The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum & Other Updates
11 months ago – Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 10:38:14 AM

If you are more of a listener, feel free to listen to the YouTube video! There are also images of updated cards in there as well. If you are more of reader then here are you updates!

We are 87% complete with surveys. I am going to keep them open until the end of Septemeber when I turn this deck into the printer. If you haven't, get it done ASAP!

Important Reminder

You will be charged for shipping when we are ready to fulfill the deck (December or January). This includes pre-order sales. If you have questions let me know. If you want local pick-up, you must select it in the address form under STATE. Ask if you have questions!

I am working hard to balance my anxiety around completing this as efficiently as possible but reminding myself it's most important to make a cool deck. It's stressful but I still love it and think I might be a bit of a stress addict. 

Justice Card

The full story is in my  video above but the card in the thumbnail is Justice. The model is in all grey and broken into a circulating ribbon. Her eyes are wide open but her mouth is sewn shut.

When I discovered the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum I knew I wanted to talk about it and felt like this card was perfect. Justice is not black and white but shades of grey. There aren't winners and loser, especially working with people living with long term mental health issues. Instead it's about striving for the best quality of life possible which was not achieved for many at this hospital. While watching a lot of YouTube videos about ghost hunters stalking the old building at night I realized I didn't want to talk about the ghosts that way. Instead, after discovering a series done by a West Virginia news outlet that interviewed major players at this hospital (then renamed Weston State Hospital), I wanted to discuss "haunting" more metaphorically. I've linked the series here: https://youtu.be/aLrkrN9vMC8?si=1A7s3LVy3r7rMTB8. It was made in 1985 and interviews people who worked there as well as current and former clients who received treatment. While we are better at talking about mental health, the conversation around to fund it, how people consume it, and our attitudes about the most vulnerable feels pretty familiar. It haunts us to this day and the facility was closed 30 years ago. 

I also found out I have a personal connection. My mother interned there as a graduate student in the 70s. She actually also lived there during her internship. While there she found old treatment plans from the post-Civil War era when the hospital served veterans from the war. Listening to her talk about what it was like, it felt weird to create something sensational about ghost hunting there... 

Let me know what you think!

Here are more card updates

Drawing & Painting Tarot Cards!
12 months ago – Tue, Aug 08, 2023 at 07:39:26 PM

A Quick Update™️ to share my progress on the deck! 

First a reminder: you will not be charged for shipping for your order until closer to fulfillment (the end of 2023/beginning of 2024). To get local pick-up, you have to select LOCAL PICK UP in the STATE field of the address and it will nulify the address (I don't know why it's like this).

The under drawings for all the cards are finished which means I can start building the paintings. (Yes they are all hand drawn digitally in Procreate but I call them drawings/paintings—part of my process.)

My goal is to be done with everything and sending items to the printer by the end of September! 

When I'm not actively drawing or sleeping, I am selling at an event (come to Steel City Con August 11th–13th or the Squirrel Hill Night Market on Saturday August 26th 6–10PM), or trying to enjoy a little bit of summer on my bike! 

Below are a few cards for your viewing pleasure. These are all still in process but I'm really excited about where they are at! This is my favorite part of the long process to create a deck and I'm so grateful for your part in bringing this to life. If you want to watch me draw and chat, you can follow me on Twitch or watch process vids on TikTok & Instagram.

Lastly, I want to shout out Miguel from the Speaker's Bureau of The Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center (COTRAIC) for taking the time to talk to me about this deck. He shared pre-colonial history and pointed me to some great resources about who was here first. 

Enjoy these and talk soon!

Haunted Deadlines & The Shadow of Darkness Oracle
about 1 year ago – Wed, Jul 05, 2023 at 10:30:21 AM

Hello Tarot Fans!

I have set a date for finishing this deck up and shipping it out. I'm planning on having everything done no later than September 20th. I'm planning on locking orders around that same time (a bit later than I initially planned) so you have a while to share the pre-order link and update your address if you move or want to do local pick up. 

As I continue to work on cards you can follow along in a few different ways. 

• Twitch streams where I chat and draw cards. (Follow and you'll get notified when I'm live. Videos will go up on YouTube.
• Instagram / TikTok
• I created a graphic and posted to my blog showing progress. I'll work on updating it weekly and share a longer update when it's been 30 days.

I'm also sharing this cool deck from a Canadian based creator. There's a couple days left on it so check it out and grab one before it's done! Its called Shadow of Darkness Oracle.

<3 

GBT

If you’re interested in darker themed oracle decks designed for inner work, insight and introspection you should check out the Shadow of Darkness Oracle.

This is why you might like this deck:

IT’S DESIGNED TO HELP YOU ADDRESS YOUR DARKER ASPECTS: Facing your darker side provides for a catalyst of transformation. This 44-card deck can support you to ask yourself difficult questions and offers suggestions for reframing your perspective in order to change limiting notions and beliefs.

THE IMAGERY INSPIRATION IS UNIQUE: Heavy metal music’s visuals had a big influence on the artwork that was used in this deck. The creator opted to utilize this type of artwork since demon-like characters of metal music are a composition of dark expression.

IT HAS A DIFFERENT LOOK AND APPROACH: It offers a contrasting aesthetic from "love and light" and is intended to encourage inner work. It has a grittiness to it, the messages are for those who prefer a darker look and feel, along with its insightful guidance so that you can begin a process of transformation, and instigate working towards your full potential.

VISIT THE KICKSTARTER PAGE HERE: http://kck.st/3OZeLDg

LOCAL PICK UP INFO pls read!
about 1 year ago – Mon, Jun 26, 2023 at 04:12:43 PM

Hi! I've gotten messages from several people about not being able to select local pick up. I reached out to BackerKit and they just got back to me. 

So, apparently when entering your address you have to go to the COUNTRY field and select LOCAL PICK-UP. (Yeah I know, that's weird as hell). When you do, it will populate N/A into the other fields. If it doesn't work the first time, just hit refresh or leave the survey and restart the process.

You will still enter your credit card info even though when I do charge for shipping later in the year it shouldn't charge you.

If you already entered your info and you want to change to local pick up, send me a message here and I will take care of it on the back end. I will confirm with you when it is done. If I haven't confirmed with you, then it hasn't been done and you will be charged for shipping!

I apologize for how annoying and weird this is. It's beyond counter intuitive. I will make it right ASAP!

- Genevieve

Philly trip for cloth maps & SURVEYS ARE OUT!
about 1 year ago – Fri, Jun 23, 2023 at 02:09:49 PM

1) You should have a survey to complete! Remember: you are confirming your pledge, adding things on, and giving your address. Shipping will be charged separately around the end of 2023/beginning of 2024 at the latest. Fill out surveys before August 1st!

2) I took a very quick trip to Philly and bought fabric for making the cloth maps that you all suggested! The video shows the fabrics I discovered in the glorious FABSCRAP space and I have pictures below. The different fabrics will mean each piece is a unique one and this is a limited run just for you all! We can't take requests for certain colors. Please trust the creative process! They will all be beautiful I promise! :)

This is a longer video update but everything is in there including some footage from the train I took into the city.

3) I'll be posting more cards as I finish them! Next week I'll start streaming my art process and will have details about that soon.