Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
Give this a try
3 Files (all are in OpenOffice’s Calc format)
1) MiniDeck-Faces
2) MiniDeck-BlueBacks
3) MiniDeck-RedBacks
3 Steps
1) Get your favorite cardstock paper and print file 1.
2) Flip paper and print either file 2 or 3 (note: your paper may already be flipped after the printer gives it back to you).
3)Cut.
If you are feeling really creative, try applying a finish to the sheet as per the “Finish It!” chapter in the PGCGC before cutting.
If you do not have openoffice see this post.
Here are the files in OpenOffice’s xls export 1 | 2 | 3
Posted in Free Magic Tricks, Gaff Material, General | 2 Comments »
Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
You know round here at phatus we like ourselves some free any chance we get. Well heres 2 for the weekend. Happy Easter!
First freebee is openoffice.org - OpenOffice is a full suite of “open source” office applications. It supports many formats and best of all its FREE. The Main application of interest at the moment is OpenOffice’s “Calc”. Calc is OpenOffice’s substitute for Microsoft Excel. And quite the substitute it is.
This brings me to my next links. I say if you are gonna print some gaffs, then print some gaffs. Here are two files. Both are “Calc” files that I have created. The files have their cells set to the exact dimensions of a standard playing card and fit 6 cards per sheet.
(One with borders) and
(One without borders). We suggest a thick cardstock paper for the next steps. Simply open the first file with borders in calc, mark the bottom left of the first paper in the printer tray, and print it out. Now cut out the space(s) you would like to print in with a razor knife and straightedge. Now your blanks should embed themselves perfectly in your cutout(s). Now just Tape the back around the perimeter covering as much of the card as you like and as a bonus the face is completely exposed(use laser labels instead of tape for easy peeling). Next, load the second borderless file into Calc. Click the mouse once in the cell that you would like to insert your gaff into. 
Next From the file menu select (insert, picture, from file), then select your gaff card file. Assuming you cropped your borders good on your image, Calc will automatically scale and center the gaff image in the cell leaving you with 5 other bays available. Use em up, and print it!. Remember to make note of the “BL”(bottom left) that you marked in the first print. The cards should peel easy out of the cardstock (like a sticker), and plus you can save the cardstock as a template for your next 6. This will save you much ink in the long run on test prints.
Here is an attempt at an export to Microsoft excel (no guarantees) Borders | No Borders
Hope you enjoy this.
Note: This is new and experimental, If you have troubles with the template’s sizes or alignment please email us.
Posted in Free Magic Tricks, Gaff Material, General | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, February 27th, 2008
The anomaly Teaser video is in. Give it a look.
Posted in General, Magic Performance Videos | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008
I have noticed that there have not been too many hits to the Library Research page in the magic library and I wanted to encourage users to take a look (if you have not allready) as we are creating an index of worth while tricks and methods found in the free books. For example some of you may recognize our latest finding, “The Phantom Artist” from Practical Mental Magic By Theodore Annemann pages 100-102. Here is an effect that has been improved upon and being sold today on DVD as a rep making street magic effect. So be sure to not neglect the Library Research page and be sure to email us your findings if you feel like sharing.
Posted in General | No Comments »
Friday, February 15th, 2008
If there is one thing I have found just as useful as knowing the trick, its having a perfect performance video to train to. Now yes, you have all seen the following teaser videos, BUT in them contains the information one needs for a perfect performance. Now they are all in one location for you to watch till your eyes bugg out. Check out the new “Video Performance Library” page which will contain an updated, Catagorized library of performance videos for some of the best tricks we can find. Email requests to admin@phatus.com
Posted in General, Magic Performance Videos, News | No Comments »
Thursday, February 14th, 2008
Through my online journeys and searches over the past few days trying to find more content for the site, I am finding myself in awe over the insane amount of free information that exists out there regarding magic and illusions. I’m not talking about “exposure”, that is boring, I’m talking about good solid “Textual Data” on magic. The following are books for download at Google books, and all completely FREE. Some are only previews, while many that I came across have much of the book available.
Check this online copy of the “Memoirs of Robert Houdini” for download at google books.
My Best Self-Working Card Tricks
or The Complete Idiots Guide to Magic Tricks, a 374 page book on magic tricks
Science Experiments Index - (Science and magic Rocks!)
Presenting and Training with Magic - 53 simple tricks you can do to energize any audience.
Magic in Theory: An Introduction to the Theoretical and Psychological
Self-Working Card Tricks: 72 Foolproof Card Miracles for the Amateur Magician
Scarne on Card Tricks - 55 professional card trick
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks - 402 pages (wow)
The Little Giant Book of Card Tricks - 352 pages
The Art of Magic -352 pages
Self-Working Number Magic: 101 Foolproof Tricks - 154 pages
and the list goes on and on and on to no end.Id be willing to bet you that almost any modern effect out there today was inspired by a trick that was learned by the creator from books JUST like the ones listed above. Id even bet there is a torn and restored card routine you could tweak in one of those books. This is such a great find I am creating a page titled “Magic Library” in the upper right sidebar which will contain this list of links AND I will continue to update it and organize it as I find more relevant books to add to the library (and trust me I will) so be sure and bookmark the library and NOT this post.
Cheers
Posted in Free Magic Tricks, General, News | No Comments »
