We are so excited to bring you a new feature on our blog this season, aimed to showcase each of the cities we adore bringing our market to! As we hit the road this Autumn/Winter, we’ll be chatting to three magic makers on their home towns and how to make the most out of a weekend at Finders Keepers!

First up we get to know Sydney through the eyes of Carly – the all mighty one woman show behind popular Sydney ceramic business Public Holiday! Keep reading as Carly takes us on a clay journey while also sharing her top tips on jazzing up a weekend in Sydney and joining us for Finders Keepers Sydney AW19 back at The Cutaway, Barangaroo! For slow living love and fun times please read on..

P.s Melbourne no need for FOMO, Public Holiday will be joining Finders Keepers Melbourne AW19 for the first time in July, RSVP here! We don’t want you missing out on the much coveted travel cup!

What’s does your perfect Sydney weekend look like?

Spending time in our courtyard gardening or going for a bush ramble (there are so many beautiful walks around the harbour – some of which are dog friendly!) are my favourite ways to soak up some vitamin D.

Afternoons in the studio making followed by catch ups with friends at one of our local breweries is the perfect way to end the weekend. My favourite is Grifter which is just a short ride from the studio! 

This city is big, beautiful and diverse and full of creatives hustling to make their dreams come true!

How does your city inspire you?

“I think more than the city itself, it is the people inside my city that really inspire me! From urban bee-keepers to multidisciplinary artist studios, Sydney is full of talented makers with big ideas! There are inner city gardens bursting with vegetables and an endless stream of workshops on how to make your own pickles, how to screen print, how to take care of your houseplants.

This city is big, beautiful and diverse and full of creatives hustling to make their dreams come true. Collaborating and working together to make spaces/objects/experiences that are unique and special. It is really inspiring to be surrounded by that! 

Tell us about your work space. 

My studio is a converted corner shop (that was once a butcher) attached to our home in the creative suburb of Marrickville in Sydney’s inner west. 

I was super lucky to have my friend (and incredible artist) Georgia Hill mural the outside of the building in her signature black and white patterns when we first moved in. It definitely makes it hard not to miss!

Inside it is bright, airy and filled with plants – I find that natural light is such an important aspect for a creative space and really makes a difference to my productivity. I also like to fill the space with some of my favourite handmade things: an incredible neon light (which was gifted to me by my fiancé Joe when I first started Public Holiday), a beautiful brass mobile made by Sarah Perez and a stunning image of Death Valley shot by my friend and talented photographer Myles Pritchard, to name a few.

Who’s on your not to miss list for the upcoming Finders Keepers Sydney AW19 market?

There are so many amazing makers at this upcoming market!! Clay making mates Arcadia Scott and Sit Still Lauren are definitely high on the list, as well as the raddest accessories for dogs Nice Digs (Our sausage dog Bam has one of their leads). I also can’t go past some treat yourself goods from Yalu Apothecary, Posie and Maya Sunny Honey. As below!

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Fill up your travel cup and grab some pastries from a local cafe and wander the streets!

What’s your fave mode of transport to take in the Sydney sights?

I think a really fun way to take in the Sydney sights is with multiple modes of transport! Take a train from the city over the harbour bridge to Milsons Point. Jump off there and wander down to the harbours edge (where you’ll find Luna Park!) Fill up your travel cup and grab some pastries from a local cafe and wander the streets! I actually really love to walk, it is my favourite way to discover a city! Stroll through the suburbs of Kirribilli, Neutral Bay, and Cremorne Point, spying on cute gardens and taking in incredible views of the city!

Find your closest stop and jump on a Ferry, you’ll get a whole new perspective of the Sydney Opera House as you pull into Circular Quay and it is a really fun way to get back into the city and complete your round trip of Sydney sights!

An object that has been made with someones hands and is worthy of being kept for a lifetime.

Can you share your top three tips for Out-of-Towners visiting The Cutaway, Barangaroo for Finders Keepers?

1. If you’re kicking around the CBD after the event then a fun place to visit is Cantina Ok a cosy little hole in the wall full of an impressive range of mezcal! Start there and then continue your Mexican fix with delicious food at the newly opened city location of Chica Bonita (just a short walk from The Cutaway!) – or if you’re feeling adventurous, take the ferry across to their Manly location.

2. One of my favourite spots in the city is the cactus garden in The Botanical Gardens. Grab some sushi or bring a picnic and have a wander through an impressive collection of prickles! Each species is named with a botanical name and the area of the world it comes from!

3. Explore some areas out of the CBD, catch a train to Newtown and explore the inner west suburbs of Enmore, Erskineville and Marrickville, there are tons of great cafes, restaurants and bars. One of my favourites is Cairo Takeaway in Enmore which has mouth watering Egyptian food.

You’re a master of the ‘travel cup’. What does the word ‘keep’ mean to you?

The word keep has very precious connotations to me, and actually really ties in to the handmade community. We’ve been surrounded by such a disposable culture in the last decade that I think investing in something handmade has become a really special thing. An object that has been made with someones hands and is worthy of being kept for a lifetime.

The travel cups have been a truly great way to embrace this concept – a special handmade piece that you can ‘keep’ on you at all times, fill with your favourite beverage and enjoy over and over again.

Finish this sentence. If I’ve learnt anything about creativity it’s this…

That sometimes it moves in unexpected directions. One of my favourite quotes is from designer Stefan Sagmeister’s book “Things I’ve learnt in my life so far” that says “Having guts always works out for me”.

Creative practice can be inspired by so many different things and is rarely something you can plan for but I’ve found that it is necessary to take creative risks and embrace unexpected outcomes.

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