First Look: Gemini Playing Cards by Stockholm17

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

Two years in the making, Gemini is a fascinating deck of playing cards designed by Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm17, creator of stunning playing card decks such as Requiem, Heretic, No.17 and Le Chat Rouge. The Gemini Playing Cards has been meticulously crafted to give it a classic medieval feel.

The deck features aces that are depicted as axes and the royals of the court cards interact with their own pip, becoming part of the illustration. The number pips are bold, big and they take a lot of space. Lorenzo used an unconventional index (horizontal layout instead of vertical) for Gemini because he likes to push the boundaries and bend the unwritten rules of playing cards design.

The striking tuck box design is a collaboration between Lorenzo and Calligraffiti ambassador Karl O'brien from UK (Instagram: @85Kobe). This beautiful calligraphic text has been handcrafted by Karl and it looks like an ancient manuscript.

On the design process, Lorenzo said,

Gemini has been a long project that took 2 years of discontinued development; from the first concept sketch done in August 2014 (below) to what was unveiled in April 2015 when the style, the color palette, and the layout were set.

 The name Gemini is based on the peculiarity of the court cards. Lorenzo explained,

At first glance the royals of each court card look perfectly symmetrical, but they are not. I depicted them as twins (Gemini in latin), so you will be spotting differences when you look at the details. Those who followed Heretic Playing Cards, will remember this feature in the 58th card of the deck: the smiling-crying Queen of Hearts. I thought that the Gemini zodiac sign would fit this idea, so it gets a bit astrological in its design. The archetype of Gemini is fascinating and intriguing.

Like his previous projects, Lorenzo will have a few special items designed exclusively for Gemini, which will be unveiled at the right time. The campaign will start with a goal set for 2 decks: Gemini Terra and Gemini Ignis (fire in latin). Also, there is an awesome add-on that Lorenzo was able to show it in its real beauty: a poker card guard (or card protector) shaped like Gemini symbol in black nickel, with plated vines.

For the stretched goal, Lorenzo have the Gemini Noctis and when it will is unlocked new rewards and items will be unveiled! Finally, Lorenzo will release Gemini Experimental: a special version of the deck as he used during the kickstarter campaign. More will be unveiled soon.

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

To keep up with the launch of Gemini Playing Cards on September 10, you can follow Stockholm17's event on Facebook.

Cardistry: First Look at the International Cardistry Open (ICO) Deck

In conjunction with Season 3 of the International Cardistry Open (ICO) this year, Expert Playing Card Co. and Kardify are releasing a commemorative ICO deck to celebrate the tournament’s third year of existence. This bold and eye-catching deck has been meticulously designed by artist Brendan Hong, who is well known for the gorgeous Hive and Dynasty Playing Cards.

The ICO deck has been crafted with cardists in mind, embracing the movement and beauty of motion of each card in the deck. On the design of the ICO deck, Brendan explained,

The back design for the ICO deck started with a very simple idea to have a diagonal line as a very prominent part of the design. A lot of playing card back designs tend to be very much designed around a quadrilateral symmetry and that works well, but sometimes it's interesting to take a challenge to try something different. It started with that line and the goal to design a deck that cardist would want to use. The latter part is a tough idea to work with as there are quite a few decks out that work really well with cardistry from really simple designs to very complex one. I think the most important thing out of all those designs was how the card design moved in motion whether it's a single card or a few cards or the whole deck. Regardless of what the design was, it moved and looked beautiful in motion. 

The dynamic back design visually accentuates card flourishes and displays, making fans, spins and cascades look incredible. Brendan added,

The last and important part of it all was colours. Colour is so simple to write off, but it plays such an important part in the overall design; having the right colours could make or break a design. This back design was very much a collaborative effort and there was a lot of back and forth with the team at Kardify and myself about what colours we should use. Once we hit upon the 4 colours we had for the back, we all knew it was the right one: something that looked good and something very unique.

Together with the bold and eye-catching colourway, the ICO deck commands attention while striking a balance between style and functionality. Neatly packaged in a durable synthetic tuck, the deck is crafted by Expert Playing Card Co.

First Look: The Neon Deck by Sansminds

[Update] The Neon Deck now available on Sansminds.

Here's something really cool from the creative minds at Sansminds, the Neon Deck! Designed for cardists of all levels in mind, the Neon Deck is not your regular acrylic trainer...

It is specially made to glow under black light! Check out the awesome video by Anna DeGuzman:

Neon Deck by @sansminds Coming Soon. #cardistry

A video posted by Anna DeGuzman (@annadeguzman) on Aug 4, 2016 at 9:02am PDT

We have been playing around with the sample for a few weeks and it does take a couple of days to get used to the trainers. However, these cool trainers ARE eye-catching and sure to turn heads even without the glow. Many were impressed by the quality and the sleek finish of the trainers.

Inside each deck, you will receive 9 packets. Way more than the usual trainers currently found in the market.

Each packet is 2 millimetre thick, with the length and width of a standard poker sized playing card, 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. Ideal to help build muscle memory and perfecting your card flourishes.

The Neon Deck will be available on September 9th in 4 different vibrant colors: Red, Blue, Yellow and Green. These will definitely add colors and style to your cardistry vids. The possibilities are endless.

[Update] The Neon Deck now available on Sansminds for $24.95.

News: Bicycle 25 Years of Magic

Produced by USPC the 25 Years of Magic decks were given out to registered visitors of the 2016 Magic Live Convention in Las Vegas this past August. The design has a bit of a Art Deco look and feel, from the tuck design to the card backs. The deck has standard spot cards and court cards along with the iconic Bicycle Ace of Spades and Jokers. Included in the pack are two gaff cards.

Celebrating 25 years of magic, the deck not only celebrates the convention, but also the end of one of the longest running Magic magazines in the industry, MAGIC. After 25 amazing years MAGIC is now in it's farewell printing. It's last 25 issues being released in a more exclusive and limited run as Magic - Legacy.

The 25 Years of Magic deck represents a true piece of magical history and will appeal to a wide range of collectors, magicians, cardists and aficionados.