bauerdesigns

For my swaps – I 100% ALWAYS send the swaps I sign up for. If for some reason you don't receive something from me within a reasonable time, please contact me and let me know!! I'm an awesome swapper and sometimes I cram a little too much in the envelopes I send, so it's possible a package could be stuck in the mail. PLEASE message me before considering to leave a poor rating as I work VERY, very hard to make my swaps special.

If you love snail mailing, check out my website & instagram - I make and sell happy mail stickers and traveling postcards!!

I am a part time graphic designer working both in an office 20 hrs a week and freelance at home as the work comes in. I love making anything I can by hand. Luckily my husband has the same creative drive as I, and we spend our evenings and weekends working on all kinds of projects. We do have a girl that is 14, Wren, who is often in the middle of our creative whirlwinds - or often in the middle of her own art project. In addition, we have a large, long-haired kitty, Ginger, who adds to the mix.

I've been an artist forever. I started making jewelry and selling at my mom's craftshow booths when I was about 7. I colored, scrapped, painted greeting cards, and pictures all of my childhood. In high school I took every art class offered and settled upon majoring in Graphic design. I went to a 2 year college for design, met my husband and got an associates degree all in one place. Aside from designing on the computer, I've always had the strong urge to create with my hands.

What do I make? You name it I've tried it. I love sewing. Stained glass is a fave medium of mine, copperfoiling (like Tiffany style), kiln glass fusing, screen printing, sticker-making, I have 2 button presses - 1 inch and 2 1/4 inch, notebook binding, jewelry making, perler beads, sticker making, painting, Cricut cutting.. the list keeps going. My husband does woodworking, knife making, screen printing, and is a pretty darn good illustrator (on instagram @ hazardsunlimitedart).

Something fun our little family does together is going to car shows. We have a 1972, orange VW Beetle that we love to cruise around town in. It's teeny tiny, loud, it smells like a Beetle, there's just about no comfort in the ride, but you cannot help but smile ear to ear the entire time you're in it. It was my first car and 20 years later I still have it! It's one of my favorite things on the planet.

As for general likes and dislikes, I'll try and think of everything I can to list below. So this is going to sound totally random : ) Main things though, I LOVE washi tape & stickers, anything from the 50's & 60's era and anything Volkswagen related.

Favorites:

Crafty supplies: Stickers & Washi tape, buttons, glass, paper, anything vintage, miniature things, old logos, lights, metal, ribbon, vintage jewelry, vintage Christmas, unusual paper, small envelopes, markers, pens, cool paper punches, glitter, yarn for random crafting or packaging, perler beads, stamps, stickers, big letters. If you can use it to make something, I'm sure I'll figure out what to do with it.

Colors: anything bright, red, lime green, aqua, rainbow, orange, hologram, rainbow

Season: Autumn. Love the leaves, pumpkins and bonfires. We were married Oct 1st.

Nature: birds, mushrooms (not to eat, yuck), trees, leaves, owls, squirrels, acorns, cactus & succulents, ferns, perennials, stars, pumpkins, bees, insects, cats, snowflakes, rainbows, clouds, sunshine, stars, galaxy

Food: Strawberries, pizza, TACOS!, cheeseburgers, rice, french fries, actually any form of potato, artisan breads, dinner rolls, muffins, baked goods, chocolate cake, chicken (especially chicken nuggets, haha!), pasta, garlic bread, breakfast foods, chips, nacho cheese, cheddar cheese, pie, Mountain Dew, CocaCola, Dr. Pepper, Hot Chocolate, just chocolate, cinnamon rolls, slushes, ice cream sundaes with caramel and pecans, m&m's, chili, soup, croutons, Ketchup - I put it on everything, ha!

Hobbies: I LOVE to bake! (I like unique ways decorate and package my baked goods), Traveling sticker cards, gardening, succulent growing (I never turn down a free plant), hiking, walking, kicking balls really high, spending time with my family, old-school Nintendo, being crafty, stained glass, graphic design, playing bingo, listening to music, sticker swapping, going to thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, and antique shops, craft/art fairs, I love to sew and have an old sewing machine, Car shows, VW Beetles.

Music: early 90's alternative.. Weezer, Pearl Jam, Tool, Blind Melon, Counting Crows, Hole, Foo Fighters, Oasis, Tom Petty, the XX, the Naked and Famous, the Raveonettes, Lord Huron.

Things I collect: Brass Owls, Magnets, Christmas wrapping paper, candy dishes, cookie cutters, cupcake paper baking cups, scrap book paper, bird themed decor and jewelry (my girl's name is Wren, so there's the connection), Vintage advertising and brand logos (new and old). VW items, Super Beetle/Beetle related items.

Stickers/signs/sayings that say: Makers Gonna Make, Maker, Create, Crafty, Ohio, Derp, Derpy, Hello, Hi, Volkswagen, VW, Made it, Handmade, Snail Mail, Happy Mail

STICKERS: I LOVE stickers. Pipsticks, Violette, Stickii, Four Bears etc. are some of my fave brands. I love micro stickers, stars, rainbows, flowers, cats, snails, mushrooms.. the list goes on. I don't use planner stickers though.

Random things: I say 'dude' and 'oh man' a lot (so much my girl says it a lot too) Have dark brown hair & eyes. I like earrings, bracelets and necklaces, though I'm not a fancy person. I usually wear jeans and a tee everyday. I like scarves and fingerless mitts. I think it's funny to make fake fart noises. I'm big into recycling and reusing. LOVE anything from the 50's and 60's.

THINGS I NEED: Christmas gift tags. Small envelopes, cello bags, stamp envelopes, handmade envelopes. Washi tape & stickers. Stamps (new or used) or even stamped paper if you have a cool stamp design to share. Paint brushes. Tiny boxes or tins. Binder clips, paperclips or clothes pins. Magnets. Glitter (contained, don't glitter bomb me). Paint: acrylic, watercolor, guache, puffy. Fabric dye. Anything Happy Mail or Snail Mail themed. Postcards. Balloons. Bouncy balls.

THINGS I DO NOT NEED: ribbon, lace, doilies, paint swatches/chips

Dislikes: Veggies (I really don't eat many), the victorian era, shabby chic, powder and lavender scents, Creepy/Horror Halloween, Game of Thrones, Deadpool, sitting all day, being cold.

My daughter: You can feel free to send stuff for my girl Wren (she's 14) - Often she's my artsy partner-in-crime helping me with the projects I send via Swap-bot. She likes: Cats, dragons, owls, foxes, turtles, dragons, galaxy theme, minecraft, Arc, pokemon, Kermit the Frog, Wings of Fire book series, Marvel & DC comics/movies/action figures, Star Wars, Star Trek, the Office, Adventure Time, Amazing World of Gumball, video games, derpy things, memes. Art supplies, painting, watercolor, markers, stickers, perler beads, puffy paint, shrinky dinks. French Fries, Tacos, and cookies. She LOVES art projects. (She would also like to add that she's NOT a girlie girl - so no pink, cutesy stuff LOL!)