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Adapting the Journey: My Path in TCGs & Beyond

Building something from the ground up isn’t easy, but I have a vision and a path I’m working towards. My passion for tabletop gaming, particularly Magic: The Gathering, has been a major part of my life since childhood. Over the past 25+ years, I’ve worked in retail sales, organized events and tournaments, and been deeply involved in the gaming community. Now, I’m working to create something of my own, learning and adapting along the way.

Finding My Path

A little over a year ago, I decided to take my passion and turn it into something more serious from a business perspective. My initial focus was on designing playmats, dice bags, and other gaming accessories, selling them through InkedGaming.com and my LinkTree. While that’s where my journey began, sales have been slow, and I quickly realized I needed to adapt if I wanted to build something sustainable.

That led me to shift my focus toward something I knew well—Magic: The Gathering content creation and building my TCG Player seller account. Becoming a Pro Seller has been a step in the right direction, and my long-term goal is to enter the Direct Program to expand my business further. While I still have a passion for graphic design and hope to return to product creation as my Adobe skills develop, for now, I’m concentrating on what’s been working and where my efforts can make the most impact.

Where I Am Now: Pro Seller & Aspiring Game Developer

Over the past year, my focus has been on two major areas: growing my business as a Pro Seller on TCG Player and developing my own Trading Card Game (TCG). Becoming a Pro Seller on TCG Player has been a learning experience, and my long-term goal is to enter the Direct Program, which will allow me to streamline sales and continue to grow.

On the creative side, my TCG development has become more than just a passion project—it’s a serious commitment. A turning point for me was when my best friend, Jason Bell, survived a near-fatal car accident about a year and a half ago. The thought of losing him before I had truly done something with my game pushed me to take this process seriously.

Since then, I’ve been hard at work developing the lore, characters, and world-building for my game. Right now, I’m creating graphic novel/comic-style short stories that explore the world and its characters. Eventually, I’ll be turning these into narrated videos with music and sound effects, combining my storytelling with visual and audio elements to bring the world to life.

To make this happen, I’ve been leveling up my skills. I’m currently taking an Adobe Certification Course thanks to Vocational Rehab’s assistance, and aside from final projects I’ve already completed the Photoshop section. Next up is Premiere (video editing), which will help me transform my stories into full-fledged multimedia experiences.

Where I’m Headed: The Big Picture

My long-term vision is clear:
Build a sustainable business around my creative passions.
Continue growing my TCG Player business eventually entering the Direct Program.
Expand my TCG stories for Social Videos with graphics & narrated storytelling
Return to playmat and product design as my skills & following grow.
Complete my TCG’s lore and mechanics, leading to test plays and official reveals as a long-term goal I’ll be sharing throughout the process.

This journey hasn’t been easy. Living with PTSD, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Bipolar 2 has made maintaining friendships, relationships, and jobs a challenge. But I refuse to let that define me. Instead, I’m building something that aligns with who I am—a path that allows me to create, share, and support myself in a sustainable way.

A huge thank you to my girlfriend, who has been a major source of support and inspiration, helping with artwork and design. And of course, to my mental health team, Vocational Rehab, and Chemeketa Small Business advisors for guiding me through this process.

If you’ve been following my journey—thank you. Whether you’re here for MTG content, TCG Player sales, or just curious about my game’s development, I appreciate the support. There’s more to come, and I’m excited to share it with you.

Stay tuned for updates, and if you want to support my work, check out my TCG Player store and designs on InkedGaming. Every purchase helps fuel the process, and every bit of encouragement keeps me moving forward.

More updates coming soon! 🚀

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Post UFO Fest Mental Health

Well since it’s Mental Health Awareness month… figure I’ll share where I’m at after trying to put my stuff out there for the first time in person at UFO fest. Honestly it feels like an embarrassing failure to me. When the idea started, I thought my daughter and her friend were going to be with me most of the time to help hand out cards, and the posters weren’t a factor at first. Adding the posters changed the energy around it, to then feel like I needed to make that money back to reimburse the investor at the very least. Found out after my daughter was going to a birthday with her friend and wouldn’t actually be here for most of the festival. So turned into me essentially trying to walk around handing out cards awkwardly carrying a basket full of posters I was too uncomfortable to do anything with by myself.

There were so many people, I already struggle w/social situations and getting out of the house in general, especially by myself. I have C-PTSD, and in last 6 months was diagnosed Bipolar 2 and Borderline Personality Disorder. These were things I suspected I struggled w/most of my life but was too embarrassed to seek a diagnosis. Because I’ve always struggled to handle my emotions, it has always made it difficult to keep jobs, friends/relationships, and take care of myself in general.

The things I’m trying to do now are things I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but since I started, I’ve been in a manic state most of the time. Seeking social connection and trying to prove I can contribute value and take care of myself w/something I enjoy and am passionate about, in a way that hopefully my MH doesn’t interfere as much or just end abruptly. But I feel like I keep trying things that aren’t working and proving the opposite.

Yesterday I relearned I can’t walk around a crowded area trying to do that, alone at least. Maybe if I had a booth to set stuff up so people could approach me if they were interested I might be able to handle it better, but affording the fees and stocking up on product for something like that isn’t something I’m anywhere near atm. So left me feeling pretty ashamed, like I just wasted all that money and tried to hype it up socially to just shut down and not be able to follow through. And now have a huge stack of cards left and all but a couple of the posters that feel pretty worthless because I decided to put the year on it. In hindsight if I left the year off I could have used them next year, so that makes me feel pretty dumb too LOL.

So yeah I’m just feeling pretty down atm. Like I’m not sure what I should be doing, it’s been a struggle to get above 40 followers, nothing I’m doing seems unique or appealing enough to gain people’s interest. I know until I have more of my actual game to show I’m not really going to appeal to that market cuz too many people are making custom tokens etc. But I’m too much of a perfectionist and until my TCG matches more of my vision I just don’t want people to see it, especially cuz my skills at making them look more visually appealing is way better now and makes the existing test prints look like garbage. I had hoped to find a way to start making some income and interest in what I’m doing to help fund the next round of Test Prints after I’m able to rework them to look much better and more of my positional/movement direction mechanics I’m trying to add/refine.

So I’m starting to think I need to stop spending all the time, energy and money scrambling at something I’m not proving to be very good at, whether it be the social marketing aspect or just not creating anything uniquely appealing enough, until my TCG I’m trying to Develop is updated visually and ready for playtesting again after rework at least. That I just need to focus on that for now, because until I have something more tangible to show people, what I’m trying to do isn’t really working for the amount of energy and money I’m putting into it.

But who knows, like I stated above I’m bipolar 2 and borderline, so I may feel differently later lol. I’m not giving up entirely, but if I’m not able to do the in person stuff right now and online stuff really isn’t gaining any traction, I feel like maybe I should be redirecting my energy to other stuff for now. I’ve been slowly getting back into MTG, playing online a bit, and been sorting my friends huge collection to start building decks with, so maybe I’ll still make some videos related to that stuff for now. But not sure how much energy I have to continue trying to make and advertise products atm until I have a better idea of what aligns w/making something I’m passionate about that hits w/others as well.

There was some positivity, the people that my Daughter and I were able to hand out cards seemed to really like them. I wish I had kept it simple to that idea. I think I’m mostly down with guilt someone gave me money to try and sell posters, and I was too uncomfortable to try and do so. And made way more cards then I was able to stay and hand out. Thought I’d be more capable of handling it, and really disappointed I shut down.

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UFO Festival Connections McMinnville OR to Longview WA Galactic Fest.

This could be a great opportunity for me to Vendor at if I can make it happen. If I can come up w/the funds for product and vendor fees I should have plenty of time to prepare as it is in August. Let’s hope I can figure out a way to make it work =)

https://www.facebook.com/GalaticFest

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500 Views Milestone

500 view milestone reached 3-18-24. Still using free version so I’m happy w/the progress so far. Really makes me wish I could afford the upgrade sooner than later even more now though that I’ve put a ton of work into it LOL. I didn’t realize until a couple days ago I can’t tag anything to show up in search engine stuff w/out paying for the upgrade like 3 tiers in >< =( On page specifically anyway which is partly why I started a Blog lol.

I finished rounding out my Designs Collections page these last several days. Has auto-scrolling (pause-able) Slideshows, expandable Gallery View, links to stores, design details, and ability to like the specific collection. Because this page is so image heavy, w/auto scrolling images, this is the page I’m most concerned about how well it loads and works. If I get a feedback on any page atm it would be the one described.

But I also put a ton of details in my About / Contact page for anyone interested in seeing details about the Designer, Collectible Trading Card Game Development I’ve been working on over the years that has gotten me to this point, or any other details I’ve been adding to the page to make it more personalized. *Example Below with link to blog post*

Photoshop elements file displaying layers of Rogue Wizard Brand collectible trading card creation.
My Card Creator Working File

I’ve been at this new venture pretty non-stop several months now trying to figure things out and what direction is going to work for me. Getting the acceptance letter from InkedGaming.com was pretty great news, but they had a hang up with my electronic approval the first time I signed it and I haven’t heard back from them yet. So still waiting to figure that out and see where that goes. Being on playmats dice bags etc. will be great for me as I was trying to focus a lot of my products in the tabletop gaming area as it’s something I’m passionate about.

All feedback / support greatly appreciated. (likes, comments, follows, shares etc.) I don’t really have much experience with the specific things I’m trying to branch into, haven’t built a website before, still learning design placement for Apparel to make it more visually appealing, especially women’s clothing so feedback is appreciated. I know some of my stuff is pretty bold and eccentric and not for everyone, but willing to make adjustments in sizing background color etc on request / feedback. Thanks for reading!

Rogue Wizard Find us On: Facebook, Instagram, Ticktock

TR3CCDesigns Pinterest, Reddit, Twitter

Stores: RedbubbleTeepublicThreadless(More Designs otw)

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My CCG / TCG Development Process then Vs Now to PoD Products

I cast / summon with magical cards angels, beast, dragons, angels, zombies, wizard custom collectible 1st edition trading card 2/2 3/3 4/4 flying. Red flame, purple moon, yellow sun, green nature. Now on Redbubble and Teepublic stores. Coming soon to threadless. Rogue Wizard TR3CCDesigns

I wanted to create a post that shows how far things have come in my collectible card game development. And what has led me to branching out to PoD stores making jumbo CCG style graphics and Custom tokens etc. as well as other designs, to help me continue pushing my development process forward and bring some awareness and hopefully support to my project.

All engagement such as likes, comments, shares & follows are all greatly appreciated.

  • CCG / TCG - Print on Demand Designs
  • CCG / TCG - Print on Demand Designs
  • CCG / TCG - Print on Demand Designs
  • Siege Ballista
  • Coin Symbol Layers
  • Crystal Ball and Flame Creation Symbols
  • D20 Dice Symbol Creation layers puzzle
Gallery View

More in depth details on my CCG / TCG development & branching out to Print on Demand Ship to you products can be found on my About/Contact Page with more to come via Blog/Updates.

About Page also includes links to throwback playtesting videos on Youtube of my original concept before reworking things

Design Collections can be found here

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My Website Design Experience and Qualifications

I don’t really have any LOL. I inquired with a local place that quoted “starting at $2500” to help me build a website. As most of my motivation for starting my online stores was needing some income now, I just decided I’d figure it out myself LOL. So I’m still learning, w/the free version of wordpress for now until I can afford to upgrade.

I did take an html class in high school, which isn’t really that applicable now as I don’t really remember much of it and it’s not really used as much anymore anyway. But it probably helped give me a basis of understanding of what I’m trying to do.

Once I started, I noticed it was really giving me throwback vibes from building my MySpace lol, so I even added my Motivation / Keep the energy going spotify music playlist to my page haha. Hope you’re enjoying my website as much I’m enjoying making it LOL. I’ve spent about all this week working on it and feeling really happy with how it’s coming along.

Blog / Updates

Stay updated with our Designs and other news by joining our newsletter.

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Blog Start

spotify playing "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by Cage the Elephant, The Pattern motivational reminder

This was my phone right after I added my blog page and saved as draft LOL. I’m not sure how much activity my Blog will get right now but I figured I gotta start somewhere. Will use Blog to log my personal progress, promote sections of my page, or just random thoughts on my mind so my future followers can get to know me better =)

I’m already making designs and content on the daily like I already have over 1k followers or I’m just looking for that one super fan LOL. I currently just broke 30 followers on my insta and FB business pages haha. So maybe I’m delusional, but I think I just gotta find my people and my stuff will eventually gain some traction. If I just keep pushing forward it’s gotta lead somewhere right? =)~ Either way I’m enjoying the process.

About / Contact

About Me: The Creator Behind Shattered Fables™

My name is Thomas, and for over 25 years, I’ve lived and breathed the world of gaming. From working in Magic: The Gathering retail and running events, to competitive play, strategy and storytelling have always been at the heart of what I love.

But now, my focus has shifted to something uniquely mine—the creation of the Shattered Fables™ multiverse and its companion Trading Card Game. Inspired by years of gaming, personal challenges, and a deep love for fantasy worlds, this project is my dream coming to life.


🔄 From Inspiration to Creation

MTG and other games were where I started, but Shattered Fables™ is where I’m going.

This world-building journey took on new meaning after a life-changing event—when my best friend survived a serious accident, I realized how fleeting life can be. It pushed me to take my ideas seriously.

Alongside my own struggles with PTSD, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Bipolar 2, this project has become both a challenge and a form of healing. Creativity, storytelling, and gaming have grounded me when nothing else could.


💡 The Vision Now

With support from my girlfriend (an artist in her own right), and guidance from Vocational Rehab and business mentors, I’m pushing forward to create something truly unique:

  • A TCG with grid-based strategy, symbol-driven mechanics, and a deep lore that players can connect with.
  • Expanding a world through Codex entries, graphic novel stories, and interactive content.

Recently, I’ve been:

  • Developing and refining game mechanics with help from ChatGPT and AI tools.
  • Creating narrated videos that explore my world and design process.
  • Diving into an Adobe Certified Professional course, growing my skills in Photoshop and video editing to bring everything to life.

🌌 Looking Ahead

While I still enjoy MTG content and sell through TCG Player, that’s no longer the centerpiece. Instead, it’s part of a bigger tapestry, showing where I’ve been—not where I’m going.

I’m focused on:

  • Sharing more of Shattered Fables™ through video, lore, and design updates.
  • Building a community around the project, through Patreon and social platforms.
  • Working toward a playable prototype and visual showcases for the game.
  • Continuing to refine my custom Photoshop Card Creator, which allows me to efficiently produce and update card designs for testing and print. More about this process is detailed below.

This journey isn’t about overpromising—it’s about steadily building something real, something meaningful. And I’m excited to share each step along the way.


🌟 Thank You for Being Here

Whether you’re into TCGs, fantasy storytelling, or just curious about creating something from the ground up, I hope you’ll stick around. This is more than a game—it’s a world in the making.


Special Thanks to my Best Friend and longest supporter of almost 25 Years, Jason Bell.

Special Thanks to Jason Bell (details)

🤝 A Special Thanks to Jason

I met Jason when I started working at my first game store, and from day one, we clicked—bonding over collectible card games and quickly becoming more like family than just friends.

Back when Shattered Fables™ was just black-and-white text on printer paper, no images, just raw ideas—Jason believed in it. He’s always been one of the most supportive, caring, and generous people I’ve ever known. Through the hardest times, I’ve often thought, “At least I still got Jason,” and that’s meant everything.

In late 2023, I almost lost him and his wife in a major car accident. Thankfully, they’re both recovering, but that moment shook me. It reminded me how fragile life is and pushed me to stop waiting and start creating. His support, especially now, motivates me to keep moving forward and bring this world I’ve been building into reality.

We’ve even talked about opening a tabletop gaming and card shop together someday—a dream I hope to make possible by turning Shattered Fables™ into something truly successful.

Jason’s been there since the beginning, and I’m grateful every day that he still is. <3


My Card Creator Working File
My “Card Creator” base working file (details)

🖼️ Evolving My Card Creator

Over the years, I’ve built my own custom Card Creator in Photoshop—originally in Elements, now expanding as my skills grow. My first working file had over 500 layers, packed with every border, element, and design variation I could think of.

Recently, I started a fresh version with larger graphics to prep for Print-on-Demand products and higher-resolution visuals. I designed it to be modular—letting me quickly swap borders, frame styles, art sizes, and elemental or faction icons, all in a single file. This setup makes it easy to tweak designs during testing without starting from scratch.

Right now, this is a self-taught system—but once I complete my Adobe Certified Professional course, I plan to rebuild it from the ground up using everything I’ve learned. My goal is to make it even more streamlined and powerful for producing Shattered Fables™ cards efficiently.

My website, much like my original card files, is a work-in-progress—all built from scratch without formal training (yet!). Thanks for sticking with me on this journey!


Throwback videos of my original CCG creation concepts, when it was still visually pretty terrible, but mechanics have been something I’ve built off of that I’m really confident w/my current concepts.
When Artwork for cards still wasn’t even on my radar yet LOL.
well barely LOL. Ugh =/

My Collectible Card Game Development

🃏 Creating Shattered Fables™: A TCG Journey

Shattered Fables™ has been a long time in the making, and I’m finally at a point where I’m ready to start showing more and inviting others to be part of its creation.

While I’m still keeping some mechanics and deeper gameplay details under wraps until testing and feedback expand, I’m excited to share the evolution of this world and game. Inspired by my love of TCGs, tabletop RPGs, and strategy games, this project blends the best elements of each into something truly unique.

This is more than just a game—it’s a world. One that features:

  • Grid-based tactical gameplay, where spacing, range, and unit placement matter.
  • Customizable, collectible cards with symbols for fast, intuitive play.
  • Dice-based mechanics that bring unpredictability and excitement to every battle.
  • A strong focus on lore and storytelling, with characters and factions that players can connect with.

As seen in my recent videos and design previews, my goal is to create a game that feels familiar yet fresh—something that TCG fans, RPG lovers, and strategy enthusiasts can all enjoy.

I’ve spent years building the foundation, and now, I’m looking to bring others along as I refine, test, and develop Shattered Fables™ further. If you’re into worldbuilding, game design, or just love the idea of shaping a fantasy multiverse, I hope you’ll join me on this journey.

More details will come as development continues—but for now, I’m thrilled to finally start revealing what I’ve been working on.


How I Create & Source my Graphics / Art

🎨 How I Create & Source My Art

Art has always been part of my life—I took it through high school, and while I’ve got decent traditional skills (colored pencil was my favorite), I’ve found that digital tools let me bring my visions to life in ways that feel more natural.

Most of the symbols and images in Shattered Fables™ start as layered designs I build like puzzles. Some come from original sketches that I scan and edit, others are purely digital from the start, crafted in Photoshop (originally Elements, now being rebuilt with everything I’m learning in my Adobe Certified Professional course).


Past Contributions & Current Approach

  • I’ve purchased some art in the past from a friend, though due to a falling out, I no longer rely on that work. What remains from those contributions is minimal, often reworked into new symbols or concepts.
  • Elena, my partner, is a big creative influence too. As an aspiring tattoo artist, she’s helped me design several concepts—some inspired by tattoos she’s made just for me.

Adapting & Evolving with AI Tools

One of the hardest parts of this journey has been sourcing art for playtesting and potential final products—mainly due to cost. Early on, I used royalty-free images from sites like Pixabay, which I’d edit or use as inspiration.

Now, I’ve embraced AI-assisted tools to fill the gap. While I know AI art is still a hot topic, for me, it’s about bringing my ideas to life in ways I otherwise couldn’t afford. I often start with something original when I can —a sketch, an outline, or a design(I have made)—and use AI to help shape and enhance it. Every image is heavily edited in Photoshop, often combining pieces from multiple sources. For more information on How I use AI to build my fantasy IP.


My Take on AI Art

People often think AI art is just “click and done.” It’s not. Especially in fantasy settings, getting exactly what you envision can take hours of refinement. I’ve spent days on some images, layering, adjusting, and blending elements until they match my world. AI is a tool, not a replacement—and I believe when artists and designers work with it creatively, it can open up incredible possibilities.

My goal is to continue improving my own skills, and eventually, work with other artists to bring even more personal, high-quality visuals into Shattered Fables™. For now, I’m proud of what I’ve built—and grateful for the tools that let me make it real.


The Development Journey “Concept Art” Throwbacks

More Details in Blog with comments enabled. (and Gallery View)

  • Coin Symbol Layers
  • Crystal Ball and Flame Creation Symbols
  • D20 Dice Symbol Creation layers puzzle
  • Siege Ballista
  • CCG / TCG - Print on Demand Designs
  • CCG / TCG - Print on Demand Designs
  • CCG / TCG - Print on Demand Designs


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Thank you for your response. ✨

TR3CCDesigns@gmail.com


McMinnville, OR 97128 USA