The Netherlands is jam packed with talent, so we invited katrinakaye to share some insider tips. She’s not originally from the Netherlands, but has grown into her local shoes. She brings you this Shop Local guide, Dutch edition. Meet some artists below and match them to their items at the bottom.
When we first arrived here and didn’t understand the language, I kept hearing ‘Amsterdam’ over and over again when listening to people’s conversations. It was the only word I could understand. I was wondering why they kept mentioning the city they lived in all the time…? I mean, it was really noticeable and weird! Now, six years later, I understand. Amsterdam isn’t just a city you live in, it becomes part of you. Or you become part of it. Whichever way, Amsterdam has something about it that makes it feel like an old friend.
If you’ve ever been here you probably arrived at the Central Station. The moment you walk out and see the beautiful old buildings and the canals steeped in history, it just fills you with a good feeling. It’s more than just its good looks that makes me love it so much, though. Among other things, it’s the incredibly laid back and positive vibe, it’s the fact that people always seem happy and content, it’s also the fact that it feels more like a village than a capitol. How many other capitols do people cycle everywhere and stop to chat with people on the streets constantly? I bump into people I know all the time and it makes it feel like home. Being from two different countries, Andy and I have found our common ‘home town’. We talk about moving to the countryside occasionally but every time we end up agreeing that we’d miss Amsterdam too much.
Working on the fantastic Noordermarkt in the old Jewish working class area Jordaan (where Anne Frank lived) every Saturday makes us feel even more part of the city. People know us, we always meet lots of wonderful people there and some of them have ended up being our best friends! The Noordermarkt is also where it all started for Katrina Kaye. I got my market license in 2004 and started out very tentatively selling my recycled wool creations (in July no less… ). It’s a place with a great atmosphere. One half of the market is an organic farmers market and the other half is mostly vintage and craft. Sienna and I always go to visit Daddy on the market and she loves all the people and the other sellers love her. There are always wonderful musicians playing there and it’s got a little playground in the middle of it so people bring their kids and spend some time hanging out, doing their grocery shopping and browse all the great stalls. It’s a perfect mix of chilled out locals and lost tourists looking for the Anne Frank House, really. It has got to be the most significant place in Amsterdam for us and a natural choice as a back drop for a photograph.
As for the rest of the Netherlands, I’ll let these wonderfully talented Dutch sellers and their beautiful photos tell the story…
Morelle: “I live in one of the most amazing areas in Amsterdam. In the Pijp you can find everything; the rare, the beautiful, the quirky. If you ever visit Amsterdam, go to the Pijp. Have a coffee or cocktail at ‘Chocolate’, browse the Albert Cuyp market for all sorts of weird things, buy extremely-overpriced-but-worth-it vintage clothing and when you’re done, head down to the Amstel river to take pictures like tourists.”
Kinchi: “This is me in the narrow park between a small lake and the river Rotte, after which the city of Rotterdam is named. The windmill was built in 1648 to keep the land dry. They’re currently reconstructing the road, so next spring we will be able to have our weekend picnics again, with the kids in the boxbike. I work at home and go running here twice a week. Living only 10 minutes by bicycle from the hectic city center, I’m extremely grateful to have this historic green area so close to our house!”
Stiksel: “This is me! (in green) with my sister at the Rotterdam Craft! market which I organized this summer. Rotterdam inhabits a few other ‘Etsians’ but I think craft markets are something that people still have to get used to. They are not familiar with this phenomenon yet. But, we are working on it.
What I love about Rotterdam? The most I love the open space near the river Maas. I work next to it and a nostalgic feeling catches every time I am there. For example the Cruise Terminal is here. This is the place where 50 years ago the emigrants left by boat to the US and Canada.”
ReyaVeltman: “This photo was taken in Danikerbos, Geleen. It’s a lovely wooded walking and hiking trail close to my neighbourhood. I always come out of there with laden pockets (acorns, leaves and twigs,) and a head full of inspiring new ideas. It’s one of my favourite spots in my tiny town.”
Hikje: “I live in Groningen, which is a city in the north of The Netherlands. I love living here, you can easily escape to the countryside, but also party and dance all night! I live at the edge of the city, near the building i’m standing in front of at the photo. It’s called Wall House #2 by John Hejduk. Its a great building with crazy curves and colors!
If you’re ever visiting Amsterdam, take the 2 hour train trip to Groningen and discover this charming little city!”
Dressme: “Hi, my name is Liesbeth Soeterbroek from Dressme. I have been designing and making children’s clothes for the last 6 years. My son Luke, also 6,still appears in the Dressme banner on my Etsy site, and my daughter Kate (4) loves modeling the dresses.
We live in The Hague, Holland’s third largest city, which lies on the coast just north of Rotterdam.
I work at home from our conservatory, its very bright and looks out onto our garden, so it’s a nice inspiring place to work from. When not making clothes we all like to cycle down to the coast and take a refreshing walk through the dunes and along the beach.”
Pipapiep: “Here you can see a weekly ritual, me and my dog feeding the seagulls near my house in Amsterdam.”
Noseynest: “The Nosey Nest crew likes to be taken out to what they call ‘the end of the world.’ They are so curious about what could be beyond there and can’t stop fantasizing about it. Here you can see me and some Nosey Nest members at a Dutch dike staring into the big unknown. You can read more about their adventures at www.noseynest.blogspot.com.”
Thehouseofmouse: “I moved to Holland with my husband 5 years ago and we both love it here. There are many other expatriates like us in Amsterdam so diversity of culture here is rich, and there is always something new to discover. Sometimes I miss the rolling hills of my home town in Devon, England, so I love that there is a big piece of nature just outside my village. Haalemmermeerse bos is a huge park around a lake, a lake that Shadow loves to swim in!”
JKPhotography: “So this is me in action really, with my old smena camera. And we were caught by a snowstorm. My husband took the photo with his small digicam. This place is called “Buntven”, fenland close by on bicycle distance. What I love about the place where I live is that I can take my bike and only have to travel 10 minutes to find a wonderland such as in the photo. For a person as I am, who loves nature and the change in seasons, this is very important, since it is here where I find my inspiration.”
LeiLiLaLoo: “For me one of Holland’s most inspiring places is the ocean. It has the wide view that gives me the feeling anything is possible. I come here when I need to get my energy back after working hard. When I leave this place I am all charged up again.”
SuusKeramiek: “I live and work a 5 minutes bicycle ride from the centre of Rotterdam and love it. It’s a city with lots of culture, color, art, a harbor, people, tulips and lots more…Getting inspired by this all I create, from subtle to colorful styles. The picture is taken outside of my live & work space balcony on a rainy day. Lots of buildings, parking lots and kind of a industrial view. I look forward to the summer, that brightens up everything so much with the lovely sunlight shining upon this creative place…”
Check out the European Street Team — a self-organized group of sellers. Make sure to update your geo info in your public profile so you can find folks in your area by using Etsy’s Shop Local site feature. This is a great way for holiday shoppers to cut down on shipping time. Find out more about how Shop Local works.
Shop Local Posts | Gift Ideas | Shop Local in Your Area
Please let Etsy’s blog know about your favorite local Etsy artists. Pitch your town, state, country or region.
68 comments
Sign in to add your ownHomemadeZen says:
very talanted people here!
3 years ago
nanouke says:
Wonderful article! I have a fascination for Holland for a long time, hopefully I can visit soon! Lovely to see some "familiar" faces here too :)
3 years ago
loulouandoscar says:
Great roundup of European talent! Love The House of Mouse and Hikje especially!
3 years ago
bndesign says:
^_^ What great to see other Dutchies featured ^_^ lovely article
3 years ago
ZsBcreations says:
Wonderful article, congrats to all the featured! It's great to know you, fellow Nederlanders better :)) So sorry I could participate, but next time :)
3 years ago
theseawithin says:
wonderful feature! I love it!
3 years ago
iragrant says:
great article, I love to see the faces from familiar names in here!:)
3 years ago
makemesmile says:
Great pics! Nice to see the persons behind the creations! =^x^=
3 years ago
Arctida says:
Yay for Holland! So much talent in that country!
3 years ago
PetitPlat says:
Yay for Holland and another Yay for Europe! ^^ I loved Amsterdam as I visited it! And I stayed a little bit far away from Amsterdam. Probably the best urbanism I ever saw!
3 years ago
gretchenmist says:
i love these articles! it feels like we are meeting the sellers :)
3 years ago
malam says:
Nice article & discoveries ! I went only one day to Amsterdam for New year, and I'll go back anytime.
3 years ago
karuski says:
Great reading! So nice to see many Etsy friends and team members featured in this article, congrats:)
3 years ago
ThePeachTree says:
Wow, this has been my favorite collection of talent to date!! Fantastic, as always, to learn the behind the scenes goodness of these amazing artists.
3 years ago
phydeaux says:
All of the town and place names are almost magical -- I want to visit! So fun to meet our colleagues from the Netherlands.
3 years ago
futurowoman says:
Very fun! I love the Netherlands and always enjoy the people who live there when I visit!
3 years ago
smashgirl says:
Rotterdam is a great city and I love the art sculptures throughout the city, very cool!
3 years ago
Jaynee says:
I love Amsterdam. My husband and I visited the area about ten years ago on a trip for our anniversary. I fell in love with Amsterdam almost immediately and long to go back someday - perhaps even to live!
3 years ago
yaelfran says:
wow... adorable katrina, and houseofharriet!!!! great artists!!!!! And nice to meet you all!!!!
3 years ago
rosetung says:
omg i wanna move to the netherlands so bad now!!! i love how much cycling and nature and cities are mentioned in all these stories. superb post, inspiring designers!
3 years ago
JoyandWhimsy says:
Great photos--I'm selling a Dutch Mermaid book at: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18700282 Loved this piece - thanks KatrinaKaye!
3 years ago
skiessoblue says:
Amsterdam is beautiful. I only stayed a few days, but I will definitely go back someday!!
3 years ago
whimdesign says:
This article makes me want to visit the Netherlands. Great choices too!
3 years ago
littleloveblue says:
great collection of amazing sellers! some of my favorites
3 years ago
bamboobaby says:
yeah, okay, I'm movin' to Amsterdam right now...bags packed. Nice.
3 years ago
expressyourself says:
Wonderful article!Thank you for your share!
3 years ago
littleredbear says:
What a wonderful place to be! This article makes me want to to visit again. Great talented artists too!!
3 years ago
aisle3studio says:
very cool. i love these profiles
3 years ago
FrucciDesign says:
great artists..I love this series!!
3 years ago
Candy4yourcloset says:
I'm from Amsterdam too and go home every other year on Queensday, I just got back in May. You should really go on Queensday where you can see a lot of talented people's work. Queensday is on. April 30th.
3 years ago
theaxx says:
Love the profiles, especially everyone's sexy winter coats - less of a choice here is sunny oz...
3 years ago
beautifulbridget says:
Absolutely stunning! How I wish I were there.....
3 years ago
timesandchimes says:
Lovely article and people!
3 years ago
calloohcallay says:
Wonderful article! I used to live in Antwerp and traveled to the Netherlands a lot. I love all these photos; it makes me miss it so.
3 years ago
ingermaaike says:
A most talented group with a very diverse range of creations!
3 years ago
dogties says:
Great article. Wonderful items. Beautiful photos.
3 years ago
kinchi says:
So nice to see the rest of you too! And ooh Amsterdam! I moved to Rotterdam 4,5 years ago after having lived there for 13 years and Trines description of my 'old friend' brought tears to my eyes:)
3 years ago
JKphotography says:
So lovely to see some of my fellow dutch etsians here :) All these stories are a great read. Thank you, Katrinakaye!
3 years ago
fleurfatale says:
oooh, grat article, I see lots of Euro friends but also some new gorgeous shops, thanks for sharing!
3 years ago
Huismus says:
This is so cool! Nice to see other Dutchies :-) Fun read, heaps of talent, new favorites for sure! Thanks, Simone
3 years ago
ballee says:
Wow, I'm so proud to live in Rotterdam, The Netherlands when I see all this talented crafters! Thanks for putting this up and I love all the pictures! Puk http://knittingajour.blogspot.com
3 years ago
BluCille says:
The buildings are beautiful and so is the little windmill.
3 years ago
replicca says:
I love putting faces to shop names and was so excited to see Morelle in this feature! Its also great to see everyone has green space close to home; what a beautiful place! Danke!
3 years ago
matilou says:
how great !!!
3 years ago
PoPkO says:
oh im drooling! i, too, love seeing where everyone is from and putting a face to a name. oh the pijp! albert cuyp! youre making me want to live there again....
3 years ago
christinececelia says:
Oh how cool! I love the snow picture~
3 years ago
kilsook says:
there are so many great pictures here. love pinky pork, the name says it all. i'll get lost in a lot of these shops for a good while. thanks for the intro to them.
3 years ago
swallownest says:
I just spent ten days in Amsterdam and have to second everything the author says about the city. It is a big and small city at the same time. Full of culture, diverse, laid back, accessible, fun. I loved my stay. The Dutch are most hospitable and not speaking Dutch was not a problem as everyone speaks English. There are so many museums I couldn't get to all of them. Wonderful food too and the sun shone three days. That was the biggest surprise, the mild pleasant weather (though always carry an umbrella).
3 years ago
felicitycrew says:
thanks for the great article, it's alays interesting to see other European sellers and their hand-made items!
3 years ago
catou07 says:
Fantastic article. My family and I lived in Den Haag for four years and we LOVED it there - it was some of the best years of our lives. I can't wait to return. In the meantime, I can still get bits and pieces from talented dutch artists that will remind me of my once temporary home!
3 years ago
eRosasjewelry says:
Hi Netherlands....I just got my first customer from The Hague yesterday--yay!
3 years ago
woodendoll says:
Rudolph is adorable!
3 years ago
glorygifts says:
Very nice article! Great photos of the beautiful countryside!:)
3 years ago
shelbyhealey says:
Great reading and lovely colourful pics. I can't wait to go back to Amsterdam.
3 years ago
LoveAppleBoutique says:
I just love the Shop Local Series. The pictures and stores are great. Holland looks like a beautiful place to visit. Love the products of these very talented Etsyians.
3 years ago
wildstrawberry says:
I'm so inspired by these talented people. They make me proud to say I'm of Dutch heritage!
3 years ago
dragonhouseofyuen says:
Thanks for the super article. I just love the Netherlands and their beautiful arts and crafts and many of these talented people are in my favourites! I also love the MTC magazine from there (which I can't get in Scotland :( ) ReyaVeltman looks so content in that beautiful woodland and the stunning building behind Morelle is one of the prettiest I have ever seen. This country is just packed with talent and I love it all and to see photos of these wonderful ladies in their natural settings is so so inspiring, a BIG thank you!
3 years ago
poppylane says:
i love the collective style of all these wonderful Etsyians!
3 years ago
StrongBeads says:
OOOOOO jejeeeee I am Dutch and on the other side of the world right now ! really enjoying but ooooooohhhhh if I see the pics for a moment I want "een patatje met, pepernoten, verkade chocoladeletter, jenever ........" and so on. All Dutchies have great fun overthere!!!!!!! And good luck!!!!!!
3 years ago
FablesandFoxes says:
Wow. Now I want to visit even more so than ever. Beautiful cities, wonderful artists and crafters. Sounds lovely.
3 years ago
LindstromcommaC says:
I was in The Netherlands last March and I must say I LOVED it there! The fashion is amazing. Everything I've come home to the States with gets complimented on a regular basis : ) And, although it was raining the whole time, it was still one of the most magical places I have ever visited!
3 years ago
koosi says:
Hello, please look at my wonderfull Dutch shop too. There is more talent in Holland than just these 18. www.koosi.etsy.com
3 years ago
FluteTeacher says:
The kids clothes are too cute.
3 years ago
CatTingles says:
We Dutch seem to be very creative!! Small Country, great art!! Thank you for putting these wonderful items together.
3 years ago
pcwilson72 says:
fantastic! as an american living in copenhagen, i always look for what the locals enjoy and do. this will certainly help me when i visit in june :)
3 years ago
indiaylaluna says:
Lovely artcle!! I love you all!!!! You're so talented!!!
3 years ago
frstyfrolk says:
Awesome reads here, Lovely profiles and I also walk with pockets full of natural things. Glad to hear I am not alone in that. I really should carry a pail with me, Like I do at the beach! Smiles, Cyndi
2 years ago
RomanceCatsAndWhimsy says:
What an inspiring and interesting article -- I felt like I was there. Such talent and beauty. Thank you for sharing!
2 years ago