A few weeks ago, I mentioned a challenge from a Discord group -- The People's Palace of Prestidigitation. The challenge is centered around magic with paper bags. That's it. Just... perform something using a paper bag!
Back in April, I was watching a lecture by David Regal ([[ vanishing inc link]]) and he started the second lecture with a very simple, but very fooling, trick that used a paper bag. Watching the trick, I knew what the ending would be. It was impossible not to guess that that would be the ending. Knowing that though, and watching his performance, made it that much more impossible because it happened exactly like I thought it would... but there was no way it could have!
Of course, David taught how to do the trick. It wasn't a card trick, but I was very interested. I immediately bought a pack of paper bags and a secret ingredient: rubber cement! And then, I let them sit on a shelf in my closet for about four months now.
When I saw the challenge from P.P.P., my first thought was that David Regal trick. I do want to clarify though; I don't think he actually invented the trick. It's a simple switching bag, but, with paper bags. Maybe he invented the way to do it with the paper bag and rubber cement, or maybe he learned it elsewhere. I'm not sure; I'll be certain to ask him one day though. Ah, but anyways, my thought was to do a card trick utilizing the paper bag via the method he taught.
This was the first time I've ever used rubber cement and wow. This stuff is pretty cool. It's messy, but cool. It dries fast and isn't that sticky. I learned a very important property of it though, and this that after a strip of it dries it doesn't stick to regular paper... instead, it sticks to another strip of dried rubber cement! Using this principle, you can have two innocuous "paper" things that operate as paper should and then, by pressing them together, bam, they're stuck! It's magic =P
So far, I've made 6 gimmicks and practiced the routine about 9 or 10 times. I also messed up 2 other bags because apparently being able to cut a paper bag is a skill they need to teach in school. I'm heading out on vacation soon though, so if I don't get this down and recorded before then, well, I won't be able to submit it for the challenge.
If you're curious if I get it or not, make sure to follow me on Instagram (@gbabbits) because that's where I'll post it. I'll post a performance of it whether I get it done in time for the challenge or not, but if it's before the end of the month -- wish me luck!