About Us
I'M DAN, CREATOR OF THE WIZARD'S VAULT
My Story
Before I became an artist, my creative journey was already unfolding through the places I explored and the cultures that inspired me. The most impactful was the time I spent living and working in Japan as the manager of an English school. I was captivated by the art, the storytelling, and especially the incredible attention to detail found in everyday life. That mindset spoke to me deeply and to this day, it shows in everything I create.
You know that feeling when someone says, "You can't do it"? That's exactly how I felt when my boss told me the business I wanted to start would never work. Two days later, I quit my job in finance. That was April 2008.
My wife Catherine had recently learned wire-wrapping, and when she brought her creations to work, her colleagues loved them and asked to buy them. We opened an Etsy shop called Catherinette Rings, and orders started coming in almost every day. I started making my own designs, developed a unique style, and built a following. My Facebook page hit over 100,000 followers. I became known for using wire, gemstones, and taxidermy glass eyes in my Steampunk jewelry, something no one else was really doing at the time.
I've always been a huge fan of Dungeons & Dragons. That's actually how I met my friend Phil back in high school. Naturally, my love of fantasy eventually mixed with my art. I sculpted a Steampunk Beholder, it went viral, and that piece led to a whole collection of mechanical creatures. In July 2009, I received an invitation to exhibit at the world's first Museum Exhibition of Steampunk Art in England. My work was featured in books, worn by actors, and covered in documentaries. But the most unbelievable part is that I've been able to live from my art.
How The Wizard's Vault Was Born
People often told me my sculptures looked like Modrons, fascinating clockwork creatures from the early days of D&D. I built a dice tray featuring a Steampunk Modron and posted it online. A few months later, Wil Wheaton shared it and traffic flooded in. That moment planted the seed for The Wizard's Vault.
What started as a natural extension of my art eventually became a full project, fantasy dice sets, magical item kits, illustrated storage boxes, and accessories, all built around a love of tabletop role-playing games and craftsmanship. As the shop grew, it reached a point where Catherine left her career as a senior graphic designer in the fashion industry to join full time. An artist in her own right, she works behind the scenes to shape the visual identity of everything we do, and The Wizard's Vault became a true team effort.
Collaborating With Artists
From the beginning, we've believed that the stories and worlds behind our products matter as much as the products themselves. That's why we collaborate with human artists to bring those stories to life. Every piece of artwork you see across our products, the illustrations on our boxes, the visual identity of each dice set was created by a real person, someone whose craft and creativity we deeply respect.
We are committed to working exclusively with human artists, and we always will be.
