thecrafthack

UPDATED Oct 2026

Note: I rate the same day I receive your mail. If 2 weeks have past and I have not rated you, please contact so we can determine if it has gone missing.

For those who receive my mail, I mail the first business day after a swap closes. Please get in touch with me if you don't receive my mail in a timely manner. Also, please don't forget to rate!

My name is Susan I've been a participant on and off for years. Swap-bot takes care of my creative itch.

I am a few years into my empty nest years. I still work M-F and enjoy my quiet weekend with my Shih Tzu at home or out with friends catching up or exploring a good thrift store or swap meet.

I started to dabble in digital art on my iPad but I miss the tactile satisfaction I get from glue, paint, paper, and stickers so I'm in and out of swap.

Although I've lived in California for 30 years, I am and will always be a Minnesota girl. Go Gophers!

I like almost all the music. Still a punk rock kid inside my skin. Love the British punk and new wave of the early 80s, and all the alternative bands of the 90s. I'm a big fan of French music. I like "lounge music" (Nicola Conte, Jet Society) and heavy Bossa Nova sounds. I also love Deep House and my current favorite station is Sirius XM Chill. Find me on Spotify for some good deep house and lounge playlists. For swaps, I'm into retro music theme like graphics of record players, cassette tapes, EDM, rave, classical composers,

I'm very much a book person. I read more than I watch TV. Jane Austen is my go-to author. I can pick it up anytime and anywhere.

I reread a lot of classic literature. Mostly to revisit it and consider how my thoughts have changed over the decades. I read assorted current realistic fiction that are usually on a best-seller list. I'm not much of a fan of dystopia or fantasy lit. I seem to gravitate toward stories about bookstores, libraries, mysterious diaries & letters.

I also like reading non-fiction history, philosophy, popular science, and biographies.

And there are also special interest magazines, especially on travel. I mostly read via Libby on my iPad.

I love swap items that are classic lit or philosopher-themed (postcards, stickers, etc)

Regarding books, I have recently become interested in collecting library cards. I get excited if a library in a major city has a gift shop with library stickers.

I've narrowed down my crafting over the years. I like to paint, make greeting cards/postcards, junk journaling, holiday crafts.

I like tiny things like vintage game pieces, bubble gum machine charms, glitter and other sparkly things, mini wooden toys, Japanese miniatures like food products, ephemera, unusual buttons (as in button and buttonholes), random small scrapbooking pieces that can be used on a greeting card or or junk journal. Stickers! How can I forget stickers.

I've been into making greeting postcards with Canva. Anything to breathe life into the art of snail mail again. (that’s why I love SWAP!)

I don't own a Cricut so assorted paper shapes to add to my collection are appreciated.

I’ve been dabbling in wool felting (like those little animals). So any wool bits to add to my collection would be useful.

I've downsized a lot of life so I can travel more. I love to collect vinyl laptop/waterbottle stickers when I travel. Anything fun from the name of the city to just something quirky.

I love to shop flea markets and thrift stores. I like to find fun and interesting things to alter into my art. I don’t always buy things but I love the hunt.

I love museums, cathedrals, old churches and historic buildings. I can stare at paintings or beautiful architecture for hours just contemplating what life was like when they were being created/constructed. I also love bookstores and libraries.

I've been into puzzles lately. It's something to do while I listen to books.

I also love airplanes, airlines and airports. Airbus 380 or vintage Boeing 747

This may seem out of left field, but I also love watching cycling. Tours such as Tour de France, Giro, Vuelta, etc.

Stickers have to be my number 1 favorite thing. I love to swap and be surprised by new stickers.

I love postcards. I especially like ones retro/vintage in appearance, are from your hometown area, are homemade, or contain one of my favorite things. I enjoy a sense of humor but prefer not to get them if the humor is off-color or is too adult in nature (think of the tacky beach postcards with partially nude bathers).

I love good old-fashioned mail. I love it when there is a fun collection inside such as magazine clippings, stickers, little toys, charms, pieces of leftover scrapbook paper or anything else I can use to create a collage or collection.

I think little trinkets, metal pieces, charms, mini toys, game pieces (esp from old games). Anything shiny or little.

I like pretty much anything made out of paper even bits of paper that can be used as a tag, in a collage. Good thick cardstock pieces that I can use to make postcards or journals. Faces, Plain, textured, colored...I like it all.

I could really use some larger die-cut/laser cut paper objects for card making. I don't have a cutter myself so I rely on swaps for my supply.

Recently I received some bits of paper and the sender used a sewing machine to sew a paper pouch from a magazine page. I was in awe of the cleverness, simple but felt so special.

Airplane/airport-related or transportation things, vintage travel, vintage swimming pool, vintage ads. Northwest was my favorite airline. Travel-themed in general, luggage, airplanes, passports, globes, stamps.

Paris...all of it. Honestly, anything France/French.

Taking the train.

I walked the Camino de Santiago with my son. That was life changing. I’d like to do it again.

I like cruising too.

As an empty nester, I do a lot of girl dinners.

I have a huge sweet tooth so I do like gummy-style candies (not super sour), chocolates, and caramels. I love trying international candies and sweets.

Coffee and Diet Coke. It's life.

I kind of hate making this list because in reality, no gift is a bad gift... However, here are a few things that would likely end up re-swapped.

Disney...it was fun while my kids were little but it's not my thing anymore.

Religious. However, as a cradle Catholic taught by nuns, I will make an exception for funny Nun stickers & postcards or Saints.

Country or cute animal-themed unless it's weird...like a moose in military uniform or cats in Victorian hats. Quirky is good.

Nothing scented

Touchy feely Expressions. Like "bless this home" or "beauty of family ." Not that I don't love my family....it's just too "Hallmark card" for my tastes. I prefer something with more wit and humor without being vulgar. For example, I have a sticker of a salt shaker and it says, "Salty” I also have a sticker of a vintage cell phone and it simply says, "Call your Senator, not your Ex." I also have another I find funny of a coffee cup that says "Morning Cup of Bitterness" Lol, stupid but funny.