Adventure Awaits

July 6, 2026July 6, 2026 ~ Judith ~ Leave a comment

The Treasure Island Tarot is all about adventure. In creating the deck I hoped to instill a bit of excitement in every card. When I do a reading with the deck, I feel that energy “coming through”, inspiring me see my lfe in a new way — not as a day by day routine to follow but as a new opportunity to learn, to grow, to try new things, and make new discoveries about who I am.

I’ve loved feeling this burst of excitement in my own readings, so I wanted to find a way to share that energy and sense of discovery. To do this, I’ve put together a “Do-It-Yourself” adventure kit in the form of a 70-page workbook. I’ve chosen illustrations from Treasure Island Tarot, but you don’t have to have the deck to enjoy the workbook. You can use any 78-card deck.

A colorful parrot perched on a branch beside a man dressed in explorer attire, surrounded by lush greenery and a tropical vibe. The text 'ADVENTURE AWAITS' and 'VIII Strength' is prominently displayed.

The workbook is titled “Adventure Awaits”. It’s structured as a 30-day journey from “here to there”, complete with ideas and inspirations, tarot exercises and spreads. As you move through the pages, you’ll be guided toward new experiences and gain new insights at each step along the way.

The workbook will be available at the Tarot Treasures Studio shop on Etsy, releasing on Saturday, July 18. It will be a digital download, selling for $16.00. Newsletter subscribers get a special promo code for a 25% discount!

Shown below are a few of the pages from “Adventure Awaits”. I’ve enjoyed putting this new workbook together, and I think you’ll enjoy the excitement and insight it can bring to your life.

A guide outlining a 30-day journey using Tarot for personal growth with themes of curiosity, risks, discoveries, and courage.

An engaging graphic titled 'Exploring New Ideas' featuring a five-pointed star exercise, encouraging exploration and creativity, with a map-like background and illuminating star design.

The workbook is scheduled to “go live” in the Etsy shop on July 18, so be watching and be ready to set sail on this 30-day adventure.

Performing an Amputation

June 13, 2026June 13, 2026 ~ Judith ~ Leave a comment

Creating “Treasure Island Tarot” wasn’t anything in my plans for 2025, but the idea and the inspiration for the deck came along at a time when I most needed it. One of the first card concepts that came to mind was the infamous one-legged pirate, Long John Silver, as the formidable King of Swords. I set to work creating precisely the dastardly but personable figure for the card.

I couldn’t have completed this deck without the assistance of Steve Champion, and I want to acknowledge his contributions. At first, it was a gentle offer to help. Hearing about my impaired vision and seeing a few little AI “mishaps” on images I shared, he kindly asked if I’d like for him to look things over and make little fixes. Oh, Steve! Thank you so very much.

I wasn’t planning to create a deck, open an Etsy shop and sell Treasure Island Tarot. That all came later. I just wanted to create the deck, to immerse myself in the creative process, and to come away with something meaningful. After a while, though, as people expressed interest in the deck, thoughts of actually publishing the deck came to mind and with it a need to be even more watchful about the images created.

After working to create my King of Swords card, I was quite pleased with Long John Silver, except for one thing. He had two legs. Oops! Now, you might think that it’s simple to use AI to create anything you want. Trust me, it’s not. Getting a one-legged pirate was impossible! It seemed the only way forward was to call in the services of a surgeon who could successfully “amputate” the unwanted leg. Steve Champion to the rescue!

Amazing what work this man was able to do. He not only amputated the leg — the right leg — but then noted that in the actual novel, it’s the left leg that Silver is missing. So back on with the right leg and off with the left. Yes, that was merely a matter of “flipping” the image, and in the end Long John Silver as the King of Swords was everything I dreamed he could be.

He’s fierce, yet he’s friendly. He’s charming in his own way, yet he can be a deadly foe if crossed. And yes, he’s one-legged, thanks to the surgical skills of Steve Champion. So the next time you shuffle this deck and Long John grins out at you, take a moment to think of his little creation story.

The message: Keep trying. You can get it right even when you face challenges.

Where It Began

May 1, 2026June 13, 2026 ~ Judith ~ Leave a comment

I’m a very private person and I rarely talk much about myself and my life. This post will be an exception. I’m going to get very personal here and share a bit of background that I don’t usually mention on social media but which helps to explain how Treasure Island Tarot came about and what it means to me.

If you’ve purchased the deck, you’ve seen the dedication page. The deck is in many ways a tribute to my daughter, Lee Renee Turner, who died from ovarian cancer on December 7, 2025. She was an avid reader and loved tarot cards as well as novels.

Seeing her suffer was hard, especially knowing there was nothing I could do to ease the pain or “make things better” in any way. It was a struggle to get through those days. In October I had started a Facebook group — Sabbats, Seasons, and Tarot Spreads — and writing and scheduling daily posts helped me stay grounded. The group helped give me a bit of much-needed focus. Only a few very close friends knew what was happening “behind the scenes”.

I also remained active in several other tarot groups, and not long after Lee passed away, while browsing through another group, a post caught my eye. “Think of a movie or book you love and imagine a character as a Court Card”. Immediately I thought of Dr. Livesey from Treasure Island, my all-time favorite book from childhood.

Suddenly an image came to mind. I could see a treasure map spread out on a table with a golden, glowing star marking the site. In that moment, with that vision, Treasure Island Tarot was born. It wasn’t born with any intention of becoming a marketable deck in an Etsy shop. It was a way for me to pour my heart and soul into something I loved during a time of grief and sorrow. It was a reason for me to get up each morning, come to the studio, and create. The deck project gave meaning and purpose to my life when I needed it most.

Everything else — printing the deck, setting up an Etsy shop, making sales, getting reviews — that all came later. In looking back I wonder how it all happened. I’m still a bit amazed by it all.

Creating Treasure Island Tarot was a bit of a challenge, and I’m grateful for the assistance I received from Steven Champion and Linda Zaworski — and from the members of Sabbats, Seasons, and Tarot Spreads who encouraged me along the way. I learned a lot, and I’m now taking what I’ve learned and carrying it forward as I create more decks, with Lee always in my mind and heart. She would be very proud to see what I’ve accomplished.