0:00:02 > 0:00:04This country's handicraft tradition
0:00:04 > 0:00:06is something we should all be proud of.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09I want to celebrate those skills and help today's craftsmen
0:00:09 > 0:00:10and women pass them on.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13But I need your help, so come on, join me, Paul Martin,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15and my Handmade Revolution.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43We've searched the country for Britain's best amateur makers.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I didn't know I could do wood carving until I started doing it.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52I just like making beautiful, pretty things. I'm a bit of a magpie.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54But only one will be considered talented enough
0:00:54 > 0:00:57to be presented with the opportunity of a lifetime,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01to see their work on display in a world-renowned museum.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04And that person is...
0:01:07 > 0:01:10In the 19th century, Bromsgrove was home to one of the most influential
0:01:10 > 0:01:15and successful craft guilds of the late Victorian era.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19In fact, craft members made the gate and railings for Buckingham Palace.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Today we're at the nearby Jinney Ring Craft Centre.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25The craftsmen and women who ply their trade here
0:01:25 > 0:01:27are keepers of that proud tradition.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Five lucky makers will have the chance to present their finest work
0:01:36 > 0:01:38to our trio of craft connoisseurs,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41and believe me, there are some really talented makers out there.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44But it's going to take a great deal to impress these judges.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51So let's meet them.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Mary Jane Baxter is a milliner, who teaches and writes all about craft.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I just know there's real talent out there.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00I can't wait to see what we discover.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05Entrepreneur Piyush Suri is the force behind an organisation
0:02:05 > 0:02:07that champions up-and-coming designer makers.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11I know there's so much talent out there. I see it every day.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14It's going to be brilliant, seeing all this wonderful creativity
0:02:14 > 0:02:16and skilled workmanship Britain has on offer.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17I'm very excited.
0:02:20 > 0:02:21And our chief judge, Glenn Adamson,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25is head of research at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29This country has such a rich tradition of craft.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32I'm hoping to meet people who are carrying that on into the 21st century.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37But the stakes could not be higher, because one of today's hopefuls
0:02:37 > 0:02:41will be given the chance to see their piece on display, alongside
0:02:41 > 0:02:45the world's finest collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
0:02:45 > 0:02:5060-year-old Pam Kirk, from West Yorkshire, has always loved making.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55Her passion for a particular flower is helping her help others,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57as Mary Jane is finding out.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I'm wearing a beautiful yellow poppy.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Pam, you've got a lovely white one,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06then we've this lovely array of poppies in front of us.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11I gather, Pam, you make them and sell them for charity, is that right?
0:03:11 > 0:03:12That's right, yes.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17In just over two years, I've managed to give £13,500 to charity.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19That's fantastic.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24These are poppies that you make out of glass beads, aren't they?
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I design them all and make them from tiny little glass beads.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29How many beads in each one?
0:03:29 > 0:03:33There's 2,500 approximately in each poppy.
0:03:33 > 0:03:352,500 beads in each poppy?!
0:03:35 > 0:03:38And each poppy takes 20 hours to make.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Wow! You're committed.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42That's amazing.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43I like making them.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45It's a lot of work.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49You've got all these lovely different shades of colour.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51The red poppy, which people will recognise,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53and then the other lovely summery colours.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55What gave you the idea?
0:03:55 > 0:03:56I think it was 2010.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01I saw a programme which moved me to do something to help the charity,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05and it took actually six months to come up with this one.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08That's the first one I ever made that I was happy with.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11There were probably a dozen prototypes before I was happy.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15If I make anything, it's got to be right for me,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18before it's right for anybody else.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Yes, I hear your nickname is Pernickety Pam!
0:04:21 > 0:04:22Looking at this,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26with 2,000-odd beads going into something like that,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30you'd have to be pernickety to get it as perfect as you've got it.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34It's a lovely design that you've come up with.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- You have here the various stages... - Step by step.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41..so people can either choose to buy a completed poppy,
0:04:41 > 0:04:46and that's £25, which in no way reflects the hours of work,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48but as you say, you're doing it for charity.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53- Or they can send less. - Buy the pattern.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57- £10 to buy the pattern. - And then make it themselves.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01- Yes.- They're very desirable in themselves,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03and they're doing something good.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07One thing I really want to ask, does your eyesight not go,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09threading these tiny beads?
0:05:09 > 0:05:11How do you do it, is it done on a loom?
0:05:11 > 0:05:14No, with a needle and thread. You stitch one bead to the next.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19Have you any designs or ideas about turning it into more of a business?
0:05:19 > 0:05:23The amount of time it takes, I don't know whether you could ever,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26certainly to make these, what you would charge really.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29- Well, given the hours of work... - 20 hours to make one.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34- ..it would be very expensive to buy. - Finished article, yes.
0:05:34 > 0:05:35And it's difficult.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38I guess in a high-end gallery,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41you would get somebody perhaps spending a lot more money,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45but then it would be a difficult thing to sell at a high price point.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46You're absolutely right.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Pam, thank you very much for bringing your poppies along.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51You're welcome.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55You may be known as Pernickety Pam, but it's a pleasure to meet you.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59- Long may the charity work continue.- Thank you.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03It's clear that Pam has talent and commitment,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and it's great she's using her skills for a good cause.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11I just love making them, making something beautiful.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12Pleasure of giving it to somebody else,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and them receiving it and being happy.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19And continuing a wonderful craft.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22I just like making beautiful, pretty things. I'm a bit of a magpie.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Beading is a skilled and ancient craft.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I'm not sure poppies are particularly original,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32but they may have a modern, high fashion appeal.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35It'll be interesting to see what the judges think.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Our next finalist lives in south Wales.
0:06:38 > 0:06:4251-year-old Vin Elphick wasn't allowed to go to art school
0:06:42 > 0:06:45as a teenager, so he took up hairdressing instead.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47He's now back in touch with his artistic leanings,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and enjoys sculpting in stone.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54I think it's very difficult to put a commercial angle on this product,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56because for me, it's more of an art form,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59rather than just a craft item.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Because it has much more going on behind the scenes as well.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05There's a lot of your emotions involved in that.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08- Wouldn't you agree with that? - I would do, yeah.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10I do put a lot of myself into my work
0:07:10 > 0:07:12and it's more than just a craft to me.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16It's my life. I don't know what I'd do without it. I get two days away from carving something
0:07:16 > 0:07:18and I get withdrawal symptoms. I was diagnosed four years ago
0:07:18 > 0:07:22as having bipolar disorder. Apparently, I've had it all my life.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24But having the diagnosis made a lot of sense
0:07:24 > 0:07:27of my life previous to the diagnosis, if you like.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30It's brought home how important things are to me.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32So all your pieces are based on the same kind of emotions,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34or do you have different emotions?
0:07:34 > 0:07:35I have different emotions all the time
0:07:35 > 0:07:39and, with them, they bring new questions, new concepts,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42new problems to overcome and it helps me to get things out myself.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46It's therapeutic and cathartic and I just love it.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47This is very calm and serene,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51so I can see very good emotions falling through it.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54But what happens when the ugly emotions are running,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58do you show it in the form of textures, in the form of colour, the stone?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01If I'm feeling uptight and I feel like knocking seven bells out of something,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03then I'll use a harder stone.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07If I want to sit down, I want to have what's in here and in here
0:08:07 > 0:08:11coming through these and easing it into something nice and soft
0:08:11 > 0:08:15and moulding that, almost. Like I did with these, because it's a fantastic stone.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19That is brilliant. But when the ugly things turn up then...
0:08:21 > 0:08:23..I become very graphic.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25You can see your temper in work, as well,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28- either very calm emotions or suddenly a rage?- Yeah.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31So what's the concept, why these three pieces?
0:08:31 > 0:08:32It's quite intriguing.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35I spent two days with an American-Canadian Inuit,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39who told me stories and philosophies about the Inuit way of life.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42I call these spirit catchers and this is a family.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44You've the child, the mother and the father.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49But what is the idea behind the base, the platform?
0:08:49 > 0:08:54Because don't you think if we kept here as...
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Do you think there's a use of this platform?
0:08:59 > 0:09:02I think having a solid slate foundation is a nice heavy solid foundation
0:09:02 > 0:09:06that a family should have. My family are very important to me.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10- OK.- They've looked after me. Over recent years, I've not been well.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14I can clearly see there is a lot of emotion and passion behind what you do.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16How do you want to promote it?
0:09:16 > 0:09:18I get what I get from what I do whilst I'm doing it.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Once a piece is finished,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22I don't have any emotional attachment to it.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Although you are completely passionate about when you're doing it,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29but you take that criticism - you're a self-critic.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Then you just move on to make a better piece.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35I think it's very important, from a commercial point of view,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38to detach yourself and see it from a different perspective,
0:09:38 > 0:09:39which, clearly, you can do.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43- I would love to see more of your work. It's beautiful. - Thank you very much.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48Vincent is an example of many people who get hands-on
0:09:48 > 0:09:50to help positive changes to their life
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and improve their sense of wellbeing.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54Well chuffed.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59I was really... Yeah, to hear somebody like that great man
0:09:59 > 0:10:02just be so complimentary about my work was nice.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04He said it was more of an art form.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08And the word artist is something I've never really felt comfortable with.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13But just hearing him say that has given me a boost in confidence.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15So, yeah, wonderful.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19It's difficult to put a price on such personal work
0:10:19 > 0:10:22but Vin is certainly tapping in to an ancient tradition.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27Stone carving is thought to go back over 800,000 years.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32Now, I wonder if any of our amateur makers here today have what it takes
0:10:32 > 0:10:36for their work to become sought-after antiques of the future.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Regularly, high-end auction rooms all over the world handle
0:10:39 > 0:10:43the work of celebrated master craftsmen of the past.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Stone carving is associated with ancient civilisations,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52but it had a renaissance in Victorian times.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56When the Industrial Revolution was in full flow
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and the Empire at the height of its influence,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Britain was growing richer
0:11:01 > 0:11:04and treasures from around the world made their way here.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09The bust is an Italian bust, of about 1908,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11in carved alabaster
0:11:11 > 0:11:15and stained alabaster, so we call it two-tone alabaster.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19It is hand carved and by a particular person, Professor Bessi.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23The subject is called Mignon, which is quite a popular subject
0:11:23 > 0:11:24in Florence and Rome at this time.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26It is nicely carved.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29It's nicely observed with the curling of the hair
0:11:29 > 0:11:33and the detail around the eyes and the bodice work there.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36And alabaster is a little bit softer than marble,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38so a little bit easier to carve.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Italian busts of this period are quite plentiful.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43We see quite a few similar to this.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Not exactly the same because they are hand done,
0:11:46 > 0:11:47but fairly similar.
0:11:47 > 0:11:53And they were made really to cater for the growing middle-class market,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55with more people with money to spend.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59And...not exactly tourist pieces, better than tourist pieces,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03just nice bits of sculpture, but at a more affordable level.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09We're estimating this at £1,000 - £1,500, which I think is sensible.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12They haven't gone up a lot in the last 20 years.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16I would think, in the 1980s, the price would have been roughly the same,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19maybe a little bit less, but, certainly after inflation, about the same.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25It'll be interesting to see whether anything designed
0:12:25 > 0:12:27and created by our own artists and makers
0:12:27 > 0:12:31will be discovered in auction rooms in the future.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37Diane, what's going on here, it looks like a hive of activity?
0:12:37 > 0:12:40It's been a really busy day. We have been making material flowers.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43There have been more people around this little marquee
0:12:43 > 0:12:45than anywhere else on the site.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48It's just been an amazing response. It really has.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52I didn't expect it to be as busy as it is, but it's been brilliant, it really has.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54You're making these. What do you call them?
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Corsages, brooches, flower brooches,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00just made out of vintage fabrics. That's an old curtain.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- So just recycling a lot of the fabrics.- Show me.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06We're going to do a few gathering stitches all the way along.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08How long have you been doing this?
0:13:08 > 0:13:11I've been sewing ever since I can hold a needle.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Did your mum teach you?
0:13:13 > 0:13:15My nan taught me.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18I can see it happening, but this is not like sewing with a sewing machine,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20this is just thread and needle.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21This is really simple.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24It's something I've chosen to do today, because it is so easy
0:13:24 > 0:13:26and anybody can have a go.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28How do you get the different layers and build it up?
0:13:28 > 0:13:31What would happen is, we would get to the very end
0:13:31 > 0:13:36and then, as it's gathered, you then start wrapping it around.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39And you stitch as you go, so you're catching in all the ends
0:13:39 > 0:13:43and, effectively, you're ending up with a corsage.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48- You get these multi-layers.- It is just like petals.- Absolutely, yeah.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50It's a great summer thing.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Lots of fun, good for weddings, good for christenings, anything over the top.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56I could see that with a big hat, you could put one in the hat, as well.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00- Yes.- You're obviously very arty. - Yes.- Good luck.- Thank you.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Basically, if you can't sew, get on a course,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06because you could be doing something like this. It's so simple.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12If you want to join my Handmade Revolution,
0:14:12 > 0:14:17you can find out more by going on to our website at...
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Our next handmade revolutionary, Nicola Crabb from Devon,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25works part-time as a chef.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29But when this 28-year-old isn't preparing tasty treats in the kitchen,
0:14:29 > 0:14:35she's cooking up some unique, flamed-grilled creations in a hot fire.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Nicola, I've seen a lot of glass products
0:14:38 > 0:14:40and glass is not in trend at the moment at all.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Why are you so passionate about glass?
0:14:43 > 0:14:47I started off in ceramics, when I first started studying
0:14:47 > 0:14:53and the difference between glass and ceramics is, with glass, you've got massive transparency.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Like I've done here, I've used small pieces of colour,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00so you can see all the way through the piece and it sets it off.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05Sometimes, with glass, you just need a little bit of colour and it can set a whole piece off.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09If you feel the back, it's got loads of texture on the back,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11so you can put texture into glass
0:15:11 > 0:15:16- and get reflections and transparency through that. - You like the transparency?- Yeah.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I think... Look at this.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- It's just creating amazing patterns. - Yeah. Loads of reflections.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26You've said that you studied ceramics and switched to glass.
0:15:26 > 0:15:32When I do ceramics, I throw on the wheel and it's a circular movement,
0:15:32 > 0:15:36circular motion, and I found when I started learning to do glass-blowing,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40it's also circular, so you've got... If I pass you that.
0:15:40 > 0:15:41You are sitting there
0:15:41 > 0:15:44and you're turning it
0:15:44 > 0:15:46and, with a paper pad,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49you're really close to the glass and it's burning, it's really exciting.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53It's a circular motion, I just love it, I'm fascinated by it.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57With glass, is it also about the temperature? Is it temperature-controlled
0:15:57 > 0:15:59and then a lot of accidents can happen?
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Loads. Yeah.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05I'm also a chef and the way I explain it to people is
0:16:05 > 0:16:08when you are cooking, you have to make sure your timings are right
0:16:08 > 0:16:11and exactly the same with glass.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Because if your timings are not right, if a piece of glass is being
0:16:14 > 0:16:17brought to another piece of glass and it's too cold or too hot,
0:16:17 > 0:16:18the whole thing just falls on the floor.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22How much is the wastage that goes on in making this piece?
0:16:22 > 0:16:26- When I first started making it, I was having about 75% wastage.- Wow.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28It depends what you are trying to do.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Because if you're trying to do something really difficult,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35you know it is not going to work, but you push the glass to its limits.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39It's that pushing to its limits you learn about glass and you learn a different way.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Sometimes, you have to alter your design.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Where do you see yourself going after this piece?
0:16:44 > 0:16:47I would like to do a lot bigger pieces.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49I've got larger pieces which are very long.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52With your background, with the ceramics,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55you can always combine the materials and challenge the notions.
0:16:55 > 0:17:01- It's something that can be done. It's sort of an exciting thing, but...- Good luck.- Thank you.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04I think he liked it.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08He liked the reflections and he said it went with his jeans.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12So, maybe he might like it for his jeans or something!
0:17:12 > 0:17:13SHE CHUCKLES
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Give it to his jeans as a present!
0:17:19 > 0:17:21I think Nicola's work is beautiful
0:17:21 > 0:17:24and I'm amazed at the talent on display.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26I think £150 is the right price.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31But is it impressive enough to win over the other judges?
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Now to another skill that relies on fire to create some amazing objects.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Hayley Powell is a modern blacksmith,
0:17:40 > 0:17:45eager to shrug off any preconceptions about it being a man's job.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48I must say, the work she produces is brilliant.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Hayley, come and have a chat to me, if you can, can you leave that alone?
0:17:52 > 0:17:54- Yes, that's all right, Paul. - I love what you're wearing.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- I think that's great.- Thank you. - It's really cool and really funky.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00And so is your work. How long have you been a blacksmith?
0:18:00 > 0:18:04It's only been about two years since I set up my business.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06What inspired you to do something like this?
0:18:06 > 0:18:10- Because it is, in all respects, a man's world.- This is true.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I had quite an early introduction to the craft.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16I was only 16 and, for a school project,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I was able to make a piece of public art as a sculpture
0:18:18 > 0:18:22and just fell in love with it and found it was a dying-out craft.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25I was passionate about trying to revive it.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30Most blacksmiths found they knew they needed to get young blood coming through
0:18:30 > 0:18:35and passing on those skills, so everyone I've met has been eager to teach me.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38I've been running the business for two years and it's gone from strength to strength.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40- Has it?- Yeah.- All commissions?
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Some commissions. More public art sculptures coming up.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Little things. I'm trying to bring it to a new audience.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51And, hopefully soon, you'll be teaching the next generation coming through.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Absolutely. That's what I'm really passionate about.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55I've had all these skills passed on to me
0:18:55 > 0:19:00and I need to pass the skills back on and to make blacksmithing not die out.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04I won't stop you any longer. I know that's nearly at the right temperature,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- so do you want to have a go and we'll watch?- Cheers.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18As you can see, Hayley is incredibly gifted.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21What I find astonishing is she knew she wanted to do this
0:19:21 > 0:19:25from a very young age and I know there are lots of other youngsters out there
0:19:25 > 0:19:26that want to do something like this.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28We mustn't put them off.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31The idea of the Handmade Revolution is to encourage it,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34because there is a lot of raw talent, as we're seeing here.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41There's certainly an army of talented revolutionaries assembled here today
0:19:41 > 0:19:46and the next one to go before the judges is 71-year-old Thomasina Freeman.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Thomasina, you're a very glamorous great-granny
0:19:51 > 0:19:53and you're certainly doing a degree, still.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- What's your success? What are you on? - No drugs!
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Just cocoa!
0:19:58 > 0:20:01What inspires you to do these felt hats?
0:20:01 > 0:20:07It started many years ago. I was interested in knitting.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11That led on to spinning and then I found, about 30 years ago,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13felt.
0:20:13 > 0:20:19Being an unstructured fabric, you haven't got to knit it,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21you haven't got to weave it.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23With fibres, you can make it straight away.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28Tell me more about your colours, because I always find a lot of
0:20:28 > 0:20:31felt makers, they use very bright colours
0:20:31 > 0:20:35and they are very clashing all the time, so I don't find them very contemporary.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38But this colour combination, it's very subtle.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Although there is colour in there, it is subtle.
0:20:40 > 0:20:46The idea, the inspiration for that, was mainly to do with the Diamond Jubilee.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51Celebration - red, white and blue - but not done, maybe, in such a bold, brash way.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54- I don't know. It does seem to have worked.- Thank God!
0:20:54 > 0:20:57- Why don't you model this for me? - Right. I'll try.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00I can't say it really suits me, but you can be the judge.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Not bad. THEY LAUGH
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Tell me, how much time does it take you to make this hat?
0:21:07 > 0:21:12Um, from beginning to end, maybe a good half-day, maybe even a day.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- For making one complete finished product?- Yes, yes.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18And dried and blocked. Particularly the hats.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20If you saw this kind of hat in the market,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22how much would you pay for it?
0:21:22 > 0:21:26- I would say £60 to £70. - That's a good price.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29You'll have to spread the word!
0:21:29 > 0:21:32How much of your personality is in this work?
0:21:32 > 0:21:37Er, yeah, I think the fun side of myself is expressed in the work
0:21:37 > 0:21:42and also I do enjoy using colour and I think that's expressed in there.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45From what you've said, it sounds as though I'm using it the right way.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I think he enjoyed it. Being a textiler, which I didn't realise.
0:21:51 > 0:21:57Yeah, I think, maybe, he might actually be involved in some felt making.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Thomasina obviously enjoys what she does.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04She puts a lot of her own personality into her work.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09I think she has pitched her beautiful product at about the right price.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16The art of creating fabric using yarn and a hook has been with us for hundreds of years.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20We've certainly been inundated with people with a passion for textiles.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Our head judge, Glenn, has been meeting some of them.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Maggie, you've brought this explosion of colour to look at,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30a real riot of things, all made with crochet.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Crochet is a love that I've had for a long time,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36along with all my other textile activities.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- It's an ideal craft for exploring colour.- Absolutely, yes.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40Can you tell us more about this bag?
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Maybe turn it around so we see the full range of colours.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47These are the cooler colours and these are the warmer colours.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50And this was just devised to use up the scraps.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52It's really my scrap bag.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56- Great.- Little odd bits from other projects.- So it's recycling?
0:22:56 > 0:22:58It's absolutely recycling, yes.
0:22:58 > 0:23:04- Do you work intuitively?- Yes, yes. A ball of wool and a crochet hook.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Crochet is done with a hook, instead of needles, which you'd use for knitting, of course.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11I've tried so many crafts in my lifetime.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14I've done so many different things and each one has been a challenge.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19It's when it comes together that that sense of achievement is at its greatest.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22You can stand back and have some pride in what you've done.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Thanks so much for coming in, talking to us today, and this
0:23:25 > 0:23:29beautiful explosion of colour that you've brought has really brightened up the day.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Many amateurs only find real time for handicrafts later in life
0:23:36 > 0:23:40and that's certainly true of retired stockbroker Andy Ritchie,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43who's inspired by nature.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- This is a beautiful hummingbird, Andy.- Thank you.
0:23:47 > 0:23:53Supping honey from a fantasy flower, or is it a flower of particular type?
0:23:53 > 0:23:55It's probably a fantasy flower,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59because trying to carve a specific flower,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02you get the horticulturalists who tell you you got it wrong somewhere.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05So better to do something imaginative?
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- I think a fantasy flower is a better idea.- A safer option. Absolutely.
0:24:08 > 0:24:14Now, I think I'm right in saying that you've carved this entire piece by hand, is that right?
0:24:14 > 0:24:20Yes, no mechanical means other than files, rasps and knives.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25- How did you get into wood carving? - Well, sort of by accident.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29I was bought a lathe when I retired.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31I got bored with making things that were round.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33We went to an art show
0:24:33 > 0:24:37and somebody had done a model of a red kite in bronze
0:24:37 > 0:24:41and I went one of the, "I wonder if I could do that in wood?"
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Ah-ha.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47I went home and tried and, after a couple of months,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49I found I could do that in wood.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53I like to do the things that if somebody says, "You can't do that,"
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- I'm jolly well going to have a go at it.- So you like a challenge?
0:24:56 > 0:24:58I tend to like a challenge.
0:24:58 > 0:25:04What I like about it, too, is if I look at the bird's wings, for example,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- there's a feathering.- That is natural from the grain of the wood.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11- Very clever.- That is a sort of happy accident.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16Maybe it was an accident, but you've really used the wood beautifully.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Wood is there to be used. Wood is absolutely beautiful.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24And if you get it right, you can do amazing things with it.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27And a lot of it's in the wood to start with.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29And it's bringing out the nature of the wood.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Every piece of wood has a sculpture in it
0:25:33 > 0:25:36and the wood generally tells you what it wants to be.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38You showed me. If you just tap it gently,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41we can see the hummingbird move in the flower,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43which is a really lovely thing.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47How many years have you been working with hand-carved wood?
0:25:47 > 0:25:54- I retired in 2004.- So eight years, or so?- About eight years.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58I had no formal training in woodwork at all. I was a stockbroker.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00So it provides me with a little beer money.
0:26:00 > 0:26:06When you sell your pieces, Andy, what sort of price range do they sell at?
0:26:06 > 0:26:11- That would sell for about £350. - Right.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14A lot of people watching might think, "Wow, that's expensive."
0:26:14 > 0:26:16But how many hours of work went into that?
0:26:16 > 0:26:20That particular bit took about two months
0:26:20 > 0:26:22- and that's working most days. - There we are.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26And when people say, "Wow, that's expensive,"
0:26:26 > 0:26:30I say, "£350, two months' work, come on."
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Yeah.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36There are a number of very clever people out there
0:26:36 > 0:26:41and until such time as you try these things, you don't know what you can achieve.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47I think the price tag would be likely to leave Andy
0:26:47 > 0:26:49out of pocket for his two months of hard work.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Like many people in retirement, it has given Andy the opportunity
0:26:53 > 0:26:57to try new things and, for an amateur, he's made something beautiful.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02I didn't know I could do wood carving until I started doing it.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06I found that I could do things I never thought I could do in a million years.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17As part of my drive to get the nation crafting,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20I've been visiting craftsmen and women all over Britain.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23I've always admired people who are keeping these old skills alive,
0:27:23 > 0:27:27working with their hands, and they don't come more ancient than stonemasonry.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30So with chisel in hand, I've travelled to Gloucestershire
0:27:30 > 0:27:33to have a lesson with a professional carver
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and get my hands on some local Cotswold stone.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42Stone working is a traditional skill that dates back thousands of years
0:27:42 > 0:27:46and the tools used have barely changed.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Here in the Cotswolds, there is evidence of stone working everywhere you look,
0:27:50 > 0:27:55from the buildings to the stone walls framing the fields.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59The Rococo Gardens in Painswick are a wonderful example
0:27:59 > 0:28:01of early 18th-century garden design.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06This beautiful backdrop is the unconventional workplace
0:28:06 > 0:28:11of a sculptor in residence who has agreed to teach me the basics in stone carving.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Ann-Margreth Bohl is a typical handmade revolutionary
0:28:16 > 0:28:20in that sculpture is her second career.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Born in Germany, she worked as a paediatric nurse
0:28:22 > 0:28:26until deciding to requalify as an art therapist.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28As part of her training, she tried stone carving,
0:28:28 > 0:28:32and the rest, as they say, is history.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37It's a fantastic privilege to be here and work in the garden.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41- I often come early in the morning. - When there's no-one around.- Yeah.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45- It's great. It's really very special. - Are you here all year round?
0:28:45 > 0:28:48I have just been, really, from the beginning of this year,
0:28:48 > 0:28:49artist in residence.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53- Just one year, you get all the seasons, you get to see it all? - Yeah.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55- The frozen lake in the winter. - Ah, how lovely.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00I think sculpture should be viewed outside and I think nature plays a bit part in looking at sculpture,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03- with the light and the weather. - I couldn't agree more.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04Especially with stone.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08In a gallery environment, it really kills it off.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11I really feel this is the place for stone carving.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- When did you start to learn this craft?- 18, 19 years ago.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18- I was completely hooked from that moment.- That was it?
0:29:18 > 0:29:22- How many items of work do you have on display?- I think it's eight.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24What's your favourite piece?
0:29:24 > 0:29:27The favourite often is the one I have just finished.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Obviously. Typical artist! The latest thing you've created.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34- This one is called Through-hole. - It's very Barbara Hepworth.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37I like the circles, looking through the circles, different light.
0:29:37 > 0:29:42And the way to look at sculpture is to look from every single angle.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45- That's right. - There's no bad angle.- Yeah, yeah.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Stone workers have to toil for many years to become master masons
0:29:51 > 0:29:55and Ann-Margreth prefers to think of herself as an artist.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57But she works in an ancient tradition
0:29:57 > 0:30:00and her hands have fashioned some remarkable pieces.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03One of my favourite British sculptors was Barbara Hepworth,
0:30:03 > 0:30:07who is credited with having helped to develop modern art in this country.
0:30:07 > 0:30:12Here, we can see her turning a piece of cold, hard stone
0:30:12 > 0:30:17into her wonderful Curved Reclining Form of 1962.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21Ann-Margreth has agreed to show us how to make something special from stone.
0:30:23 > 0:30:28- Before we get started, are you going to go through some of the basic tools?- Yeah.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31OK, let's look at the chisels.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33We've got a pitcher here so if you've got a block,
0:30:33 > 0:30:37you draw yourself a line with a chisel and then hit quite hard with a pitcher
0:30:37 > 0:30:40and whole chunks will just fall off.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43You've got all the different varieties. You've got the gougers.
0:30:43 > 0:30:48- The gougers, as you can see, are sort of round.- And sharp, as well.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52- Very sharp.- You sharpened these up today!- Well, I did, yes.
0:30:52 > 0:30:57I mean, the designs haven't changed in 4,000 years.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- Not even the mallet shape, although the material has changed.- Yeah.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04- This is rubber.- A shock absorber. - Yeah.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08- It bounces back. So if you're hitting the stone all day every day... - It does the work for you.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10It really does.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13What couple of chisels would you set out to buy at first?
0:31:13 > 0:31:19- You really can do with very little. - Two chisels?- Very little tools.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23- Which two?- I would probably go for a claw chisel, medium-sized one
0:31:23 > 0:31:29and get a lump hammer. You can get those very cheaply. Those mallets are very expensive.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34- A little lump hammer will do the job. - This is Cotswold stone. Lovely.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38- It's an oolite stone. - It's sedimentary.- It's sedimentary.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- 200 million years old. - It's old, isn't it?
0:31:41 > 0:31:45I know vaguely what I want to do with this. I can see it standing up.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49But I think if you show me how to get into it, it'll all...
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Once you start working, something will emerge.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59So find a rhythm of working over the stone.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02It's a bit unpredictable, the way it's coming off.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06- But at this stage, it doesn't matter.- We're just roughing out. It really doesn't matter.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Now it's my turn to get busy with a hammer and chisel.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Do you know what I really want to do to that, straight away?
0:32:15 > 0:32:18- I want to put a hole right through it.- Well, you can do that.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21- I can work from both sides? - Yeah, you can do that.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Ah, it's looking good.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29- You tell me when I think I should turn it.- OK.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32I will tap away a little bit, as well.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35- You tap away and I'll have a chat to you.- OK.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40This is slightly Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore-esque.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Find the form in the stone.
0:32:49 > 0:32:54Would you consider yourself a master stonemason now?
0:32:54 > 0:32:56I'm definitely not a stonemason.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59- I would say I'm an artist using stone.- OK.
0:32:59 > 0:33:04- Is that a good start? - Very good. You're very fast.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07I'll have to speed up a bit.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11I don't want to make something that looks like it's come from the garden centre!
0:33:11 > 0:33:14You know, like a bunny rabbit or... Yeah.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25Just under an hour and I've broken through.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26- I'm very pleased.- Very good.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31This is the first time in my life I've ever put a hole in a stone.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36- It's a good thing to do, isn't it? - Yeah.- It's quite addictive.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40- I'm addicted to this little lump today.- Good.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Getting dangerously close to the edge now.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46This is where it all goes horribly wrong.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54Yeah, that's a good angle that you've got there.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59That is...starting to hurt.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03I'll have an ice cream now and sit down and cool off
0:34:03 > 0:34:05and have a stand back from this
0:34:05 > 0:34:11and have a real think about exactly what is going on,
0:34:11 > 0:34:15- because...- Have a look at it from all angles.- Yeah.- And turn it round.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19Let's think about that and have a breather under the tree and get an ice cream.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22That sounds a good idea. Yeah, let's do that.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Cor, that was delicious. Ginger ice cream.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35- Wasn't that nice?- Very nice.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Do you know, sitting here looking at that, the top's got to come off,
0:34:39 > 0:34:41because, right now, it reminds me of a Tellytubby.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43SHE LAUGHS
0:34:43 > 0:34:47- Do you know that, it does? I'm going to take the top off. - Let's take the top off.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51- A planet. It's a play on the planets. If I can get that round. - Rounder.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56Yeah, and it's like a portal into another dimension.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00- What happens is, you've started working on the stone... - This is how artists talk!
0:35:00 > 0:35:03- We're underneath an oak tree, in the shade. - SHE LAUGHS
0:35:03 > 0:35:05With ginger ice cream.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07THEY LAUGH
0:35:07 > 0:35:10- Here goes.- Yep.- Back to work.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22It's been three and a quarter hours and I'm spent.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24But I'm thoroughly enjoying myself.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28I think I've had a masterclass in technique.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Do you know what I've ended up with now? This is my version
0:35:30 > 0:35:33of Madonna and Child. Look.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37If that was mounted on a plinth like that.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39There's the hand holding the baby,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42- here's the shawl. - And the arm coming out.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46- I can see that.- Do you like that? - I do.- I can hardly lift it!
0:35:46 > 0:35:48THEY LAUGH
0:35:48 > 0:35:50This is thoroughly enjoyable.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54I guarantee you'll get a lot out of this, you really will.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58- You can develop so much. - You've done really, really well.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00- Thank you so much.- You've worked so fast, I can't believe it.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04You overtook me. THEY LAUGH
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Well, I'm really happy with that. In a matter of hours,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12I've had a masterclass from Ann-Margreth in stone carving.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14It can be done, because I have just done it.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18Why don't you check out what's happening in your area and give it a go?
0:36:18 > 0:36:19You'll be pleased.
0:36:24 > 0:36:25I love getting hands-on
0:36:25 > 0:36:27and admire any talented amateur who gives it a go.
0:36:27 > 0:36:32From among hundreds of applicants, these five handmade revolutionaries
0:36:32 > 0:36:36were chosen to go before our judges today.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40It's tough, but only one of them can be anointed judges' favourite.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43None of the finalists have any idea what could be in store
0:36:43 > 0:36:45for that person.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49An opportunity that could potentially change their life.
0:36:49 > 0:36:50It's the moment of truth.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56OK, guys, here we are with the objects made by our five finalists.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00Mary Jane, perhaps you can start by telling us about the folks you met.
0:37:00 > 0:37:06These beaded flowers are made by...Pernickety Pam, she likes to call herself.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08She used to be a bobbin lace maker
0:37:08 > 0:37:10and swapped to working with beads
0:37:10 > 0:37:13and each flower uses 2,000 beads.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15- Wow.- A lot of intricate work.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17If I were the judges' favourite, I'd be thrilled.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20I think it would give some recognition to the work I've done
0:37:20 > 0:37:23and, hopefully, stimulate other people to take up the craft
0:37:23 > 0:37:24and have a go at doing it.
0:37:24 > 0:37:31Andy is a retired stockbroker and he now turns his hand to wood carving.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34This little piece is made of all sorts of types of wood.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36He doesn't stain his wood.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40- I think it's really sweet, actually. - Very fine.- Very fine, very sweet.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Very intricate details.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45It would mean a great deal for my self-esteem
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and it would prove to some of my doubters out there
0:37:48 > 0:37:52that I can actually do what I said I could do.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56- OK. How about the hat?- Thomasina, a glamorous, glamorous great-granny.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59- As glamorous as you?!- I wish I could be as glamorous as she is.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02We can all hope. LAUGHTER
0:38:02 > 0:38:06This is the felt hat she has made for the Queen's Jubilee.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10I think of all the felt products I am always seeing,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14I think these are the colours which are still OK to use,
0:38:14 > 0:38:17because everybody uses such clashy colours.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20With my millinery background I have to say the hat,
0:38:20 > 0:38:21it doesn't quite cut it for me.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24But, remember, she's a felt maker and that's just a product she makes.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29I think even coming here today has been fantastic for me,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33given me more confidence, support in the fact of the felt that I make
0:38:33 > 0:38:36and, hopefully, that will spread out to other felt makers.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38This is Nicola. She's a glass-maker.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43She is a student and switched from ceramics to glass,
0:38:43 > 0:38:44because glass is more complicated.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- So she likes a challenge. - Yes, she likes a challenge.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50I think it's quite refreshing to see the colours,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53because a lot of people use very bright colours in glass.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55It is one of the most challenging crafts there is,
0:38:55 > 0:38:57so she's picked the right one,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59if she likes a difficult job.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01I like the molten quality of the composition
0:39:01 > 0:39:06and I agree the colours are nice and restrained - a lot of glass, frankly, looks kitschy.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10- There is a fluidity about it. - And soft, romantic colours.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14It would be really nice to be recognised if I won,
0:39:14 > 0:39:17because I'm trying to become less of an amateur
0:39:17 > 0:39:19and trying to get into that professional world.
0:39:19 > 0:39:24So it would give me a big step towards that dream of mine.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28- What about the sculpture? - This sculpture is made by Vincent.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32We had a beautiful conversation about his health issues
0:39:32 > 0:39:36and how he transformed that issue into his work.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38This is a stone sculpture.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41It's actually, if you can see that, a family.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Male, female and a small child.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Very traditional view of the family, isn't it?
0:39:46 > 0:39:51- Daddy - big, mummy - medium, baby - small.- Yes.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53What's it made of, is it alabaster?
0:39:53 > 0:39:55This is alabaster and slate.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59So how he connects with his work is about the emotions
0:39:59 > 0:40:02and that's so entrusting, that whatever his issues are,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04they come up in his work.
0:40:04 > 0:40:05Yeah.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07It would mean an awful lot.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11I'm not big on self-confidence when it comes to my work, or anything else,
0:40:11 > 0:40:15but I think if I were to win that, that would perhaps give me an edge
0:40:15 > 0:40:18and a push to take it a little bit further, maybe,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21and start being a bit more commercial.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25But I do worry it is more than an art form than craft.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Well, that's a distinction I don't really feel comfortable with,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32because, to me, every great artwork has a strong element of craft in it.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35How it's made is part of its meaning, part of its narrative
0:40:35 > 0:40:40- and that's the case here. - I totally agree.- There is no line there for me.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43- I feel I'm learning a lot. - LAUGHTER
0:40:43 > 0:40:48- So we've had a look at each of them. Mary Jane, do you have strong leanings?- I think I do.
0:40:48 > 0:40:54I think for me, this time, I think I've got a pretty distinctive choice in mind. Yes.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57- OK. Piyush?- Definitely. I know who is my favourite in this bunch.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01- What do you think? What's really struck you?- I think they all have different virtues.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04For me, there's one piece that speaks to me the most,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06so I think that's the way I'm going to go.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11- It sounds like we've got a common decision.- OK. Shall we have a word with Paul?
0:41:15 > 0:41:18This is what it's all been leading up to.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29Judges. Have you reached a decision?
0:41:29 > 0:41:32- Yes, we have, Paul. - You're all smiling, aren't you?
0:41:32 > 0:41:36- You're all smiling!- It was a very easy decision.- OK. A unanimous decision?
0:41:36 > 0:41:40OK. Right, it's time to bring in the finalists.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52Now, all the wonderful work that you see before us today are testament
0:41:52 > 0:41:55to the skill, passion and dedication of each of you.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58So thank you very much for sharing your work with us today.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Now, I'm going to let you into a secret.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04The person who has been nominated as judges' favourite today
0:42:04 > 0:42:07will have the opportunity to have their work put on display
0:42:07 > 0:42:13in the V&A shop in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London,
0:42:13 > 0:42:17- alongside the world's finest collection...- Wonderful!- ..of decorative arts.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22So one of you is going to be keeping very good company, OK?
0:42:23 > 0:42:28I can now reveal who today's judges' favourite is.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30And one piece in particular stood out from the rest
0:42:30 > 0:42:35because of its depth of feeling and its sensitivity towards the materials being used.
0:42:36 > 0:42:41It gives me great pleasure to announce who today's judges' favourite is.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45And that person is...
0:42:53 > 0:42:56..Vincent and his sculpture.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58Wonderful! Marvellous!
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Well done.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02That's going in the V&A.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Vin's alabaster family sculpture appealed to the judges
0:43:13 > 0:43:16because the work was so heartfelt.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20His feeling for the nature and texture of the stone was manifest in the piece.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24Vin could hardly believe that he was judges' favourite,
0:43:24 > 0:43:27but I hope it gives him the confidence he needs
0:43:27 > 0:43:29to take his work forwards.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35What can I say? The judges agree all of today's makers show real promise
0:43:35 > 0:43:38and it goes to show what you can do if you put your mind to it.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41So, come on, join our Handmade Revolution.
0:43:41 > 0:43:42See you next time.