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We have been following the evolution of Brappz since the beginning; read our article from 2014 at this link. Brappz even participated in one of our Know-it-all Marketplace pop up shops and was a hit with our clients.
Now, we have good news and bad news... the bad news is that Barbara Traulsen and Selene Folkesson have set their sights on new personal goals and are therefore looking to hand over Brappz; the good news is that they are selling all Brappz products at 70% off the original prices through midnight 30 June 2020! But before they close the doors, we caught up with Barbara to get the back story for our readers.
What has been the inspiration behind Brappz?
The inspiration dates back to the year 2000 when T-shirts with “col bateau” were in fashion. I did not like the straps peeking out and at the time a lady in a store in Villars said to me that I should be able to find assorted color straps that are very fashionable… however, I found nothing as she described and that was the first time the idea start incubating in my head. See the photo below.
Have you been working on this idea forever, or was it something that came to you recently?
It was when I met Selene and we worked well together on a local sport club website, that we decided we wanted to start a a business. We made a short list of 10 business ideas and while looking at 2 to 3 we ended up deciding and committing to this one. Her coming from a marketing background and myself from the finance side, we realized we complemented each other well.
Kathryn Adams proudly shows off her latest novel
We are not a stranger to Kathryn Adams as we published an article about her first novel in 2019 at this link. The first in the series, Death in Grondère, is so well written but she had already planted the seed to the second one, Summer Shadows in Grondère. It has just been released and is available at many Swiss outlets; see links at bottom of article. Kathryn has very generously offered 5 lucky knowitall.ch readers the chance to win a copy! We asked Kathryn to answer a few questions to set the backdrop...
Is this a sequel to Death in Grondère?
Summer Shadows in Grondère follows directly on from Death in Grondère and ties up some loose ends. The same characters (and a few new ones) return for another adventure in the Swiss Alps where they find themselves enveloped in murder and intrigue once again
What is the inspiration behind this new book?
Switzerland! My intention with this book was to showcase my adopted country in its summer colors. I enjoyed writing it over the summer, walking in the mountains to make sure I was accurate to the season as it progressed. I had some wonderful ‘research days’ hiking with friends, including Lindsay, who continues to inspire my character Poppy.
Have you been working on this idea forever, or was it something that came to you recently?
Death in Grondère was with me for a very long time but Summer Shadows in Grondère took shape very quickly: the plot emerged as I was writing Death in Grondère which allowed me to plant some clues.
What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?
Covid-19 lockdown was a bit of a hiccup. I had planned an Easter launch but I just had to let it go and tell myself the world had more important things to worry about. Like everyone else, I have had to adapt to this strange situation we find ourselves in: I ditched the idea of a decent review or marketing period and any sort of formal launch because if I wait I’ll miss the summer market. So it’s all happening in one go.
Claudia Von Boch is a ceramist who recently stopped giving courses to adults and children in the Pully area and works on her sculptures full time in Italy. We were impressed at how creative the quarantine has made her. After initially cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning, followed by doing jigsaw puzzles and then yoga, she got a brilliant idea! She designed and created a 3D ceramic jigsaw puzzle Mandala for her wall of 300 separate porcelain individually-crafted pieces! She kept a photo journal and shared it with her readers.
Here are just a few of the stages for your pleasure... more at the bottom of this article.
Tell us of your history
I have been doing ceramics since the age of 10, in Argentina where I lived for 23 years. I worked on and off with clay in different studios until I moved to Switzerland. I then decided to do an art school specializing in ceramics. While exhibiting my work, I also taught ceramics for 25 years in my studio in Pully. But last year I stopped teaching to concentrate just on my sculpture (see below for 2 examples). Now I work from my atelier in Italy where I spend a good part of the year.
If you were one of our charming customers at Know-it-all Marketplace these past years, then you will certainly be a big fan of Lanxel Candles! Our candle lady — and we call her— Lotte is currently moving out of her shop premises and sent knowitall.ch a message to let our readers know about her moving sale 50% discount. We took the opportunity to ask Lotte Lanxe a few questions.
Why did you start?
I have always loved candles. It’s in my DNA. I grow up in Denmark and candles are part of our lifestyle, with winter setting in from Mid-September and barely no daylight from December to Mid-March we have candles and light in abundance.
What has been the inspiration?
I really struggled to find true natural candles. There’s many so-called natural candles on the market but if you look at the small print there’s often too many cheap fillers added. I wanted to burn candles that I knew were safe for me and my family. I’ve made candles for the last 20 years; just for me to enjoy. I was not aware that other people wanted natural scented candles made from super food oils as well! All my candles are made from rapeseed and coconut oils.
Have you been working on this idea forever, or was it something that came to you recently?
When I first realised that other people were looking for the same type of candles as myself, the business start-up was very simple. I signed up for a local artisan market and the rest is history.
We finally caught up with Laurie Theurer, author of Swisstory, to find out more and host a competition to win a copy! This new book is an entertaining illustrated history of Switzerland for all ages 9 to 99.
What prompted you to do this book?
I first approached Richard Harvell at Bergli Books with the idea for a game about Switzerland. We met to discuss the possibilities and it became fairly quickly apparent that my talents did not lie in game design, but rather in researching and writing about history. After a few tries and invaluable input from Richard, we found the heart of this book together.
What is Swisstory about?
When most people think of Switzerland, images of chocolates, cheese, Heidi, William Tell, banks, and yodelers come to mind. There are volumes and volumes of books that detail the horrors of European history in general, but Switzerland – even though it’s in the center of Europe – is not typically included in those horrific tales. In truth, Swiss history is just as bloody as the rest of Europe… and in some cases even bloodier. Swisstory: The Untold, Bloody, and Absolutely Real History of Switzerland is about just that. History is brutal… and Swiss history is no exception.
What was the biggest obstacle you came across when choosing or writing the book?
I think the biggest obstacle was in finding out what exactly this book wanted to be. Richard Harvell and I discussed multiple ideas that I could pursue, as well as a myriad of voices that could tell the story we wanted to tell. I sent many, many, many drafts to Richard and reviewed his notes until we finally found the right formula. Only then could I set about producing the twenty chapters that make up the book
