Tag: Magic

May 2019 Meeting Minutes

Attendance: Jim Earnshaw, Brian Cook, Rick Swaney, Sam Chamberlain, John Cameron, Roger Sylwester, Ralph Huntzinger, Richard Gerlitz, Larry Dimmitt, Joy D’avanzo

A fun evening of magic and friendship at this month’s meeting.  There was quite a bit of performing and some great magic.

John Cameron brought some wine to the meeting.  It was quite magical that it matched a chosen card selected by a spectator.

Larry Dimmitt performed some mentalism where he was able to influence and match a selection of ESP cards.  Larry also presented a quick impromptu trick where only one selection out of five was a “winner”, it was lucky that the audience member selected the correct item.

Roger Sylwester presented a very nice multi-phase three card monte routine that involved cards magically changing to different values.

Richard Gerlitz showed the group an amazing cryptex device that he made.  Richard is quite well known for his magic craftsmanship and the quality of the device was stunning.

Rick Swaney performed a card to box routine with a very nice vanish of a selected card sandwiched between two other cards.

Joy D’avanzo showed the group some work she was doing with rope magic.  Joy is becoming quite good with her rope magic.

Ralph Huntzinger wanted to get some input on his ring on string routine.   The club brainstormed a bit to offer insight into options on vanishing a ring.

Jim Earnshaw performed his Okito box routine, using a beautiful wooden box and wand made by Brian Cook (MagicCrafter).

Brian Cook was nice enough to present each of the members at the meeting a nice set of playing cards.  So everyone was a winner!

Dec 2018 Meeting Minutes

Attendance: Jim Earnshaw, Christopher Hendrix, Brian Cook, Larry Dimmitt, Dan Kennedy, Rick Swaney, Santiago Naranjo This month’s meeting was a small gathering, however there was still a lot of good magic as well as the election of officers. Jim Earnshaw will be continuing as the Secretary of the club, while the President and Vice President positions … Continue reading “Dec 2018 Meeting Minutes”

Attendance: Jim Earnshaw, Christopher Hendrix, Brian Cook, Larry Dimmitt, Dan Kennedy, Rick Swaney, Santiago Naranjo

This month’s meeting was a small gathering, however there was still a lot of good magic as well as the election of officers. Jim Earnshaw will be continuing as the Secretary of the club, while the President and Vice President positions remain to be filled.  The group decided to continue with elections the next meeting.

 Christopher Hendrix presented two very nice gambling themed card presentations.  Some of the sleights required were quite difficult, however his obvious practice was on display and the tricks were presented well.

 Rick Swaney brought out a set of McAbee rings he had purchase back in the 70’s and performed a lovely close up routine with them. The rings were examinable at the end, and the method flew right by the group.  Rick also presented a nice oil and water routine using black and white cards instead of normal playing cards.

Larry Dimmitt showed the group a quick little piece of magic where you could predict a number that a person would stop on between one and five.  This was a nice impromptu trick that was easy to setup.

Jim Earnshaw performed his presentation of David Regal’s Red Streamlined Corvette that was a tribute to Star Trek.  Jim also showed off his coin magic skills with a couple of different coin tricks.The group welcomed newcomer Santiago Naranjo to the meeting. We hope to see more of him at future meetings.

April 2018 Meeting Minutes

Attendance: Ralph Huntzinger, David Pham, Rich Waters, Mark Paulson, Jim Earnshaw, Sam Chamberlain, Brian Cook, Elly Hartman This month’s magic meeting had a guest stopping by wanting to learn about the club and magic for a school project she was working on.  The club members welcomed Elly and her mom to the meeting. Elly in … Continue reading “April 2018 Meeting Minutes”

Attendance: Ralph Huntzinger, David Pham, Rich Waters, Mark Paulson, Jim Earnshaw, Sam Chamberlain, Brian Cook, Elly Hartman

This month’s magic meeting had a guest stopping by wanting to learn about the club and magic for a school project she was working on.  The club members welcomed Elly and her mom to the meeting.

Elly in under the tutelage of a local magician and she was very receptive to advice the club was able to offer her.  Of course the chance to perform for a non-magician made the night a lot of fun for everyone.  There were card tricks, coin manipulations, great mentalism and Elly herself performed a couple of the tricks she was going to do for her school.

There was plenty of time to give some helpful suggestions regarding presentation and technique from the membership.  Club president Brian Cook even had the club members brain storm certain ways to recover from a trick gone wrong.  It was a great meeting filled with magic.

The next month’s theme is envelope magic.  Club members are encouraged to use or perform magic with an envelope.

February 2018 Meeting Minutes

Attendance: Rick Swaney, Mark Paulson, Felix Huang, Randall Chin, Sam Chamberlain, Larry Dimmitt, Brian Cook, Jim Earnshaw, Ralph Huntzinger, Roger Sylwester The theme of the evening was Valentine’s magic.   There was plenty of good magic, even when it didn’t follow the theme. Jim Earnshaw presented an original Okito box routine that he had been working … Continue reading “February 2018 Meeting Minutes”

Attendance: Rick Swaney, Mark Paulson, Felix Huang, Randall Chin, Sam Chamberlain, Larry Dimmitt, Brian Cook, Jim Earnshaw, Ralph Huntzinger, Roger Sylwester

The theme of the evening was Valentine’s magic.   There was plenty of good magic, even when it didn’t follow the theme.

Jim Earnshaw presented an original Okito box routine that he had been working on a new script for.

Brian Cook presented a very vexing card reveal trick using a borrowed deck and a very hands off handling he was able to divine the thought of card.

Roger Sylwester presented the “President’s challenge”.  This is a rotating challenge taken up each month by a club member to present an effect from a set of lecture notes the previous performer provides.  The current performer then provides a new set of notes for the next challenge.  Rick Swaney took the challenge for the next month.  Roger displayed an in the hands false riffle shuffle and the club discussed some options for false shuffles.

Randall Chin presented a very nice themed sponge ball routine scripted around bacteria, and the club offered some suggestions to enhance the routine.

Mark Paulson is really trying to get his new sleeving routine down which provided some great laughs.  Mark also presented a nice bit of mind reading involving thee spectators and knowing three randomly chosen cards.

Felix Huang presented some very nice mentalism where he was able to divine not only who wrote down something from a mixed set of note cards, but also what they wrote.

Sam Chamberlain presented a baffling trick where he was able to tear a playing card in two and show that information written on half by a spectator magically changed places with the information Sam had written down on his half.

 

June 2017 Meeting Minutes

Attendance: Jim Earnshaw, Roger Sylwester, Larry Dimmitt, Michael Jacobs, Aidan Adams, Mark Paulson, Sam Chamberlain, Rick Swaney, Reymarx Gereda, Louie Foxx This month’s theme was “Mental Mysteries”.  Members were encouraged to perform a mentalism-inspired routines.  Regardless of the theme, there was some great magic and fun. Inspired by the previous month’s performance from Brian Cook, … Continue reading “June 2017 Meeting Minutes”

Attendance: Jim Earnshaw, Roger Sylwester, Larry Dimmitt, Michael Jacobs, Aidan Adams, Mark Paulson, Sam Chamberlain, Rick Swaney, Reymarx Gereda, Louie Foxx

This month’s theme was “Mental Mysteries”.  Members were encouraged to perform a mentalism-inspired routines.  Regardless of the theme, there was some great magic and fun.

Inspired by the previous month’s performance from Brian Cook, Jim Earnshaw presented a nice Okito Box routine.  Jim purchased his box and wand set from Brian’s Magic Crafter business.

Louie Foxx showed the group a real digital fooler where he took a picture of the spectator holding a random card they were unaware of yet were later able to freely pick choose the same card from a mixed deck.

Rick Swaney presented a Bob Farmer effect called Deja Voodoo.  Rick has obviously put a lot of work into the trick and the results were very magical.

One of our new members Aidan Adams showed off a very nice multi-phase card to pocket routine that had well timed misdirection and very smooth handling.  Aidan will be fun to watch in the future for sure.

Larry Dimmitt involved the entire group when he solicited written words sealed in envelopes to reveal that a prediction he made matched the randomly selected choice.

Michael Jacobs presented a nice card effect where he was able to divine not only the selected card, but also the number of cards left inside of the card box.

Roger Sylwester presented a very nice self-contained routine by Cody Fisher called “Fifty-two Thoughts”. This routine has a lot of funny moments and quite a magical ending.

Mark Paulson used his mind powers to influence multiple spectators to tell him when to stop his ring over a random word in a book.  The word matched an earlier prediction he had made.

Reymarx Gereda had the spectator grab a random amount of cards from a deck of cards and was able to divine every card chosen.  It was a very nice mentalism piece.

Sam Chamberlain presented a want ad prediction where he was able to divine where a spectator would have him cut though a piece of newspaper.  Multiple cuts were made and Sam still was able to predict the correct ending.

Next month’s theme is “Magic with Cups”.

May 2017 Meeting Minutes

Attendance: Jim Earnshaw, Roger Sylwester, Larry Dimmitt, Ralph Huntzinger, Michael Jacobs, Aidan Adams, Mark Paulson, Brian Cook, Sam Chamberlain, Rick Swaney, Reymarx Gereda. This month’s theme was “Music and Magic”.  Members were encouraged to perform a piece to music or present a music themed routine.  We had quite a few nice performances. Roger Sylwester started … Continue reading “May 2017 Meeting Minutes”

Attendance: Jim Earnshaw, Roger Sylwester, Larry Dimmitt, Ralph Huntzinger, Michael Jacobs, Aidan Adams, Mark Paulson, Brian Cook, Sam Chamberlain, Rick Swaney, Reymarx Gereda.

This month’s theme was “Music and Magic”.  Members were encouraged to perform a piece to music or present a music themed routine.  We had quite a few nice performances.

Roger Sylwester started out the evening with a teach a trick segment with a shrinking deck routine and focusing on his handling of a double jumbo card fan at the end.

Club Secretary Jim Earnshaw performed Giovanni Liver’s Salt and Silver to music making coins appear and disappear under a saltshaker.

Dean of the club Larry Dimmitt presented a mentalism piece where he was able to divine what colored ball the spectator chose even though the balls were moved around to various places.

Michael Jacobs presented a very clean handling of card warp.

Club Vice President Mark Paulson presented a very funny card prediction gag that uses some great music to enhance the fun of the effect.  One of these days, his trick is going to work.

Club President Brian Cook presented his Okito box routine set to music.  Brian has a wonderful Okito box collection and makes beautiful sets himself.

Sam “AlakaSam” Chamberlain presented his zombie ball routine to music.  The club was able to give him some pointers on the routine and we are looking forward to seeing it again in the future.

Rick Swaney presented a very clever trick based on a cardboard ipod.  As clever as the trick was, Rick’s explanation of what he had to do to fix the gimmick earlier that same day was even more astonishing and clever.

Reymarx Gereda presented a great rendition of finding the aces were he used the cards as a computer and “programs” the deck.  Pushing a button makes the aces magically appear.  This is a nice impromptu trick that fools this author every time.

New member Aidan Adams presented some very nice original card magic to the group.  We hope to see Aidan (and his bow tie) back in the future.

There was plenty of may music and magic to enjoy.  Next month’s theme is “mentalism”

 

August 2016 Meeting Minutes

Magic in the Summer Our August meeting began with an update on great magic events coming up followed by some serious magic from our members. This was our first meeting at the newly renovated Mercer Island branch of the King County Library. John Cameron fooled and entertained us with a prediction effect using three bottles … Continue reading “August 2016 Meeting Minutes”

Magic in the Summer

Our August meeting began with an update on great magic events coming up followed by some serious magic from our members. This was our first meeting at the newly renovated Mercer Island branch of the King County Library.

John Cameron fooled and entertained us with a prediction effect using three bottles of Moosehead Canadian Beer and a deck of cards. He gave credit to Mark Striving’s Psychic Suds for this effect. Michael Jacobs shared a psychic card effect utilizing a very strong directive persona that seriously held our attention. He performed Karl Fulves’ Unseen Powers.

Larry Dimmit brought out a roulette wheel, dice and cards for a casino prediction effect developed by Jules Lanier. Larry’s mentalism is always amazing. Mark Paulson showed us 15 cards, each with a picture of a different billiard ball. He revealed the chosen card by producing a full sized billiard ball that matched the ball on the selected card.

Ralph Hutzinger performed a smooth version of coins through handkerchief by Michael Ammar. Roger Sylwester treated us to his performance of Mac King’s Other Rope Routine. Chuck Kleiner showed us how some of the first tricks we learned can be successful with lay audiences. He performed a stage version of Mental Choice and Michael Ammar’s Magician’s Insurance Policy.

Finally our youngest member, Otto Miller showed us an Oil and Water routine that he’s been working on. Otto’s magic amazes us every time. Although all of our members are young at heart, it’s great collaborating with the next generation of magicians like Otto. Magic is a great way to bridge the generation gap. If you’re ever in Seattle on the first Thursday of the month come and visit our magic club. No matter what your age, you’ll definitely fit in if you enjoy magic!

August 2015 Meeting Minutes – Summer Magic

Our August meeting began with an update on the great magic events our members attended in the previous month and an update on the upcoming magic in the Seattle area. Tom Payne told us about the closing of an old magic shop and the opening of a new one. Our president, Jim Earnshaw, welcomed our … Continue reading “August 2015 Meeting Minutes – Summer Magic”

Our August meeting began with an update on the great magic events our members attended in the previous month and an update on the upcoming magic in the Seattle area. Tom Payne told us about the closing of an old magic shop and the opening of a new one.

Our president, Jim Earnshaw, welcomed our newest member, Dave Buck, to the S.A.M. and to our club. Dan Kennedy, who recently injured his hand, showed us that he could still do card magic without touching the cards. He had a spectator handle the deck and follow his instructions to find the selected card. The effect was based on Daryl’s “Untouched.”

Larry Dimmit helped a spectator see through his own third eye and the spectator unbelievably divined his own ESP card. Roger Sylvester performed an ACAAN effect where the card is found reversed in the exact location in the deck. It was based on Dai Vernon’s trick that can’t be explained. Jim Earnshaw performed a manipulation act using three coins, a salt shaker, a butter knife and a napkin. The coins appeared and disappeared to the beautiful music of the Blue Danube.

Mark Paulson told us that his father never let him play with cards but that he’s always been drawn to them. Each card in his deck had a different name on the back. The spectator’s freely chosen card turned out to be named Satan. Maybe his dad was on to something. Mark also showed us a balloon that we all burst with the power of our minds.

Chuck Kleiner performed Docc Hilford’s “Wizard’s Manual.” Otto Miller showed us a matrix routine with four cards and four coins where all of the coins magically moved from one under each card to all four under one card. He then upped the skill level by performing a matrix routine with no cards, just the coins and his two hands. Now that’s magic!

Our club has nurtured a positive and supportive environment where members can workshop new routines and get positive feedback on how to improve them. Michael Jacobs took the workshop opportunity this month and demonstrated the difference between a magician and a mentalist. Michael’s effect was based on Milbourne Christopher’s “Concentrate on a Card.” He got a lot of ideas from Brian Cook, Jim Earnshaw and other members on how to improve the effect. We hope he shows us an update at a future meeting.

If you’re ever in Seattle on the first Thursday of the month come and visit our magic club. You’ll definitely see some cool stuff!

Dave Buck Membership

July 2015 Meeting Minutes – Cool Magic in the Hot Summer

Nine magi and one magic apprentice attended our July meeting. Magic was shared and taught and we heard some great stories about performing at different venues. Our guest for the evening was Dr. Hal Quinn, who ended up being the designated volunteer for all effects. We hope he’ll return to share some magic with us. … Continue reading “July 2015 Meeting Minutes – Cool Magic in the Hot Summer”

Nine magi and one magic apprentice attended our July meeting. Magic was shared and taught and we heard some great stories about performing at different venues.

Our guest for the evening was Dr. Hal Quinn, who ended up being the designated volunteer for all effects. We hope he’ll return to share some magic with us. Our president’s challenge was taken by Mark Paulson, Ben Eskenazi and Reymarx Gereda. Each performance was very entertaining but Rey’s use of balloons, ducks and money won over the gathering.

Jim Earnshaw showed us coins appearing and disappearing in mid air. He even had an invisible air hook where he could store his invisible coins. Dan Kennedy wowed us with a July 4th effect using red, white and blue sticks. He was able to tell the location of each stick no matter where we secretly put them. Michael Jacobs used math, magic and mystery to divine someone’s age. Chuck Kleiner turned a deck of cards into a computer which automatically ejected the selected card.

Ralph Huntzinger shared stories of performing at Renaissance Fairs and the challenges presented by the outdoors and hot weather.

Following our first turn around the table members shared some of their favorite card and coin routines with explanations and instruction. Although our gathering was small our magic was big. A fun way to spend a hot July evening in Seattle.

May 2015 Meeting Minutes – Mad Props

Our theme for May was “Mad Props.” We also had our first monthly “President’s Challenge,” where three of our members were challenged to perform a selected effect not in their comfort zone. Hugh Castell began the challenge by performing Scotty York’s version of “Back and Forth.” A freely selected card couldn’t be found in Hugh’s pocket, … Continue reading “May 2015 Meeting Minutes – Mad Props”

Our theme for May was “Mad Props.” We also had our first monthly “President’s Challenge,” where three of our members were challenged to perform a selected effect not in their comfort zone.

Hugh Castell began the challenge by performing Scotty York’s version of “Back and Forth.” A freely selected card couldn’t be found in Hugh’s pocket, in his hand, or in the deck. What! It was laying there right in front of us on the table. Ben Eskenazi gave us a wow moment when he removed a full sheet of gum from a clearly divided gum box. Mark Paulson completed the challenge by having a selected card appear reversed in a deck. The performances were outstanding and three more members volunteered for another challenge next month.

For our monthly theme, Ben Eskenazi used flash cards to reveal the magical number 36 which was where the selected card was found in a deck. J.R. Russell showed his skill with three silver dollars by having them appear and vanish through juggling, cheating, misdirection, and finally by pure magic. Mark Paulson had four volunteers each select one of eight envelopes with Mark keeping the remaining four. Each volunteer ended up with a humorous coupon while the four left with Mark all contained cash.

Bruce Meyers had a quarter appear between two business cards and another appear under Mark’s shoe. Jenifer Meyers told us about some great magic on TV. Ron Young displayed his gold coil and then showed us his 15 pocket sport coat.

Hugh Castell demonstrated his Keychain of Life which allowed a key to penetrate a quarter. Tom Payne showed us a collection of shot glasses to use for cups and balls. He then performed Tim Ellis’ Deck-stress. Michael Jacobs drew a closed lock on one side of a blank business card and had a spectator sign the other half. Then, just like Houdini, Michael had the lock unlock with the spectator’s signature intact on the same card. He also had a rope penetrate the plunger from Houdini’s bathroom.

Ralph Huntzinger shared his patter for a Renaissance Fair routine he called Georgio and Henriette where a rose becomes a daisy and then turns into a swarm of butterflies. He also shared his favorite Tenyo prop, Crystal Cleaver. Chuck Kleiner asked the club to help him identify a prop he’d had for many years. The club quickly identified it as a Chinese Flame Clock and even described the effect and the story behind it. John Cameron performed Bert Allerton’s Aspirin Tin where a WWII microscopic camera miraculously took a picture. Jim Earnshaw completed our meeting by fooling us all with a skilled performance of Garrett Thomas’ Stand Up Monte.