Design Creations
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A little bit more about Design Creations

In 2004, Sonja discovered the virtual world Second Life and tried her hand at creating things there. Unfortunately, building in-world wasn't quite as easy as working with GMax or 3DS Max. Then, in 2010, Second Life did a wonderful thing: they introduced MESH! Suddenly, we could bring our 3D creations into the virtual world, and Design Creations was born. Together, we embarked on a whirlwind of creativity, making houses, furniture, architectural features, and all kinds of other things. We eventually moved from Second Life to InWorldz, then even tried our hand at running our own grid. Eventually, though, we stepped away for a while. Maybe we lost interest, or maybe we'd just had enough of people being weird and demanding and all the drama that came with virtual worlds.

We stayed off-grid for a while, but in 2020, the year of "covid," a bit of a windfall gave us the opportunity to dust off Design Creations and take our creativity in some new directions. We converted our garage into a workshop/den, bought some tools, a GlowForge, a 3D printer, and a small CNC machine, and just went to town!

Between the two of us, there's certainly no shortage of interests or projects. Nikki brings years of experience in digital art, 3D modeling, clothing and mesh design, and creating entire virtual environments. Sonja has been steadily honing her 3D-printing skills, dusting off her 3D-modeling knowledge, and learning about laser engraving, etching, and cutting. Then there's the CNC machine. We're still working on getting the hang of that one. Now THAT is a tough nut to crack!

These days, we're constantly exploring new ideas, experimenting, and seeing what we can make. Some projects begin with designs from Thingiverse, MyMiniFactory, or Cults3D that we modify and remix, while others start completely from scratch. Sonja tends to gravitate toward architectural pieces, building blocks, and other geometric designs rather than organic characters, while Nikki brings her own artistic talents and imagination into the mix. Between us, we've got a pretty good combination of creativity, curiosity, and stubborn determination. OCCASIONALLY, something a little more "fluid" comes along, but that usually takes a really good day and possibly an "altered state of mind." And we won't go into details about what that means. ;-)

Meet The Team

The "trolls and Oompa Loompas of Design Creations

Sonja Thomas

Sonja Thomas

Chief Cook and Bottle Washer

"If I can make it I can break it!
Or was that the other way around?"

More About Sonja:

Sonja is a U.S. Army veteran, former firefighter and EMT, pilot, and lifelong tinkerer who never quite figured out how to stick to just one interest. From computers, coding, radio communications, and aviation to virtual worlds, 3D modeling, 3D printing, and woodworking, she's spent much of her life learning by doing—and occasionally taking things apart just to see how they work.

Behind Design Creations is the same curiosity that has driven her for decades: if something needs building, fixing, or rethinking, she'll probably give it a shot. These days, writing has joined the list, turning a lifetime of experiences and a rather active imagination into stories, essays, and the occasional project that goes completely off the rails.

Nicole Dunlap-Thomas

Nicole Dunlap-Thomas

Artist Extraordinaire

"Normal? What's so great about normal?"
I like to color outside the lines!

More About Nikki:

Nicole is a longtime digital artist, 3D modeler, and virtual world creator with a passion for bringing imagination to life. From clothing and mesh designs to interactive systems and entire virtual environments, she’s been creating in virtual worlds since 2008.

As the creative force behind Aurora Realms, she spends much of her time designing, building, and occasionally arguing with uncooperative polygons. When she’s not creating something new, she’s probably finding another project to add to her already overflowing collection of ideas.

Explore her creations at Aurora Systems.