My first tarot deck is almost ready and I'd like to give you just a little taste! I love collecting tarot, and I realized that it's almost impossible to get decks from the 16th century, so I began this project. It's taken almost a year so far, but the cards are done and I just need to find the best way to get them printed and out there. I will be putting them up on the Game Crafter, but for Aussie buyers (and probably other non-US buyers) I am trying to find a cheaper option. The main problem here in Australia is the horrendous exchange rate which means my cost alone, before any profit is over $50 AU per deck. I think I can get the cards printed cheaper with another company and get the box and booklet printed locally to bring it down to about $30 AU before profit but I'm still working on that option. There is no kickstarter.
Now for the cards. Anyone who knows tarot knows of the Rosenwald sheets from c1501, and also would know of the wonderful facsimile deck by Sullivan Hismans (I saw it in your deck list). It's beautiful but not an option financially. I also know of a version redrawn and colourised in four colours by Lady Heather Hall. Both these versions are difficult to get hold of. So, here's how mine are different. They will be print on demand, so no limit and no end date, and hopefully cheaper. And they will look quite different to both these gorgeously authentic decks. My cards are still faithful to the original images, with linework traced off the images held at the national museum of art. But they are coloured in a modern palette with watercolour pencils, which brings them into our era for people who want bright, colourful, rainbow cards. The missing cards have been recreated by using elements of other cards in the deck to build up the image, so they fit the look and feel of the deck.
So, here's a first glimpse for you, I'd really love to know what you think, and hear any comments!
- New Rose Tarot by Ella Mortimer.jpg (266.52 KiB) Viewed 1316 times
