Cards and decorations

How do you decorate the cards?

Each card is rigorously handmade. Before painting on the card, I do apply a layer of protective acrylic varnish, so that the color holds firmly. It's a job that requires a lot of time and great precision!

Which colors do you use?

I use acrylic colors of different brands and a transparent protective varnish for acrylic colors.

What's the difference between various cards types (Altered, Extended, Full Art, Stained Glass)?

Those terms identifies different types of artistic decorations on the cards:

- Altered: these are the cards where I add an element foreign to the original design, often within the illustration box. For instance I can add your favorite pokémon, or modify the outfit of your plainswalker;
- Extended: these are the cards where I overlay the border with painting, thus extending the illustration beyond its original margins. The name of the card, its casting cost, type, expansion symbol and text box are kept visible;
- Full Art: even with this type of cards the original illustration is extended beyond its original border but, unlike extended cards, other areas are overlaid too so that only the name of the card and the casting cost remain visible;
- Stained Glass: it's a pictorial technique that emulates stained glass windows; it cab be applied to extend cards or to full art cards. The final outcome is really distinctive and awesome!

For decorations not included in this short list, please do not hesitate to contact me for more info.

Are decorations resistant?

Decorations have good resistance. Acrylic colors are very difficult to erase. Also, I do apply a transparent varnish on the card before painting it, so that the paint adhere better, and a protective layer of the same varnish over the decoration, to protect it. Each card will be shipped inside a "perfect size" protective sleeve. If the cards are used to play, I always recommend to keep them inside their protective sleeves to avoid damaging their borders and to reduce wear and tear.

Can decorated / artworked cards be used in tournaments?

To be used in a tournament a card has to have name, casting cost, cart type, expansion symbol and text box well visible and readable. Therefore extended and altered cards can always be used. Full art cards can be used at judge discretion: some allow them, others do not. However, to be sure to be able to use them, the same rule used for the proxy cards apply: prove you own another card equal to the one I decorated and you'll be able to use it without any problem.

Can you decorate damaged / worn cards too?

Yes, I can fix / restore cards that are damaged to some extent. It all depends by the entity of the damage. Send me a photo of the card and I'll tell you if I can work with it.

Orders

There's a card in the shop that I'd like to buy, but it's no longer available. What can I do to get it??

Each card is a unique piece: when it's sold... it's gone, forever. You can contact me and tell me which card you'd like to buy, and maybe we can find a way to to fulfill your wish.

There's written that you can procure cards. Can you find them all?

I can obtain most cards. Obviously time and cost changes according to the rarity of the card.

How do you calculate the price of the cards that you first procure and then decorate?

The final price is given by the sum of:card cost + decoration cost + shipment cost

OK then, you can find the cards I'm asking for. Do I need to give you a deposit in advance?

Yes, I usually charge half the total amount as a deposit. The other half will be due when I'll finish the work. 

Do decorations cost all the same?

No, each decoration type has its own. Please contact me for your card-specific quotation.

Can you send me the work-in-progress of the cards you are decorating for me?

No, I won't send work-in-progress updates. Before I start decorating the card I'll send you a project to ask your approval.

How long does it take to decorate a card?

Depends by the period. I usually have a couple of month of queue. I can book your alter for a month, anche I usually ship the card by the end of that month. In any case I'll communicate the date the card is expected to be shipped, when you contact me for a project. 

Shipments

How do you ship the cards?

I ship using Poste Italiane (Italian Mail) services. The shipping method I use is registered and tracked. 

How long does it take to receive the cards?

Depends by the type of shipping you choose and by the the country you live in. In Italy it normally takes a few days. In other countries it might take few weeks. I wrote the expected delivery times offered by the different shipping services in the shipment selection page of the checkout process.

Can I track the shipment?

Yes, you can. Sometimes the tracking stops when the card arrives in your country, since some local postal services don't allowd tracking (this is an issue mainly in Canada and Australia)

What happens if the shipment does not arrive to destination and cards are lost?

Good travels at recipient risk. Some shipping profiles includes a warranty for goods, so that in case they get lost it's possible to ask for a refund. The shipment selection page states which shipping methods offer a warranty.

Refunds

I there any money-back guarantee?

No. Decorating cards is much like a tattoo. That's why it's paramount we agree on the decoration work I'll do on your cards, before I begin. Once it's started there's no turning back. 
If you change your mind before I stard painting on the card we can agree on a different alter, or I can cancel your alter from my queue, but I will not refund the deposit.