0:00:02 > 0:00:04Today's society is a throwaway society
0:00:04 > 0:00:06and we've all got ourselves into a rut
0:00:06 > 0:00:10where we prize the cheap, the disposable and the mass-produced.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14I want to celebrate the beautiful, the long-lasting, the handmade
0:00:14 > 0:00:16and I need your help.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19So come on, join me, Paul Martin, and my handmade revolution.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22THEY CHEER
0:00:44 > 0:00:48This is a call to action, from John O'Groats to Land's End -
0:00:48 > 0:00:50we want to celebrate the handmade.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53It's just so much more exciting than mass-produced stuff.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54You don't want that.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56The most talented makers are here
0:00:56 > 0:00:59and we'll be finding out how valuable their items could be.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02It's more than a hobby for me - it's a passion.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06But these people don't know that one of them will be given
0:01:06 > 0:01:07a life-changing opportunity...
0:01:07 > 0:01:11I can't climb trees forever. I'm not as young as I once was.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15..the chance to see their work at the spiritual home of the handmade.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18I can now reveal who the judges' favourite is.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25Today's programme comes from the Amberley Heritage Centre in Sussex,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27the most wooded county in England.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Oak, ash and yew have all played their noble part in construction
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and furniture making, whilst the more subtler of the woods -
0:01:35 > 0:01:38willow, elder and hazel - have all traditionally been used
0:01:38 > 0:01:42in craft skills and today there's a dedicated group of people here
0:01:42 > 0:01:46all committed to keeping these traditional skills alive.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Later on, you can learn about narrow-boat art
0:01:50 > 0:01:51from a formidable teacher.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Right, leave it. Don't fiddle with it.
0:01:54 > 0:01:55- It's a bit better.- OK!
0:01:56 > 0:01:59But first, hundreds of talented makers applied
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and they've been whittled down to just five finalists
0:02:02 > 0:02:06who will present their best work to a panel of discerning judges.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Mary Jane Baxter is a milliner
0:02:13 > 0:02:15on a mission to find the next big thing...
0:02:15 > 0:02:18I know there's real talent out there.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21There's so many brilliant British makers.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23I can't wait to see what we find.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27..Piyush Suri is a designer and entrepreneur
0:02:27 > 0:02:31with ten years' experience, who's not afraid to speak his mind...
0:02:31 > 0:02:33There's a revival in handmade all across Britain
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and I absolutely love being a part of it.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38..and head judge Glenn Adamson
0:02:38 > 0:02:41is a curator at one of the world's top museums.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45He's at the forefront of his field and eager to spot new talent.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47This country has such a rich tradition of craft
0:02:47 > 0:02:48and I'm hoping to meet people
0:02:48 > 0:02:50who are carrying that on into the 21st century.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Glenn's keen to get it right because there's a lot at stake.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57This is an opportunity which could make or break careers.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00The maker named as judges' favourite
0:03:00 > 0:03:02will see their piece go on display
0:03:02 > 0:03:06in the prestigious Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07What better for an amateur
0:03:07 > 0:03:10to see their work displayed alongside the masters?
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Everyone here is a signed up member of the handmade revolution,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21all determined to keep our traditional skills alive.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24But for one lucky maker, this day could change their lives.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26It's time to let the judges loose.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Lucy Levenson was originally a professional photographer
0:03:32 > 0:03:35but she's now turned her attention to full-time making,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38as Mary Jane is hearing.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Lucy, you've got a lovely cushion with you.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- Did this come from your own sofa? - Yes, it did.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46- I'm guessing that you made it? - Yes, I did make it.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49What's it all about? I love the colour in it.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Well, it's just childlike imagination.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Just going mad with the different colours.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57I can see that colour is very much your thing
0:03:57 > 0:03:59because looking at your picture behind us,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02it's so vivid - that's the first thing I noticed about it.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Why do you choose such colourful work?
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I think because I worked with black and white for so long
0:04:08 > 0:04:10that I thought...
0:04:10 > 0:04:12I also have a daughter with special needs
0:04:12 > 0:04:14and visually she likes to look at things
0:04:14 > 0:04:15that are very bright and bold.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17So is that how you got into crafting?
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- I think your daughter you look after full-time.- Yes, yes.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25No, she was ill so I needed something to take the stress...
0:04:25 > 0:04:29And it just lifts you, it just makes you feel so much better.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Do you find it not necessarily a therapy,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34but do you find it helps you get through the days?
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Yes, I would say that this has probably saved me,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40to be honest, from having...
0:04:40 > 0:04:43You know, people who have got children with problems,
0:04:43 > 0:04:48you need that outlet or something otherwise you'd just go insane
0:04:48 > 0:04:51so putting all this into this just gives you that little outlet.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Tell me how you make a picture like that?
0:04:53 > 0:04:59It's got a lovely texture to it, all sorts of different colours, papers...
0:04:59 > 0:05:01I paint all the flowers separately
0:05:01 > 0:05:03and then I go and find all these lovely papers,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06you know, hunt shops out
0:05:06 > 0:05:09or sometimes I find recycled paper and then I will get cereal packets.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Cereal packets?! So that's what you use for your patterns?
0:05:13 > 0:05:15I use cereal packets for patterns...
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- So you have to get through a lot of cereal!- A lot of cereal!
0:05:18 > 0:05:22- This is really a modern application of decoupage.- Yes, I suppose, yes.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Which I think started back in the 12th century or so
0:05:24 > 0:05:28and the Chinese used to use it. It meant "to cut out".
0:05:28 > 0:05:31They cut out paper and used it on lanterns and windows.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34And then again in the 18th and 19th centuries,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38you had your very nice ladies of the middle and upper classes
0:05:38 > 0:05:42who would do decoupage as a way of passing the time,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44- just like you, Lucy!- Exactly.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48So tell me a little bit more about where your inspiration comes from.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Do you love animals, wildlife?
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Well, we're surrounded by forest, where we live, by deer
0:05:54 > 0:05:57so obviously I see deer with antlers all the time
0:05:57 > 0:06:01and also I did archaeology for a while and I love archaeology
0:06:01 > 0:06:04and I go back to thinking of things like the Celtic art
0:06:04 > 0:06:06and also I love children's paintings -
0:06:06 > 0:06:08you know how they just use these bold colours.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11- It's not subtle work, is it? - No, it's not subtle!
0:06:11 > 0:06:13It's very, sort of, out there.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16And I notice you've got a little label on the back of your cushion,
0:06:16 > 0:06:17so you're obviously selling your work.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Yes, people tend to say, "Oh, could you make me one of those?"
0:06:20 > 0:06:22They see it in my house, "Oh, could you make me one," you know?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25So what do you sell a cushion like this for?
0:06:25 > 0:06:29At first, it was not selling it for very much and somebody said,
0:06:29 > 0:06:34"You can't sell it for, like, £20," so now I sell them for about 45, 50.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36That sounds like a reasonable amount
0:06:36 > 0:06:40because I think a lot of people starting out undersell their work.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42They feel happy to be selling at all,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46but I think £45-£50 would be about right for something like this.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Get rid of those little stray threads there, Lucy.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Stop pulling my cushion!
0:06:51 > 0:06:55- It's great. Thank you very much indeed.- Thank you.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00I love the boldness of Lucy's work and her costing is bang on.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Besides, you can't underestimate the therapeutic power of art.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09People are so fed up with manufactured stuff
0:07:09 > 0:07:11and now they're going back to basics again
0:07:11 > 0:07:14and just wanting beautiful handmade things again
0:07:14 > 0:07:17that, you know, somebody's heart and soul has gone into.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Why don't you have a go at creating something yourself?
0:07:26 > 0:07:29It really is quite fitting that there is a strong woodworking theme
0:07:29 > 0:07:31here today at Amberley given its setting.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34As well as the Greenwood Village, with its traditional bodging skills,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38the West Sussex Woodturners also have a permanent home here
0:07:38 > 0:07:40and they've set up shop today in this marquee
0:07:40 > 0:07:45to encourage people to wood turn - some for the very first time.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- This is Tom Bradbury, the man to talk to. Hello, Tom.- Hello, Paul.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50How long has the group been together?
0:07:50 > 0:07:52- We've been together 25 years.- Gosh.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56- What are you making today? - This is a snowman.- A snowman?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00And I know you're hanging everything on this tree here, aren't you?
0:08:00 > 0:08:02- We are.- And this is another Tom -
0:08:02 > 0:08:06- the youngest member of the team here. So how old are you?- I'm 15.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08And how long have you been turning wood?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- I've been turning for six years now. - Have you really?
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- You must be the envy of all your schoolmates.- Yeah.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Do they ask you to make things for them?
0:08:16 > 0:08:17Some people do for presents, yeah.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20And what's the best thing you've ever made?
0:08:20 > 0:08:21I've made a nice, big platter
0:08:21 > 0:08:24and I've done a cake stand with a hollow twist.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- Wow. Was that for mum? - No, it was for a competition.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- And you won, did you?- Yes. - Oh, well done, you.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Have you got any advice to people
0:08:33 > 0:08:35that want to start turning wood for the first time?
0:08:35 > 0:08:38- They can join any club. - All over the country?
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Yeah, anywhere. They can come down to Amberley Museum
0:08:41 > 0:08:43and other museums like this and have a go.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Well, as you can see, look, it's open to anybody -
0:08:46 > 0:08:50get involved, get down here and have a go. It is so rewarding.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55From one product using trees to one inspired directly by them.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58First of the day for Piyush is Janette Lazell,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01a 49-year-old garden designer.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Will she have a winning design?
0:09:04 > 0:09:05I love the leaves.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Are you using the traditional methods of hammer and anvil?
0:09:08 > 0:09:12I use a hammer and anvil. I do forging to make these.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15I'm trying to visualise you with a hammer and anvil, you know?
0:09:15 > 0:09:18You wouldn't want to see me - I've got my earmuffs and my glasses!
0:09:18 > 0:09:20You wouldn't want to visualise that! It's brilliant.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23I love it. I love blacksmithing. It's really good fun.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26I just like the fact that you can have something
0:09:26 > 0:09:27that's really plain and hard
0:09:27 > 0:09:30and you can bend it and make it do what you want.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32You know, it's just lovely.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Tell me a little bit more about the process -
0:09:34 > 0:09:37like, how much time does it take, what temperatures do you fire on...?
0:09:37 > 0:09:41I go to a blacksmith and he lets me go there and use his facilities.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I came up with the idea for the tree and he just leaves me alone,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47but if I get stuck, he'll come and hold something for me
0:09:47 > 0:09:49- or he'll give me some guidance. - Why trees?
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Before I started making them,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55I did garden design and I did some garden shows.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57When I came up with the ideas for the designs,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00I had to commission the artists and photographers and people
0:10:00 > 0:10:04and I just found it really interesting, their world,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07their whole new area that I'd never thought of really,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10so talking to them made me think that, actually, rather than doing
0:10:10 > 0:10:13garden design, I'd quite like to do things to go in the garden.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15I tried to find things that'd be durable,
0:10:15 > 0:10:16that would be good for outside.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Of course, they are durable because of the metal,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22but they look very delicate so is this the biggest scale you go to,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24or you have done bigger sculptures?
0:10:24 > 0:10:26No, this is my baby! This was the first one I did.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Since then, I just can't stop making them.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32For me it was a way of learning more about trees
0:10:32 > 0:10:35so I go and collect the trees, collect the leaves in the autumn
0:10:35 > 0:10:39and it makes me learn about the trees and about leaves.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42So if I find an oak leaf or there's loads of different oak leaves,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46so it's really interesting seeing how different an oak leaf can be
0:10:46 > 0:10:52and the material kind of mimics a leaf, really, I think.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Cos it's strong, but it's also quite delicate.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56So how much time does it take to make?
0:10:56 > 0:11:00I'm getting quicker, but they are quite time-consuming
0:11:00 > 0:11:03because I don't like welding,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06so I'm trying to do everything just by moving things in and out,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09so sometimes it goes together quite well, like a puzzle,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- and other times it's a bit trickier. - Is it a technical reason
0:11:12 > 0:11:14not to like welding because a lot of metal,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16like, forging, welding is involved in that?
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I avoid it partly because I was a bit nervous of it,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22partly because I'm not very good at it
0:11:22 > 0:11:26and also when I started making the trees, I wanted them to grow
0:11:26 > 0:11:30and I felt that by adding things on, they weren't growing,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33so by weaving things into each other and twisting things,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35it was almost like the tree was growing.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39- Natural and organic? - Yeah, I think so.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40What is next? What's the next level
0:11:40 > 0:11:42for you then? Do want to make it commercial?
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Do you want to sell it or do you just want to keep it as a hobby?
0:11:45 > 0:11:48I'd love to be able to sell them if I could.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Yeah, I sort of have visions of them
0:11:50 > 0:11:53being in a room with all shadows and light...
0:11:53 > 0:11:56I think it would be interesting to see the large-scale installation,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- a room full of trees, basically. - I would love that.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05I imagine in the right place, Janette's work would look wonderful.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Her aim is to sell her larger trees for up to £2,000.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11But is her work good enough
0:12:11 > 0:12:14to sit alongside some of the world's finest pieces?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18I just thought, "It's a real challenge -
0:12:18 > 0:12:21"just go for it, I might as well not pass anything up,"
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and I didn't expect to be selected at all. I just thought,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28"You've got to go for everything, just see what happens."
0:12:28 > 0:12:30A traditional skill like blacksmithing
0:12:30 > 0:12:32was essential to the nation for centuries
0:12:32 > 0:12:36and it's great to see it alive and in a new form.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40At the softer end of the scale,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43another ancient skill is undergoing a bit of a revival.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Yarn bombers have joined my handmade revolution.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Knitting ne'er-do-wells have turned up
0:12:49 > 0:12:52to show me how they approach crafting in a different way
0:12:52 > 0:12:55- and I'm here to speak to Maria. Hello, Maria.- Hello.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57And I know we've got Amy, Louise and Chris
0:12:57 > 0:12:59sitting down here, look, hard at work.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01So tell me what you do and why do you do it?
0:13:01 > 0:13:05- We do graffiti knitting and crochet. - What's graffiti knitting?
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Normally we go out in the middle of the night -
0:13:07 > 0:13:10we're not normally out in the daylight -
0:13:10 > 0:13:13and we'll decorate public areas, trees, statues...
0:13:13 > 0:13:16And what happens? You just leave it there for a few days,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18and people obviously notice it.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- Do they take bits off and take it home?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23- And you don't mind that? - Not at all - it's free art.
0:13:23 > 0:13:24OK. It is literally free art.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27And are you hoping to encourage more people to join your group?
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Definitely. It's also about drawing attention to old crafts
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and giving them a new form and a new, kind of, showcase.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36These you've just knitted - what will you do with them?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Well, we're going to tie them to the railings over there.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41People can take them home if they want to.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Do you know, it's a really nice idea
0:13:43 > 0:13:46of decorating a rather bland urban space, isn't it?
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Absolutely, yeah, and people can walk past statues and things
0:13:49 > 0:13:50every day and take no notice.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53We come along and give them some colour and...
0:13:53 > 0:13:56- Did your mother and grandmother do skills like this?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57Did they hand them down to you?
0:13:57 > 0:13:59They did, but it's only been in the last year or so
0:13:59 > 0:14:02I've really taken it up with the graffiti knitting.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Right, OK. Well, good luck. It's never too late, is it, really?
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Free art, there you go!
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Keep your eyes open throughout the show
0:14:11 > 0:14:13to see what else gets hit by the yarn bomb!
0:14:14 > 0:14:16From wool to wood.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19David Bain is a 55-year-old forestry worker
0:14:19 > 0:14:22whose profession and passion is wood,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24which Mary Jane is keen to embrace.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29So this is Blossom. What a pleasure to meet her, David.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31She is very likeable, very lovable
0:14:31 > 0:14:35and so real, I feel she's going to come snuffling up under my skirt.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38She's very friendly, so if you wanted to touch her and smooth her,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40- that would be fine. - Well, she's a very tactile.
0:14:40 > 0:14:41I really do want to give her a pet.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Talk to me about the skills you use in making a piece like this.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49I think the first thing is the selection of the timber.
0:14:49 > 0:14:50This is a piece of cedar.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53The grain patterns in this are just so amazing.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56And then what I try and do is use composites of other woods
0:14:56 > 0:15:00that we collect to make up the tails, the bodies, the legs.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03We've got corkscrew hazel here.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07I have to say, that cheeky little tail is just adorable.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- Oh, absolutely.- So does the hazel actually grow like this then?
0:15:10 > 0:15:12It does, it forms itself
0:15:12 > 0:15:15into some very tight, weird and wonderful shapes.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- Perfect for pigs' tails. - Perfect for pigs' tails.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21And do you go with what the wood offers you? Is that how you work?
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Certainly. I try to incorporate those things where I can into it
0:15:24 > 0:15:26so it's a much more natural effect.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29So you start with a big block of wood,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31where do you go from there?
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Do you chainsaw it, do you use a lathe - how do you work?
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I don't have a lathe big enough for this size material
0:15:38 > 0:15:41- so we tackle this with a chainsaw. - So it's a chainsaw first of all,
0:15:41 > 0:15:42so a bit of rough cutting.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45I've been using chainsaws for 30 years.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48That's right because you come from a forestry background, don't you?
0:15:48 > 0:15:52You're a tree surgeon, you work and train in the forests,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56so really wood is very much part of your story.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Wood has been... I've climbed trees since the age of five
0:15:58 > 0:16:00and I've sort of been lucky
0:16:00 > 0:16:03that I've had 30 years of climbing trees as a professional as well.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06But I've always been really intrigued, to...
0:16:06 > 0:16:08There's so much character in the wood
0:16:08 > 0:16:10that often they just stand out at me,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13"That's got to be carved into this shape, it's got to be that."
0:16:13 > 0:16:15The pigs...
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Well, once I actually formed the first pig,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21it was like a revelation, it really was.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24That is so quirky, I actually liked it myself.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26In the medieval period,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29pigs were very much part of the woodland scene.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33They foraged in the woods, they ate the acorns and cobnuts,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35so given your woodland connection,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38they do have a, sort of, part of that whole story.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41I've not actually thought of it that way, but you're very right.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44It is, it's a continuation of the circle, isn't it?
0:16:44 > 0:16:45Absolutely, and you, too.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49You're working in the modern forestry situation,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51but the woodland bodgers a couple of hundred years ago -
0:16:51 > 0:16:54they lived in the woods, they worked in the woods
0:16:54 > 0:16:55and they did stuff like this
0:16:55 > 0:16:57so really you're taking that tradition forward.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59That's what I've really enjoyed
0:16:59 > 0:17:02so it's really nice to get your hands on some hand tools
0:17:02 > 0:17:04and go back to some of the traditional techniques.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09- It's very, very therapeutic.- Very therapeutic, but also very physical.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I mean, working with a big, solid material -
0:17:11 > 0:17:12you have to have some strength to do it.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13THEY LAUGH
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Well, I think technique's probably more important!
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- It's hitting it in the right place. - Very, very good.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23- Where do you see this going? - I intend to keep on with these
0:17:23 > 0:17:26and I'd like to really do something similar to here -
0:17:26 > 0:17:28get family groups in, because we can walk around the woods,
0:17:28 > 0:17:33we can choose our curly bits of tails, our ears to form up,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36so I'm actually developing short little one-day courses
0:17:36 > 0:17:37where, at the end of the day,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40they should be able to take away their own produce, their own pig.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44I'd love to come and make a pig on a course like that.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Go home with Blossom, it would be great.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50David's pigs could easily sell for about £100 in a garden centre,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54but what I love is his vision for sharing the forest with others,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56and he's passing on a handmade tradition.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03I've been really dumbfounded by the response from everybody,
0:18:03 > 0:18:07so to be the judges' favourite as well would be absolutely phenomenal.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10I can't climb trees forever. I'm not as young as I once was.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13From one ancient wood skill to another.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17One trade still being championed here is wheelwrighting.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22Head judge Glenn is keen to get glimpses into this dying art.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25I gather your family's been in this trade for a long time.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- Oh, yes, quite a few centuries. - Centuries?- Oh, yeah -
0:18:28 > 0:18:32I've got a family history going back to 14-something.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34- Golly, OK. - So it's quite a thing, yeah.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Unfortunately, I'm the last of the line, sort of thing, really.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40- Are you really?- I've got a brother, but he's a bit older than me
0:18:40 > 0:18:42and he went in the Navy so he's not interested at all.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46So it's a perfect example of a craft that's coming right to the point
0:18:46 > 0:18:48where nobody is going to know how to do it any more.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51I suppose what happened was that when rubber tyres came in
0:18:51 > 0:18:53in the late 19th, early 20th-century
0:18:53 > 0:18:55that was, sort of, the end of the wooden wheel.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57One of my favourite books about craft
0:18:57 > 0:19:00is a book called The Wheelwright's Shop,
0:19:00 > 0:19:02just like here, by an author named George Sturt.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05It was written about 100 years ago and he very lovingly describes
0:19:05 > 0:19:09all the processes that go into this beautiful, beautiful craft.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12My father was the last working wheelwright in West Sussex.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15This is my father aged three.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17That's my grandfather
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and these are all master wheelwright cabinet-makers
0:19:20 > 0:19:22and this chap here with the bowler hat is the foreman.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24I wonder how it makes you feel,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27this idea is you being the last in the line of people going back
0:19:27 > 0:19:30all these centuries to practise this great trade.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Well, sad in some ways, I suppose,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35because unlike today where they can press a button
0:19:35 > 0:19:38and a computerised machine can spit out anything you want,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41it's all exactly the same, whereas wheelwrights,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44from one village to one town, had their own little ideas
0:19:44 > 0:19:48and characteristics that those individuals put into it.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50It's almost like the fingerprint of the maker
0:19:50 > 0:19:53is all over that wagon, isn't it? It's really interesting.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Want to save this skill from extinction?
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Wheelwright's apprentice needed right now.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Must been keen and like working with wood.
0:20:01 > 0:20:02You know where to get in touch.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04If you want to join my handmade revolution,
0:20:04 > 0:20:11you can find out more information by going on to bbc.co.uk/handmade.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Another skill being re-imagined for today is glass.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Next for Piyush is Caroline Moiret.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Can she charm him and steal the show?
0:20:21 > 0:20:24I love the colours. Tell me more about this.
0:20:24 > 0:20:30Right, well, I'm really influenced by sky and sea and natural colours.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I think that they work really well with glass.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36For me, they're just absolutely magical. They just...
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Nothing else quite does it for me like glass.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43- So you're inspired by nature?- Yeah. - How did you get these textures,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45those beautiful textures in the glass?
0:20:45 > 0:20:48I usually start with sheets of glass
0:20:48 > 0:20:52and I work the designs into those sheets of glass with firings
0:20:52 > 0:20:56and layering up glass on the top, different types of glass.
0:20:56 > 0:20:57You know that fused glass
0:20:57 > 0:21:00is the primary method for nearly 2,000 years.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- Absolutely.- They used to use for making small glass objects.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07I know that and, you know, when I'm working like this,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11it's so magical that I'm working in a way
0:21:11 > 0:21:15that's been done since the ancient Egyptians
0:21:15 > 0:21:18and sometimes I get a, sort of, magical moment when I think,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20"This is just incredible, you know,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22"that I'm working in something
0:21:22 > 0:21:26"that has such a long, continuous tradition."
0:21:26 > 0:21:28But why glass? What's your background?
0:21:28 > 0:21:33It's the magic, it's the way light interacts with colour.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35I mean, every other material stops the light.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37You know, I love pottery and things like that,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41but it's always frustrating because the light won't go through
0:21:41 > 0:21:44and I also wanted to limit myself to what I could do in my garden shed.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46How do you relate the size of this object
0:21:46 > 0:21:50and the colours with your theme behind it?
0:21:50 > 0:21:56There's a sort of tension between delicacy and strength.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01I think what's going on inside is delicate but the outside is strong -
0:22:01 > 0:22:05maybe that's about me, I don't know, or about life, I don't know.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07What I see from outside is such a clean shape,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09but inside, these textures,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13there's a turmoil of emotions going inside, probably not communicating.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16- Maybe.- You know? Just keeping it a very calm exterior,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19but inside just boiling, so that has to come out.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Right. Good point, yeah. That's my next piece.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29I see that you are very passionate and your work is fantastic
0:22:29 > 0:22:32so why don't you think of taking it as a full-time profession?
0:22:32 > 0:22:37Well, I... I need to make a living
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and it's a bit chicken and egg, isn't it?
0:22:39 > 0:22:42So you think you can't make a living out of being a glass professional?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Well, I couldn't make this in the kiln I have at home.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48It's simply not big enough so, basically,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51I need some money to buy myself a bigger kiln.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55- SHE LAUGHS - Please!
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Is it about confidence?
0:22:57 > 0:23:00I'm afraid so, yeah. I'm... I need...
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Yeah, I'm not very confident about my work.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07I think a lot of galleries would be very interested to know
0:23:07 > 0:23:10what's the idea, what's the inspiration behind it,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13so I do think you should apply to a lot of galleries
0:23:13 > 0:23:14and show them your work.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15Yeah.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Thank you for saying that. Yeah, you're right. I know you're right.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- The worst thing they'll say is no. - Yeah.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28I think Caroline should be far more confident,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31given the quality and the beauty of her work.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33What did I think he thought of it?
0:23:33 > 0:23:36I don't know.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38What did you think of it?
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Piyush can clearly see her work selling in high-end galleries
0:23:42 > 0:23:44and I completely agree.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47I've seen pieces like this on sale for many hundreds of pounds
0:23:47 > 0:23:51and I think Caroline needs to aim high.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52Some of today's talented makers
0:23:52 > 0:23:55may well be crafting the antiques of the future
0:23:55 > 0:23:58and certainly the work of their forerunners generations earlier,
0:23:58 > 0:24:03when it comes up for sale today in auction, can command huge prices.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Caroline is working in the right medium
0:24:05 > 0:24:07as glass is hugely collectable.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12A rare handmade Galle goblet recently came up for auction.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Emile Galle was a glass artist with an international reputation.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21He was at the forefront of the emerging Art Nouveau movement,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25inspired by the romantic landscapes and flowers from his native France.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Here we have a Galle cameo
0:24:31 > 0:24:32and mould-blown goblet,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35that also has wheel-carved detail on it.
0:24:35 > 0:24:41This would have been blown into a mould with cameo glass.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44The process it involved is acid etching
0:24:44 > 0:24:47so you mask out the pattern that you want to
0:24:47 > 0:24:51and then you put the whole thing in hydrochloric acid,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55which actually eats through glass, so it's quite a skilful process,
0:24:55 > 0:25:01and then this would leave the tooth marks, if you like, here.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04This little goblet is small,
0:25:04 > 0:25:09but I think, when you look at the values on Galle pieces,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12you take into account the amount of work and effort
0:25:12 > 0:25:14that's gone into them and it is the wheel carving
0:25:14 > 0:25:17that adds the value to it because someone has individually sat down
0:25:17 > 0:25:23and carved all that lovely detail on it to give that sense of depth.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28The estimate is 1,000-1,500
0:25:28 > 0:25:30and I think that's a very reasonable
0:25:30 > 0:25:34and attractive estimate on that piece.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38But will any of the work from our up-and-coming makers
0:25:38 > 0:25:40grace the galleries of the future?
0:25:40 > 0:25:43The last finalist to face the judges is Helen Francis,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47a 25-year-old designer who loves working with paper.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51It's an unusual skill. Will it claim the judges' prize?
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Helen, thank you so much for bringing this in.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55I mean, I can imagine any girl
0:25:55 > 0:25:58as a bride would love to go down the aisle with this.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00It's really stunning and very special.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Just tell me a little bit, then,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04about how you came up with the concept,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06because it really looks quite unique to me.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09I haven't seen anything quite like it before.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14I got into making paper flowers from studying animation.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21I found the medium of paper really easy to manipulate,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24the colours really vibrant and I could get the perfect palette
0:26:24 > 0:26:27that I liked and I discovered that
0:26:27 > 0:26:31the crinkling effect that you get using paper created lovely petals,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33so then I experimented with the flowers
0:26:33 > 0:26:36and it kind of grew from there.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Tell me about making the individual flowers,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41because how many are there in this bouquet?
0:26:41 > 0:26:43There seem to be so many,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and I imagine each has got a different pattern, too.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48You've got roses, peonies, little buds...
0:26:48 > 0:26:52I actually hand draw out all the individual petals
0:26:52 > 0:26:57and then cut around them and then layer each flower up.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00So say for example, this one here - start with the ball.
0:27:00 > 0:27:06I cover it with the paper and then I glue each side of the petal
0:27:06 > 0:27:09and then I attach it so it's a kind of crimping effect
0:27:09 > 0:27:11and then build up.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13To get these very particular colours,
0:27:13 > 0:27:15do you go around collecting different types of paper,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17or how do you get your colour matches?
0:27:17 > 0:27:21It's all one type of paper and it's just printed duplex paper.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23- You laser print your paper? - It's all laser printer paper
0:27:23 > 0:27:25so it's got that waxy texture as well, in case there is
0:27:25 > 0:27:27some rain, you know?
0:27:27 > 0:27:30They can be outside and it is a little bit protected.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32How do you cope with rain and paper flowers?
0:27:32 > 0:27:35I mean, I could just imagine taking this to some outside event
0:27:35 > 0:27:39- and it just goes all soggy. That would be my worry.- Touch wood...
0:27:39 > 0:27:43I haven't actually experienced rain and the paper flowers yet.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47All the weddings that they have actually been featured in
0:27:47 > 0:27:49have been sunny.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53How long would it take you to make a bouquet like the one on the table?
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Yes, this probably has taken me about three whole days,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00but I do cut out pieces, all the petals,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03on the train on my commute into work
0:28:03 > 0:28:05and people think I'm mad, but that's fine.
0:28:05 > 0:28:10The petal-cutting commute. How fantastic. How long is your journey?
0:28:10 > 0:28:12- It's an hour. - An hour is a long time,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15- so you can cut out a fair few petals in that time.- Yes, yes.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19A lot of the work is the drawing of the petals and the cutting out,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21so, yes, that takes out a lot of the time.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- Can you imagine it becoming a more serious thing for you?- Yes.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27I'd absolutely love for it to become a more serious thing,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30cos at the moment this is my second job
0:28:30 > 0:28:34and even to think about possibly doing this as my actual job
0:28:34 > 0:28:37is just my dream.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42When it comes to pricing your work, how do you go about that?
0:28:42 > 0:28:45Because, as you say, it's many, many hours of work
0:28:45 > 0:28:47and yet it's using quite a humble material,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49so how do you marry the two up?
0:28:49 > 0:28:53I think it's always one of those dilemmas within the crafting world.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57I think if you actually measure up the hours that it takes you
0:28:57 > 0:29:02to make these pieces and then you actually charge people how much...
0:29:02 > 0:29:07- You know? It would be a fortune. - It could run into hundreds.
0:29:07 > 0:29:08Yes, it honestly could.
0:29:08 > 0:29:13But people are willing to pay hundreds for wedding bouquets.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17- You've given me some ideas for my own millinery.- Thank you!
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Thank you very much indeed. It's been really lovely
0:29:20 > 0:29:24talking to a fellow flower maker and I think we're going to have to stop
0:29:24 > 0:29:27because I can see the butterflies and the bees descending
0:29:27 > 0:29:30thinking it looks a rather nice place to land.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Several hundred pounds is a good price
0:29:33 > 0:29:36and working with paper is a long and noble tradition.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40But could her work be an antique of the future?
0:29:41 > 0:29:46Even to be here today and one of the finalists is fantastic
0:29:46 > 0:29:49and having this exposure is incredible.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Some of our craft traditions go back centuries,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58while others are more recent developments.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02The Industrial Revolution saw the expansion of the British waterways
0:30:02 > 0:30:04as a means of transporting goods
0:30:04 > 0:30:06from one end of the country to the other
0:30:06 > 0:30:09and the people who worked on the water often lived on the water
0:30:09 > 0:30:13and they devised a unique way of decorating their waterborne homes.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21Jane Marshall and her husband Pete
0:30:21 > 0:30:25live on the Shropshire Union Canal on a Birmingham cargo boat.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Living on the water led Jane to develop a passion
0:30:28 > 0:30:30for narrow-boat art.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34- Jane? Hello. This is so beautiful. - Hi, Paul.- Lovely to meet you.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38- Thank you, nice to meet you, too. - What a spot - look at this!
0:30:38 > 0:30:41Jane teaches the techniques to handmade revolutionaries of all ages
0:30:41 > 0:30:45and now she's going to help me show you the ropes.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51Started in the 1830s, narrow-boat art is one of those folk crafts
0:30:51 > 0:30:53that has remained pretty much unchanged.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57The old working narrow boats were painted with roses and castles,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59as they were, in effect, trading vessels
0:30:59 > 0:31:03and the idea was to draw attention to the boats
0:31:03 > 0:31:05as they passed along the waterways.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Jane is preserving these traditions in her work.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12I want to just show you a few pictures.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15These were painted by the boat painters of the past.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20You can have a bridge and a lake coming forward and mountains and sky
0:31:20 > 0:31:24and it can be as simple as you like, really.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27- First of all we are going to put the background in.- OK.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31- So, working on this board... - My little panel.- Yes.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34- If you just draw out roughly... - What kind of image I want?
0:31:34 > 0:31:37Yes, what you want and then you can refer to that.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41- There's my bridge. - That's right.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Put some paint on the palette.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48- All of these paints are very bright enamels.- Yes, they are.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50There are actually sign-writing paints
0:31:50 > 0:31:51and they are very quick drying.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Why do you consider this a craft and not an art?
0:31:54 > 0:31:57I think it's because it's done in stages.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00It's done to a bit of a formula, really.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02There is - there's a system, isn't there?
0:32:02 > 0:32:07The castles are quite naive, the flowers are quite naive,
0:32:07 > 0:32:10I think, because of the way it developed.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13Some of the painting was done by boat-yard painters
0:32:13 > 0:32:15and some was done by the boatmen themselves
0:32:15 > 0:32:19and a lot of it was done by people who worked at the boat yards as well.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Yes, these are people with no academic training in fine art.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Yeah, apprenticed to the boat painters.
0:32:27 > 0:32:33Narrow-boat art focuses on two main images - roses and castles.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36They were supposed to imply wealth and abundance -
0:32:36 > 0:32:39the boatmen were literally painting their status in society
0:32:39 > 0:32:41onto their narrow boats.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45Why, particularly, images of castles and roses?
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Well, I think it's probably because in Victorian times,
0:32:49 > 0:32:54there was a lot of romantic scenes on pottery of the time.
0:32:54 > 0:32:55I think the young gentlemen
0:32:55 > 0:32:58when they used to go on their grand tours round the continent,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00used to bring back these wonderful scenes.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02The fact that there's a simple template
0:33:02 > 0:33:05means anyone can give this a try.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09- Now we're going to go on to roses. - OK. We'll leave that to dry.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12- Leave that to dry, yes.- Right.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19We do this in stages and I've got a stages board.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23Right. On your tray, we'll do one of each colour. Put the leaves on.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26The next stage is putting the bases to the flowers on
0:33:26 > 0:33:29and you can see that they've got a shading, a darker shading.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Yes, you can see how this evolves, can't you?
0:33:32 > 0:33:35It gives them a sort of roundness, three-dimensionality about it.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37And then the final stages - this is the difficult bit -
0:33:37 > 0:33:39- putting the petals on. - Oh, I can imagine.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50- We're going to leave that now to dry.- Shall I put it on the boat?
0:33:50 > 0:33:52Put it on the boat.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Narrow-boat art came about after Britain's canal system
0:33:56 > 0:33:58expanded rapidly in the 18th century,
0:33:58 > 0:34:03during a building programme which became known as "canal mania".
0:34:03 > 0:34:05But with the dawn of the rail network,
0:34:05 > 0:34:07times got harder for the river people.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11Boat owners would lay men off and instead move their family aboard
0:34:11 > 0:34:14to work as unpaid crew.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Jane's husband Pete is interested in this social history.
0:34:18 > 0:34:23The original working boats, most of the boat was for carrying cargo.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- It was quite important. - Valuable space.- Exactly, yes.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28So the original horse-drawn boats,
0:34:28 > 0:34:30they would have a cabin roughly ten foot long
0:34:30 > 0:34:31and that would be
0:34:31 > 0:34:34for whoever was living on it - could be a big family.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36Then when they put engines in the boats
0:34:36 > 0:34:38another ten foot or so would be used for the engine,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41which, of course, is also a valuable space.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Would a narrow boat like this one
0:34:44 > 0:34:47be as beautifully decorated inside as it was outside?
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Yes, the little back cabins they lived in,
0:34:49 > 0:34:52they would have decoration on the doors, there would be the table
0:34:52 > 0:34:56that comes down from the cupboard would be decorated when it was up.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00It was when the railways came along that families moved on board
0:35:00 > 0:35:03and therefore it became more of a home, a permanent home.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06- And they prettied them up. Do you enjoy living on this?- Oh, yeah.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Yeah, I don't think you'd do it if you didn't enjoy it.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11I mean, it is a fairly small space compared with a house
0:35:11 > 0:35:14so you've got to like boats, really, to take that on.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18Some people give it a go and then they find it's not for them,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20but we've been doing it quite a long time now.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Narrow boat owners were often labelled
0:35:23 > 0:35:25"dirty bargees" by the land dwellers.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28They challenged this perception by turning their boats
0:35:28 > 0:35:32into floating examples of arts and crafts.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Painting narrow boats in this tradition of castles and roses
0:35:36 > 0:35:38has been preserved ever since.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Have you ever wanted to experiment with different styles?
0:35:44 > 0:35:48Well, I look at the boat-painter's styles
0:35:48 > 0:35:50and they do influence the way I do things.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53I wouldn't change any of the basic things
0:35:53 > 0:35:56because that's part of the tradition, really.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01- Yes, yes. And long may it continue.- Yes.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Well, yes and I think that is one reason
0:36:04 > 0:36:06why the canals have kept going
0:36:06 > 0:36:10because, in the '60s, they were going into decline
0:36:10 > 0:36:12and the colourfulness of it all
0:36:12 > 0:36:15probably just helped to keep them in the forefront.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20These vivid colours and simple images
0:36:20 > 0:36:22not only drew the eye to the boat as a business,
0:36:22 > 0:36:26they also helped keep narrow boating alive during lean times.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31It just goes to show the power that everyday art can wield.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- You've had quite a lot of practice at that now.- Oh, you're bullying me.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38I AM bullying you! Right, leave it. Don't fiddle with it.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40- Leave it. It's a bit better.- OK!
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Oh, I've just smudged one of my leaves!
0:36:51 > 0:36:55- How's that? - That's fantastic, Paul.- Is it?
0:36:55 > 0:36:57It looks better from a distance.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01A mile away, it'll look really good.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06- There's my castles now. - Great. Well done.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10- But I'm really, really proud of this.- Yes, you should be.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12And there is a method to this which you must follow.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18Jane lives and breathes her craft
0:37:18 > 0:37:21and by passing on her skills to the next generation,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25she's keeping this craft tradition well and truly alive.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27So go on, give it a go - get painting, get making
0:37:27 > 0:37:29and join our handmade revolution.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34There's a skill out there for everyone,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36from narrow-boat art to textiles,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38you just need to find one that suits you.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Now it is crunch time for today's five finalists.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53None of these people have the first idea what is at stake.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58One lucky maker is going to get the chance to have their piece displayed
0:37:58 > 0:38:00in the Victoria and Albert Museum,
0:38:00 > 0:38:03the spiritual home of the arts and crafts.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06It's time for the judges to begin their deliberations.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08They've got their work cut out.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12Well, Mary Jane, Piyush. Here we are with our five finalists.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Can you tell me a little bit about each of them?
0:38:14 > 0:38:16Lucy...
0:38:16 > 0:38:19for her, decoupage is a real lifeline.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21She cares full-time for her young daughter
0:38:21 > 0:38:24and the bright colours and the vivid nature of her work
0:38:24 > 0:38:26is really important to her.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Just normal people like me are making things and they can do it.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Cos everyone thinks you have to go to all these art colleges
0:38:32 > 0:38:34and blah blah blah, but you don't -
0:38:34 > 0:38:37it's just normal people just making things.
0:38:37 > 0:38:38David, he works with wood.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41It's his profession as well as his passion
0:38:41 > 0:38:45and he just loves making these quirky objects.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49I've been really dumbfounded by the response from everybody
0:38:49 > 0:38:53so to be the judges' favourite as well would be absolutely phenomenal.
0:38:53 > 0:38:54Helen's flowers are beautifully made -
0:38:54 > 0:38:58I'm a flower-maker myself, I do mine in fabric -
0:38:58 > 0:39:02so I could understand her technique. A very crafted piece.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06This has been a fantastic opportunity even being a finalist.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08I'm so proud of myself for even getting here.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11To be the favourite would be incredible.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14OK, Piyush. Maybe you could tell me a little bit about yours.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Well, this is Caroline. She's a psychotherapist
0:39:17 > 0:39:20and she creates glass objects based on her relationship concepts.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22It's been so good for me.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25It gives me a centre and a grounding,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27and when all else falls apart round me,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30I'm really very happy that I've got something
0:39:30 > 0:39:34that I can retreat into and that gives me a centre within myself.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38This one is Janette and she's a garden designer by profession
0:39:38 > 0:39:41so she wanted to create permanent sculptures
0:39:41 > 0:39:44so she has taken to blacksmithing and metalwork.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46I didn't expect to be selected. I just thought,
0:39:46 > 0:39:48"You've got to go for everything, just see what happens."
0:39:48 > 0:39:51If I was chosen as the judges' favourite
0:39:51 > 0:39:53I think I'd just be shocked!
0:39:53 > 0:39:56OK, so a difficult decision here, guys.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- Tricky.- Maybe first you can go ahead and tell us
0:39:59 > 0:40:02what do you think is really saying the most to you?
0:40:02 > 0:40:04It's difficult, Glenn.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08I thought I knew what I was going to go for,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11but actually coming in and seeing the five objects
0:40:11 > 0:40:14we've got in front of us, I'm actually a little bit torn.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17My heart's saying one thing and my head's saying another.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20So I think there are probably two contenders for me at the moment.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24- So you feel a little bit conflicted? - I do.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27OK, maybe we can help you out with that. Piyush, what do you think?
0:40:27 > 0:40:31Well, I'm very indecisive. I've been changing my decision every time.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Again, two contenders for me,
0:40:33 > 0:40:38but something which is very cutesy, but I like it because of the concept
0:40:38 > 0:40:42and, secondly, I see the passion and dedication in the craft as well,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45so I think I would go for more attention to detail, probably.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47So we have attention to detail, technical skill,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50we have the charm factor and then of course we have the ideas...
0:40:50 > 0:40:53- And the "wow". - And the "wow" factor as well.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56I think for me, really, it's both the sense of personal style
0:40:56 > 0:41:00and also the sense of, I guess, an object that really says something,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03that really has a message. So here we have makers who are bringing ideas
0:41:03 > 0:41:06from their professional lives into their hobby.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Yes, because that's their passion and that's what they want to create.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12Right, that's a great thing to see in anybody taking up a craft -
0:41:12 > 0:41:13what do they really care about?
0:41:13 > 0:41:16- Definitely.- Are we ready to talk to Paul? What do you say?
0:41:16 > 0:41:19- I think we've probably come to a mutual decision.- Definitely.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21- All right.- Amazing.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Have our judges reached a unanimous verdict?
0:41:32 > 0:41:36I'm sure it hasn't been easy, but have you reached your decision?
0:41:36 > 0:41:40- Yes, we have, Paul.- Right, it's time to get the finalists in.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56Well, you've all done remarkably well to come so far
0:41:56 > 0:41:58and I think it's important that you know
0:41:58 > 0:42:01your talent, your skill and your passion for what you do
0:42:01 > 0:42:05is evident in all the wonderful things you've created for us.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09I can now reveal who the judges' favourite is,
0:42:09 > 0:42:10but before I do that,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13I want to let you know what's in store for that person.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15You have the opportunity to have your work put on display
0:42:15 > 0:42:19in the V&A shop at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London,
0:42:19 > 0:42:23the spiritual home of arts and crafts.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25Whatever today's outcome,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28you're all fully fledged members of the handmade revolution.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Well, here is the judges' decision.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37The judges thought their favourite piece
0:42:37 > 0:42:41is a difficult craft to master, the concept tells a story
0:42:41 > 0:42:43and it gets everybody talking.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49So it gives me pleasure to announce today's judges' favourite.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51And that decision is...
0:42:56 > 0:43:00..Caroline with her glass sculpture. Well done.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03It was absolutely marvellous, it really was.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11- Your work's going to be in the V&A. - Wow!
0:43:11 > 0:43:15'Caroline is a worthy winner - her glass sculpture is stunning
0:43:15 > 0:43:18'and I'm sure when she sees it on display
0:43:18 > 0:43:21'it will give her the confidence boost she needs
0:43:21 > 0:43:23'to take her craft forward.'
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Well, it's been so exciting for me to see such exceptional talent,
0:43:26 > 0:43:29but there's no time for complacency -
0:43:29 > 0:43:31I'm asking you to get involved.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34Come on - join the handmade revolution!