Card Flash: Aphelion by Parama Playing Cards

Currently being fulfilled by Gambler's Warehouse, Aphelion Playing Cards is an elegant deck created for the collectors and magicians in mind by Raffaele Ianzano and Paolo Tisato of Parama Playing Cards.

The semi-custom deck features a gorgeous back design, beautiful Ace of Spades and two unique jokers.

The court cards are standard with updated color palette to match the overall theme of the deck. For a touch of elegance, both face and card backs have been printed with Pantone metallic gold ink.

The tuck box is beautiful! The exterior is embossed and accented with stunning gold foil and the interior is printed with an elegant repeating pattern design.

For me, Aphelion Playing Cards turned out better than expected. Gorgeous design and a functional deck for magic or game nights. Congratulations to the team at Parama Playing Cards for an incredible first deck. Printed by Legends Playing Card Co with classic finish. Available from Parama Playing Cards now.

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Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Paolo Tisato of Aphelion Playing Cards

Parama Playing Cards' Aphelion - an elegant deck created for the collectors and magicians in mind - is currently live on Kickstarter seeking €7,000 (USD$8.5k) in crowdfunding pledges. Conceptualised by two Italians, Raffaele Ianzano and Paolo Tisato who are passionate about creating collectible playing cards and the art of magic.

Semi-custom, the deck features a custom back design, gorgeous Ace of Spades and unique jokers. The court cards are standard with updated colour palette to match the overall theme of the deck. Also, Pantone metallic gold ink will be featured on the cards giving it a touch of elegance.

We managed to catch-up with Paolo to chat about Parama Playing Cards, and the idea and design process of Aphelion Playing Cards.

For those of us who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself and Parama Playing Cards?
Raffaele is a collector and a teacher of small magic circle. My name is Paolo, a playing card collector, friend and Raffaele's student. We both come from north Italy and I live in Vicenza and Raffaele in Turin. In September 2016, we began the process of creating our first project and that brings us to the present, Aphelion, our third Kickstarter project.

What is your inspiration behind the Aphelion Playing Cards? How did you come up with the idea?
"The journey" is the theme of the project. "Journey" as a word can mean many things, from moving place to place, to soul searching. When something ends, it leaves a long trail of memories, and that is what we all will leave: experiences; and that is what we are: we are our experiences and someone's memory. Who better than Earth that have memory of infinite experiences? That is why this project was launched on the day of the furthest point on Earth's revolution, a lost place in a long journey of which it will remain a memory of endless experiences.

That is deep! Talk to us a bit about going from the first draft to the final version. How did you get to this finished product?
Firstly, the deck was created with the working magician in mind. The idea is for the magician to incorporate the deck into thier routines with stories. As such, the design has to be elegant and subtle. The design represents the journey earth makes around the sun. On the tuck, we inserted sun rays that always start from the center and on the back, hands. You may wonder, why the hands? Thanks to the hands that the magician uses, stories turns into reality.

The reason is much deeper... the man's journey. I would like to quote a phrase by Maria Montessori that fully sums up the concept "We can say that, once born, the man will walk and that all men will use exactly the same way their feet, whereas we do not know what will make the individual man with his own hands...Thanks to the hands that have accompanied the intelligence, civilization has been created: the hand is the organ of this immense treasure given to man."

How did you get feedback?
Remember when you finish a task and you show it to your parents... for the first time? They are never biased!! Haha! We posted a few photos on Instagram and generated quite an interest! This gave us the motivation to start the Kickstarter project.

What was your most brilliant breakthrough when designing the deck?
The updated back design gives us the possibility of a marked deck in the future. We'll tell you more in 2018.

What’s next? Can we expect more deck designs in the future?
We have several projects in mind but would rather work on one at a time. There are a number of old projects we want to complete, especially for those who first supported us in our previous Kickstarter. At the moment, we plan to relaunch Oris at the end of the year, and a Black version of Aphelion in March.

Finally, what are your favourite playing cards?
Raffaele : Tycoon, Gemini, Occults. Paolo: Citizen, Artisan, Makers.

Thank you for your time, Paolo and all the best! At the time of writing, the Aphelion is 75% funded with 21 days to go. If you like what you've read here and want to support Aphelion Playing Cards, you can find it on Kickstarter Here!


Pledge starts from €6 (~USD$7.50) and Aphelion will be printed by the Legends Playing Card Co in Taiwan on their Classic Finish.

Parama Playing Cards on Kickstarter

Produced by Parama Playing Cards and designed by Khanh, Parama Playing Cards is a custom deck crafted for everyday use. The deck was conceptualized a year ago with the idea of reflecting tradition in a deck. According to the Kickstarter project page,

A deck of cards with references to our country because, even if small, Italy is a great country capable of facing difficulties head-on and we also love it for this.

 

The history of Italy is the set of numerous local and city events and a reflection of the universal history of its capital, Rome, the first seat of the Empire, and then of the Papacy. It is a fundamental part of Western, European, and Mediterranean cultures.

This is reflected in the 4 winds of the ancient nautical maps.

N - North - Septentrio (Latin), Aparctias (Greek)
E - Euro - Eurus (Latin), Apeliotes (Greek)
S - Austro - Auster (Latin), Notos (Greek)
W - Favonio - Favonius (Latin), Zephyrus (Greek) 

The eye-catching back design includes beautiful architectural elements in Italic style. Besides the Ace of Spades and the Jokers, the face cards are pretty much standard but recolored to fit the theme and color palette of the deck.

The deck is packaged in a beautiful white tuck box and littered with stunning copper foil. The deck will be printed by the USPCC. Pledge starts at $15 on Kickstarter.

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Kickstarter: AGAPE Playing Cards by Parama Playing Cards

After successfully funding two decks on Kickstarter, the team at Parama Playing Cards are relaunching their first project that started it all for them, AGAPE Playing Cards. Paolo told Kardify,

We worked hard to learn as much as possible to create our first deck. A lot of efforts was put in, but unfortunately, we didn't hit the funding goal. AGAPE was our inaugural project and we didn't know as much back then, but we never forgot this deck. This project is the foundation of what we are now.

The team parked the project... until now. The concept remained the same, with the word AGAPE being the inspiration for the project. Paolo continued,

AGAPE is the name we’ve chosen for our first deck of cards, in the Latin language it means “Caritas”, brotherly immense love. It is used in Christian theology to show God’s unconditional love for the human race.

The principal theme is the heart which represents love for family, friends, and others. With that in mind, the card back design includes 4 hearts that represents this concept. The Agape tuck box features 2-color foil, embossed, interior print and printed on a soft-touch card stock.

Kickstarter: THEOS Playing Cards by Parama Playing Cards

Brought to you by Parama Playing Cards, THEOS is inspired by Greek mythology and this deck is a new take of an old project presented in a completely new form. THEOS is presented in two limited editions (1000 decks each) with a green or purple card backs, fully custom artwork for the courts, pips, aces, and jokers. The decks are printed by USPCC on Bee stock and packaged in a gorgeous tuck box crafted by Oath playing cards with white soft touch cardstock, embossed and stunning foil on the exterior and interior! Now funding on Kickstarter, THEOS is only 76% of its £19,000 goal and the campaign will continue until 17th February. You can pledge at least £12 for a single deck or £26 for the pair.

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Kickstarter: ORIS Playing Cards Relaunched!

The team at Parama Playing Cards is back on Kickstarter with ORIS Playing Cards after an unsuccessful attempt the first time last year. With the campaign ending on January 22nd, they are already cruising along nicely toward their goal of €10,200 (~USD12k).

For the relaunch, several tweaks were made. According to Paolo Tisato of Parama Playing Cards,

On the previous project we realized that many liked the Black Edition" deck. So we focused on that color for the relaunch. The colors of the card backs have been updated to enhance the geometry when the cards are fanned. In the last months we have many discussions regarding the white borders of the card back. Is it better with or without? Considering the multiple uses of deck of cards the ideal solution was to let the Backers choose which variant suits them best. Hence, we are offering two back variations, with and without the white border on the Kickstarter campaign.

The tuck cases have also been updated. Paolo continued,

The tucks have undergone a significant color variation. We decided to divide the color of the tucks to make it look like two boxes joined together. The tucks will be fully embossed and foiled.

Finally, the court cards have been updated to match the color palette of the deck and the design are identical to the royals of their previous project, Aphelion. Printed by Legends Playing Card Co on their Classic Finish and features metallic gold ink on the face cards.

ORIS will be available for €9 (~USD$11) and add-ons such as uncut sheets, t-shirts, and wooden box are also available. Check it out on Kickstarter here!

Kardify Magazine Issue #41 Now on Patreon!

 

Issue #41 of Kardify Magazine is NOW on Patreon in both EPUB and PDF format! Patrons who pledged $3 or more on will be able to download the latest issue from our Patreon page. This issue compiles selected articles published from mid-September to mid-October. 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 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:

+ Fulton' October 2020: A frightfully fun and whimsical deck. The new edition of Fulton’s October sports a predominantly purple and black colorway. Check it out! 

+ WORX: One year in the making, the bold and fully custom deck features 3D rendered graphics and eye-catching industrial back design.

+ Smoke: The second ANYONE collab deck with Buck twins, Dan and Dave, re-imagining the popular Smoke & Mirrors brand in a minimalist style.  

+ Apoteosi: Check out Thirdway Industries’ latest deck on Kickstarter inspired by the genesis of the world. 

+ Parama: A deck crafted for everyday use produced by Parama Playing Cards and designed by Khanh seeking funds now on Kickstarter.

+ Arthurian Holy Grail: Kings Wild's Arthurian Holy Grail Edition is a deck of playing cards inspired by the legend of King Arthur. Fully hand-illustrated in the style of The Book of Kells.  

+ Hary & Sally:  Find out more about Art of Play’s new deck produced in collaboration with the world-famous Danish microbrewery, Mikkeller along with art director Keith Shore.  

+ Squeezers V3: A look at Organic Playing Card's squeezers playing cards, a fun deck with a bright contrasting color palette, and recognizable semi-custom vibrant court cards!  

… and more! 57 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

Deck View: ORIS (Black Edition) Playing Cards

Metallic. Book. Ornate.

Designed for magicians, cardists, and collectors, the idea of Oris display a deck of cards as it was a book, a book full of stories that it has lived, it is living and it will live itself. Funded on Kickstarter by the team at Parama Playing Cards, the deck is fully custom with ornate aces, borderless card backs, gorgeous courts, and metallic gold ink on the face cards. The deck is packaged in a stunning tuck box, foiled and embossed! Printed by Legends Playing Card Co on their Classic Finish.

Available now at ParamaPlayingCards.com. For more cool decks, check out JP Games.

Once Upon a Time Playing Cards on Kickstarter

Once Upon a Time playing cards are a collaborative project between Parama Playing Cards and teachers & students from the Faccio School of Art in Italy. This unique collection was conceived during the 2020 lockdown, providing an opportunity for young artists to channel their creativity and work on a real-world project. 

The theme chosen for this deck revolves around classic fairy tales, selected for their rich imagery and strong aesthetic appeal. The students focused on some of the most beloved stories by the Grimm Brothers. Each suit is brought to life with intricate designs and characters set against a subtle scroll-like background. 

• Hearts: Sleeping Beauty
• Diamonds: Little Red Riding Hood
• Spades: Hansel and Gretel
• Clubs: Snow White

The court cards showcase figures dressed in traditional attire, enhanced by ancient patterns that symbolize harmony and beauty. The pips and jokers are designed to maintain a cohesive and enchanting atmosphere, with the forest acting as the central motif that ties all the stories together. 

The entire deck is infused with a magical aura, reminiscent of the fairy tales themselves. The card backs feature a dense weave of branches and natural elements, while the suits are depicted with unique, story-inspired artwork. The color palette is dominated by pastel shades that evoke an enchanted and whimsical atmosphere, staying true to the essence of the tales.



The tuck box design draws inspiration from Gothic architecture, presenting the facade of an ancient building with mullioned windows that reveal a nighttime woodland scene. The use of dark, cold tones, complemented by intricate branch textures, adds to the deck's allure.

Printed by the United States Playing Card Company on Bee Stock. Pledge starts at $18 on Kickstarter.

Kickstarter: 5 Changes Made to Aphelion (Black Edition) Playing Cards

Continuing the Aphelion series, the black edition of the deck by Parama Playing Cards is currently funding on Kickstarter. The inspiration for this elegant deck is similar to that of the first Edition- the journey. In a metaphorical sense, the journey of the earth around the sun.

Crafted for the collectors and magicians in mind, the deck features a custom back design, gorgeous Ace of Spades and unique jokers. The court cards are standard with an updated color palette to match the overall theme of the deck. Also, Pantone metallic gold ink will be featured on the cards giving it a touch of elegance.

Here's are the changes made to the second edition of Aphelion:

1. New Gaff Card for Magicians
The tuck reveal and the relative gaff card (9h) have been removed. Designer Paolo Tisato explained, "This time we decide to go for a double backer with the two backs (White back and black back). This is useful for who has both editions to jump from black deck to the white just with a color deck change."

2. Face Cards
"To make the deck more harmonious, we've added decorations elements on the side on all cards, unlike the first edition that was only on the court cards."

3. The Jokers
"They are largely the same but have something concerning the space journey. We loved seeing people searching for the meaning of the Aphelion Jokers. So we played again on them."

4. Production Run 1000 decks
"As a collector and backer, we don't want to move over the 1000 units to maintain rarity of the deck. Limiting the print run allows the backers to be the only ones to own them."

5. Printing with Legends Playing Card Co.
"We chose Legends again because we are very happy with the results. Perfect tuck box and absolutely high-quality cards. For example, the faro shuffle, used in many cards trick, comes in an easy way without any issues."

Pledge starts at $10 on Kickstarter. Add-ons such as uncut sheet and invisible deck are available during the campaign.

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Deck View: Aphelion (Black Edition) Playing Cards

Elegant. Journey. Custom.

The Black Edition Aphelion Playing Cards is an elegant deck created for the collectors and magicians in mind by Raffaele Ianzano and Paolo Tisato of Parama Playing Cards. The deck is inspired by the journey of the Earth around the sun.

Crafted for the collectors and magicians in mind, the deck features a custom back design, gorgeous Ace of Spades and unique jokers. The court cards are standard with an updated color palette to match the overall theme of the deck. Also, Pantone metallic gold ink will be featured on the cards giving it a touch of elegance.

The deck is packaged in a striking black tuck box, embossed and accented with stunning gold foil and the interior is printed with an elegant repeating pattern design. Printed by Legends Playing Card Co.

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