Arcadia Signature Edition Playing Cards on Kickstarter

The Arcadia Signature Edition is inspired by the meaning behind the brand name, Arcadia. Arcadia is an idealized vision of perfect harmony in nature and has often been depicted in Renaissance art by shepherds herding their sheep in untouched wilderness. According to designer Christian Ellingstad,

The actual word comes from the Greek province also called Arcadia. In Greek mythology, this place was considered as the home of Pan, god of the forest, rustic music, shepherds and wilderness - a character that appears in the artwork of the deck.

There are two standard versions of the deck on offer during the campaign- forest green and earthy brown. Both decks feature fully custom card backs, courts, Ace of Spades and jokers.

The custom back design showcase a sun setting behind mountain tops is the main motive on the mirrored backs.

Ace of Spades features an illustrated spade with picturesque nature. A crown is topping the spade and within it, a starry sky can be seen behind three mountain tops.

The courts are 100% custom but still based on traditional faces printed with Gold metallic ink. Christian explained,

My greatest challenge of designing court cards is to make them completely customized while keeping the "traditional court look". I want magicians to be able to use the cards in their magic routine. The courts and pips should, therefore, look familiar to spectators so they don't raise any suspicions. At the same time, I want them to be unique to this deck. This has been accomplished by drawing the courts from scratch with unique faces and ornaments but retaining the silhouettes of the traditional courts.

The green deck will be packaged in a stunning tuck box, hot foil stamped with three different foils: green, gold and white. While the brown tuck will be foiled with bronze, gold, and white. Both beautifully embossed on high-quality card stock.

The cards will be printed by USPCC and the tuck boxes will be expertly crafted by Gambler's Warehouse. Pledge starts at $15 on Kickstarter.

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4 More Days on Kickstarter, Arcadia Windmill Back Playing Cards

The Windmill Back is the fifth deck created by Arcadia and is inspired by the aesthetics of old, worn down windmills. Funding on Kickstarter, this vintage style deck comes in three different versions: A standard blue edition, a red edition with metallic backs and gold edition with cold foiled backs. 

Each version of the deck will also have a gilded edition- the blue with copper foil, the red with silver foil and the white deck with all gold foil. 

The courts are based on the same early 1900's style that can be seen on the previous Arcadia deck, Harmony Back, but customised to a windy theme that suits the deck. 

The Windmill Back will be printed by Cartamundi and the tuck boxes will be made by letterpress expert Boschiero & Newton in Italy. Available NOW on Kickstarter for $14.

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7 Questions with Christian Ellingstad of Pride of Peacocks Playing Cards

Pride of Peacocks by Arcadia is a beautifully crafted custom deck of ornate playing cards inspired by the significant role the elegant and mysterious peacock has played in Persian culture throughout history. The bird, which was brought from India to the region of Mesopotamia as a gift to kings as early as the 10th century BC, is a symbol of immortality and royalty. Since then, it has been an important motive in art, architecture, and craft in Persian empires.

Fully custom, the deck features a striking card back printed with metallic ink,  a gorgeous Ace of Spades, and court cards based on royals from Persian art and architecture with Peacock elements incorporated throughout! The deck is kept secured in a dark blue tuck box adorned with stunning gold foil, which displays the majestic peacock along with eye-catching elements from Persian culture.

Last week, we had a quick chat with Christian Ellingstad about the inspiration behind Pride of Peacocks, the design evolution of the deck and his takeaway from the first Kickstarter campaign.

Can you tell us about yourself and what is your design background?
I used to work within the print industry and now I am working with marketing. Therefore I have always loved design, product packaging, and branding. However, it was only recently I decided to have a go on graphic design and actually try to make something myself. I have the last years tried to kick-off a few startup ideas (most of them have not been successful) so I started creating artwork for logos, product packaging and websites for these projects. This was my first jump into design. However, when I realized I could combine another great passion of mine, card magic, with graphic design I instantly got hooked. That was when Arcadia was born.

What is your inspiration behind Pride of Peacocks Playing Cards? How did you come up with the idea?
The concept of the Pride of Peacocks deck started with the ace of spades. One day I was playing with a few ideas I had in mind, and suddenly I noticed that the spade I created looked like a peacock when it fans out its tail. I knew I was on to something exiting. The first version of the deck I launched on Kickstarter was mainly based on this, but this new version of the deck has way more thought put into it. After the first failed attempt on Kickstarter, I realized I had to create a story around the peacock. That is when I started reading about the significance of the bird in, both, ancient and modern cultures. I then found out that the peacock didn't play just an important role in Indian history, which is what the bird is most famous for, but also that it had a significant role in ancient and more modern Persian culture. The deck is, therefore, inspired by both ancient Persian sculptures and temples, but also more recent Iranian art.

Unfortunately, your first project was only 54% funded. Did you get any help or feedback from your supporters after your first project and how did you incorporate it into the current project?
I received so much feedback from the previous campaign, much more than I had expected! I want Arcadia to be a playing card brand where the supporters can actually have a saying in the design processes, so I made sure that I listened to as many as possible when creating the new version. The main changes that were made based on this useful feedback, was to create completely custom courts, change the joker design, implement more of the peacock's colors on the card backs and also add a white frame on the backs. I'm really thankful for all the support and feedback as it made it so much easier to design this new version when I knew what people wanted.

Can you briefly go through the design evolution of one of your unique card design?
One of my favorite cards is the King of Diamonds. It is based on Darius the Great, who was one of the kings in the Persian Achaemenid Empire. Everything from the beard to his headpiece are based on sculptures of the king. The beard style, which was very common in the ancient Persian empire has also been used on all kings. However, I think my favorite part of the King of Diamonds is the axe he's holding. I spend way too much time looking at ancient Persian weapons, just to create something that was historically correct. The same goes with the swords on the King of spades and clubs which are all based on actual weapons found in ancient Persian cities.

From the project page, what are a few of your favorite reward levels and why? 
I've kept the reward levels pretty simple. However, I must say that I like the last and most expensive reward, which is to get your name printed on the tuck boxes.

What’s next? Can we expect more deck designs in the future?
Yes, definitely! Pride of Peacocks is just the first deck in a series of many themed deck designs. I love everything that has to do with mythology and ancient civilizations, so many of the ideas I have in mind are based on this. There are too many deck concepts I want to create, but first of all, my main focus is to bring the Pride of Peacocks deck to life. I'll take this opportunity to reveal a spoiler though. One of the next decks will be based around King Minos and the myth about the Minotaur.

Finally, what are your favorite playing card decks? 
I don't think I have one favorite, but the first one that comes to mind is the Drifters deck by Dan & Dave. I just love the simplicity of it. Only one color has been used on the tuck and no foils, still, it looks so elegant. It proves how you can create something amazing by combining good design and quality paper. And the courts are all so unique, but they still managed to make them look like the classic courts. It's just a well-crafted deck.

Thank you for your time and all the best! At the time of writing Pride of Peacocks is only 65% funded with 20 days to go. If you like what you've read here and want to support Christian, you can find it on Kickstarter Here! 


Pledge starts from €9 (~USD$10), the deck will be printed by Cartamundi in Belgium on their famous B9 True Linen Finish.

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Issue #34 of Kardify Magazine is Here!

Issue #34 of Kardify Magazine is now on Patreon! Patrons who pledged $3 or more on will be able to download the latest issue from our Patreon page. Issue #34 compiles selected articles published from mid-February to mid-March. Deck images, articles, and news to keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest playing card news, releases, and previews. If you love playing cards, you will love Kardify Magazine! 

Also, don't forget to check out our other cool reward tiers on Patreon! The new tiers include monthly desktop and smartphone wallpapers, mystery deck shipped to you every 4 months of ongoing contribution, social media shout-outs, and multiple sponsorship tiers! Check it out!

Funds received from the magazine will help us keep the site running and growing, and bringing new quality content to you. Our aim is to support designers by backing on crowd-funded projects and supporting magic and playing cards retailers with their new releases. If you want to support us, please head over to our Patreon page. 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:

+ Black Dot: A detailed look at Anyone's highly sought-after Black Dot Playing Cards crafted for Cardistry... sold out in less than 3 hours.

+ Trident & Sword:  Kevin Yu's latest deck with eye-catching tucks smashes its funding goal on Kickstarter! Check it out....

+ Chocolate Pi: The second deck in the Kings Wild Pi Slice series comes with a new fresh chocolate color scheme.

+ The House of Magic & Cardistry: A look inside Cartamundi's EPIC night for the cardistry and magic community in NYC to celebrate the recent acquisition of the USPCC.

+ Italia Divina: Find out more about Thirdway Industries' new deck that merges travel guides and playing cards.

+ The Three Stooges Deck: A cool collab between Whispering Imps Production and Kings Wild Project, over a year in the making.

+ Arcadia Signature Edition: Find out more about the latest deck by Christian Ellingstad, a follow-up to the Arcadia deck series.

+ Aristo Steampunk:  A fully custom deck inspired by XIX century industrial steam-powered machinery and the American "Wild West" sci-fi world.

… and more! 56 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

Less Than 48 Hours on Kickstarter, The Windmill Back Playing Cards!

The Windmill Back is the fifth deck created by Arcadia and is inspired by the aesthetics of old, worn-down windmills. According to the designer, Christian, 

I created the Windmill Back because I simply love the aesthetics of worn down windmills. I adore how powerful they look where they stand, usually alone and not in use. Still, they were essential for farmers back in the days when they didn't have advanced machinery to help them with their work. Windmills were a combination of architectural and engineering brilliance and proof of how human civilizations were able to develop due to new inventions like the windmill. Now, however, these old windmills are mostly just postcard material. I guess you can call this project a tribute to these old giants. So when you hold these cards in your hand in the near future, you can think of the historical importance of these magnificent constructions. 

Currently seeking funds on Kickstarter, this vintage style deck comes in two different editions: azure blue and claret purple. Each Edition of the deck will also have a gilded version with gold foil edges. 

Inside, the courts are based on the same early 1900's style that can be seen on the previous Arcadia deck, Harmony Back, but customized to a windy theme that suits the deck. 

The aces in the Windmill Back are all decorated and incorporate the overall theme of the deck. The ace of spades is, as tradition goes, the most detailed and features a windmill inside the pip along with vintage drawn ornaments. 

 

Also included are two identical jokers, except one of them is juggling with a 7 of hearts reveal that you can use for magic. They are jokers drawn in a traditional style and they are true to the windmill theme as they are blowing on whirligig toys with leaves blowing around. 

The Windmill Back will be printed by Cartamundi and the tuck boxes are gold foiled, embossed, and come with an old stamp style seal. The letterpressed tucks will be made by Boschiero & Newton in Italy. Available NOW on Kickstarter for $14.

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Deck View: Arcadia- Pride of Peacocks Playing Cards

Persian. Beautiful. Peacocks.

Arcadia: Pride of Peacocks by Christian Ellingstad is a beautifully crafted custom deck of ornate playing cards inspired by the significant role the elegant and mysterious peacock has played in Persian culture throughout history. This is Christian's first deck and it turned out great!

The fully custom deck features a striking card back printed with metallic ink, a gorgeous Ace of Spades, and court cards based on royals from Persian art and architecture with Peacock elements incorporated throughout! The deck is kept secured in a dark blue tuck box adorned with stunning gold foil, which displays the majestic peacock along with eye-catching elements from Persian culture.

Harmony Back Playing Cards by Christian Ellingstad

The new Harmony Back from Arcadia is a vintage-inspired marked deck targeted towards the modern card magician. Not only does it come in two different antique colors, red and green, but there is also a whole 56 card gaff deck available as well! Gorgeous, beautiful, and reasonably priced playing cards currently on Kickstarter.

Meticulously designed by Christian Ellingstad, the backs depict a mirrored lyre, a harp-like instrument used in ancient Greece, along with botanical ornaments. They are equipped with a powerful marking system within the tuning pegs, making you able to read any card within an arm's length. 

The face cards are based on antique courts from the late 1800's Backs Brothers decks, but redrawn and adapted to this deck. This makes them unique from standard courts, but still very suitable for magic. 

 

The Harmony Back will be printed by USPCC on their premium card stock and it will be crushed thinner for better handling and feel. 

Pledge for the Harmony Backs starts at $14 on Kickstarter. It will be only $7.5 per deck if you pledge for a brick.

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5 Things You Should Know About Visions Playing Cards

Produced by Wounded Corner and beautifully designed by Christian Ellingstad of Arcadia Playing Cards, Visions Playing Cards is a gorgeous deck currently seeking funds on Kickstarter. The inspiration behind this deck comes from the vision and drive needed to guide us to reach our goals. According to the campaign page,

Whether you believe your path is pre-destined or completely by chance, it takes some vision and determination to keep moving forward. Our journeys are seldom simple and as we strive for happiness, we often encounter hardships. But these hardships are what build our strength. With this deck, we want to show the various highs and lows that make us all human. Without both the highs and the lows, there would be much less meaning.

So much thought has gone to the creation of this FULLY custom deck. From the suits, card backs to the tuck box, the elements in the design signify and reflects our emotions, struggles, dreams, or vision. Here are 5 things you should know about Visions Playing Cards: 

1. The inspiration behind this deck comes from the vision and drive needed to guide us to reach our goals. Whether you believe your path is pre-destined or completely by chance, it takes some vision and determination to keep moving forward. Steve Rosenfield of Wounded Corner told Kardify, "Our journeys are seldom simple and as we strive for happiness, we often encounter hardships. But these hardships are what build our strength. With this deck, we want to show the various highs and lows that make us all human. Without both the highs and the lows, there would be much less meaning."


2. Three Different Editions, Past, Present, and Future. Past and Present both printed with cold foil from Cartamundi on b9 slimline and tucks in 3 foils by Clove St Press. Future Edition will be recolored and printed with hot foil and metallic ink by the amazing Lotrek from Oath Playing Cards. 

3. Tuck and Back design. You will notice throughout the back design on the tuck and cards, that there are groups of 3 randomly placed dots that are more pronounced than the rest. These dots signify the past, present, and future, and find their way into several other places within the deck. 

The back design was created in such a way that each person can interpret their own meaning from what they see. "To us, the arrows signify our dreams or visions. The two half circles on opposite ends of the card represent our goals. The random lines, edges, and points are all the obstacles that cross our path to try and thwart us from achieving our goals. The intricate filigree shows us that along our journey there is much beauty within the chaos." 

4. Aces, face cards, and jokers. "For our aces, we wanted to display powerful figures. Figures that embody the duality of our own thoughts. The aces in Visions symbolize the voices in our heads, both positive and negative. These aces are the driving thoughts and emotions brought to life in our court cards." 

The court cards to be unique. Something you don't normally see in a deck of cards. "What we came up with are twelve court cards that we are extremely proud of. In the Visions courts below you will see varying clothing styles, symbols, and races from which we drew our inspiration. We have double diptych jokers that bring the cards to life. They tell a story that will pull you in and have you relate to them." 

5. Add-ons and limited edition Collectors set. The campaign has a slew of addons like wooden cards, uncut sheets, gilded deck and coin. The collectors set is a limited set that has 3 gilded decks all gilded to match the colors of the card backs. It will be limited to 250 and only available upon its final stretch goal which is less than 5k away.

Deck starts at $16 on Kickstarter NOW.

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First Look at The Conjurer Playing Cards by Christian Ellingstad

[Update] The Conjurer is now LIVE on Kickstarter!

Fresh off the success of Arcadia Playing Cards, Christian Ellingstad is set to launch his second deck- The Conjurer. The Conjurer is a dazzling deck of playing cards inspired by timeless and classic magic that has fascinated audiences for several decades.

These exquisite playing cards are entirely designed from scratch with magicians, cardists and collectors in mind.

All court cards are 100% custom made but still based on the traditional design. Objects and animals that have traditionally been used in magic for ages are depicted throughout the whole deck.

Each king, queen, and jack have a magical element incorporated in the design, from the famous "linked rings" and "ball in vase" illusions to doves and rabbits.

The deck is kept in tuck boxes expertly crafted by Clove St. Press with white and gold foil and delicate embossing. Also, a limited black edition with gold foil on the back of the cards with gold gilded edges will also be available as a stretch goal.

[Update] The Conjurer is now LIVE on Kickstarter!

The Conjurer will be printed by Cartamundi on their new E7 finish. The campaign is scheduled to go live on Kickstarter, 18th of June.

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