Maintaining the Beauty of Your Marble Vases

By David Artstone

A marble vase is a beautiful accessory that can add class and sophistication to any space. Marble is a natural stone that has been used in famous works of art and architecture for centuries. The choice of kings, marble has an inherent beauty and power that comes both from its smoothly polished surface, and from its mountain born heritage.

Unfortunately marble also has a few characteristics that can make it a unique problem to clean and maintain. Luckily there are a variety of ways to get around these inherent problems in order to keep your vases looking beautiful and clean.

The first thing you have to understand is that marble is a natural base in an acid base relationship. Aside from being an interesting chemistry fact, it is also important because when this material comes in contact with anything that is acidic a reaction will occur. This reaction will cause the marble to discolor, and will leave a stain in the vase which will be impossible to get out.

Unfortunately, most of the cleansers that you buy at the store are acidic chemicals. Acid kills germs, and so they use it to make the cleaners more powerful, for less money. Other acidic substances include fruit juice and pasta sauces. If any of these splash onto your marble vase by mistake you could be in trouble.

When cleaning the vase all you have to do is take a warm wash cloth and use it to gently wipe the surface of the piece. This should be enough to clean most messes. If you have something you can't get off, you can just run the vase under warm water while rubbing it with a sponge or soft cloth.

Never use a brillow pad or anything hard that can scratch the surface of the marble. The perfect polish of the stone is one of its draws, and you don't want to ruin that by cutting into it.

As long as you are sure to avoid these simple errors, you should be able to keep your vase looking beautiful for years to come. - 31879

About the Author:

The Astounding Copy Cat Caper

By Miles Sunkest

If you like easy to learn card tricks that are a snap to perform, you've come to the right place. This simple trick will seem to be incredibly confusing to the audience, so the reveal at the end is particularly amazing. You don't need any special skills or sleight of hand moves. You can do this trick alone, or amongst many others.

This is the way the trick will unfold to your cheerful viewers. You generate two packs of cards, with a different create on the back. You ask an spectators member to come forward to aid you out. You give them one stack, plus direct them to accomplish the same thing as you. You both shuffle the cards a few times, and then substitute decks with them.

Once you exchange decks, you both go through the deck, and decide on a card. You space your card on crest of your pack, and they do the same with theirs. Then you cut your pack a few times, and they likewise do the same with theirs. Then you switch decks when more. After that you have them search through the deck, and find their card, putting it face down on the table. You do the same, and spot yours exact next to theirs. So they have chosen their card from your pack, and you have chosen your card from their stack. They will be startled beyond belief once they spot that both cards are the same.

Here's the trick. Before you hand them your deck, take a sudden peak at the bottom card. Next, they will pick a card plus spot it on crown of the stack. Once they cut the cards, they will be placing the card that you've seen on zenith of their cards. No matter how many times they cut the deck, their card will be beneath the card that you've witnessed.

So when you swap decks a second time, you effortlessly pull out the card that is below the card that was on the bottom of the stack before you gave it to them. They will, of course, pick the same card from your deck, as it's their chosen card. There is so much stack switching, and cutting, plus card choosing, there's no way anybody can pursue this. So naturally, they will be amazingly impressed when time and time once more, your card matches theirs.

There are a couple ways to set this up, or create your "story" to go along with this trick. You can claim to be spiritual, and read their minds. Or you can chastise every time for breaking into your mind as well as reading your opinion. Or if you desire to have some cool, just pretend that you have no thought what is going on, plus the two cars being the same is a pure mystery. Have a pleasant time with this straightforward caper. - 31879

About the Author:

The Tremendous Aces That Continually Rise To The Top

By Miles Sunkest

This is a great trick that always impresses any audience. One of the cool things about this trick is that once you set the deck up, it will work every time, as it is a "self working" magic trick. The cards will do all the work. It's an up close trick, so you can do this for one person or a small group of friends.

Here's how this commanding trick will materialize to your stunned throng. You pull out a pack of cards, as well as begin to shuffle it. As you are shuffling it, you coach some long, convoluted tale regarding four aces, plus how they always levitate to the occasion. As soon as you are finished shuffling, you ask a volunteer to come up plus part the deck into four stacks of approximately equal height.

Then you coach them to take three cards off the summit of one of the stacks, and space them on the bottom. Then take another three off the pinnacle, and place one of each on crown of the other three small stacks. Have them repeat this for the other three stacks, taking three off the peak, putting them on the bottom, and then another three and placing them one at a time on each of the three stacks they aren't working with. Make unconscious to never glimpse at the face of the cards.

All the while, you are continuing to tell your long and intricate story of the magic Aces, and how they always find their way to the crown. You create some kind of magic wand, or wave your hands plus utter some primordial breathtaking words, plus carefully tap the top of each of the four small stacks. Have your spectator turn over the top card on each small stack, and it they will distinguish the four Aces.

This ploy is actually quite easy one you recognize how to compilation the deck up. You clearly start with all four Aces on top. And make habitual to remember which stack has the four aces once you separate the cards, and make mindless they work with that stack definitive. As soon as they get to that stack, it will have four Aces, plus three other cards on apex, from the previous stacks. You readily take those three cards off the pinnacle, plus put them on the bottom, just like with the other stacks. Now you have four Aces, as well as you'll take three of those as well as put them directly on apex of the other stacks.

After you first generate the deck, it's valuable to rearrange the deck a few times, while making unconscious the four Aces stay on crown. This is fairly straightforward, just make certain as soon as you cut the deck before shuffling, to spot the half with the four Aces in your exact hand, and once shuffling them together to simply make mechanical that the four Aces are among the ending cards to go on crest of the completed deck after you shuffle. You'll find the mass loves this ploy, as well as they will never figure out how you accomplish it. Have fun. - 31879

About the Author:

How To Undoubtedly Make The Hearts And Diamonds Jump Through The Deck

By Miles Sunkest

If you like to impress your friends with simple card tricks, then you've come to the right place. Here's a fantastically simple trick that you'll be able to do once you finish reading this. Despite being shockingly simple to learn and to do, you'll never get caught if you it right. And don't worry, because doing it right is super easy.

This is how it will materialize to your startled viewers or acquaintances (or stranger on the street for that matter!) You stroll up as well as say that you have a magic deck of cards. You quickly fan through the deck, so they can distinguish it's a fairly everyday deck. Not a ruse deck filled with the Three of Clubs or something like that.

Then you tap the peak of the deck, plus show them the peak two cards. No big deal, right? Then you tap the deck once more, but those same two cards are now at the bottom! Then you take those two cards off the bottom, and put them in center of the deck. Tap the deck when more (you can borrow a pencil or something plus use it as a magic wand if you like), as well as the two cards are yet again at the acme! You scratch your head, as well as go on to another caper, or if this is with a stranger at a party or something, you scratch your head plus stroll away. This will leave a fabulous effect, plus they will never forget you!

OK, here's the secret. This only works with the Two plus Three of both Diamonds and Hearts. As soon as you start, you'll have the Two of Hearts, as well as the Three of Diamonds on top, as well as the Two of Diamonds, and the Three of Hearts on the bottom. When you exhibition them the zenith two cards, they won't glance very closely. Then when you exhibition them the bottom two, they will incredulity what the heck is going on, as they will assume they are the same cards, once they exceedingly aren't.

Then you speedily take them, stick them anyplace in the middle (you can even separate them if you like), plus once more display them the cars on peak, which are different from the ones they just saw, but they won't remember. This most excellent if you can make up some goofy tale involving hearts plus diamonds, three guys and two girls, or whatever. That way they'll be looking at the cards even less closely.

Don't anxiety about being caught, as it almost never happens. It will only happen if they've seen the ruse before, or if you hold the cards out for too long. All they very need to perceive is that one is a Two, the other is a Three, as well as they are both red. if you coach a nice allegory concerning two of something, three of something else, as well as hearts and diamonds, they won't have a warning, and will be appropriately impressed with your supernatural abilities. Have fun. - 31879

About the Author:

The Dazzling Mind Reading Illusion

By Miles Sunkest

If you like the idea of doing a very entertaining and amazing party trick, look no further. This is a great psychic transmission trick that you can use with a deck of cards, or anything else for that matter. It only requires a little bit of set up beforehand, and you can entertain the party for hours with this trick, as you can do it again and again and they will never catch on to how you do this.

Here is how the ruse will seem to your stunned spectators. You describe that your acquaintance has a talent of reading your mind, but he or she can only read your mind. They will obviously ask for a exhibition, and you design a regular pack of cards. You let anybody peek through the cards to ensure it's not a secret deck, then you ask your associate to leave the area, or the room for a couple of minutes.

The throng, or person you are doing this ruse with chooses, any card. You don't even contact the deck. They fan the deck, pick out the card, show it to you, plus put it in their pocket. Your assistant, or acquaintance, comes back in the area, plus sits or stands behind you, plus position their fingers on your temple, just like Spock would do in a Vulcan mind meld. After a few moments, your buddy or associate guesses the card.

Here's the ruse. When they point their hands, or fingers, on your temple, you delicately clench your jaw together a number of times according to a pre compilation code between you and your partner. If you try now, you can spread your temple plus feel the muscles tighten when you clench your jaw slightly. For example, you could start off by clenching to indicate the suit, pause as well as then clench to indicate the number of the card.

It can also help if you can put your head down slightly, as well as they can fan their entire palms flat against the side of your face. That will have a more striking influence, plus will cover up any unambiguous clenching. Also, you'll need to clarify why your partner needs to touch you only on that place for it to work, so you'll need to come up with a good story. You can elucidate that your partner is part Vulcan or something.

Of course, this isn't limited to card tricks. If you and your partner be taught Morse code, you can transmit all kinds of information between each other plus entertain your contacts for hours. One fantastic example is to blindfold your partner, and then have folks in the viewers hold up simple things, and then you transmit them using Morse code. If he or she is blindfolded, they will be more focused on the integrity of the blind fold than any procedure of transmission. I'm natural you can believe of a fate of other superb ways to use this entertaining ruse. Have amusing. - 31879

About the Author:

Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett

By Britt Hellman

The latest novel by Great Britain's best-selling author Terry Pratchett is a parody on European football (soccer) and all the cultural phenomena that go along with it, such as cheerleading and football hooliganism. The book, Unseen Academicals may therefore be a bit more exciting to Europeans than to Americans.

But really, the book is about so much more than football (soccer) and makes for fabulous entertainment for anybody, American or British. It is also a book about fashion super models (and their association with football super stars); pies of every conceivable variety (and their association with football fans); as well as goblins and orcs (association to football unknown).

In the hallmark Terry Pratchett tradition, things on the Discworld are just like in our own world, only hilariously exaggerated. Instead of cheerleaders, the Discworld has naiads dancing on the sidelines, and in the place of our tail-gate markets, there are cart-tail vendors.

The main character in the book is the goblin-turned-orc Mr. Nutt, who is one of only a dozen or so surviving orcs on Discworld. In a display of philanthropy, two of the world's most powerful despotic rulers decide to take Nutt on as a project, to help not only him but his entire persecuted race.

It should be said that it's not the first time these two enlightened leaders have done this. In the past, they have assisted in the social integration of rock trolls, golems, werewolves and vampires. Insistent rumors have it that Lady Margolotta herself is one of the latter.

Mr. Nutt gets sent from Lady Margolotta's Uberwald to Lord Vetinari's Ankh-Morpork and assigned the task to accumulate 'worth' in human society. In doing so, Nutt gains many loyal friends and admirers in his workplace, the Unseen University. Co-worker Trev Likely goes to any length to defend his orc friend, and the head mistress of the Night Kitchen, Miss Glenda Sugarbean (creator of the crusty onion pie) becomes a staunch admirer, which later leads to a budding romance.

By impressing his superiors at Unseen University with his knowledge and knack for strategic thinking, Mr. Nutt eventually gets placed in charge of coaching the school's new football team. And then one thing leads to another.

Unseen Academicals may be a parody on the phenomenon of European football (soccer), as well as a number of other things thrown in for good measure, but soccer fan or not, this book will give you many hours of joyous reading and barrels of laughs. - 31879

About the Author:

The Remarkable Card Collection Trick That Is Never Understood

By Miles Sunkest

Here's a great trick that is simple to set up and almost automatic to do. This is an up close card prediction trick, and there are plenty of ways to reveal this. You can turn this into a psychic mind reading trick, or any other of your favorite ways to reveal their chosen card. It's simple to do, and you scarcely have to even touch the deck of cards to be able to do this amazing trick.

Here's how the ruse will look to the spectators, or person you are doing the ploy with. Take a deck straight of a box. Ask them to choose any card, and then place it on top of the deck. Cut the deck once. Make sure to be apparent that when you cut the deck, you aren't looking at the cards at all.

They will be startled past belief when you evenly take the deck, after you've cut it, fan the cards out and choose theirs out without even getting anxious. They will be astounded beyond belief, and you will rapidly gain a reputation as a overwhelmingly skilled conjurer.

Here's how to accomplish the trick. You'll want to do a couple of things for this stunt to work out. First you'll want to "stack the deck." This means arranging the cards in a detailed order ahead of time. You'll want to choose your favorite suit, take them out of the deck, and put them in order. Then position them on the bottom of the deck, so the Ace is the card on the bottom, followed by the two, then the three, etc. Be careful that you don't show them the cards in the deck.

Secondly, you'll want to be watchful that when they take their card, they don't choose it from your chosen suit that has been carefully ordered. This is straightforward, as it only requires they select a card in the top three quarters of the deck. If you want to rely on chance, they will commonly choose from this area. But to be on the safe side, you may want to tell them to decide on from the top half. Have them pick out their card, and place it on top of the deck. You don't even have to handle the deck. They can do all the work.

Now readily cut the deck from within your pre selected suit of cards. So cut from anyplace in the bottom quarter of the deck. Then once you rapidly glance at the bottom card, and you'll know precisely what card you have just placed on top of theirs. Then you certainly fan out the deck, particular not to show them the cards, and pull their card out. Or you can speedily look through the deck until you make out their card, and then reveal it any way you like. Have fun with this extraordinary trick. - 31879

About the Author:

The Humbling Telepathic Mind Invasion Trick

By Miles Sunkest

If you like the idea of convincing a room full of people that you have powerful psychic skills, then this trick is for you. It requires only a couple minutes of set up, and it will powerfully demonstrate your incredible skills of psychic projection. Most everybody will quickly be convinced beyond a shadow of any doubt that you have massively powerful Jedi mind skills.

Here's how the trick will look to your soon to be very awed test subject. You tell them you have a deck of cards, and you will seize each card off the top, and deliberate on the color, red or black. Then you will throw the color into their brain, and they will unconsciously select the right color. You carefully go through the whole deck, projecting either black or red into their mind.

When you are finished, you will have two stacks of cards. Whenever they guess red, you put the cards to the left, and each time they guess black, you put the cards to the right. You elucidate to them that according to the laws of statistics, two or three in a row is accidental chance, but more than five or six in a row is verification of something deeper, something mystifying. You ask them to choose which to check first, black or red. Then pick up whichever stack is that color, and ask them how many cards in a row would influence them of your powers. Generally they'll say somewhere between five and ten.

You then proceed to flip ten cards over, all the exact color that they predicted. You have proven your ability to impressively project your thoughts into their brain, and they will never look at you the same way again.

Here's how to do the trick. Ahead of time, you'll need to divide out all the red and black cards, put them into the deck. So you'll have 26 black cards on top of 26 red cards. When you are "projecting" the card color into their brain, you'll go through all the black cards, and all of the red cards. Since they'll likely choose indiscriminately between black and red, after the first half the trick is over, you'll have two stacks, with black on top of red, on either side.

They, of course, will imagine one stack is wholly black, and one stack is fully red. So when you ask them which stack they'd like to look at first, just bear in mind which color is on top. If they pick red, display them ten cards in a row from the bottom, and if they choose black, show them ten cards in a row from the top. You'll need to be talking when you pick up the particular stack, and turn it over in your hands a couple times to keep their concentration off which side of the stack you pull the cards from. This trick always amazes them, and will win over any skeptic beyond a shadow of a doubt of your telepathic projection abilities. Have fun. - 31879

About the Author:

The Amazing Vanishing Coin

By Miles Sunkest

Here is a fantastic up close magic trick that never fails to mesmerize any audience, regardless of how much experience they have watching skillful magic. This trick relies heavily on props, and you'll have to switch the props in and out quickly and without being noticed, but this trick will stun them all.

Here's how it will look like to your naive spectators. You have a normal wine glass, upside down on a table. You ask to borrow a coin from anybody in the audience. You tell them that you will make it disappear, but not to be anxious, as you will rapidly bring it back once more.

You lay their coin next to the glass. You cover up the glass with a napkin, and then lift up the goblet and the napkin at the same time. You place the glass on top of the coin and get rid of the napkin. The coin has magically vanished, and is nowhere to be seen. You leave the napkin back over the glass, and move it back to its first location on the table. The astonished audience will gasp with glee as the coin has magically reappeared. You cleanly give the coin back to the owner, and move on immediately to your next trick.

This is a easy gimmick, or setup trick. The secret is to have the glass on a tablecloth. White is finest. Then take a piece of paper that is the same color as the tablecloth, and cut it cautiously, so that it is exactly the same shape as the rim of the glass. Then certainly connect it to the rim of the glass using glue or rubber cement. If you use tape, it might be visible.

Then when you place the glass over the coin, it will appear as if the coin has vanished, when in truth it is only under the trick glass. When you move the glass back, away from the coin, the coin will become perceptible again.

This works best if you focus the awareness on the actual napkin, or handkerchief that you will use to coat the glass with. If you have a great silk handkerchief, then that will work better. And make sure to explain that it's the handkerchief that will do the magic, and not the trick glass. You can make a show of demonstrating that the coin is not veiled anywhere in the handkerchief after you've placed the trick glass over the coin.

Be sure to focus on the glass itself as little as possible. If somebody suspects the glass is part of the trick, then it might ruin it, so be careful. It helps to do this trick in the midst of many others where you have a table where you do the tricks, and a group of props off to the side. Also take care when you remove the glass, cover it with the magic handkerchief first, or else they will see the false bottom. Have fun with this. - 31879

About the Author:

The Awe-Inspiring Extrasensory Projection Trick

By Miles Sunkest

Here's a great up close magic trick that doesn't require any complicated tricks or gadgets or gimmicks. You don't have to prepare anything, and it only requires a regular deck of cards. You don't even need to know how to shuffle to do this trick. It's based on pure mathematics, which means that it will work regardless who does it. Of course, the more you talk this up while you do it, the more entertaining it will be. You'll easily be able to impress anybody with this simple trick.

Here's how the ploy looks like to your soon so be awestruck audience. You tell them that you have just learned some authoritative skills of psychic projection. You can position thoughts clandestinely in their mind. Of course, they don't trust you, and they ask for a exhibition, to which you luckily oblige.

You pull out a regular deck of cards, and open up the cards so that only you can see the cards. You spend a significant amount of psychic energy looking at the cards, and looking at your companion. Then you put the cards back into a regular stack, and tell the person to decide on any two cards, without naming the suit. Like ace, and queen, or ten and three, for example.

Once they select their two cards, you search through the deck, and show them that the two cards they chose are right next to each other. They will be surprised, and likely ask you to do this trick again. You go through the motions of looking at the cards, and projecting the numbers into their heads. Once again they choose two cards, and once again you show them their two cards are right next to each other in the deck.

The rationale this always works is due to utter mathematical probability. Since they aren't naming the suit of the card, and only the number, there is about a ninety percent likelihood that any two cards they pick will be next to each other, since when they choose two cards, their really choosing eight (two cards of four suits each). And just sheer mathematics, the likelihood of any two of any eight cards in a deck being next to each other is about ninety percent.

Of course, the more you chat this trick up, the better. The more you pretend to project thoughts into their mind, and go through the motions of doing heartrending psychic projection the better. If you want you can make a friendly wager with them that you can accurately "project" the cards into to their head before the trick. Have fun with this. - 31879

About the Author:

The Enchanting Regrowing Money Trick

By Miles Sunkest

Here's another great magic trick that never fails to baffle any audience. Because it's done with money, it will be sure to quickly and powerfully grab anyone's attention. This up close magic trick requires some preparation and some practice, but you'll surely find that it's worth it, as most people will not believe their eyes when they see this incredible trick.

Here's how the trick will seem to your keen viewers. You pull out a bill, any bill will do, but I propose using only a dollar, as you will be cutting it in half. You clarify to the crowd that you have lately discovered some potent cash magic from the gods of treasure, and you are going to give a demo. You pull out a dollar bill, and a pair of clippers.

As the swarm looks on excitedly, you slice the dollar bill in half. You hold each half up independently for all to see, and with some magic words, and perhaps a brandish of your magic wand, with each hand you magically make each cut half grow into a new, full dollar bill. You have just performed the impossible. You have cut a dollar bill in half, and each half has grown a new half, so now you have two dollars!

Here's the ruse. Before, you'll need to cautiously organize both bills. You take each bill, and delicately coat the center of each with a thin strip of rubber cement. Make sure to cover both sides. After you have finished covering each side with rubber cement, gently dust the rubber cement with baby powder, or talcum powder.

When you pull out the "single" bill, it is in fact two bills placed carefully together. When you cut through each bill, you will have two halves that are connected by the rubber cement. So when you open out each half, they will look to be a single bill, when in fact it is two separate bills that are now glued together by the rubber cement.

This takes a bit of preparation, so make sure you prepare with some regular paper. Of course, if you don't like the idea of cutting authentic money in half, you can always use stage money, or monopoly money. Also it's a good idea to talk a good game prior to and following the trick. Another good idea is to hurriedly put both bills back in your pocket, where you have two more duplicate bills waiting, should anybody ask to check them. This works great at parties or bars, where individuals are cozy and having a good time. Have fun with this. - 31879

About the Author:

The Grand Magical Card Trick

By Miles Sunkest

This is a great magic trick that uses a deck of cards, and is always a hit with the kids. Even adults will have no clue how you do this amazing trick. The cool thing is that it requires no sleight of hand or any hidden cards or anything like that. This is a self working trick, meaning that it will always work, every time. And when they figure out how it's done it will be amazing, but only if you show them.

Here's how the ruse seems to your stunned observers. You have all the cards of the matching suit taken out of the deck. So you've got all the hearts, or clubs, or whatever. Have them prearranged in order, beginning from the ace, and ending with the king. If you are doing this with children, you can even have them set the deck up for them.

Once you've got it set up, then you go through the deck once, showing them all that they are indeed in order, beginning from the ace, and ending at the king. If you like you can give them the short stack and have them ensure for themselves to make sure there is nothing funny going on.

Then explain the secret to them. You have the stack face down. If they say "deal," then you take one card off the top, and place it face down on the board, in a new stack. If they say "double deal" then you take two cards off the top, reverse the order and then place them face down in the same stack. Do this until you've gone through all the cards. Tell them that they have to keep in mind the new order that the cards are in. While they are industriously trying to re analyze the order, you pick up the new stack, and begin to turn each card over one by one. They will be shocked to see that the cards are still in the same order, beginning from the ace, up to the king.

Most often, they will ask you to do it again, and again. And the cool part is, since this is a self working trick, they can do it themselves and it will still work. The reason it works should be understandable once you do this a few times. If you take only one card off the top, and place it in the new stack, (deal), or take two cards, and reverse the order, placing them in the new stack (double deal) they still end up in the same order, no matter if you deal or double deal them. To observe how this works, do the trick with all the cards facing up, and you'll see how it works out.

This is fantastic for kids of all ages, and several of them will never deduce how it works even after they do the trick themselves. Of course, you'll intermittently run into a young theorist or natural mathematician who'll see right through this trick and realize how it's down. Nonetheless, this trick is superb for endless amounts of entertainment, even with adults. Have fun with this straightforward trick. - 31879

About the Author:

They Will Never Figure Out This Staggering Money Magic Trick

By Miles Sunkest

Here's a great trick that has been around for a while, and is based on some simple concepts. You'll need to do a bit of set up for this, but the astonishment you will create will easily make it worth it. You can do this as the first trick in a set, in between a bunch of other illusions, or even a a standalone gag to play on your friends at a bar or a party.

Here's how the trick will develop to your soon to be astonished friends. You pull out a folded bill, and lay it on the table. You tell some long elaborate tale about how money was fashioned out of some secret bond between man and the gods of long ago, and you only need to know how to tap into its special powers to control money with your mind. So long as you include magic, history, and metaphysics, you'll be sure to have their interest. As soon as you have your audiences attention, you perform the magic.

You hold your left hand out, and hold the edge of the bill flat against the table. Then you can burble some secret magic words from Atlantis or something (or must make them up,) and project your powerful clairvoyant energy on the riches. After a few moments, the bill will start to fold up on itself, first once, then twice. After your friends are thoroughly shocked, merely pick up the bill, place it in your pocket and carry on with whatever conversation you were having before the illusion.

Here's the trick. The way to make the bill fold is to first get ready it with a piece of tape, and a piece of long thin, thread. You'll need to fold the bill a few times so it knows where to fold when the time comes. You take a needle, and push the thread through the bill, and attach it to the other side. You really run the thread through the bill in two places. So if the bill is laying flat, the thread will come up underneath one half, and go through the second half, and be securely taped to the bottom, so they won't see the tape.

Then you have the thread coming out of the hole (the non taped end) and have it run through your pocket or sleeve, and looped around one of your fingers. For example, if you are holding the bill on the table with your left hand, as you move your right hand away from your body, it will pull the bill in on itself, giving the illusion that it is folding itself. This takes some practice to set up, but after a few tries at home, you'll be able to set this up in no time.

Of course, like with any other trick, the buildup is important as well, as removing any evidence as soon as the illusion is completed. One thing you can do is to have an identical bill in your pocket, that's been folded the same way to show to your friends. So when you pick up the trick bill, you can put it in your pocket and quickly switch it with a normal bill should your friends ask to inspect it. This trick gets great results when sitting around chewing the fat with your buddies over a couple of cold ones, or you can do this in a regular magic show. Have fun. - 31879

About the Author:

The Staggering Coffee Coin Magic Trick

By Miles Sunkest

This powerful money magic trick will enthrall and entertain any audience. It's an up close magic trick, so it's best used on a small audience, either your friends, or a group of complete strangers if you are bold enough. This will quickly establish your reputation as a master magician.

This is the way this amazing trick will look to your friends. You have a regular cup of coffee, and you are standing around chatting to your friends. Suddenly, you notice that the pattern on the side of the cup has some kind of magical effect. You mention that they remind you of something, but you can't quite think of what. You ask if they recognize the pattern, and of course, everybody will think it is a normal pattern that is on every cup of coffee from a vending machine.

Then it hits you. The patterns on the side are from ancient Egypt, and they have magical money making powers. The people watching you will think you are either crazy, or joking. Until you twist the cup of coffee, and the coffee magically transforms into coins. As they recoil in amazement, simply finish off the liquid in the cup, dry off the coins, and put your new found money in your pocket. You then tell you friends you have a magic cup that will produce money for you whenever you need it.

Here's the trick. You'll need to set this by taking a paper cup, and cutting the bottom portion off, about a third of the way down. After that you simply put the cup back together by sliding the top portion inside the bottom portion. You'll need to be careful that you don't disfigure the top portion while you do this. You'll also need to make sure that you don't put the portion all the way inside the bottom portion.

Once the cup is put back together, you fill the bottom with coins, and then just barely cover the coins with some black coffee or soda. As you slowly turn the bottom of the cup, push it further up into the upper portion, and the coins will naturally appear. Your audience will be paying attention to the contents of the cup, and won't notice that it is shrinking in size as the coins appear.

If you are going to drink whatever liquid that is in the cup, make sure to wash the coins thoroughly before doing so. And make you sure you practice before hand, to make sure that no liquid spills out the side of the cup, giving the trick away. Be sure that when you introduce the idea of creating money, make it sound like it was something you saw on TV, and you're not sure if it will work or not. This will help with your misdirection. You can have a lot of fun with this amazing trick. - 31879

About the Author:

Mystical Powers of Voodoo

By Vladymir Rys

Civilizations everywhere around the globe have perpetually relied on their religion in spiritual or mystical powers to accomplish totally amazing feats. Long before trendy drugs came on the scene, most health considerations were historically handled by applying a dose of spirituality, voodoo, witchcraft, astrology, or psychic power from any number of paranormal sources.

Hundreds of years ago, one merely couldn't get through the day without help from the "unseen" world. Of course, that was in the "dark ages" before we were enlightened by the miracles of contemporary science. But is it wise for people today to scoff at what appeared to work for so many individuals, for so long?

In a world where mainstream religion is typically mocked, it's simple to taunt those who believe in the powers of the paranormal, occult, magic, psychic or new age remedies. We often label them as misguided kooks or blind followers of the current trendy Hollywood scene and counter-culture. However as humans, it is in our nature to go looking for truth, and solutions to the numerous problems we have a tendency to face. And let's face it, today's world is filled with day-to-day problems that we tend to try to beat... issues managing love, cash, health, simply to name a few. Life could be a tough struggle for innumerable people worldwide who seek relief, and solutions to their problems by turning to magic spells. Simply go to Ebay and do a search on love spells or magic spells. You'll realize an endless potpourri of psychics and spell casters who can make your problems disappear, or bring you superb results for just a few dollars. Suppose that's funny? It gets better. When asked, most people who get these spells can tell you that they really work... and they do.

Thus how will a love spell performed by a psychic really attract a soul mate to a lonely person seeking a love partner? Did that money spell really help that struggling secretary get employment or a promotion and a salary raise? And what about that healing spell that cured my neighbor's back pain? The unbelievers can seemingly point to coincidence, some sort of logical explanation, or attribute the results to simply "mind over matter." However people who believe in psychic powers and the paranormal world suppose otherwise - there must be a non secular or metaphysical serving to hand involved.

As a self-professed psychic and paranormal expert, who has studied spirituality, psychic phenomena, and also the art of spell casting, I personally believe that there's much more to the trend than meets the eye. Most mainstream religions settle for the power of prayer as an approach to receive blessings, protection and goodness from spiritual sources. Even medical professionals are currently recognizing that a person's faith and beliefs can play a serious role in improving quality of life and health. However, while several doctors can admit that there's some benefit to holistic and alternative medicines, you'll be pressed to find any who can publicly encourage seeking answers from a psychic or magic spell.

There has continually been a stigma in going to a fortune teller, psychic or spell caster, that keeps folks from simply accepting their virtues. As an industry, the psychic business has brought some of this skepticism on itself. Shoddy late night television infomercials for psychic readings, con artists or carnival fortune tellers are the visions that come to mind for many, when they think of psychics. Simply observe how astrology and other psychic-related ads have that small disclaimer at the bottom that claims "for entertainment purposes only." It's as phony as professional wrestling, right? Well, don't be too quick to agree.

There are far more people than you think that who use cash or love spells on a daily basis, in an attempt to restore a relationship, or gain monetary freedom. And these are people from all walks or life, professions, income levels, spiritual affiliations and nationalities. Sure, some may rely too much on seeking help from the psychic world, however most of them are true believers of the occult and wouldn't have it any different way. They can tell you that these spells work for them, their lives are enriched, and you are the foolish one who doesn't apprehend what you're missing.

People continuously question me, "Are these spells real? I mean, will they really have things happen that I can't do on my very own?" If spells can do what they claim they will do (improve love life, attract additional money, higher luck at gambling) then the solution has to be "Yes." A spell that will do what it's supposed to do has got to be real. In fact, it helps if you have got a positive outlook, and believe that the spell can actually help you. However if the spell delivers results, then it's to be real. Believers will tell you that those who refuse to open their minds to the probabilities of magic spells and religious solutions can never recognize what they're missing. Maybe it is the unbelievers who are experiencing "mind over matter," only their mindset is narrowly focused on the negative.

Why limit your world to merely the few things you can see and touch? After all, what you see isn't invariably what you get. - 31879

About the Author:

Staggering Time Bending Street Magic

By Miles Sunkest

This is a great up close impromptu magic trick that will fool almost anybody. It doesn't require any special props, and you can do it anywhere. It works great as a standalone trick, or with a set of other tricks. If you are bold enough, you can even do this with strangers on the street, as this is a perfect illusion for street magic.

This is how it looks to your audience. You walk up to them on the street, or to your friend, and say that something is wrong with your watch. Lately you've noticed that timepieces that you touch immediately go crazy, and lose their ability to keep proper time. You ask to borrow their watch, so you can set yours. They'll think you're joking, and won't think too much of it.

At the same time you set your watch, get them to double check the correct time. They will, usually by looking at a clock on the wall or by checking with somebody else. You make sure they watch you set your watch, to ensure you've got the right time. You thank them, and hand them their watch back, but explain to them that you've somehow messed it up. You tell them to sandwich it between their hands, without looking at the face, and tell them to guess how far off their watch is from the correct time. Most people will guess five minutes or so, which means they'll be shocked to see their watch is off by around thirty minutes.

Here's the trick. First you need to choose somebody who's watch has a large stem that is easy to turn. You hold their watch in your left hand, and you're watch in your right. While you are focusing on setting your own watch, while they are concentrating on your watch, you quickly move their watch out of view and re-set the time. You can quickly do this when they look away to verify the correct time.

This illusion is heavily based on misdirection, and the skill of quickly changing the time on their watch with only your left hand. Obviously, you'll need to practice. If you have a watch that has a big stem, you can practice when you are watching TV, or doing something else that doesn't require your hands.

The best way to apply the misdirection is just to play dumb, as if you really have no idea what is going on. Begin the illusion as if you are genuinely asking them for the time, but concerned that you have a strange effect on time pieces. If you say at the beginning that you are going to magically change the time on their watch, they'll obviously watch you much more closely. This is a great ice breakers at bars, parties, or anybody on the street that you'd like to make a lasting impression on. Have fun. - 31879

About the Author:

Immediately Impress Any Audience With This Astonishing Card Trick

By Miles Sunkest

If you want to learn a quick and easy up close impromptu magic trick, look no further. This simple card trick will convince that you have unimaginable psychic powers and telekinetic skills. It's a great introduction into other card tricks, and will quickly make you the most popular person at the party or bar.

Here's how the trick will look to you friends. You're sitting around a table at a party or a bar, talking about whatever. You mention in an "oh by the way," fashion that you've recently picked up some telekinetic skills. Obviously, their conversation will come to a dead halt as they demand a demonstration of your newly found gifts. Of course, since you've just learned these powerful skills, you can only move small objects. Of course, you tell them that you haven't learned to lift up pool tables or anything like that.

You produce a deck of cards, take one out at random, and place it on the back of your hand. You invoke the magical powers of Zeus, or your favorite god whenever you use your telekinetic powers, and the card magically starts to bend according to your powerful mental will. Once you've satisfied your friends of your powerful mental energy, you explain that now you need a rest, as they have no idea how much psychic power it takes to bend a card. After that just return to talking about whatever you were talking about before you performed this magnificent illusion.

Here's the trick. Before you announce your special powers, rub some water on the back of the hand that you are going to place the card on. You'll need an inexpensive, non-laminated deck of cards. The cheap cards will be porous, and will naturally soak up that water that you have deftly rubbed on your hand. When it does this, it will naturally bend toward the curvature of your hand, amazing your friends in the process.

This is one of those tricks that require you talk a good game both before and after the illusion. If you only call attention to the card, and bend it for them, they'll likely know that something is up. But if you build it up, and tell an interesting story beforehand, (get it, before hand?) and quickly cover it up with another story after the fact, it will go over much better.

Of course, if you know any other simple card tricks (that don't require the whole deck, sine you've just ruined one of the cards) this would be a great time to pull them out. There are many simple tricks that don't require you to be playing with the whole deck. This is a great introduction to some fantastic tricks that you can entertain your friends with, or if you get lucky, start to attract a crowd of eager onlookers. Have fun. - 31879

About the Author:

The Tremendous Coin Illusion

By Miles Sunkest

If you like doing cool magic tricks that will confuse the heck out of your friends, you've come to the right place. This simple trick is best done all by itself, making it a perfect trick to break up any conversation at a bar or a party. It doesn't require any special props or training, so you can go out and do it tonight if you like.

This is how it will appear to your audience. You're standing around at a party, or sitting at a table. You casually say that you have a mysterious coin eating black hole in your pocket that sucks up money, and then spits it out in mysterious locations. Your friends will naturally want to know more, so you can show them exactly what you are talking about.

You ask one of your friends for a specific coin. Tell them to write something on it so they know you're not playing any tricks on them. You shake your right leg after putting the coin into your right pocket. Then you reach down, and pull the coin out from under your left leg. Bewildered, you give them the coin back, and explain you have no idea how this happens.

Here's the trick. When nobody is looking, you reach down and place a coin under your left foot. Later on you ask for the same coin described above. Then place it in your right pocket, and pull the their coin from under your left foot. But before you give it back to them, place it in your right pocket, as if you'd forgotten you borrowed it from them. As soon as you stick your hand in your pocket, quickly switch coins. That way, the one you give back to them will be the one they marked.

This is a trick that is best done by itself, and best done without announcing you are doing any kind of tricks. You'll need to play along the whole time, and pretend you have no idea what is going on. No matter how much they press you, claim that you have no idea how or why this happens, only that it happens sometimes, and doesn't happen other times.

What is likely the trickiest part is how to introduce the topic without sounding too obvious once you've hidden the coin under your shoe. Usually it works pretty well when you wait for somebody to talk about money, and then you can gently guide the conversation into losing money and what not. That way they'll have no idea you've set this whole trick up. This trick is great for throwing a monkey wrench into an otherwise normal social conversation. Have fun with this. - 31879

About the Author:

How To Effectively Impress Any Audience With This Remarkable Magic Trick

By Miles Sunkest

This powerful yet simple trick will be a great way to entertain the crowd and solidify your magical presence. You will convince them you have the strength of the gods and the magical abilities of Houdini with this simple yet crowd pleasing trick. It also works great as a lead in to a more difficult trick.

Now you've got the whole crowd's attention. You explain that you have recently had a vision, and the ghost of Hercules has loaned you his incredible strength for a time. And that you have decided to use his borrowed strength to entertain the crowd rather than for personal gain. As you brag more and more, they become more and more suspicious. Surely you are making this up. You produce a pack of ordinary cards. Naturally, you shuffle them a couple of times, showing they are a normal deck of cards. You call on the strength of the gods one last time, and then easily tear the cards in half, throwing them in the air. The crowd is stunned, and you are a hero. The men will wish they were you, and the women will wish they were with you.

Of course, this is an illusion, and here's how to do it. The deck will need to be set up before hand, so that it looks normal to the untrained eye, but is much weaker so you can easily tear it in half. You can do this a couple ways. The first way is to take a straight razor, and cut every other card halfway across. Make sure the cards are all lined up, so that the cuts are all in the same spot. They will shuffle the same, but with every other card pre cut, you can easily tear them.

Another way to prepare the deck is to heat the cards in an oven. They will become more brittle this way, and will be much easier to tear, but won't look any different. Additionally, you can take every other card, and fold it back and forth an number of times. Just make sure that each card has it's crease in the same spot, otherwise you won't be able to tear it.

This trick works best when you are in the middle of a few other card tricks, although you don't really need to do it that way. It would just appear strange if you were to suddenly talk about tearing a deck of cards in half, and then not be able to do any tricks afterwards. You're friends might think it a bit odd if you simply produced a deck of cards, tore them in half, and then started talking about sports or something.

And as with any other trick the way you build this up will have a significant impact on how impressed people will be. The more entertaining a story you can tell, the better response you'll get from the crowd. Psychic energy, ghosts from the past, channeling strength from aliens are all great ways to introduce this trick, and to get people's minds off the obvious fact that the deck has been set up. For best results, fling the cards in the air after you've torn them up. This will be much more impressive, and will be a great distraction for whatever the next trick is that you have up your sleeve. Have fun. - 31879

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here