About

I’m motivated by the fact that making beautiful cutting boards makes me happy.

I’m an African American, retired,  public school teacher, holding degrees in special education,  art, and law. I have survived breast cancer, and keep fit by paddling on a breast cancer survivor dragon boat team, The Dragon Divas of Minnesota.

 I began my journey due to necessity. As a breast cancer survivor, I wanted to be more in control of my food. I bought a bread machine. I needed a cutting board for the wood and plastic slicer. The grate in the bottom of the slicer was getting cut up by my bread knife. There was an ad on TV for a membership woodshop. I joined and began making cutting boards, most of which went to fundraisers for a couple of local non-profits.  People who saw my boards said they were beautiful. It occurred to me that there might be a market for custom-made cutting boards.  As far as I’ve been able to research online, and in the local retail shops my boards fall into the medium price range. I customize them by altering the wood used in the design of each cutting board.  I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education, so I’m leaning into my past training to create the cutting boards. Currently, I’m in the process of converting my two-car garage into a woodshop/design studio. My immediate task is to assemble the minimum number of power tools and dust collection systems so I can make some inventory. I have trademarked my company name, and done some local and national networking through Alignable.com. Through Alignable, I have contacted other African American businesses. I have contracted with Excel Digital Group in Chicago, to design and service my website.

The name of my sole proprietorship, Baubords, pays homage to the Bauhaus Art Movement, which existed in Germany, between the World Wars. A bunch of artists got together and decided to make objects functional and beautiful.

Chronologically, The Bauhaus Art Movement is related to the Arts and Crafts/Frank Lloyd Wright era in modern art. People have said the boards are too beautiful to use, but my sister and friends I’ve sold boards to, use theirs all the time.