RELEASE: Bookmark and more details about the book.
almost 3 years ago – Fri, May 14, 2021 at 03:57:12 AM

Hello everybody!

First of all, welcome to the new backers. Please make sure that you check the FAQs and in case something is unclear, just drop a message.

In this update:

• Bookmark release and design
• Additional details about the book
• Let's plant new trees
• What's next

IMPORTANT: Kickstarter on mobile (app or browser) is glitchy and the add-ons page might not work properly. Try on a desktop pc, it should work just fine. I cannot solve technical issues, so I suggest to contact Kickstarter after you tried at least 2 updated browsers with clear cache.

Bookmark

This idea comes from the backers, and I thought that it was a good one. I designed a functional bookmark that will help you track the progress of the puzzle. If you are not interested in the puzzle, you just use it as bookmark.

ALL BOOKS WILL INCLUDE A BOOKMARK.

Here the specs:

• size: 4x15cm
• paper: warm white cotton paper
• printed with latterpress in 2 colors: gold and silver
• printed in Sweden at a local letterpress shop
• signature on the back
• XVII stamp in red on the back
• one bookmark included in every book
• you can add a bookmark for €3/each

Here is a big picture showing the design. .

About the bookmark and the puzzle.

As you can see there are blank spaces, you can use them to track the progress and have everything under control. 

ADVICE: Do no start working on the puzzle with these graphics and with what you see on the renderings; graphics will be adjusted and tweaked.

Book: additional details

In this chapter I will give you some extra info, clarifications, and explanations about the book. I've been through the comments and I clarify important things.

Layout

There is a link on the campaign page and you can download a PDF preview of the layout I created. It is just an extract, so 

Click here to download the PDF of the extract.

All pages are printed in colors even if they look in black and white on aged paper. The paper is not aged itself. I mimic the layout of old books so I need to print in colors on ALL pages. Illustrations of the court cards in color will be in book as well, in big.

The part with the cutout is also printed in colors, but it will be blank, no text there.

Limited Edition?

Yes, this book as presented and with the current features is printed in limited edition. The total produced number depends on the total books ordered via kickstarter and I estimate around 1000 units in total. These will not be numbered and cannot be signed because it is logistically impossible at the moment.

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Paper?

I picked an expensive Swedish paper. You can see the product sheet here

Munken Paper: EU Ecolabel, FSC® – The mark of responsible forestry. www.fsc.org. FSC-C020637 and PEFC™ PEFC/05-33-99 certified.

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Only one deck in the secret compartment? Not 2?

Yes, one deck. It is about the story rather than the puzzle. If you read the extract you understand why the book will house only one deck in the secret compartment.

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No digital download of the story?

Sorry, but I have an agreement in place and no PDF is allowed in this campaign.

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More answers about the book in FAQ page

A lot of paper, let's plant new trees

Since this project is going to use a lot of paper, as stated and after the campaign I will donate $500 USD to plant 500 trees via https://onetreeplanted.org/

What's next

I am working on items that I will reveal and release during the campaign page, here is a list without too many details:

• box for 6 decks: waiting for prototype
• additional perk for books: waiting for prototype to show
• upgrade for Astra Polaris: working on it
• a mini deck: not even started, but I have an idea
• other small items such as pins and stickers
• more (?)

Cartomancer Duality

In the world of CARTOMANCERS, here is a project by Alain Benoit, parter in crime in 2018 when both of us released a deck called Cartomancer without being aware of each other's intentions. Telepathy? Coincidence? Carl Jung's kollektives Unbewusstes? who knows....

Let me introduce you to the newest member of the Cartomancer Series – Duality. Two individual fully-customized packs make a set and complement each other like the sun and moon. I've named these two decks Clarity and Shadow.

The CLARITY Deck is a modified reissue of the first Cartomancer Poker Deck.  Consider it the deck of insight and intuition. In the new SHADOW Deck, night has fallen on all the Cartomancer cards. Considered the deck of dreams and secrets.

Campaign page here

Thank you for backing and stay tuned!

Updates are important for your understanding of this complex project

Cheers!

Lorenzo

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• Website www.stockholm17.com 
• Or become a patron on PATREON 

Coin release and Numbered seals for gilded decks Solis & Lunæ
almost 3 years ago – Fri, May 14, 2021 at 01:52:20 AM

Hi all!

I am trying to catch up with the unlocked stretch goals. I have a long to-do-list, and in every update there will be an improvement/upgrade/add/release or anything that improves the items of whole project.

In this update:

• Coin
• Numbered Seals

Coin

You saw a sneak peek in the 2nd update. Here is a great rendering by Quartermaster Matteo Ardohain.

The main idea is to mimic ancient coins, so there are irregularities that makes it look old, even if polished.

Coin Specs and features:

• diameter 38mm (1.5in), same as a piece of eight.
• thickness 3mm
• irregular round shape to mimic old coins
• irregular volumes (see video) to mimic old coins
• sun side in polished gold
• moon side in polished silver
• the design might be improved later on (tweaks)
• Available as add-on: add one or more coins for €6/each
• one coin for free to The Intrepid reward

Numbered Seals for gilded Solis & Lunæ

All the gilded Solis and Lunæ decks will have a numbered seal. 

Astra Polaris not yet, just give me time to plan and design.

The seals will be applied on the top of the tuckbox so you do not have to break them when you open the deck.

Answers to things you are about to ask :)

• I will know how many gilded decks will be printed AFTER the completion of the surveys (approx 15-20 days after the end of the kickstarter campaign. Estimated end of June.
• There is no limit at the moment. If via kickstarter the backers order 2000 decks, I will order 2000 decks plus a little more just to be safe.
• Numbers cannot be chosen, they are assigned randomly.  Therefore no matching numbers.
• It is possible that gilded decks can be ordered via pre-order store (Backerkit) for a limited amount of time after the campaign.
• It is possible to add them during the surveys (with Backerkit)
• I produce the number of gilded decks ordered via kickstarter and at the pre-order store (with Backerkit).
• The regular decks will not be numbered and have no seal.
• Retailers might have them if they order via kickstarter or backerkit

For those wondering about Backerkit: 

It is a backer-management platform that helps me to manage big number of backers. It is connected to kickstarter and after the campaign the surveys will be sent to you from Backekit. You will able to enter the address, to specify the items you added, the decks you upgraded, and if you want you can add more items, too.

Guns, Jazz, and Whiskey

We are in 1920 in New York City. Late at night, jazz notes slowly rise in the dark and hopeless sky, and some say they draw the overly perfect, golden patterns of art deco. Good and evil, as always, fight their war; but sometimes, it is hard to tell who the good really is. And, perhaps, music is the only pure thing that the City knows.

Travel in time and visit the campaign page here

That's all for now, more perks and releases coming soon!

Stay tuned and thank you for backing!

Cheers

Lorenzo

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Follow up Stockholm17 Playing Cards on social media:

• Follow Stockholm17 on INSTAGRAM 
• Like&Follow the FACEBOOK page
• Website www.stockholm17.com 
• Or become a patron on PATREON 

200% Stretch Goal: gilding option for Solis & Lunæ
almost 3 years ago – Mon, May 10, 2021 at 07:37:44 PM

Hi all!

First of all, welcome to the new backers! Thank you so much for backing. Stay tuned because there are plenty of updates with news related to stretch goals and releases.

As said: one mile at the time. At the moment we are navigating in calm waters with fair weather, so I have time to explain clearly.

The 200% Stretch goal gives the chance to upgrade your Solis and/or Lunæ decks with gilded edges in matching color. Alternatively, you can add a gilded Solis and/or Lunæ as add on.

What is edge gilding?

This highly specialized process involves applying a metallic foil to the edge of the decks to add that extra level of elegance. It is a handmade job and made in Italy by a specialized company.

Here is a video that shows the 3 different gilded edges. These are production samples made on another deck I designed (The house of the rising spade, Cartomancer variant)

How does this work?

There are 4 cases:

•  1) You have your regular (not gilded) Solis and Lunæ decks in your reward, and you can upgrade these decks and add the gilded edges to these decks. 
•  2) You have your regular (not gilded) Solis and Lunæ decks in your reward, and you want to keep them as they are. No action needed if this is the case.
•  3) You can add gilded decks and keep those you have as regular.
•  4) You can upgrade the decks you already have, and add more gilded decks as well.

You decide how many and what variant you want to be gilded. 

Example: If you have a reward with 6 decks (2 Solis, 2 Lunæ, 2 Astra Polaris) and you want to upgrade one Solis and one Lunæ, you can do it.

How to add:

Hit "manage your pledge" button and go in the add-on section.

Prices

• upgrade your regular Solis and add blue gilding +€8/each
• upgrade your regular Lunæ and add teal gilding +€8/each
• add one or more gilded Solis deck: +€25/each
• add one or more gilded Lunæ deck: +€25/each

What's next?

I will release the coin once the graphics are ready :) See a sneak peek in the previous update.

Also, I am looking into feedbacks and ideas about new stretch goals and items to add to this campaign.

Shadows of London

My Scandinavian friend, Marianne Larsen has launched her second project, Shadows of London with great success! Shadows of London are dark Victorian Era themed poker playing cards, exquisitely designed by Marianne Larsen. Designed in two very unique editions and manufactured with many deluxe features by TWPCC. Three stretch goals are reached!

Campaign page here

That's all for now! thank you again for being onboard, probably tomorrow or wednesday I release the coin as well. 

Cheers

Lorenzo (Stockholm17)

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• Like&Follow the FACEBOOK page
• Website www.stockholm17.com 
• Or become a patron on PATREON 

One mile at the time
almost 3 years ago – Mon, May 10, 2021 at 03:58:36 PM

Shiver me timbers!

This ship has set sails in the middle of an hurricane! I think we broke kickstarter in the first minute and the impossible happened. I am still overwhelmed and the project is about to be 400% funded under 24 hours. Thank you so much! The waters are now clam and I have some time to prepare material.

Let's proceed through the ocean one mile at the time. 

In this update I anticipate the stretch goals, but I need a few more days to release all of them and create visuals.

In this update:

•  One mile at the time: the schedule of stretch goals releases and a sneak peek.
•  The Quartermaster paradox: more info about this
• Capsize Playing Cards

One mile at the time

In this update I explain the stretch goals, but the items will be released during the incoming week. We take it easy and we have all the time.

•  200% Stretch Goal: Solis & Lunæ upgrade option will be explained in update #3 (the next one)
•  250% Stretch Goal: coin release will be in update #3
•  300% Stretch Goal: signature seal on Astra Polaris will be explained in update #4
•  350% Stretch Goal: ehm... let me think of something, I saw very nice feedback and ideas in the comment session. Feel free to write your suggestion/idea/request.
•  400% Stretch Goal: same as above, I need some time.

Coin Design sneak peek

IMPORTANT: not yet available as add-on, please wait for the next update.

The coin will be as big as a piece of eight (diameter 38mm/1.5in) and thickness about 2-3mm depending on production specs.

The plan is to have one side in gold (sun) and the other one in silver (moon), not 2 different coins.

The shape is a little irregular, yet a round shape.  It is a simple design, yet quite fascinating with the double color side finish.

Quartermaster Matteo Ardohain is working on it and will provide a beautiful 3D rendering and animation that shows how it will look.

The Quartermaster paradox

I want to clarify the situation with this limited edition deck as I had countless requests that unfortunately I cannot satisfy. Here is why:

In 2020 I printed 300 decks, and 100 of them went as reward to my patrons on my Patreon page. That was the 2020 reward package and everything has been delivered.

At the time I decided that the remaining decks (200) will be for the Kickstarter campaign and for other purposes:

•  10  went to collaborators, offered as giveaways during 2020, used for photo-shooting, video footage and these kind of things.
•  10 are in the safe of the ship and I need them for the prizes of the puzzle, and as backup to tackle shipping issues, plus a couple for myself and not for sale.
•  50 in the reward The Intrepid
•  130 in the reward The Quartermaster

TOT physically available: 200

At launch the queries for the Quartermaster were so high that kickstarter lagged and added 2 backers even if the tier was limited to 130. Now it counts 132/130 backers. I did not add 2 backers, Kickstarter did.

I do not have more than 200 decks available in total and I cannot order more.

The only way to get them is being in one of those 2 rewards. It happens that backers drop the pledges because they change their mind, especially when the campaign is about to end.

I am sorry if someone was left behind or could not get that reward at launch because Kickstarter had high traffic lag... I was expecting high traffic, but not so high. Please do not send private requests via email/facebook/instagram/kickstarter, it will not help, I just do not have more than stated above :(

Capsize Playing Cards

A fellow ship is about to dock after 30 days journey. Take a look at Capsize Playing Cards: a fully customized nautical-themed deck. 

With its two-way back design featuring knotted ropes overlaying an ocean pattern, this deck is appealing to collectors, magicians and cardists alike.

Final hours, funded, back it here

That's all for now, I start working on visuals and prepare the next update. I wish you a great sunday and thank you so much for backing!

Cheers!

Lorenzo, Stockholm17 Playing Cards

• Follow Stockholm17 on INSTAGRAM 
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• Or become a patron on PATREON 

Funded in 60 seconds!
almost 3 years ago – Sun, May 09, 2021 at 04:34:10 PM

Dear Backers...THANK YOU!!!! WOW!

This is a short update just to thank you all! I think the project got funded in less than a minute or so. I did not count because I was in live streaming with Deckin Around.

What's Next

Right now I am going through the messages and the comments. Tomorrow I write a better update about the issues with the Quartermaster Edition (see how kickstarter added 2 backers in a reward limited to 130), the stretch goals, and the plan

FAQs

I just uploaded the FAQs, check them out at the bottom of the campaign page.

I wish you a great day/night/morning  and thank you so much for backing!

Cheers

Lorenzo