I really like the card flipping idea. Each player has a deck, and a hand equal to their level. This may be reshuffled by the player at will after any flip.
Instead of arbitrary number of cards to draw, they draw a number of cards equal to that stat.
Skills provide the suit and/or add their value, plus 2 if the card used is already suited. This could also provide triggers and allow multiple actions in one movement.
Example: sneaking past a snoozing Guild guard. DM sets the target at 9:crows.
Your Nimbleness stat is 3 (average), so you draw three cards. You have the Stealth skill of 2:crows. You draw a 4:rams, 7:rams, and 10:masks. No :crows, but your skill provides it. Take the 10, you add 2 from the skill and slip past undetected.
This time, you want to sneak up and slit his throat before he wakes up. DM sets target of 11:crows:rams. Pretty tough!
Same character flips 4:rams, 11:masks, 8:tomes. Your total is 13:crows:masks. You manage to sneak up, but fail to kill the guard. Go into combat rounds.
Now to work out a basic stat line. Since Malifaux works with a deck, there should be either four or eight basic stats so they get split up among suits.
Gotta go to my crying baby, more later (maybe)...