-minute spotlight video weekly on social media (Facebook: Kardify) and in addition, a link to @thegentlemanwake's full video if you want to have a more comprehensive look at a particular deck.

On this week's spotlight, we look at the Apothecary 2 playing cards meticulously designed by Alex Chin of Seasons Playing Cards. Both Verana Virtues, and Seronda Sentiment playing cards are based on the idea of capturing these invisible concepts like a feeling, or an idea, and then transforming them into very real items. Find out more in the video below and learn how you can win a copy of the deck. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE (YouTube: TheGentlemanWake)!

Deal of the Week: 50% off EVERYTHING Madison at Ellusionist

Our friends at Ellusionist is having a HUGE Madison Sale Event! Up to 50% off EVERYTHING Madison including accessories, downloads, and playing cards (Gold Revolver, Knights, Hellions, Pink Rounders, Confessions and more!). Sale ends 3rd July 2018.

Discover more deals, coupon codes and offer on tuckcase.com

First Look at Dinastia Playing Cards

[Update] Dinastia Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter!

If you are like us and have been glued to the TV watching the World Cup, this deck will pique your interest. Launching on Kickstarter today, Dinastia Playing Cards celebrates football (soccer) legends from past and present. The deck by Guzo Borboa and produced by our friends at Enigmacard has been crafted for the collectors and fans of the beautiful game. On the inspiration, Guzo explained,

I grew up during the World Cup in Mexico 1986. I recall the impressive ad campaigns on television that used the most advanced technology at that time. Dynasty is a deck that represents strength, passion and movement, a tribute to the leaders, the heroes and the legends that inspire us to be better.

Dinastia is fully custom and very well thought out. The court cards and jokers prominently feature legends of the sports. The indices have a special typeface which is the lion symbol of strength, courage, and justice inspired by the classic letters of the football jerseys. The aces evoke shields of clubs that fans will be familiar with and the tuck box represents the football field. On the design process, Guzo said,

I drew the main figure with ink, then brought it to life with color pencil and watercolor. I added some artistic effects to finally finish coloring digitally. 

The sleek mirrored card backs are characterized by the protagonist of the sport- the ball and the emblem. The stars around the emblem represent the number of World Cups held to-date. The solid lines on baroque patterns are an allegory to the aesthetics of the uniforms of the game from the oldest to the modern jerseys.

[Update] Dinastia Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter!

Dinastía will launch on Kickstarter today and will be printed by Cartamundi on the popular true linen B9 finish. The is limited to only 2000 decks. Early birds will start at USD$8.60 per deck. Also, posters and the original artwork of the deck will be available as a reward tier.

52Kards' MINT 2 Will Launch With Two Fresh New Flavors

MINT Playing Cards are back with a new enhanced design and fresh new flavors! In 2016, the team at 52Kards released the Launch Edition MINTs on Kickstarter and it was extremely popular! The project raised over $119k and made the Top12 most funded playing cards project list. The decks have been completely sold out for over a year.

On the second edition, Asad told Kardify,

Fans of the cards have been messaging every day asking when they will be available again. After months of development and planning, 52Kards is proud to present... MINT 2. With your support, we can bring back a new and improved MINT with fresh new flavors!

Two new flavors will be made available during the campaign, the Standard Edition Blueberry MINT, and the Limited Edition Frost Mint. Both decks feature a refined (Crushed Casino Grade Bee Stock) card stock for optimal handling, MAJOR improvements to the MINT marking system and slight enhancement to the back design pattern for a cleaner look.

The Limited Edition Frost Mint sports a beautiful borderless design printed with metallic inks. The tuck box design will remain a surprise for now, but trust that it will be stunning. The Limited Edition deck will be a Kickstarter exclusive and will not be sold after the campaign is over!

During the campaign, you will be able to add the deck as an add-on for $20 each, with a maximum of 12 Limited Edition decks per backer. This deck is expected to become a high-value collectible item, just like the original Limited Edition Black MINT.

Launching on Kickstarter July 1st, 2018. Don't miss out!

3 Questions with Marc Ventosa of Stellar Playing Cards

Crafted specifically for cardistry, Stellar Playing Cards is a minimalistic space-themed deck designed by Marc Ventosa recently launched on Kickstarter. The deck will be the first product from Cardinates. The essence behind the Cardinates brand name is coordination, cards, and coordinates. Marc told Kardify,

Graphic Design is actually just a hobby but that hasn't ever been an obstacle, but a challenge. The creation of the brand Cardinates has allowed me interconnecting with other people while collaborating with them.

Marc has always expressed himself through art on simple pieces of paper. We sat down with Marc for a quick Q&A prior to the launch of the Kickstarter project.

What is your inspiration behind the Stellar Playing Cards? How did you come up with the idea? How did you end up collaborating with Hanson Chien Production Co.?
Well, that's a really difficult question to answer. I think you can't hold the word of design in your hand because it's based in a whole process where inspiration acts on each step of the process. Around the visible design, I was influenced by minimalist space posters and artworks from other great artists. Then I thought of making a minimal design based on my space creativity as I always liked that theme.

The first sketch to the final color and design took about eight months. Sometime in between, HCPC comes to action. I've been in touch with Hanson Chien months before starting the project. He liked the design and decided to invest in the project, which I truly appreciated.

We first noticed Stellar Playing Cards on Instagram (@cardinates). What do you think of the cardistry community in terms of the feedback and support that you’ve been getting so far?
The cardistry community has been a great supporter. The same way they deserve quality content, you have to be consistent with the post frequency and also have to be good at tracking new release, I have a good feeling about the likings of the community.

As a creator, I've been always committed to doing my best to connect with my audience and their needs. On the other hand, Instagram is an amazing way to help spread the word and to promote your product for a future Kickstarter release.

Finally, what are your favorite flourish and playing card decks?
There are lots and lots of flourishes so it's hard to decide, even making a top three. I would say Anaconda, Funnel, Squall, and Highway. I love the motions and dynamics of all four flourishes. On playing cards, I feel really inspired by the legendary Absolut Vodka decks. Their elegant but electrifying design makes them stunning. Also, I like the feel of casino-style decks such as Wynn. It's absolutely interesting to see the growth of custom card designs, I truly hope that we will be able to discover new and completely mindblowing concepts; digital art has unimaginable coordinates and paths.

Thank you for your time, Marc and all the best. At the time of writing, Stellar Playing Cards is 70% funded with 29 days to go. Pledge starts at €12 and available now from Kickstarter.

Kickstarter: Purple FORMA Playing Cards by TCC

FORMA is an eye-catching deck of playing cards designed specifically for the cardistry by renowned designer, Ale Urrutia (Behance) and produced by TCC Playing Cards Co. Ale is a designer, creative director, UX design director from Uruguay, specializing in concept creation, branding and website development.

The new Purple Forma Playing Cards are now seeking funds on Kickstarter with 52 hours remaiming. The deck features a purple/red/yellow colorway and made out of basic geometric shapes, designed with real paper shaped objects (circles, triangles, squares, etc...).

The colors of the new version seemed muted compared to the brighter first version. Still eye-catching nonetheless and sure to turn heads when used for card flourishing, making fans, spreads, spins and cascades look really good!

Printed by the United States Playing Card Co. and pledge starts from $5.95 on Kickstarter. Great deal for a quality deck!

Card Flash: Delirium Lost Decks by Thirdway Industries

Currently in fulfillment, the Delirium Lost Decks by Giovanni Meroni of Thirdway Industries is a follow-up to the unique Delirium Prism released in 2014. The fun and dynamic decks prominently feature the adorable Delirium creatures throughout, from the tuck box, Ace of Spades, courts to the card backs and Jokers. Delirium Lost Decks consists of 3 decks: Ascension, Insomnia, and the limited edition Absolute.

The standard editions, Delirium Ascension, and Delirium Insomnia are beautifully designed. Insomnia, in particular, has been designed with cardistry in mind with an eye-catching yellow and violet colorway.

In contrast, Delirium Ascension has a more subdued blue/gold colorway. The Ascension tuck box and cards feature 3 metallic inks- dark blue, light blue and gold. The card back is where this deck really hit home! The borderless card backs with the metallic inks are really eye-catching and will make a statement game nights.

The limited edition, Delirium Absolute was made available exclusively on Kickstarter. The deck has the same cards as Delirium Ascension, but with a different tuck box. The gorgeous tuck box feature embossing, gold holofoil exterior and gold foil interior print. Beautiful!

As usual, the color combinations of Giovanni's work compliment each other really well and are consistent throughout the decks. If you have backed this project, you will love this deck! Delirium will surely add character to your collection!

Available now from thirdway.it. To find out more about anything Thirdway Industries, subscribe to their newsletter or follow them on Facebook.

Kickstarter: Bomb Magic Releases Casino Royale Elite Edition After Hitting Stretch Goal!

Casino Royale: Refined Edition, the latest deck from Bomb Magic currently funding on Kickstarter has just unlocked the Elite Edition after hitting the stretched goal of $6,400! Unlike the colorful multi-diamond back design of the Refined Edition, the Elite Edition is more subtle with its black background. Metallic ink will be used on the back designs, face designs, court cards, jokers and the tuck case. The black cards will be made of 0.31mm Casino Grade Plastic with a matte finish. This specialized material makes for more resilient card edges and means the black ink will never peel off.

With the Elite Edition, Bomb Magic is offering a lifetime membership, which entitles members to a 15% off retail price on products in the official BOMBMAGIC online store, as well as invitations to special collaborations of upcoming products. Less than 24 hours remaining, don't miss out!

Deck View: Moranges (First Edition) Playing Cards

Playful. Fruit. Vintage.

Moranges Playing Cards are designed by Vivek Singhi of Magic Encarta. This playful deck is inspired by vintage casino design and sports a bright orange colorway. The deck features a minimalist mirrored back design blending colors from mangoes and oranges, with recognizable face cards for everyday use. The thin, smooth stock and glossy finish of the Moranges feels very close to the original ABSOLUT decks.

The deck is packaged in a unique tuck box is printed on a velvet paper stock, giving it a textured feel as if you are holding a fruit. However, the tuck seemed to be slightly oversized. Not an issue but just be aware the extra space may cause the tuck to indent depending how you carry the deck.

Moranges are printed by Cartamundi. The thin stock, smooth edges, and glossy finish makes it easy for cardists to practice moves like padiddle, spring spin and packet cuts. Available now from magicencarta.com for $10.

For other cool decks check out JP Games.

Cardistry: Benji Taylor and Franco Pascali Have Teamed Up To Launch ENTRY

Benji Taylor and magician Franco Pascali teamed up and create ENTRY, a brand new playing card company aimed at the modern cardist. On the branding and the new company, Franco told Kardify,

Entry is all about the simplicity. Why do many things poorly when we can do one well. We only sell playing cards and this makes 100% of our focus go towards design and content.

Thier first deck, Entry 01 — ‘Drops’ have certainly gained lots of attention on social media and sold out within an hour of release yesterday.

A year in the making, the design of the deck looks amazing in motion! The eye-catching back design features a fluid and seamless shape in a deep blue, red and green colorway. The court cards are standard but have been recolored to match the color palette of the deck to give it a unified look throughout.

The Ace of Spades featured in Entry 01 combines the best elements of the back design. The result is a design with the perfect amount of detail that doesn’t appear overpowering.

The unique tuck of Entry 01 comes with a custom designed number system that identifies the deck without disturbing the layout or logo placement, allowing for a timeless, infinitely scalable solution to box designs.

We are really excited by the possibilities ENTRY will bring to the industry – suddenly simplicity and clean modern playing card design become possible on a mass scale not just for cardistry.

Deal of the Week: 25% Off New Summer NOCs!

What better way to celebrate Summer than with the Summer NOCs by House of Playing Cards? Alex Pandrea has just released the summer NOCs in 3 new colorway- Orange, Blue, and the limited edition Pink. The NOC series features a minimal design and defined by its simplicity and elegance. The card backs include thin borders and a suit marking system. Printed by the United States Playing Cards Company on Bicycle Premium Stock with Air-Cushion Finish. Get 25% off with coupon code RAMFAM at houseofplayingcards.com.

Discover more deals, coupon codes and offer on tuckcase.com

Watch: Theory11's High Victorian Playing Cards on Kardify Spotlight

We've partnered up with @thegentlemanwake on a series of 'spotlight' videos to give you the rundown on some of the latest and unique decks of playing cards around. We aim to publish the 1-minute spotlight video weekly on social media (Facebook: Kardify) and in addition, a link to @thegentlemanwake's full video if you want to have a more comprehensive look at a particular deck.

This week we have the stunning High Victorian Playing Cards from Theory11 and designed by Joe White. The deck is inspired by the intricate, breathtaking style of the Victorian era and features fully custom artwork with intricate details. Find out more in the video below featuring the Target exclusive Red Edition High Victorian Playing Cards. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE (YouTube: TheGentlemanWake)!

Kickstarter: Clouded Paper Playing Cards by Eliot Slevin

A long time coming, a deck of playing cards created by Elion Slevin, is currently seeking funds on Kickstarter. Eliot is a New Zealand-based cardist well known for the viral cardistry video, "Run Rabbit" and was the inaugural International Cardsitry Open champion.

The deck, Clouded Paper is a rather unusual deck of cards -  no two backs are the same. Every card is unique, yet tied together as a deck with a marbled paper aesthetic. On creating his own custom deck, Eliot told Kardify,

I never wanted to make a standard deck of cards. After lots of experimentation and inspiration, I really started to love the idea of a deck with unique backs. However, all the cards have to 'feel' as if they're from one deck - there needs to be a central theme. I realized texture could provide this - allowing a uniform aesthetic with variations and imperfections between the cards.

With such strong variation coming from the backs, Eliot felt the faces needed to be neutral and expected to balance the deck. With that, the face cards are standard American, with a few surprises. The deck is packaged in a neutral, minimal design tuck box.

Clouded Paper Playing Cards will be printed by the USPCC and pledge will start at $15 on Kickstarter.

Cardistry: Watch the Exclusive Launch Video of ICON Black Edition Playing Cards by Pure Imagination Projects

ICON Playing Cards was created by talented young cardist, Benji Taylor. The original deck sports a minimal, design that speaks loudly with its stylish back design made out of quirky icons. Since the release of the First Edition ICON Playing Cards, the team at Pure Imagination Projects have received countless requests to release another version. After four years, the ICON deck is back, and this time back in a sleek black colorway.

The look remains the same – a simple, yet elegant tuck box with a hanging light bulb, and a back design with a multitude of icons sure to pique anyone’s curiosity. The deck is professional and fun, keeping the same theme with some new upgrades included.

ICON has already proven popular with cardists. The courts and pips are standard but the unique back design on a black background enhances displays and card flourishes.

The new cards are crushed and have the USPCC’s classic air-cushion finish. Not only do the cards spread smoothly for magicians, but block together perfectly for any cardist. The deck is expected is to be released Friday, 22nd June.  Meanwhile, check out the exclusive launch trailer of the new ICON below:

Card Radar: Rap Quote Hip-Hop Playing Cards Volume 1: East vs. West

RapQuote's Hip-Hop Playing Cards is a fully custom deck prominently featuring quotes by famous rappers from each coast. The deck is designed by graphic designer, Troy Rojewski and produced by RapQuote.com, an awesome website delivering fresh quotes about love, life, money and more since 2001.

The design of the deck is aesthetically inspired by the Art Deco movement. The face cards come with original artwork showcasing 54 quotes from legendary East and West Coast artists. Ace, King, Queen, and Jack cards include Rakim, Ice Cube, Nas, Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dogg, KRS-One, 2Pac and more.

The deck is very well thought out with the contrast between the intricate borders and bold typography and the harsh (often NSFW) lyrics. I found myself going through each card trying to find certain recognizable artist and quote. That was unexpected and fun!

The card back has been designed to look like the retro audio cassette tape in all of its glory! Nice touch especially when it has been printed with stunning gold metallic ink giving it a classy street vibe!

The Hip-Hop Playing Cards are printed by the Expert Playing Card Company on premium quality, air cushion (linen) finish playing card stock. First Edition limited print run of 1,000 and are available now on store.rapquote.com for $20.