marliese

Hi there - I am Marlies, mom to three teenagers. I live near Amsterdam and I work as a policy officer / online learning expert at a major Dutch university.

I have been a Swap-Bot member for almost a decade now. I always send my stuff in time. If, because of any circumstance, I would be unable to send before the deadline, I will contact my partner. If you did not receive a swap, please contact me! The Dutch mail system has been undergoing budget cuts and as a result, items that I (or any other Dutch resident, LOL) put in the mailbox between Friday 5 PM and Monday 5 PM will not be processed until Tuesday. This could be practical to know when you check the postal date on my envelopes.

Next resolution: I always rate. I try do to this the same day, but always asap. Feel free to message me when you wonder if your swap has arrived though.

(Please note: When a swap is late without notification or does not match the swap description, we are obligated as swappers to rate down. And when a swap does not arrive (and your partner does not offer to resend) a rating '1' is in order. This may seem harsh but it's the only way to keep Swap-Bot safe and to fight flakers.
Not rating when you being are flaked is potentially hurting others - even when you think you're being forgiving and easy-going!!)

Collage,

Drawing,

Art journaling,

Mixed Media/paint

Planner/bullet journal

ATCs

Anything by Frederick Backman

The night circus

The time traveller's wife

The Solitude of Prime Numbers (Paolo Giordano)

Anything by Curtis Sittenfeld

Anything by Annie Proulx

Anything by Willy Vlautin

Some of my favourite 80s bands are the Cure, the Pixies, Blondie and Depeche Mode, Soft Cell.

But I also love all projects Paul Heaton was ever involved in (like the Beautiful South), and the same goes for Neill Finn.

More contemporary likes: Muse, Keane, Interpol, White Lies.

I love items featuring hot air balloons, type writers, rainbows! I love items with rainbows on it!__ .

I prefer my received postcards naked - with actual stamps. :) When we're in a postcard swap together, I don't mind free postcards as long as the other swap requirements are met. No obvious advertising cards though. Thank you.

Among my favourite children's authors/illustrators are Dr. Seuss, Lauren Child, Astrid Lindgren & Ilon Wikland. Childhood heroes!

I like charms and pins... rubber stamps and badges and coin purses and magnets. I love bunting, too.

My favorite travel destination is the South of England. I like piers and lighthouses and the Jurassic coast line.

I also like retro patterns like woodgrain prints or (large) houndstooth (b&w).

I love everything polaroid (or instax) related. Also, items with cameras on them.

When you are thinking of sending me chocolate, I love that! Just not anything with mint. I love chocolate bars with peanutbutter filling, (like Kitkat or anything Reese's) but also Doubledeckers, most Cadbury bars, you name it.

At first, I felt bad about listing my dislikes, but you might as well save the shipping costs so here's a bunch of things I don't like to receive. Please:

• NO budget stickers, disney, reward stickers and unpersonal premade notes or swapcards (if not subject of the swap).
• NO smelly things (perfumed items or things from a smoky environment). I am very sensitive to scent. Even scented stationary gives me a headache and triggers my asthma.
• I don't like Rooibos or Green Tea.
• No Diddl, Disney, fairy tale figures (two exceptions: Little Red Riding Hood and Alice in Wonderland, well, she's not really from a fairy tale...)
• no recipe cards
• no black tea
• no candy with mint
• no religious items or animal rights (or political) items

Please don't send me jewelry which isn't 100% nickel free.

I also prefer NOT to receive washi tape samples. I prefer whole rolls, or no washi at all, which is ok with me too. :)

For a profile based swap, you could consider sending me:

• Tickets stabs, library cards, other vintage ephemera
• Postcards with photography or (woodland)
  illustrations
• Stickers (planner or other) - not puffy/3D
• Herbal tea (no chai but infusions like mint, camomile, verveine, nettle)
• Chocolate (all kinds - just no mint)
• Die cuts
• Colored envelopes (store bought for now - I have quite a stash of handmade envelopes of my own)
• Plant seeds (if your local customs allow that)
• If you can find items with a squirrel or fawn, I would love that. Little figurines (squirrel, fox, deer) too.
• Items (charms, stamps, stickers) with clouds
• Paint (the acrylic kind) markers
• Blackbird, magpie or swallow themed items (pins, cards, charms, etc.)