0:00:03 > 0:00:05This country's handicraft tradition
0:00:05 > 0:00:07is something we should all be proud of.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08I want to celebrate those skills
0:00:08 > 0:00:11and help today's craftsmen and women pass them on.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14But I need your help. So, come on, join me, Paul Martin,
0:00:14 > 0:00:17- and- my- handmade revolution! - ALL: HOORAY!
0:00:40 > 0:00:43We've been searching the country
0:00:43 > 0:00:47to find the very best of amateur British makers.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50I'm just not really happy if I'm not creating things.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54And we'll be finding out how important their items could be -
0:00:54 > 0:00:58things handmade with skill and passion.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Something that's made with the heart, that you love,
0:01:00 > 0:01:02that someone else can go and love.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04But what these people don't know
0:01:04 > 0:01:08is that one of them will be given a life-changing opportunity,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12the chance to see their work at the spiritual home of the handmade.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15I can now announce who today's judges' favourite is.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28This area of the Midlands was once the heart of the cloth trade.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31The weavers here in this area specialised in fine linen.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34During the 18th century, it was also one of the world's leading centres
0:01:34 > 0:01:37for making nails, employing over 1,000 people.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40The Jinney Ring Craft Centre near Bromsgrove
0:01:40 > 0:01:43is our wonderful backdrop for today's show.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48But this is also about finding the antiques of the future,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51objects that could stand the test of time.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Later on, if you've ever thought about making a piece of glass,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57I'll be showing you how.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Oh, it's coming. Keep going.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Go on, Paul. It's coming!
0:02:07 > 0:02:09From among hundreds of applicants,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12five of the country's top talented amateurs
0:02:12 > 0:02:16have been selected to present their finest work to our panel of judges.
0:02:16 > 0:02:22Always on the lookout for new talent, our judges are looking for something very special indeed.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24The person named as Judges' Favourite
0:02:24 > 0:02:27will win a prize that money cannot buy -
0:02:27 > 0:02:28the chance to see their work displayed
0:02:28 > 0:02:33in one of the world's greatest museums.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35So let's meet them.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39First up, it's entrepreneur Piyush Suri.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43He'll know if there's a market for the items we see today.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45There's a revival in handmade all across Britain
0:02:45 > 0:02:48and I absolutely love being a part of it.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52And thoroughly modern milliner and maker, Mary Jane Baxter.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54I can't wait to see what we find.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58I know there's tonnes of talent out there. It's going to be great.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02And Glenn Adamson. His expertise and work as curator at the V&A
0:03:02 > 0:03:05means he knows talent when he sees it.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07This country has a rich tradition of craft.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11I'm hoping to meet people who are carrying that on into the 21st century.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Now, from what I've already seen, their decision will be a hard one.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17If they can't agree, then it's over to me.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Will our first item be worthy of a star prize?
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Ray Sylvester, a retired teacher,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27makes what he calls blooming clever boxes.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Tell me, how does it work?
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Well, it works using a jigsaw construction technique.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35I actually cut it on a band saw.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38- But I'm using a band saw rather like a scroll saw.- Oh, wow!
0:03:38 > 0:03:41So, this particular case, that key comes up there.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44This key, on the other end, is a bit more interesting
0:03:44 > 0:03:48because it's got one, two drawers in it.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- Wow!- So it's a useful, practical box.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54We aren't quite inside yet. The top slides off.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Wow! And then you've got more here.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59That's right. Two inner lids there.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02It's like a jigsaw puzzle, isn't it? So, why so complicated?
0:04:02 > 0:04:07Because of the limits of my machinery is the honest answer.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10My band saw can only cut a certain depth.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15The box looks lovely on the outside but the interest is on the inside.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18So where does this notion of secret compartments come from?
0:04:18 > 0:04:21I don't know. This just evolved.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23So you're a very secretive person.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Not at all! I don't have that sort of mind.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30I'm not into puzzles and things like that. The designs evolve.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32And so you make a simple box and you think to yourself,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35I wonder if I can make a box on two levels.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37I wonder if there's any way of actually connecting those up
0:04:37 > 0:04:41so you do have a drawer that you have to do certain things -
0:04:41 > 0:04:44take certain pieces out in order to access it.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Increasingly, people tell me they buy them
0:04:46 > 0:04:49to put on the coffee table as a source of interest and fun.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53And, actually, unpacking and packing the box is fun in itself.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Don't you think you've gone overboard
0:04:55 > 0:04:59with creating so many pieces and you could have taken a step back
0:04:59 > 0:05:04- and had a little less pieces?- Yes. I do make boxes with far fewer pieces
0:05:04 > 0:05:07But for me, the excitement is working out
0:05:07 > 0:05:09how much I can actually pack inside.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12I'm bonkers about boxes
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and how I can develop this particular approach to a box.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19So how complex is this process?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21I can see... It looks very complex to me.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Actually, the process is quite simple.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29It is simply approaching a band saw with a fine blade and a bit of wood.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Getting that technique right has taken me a long time.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Looking back, I wasted some lovely bits of wood.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39They went in the bin because I messed up.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42So how much time does it take you to make this piece?
0:05:42 > 0:05:43That's a very difficult question to answer
0:05:43 > 0:05:45because I don't make it as a one-off.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I'll make a batch of boxes.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52All I know is, if I work hard, I can perhaps do 20 in a fortnight.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55But not all as complicated as that.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57So what would you sell this piece for?
0:05:57 > 0:06:00What do you think is the right market value of that?
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- All being well, this will sell at £300 to £400.- OK.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06In the right place, to the right market.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I'll tell you what I'm most pleased about this box.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11I'm using wood. It's got all sorts of faults,
0:06:11 > 0:06:12all sorts of problems with it.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15And I've found, over the years, ways of tackling those problems.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20There may be splits or schisms in the wood or soft areas.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22I found ways of handling that.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26And so, really, I'm in the business of finding lovely bits of timber
0:06:26 > 0:06:28and not being put off by the fact that that bit of timber
0:06:28 > 0:06:31has all sorts of imperfections.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33That is where the thrill is for me.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I can see the passion. I can see the passion.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Ray is clearly in love with wood and box-making,
0:06:40 > 0:06:45and £300 seems a fair price for all that work.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47There's no doubting his skill
0:06:47 > 0:06:50but will his box be distinctive enough?
0:06:50 > 0:06:53There's a whole world of craft and designer makers out there
0:06:53 > 0:06:56who are not getting the attention that they deserve.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59I think you're doing a grand job if it means that
0:06:59 > 0:07:02people are aware of the world of design and craft
0:07:02 > 0:07:05and begin to appreciate it.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Particularly in a world where everything is mass-produced.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17Head judge Glenn is searching the site to make sure that nothing has slipped through the net.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20As well as keeping an eye open for new talent,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23he's keen to see professional makers at work.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Belinda Terry is a silversmith,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31who has been making jewellery on this site for almost 25 years.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Glenn popped in see how this intricate process was done.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38You work in silver, mainly, and that's a very precious material.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42So you have to be very conscious about how expensive it is, not wasting too much.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46I buy less of it. They're saying in the Jewellery Quarter, everybody's doing the same.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50- You just buy what you need now. - Right.- You don't buy in bulk any more.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55What we're looking at today is some work you're doing in sheet silver and wire.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57- And you're going to be making one of these tiaras.- That's right.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01This little flower is a bit of a signature piece.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06All I do is cut out a shape, like a little kite shape really.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- How hard is that to cut? Is it quite stiff?- No, it's really soft.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- Soft.- Yeah. This is sterling silver. It's not fine silver.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19So you've basically made an instant bead on the end of that silver wire.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Yeah, and that sort of makes a stamen for the flower.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25These, I've already soldered on at the base.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30So there's the tiara. I have to ask, Belinda, who wears a tiara nowadays?
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Well, I do sell them mainly to brides.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Brides, of course.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36But there are a few kids who want them for proms.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38But they're a little bit expensive for that.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Do you ever get the odd princess in here?
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Not that I know of.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47A few queens, I think, but not princesses.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Next, it's recent graduate Carla Murdoch.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58A maker for less than 12 months,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02does she have what it takes to wow Mary Jane?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Carla, I'm a huge fan of buttons.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09I've got a massive collection - old buttons, new buttons.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12All sorts of types of buttons, and I can see you're a fan of buttons.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15- Yeah, absolutely.- What gave you the idea to start making your own?
0:09:15 > 0:09:17It was a project at college.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19The first few weeks we were using clay to get us used to
0:09:19 > 0:09:21the different types of clay, what you can do with it,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- what you can press into it. - You did an art degree?
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- Yeah, glass and ceramics. - And now, basically,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31you're trying to find a way of taking that degree
0:09:31 > 0:09:33and pushing forward and perhaps at some point
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- creating a business, I imagine? - Hopefully, yeah.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39They're all ceramic buttons, as you say, and I love the way
0:09:39 > 0:09:42you've pressed lace into this one here
0:09:42 > 0:09:45to get that lovely texture on it.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48I can imagine that on a vintage wedding dress or something.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50What gave you the idea of doing that?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53I decided just to collect some bits of lace along the way,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55anything that had been chucked out.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Little bit of embroidery on there and just rolled it in.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02I had done tea lights with it, and had the light shining through.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06- Lovely.- They became an extra with the waste clay I had.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10- They became really popular. - I imagine they are very popular.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12This too, I think this is lovely.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15How did you do that one with the pattern on it?
0:10:15 > 0:10:18You fire the clay to a high firing,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20then it's almost like a transfer tattoo.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24You cut your shape, you pop it on and you put it back in the kiln
0:10:24 > 0:10:26and it burns to it.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31OK. It burns it onto the clay. I like the way you displayed it too.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34You've really given thought to how you display your buttons
0:10:34 > 0:10:36and that again is quite a quirky, vintage look.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- A bit individual. - It looks really nice.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43I really like the way you've done that. How durable are they, Carla?
0:10:43 > 0:10:46- They're really durable. - They look quite delicate in a way.
0:10:46 > 0:10:47Do you want to chuck one on the floor?
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Don't worry, I won't.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- They're really strong and can be put in the washing machine.- Really?
0:10:53 > 0:10:56If you've got a cardigan with them on, just chuck them in.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00I actually didn't know you'd be able to do that with ceramic buttons.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02The porcelain's the strongest.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Once it's high-fired, I think it's a step below diamond.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- A step below diamond!- Maybe not that much but it is quite strong.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13Obviously, you're not the only person making ceramic buttons.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16There are people out there doing it already.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19How do you propose to take what you're doing
0:11:19 > 0:11:23and make it special enough to be the one that people choose?
0:11:23 > 0:11:26I try to look at current trends, and everyone's into knitting
0:11:26 > 0:11:30and making their own stuff and material, vintage.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35I did a range with these ones here that were based on bobbin reels.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Lovely! Interesting you mentioned hand-knitting there
0:11:38 > 0:11:42because it's such a current trend and these would be perfect.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44That's a texture and a hand-crafted look
0:11:44 > 0:11:47which you're really capturing with these.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50You've got them, I think, in a couple of shops, is that right?
0:11:50 > 0:11:54- Yes, I have.- That's a good start, isn't it?- Yes.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56What are your plans then for the future?
0:11:56 > 0:12:00I'm really torn between becoming a teacher and teaching the ceramics
0:12:00 > 0:12:05or having my own business, having a little shop, maybe a gallery in it.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09I'm using this time to enjoy what I'm doing
0:12:09 > 0:12:11before I commit to somebody else's.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I think you've got a ring, haven't you,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17which has got a little ceramic jigsaw piece on it.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20All that sort of accessory, that quirky accessory,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24- is so in at the moment. - Everyone wants something individual.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27They do, and it's trying to find that niche in the market.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29I think you're definitely starting out well
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and it's just progressing that forward.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35It's what I love. It's my passion.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Carla, thanks so much for bringing your buttons along today
0:12:38 > 0:12:41and next time I see you, I want to see them stitched
0:12:41 > 0:12:43- all the way down your top.- Yes!
0:12:43 > 0:12:47There's no doubt these buttons are a creative product.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50She sells them for only £6 a throw.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53What a bargain price for something beautiful and handmade.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05When you think of mosaics, you immediately conjure up images
0:13:05 > 0:13:08of grand Roman floors and intricate table tops.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09It's an ancient craft
0:13:09 > 0:13:12but it has a hugely popular decorative appeal today.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Victoria Harrison is an artist who's keen to promote this
0:13:16 > 0:13:20and get people taking up the hobby of ceramics, aren't you?
0:13:20 > 0:13:22This is absolutely marvellous.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I see you're inspired by your surroundings today.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Definitely. You can tell what it is.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31- Would you like to apply some?- Can I?
0:13:31 > 0:13:34You just put a little bit of - oops - glue on the back.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Just a tiny little drop.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Enough, that's lovely.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42You just follow that contour.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44A bit like that. That's OK, isn't it?
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- Perfect, yes.- A natural.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50That's relatively easy to do
0:13:50 > 0:13:53but obviously you've got to cut a shape out to start with
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and sort of draw an image and have some guideline to follow.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58And work out your shades.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01With mosaic, what is so super about it is it evolves.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06You might have at the beginning a plan of what it would visually
0:14:06 > 0:14:10look like, but at the end, it's totally changed, yes.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13That's fabulous. I absolutely love that.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16My eyes were drawn to that earlier on this morning.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19The fact that you've used mirrors really catches the light
0:14:19 > 0:14:20and draws you in, doesn't it?
0:14:20 > 0:14:24It's to use our light. We can see how it's bouncing.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27- From every angle you look at it. - Yes.- Wonderful obelisk.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30I'll let you carry on and I know there's lots of people queuing up
0:14:30 > 0:14:33that want to have a go at this so we'll come back later on
0:14:33 > 0:14:37- and see it finished.- Hopefully. Thank you very much.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42They say it takes 10,000 hours to master a craft
0:14:42 > 0:14:44and you've got to start somewhere.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47There are lots of talented amateurs out there putting in time
0:14:47 > 0:14:52and energy to produce wonderful work, as our judges are discovering.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Next, it's Amanda Manley, a graphic designer,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59who has been making as long as she can remember.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Could this be one of our winners?
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Amanda, you're a wild child of the '60s, is that right?
0:15:06 > 0:15:11- Art college when it counted. - You could say that, yes.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14I was lucky enough to be at art college in London in the '60s.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18In the swinging sixties, that must have been great fun!
0:15:18 > 0:15:22- It was huge fun, yes. I can't deny it.- I'm very jealous.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Then you went on to papier-mache. How did that happen?
0:15:26 > 0:15:29I was always interested in life drawing when I was at college
0:15:29 > 0:15:32and I went to a life drawing evening class
0:15:32 > 0:15:37and the tutor said that she was going to do a papier-mache course.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40I like making figures and I like things with lots of movement.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44I wanted to be able to make something that didn't involve having tools
0:15:44 > 0:15:49like woodwork would do or having a kiln if you were using clay.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51The figure that we've got in front of us,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55it feels something to me like an antique of the future.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59- It's got that feel about it. - Thank you!- It feels very collectible.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03What's underneath? Is it a wire frame underneath the figure?
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- How do you make something like this? - You have to have an armature.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- What's an armature? - An armature is the basic frame
0:16:09 > 0:16:13which is rigid and what I make mine out of nowadays normally
0:16:13 > 0:16:18is bamboo skewers that you buy in food shops.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20I wasn't expecting that answer!
0:16:20 > 0:16:26With this one, I wanted that slightly bent knee effect of the geisha.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29And you can get that by just moving the skewer
0:16:29 > 0:16:31and taping it with masking tape.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34- And it won't break completely. - Exactly, and then you build it up
0:16:34 > 0:16:38with newspaper by taping newspaper onto the frame
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and you can build it up to the thickness and the shape you want it
0:16:41 > 0:16:43and then you put your things on top.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46But the head is made of air-drying clay
0:16:46 > 0:16:48because I wanted it to be really smooth.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52I wanted to get that smooth, white geisha face,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55and I've painted it in the way that they paint these symbols and things
0:16:55 > 0:16:57on the back of the geisha's neck,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00and then the kimono has the drape right down.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Let's have a little look at that.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07That's the back of it there. Huge attention to detail.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09- Realistic detail as well. - I read books about it.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12I'm quite interested in geishas.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16I do get inspired quite often from literature.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19How long does it take you to get the basic figure completed
0:17:19 > 0:17:21before you start the decorative work?
0:17:21 > 0:17:23I'm sorry you asked me that now.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26I don't really know because I am quite quick but when I work,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30it's very, very intense. I work for two hours on something
0:17:30 > 0:17:32and then I come out and my head's reeling.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37- I have a cup of tea and a sit-down. - Got to have little break.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Then I go back and go again!
0:17:39 > 0:17:42You work a fair bit with your daughter, too? She's in animation.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45She makes animated films and she makes models in papier-mache
0:17:45 > 0:17:48for some of her films and I have helped her in the past.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50What does she think of your work?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Is she quite helpful, quite critical?
0:17:53 > 0:17:54What's she like?
0:17:54 > 0:17:59She's always telling me that I'm better at it than I think I am.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- She's an encouraging daughter, Amanda?- Yes.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Do you sell your work at all or is it really for pleasure?
0:18:06 > 0:18:08I do it for pleasure, really. It's never occurred to me
0:18:08 > 0:18:11that anyone would want to buy it, to be perfectly honest.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14I think they would want to buy it.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17If anybody wanted any of it, I would be prepared.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20I don't know how to put a price on something like that
0:18:20 > 0:18:22but it does really have...
0:18:22 > 0:18:25It's a one-off, because I hate making things twice.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27I don't like making the same thing twice.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29I get inspired to make something and then I make it.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34It doesn't sound like a very sound basis for a commercial operation.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37I think it's a really interesting craft to see
0:18:37 > 0:18:42because papier-mache is a craft that anyone can get into, isn't it?
0:18:42 > 0:18:48You can do a bit of decoupage, you can get out your PVA glue.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52It's a very different type of use of papier-mache
0:18:52 > 0:18:55but it has the same origin and it's great to see
0:18:55 > 0:18:58that people can start doing that fairly fast and fairly quickly.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Anybody can do it because you just collect a lot of old newspapers.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06Not everybody could get the sort of results that you have got, Amanda,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10so it's really a very sophisticated use of the papier-mache
0:19:10 > 0:19:12and it's really lovely to see it.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Amanda is clearly skilled at the process.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19She may never have thought of selling her work
0:19:19 > 0:19:23but I've seen a piece like that sell for £350.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26I'm not particularly confident in my work
0:19:26 > 0:19:31but I've been told not to say so by my family!
0:19:31 > 0:19:34But, yeah, I love what I do and sometimes I'm pleased
0:19:34 > 0:19:36with what I've done but I think as an artist
0:19:36 > 0:19:39you always look at what you've done when you finish it
0:19:39 > 0:19:41and think you could have done something differently.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46I remember as a kid making a papier-mache head from a balloon.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48It's a skill anyone can have a go at
0:19:48 > 0:19:51but it's also been practised for centuries.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Some of our amateur makers here today might have what it takes
0:20:00 > 0:20:03to stay the course and hopefully, in 100 years' time,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06their work will command huge sums of money
0:20:06 > 0:20:09if it goes under the hammer in a high-end auction room.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13The Victorians loved to experiment with new materials
0:20:13 > 0:20:17and one of their favourites was also papier-mache.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20At the top auction houses of London,
0:20:20 > 0:20:25papier-mache furniture is experiencing something of a revival.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Around the 1830s, there was a huge upsurge in demand
0:20:29 > 0:20:31in a sweeping fashion for papier-mache.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34I don't know quite why, but all sorts of makers
0:20:34 > 0:20:37were making decorative items of papier-mache.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Not only trays but also furniture, believe it or not.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Boxes, little trinkets
0:20:43 > 0:20:45and it's just what everyone wanted at that stage.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50The tray has subsequently been converted to a coffee table
0:20:50 > 0:20:53with modern legs. It's got a red ground which is more desirable
0:20:53 > 0:20:56than the typical black ground which is more common.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00The flowers are very well-painted. It is surprisingly sturdy.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04You can feel the solid construction.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07We're estimating this at £1,000 to £1,500.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Let's hope it sells.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12By the time Queen Victoria came to the throne,
0:21:12 > 0:21:16there were 25 British companies producing papier-mache items.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20The Queen herself even received a set of papier-mache trays
0:21:20 > 0:21:21as a wedding gift.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26It shows these pieces last and can increase in value.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31So, how much is this one expected to make?
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Lot 549, the tray on stand, lot 549.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39And 700, 750. 800, 850 now. 900.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41At 9. 950 now. 1,000.
0:21:41 > 0:21:471,100, 1,200. 1,300. 1,400.
0:21:47 > 0:21:491,500. 1,600,
0:21:49 > 0:21:531,700, 1,800.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Any more? Selling now for 1,800.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Sold, thank you, 951.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Sold for £1,800. That's £800 over the conservative estimate.
0:22:04 > 0:22:10Maybe Amanda's geisha will be a papier-mache antique of the future.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Katie Mantel is a 24-year-old textiles graduate
0:22:18 > 0:22:22with a passion for bears. Will the judges share her passion?
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Katie, you're a recent graduate so I'm going to be very nice to you.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Tell me a little bit about this product you have.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35I did weaving at university, I specialised in weaving,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38so now I make teddy bears with fabric I've woven myself.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41I think it's very important to keep craftsmanship skills alive
0:22:41 > 0:22:44in contemporary products so it brings it to new people
0:22:44 > 0:22:47and hopefully they learn about weaving from my little teddy bears.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49My next question would be, why teddy bears?
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Since I was little I've always had a love of teddy bears
0:22:53 > 0:22:56and last year, I just came across a teddy bear website
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and it just sort of reignited the love that I have.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04- It's a really fat teddy bear. - Yeah, it is quite fat!
0:23:04 > 0:23:08- No concept of healthy eating.- No.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11What fabric is this?
0:23:11 > 0:23:15It's 100% Tencel, like a wood pulp.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Any particular reason of using that fabric?
0:23:18 > 0:23:20I just sort of came across it as I was weaving at university.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24I loved the softness of it and it's reasonably environmentally friendly.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26As a weaver, why are you making toys?
0:23:26 > 0:23:31Because you're clearly weaving a fabric which is beautiful
0:23:31 > 0:23:34and then why are you giving another dimension to it
0:23:34 > 0:23:37making toys and making it a little bit more expensive?
0:23:37 > 0:23:40I wouldn't call them toys. More collectible teddy bears.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43I'd price them at £195 each.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45The amount of work that goes into them,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48the amount of time it takes to make them and weave them.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Do you think people would be interested to see that element,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53that the fabric is woven, because most of the people
0:23:53 > 0:23:55who buy those collectible items, they buy it for the look of it
0:23:55 > 0:23:59rather than detail of how the fabric is made.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02I think it reaches quite a broad spectrum of people.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Craftspeople will appreciate the work that goes into the weaving and sewing.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Convince me to buy this. For that price you've set.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11It's a unique teddy bear, very adorable,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and there's weeks of design and craftsmanship and skill
0:24:14 > 0:24:16that's gone into making it.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Mm. Sold.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Katie is combining two skills, weaving and toymaking.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Piyush knows his market and if he thinks nearly £200 is right,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31who am I to argue?
0:24:31 > 0:24:34But is it impressive enough to win over the other judges?
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I think it's important to promote crafts to the wider population,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40to make them realise how much work goes into it, where they came from,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44how you can create new things with them and keep that handmade feel.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Speaking of that handmade feel,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52let's see how all of our volunteers are getting on making our mosaic.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56And here is the finished article.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59The handiwork of dozens have gone into this and it shows,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02so why don't you try mosaic work yourself?
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Our last finalist to face our judges is Andrew Longmuir,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10a 55-year-old warehouse supervisor
0:25:10 > 0:25:13who's putting his knowledge of metals to good use.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19Andy, your sculpture is making me feel like I want to get in there
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and get boxing with these hares of yours.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25- They're boxing hares. I am right, aren't I?- They're boxing hares.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30I was making sculptures of life-size people and people were asking
0:25:30 > 0:25:32if I could make other objects
0:25:32 > 0:25:35so I thought the hares would be a challenging thing to work on.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40They have distinctive features which allows you to portray them
0:25:40 > 0:25:43in the format that I work in, which is steel tubing.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47There's something very satisfying about this work
0:25:47 > 0:25:50and I love the fact that you've, as you say, just used metal tubing
0:25:50 > 0:25:55and yet these hares have an expression and a personality.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Heaven knows how you get it out of metal tube, but you've done it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02I'd look at a lot of photographs and videos
0:26:02 > 0:26:04so I know how the hares are moving
0:26:04 > 0:26:07and what makes a hare look like a hare,
0:26:07 > 0:26:11so that when people see it, they see the steel tubing
0:26:11 > 0:26:14which is what it's made from but you also see
0:26:14 > 0:26:15that it's portrayed as a hare.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18And yet reflects the sort of industrial heritage
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and industrial quality which you've got into the piece as well.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23I can't dispute that.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27And then you weld the pieces together, do you?
0:26:27 > 0:26:29I've been welding as a hobby
0:26:29 > 0:26:32and doing this as a hobby for the last five years.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Before that, I've done a little bit of welding generally.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39You were a warehouse supervisor, weren't you, beforehand?
0:26:39 > 0:26:44- Well, still am. Which has got nothing to do with what I do.- Not at all!
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I haven't seen anything like this before.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48What gave you that particular idea?
0:26:48 > 0:26:53It was actually because where I work, we were changing a lot of machinery
0:26:53 > 0:26:57and there was quite a few pieces of metal tube being disposed of...
0:26:57 > 0:27:00- Waste not, want not. - Correct, basically.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Have you done other pieces?
0:27:01 > 0:27:05There's one particular piece that I've done
0:27:05 > 0:27:07which is in Grosvenor Park in Chester.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11It's in what's known as the high garden
0:27:11 > 0:27:15and that's a family of four, so that's two adults and two children.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17- You must have been really proud of that, Andy.- I am.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20To have that on public display.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Somebody who has come really from nowhere doing his sculpture,
0:27:24 > 0:27:29to have it on public display in Chester is a real achievement.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- Congratulations.- Thank you. It's nice, it's rewarding.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Really rewarding.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38It's nice to see people's reactions. They know it's something different.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40So what's your ambition for your work?
0:27:40 > 0:27:42What would you like to do with it?
0:27:42 > 0:27:45I think just get it more widely known.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49For some reason, it really appeals to me, and I don't quite know why
0:27:49 > 0:27:54because it's not usually the sort of thing that I would go for.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57But there's something about the way you've got personality
0:27:57 > 0:28:01into a bit of metal tubing which really excites me.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04It's hard to value sculpture like this
0:28:04 > 0:28:07but it could make up to £400.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11It's definitely got energy and uses basic processes and materials
0:28:11 > 0:28:15to create something special, but is it special enough?
0:28:15 > 0:28:20It's interesting to see how people appreciate what you've done.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25It's nice to hear them hopefully recognising what I've made.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36I've been interested in handicrafts ever since I was a child
0:28:36 > 0:28:38when my father and I built a boat.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40It was a 10-foot clinker-built dinghy
0:28:40 > 0:28:44and I can always remember the joy I got from working with my hands,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46creating something special and practical,
0:28:46 > 0:28:50but it doesn't always go to plan. There's one particular craft
0:28:50 > 0:28:53that I've never got the hang of, but I'm not going to stop trying.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55Glass.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59I want to encourage you, but it is my nemesis.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03I attempted a crystal goblet down at Dartington Glass.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06- Is that too much? - A little bit too much, I think.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10And a glass charger at the Ruskin Centre.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12That's it. Just ruined it.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16Nearly had it. That was about 55 minutes' work, wasn't it? Sorry.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21- That's all right, never mind. - But it always went wrong.
0:29:21 > 0:29:22So I've come to Stourbridge,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26the white-hot heart of England's glass-making industry,
0:29:26 > 0:29:30and I'm determined to get it right this time. No pressure.
0:29:33 > 0:29:34OK, here we go.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Charlotte Hughes Martin is the resident glass artist
0:29:37 > 0:29:39here at the Red House Glass Cone.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42Can she help me overcome my problems?
0:29:42 > 0:29:46So, are you prepared to give me a little bit of a lesson
0:29:46 > 0:29:49in glass blowing, show me through some of the techniques?
0:29:49 > 0:29:51We'll put you through your paces, don't worry.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00First thing is to get the glass out of the furnace.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02What sort of temperature's that at?
0:30:02 > 0:30:05It's currently 1,070 degrees Celsius, so nice and toasty.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08You put the rod in, keep it turning,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11dip it in the glass and bring it out.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16- Essentially, as long as you keep it turning, everything's fine.- OK.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19'The next stage is to shape the glass into an object.'
0:30:19 > 0:30:21There we go, that's shaped up a bit.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25'This is done by using something you can buy for under £1.'
0:30:25 > 0:30:281,200 degrees Celsius,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31and there's just 50 sheets of local newspaper
0:30:31 > 0:30:34between molten glass and my bare skin.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37'The glass cools very quickly
0:30:37 > 0:30:41'so it has to go into what's known as the glory hole every 30 seconds.'
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Every so often, I just change direction and it lets me see
0:30:44 > 0:30:46how the glass is moving and how hot it is.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49OK, I'm going to put the very first bubble in now.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51'This is the tricky bit,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53'blowing the glass to create a shape,
0:30:53 > 0:30:55'but Charlotte makes it look easy.'
0:30:55 > 0:30:59Look at that baby! What are you holding now?
0:30:59 > 0:31:00These are called jacks.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02It's two blades sprung together with sheet steel.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04That's eventually going to be a rim.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Say if this was a tumbler, that's the rim of the glass.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11We can just open that up, nice and gently.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15It becomes a little vessel before your very eyes.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19Tiny little bowl. Bon-bons, maybe potpourri.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23Could you imagine doing this all day long with about 50 people in here?
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- The heat would have been intense, wouldn't it?- Oh, yeah, very intense.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31'The technique is the same today as it has been for centuries.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34'The Red House Glass Cone manufactured glass
0:31:34 > 0:31:36'right up until 1936.
0:31:36 > 0:31:43'Today it's a museum and one of just four glass cones left in the UK.'
0:31:43 > 0:31:45- How long have you been here? - About four years now.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50- Good- work space? Absolutely.- You're surrounded by history as well.
0:31:50 > 0:31:51It's quite pressurised with that.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55To have this weight of history I feel like I've got to live up to.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59'In its heyday, Stourbridge supplied glass to the Empire,
0:31:59 > 0:32:03'but working conditions were far from easy.'
0:32:03 > 0:32:06- Paint a picture for me. - Well, mainly hot. Very, very hot.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08I've heard it's been compared to Dante's Inferno,
0:32:08 > 0:32:10and it was very, very busy.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12How many people would have worked here, then?
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Probably about 50 to 60 in this one room including children,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18who would have started off about seven or eight,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20which is kind of scary.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22It is, really, isn't it?
0:32:22 > 0:32:24'Child labour was commonplace,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27'and workers would drink large quantities of beer to keep hydrated.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30'Drunkenness was common and accidents frequent,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34'but the final product was second to none.'
0:32:34 > 0:32:38- This was very much the high end. - Yes, absolutely.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40The high-end, cut crystal, that kind of thing.
0:32:40 > 0:32:46Just mainly fruit bowls or brandy glasses, that kind of thing.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49Everything, every piece of glass on the Titanic was made in this room.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Well, you're the next sort of guardian
0:32:52 > 0:32:54of what's happening here, aren't you?
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Your work is going to be important in generations to come.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00- If you could spread that around, that'd be great.- I'll try to.
0:33:00 > 0:33:05'So, can an amateur's glass live up to Titanic standards?
0:33:05 > 0:33:08'I'm ready to take the plunge to find out.'
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Whoo!
0:33:13 > 0:33:16And step back, there we go.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20There we go, so if you make your way back to the bench, keep it turning.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Phwoar, it's going in my eyes! Right.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26And just start having a bit of a blow, and as soon as I say "Stop,"
0:33:26 > 0:33:29as soon as we get a bubble coming out of here, we're ready to go.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36So blow as hard as you can.
0:33:39 > 0:33:44- OK. One second. There you go. - Anything?
0:33:45 > 0:33:49- Got a little baby bubble in there. - 'It's harder than it looks.'
0:33:51 > 0:33:52Gosh, why can't I do that?
0:33:54 > 0:33:58Oh, it's coming. Keep going. Go on, Paul, it's coming!
0:34:00 > 0:34:04- All that puff for that little bit. Is that OK?- Mmm-hmm, absolutely.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08- That's all we need.- Shall I sit down? - Yeah.- Gosh, I'm hot.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14You sit yourself back down just for a second.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18- I don't know what I'm doing now. Back in?- Sit yourself down.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- What, with this?- Yep.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23OK.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27I'm making an aubergine, really. I'll settle for this right now.
0:34:27 > 0:34:28What am I doing now?
0:34:28 > 0:34:31OK, we're going to go over and dab it in the green glass.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35- Keep spinning that.- Yeah, keep turning.- It's turning into a blob.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39OK, there we go. So keep turning, keep turning.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47- OK.- Anything? No.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Stop!
0:34:51 > 0:34:56- There we go, look at that fella. - That's looking better, isn't it?
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Gosh, that's hot. That is hot on my hand.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02OK, that looks good, let's give that a turn to make sure that's on centre.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05'In theory, that's the hard part over. I just need to shape it,
0:35:05 > 0:35:09'but this is where it all went wrong the last time.'
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- Lost the shape, lost the shape, shall I get in there?- We're OK.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Spin to win.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19- There we go.- In the bucket. - Yep, in the bucket.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23So then I can take this with some heat-proof gloves,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25there we go, and then we'll close that in the kiln.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28- Take care.- Night-night.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32- Easy peasy. - Well, I don't know about that.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34This one's not for the faint-hearted.
0:35:34 > 0:35:35Charlotte is a brilliant teacher.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38There are other teachers out there, they're all marvellous.
0:35:38 > 0:35:39It's up to you to seek one out.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44Find one like Charlotte, get some help and get cracking blowing glass.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50'Unfortunately, my piece still isn't finished.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52'It needs to be slowly cooled or annealed
0:35:52 > 0:35:53'before it can be taken away.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57'But making glass isn't just about the blowing and firing.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59'You also have to polish and design it.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04'I think I'll definitely leave that bit to the experts.'
0:36:13 > 0:36:16'Most professional craftspeople are only too happy
0:36:16 > 0:36:19'to pass on their skills, and I'm delighted to hear
0:36:19 > 0:36:22'just how many people want to join my Handmade Revolution.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26'Now it's crunch time for our makers who don't realise what's at stake.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30'So whose work will be chosen as Judges' Favourite?
0:36:30 > 0:36:34'And what are the chances of the judges all agreeing?'
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Perhaps you could start?
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Well, this is a wooden box made by Ray who's completely self-taught.
0:36:44 > 0:36:45He's inspired by jigsaw puzzles.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48There are a lot of compartments. I'm not going to open them
0:36:48 > 0:36:51because I think it would be very tricky for me to put it back again.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54- You'd be here all day. - Yes, I think so.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58I'm sort of in the autumn of my years and it gives that particular
0:36:58 > 0:37:02period of my life total purpose, and I've got so much I want to do.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05There's so many blooming clever boxes I want to make
0:37:05 > 0:37:07and it's giving my life some purpose.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10I think the idea is very clever and the execution is quite clever,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13but I do think it's far too complicated for me.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15I must say, I have seen a lot of these back in America.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18They were very popular in California in the 1960s,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21and they became a bit of a cliche. They are very hard to make, though.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24A lot of pre-planning and you have to cut it very carefully
0:37:24 > 0:37:27because you're using just one piece of wood.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30So to get that grain continuous you have to not make a mistake.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33- It's tricky. - So they were popular in the past.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Maybe they could be a new vintage item, antique of the future.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41- Oh, you love vintage.- No. - OK, how about the teddy bear?
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Well, this is Cedric, a cute little teddy bear.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46- Perfect name for a teddy, isn't it?- Yes.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51- You like it already.- This is made by Katie, who's a recent graduate.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55- The best part is, actually the fabric is woven by Katie as well.- Oh, right!
0:37:55 > 0:37:57- Oh, I see.- Yes.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59If I won Paul Martin's Handmade Revolution,
0:37:59 > 0:38:03it would be very exciting
0:38:03 > 0:38:05to have won against all the amazing craft that's here.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07There's a high standard set
0:38:07 > 0:38:10and it would be amazing to think I was among that.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Everything is handmade
0:38:12 > 0:38:15and no two teddy bears are going to be the same,
0:38:15 > 0:38:17and that's the concept I like, actually.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20That changes my opinion, because when I first saw it,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22I thought, "There's not much going on here on the craft level."
0:38:22 > 0:38:25But she's actually hand-woven the textile,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28and planned quite carefully where the pattern falls on the bear.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Yes, and if you look carefully at the teddy bear...
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Oh, it's funny.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37And he's quite fat, and I quite like his strange little figure.
0:38:37 > 0:38:42- OK, so it gets adorableness points. - Adorableness points.- OK, good. And?
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Amanda is a '60s art school graduate, a wild child of the '60s.
0:38:46 > 0:38:47She's always loved papier-mache.
0:38:47 > 0:38:52She uses it in all sorts of ways, and she loves Japan, too.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54So she's decided to combine both of her passions
0:38:54 > 0:38:56in this particular figure.
0:38:56 > 0:39:01If I was chosen to be Judges' Favourite, it would be, er,
0:39:01 > 0:39:08just a sort of indication that what I'm doing is worth doing, really.
0:39:08 > 0:39:09A validation of what I do.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13Carla, another recent graduate, and she loves buttons,
0:39:13 > 0:39:17and I love buttons, too, so we just compared buttons for a while.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20When we got over that, we talked about those particular buttons,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23made of porcelain and they can actually be washed,
0:39:23 > 0:39:25- which I was quite surprised by. - Really?- Yeah.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28- Put them in the laundry. - You can put them in the laundry.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30And some of them have imprints of lace on them.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33If I was chosen to be Judges' Favourite,
0:39:33 > 0:39:38I think that it would mean that I could possibly start my business.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42I just think it'd make me really feel like everything I've done previous
0:39:42 > 0:39:44has really been worth my time and it's not wasted.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48It's a nice idea, and I've seen them before.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51I've seen them so many times. Very commercial.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Very commercial, which is not a bad thing at all.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55They're subtle. Very understated.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57Yeah, and she is starting out, you know.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Now we get to Andy's hares.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05- I sort of love them?- Are you serious?!- Their cute little faces.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- How can you not like those little whiskers?- Oh, no.
0:40:08 > 0:40:09- You must be joking. - It's an industrial piece.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12He's just taken stuff that was thrown on the factory floor
0:40:12 > 0:40:14and he's put it together.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16'It's the challenge of making something
0:40:16 > 0:40:18'that's different and unusual.'
0:40:18 > 0:40:23I start off with pieces of tubular metal and I end up with a sculpture.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25And hopefully people appreciate it.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Mary Jane, I have to say, the craftsmanship is not exactly...
0:40:28 > 0:40:31- The same.- ..a high level.- Maybe not, but it makes me, emotionally...
0:40:31 > 0:40:33I don't know, I just think it's fun.
0:40:33 > 0:40:34There's nothing wrong with fun.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38- It has a funny element, I'll give you that.- Super amount of spirit in it.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41- A lot of life in it.- Yeah.- OK, we've had a look at each of them.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44So, what do we actually think? Time to put our cards on the table.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46This is so difficult.
0:40:46 > 0:40:47It's a tricky one, I agree.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51I would go for something which has got another dimension to it.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55Not just one thing going on, but there's extra layer to the work.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00- You're interested in the technical complexity of the ambition?- Yes.- OK.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03I think for me, maybe my mind's made up in a different way than it was
0:41:03 > 0:41:06when I first saw them. Having learned about each of the pieces,
0:41:06 > 0:41:09I feel like I might have shifted my opinion.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11- It's a really tricky one. - I hope you're on my side.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14'There's obviously division in the ranks.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17'I might go and see if I can help.'
0:41:19 > 0:41:25- Judges. You're still talking.- Yeah. - Yeah.- You've not reached a decision.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27This has been a difficult one for us.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31- We haven't narrowed it down to one. - Have you narrowed it down to two?
0:41:31 > 0:41:34- Well, sort of.- We think we have.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37'This is a hard one.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39'I'm not sure for me there IS an outright winner,
0:41:39 > 0:41:43'but I'm going to choose something which has technical skill,
0:41:43 > 0:41:44'and a quirky factor, too.'
0:41:46 > 0:41:50OK, we have a decision. Let's bring in the finalists.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Well done, all of you.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02The work of all of you here today speaks volumes
0:42:02 > 0:42:06about your flair and passion for each of your particular crafts
0:42:06 > 0:42:08and thank you for sharing it with us today.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12Now before I announce who's been nominated as the Judges' Favourite,
0:42:12 > 0:42:14I can reveal what we have in store for you.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18For that lucky person, your work will be on display in the V&A shop,
0:42:18 > 0:42:22in the heart of London, the spiritual home of arts and crafts.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26The high temple of art and design, the Victoria & Albert Museum.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31- It doesn't get any better than that, does it?- No.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35Well, I can tell you, it was really, really close.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37There was a split decision amongst the judges,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39so I had the casting vote.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44And for reasons of technical execution, professionalism
0:42:44 > 0:42:48and universal appeal, something which you could market anywhere,
0:42:48 > 0:42:52I can now announce who today's Judges' Favourite is.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54And that person is...
0:42:59 > 0:43:01..Katie and her bear.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04APPLAUSE Well done.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Well done, well done to all of you.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08Well done to all of you.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11It was really, really close.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13'A tough choice, but I think the right one.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16'Technically, you cannot fault Katie's bear.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18'There's so much love that's gone into making it,
0:43:18 > 0:43:23'and I think Cedric will be very at home in his new surroundings.'
0:43:23 > 0:43:25It's wonderful to see such talent
0:43:25 > 0:43:28and such rich diversity of skills and materials.
0:43:28 > 0:43:29There's a craft out there for everyone
0:43:29 > 0:43:31so why don't you get involved?
0:43:31 > 0:43:34Come on, join our Handmade Revolution.