Magic Tricks

I have several green thumbs in my family, and because they have a particular fondness for succulents, I knew in advance that the Succulents Playing Cards was going to be a hit. There's even some amusing horticultural instructions for caring for your deck: Give them enough light and take them out of the box often; shuffle regularly because the cards don't like to be in the same spot all the time; never water them; keep them clean; and avoid pests like small pets and children that can damage them.

The front and back of the tuck box is in a vibrant green well-suited to the theme captured by the deck. Detailed artwork shows a carefully drawn compilation of succulents, including the recognizable cactus. The use of white line work on a green background works well, and provides a far more effective look than the reverse.

The card backs take over the exquisite line work first seen on the tuck box, and but is now given full room to breathe with the absence of any wording. The white borders complement well the white lines of the artwork design, and ensure that the deck remains practical, since full bleed borders tend to show signs of wear much more quickly. The lined pattern that frames the central part of the design adds emphasis and style.

The court cards are a highlight for me personally. The creators have opted to use the colours of red and green in place of the usual red and black for the suits. But what makes this colour combination work is the fact that the cards are entirely a single colour. This is especially effective with the court characters, which are fully custom design presented in a silhouette style. As an amusing touch, each is seen together with a plant pot containing a succulent! The custom Jokers feature smiling Jesters that are each holding a small cactus.

The number cards feature stylized pips that incorporate detailed linework that picks up the style of the card backs, while the corner indices remain relative plain to ensure the deck remains functional for card games. All the Aces have a large over-sized design, with white artwork inside the giant pips that continues the succulent theme. All round it's a lovely deck that's ideal for anyone with a green thumb, or anyone who can appreciate a well-designed and fully custom deck.