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Story by
iragrant
Published on May 29, 2009 in Spotlight |
Photo by |
It's time to put on your traveling pants, sit back and relax as Swiss Etsian Iragrant gives us a virtual tour of her homeland in this Shop Local installment. To Switzerland we go!
Welcome, bienvenue, willkommen, benvenuto to Switzerland. I’m Ira. Did you know that we have four national languages here? This beautiful country is very unique. One guide book said it’s a patchwork quilt country, and I’m very lucky to live here.
Neuchatel is the capital of Canton Neuchatel, a region where French is spoken. After I lived in Jakarta and London, this beautiful city felt like a fairytale place to me. Friendly people, fresh air, a beautiful lake, a castle, cobble stones and the charming sandstone elegance of medieval town — all the perfect ingredients to make your creativity and imagination run wild!
But Neuchatel is not all about medieval times. We are proud to refer to our place as Watch Valley. If you have a luxurious Swiss Watch, chances are it is made in this canton. Also, Le Corbusier, the father of Modern Architecture, was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, which is about half an hour from here. There he created a few of his early works, including the "Maison Blanche" which he built in 1912 for his parents.
The photo of me and my daughter above is taken in one of those beautiful streets in town, a popular square where I usually have my coffee rendezvous with friends while watching our kids play around us. Also in the picture, you can see the view of the Alps from my studio window in our apartment.
Now let me introduces you with some talented Swiss Etsians...
irisschwarz from Zurich: "These stairs lead to my studio where I spend lots of my time. I love to be here, surrounded by drawings, flowers, brushes and some good old spirits."
joelinha from Aargau: "Although I live far away from anything we call a mountain, there are still a few spots around my village where I feel really Swiss. When I come home from the city, I love to walk around the forest; it's so calm and peaceful."
BurkhalterCouture from Geneva: "This picture on the left was taken last year at Hotel des Bergues.
I've been in the fashion industry since forever... first as a model, then I ended up as a fashion designer. The most important thing for me is to touch the materials. I feel that I'm a kind of architect of clothes. I just want to make the woman feel beautiful, and would like to share this good feeling with everybody."
swissfizz from Zug: "This photo was taken in our backyard garden overlooking our neighbor's house — the kindest neighbor you can ever imagine! The Swiss are surrounded by nature and history, and they grow up in their gardens. People say hello (gruezi) to strangers, we have 24/7 milk automats, casino is a theatre, and the Zug's lake is called a sea." 
junyandmilo from Riniken: "This is me in front of Switzerland's oldest tree, a linden tree, which is almost 1000 years old. If you look closely on the left you can see two people walking under it, to give you a sense of scale. This linden stands on top of a small mountain and from there you have a breathtaking view over the neighboring hills. I live nearby, in a small village near Zurich. From my window you can see lush meadows and forests and hear the jingling of the bells of grazing cows. And with a total of four castles located in the area, you only have to hold your hand out in the air to catch some fairytale magic...a key ingredient in all of my creations."
Stefanie a.k.a. beyeler from Thun: "I moved here some years ago and feel very much at home. It‘s a wonderful place to live and the people are so warm and friendly.“
Bellesmademoiselles from La Neuveville: "My youngest daughter and I are standing on a snowy mountain with the beautiful Swiss Alps behind us. The fresh mountain air always clears my head and refreshes me. I usually come up with a few new designs and ideas after a trip there."
comfortablyblue from Emmental: "This photo was taken in our big garden in the Emmental. I love the nature and peace around me, the hills, the nearby river and the plants. I get a lot of inspiration from the colors of flowers, the sound of summer rain, quacking frogs or the smell of blooming apple trees..."
And of course, Swiss Etsians are also proud members of the European Street Team.
Shop Local in 2009 and meet your talented neighbors (shrink that carbon footprint too)! If you're a seller who lives somewhere interesting, post in the comments below or pitch to us with a screenshot of your Poster Sketch!
Shop Local Posts | Etsy International
Shop Local Switzerland | Shop Local in Your Area
139 comments Login to add your own!
englishmuffinshop
Wonderful post - all you Swiss ladies have so much style - or should I say "stil"! Thanks for sharing :)
AlloverArt
What gorgeous work and a gorgeous country! Thank you for sharing. :)
ecogeneration
Swiss Alps always reminds me of Sound of Music, one of my favorite movies.
Thanks for introducing us to your lovely country.
breadandroses2
Switzerland looks to fresh and clean! Beautiful country, lovely artisans. Thanks so much for this feature and the 'mini' vacation!
jenniferladd
Beautiful! Beautiful photos, beautiful country, beautiful items!
SugarMohawk
Simply Breathtaking Scenery & the Garden is soooo Colorful looks like a Butterfly's Paradise! Thank you for sharing!
adoreneko
Wonderful country with so much inspiration and awesome crafters!
SewnNatural
Thank you for showing us around such inspiring beautiful, natural places in your country. The photos and personal stories were incredibly well done, gave us a real sense of the people and places behind the Etsy shops... not an easy task in such a short space, but well done!
masaoms
Great article!!!! Lovely Switzerland items!!! ;-) I'm from Barcelona, there are really talented people!!
MelissaSue
i'll be there in 7 days! so very excited - wonderful article :D
annarubyking
Switzerland is such a beautiful place, you are all so lucky to live there!
TrendyCards
RogueCreations
Very interesting items and stories. Thank you. Makes me want to hop a plane!
supplier
aysetugrul
its great to see you and your beautiful country here Ira. I am sending my kissed to you
fineartstoneware
lorijaclynsjewels
I've been to Swtizerland, and I totally LOVED it!! The chocoloate is super fab too :D
thanks for sharing your stories!
worksandfinds
Thank you for sharing. Beautiful country. I love mountains but I live in flat midwest.
deepindigo
PacoandLupe
Went backpacking in Interlaken, Switzerland. Memories. Love those mountains!
The power of WWW and ETSY...bringing people closer. I LOVE IT!
twolefthands
Ira, you and your daughter are so beautiful! It's so nice to finally "meet" you! Switzerland is gorgeous, and all the ladies are wonderful!
PipocaHandmade
AnniesWearableArt
i was so fortunate to visit the land of my ancestors (Dad's side) a few years back. Loved Zurich!! Wonderful article.
alfalfalovesme
My husband and I have family in Switzerland and this made me want to schedule a visit ASAP!
Beautiful work ladies!
lunaticart
sharonclancydesigns
It's so nice to put faces to names. It was fun taking the tour. Switzerland looks so beautiful. I want to go there!!!
That70sShoppe
staroftheeast
jenniferlynnstudio
Thanks for taking us to Switzerland! Love reading about all the talented ladies..and seeing the photo's.
vilte
great article, Ira! congratulations :)
and I would love to feature some Lithuanian etsians. Lithuania is a land of linen and amber. It is the crossroad of Eastern and Western Europe.
ingermaaike
babook
JulieWebb
Great article and beautiful photos. Switzerland is one of my all time favourite countries. I went their as a child and loved it, I visited again more recently and I was so pleased that it felt just as magical as an adult! :)
slinkymalinkicat
pinpinn
I WANT TO LIVE IN SWITZERLAND! Ira I love your bags and now I've found some new favorite shops. Such wonderful friendly people ^_^ Every time I read these articles I fall in love with a new destination.
pinpinn
oh and the fact that you have a view of the Swiss Alps, omg so envious! How gorgeous is that? Switerzland really IS a fairytale!
BargainHeadbands
Ayca
chinesegemstone
thingsbuilt
What a wonderful article. As someone who just opened an Etsy shop here in the beautiful town of San Miguel de Allende, I was worried that people would be afraid from buying from this part of the world. Not true at all!
I love my newly adopted country, and with Etsy I truly feel part of a Global Community. Thanks for sharing your story. It's very inspiring. I've always felt our surroundings inspire us as artists. I'm grateful every day to be living in such a beautiful place.
Radness
wwwvintagemermaidcom
PenelopeAndAnastasia
I totally calling my Jewelry Room an Atelier...so much cooler than studio!
DalkullanJewelry
Love the little bunny Milo. Beautiful photos, all the flowers were especially nice.
TheNebulousKingdom
zeropumpkin
chichiboulie
humblebea
Ira, you and your daughter are as cute as a button! I really enjoyed peeking into your world! Thanks for a great story, it was fun to learn more about your country and see all of the other Swiss artists! (-:
TwistedCrystals
I am so in love with Switzerland. I have been 3 times now and couldn't imagin a more perfect place to live-and im from New England! :)
The pieces you selected are all wondeful!
Wunderkind
Oh, I love Juny and Milo! Iris, swissfizz, love your style! Great talent featured here! I love to see other countries being I don't often get to actually go to other countries.
Wow, what a great life...I love being outdoors but where I live it's just traffic and humidity. Somebody please buy me a plane ticket to Switzerland!
syko
Hopp Schwiiz! My sister lives in Zürich so Switzerland is special for me! These beautiful pictures makes me want to go there right now! I love the work by Iris Schwarz!
geteurofied
gorgeous pics ladies! It makes me want to get on a plane and take off to Switzerland! Congrats & GO EUROS! xoxo :)
beautifulbridget
RedFenyx
dinafragola
LeelaBijou
ireneagh
soap
fantastic piece - love your country :) plus, all the locations are making me hungry - cheese associations :) might have some neuchatel with lunch!
lovelygifts
alibli
AmericanGirl51
moonovermaize
I have always wanted to visit Switzerland. What an amazing country with spectacular scenery! Thanks for introducing me to these other very talented Swiss artisans. Lovely article :)
moonovermaize
Oh, I forgot to say that the photo of you and your daughter is so precious! And what an incredible view from your studio, holy cow!!
mythunderstood
iragrant
Hi everyone, thank you so much for all your wonderful comments, thank you for Etsy too and especially Vanessa:)
oh yes, 'that The Alps view' taken from my window workplace, I know I'm very lucky:)
juanitatortilla
Proud to be living in this lovely country! Thank you for sharing these other creative Swiss crafters.
Greetings from Zurich,
Juanita
ToxicInk
ArtMind
Wow, thanks for telling us a bit more about the beautiful country you live in! I love the happy picture with you and your daughter! Makes me smile! :)
And so much talent there is in Switzerland! Super! Great article, Ira! :)
travellingcircus
What a beautiful spotlight on a stunning place. I haven't made my way to Switzerland yet, but will some day.
Absolutely lovely and thanks for sharing:)
kraplap
yaelfran
incredible photos and stories!!!!
i just adore Iris Schuarz!
Btw, nice to meet you Iris!!!!
TheCottageCheese
I would love to see Switzerland some day! A beautiful country full of beautiful, talented people!
JaneBoFelt
Great artists and their creations! And beautiful country! Thank you for the article!
EJPcreations
steinschmuckdesign
Hey I`m from Switzerland, so cool you did this article. Thank you!
MGMart
Oh, what a great article, wrote by one of my EST friend Ira :)
I do love looking at the photos, and later on today I will visit the shops too.
Thank you so much Ira, to show us this wonderful place and some lovely local artists!
Hugs,
Marianna
bellasparty
CutieDynamite
Switzerland is gorgeous! Can't wait to go back and gorge on chocolate!
baconsquarefarm
Thanks for sharing the pictures with all of us, plus a glimpse into your beautiful countryside. Loved all the photos and you and your daughter are beautiful.
aegeansea
PrairiePeasant
SusanMoloney
really great feature, ira!!! now i want to go to switzerland! meet me for a coffee? ;)
FashionTouch
Beautiful Country and beautiful items! Thank you for sharing it with us!
karuski
Lovely article with great pictures! You've got a lot of artistic talent in Switzerland!
babybomb
odiliafu
ME2Designs
Ira, thank you for sharing your beautiful fairytale country and stories of the talented artists living there with us - this was a great article!
phydeaux
sparrowsalvage
Gorgeous article, such lovely Etsians and such a lovely looking country. I'll be moving to the UK in December and I think Switzerland just made it to my holiday list!
FrucciDesign
After living in Zurich for 5 years, Switzerland is in my heart and it is nice to see some of it so well represented here in Etsy!
Tschuessly ciao
1dream
creationsbyeve
Great article Ira!Thanks for sharing this beautiful country with us and introducing these lovely artists to us :)
Ravenhill
Wonderful peice Ira! This looks like such a beautiful country and seems to be filled with such talented artists and craftspeople.
birribe
Lovely to travel back to Switzerland. I still remember the beautiful Zurich landscape.
I´m a lucky owner of a gorgeous backpack from Ira Grant. I will check out the other shops.
BlueTerracotta
Switzerland looks like a lovely place to live and make art!
Robynas
Lovely to meet the wonderful artists in Switzerland!
I would love to do a Shop Local post about Israel - there's so many creative Etsians in this little country.
Nancenet70
kootsac
Thank-you Ira for such a beautiful article. I have a Swiss friend who just went back for a few months from Canada and from the photos I can see why he likes it here in BC - such a similar mountainous landscape, without the fairytale castles of course. I love your view from your studio window.
Morado
Studio111
ROandKO
morelle
Beautiful article and great artists. Thank you Ira! I love the picture with your daughter :)
vadjutka
GlassicGems
Hello, and thanks for the lovely tour and intro to the fabulous Swiss talent. I also love the photos of the country, I feel as though I was on vacation!
StrungAlong
TianaCHE
Awesome article! How great every time to know about Etsians from all around the world! Beautiful artist and picks as well!
daniel001
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voleurdebijoux
lilycobweb
I'm a long-time fan of your shop, Ira! Congratulations on such a wonderful article, and it's great to meet the other Swiss sellers.
ixela
Great article Ira... thank you so much for this wonderful Swiss tour with all these stunning creative minds!!!
clairepinatel
very interessant article, very fresh and relax style. I really like the ambient of the group! bonne chance pour la suite et Bravo!
Mattamorphis
gretchenmist
i agree that switzerland is very beautiful. great article and some lovely sellers :)
Blakenetizen
MissMinoes
What a inspiring surroundings. No wonder so much great talent comes from Switzerland.
=^x^=
lbrodar
kissavintagedesign
do wish I was there. and gardening! (or just enjoying the gardens/nature that are uniquely Swiss - just had fun with an adorable "pack" of Bernese Mountain Dogs my family owns this weekend!)
ageratum
Thanks so much! I've always wanted to go to Switzerland - now even more! Hope everyone is having a great day! :) Donna
Iammie
1AEON
Abagoffabric
Well since I am a Swiss Citizen living in Canada for the last 10 years this article is dear to my heart !
I get my heart pumping faster and stop breathing for a few seconds when I saw all the beauty full art/craters in this !
Fortunately i am going to Swizerland with my Kids this summer for a whole two month yahoooo!
I haven't bin "HOME" for 7 years.
Natalie
photosbyrosie
shopgoodgrace
lovely article AND such a nice way to "get to know" some of our Swiss Etsians. :)
mystudio
Great article Ira. I have visited Switzerland and it is absolutely breathtaking.
Luna66
mylittlesister
umemavi
Great feature--my family and I just watched the film "Vitus" and we've been thinking about Switzerland often. It's lovely to "meet" some of the talented people who live there.
XbyLeinaNeima
monkeyandsquirrel
Stemellina
evihan
MariaLuna
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lisunette
Ouïe ouïe I'm very sad not to be in that article...
But I still love it!
Nice to hear about Switzerland on Etsy.
ChezLisunetteVintageShop
rosebudshome
I love Switzerland I was in Luzern 16 years ago.
I fell in love with the people, fresh air,
food, views, thanks for taking me back for a wonderful visit.
rollerscait
Luzern and Zurich are beautiful; I even enjoy Bern! I love Switzerland.
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