Hi, I’m Stew — and I have a bit of a thing for playing cards. What started over 15 years ago as an interest in magic slowly turned into a rather large collection of playing cards, custom decks and all sorts of wonderfully unnecessary things that happen to come in a box with 52 cards! I love the creativity, artwork, history and craftsmanship that goes into a great deck, and I’m still fascinated by the endless variety of designs out there. I’m also a big fan of the magic side of things and spend far too much time practising card sleights, shuffles and moves that I’ll probably never actually use in front of anyone. I’m not a magician or a performer — I just really enjoy the process of learning, practising and occasionally getting a move right after the 47th attempt! For me, collecting playing cards is as much about the stories, the people and the creativity behind each deck as it is about the cards themselves. Stew’s Playing Cards is my little corner of the card-collecting world, where I can share the decks I love and celebrate all things playing cards and magic.
Most of my decks stay sealed and safely tucked away in the collection. But if I really like a deck, I’ll often buy two — one to keep pristine and one to open, handle and enjoy. That way I get the best of both worlds: a sealed copy for the collection, and another to admire, shuffle and practise with!
My love of magic extends far beyond playing cards. Although card magic has always been my favourite, I’ve long had a fascination with magic as a whole — from learning about the different branches of the craft to attending magic conventions and seminars. I’ve attend several magic conventions, including The Session Magic Convention in 2023, when the legendary Richard Turner attended as the Guest of Honour, and, more recently, The Magic Con with Craig Petty and Lloyd Barnes (and the infamous PigCake)!
I’ll never be a magician myself, but that’s never stopped me from being fascinated by the art form. For me, there’s something brilliant about learning how a trick works, understanding the thinking and technique behind it, and appreciating the skill that goes into performing it. You don’t necessarily have to perform magic to enjoy it — sometimes, simply understanding the secrets, history and creativity behind it is just as much fun.
I’ve always wanted to create my own deck of playing cards — something personal that brings together my interests and gives me an excuse to get lost in the details. My love of Lev Grossman’s The Magicians and fascination with the Key & Bee emblem of Brakebills gave me the perfect inspiration. After trying out many variations, I finally settled on a design and created original artwork for all 52 cards, plus a joker (V2)! The result? The Key & Bee Playing Cards — my own little piece of magic, and a long-held idea finally brought to life.
As you can probably imagine, building this site took a deck-load of time and effort! If you spot any mistakes or shuffle-ups, I’d be super grateful if you’d drop me a quick note so I can fix them.
You can reach me at stew [at] 52corner.uk — thanks for stopping by!