I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) have allowed me to meet amazing people, meet new friends, and I continue to be amazed by the talents and creativity in the local gaming community.
I met Nikki through the local gaming scene and online communities. I even have a pair of D20s she made from 2020. You can see a picture of them below.
It is a delight to interview her and share her work with you. Check out her links and support a Boricua creator sharing her talents and creations with the world.
Introduce yourself! Who are you and what do you create?
Hello there! My name is Nicole (Nikki for short). I’m a resin dice maker and tinkerer at heart. Along with my wife, I also work with crochet, painting miniatures, terrains and models, and 3D printing (both FDM and Resin).
How would you describe your art or creative endeavor?
Chaotic. Honestly, being a person with ADHD makes everything a little harder because you want to do so much at the same time, but at some point, you gain the focus to work on what you’re most excited about. Usually, I start by gathering inspiration from the colors of my garden in the morning while I drink my bean juice (coffee). I also write down any goals or ideas for the day and start with what sparks more joy or gains more importance.
How did you discover TTRPGs?
My first TTRPG was D&D. I had heard about it first back in 2010 while living in Oregon. A friend of mine shared his miniature collection with me, and I was fascinated. Sometime in 2015-16, a friend and hobby shop owner in Hormigueros introduced us to Vampire: The Masquerade, but it was hard to join a session because of work.
Fast forward to 2017, while we were picking up the pieces from Hurricane Maria, my wife and I used to hang out at Capitán Granuja in Mayagüez. While there, my wife got interested in the D&D starter set, and we bought it. Since there was no electricity, we decided to read everything and make characters that same night. We wouldn’t play until a few weeks later, but that starting point was so much fun. We found it when we needed it most.
At the time, I was already working with resin and molds, and one of the owners (and good friend of ours) encouraged me to make custom dice for our characters.
Do you actively play TTRPG? What are you playing?
Right now, our home group is on hiatus from a slightly different Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign my brother is DMing because of life schedules. The usual culprit. Hopefully we can go back to it soon.
What do you want to play next?
My wife has been talking nonstop about Shadowdark, Cairn, and Dungeon Crawl Classics. However, I’m more excited to play Shadowdark.
What projects are available, and what are you working on next?
We have so many projects in the works at the moment, while trying not to get carried away haha. I’m currently working on crochet goodies to combine with dice. Also,
I’m helping my wife paint miniatures and display models.
I’m working with some dice ideas I’ve been accumulating since I started making them again. I have some chunky D20s in the works, along with new dice shapes.
Getting into 3D modeling has been a long process, but it still excites me.
Where can people find your projects?
You can find all our finished products at www.theliquidforge.com. You can also follow us on all social media as: @TheLiquidForge, @TheWhimsyCauldron & @LiquidNebula for behind-the-scenes progress. We stream as well; you can always join and talk to us, or ask us anything in the chat.
Any closing thoughts?
Never stop believing in yourself, and may your imagination always take you far!
Thank you, Nikki! I know a few people who really embraced D&D after the Hurricane María disaster in Puerto Rico. TTRPGs can help us overcome difficulties and bring us closer together. In her next-to-last answer, I linked to the Instagram pages, but also check out the Linktree for all three so you can get all their links, follow Nikki and her wife Cely, get some dice, or check out any of their other projects.
The Liquid Forge: https://linktr.ee/theliquidforge
Liquid Nebula: https://linktr.ee/liquidnebula
The Whimsy Cauldron: https://linktr.ee/thewhimsycauldron
Oh, and Capitán Granuja was a great store with amazing proprietors. I was sad to see it close.
One last thing! I’m looking for more Boricua creatives whose work relates to TTRPGs, or who are gamers, to interview and share their work with a larger audience. If you are one, or know one, reach out to me here on the blog or through my socials.
