UnitedCardists.com - The forum for Cardistry, Magic, Custom Decks and All Things Playing Cards.

Greetings, playing card enthusiasts!

My name is Liz, but you may have seen me around on Instagram as @rabbit_of_the_sun. I'm not a magician, a designer, a cardist, or even a collector, really. As of now, I only own a single deck, but I am privileged to be the wife of Matt (@bayou.playing.cards), and so to share my home with many incredible decks. I also like helping Matt display his many beauties. I have gotten interested in playing cards mostly by proximity, but I am enjoying learning more and becoming familiar with the many talented designers, artists, magicians, producers, sellers, cardists, and collectors in the playing card community.

My one deck is Thirdway Industries' Order Electus--a gift from Matt. The art is, of course, amazing--but what draws me to this deck in particular (and to Gio's decks in general) is the story behind the images. I love the mystery, intrigue, and meaning to be found in visual art, and I love the challenge of discovering the subtle messages in a deck. My favorite decks are picture-stories--individual works of art that, when put together, form a visual narrative. You won't be surprised to find that I am a lover of classic literature and poetry, and as such get very excited about literary decks of all kinds. I also love intricate details, foil, and metallic ink work (yes, Kyle, I like it shiny). Aside from literature, I love steampunk, vintage art and fashion, Victoriana, cats, foxes, rabbits, mythology, magical creatures, masquerade, and history--and there are wonderful decks that make good use of all of these things!

I hope to see you all around the forums!

Welcome to UC! Bayou - are you and your husband in the NOLA/LA area by any chance?

kem-collector wrote:are you and your husband in the NOLA/LA area by any chance?

Indeed we are! I work in NOLA!

Hi Liz!! Welcome to UC!!

Romeril wrote:

kem-collector wrote:are you and your husband in the NOLA/LA area by any chance?

Indeed we are! I work in NOLA!

Ha! It's like I can sense it. I worked out at Stennis for 15 years, though they let me work from home now instead of driving into the office. I live in the Biloxi area.

kem-collector wrote:Ha! It's like I can sense it. I worked out at Stennis for 15 years, though they let me work from home now instead of driving into the office. I live in the Biloxi area.

Yeah! Not too far from NOLA at all!

Romeril wrote:Yeah! Not too far from NOLA at all!

Yep, just down the road. If you trade decks or collect certain things, let me know. I am currently around 1400 decks so ya never know what I may be looking to get rid of or be searching for.

Welcome at UC Liz,

cool to see you around here as well. I wish I had the priviledge to live with Matt's decks as well .

Welcome to UC, Liz.

Welcome Liz!

I'm very happy to see you here as well!

The Leader is proud of you

theCapraAegagrus wrote:Welcome to UC, Liz.

Thank you!

Thirdway Industries wrote:Welcome Liz!

I'm very happy to see you here as well!

The Leader is proud of you

GIO! Ciao! I am happy to have pleased the leader. *salutes*

Welcome aboard, Liz! I think your first deck is a simply fantastic first choice for a deck. I, too, am all about story, and Gio is amazingly good at infusing his design with story. Order is one of my favorites.

Since you are new to the terrain, allow me to recommend that you consider picking up a Keymaster Tarot deck from Lorenzo (Stockholm17) when it becomes available. It looks like it'll be a little pricey, but it also looks like it will be amazing art which is also skillfully crafted with story at its heart. Because you are not yet invested in a collection of your own, you don't have any rules to break by considering a tarot deck!

Either way, welcome aboard!

Edit: PS: I see you have a quote from Watership Down in your .sig. I read that to my boys when they were little, and it was such a joyful adventure to share with them!

Harvonsgard wrote:Welcome at UC Liz,

cool to see you around here as well. I wish I had the priviledge to live with Matt's decks as well .

Sorry, but we can't ALL be Matt's wife. I'm special like that.

Welcome to UC, I just joined as well so I'm maybe not yet entitled to welcome you, but it can't harm right

rousselle wrote:Welcome aboard, Liz! I think your first deck is a simply fantastic first choice for a deck. I, too, am all about story, and Gio is amazingly good at infusing his design with story. Order is one of my favorites.

Since you are new to the terrain, allow me to recommend that you consider picking up a Keymaster Tarot deck from Lorenzo (Stockholm17) when it becomes available. It looks like it'll be a little pricey, but it also looks like it will be amazing art which is also skillfully crafted with story at its heart. Because you are not yet invested in a collection of your own, you don't have any rules to break by considering a tarot deck!

Either way, welcome aboard!

Edit: PS: I see you have a quote from Watership Down in your .sig. I read that to my boys when they were little, and it was such a joyful adventure to share with them!

Thanks, rousselle! I will definitely get to see the Keymaster Tarot up close and personal, as Matt is a huge fan of Lorenzo's decks and has been following this project closely (the latest artwork is usually the screensaver on his phone, lol). I'm sure he will bring at least one (if not more) into his collection. The next best thing to being a card collector is being married to one, am I right?

As for Watership Down, it is my all-time favorite novel and I happen to be teaching it to a class of high school English students this quarter, so I am neck deep in rabbits at the moment. I would love for a talented artist/designer to take on the project of creating a Watership Down deck--but it would have to be very high quality to satisfy me (and true to the book). I like to draw, but I'm not at the level to be able to do it myself, more's the pity! Maybe some day. But let me know if you happen across any rabbity decks you think I might take a fancy to. I am already a huge fan of Jack Brutus Penny's Culturae Animalis.

MSimonart wrote:Welcome to UC, I just joined as well so I'm maybe not yet entitled to welcome you, but it can't harm right

No worries, we can welcome each other! It looks like you're from Belgium? My husband (Romeril on here and @bayou.playing.cards on IG) lived there for a few years and speaks French. I'm sure he'd love to say hello to you, too (unless you already know each other?).

Welcome rabbit-of-the-sun. One deck or 5,000. It is fine. I agree the story of the cards is great and we have had several recent, The Order and Luminosity come specifically to mind. Even House of the Rising Spade invited admirers to build their own story for the cards.

I too was drawn in by the whole story Gio made with The Order. I picked up a few more than one though...

rabbit-of-the-sun wrote:

MSimonart wrote:Welcome to UC, I just joined as well so I'm maybe not yet entitled to welcome you, but it can't harm right

No worries, we can welcome each other! It looks like you're from Belgium? My husband (Romeril on here and @bayou.playing.cards on IG) lived there for a few years and speaks French. I'm sure he'd love to say hello to you, too (unless you already know each other?).

Hey, nice to hear. He stayed in Brussels? Don't know him, but I'm open to conversations with those who want It could be a nice occasion for him to speak some french to keep it up to date if he doesn't often have the possibilty to. Or maybe I should teach it to you and you could surprise him with a little 'diner au chandelle' in full french. But it feels like I'm intruding a little too much in both your personal sphere now. But whatever, let us start. Croi-ss-ant, BA-gue-tte...

Welcome to UC, Liz!

Liz wrote:Sorry, but we can't ALL be Matt's wife. I'm special like that.

Perhaps you're right, but I like to think of myself as maybe Matt's deck-wife. You know: like the term work-wife or something?

Hi Liz!
Shame on me: I'm not even the first French speaking Belgian to welcome you here....
Enjoy!!!

PS: I'll pm the list of Matt's decks you can send secretly to Belgium...
PS2: what? Matt is reading this too
PS3: just kidding Matt... C'est une blague

Bradius wrote:Welcome rabbit-of-the-sun. One deck or 5,000. It is fine. I agree the story of the cards is great and we have had several recent, The Order and Luminosity come specifically to mind. Even House of the Rising Spade invited admirers to build their own story for the cards.

I too was drawn in by the whole story Gio made with The Order. I picked up a few more than one though...

I feel like you don't have enough bricks of Order, tho. I mean, you should have at least four.

But I also have a copy of the Red Book of the Revolutio--good story in there.

Kurama wrote:Hi Liz!
Shame on me: I'm not even the first French speaking Belgian to welcome you here....
Enjoy!!!

PS: I'll pm the list of Matt's decks you can send secretly to Belgium...
PS2: what? Matt is reading this too
PS3: just kidding Matt... C'est une blague

BaconWise wrote:Welcome to UC, Liz!

Liz wrote:Sorry, but we can't ALL be Matt's wife. I'm special like that.

Perhaps you're right, but I like to think of myself as maybe Matt's deck-wife. You know: like the term work-wife or something?

Okay, but you have to be the wife that does the dishes. Deal?

Welcome to UC, Liz! I'm envious of your collection by association!

CollectADeck wrote:Welcome to UC, Liz! I'm envious of your collection by association!

Indeed, it's an enviable position, for many reasons.

Hello and welcome. I'm new too and I'm just a simple collector. I follow your husband on instagram and just yesterday I saw his post on the Sins Anima by Thirdway deck of cards. I am an admirer of Giovanni's decks too, I think they are fantastic not only of beauty, but of everything that exists behind the creation of the deck. Good day