About Us
I'M DAN, CREATOR OF THE WIZARD'S VAULT
My Story
Long before The Wizard’s Vault existed, my creative path was already being shaped by the places I travelled, the cultures I encountered, and the things I loved making.
One of the biggest influences came from the years I spent living and working in Japan, where I managed an English school. I became fascinated by the attention to detail I saw in art, design, packaging, and everyday objects. That appreciation for craftsmanship has stayed with me ever since.
In 2008, I was working in finance when I was told that the creative business I wanted to build would never work. Two days later, I quit.
My wife Catherine had recently learned wire wrapping, and her coworkers began asking to buy the jewelry she brought to work. We opened an Etsy shop called Catherinette Rings, and before long orders were coming in almost every day.
I began developing my own work, combining wire, gemstones, mechanical elements, and taxidermy glass eyes into a distinctive Steampunk style. The pieces found an audience online, and my work eventually appeared in books, documentaries, exhibitions, and on actors and performers around the world.
In July 2009, I was invited to exhibit at the first museum exhibition dedicated to Steampunk art in England.
What had started as an experiment had become my career.
How The Wizard's Vault Was Born
I have been a Dungeons & Dragons player since high school, so fantasy eventually found its way into my artwork.
One of my Steampunk sculptures was a Beholder, and people often compared other pieces I made to Modrons, the strange mechanical creatures from D&D.
Eventually I created a Steampunk Modron dice tray and shared it online. A few months later, Wil Wheaton shared the piece and a wave of visitors arrived.
That moment planted the seed for The Wizard’s Vault.
What began as an extension of my artwork gradually grew into a world of dice sets, illustrated storage boxes, accessories, magical objects, and strange little creatures created for tabletop players and collectors.
As the shop grew, Catherine left her career as a senior graphic designer in the fashion industry to join the business full time. She is an artist in her own right and plays a major role behind the scenes in shaping the visual identity of The Wizard’s Vault.
What began as my personal art project became something we built together.
Collaborating With Artists
The worlds and stories surrounding our products matter to us just as much as the objects themselves.
That is why we collaborate with human artists to create the illustrations, characters, and visual worlds that appear throughout The Wizard’s Vault.
We believe artists deserve recognition and support for their creativity, skill, and imagination.
The artwork created specifically for our products is made in collaboration with real human artists, and that commitment is an important part of who we are.
