Touchstone Tarot by Kat Black

Quester

I just noticed the bowl of cherries in the nine of cups!! (Life is like a bowl of cherries) I keep fiding little things every time I shuffle!
 

All Is One

Retrokat said:
I take no credit for the wonderful characters in the deck - I was more of a casting director.

There is so much going on with your deck and me right now. Call it casting director or call it simply inspired.

I really have to say that this deck is special.

And I hope for the Happy S card every time. I would never take it from my deck. I sort of live in hope of that card!!

I only got it in the first three readings.

Still...something to hope for. I have never hoped for particular cards.

Well, the Ace of Swords, the Death card and Judgement always show up. I don't hope for them...I'm surprised when I don't see them.

Unless I'm in a bad phase.
You all know that phase !!

Tonight is a full moon. This deck has been my dear friend for a bit.

I will not share the readings I'm getting.

But they are working.
 

weaver

retrokat said:
Kunati have said is that it will be 'full sized' and be a luxury release - Derek posted on Page 23. It will have the same border, a wooden frame with a gilt nameplate, in keeping with the 'portrait painting' feel. I guess you could trim those off if you prefer borderless.
Thanks, Kat!

I just received my special edition version of the Touchstone Tarot a couple of days ago and am positively dazzled! Though I have just begun working with the drop dead gorgeous deck, I am already impressed by the depth of the readings I have had so far. As so many have mentioned here already, all the goodies you included are fantastic, too! What an altogether amazing package the special edition represents!

Somewhere along the line, I thought I'd read that the mass produced deck was going to be smaller, more along the lines of a playing card deck sizewise. It was with that in mind that I posed my border inquiry. There is no way that I would trim the Touchstone deck! Still, for readability purposes, I'd hate to see the size of the actual card images reduced which, in the nicely sized special edition version and without its border factored in, are currently the size of playing cards.

I am delighted that the mass produced version of the Touchstone Tarot won't be too small and will be sized in a way that all of the deck's nuances will be able to be fully appreciated! YES!!!! :laugh: :love:

weaver
 

retrokat

weaver said:
Somewhere along the line, I thought I'd read that the mass produced deck was going to be smaller, more along the lines of a playing card deck sizewise. It was with that in mind that I posed my border inquiry. There is no way that I would trim the Touchstone deck! Still, for readability purposes, I'd hate to see the size of the actual card images reduced which, in the nicely sized special edition version and without its border factored in, are currently the size of playing cards.

The deck was only actually created digitally as 480 x 640 pixels due to the fact that I was working with low-resolution source material. The geeks among you will know that even at a fairly low-res of 240 dpi, printed out 480 x 640's would only be 2" x 2.6" or so. Both editions have been upscaled from this - basically, enlarged. So technically there's no more detail there, but I guess if it's bigger then it's easier to see :) How's that for a totally nerdy explanation??

In plain English for the non-nerds, I made it at playing-card size. Both editions have enlarged my designs :)
 

Owl Song

I would love to snag a copy of the limited edition of this gorgeous deck but funds just won't allow for another month. I hope I'm lucky and there are still some available.

If not, I'll wait for the MM edition. Congratulations, Kat, on such a sumptuous and rich deck. It looks wonderful. :)
 

HearthCricket

retrokat said:
I had a little fantasy when I made Golden that it would be so cool if one day, a century after I was dead, someone would find an antique copy in their grandma's attic and treasure it. I think with Touchstone I have got a bit closer to that fantasy - it's so much more personal and intimate, she makes Golden look a bit aloof and uptight. I think Touchstone feels a lot more precious and heirloomy, even without the gilded edges (although I am really looking forward to those too). Your suggestion HC that it has the feel of a painting found in a basement reminded me of that wish I had years ago to create something that would become someone's special little treasure to be handed down :)

Okay, now that is really freaky, Kat! We think too alike! It looks like your "fantasy" may come true!

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=87766&page=1&pp=10&highlight=heirloom+deck
 

retrokat

That is SO freaky! And shows I don't spend enough time reading Aeclectic - thanks very belatedly about your kind words about Golden :)
 

HearthCricket

retrokat said:
That is SO freaky! And shows I don't spend enough time reading Aeclectic - thanks very belatedly about your kind words about Golden :)

You are very welcome! That is what happens when I have three copies! Of course, now my own fantasy has been expanded. A copy of the Golden AND the Touchstone, together, in your lovely bags, hidden in an old carved box, with an agate pendant attached to the key....

:D
 

Kimber

Who's Who of Tudor England

I'm a huge Tudor and Stewart history buff - that said, I'm also much too lazy to look up the faces I recognize but can't put a finger on, so here's my list:

The Title card is obviously Liz I.

I- Is this actually Johnathan Dee?

XIII appears to be a reference to the plague.

XIV is Katherine of Aragon, Henry's long suffering first wife, depicted here as the young girl she was when they married after his brother's untimely death.

XVIII is a pregnant Jane Seymour, Henry's third wife, and the mother of his only surviving male heir (he survived until he was in his teens, anyway). Henry chose to be buried with Jane when he died.

XX looks like Anne of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife, whom he divorced because he found her unattractive.

The Five of Wands looks suspiciously like Henry, Lord Darnley, Mary Queen of Scots' ill-chosen first husband.

The Nine of Wands is also Jane Seymour.

The Ten of Wands looks like Anne of Cleves again.

The Knight of Wands could be the Earl of Essex, one of Elizabeth's faves. Or Robert Dudley?

The Queen of Wands is a very young (12-13) Elizabeth.

The King of Wands looks familiar, but I can't put a name to him (without looking it up).

The Two of Cups looks like Robert Dudley and his second wife.

The Five of Cups resembles John Knox, but I think his beard was bushier, so maybe not.

The Nine of Cups appears to be Erasmus.

The Two of Swords is Christina of Denmark, who famously refused Henry Tudor's marriage proposal.

The Three of Swords is Henry's ill-fated fifth wife, Catherine Howard, his "rose without a thorn".

The Six of Swords is Mary Queen of Scots - with her son, James the VI and I ?

The Eight of Swords also appears to be Mary, QoS.

The Queen of Swords is Liz's older sister, Bloody Mary.

The Four of Coins is a young Mary Qos.

The Eight of Coins could be Johnathan Dee, or Da Vinci?

The Knight of Coins resembles Sir Walter Raleigh.

Additional guesswork:

Four of Cups - James II

King of Cups - Charles Brandon, who eloped with Henry's sister Mary without permission

Three of Coins, King of Swords, King of Wands, and Five of Swords - These remind me of William Cecil, Robert Dudley (Leicester), Robert Deveraux Essex), Thomas Boleyn, and Thomas Seymour. The men are a lot harder for me to identify for some reason!



I'm curious as to why there's no card depicting Henry himself, or Anne Boleyn or Katherine Parr; I probably just missed them!

I'm interested in hearing where I'm off base and also who the ones I didn't recognize, but should have, are.
 

retrokat

Kimber said:
I'm curious as to why there's no card depicting Henry himself, or Anne Boleyn or Katherine Parr; I probably just missed them!

I'm interested in hearing where I'm off base and also who the ones I didn't recognize, but should have, are.

I think you'll have to wait for the MM version with book - hopefully all will be answered in there. I should be working on that instead of reading AT :p

The reason there are none of Boleyn or Parr is that there are no portraits of either of them in a realistic enough style (neither ever sat for Holbein, more's the pity) and as for Henry himself... hmmm.... well, if he had really looked like Jonathan Rhys Meyers maybe I would have used him ;)