Who doesn't love playing cards? I've seen so many awesome playing card designs lately, I thought I'd do a couple of my own as miniature prints. First, a little history. It is thought that playing cards first originated in China as early as the 9th century. By the 14th century they found their way into Europe. The suit system of hearts, spades, clubs and diamonds that we're familiar with today evolved over time. Starting with systems created by countries from the East, the French simplified the design, which has since become adopted around the world.