0:00:02 > 0:00:04We live in a disposable culture where we buy, use
0:00:04 > 0:00:07and bin virtually everything. And to quote Oscar Wilde -
0:00:07 > 0:00:10"We know the price of everything and the value of nothing."
0:00:10 > 0:00:13And like him, I want to champion Britain's heritage.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15So, come on, join me,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Paul Martin, in my handmade revolution.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21ALL CHEER
0:00:39 > 0:00:43In this series, I want to celebrate our great handmade heritage.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45So we've searched the country to find
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Britain's most skilled amateur makers.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51I'm very tempted to take her home almost straight away.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57We'll be finding out just how important their work might become.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01I'd like to see my work for sale in a gallery. That would be the ideal.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03It would validate what I've been banging on about
0:01:03 > 0:01:06for years and years and years.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09But only one will be judged talented enough to claim
0:01:09 > 0:01:11a life-changing opportunity.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Who will have what it takes to have their work on display
0:01:14 > 0:01:16in a world-renowned museum?
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Today's judges' favourite is...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25We're in Sussex for today's programme
0:01:25 > 0:01:28at the Amberley Heritage Centre, which was set up in 1979
0:01:28 > 0:01:31to reflect the history of everyday life in the area.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34And as well as masses of dedicated volunteers,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37there are highly-skilled craftspeople on site.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39And the thing they have in common with me
0:01:39 > 0:01:43is the desire to keep our traditional craft skills alive.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Later on, you can learn how to get your hands dirty
0:01:47 > 0:01:50with one of those ancient traditions.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52- That's awful. - THEY LAUGH
0:01:52 > 0:01:54That is what a first bowl looks like.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Hundreds of you have responded to my invitation to come along today
0:02:00 > 0:02:03with a piece of your work to show us what you're made of.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06And, as you can imagine, with difficulty we've whittled it down
0:02:06 > 0:02:09to five talented finalists who will go before the judges.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13But, remember, only one can be selected as judges' favourite.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21We'll meet the finalists shortly but first, let's hear from the judges
0:02:21 > 0:02:24whose job it is to decide which of our makers has what it takes.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Piyush Suri runs an organisation
0:02:27 > 0:02:29that champions up-and-coming designer/makers.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31There's a revival in handmade
0:02:31 > 0:02:35all across Britain and I absolutely love being a part of it.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Mary Jane Baxter is a journalist, teacher
0:02:37 > 0:02:42and milliner, who has a real passion for all things handmade.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43I just know there's real talent
0:02:43 > 0:02:46out there. I can't wait to see what we discover.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50And our head judge, Glenn Adamson,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54works at London's famous Victoria and Albert Museum.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56This country has a rich tradition of craft and I hope
0:02:56 > 0:02:59to meet people who are carrying that on into the 21st century.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03And their opinion counts, because for one lucky finalist
0:03:03 > 0:03:07today could be the day when their life changes for ever.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11The person chosen as judges' favourite will see their piece
0:03:11 > 0:03:13on display alongside the world's
0:03:13 > 0:03:16finest collection of decorative arts.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Our first finalist, Chris Grace, is 51 and a company director.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26In his spare time he does wondrous things with wood
0:03:26 > 0:03:29as Piyush is discovering.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Wow, that's fascinating.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33It's... I'm kind of struggling
0:03:33 > 0:03:35to understand what's the purpose of this.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Well, he's fun. That's the purpose.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43I did a competition for the West Sussex Woodturners
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and the brief was a fun item.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Technically I can see it's superb.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50But what was the inspiration behind it?
0:03:50 > 0:03:52It was just to try and make something that was all
0:03:52 > 0:03:56out of solid wood because people think about wood-turning
0:03:56 > 0:03:59as a bowl, as a candlestick.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01I wanted to make something completely different,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04that nobody would have thought about.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06So never having seen anything quite like this,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10that was really the inspiration and there's a technical challenge.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12I can see different woods in there.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15So, what kind of woods do you use?
0:04:15 > 0:04:17I use all sorts of woods from different sources.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I get a lot of it as offcuts from local joiners.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23So that way we're using up things that would otherwise go to waste.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27But we have here, for instance, a piece of yew wood, um,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29common wood in churchyards and places like that.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34Whereas this, on the other hand, is a piece of padauk, which is very,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38very orange when it's first cut and then it goes a darker colour.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43So it was really to try and find contrasting woods that would work
0:04:43 > 0:04:47together and then build them up into a block and that formed his body.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51So, how much time did it take you to complete?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53It took about four or five weeks in total.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56A lot of that was time working out the various problems
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and how I'd be able to solve them.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00Then, when you start gluing things up,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04you've got to allow time for the glue to set thoroughly.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06So, tell me, does your work only have a fun element
0:05:06 > 0:05:08or do you do functional pieces as well?
0:05:08 > 0:05:12No, I do all sorts of wood-turning items. Most of them are for display.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17- OK.- I have made some functional things, small boxes and bowls.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20A friend wanted a key bowl, that's a very,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22very quick and simple thing to make.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25But I prefer the more technically challenging items.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Perhaps where you're combining materials or doing something
0:05:28 > 0:05:30a little bit different.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33So, do you see a commercial place for this piece?
0:05:33 > 0:05:35A piece like this isn't terribly commercial
0:05:35 > 0:05:39because of the amount of time involved in designing it.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41But I think that there is a place for things like this
0:05:41 > 0:05:43and some of my other pieces
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I see ideally possibly selling at a gallery.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50I'm not into the mass production and the craft fair
0:05:50 > 0:05:54because I'm interested in doing different things all the time.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57So, you're more taking an artistic route rather than taking
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- a commercial route?- Absolutely.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I think it's important for me personally to look at it
0:06:01 > 0:06:04from an artistic perspective, from a craft perspective.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09If I had to do craft shows every week or every other week,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13it would just become a mundane job and I don't want it to do that.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18I love the fact that Chris takes great pleasure in the material
0:06:18 > 0:06:19he uses and his toy is a work of genius.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24Chris isn't in it for the money but the amount of hours it's taken,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28he should charge in the region of £2,000.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32It's very difficult to judge how people view him
0:06:32 > 0:06:34because initially they think, "Oh, wow!"
0:06:34 > 0:06:38But there are so many other really good things that are here today,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I can't say which is going to be better.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46Ellen Wright, who's 50, is a civil servant who loves to sew
0:06:46 > 0:06:49but will she be a hit with Mary Jane?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Your elephant is extremely beautiful, Ellen.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55I'm very tempted to take her home almost straight away.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00She really is extremely loveable and delicate and beautifully made.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Tell, me more about her. You've got a background
0:07:02 > 0:07:04in doll making I believe.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06It's actually bear making.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10I've made bears for about 20 years
0:07:10 > 0:07:12but the bear market became a bit flooded with lots of bears
0:07:12 > 0:07:16being available and on a trip to America I fell in love with
0:07:16 > 0:07:20primitive folk art because it's a big market in America.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23I came home and thought, "I'm going to have a change
0:07:23 > 0:07:25"and I'm just not going to do bears for a while".
0:07:25 > 0:07:30I started to make various things with the primitive folk art theme
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and the elephant is the most popular, but I do things like dolls,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36cats, witches, witches' shoes,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38snowmen, ghosts...
0:07:38 > 0:07:42I think it's very interesting you talked about the naive folk art,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46- because this elephant has all those traits...- Absolutely.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49..the simple hand-stitching on the little hat,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53done in that very obvious style, meant to be seen to be simple
0:07:53 > 0:07:58and then you've got the hand-dyed fabric for his body. Or her body,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I should say. I'm sorry! How do you do that,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04because when I'm dying things to make things look old, I use tea.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09- What do you use?- I use coffee. This is basically cotton calico.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12You can get it anywhere, it's very cheap to buy
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and I basically make it up into the article,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18stuff it and then I give it a coating of instant coffee.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Instant coffee. You're a coffee girl, I'm a tea girl.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24I actually don't like coffee and I don't like the smell of coffee,
0:08:24 > 0:08:25but I've grown to love it,
0:08:25 > 0:08:31because I literally have things smelling all over the house of coffee.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35- How did you learn to sew?- My mother taught me to sew.- Good old Mum!
0:08:35 > 0:08:38I have to give my mum credit for that. I grew up in a household
0:08:38 > 0:08:40where my mum would be making my clothes
0:08:40 > 0:08:44and she went through a period of making toys,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46so I would sit there and help her with the bits I could.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48So why particularly the naive folk art,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51why does that interest you more than other things?
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I think it's because it is just...
0:08:54 > 0:08:58so interesting as you never really know how it's going to turn out.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00There are no boundaries,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03there's no right or wrongs with primitive folk art.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08If you make a cat and it comes out an odd shape, so what? It doesn't really matter.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12There's no training involved, you just literally make a shape
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and put two arms and two legs on it and two eyes, and you've got a doll.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18But really, Ellen, the way you describe it doesn't explain
0:09:18 > 0:09:21that this is beautifully made. I can see the detail
0:09:21 > 0:09:22in the stitching,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26the attention to the little hat... I mean, she really is lovely.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- Naive doesn't mean cynical in making, does it?- No, no.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Which I think is an important thing for people to understand.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37How long, Ellen, would it have taken to make Toccata, I think her name is?
0:09:37 > 0:09:40It is, yes. Taking away the drying process,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43I could probably make an elephant in a couple of days.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48- Right, so it's still a considerable amount of time.- It is, yes.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51I can imagine this sort of piece in Liberty or somewhere like that,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55in London, and becoming quite collectable.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- Do you want to turn it into a full-time job, or...?- No,
0:09:58 > 0:09:59I wouldn't want to give up my job,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03because I love my job and I'm very lucky in having a job I enjoy.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07I have to say, Ellen, I think Toccata is extremely covetable
0:10:07 > 0:10:11and I'm going to covet her and take away with me, if that's all right with you.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13That's absolutely fine.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Not so fast, MJ.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19I also love Ellen's slightly Gothic, but lovable elephant.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22The naive quality of the doll belies the great skill
0:10:22 > 0:10:24that went into making it.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28There's a centuries-old tradition of making toys in this country
0:10:28 > 0:10:31and very special ones can sell for over £100.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34We've seen a lot of people bring theirs in today,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37keeping that tradition alive.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I think the idea of Handmade Revolution is fantastic.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42There's a lot of people that are scared of crafts
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and actually having a go. It doesn't matter
0:10:45 > 0:10:48if it doesn't work out how you thought it would.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52It's just you're creating something. Everyone, I think, can be creative.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I couldn't agree more
0:10:55 > 0:10:59and I think it's wonderful that Ellen learned everything she knows
0:10:59 > 0:11:00at her mother's knee.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04My handmade revolution isn't the only call to action to get people making things.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08The Craft Council have been encouraging people all over the country
0:11:08 > 0:11:11to get hands-on with their craft club initiative.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Denise here has come to Amberley for the day to help spearhead
0:11:14 > 0:11:17the campaign to get people knitting and crocheting.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Hello. What's the club all about?
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Basically, it's getting children and young people
0:11:22 > 0:11:24throughout the country
0:11:24 > 0:11:28knitting and crocheting and taking up a craft skill.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30My mum was a great knitter and she taught me to knit.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32I didn't think it was a sissy thing to do,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34because she gave me knitting needles like drumsticks.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36I used to make scarves.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39She used to make me jumpers and hats and scarves, and my dad as well.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41We were sort of the matching pair.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44It was really popular with my mum's generation.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48- Do you think it's lost its popularity?- Absolutely.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51It definitely has skipped a generation.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55I think that's why there is this big push to get the younger people
0:11:55 > 0:11:56interested in it.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- How long did it take you to learn to crochet?- Not very long.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04- To be honest, I don't remember learning, because my mum taught me when I was eight.- It was a gift!
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- You just know. - When I was really small, so...
0:12:07 > 0:12:10That's fabulous, it looks so difficult and technical.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13They're really not difficult. It's very, very easy.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Once you get used to it, it's very, very easy.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19So there you go, you've heard it from Denise herself.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Good luck, girls.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26It will be anything BUT easy to impress the judges today
0:12:26 > 0:12:29and claim that coveted reward.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Piyush is meeting 50-year-old David King,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35who works in a very different material - stone.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40I love this piece. Although the shape is so contemporary,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42but it takes me back to history -
0:12:42 > 0:12:45stone was the first material to be used as a craft.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46It is, that's right.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47So how did YOU get into stone?
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Well, I'm a dry-stone waller by trade and three years ago,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I saw a recreational course over a weekend,
0:12:54 > 0:12:55so I thought I'd do the course
0:12:55 > 0:12:58cos it might be something that would complement my work.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01I might be able to do a house name or something like that.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06So I did this weekend course and just, very quickly, really loved it.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08It's become a form of mild addiction since then,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11so I've always got one or two carvings on the go.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13So evenings, weekends, wet weather,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17- I'm in the workshop, carving something or other.- Fantastic.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20So tell me about this beautiful texture. Do you create it,
0:13:20 > 0:13:21or is it in the stone itself?
0:13:21 > 0:13:25It's Hornton stone, from Warwickshire.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28It's also known as gingerbread stone
0:13:28 > 0:13:31It's limestone, it has very pronounced bedding planes.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33It's a sedimentary rock,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37so you get this wonderful contrast between the reddy/brown areas
0:13:37 > 0:13:41and the blue/grey areas. It's quite a challenge to carve because
0:13:41 > 0:13:44the red areas are quite soft and the blue/grey areas are quite hard.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48I found it not particularly enjoyable to carve,
0:13:48 > 0:13:49there are easier stones.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52So have you tried on any other stones as well?
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Yes, what I try and do is, each course
0:13:55 > 0:14:00I will try either a different technique or a different material,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04because obviously, I'm relatively new to this process,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07so I want to try and learn as much as I can about it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09I find it very interesting.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11So, I see this is very figurative.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14So you're mainly doing animal figures, any other things?
0:14:14 > 0:14:16No, not at all.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19When I started out, because I don't have a creative background,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22I have no formal art education,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25I started off doing more figurative work.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30I find that the hardest process, the creative process.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I've had to kind of teach myself to look at the world
0:14:33 > 0:14:35in a different way.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39Somebody once said to me, "Could you do a sculpture of my dog?
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- Would you?- And I can't do that, no.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45I'd rather just pick up a hammer and chisel
0:14:45 > 0:14:50and get inspiration from either, in this case,
0:14:50 > 0:14:54nature or just go with the form in the stone and see what arrives.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56That, for me, is the pleasure of it.
0:14:56 > 0:15:02Is it just a hobby for you or are you going to take a commercial route with your craft?
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Well, at the moment, it's a hobby. I've done one commission.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Erm...but people have started to express an interest.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12I've exhibited one or two pieces locally.
0:15:12 > 0:15:19- Erm...so I'm hoping I could sell a few pieces in the future, yeah. - Good luck.- Thank you.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Piyush was excited to find an example of such an ancient skill.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28It sounds as if there's a ready market out there for David's work.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31This one could make about £500.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36What was interesting was that he was interested in the material.
0:15:36 > 0:15:43I think that's the way to go - just keep exploring different materials and different techniques.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50David derives enormous pleasure from his work but creativity often means so much more than that.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55Our head judge Glenn has met up with designer Maham Anjum, who's brought along some pots
0:15:55 > 0:15:57with an extra purpose.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01- Maham, you've brought two pots in today. Goes well with my outfit. - Yes.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05- These are made by potters in Sri Lanka, women potters in Sri Lanka. - Sri Lanka, right?
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- You're also the designer of these pots?- I am, yes.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11This one is hand-thrown on the wheel
0:16:11 > 0:16:16and this one is thrown on the wheel - the inside is held with a stone anvil
0:16:16 > 0:16:19and the potter beats it with a wooden paddle
0:16:19 > 0:16:23and what it does is makes the pot quite resistant to thermal shock
0:16:23 > 0:16:28- so you can cook on it, with it, on an open fire which you can't do with something like that.- I see.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32So Maher, what motivates a young designer like you here in Britain
0:16:32 > 0:16:34to be working with a group of potters in Sri Lanka?
0:16:34 > 0:16:37This started off with my research at university.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42I was interested in the technology that has existed for hundreds of years.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45A lot of these pots, the techniques are dying out
0:16:45 > 0:16:48because of more-industrially available products,
0:16:48 > 0:16:53- plastics and steel.- So the potters can't compete.- No, they can't.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56There had to be a way to keep the skill alive
0:16:56 > 0:17:01but introduce new products so that there will be demand for them.
0:17:01 > 0:17:07- Your design helps this to happen? - Yes.- So they've had to adapt their skills to your design?- Slightly, yes.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Also, their skills were going to die out.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15Very similar to how skills are dying out in most of Europe...
0:17:15 > 0:17:17So this is a rescue mission but, as you say, it's not a story
0:17:17 > 0:17:22- that's unique to the developing world, it's happening here in Britain.- Yes.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27- It's amazing how much craft there is in an industrial situation like Stoke-on-Trent.- Yes.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31It's famous for producing ceramics going back centuries.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Yet it can come on hard times just like a little pottery village in Sri Lanka.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- The story's not that different.- No, it's not.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43What's inspiring about your story is how good design can help got craftsmanship survive.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47- That partnership, which is the oldest partnership there is,...- Yes.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51..there's been great design and great craft hand-in-hand for centuries,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54- but it's still really important today.- Yes.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59Glenn's right. We have a tremendous heritage in this country.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Places like the Staffordshire potteries were built on brilliant design and skill.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08So much pottery now is hugely valued and collected with famous names, like Clarice Cliff
0:18:08 > 0:18:14Harry Stinton and William Moorcroft all commanding high prices.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17The market is buoyant for beautifully-crafted things.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22Auction rooms around the world are crammed full of discerning buyers
0:18:22 > 0:18:24all keen to add to their collections.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29Pottery was mass-produced in Britain from the 17th century, but 100 years ago,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33craft potters reacted against that factory system,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36leading to a rebirth of the handmade tradition.
0:18:36 > 0:18:42The father of the movement was Bernard Leach, who set up a pottery in Cornwall in 1920.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47One of the best-known potteries to emerge from the studio tradition was the Troika pottery,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51whose limited edition pieces are highly collectable
0:18:51 > 0:18:56and can often be seen commanding large sums of money at smart salerooms all over the country.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01This is a vase and a plaque from Troika pottery in St Ives.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04They show a different side
0:19:04 > 0:19:07to the British pottery tradition, if you like,
0:19:07 > 0:19:12than Sir Bernard Leach who was perhaps most strongly associated with St Ives
0:19:12 > 0:19:16as the studio's craftsman potter.
0:19:16 > 0:19:22These pieces were, when I say "mass-produced", made perhaps in editions of 100-150,
0:19:22 > 0:19:28whereas someone like Bernard Leach would have individually thrown each pot.
0:19:28 > 0:19:34Troika, I think, is connected to the two decades that it was perhaps prominent, in the '60s and '70s.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38It has that sort of charm in the design.
0:19:38 > 0:19:44It was sold in Heal's and Liberty's and I think Heal's again has that connection in the '60s
0:19:44 > 0:19:47of being a hip place to go.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50We have an estimate of £1,000-£1,500 for the two pieces together -
0:19:50 > 0:19:56of that the plaque is the slightly higher value of the two.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01People do like it - whether it's a reflection of people holidaying in Cornwall, I don't know.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05Erm...but there is quite a loyal following to Troika
0:20:05 > 0:20:11and the pieces, when they come up, are sought-after by collectors.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16'Troika, in a very '60s rebellion against convention celebrated form over function.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19'They deliberately went against the grain.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23'Since for many people, like walking-stick-maker, Ken Wood,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27'the beauty of an object is inherent in its usefulness.'
0:20:27 > 0:20:30That's really nice. I've not seen this before,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32fashioning the shaft of a walking stick.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- Obviously it starts off in the square...- Yes.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- ..if you're making an ornate one. - Yes.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- Then we use a "rounder plane"... - Mm-hm.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47..and you end up, should end up, with a shank
0:20:47 > 0:20:48like that.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53- You start off rounding it from the top.- Yeah, tapering it down.
0:20:53 > 0:21:00- You come back about two inches from the top, wind it in, take some more...- Wind it in.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04- ..four inches from the top and you keep on going.- It's a long process.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06- It's very long. - How long will that take?
0:21:06 > 0:21:10- It will take me probably three to four hours.- Three to four hours?
0:21:10 > 0:21:14And then the trick is, I guess, putting the handle on.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16To do that, you take your handle,
0:21:16 > 0:21:23- fit it, making sure there are no air gaps in-between the collar...- Yeah.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27..and the handle, glue them together.
0:21:27 > 0:21:33- This one here...- You've almost used a scarf joint on there, it's on an angle.- Yes.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35You're a talented man.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38I like it. I like it a lot.
0:21:38 > 0:21:45- How long have you been doing this? - I've been doing this for 18 to 20 years now.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48What's the most difficult thing you've ever tried to tackle?
0:21:48 > 0:21:53Well, carving...carving is for me quite difficult.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56I've started now to carve an antler.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01I carve in the crown.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Oh, I see, you put a little owl in there.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Put an owl in there and then two whistles in there.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09So, if you've got two dogs, two tones.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Come, boy, come, boy, here, boy!
0:22:11 > 0:22:14HE BLOWS WHISTLE
0:22:16 > 0:22:19- It works!- It does, yeah. - Well done! Thank you, Ken.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30At 23, Sarah Brown is the youngest of today's finalists.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33She makes ends meet by working in a supermarket,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36but is she impressive enough to win over the judges?
0:22:37 > 0:22:38Sarah, these are really unique.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41I've seen nothing like these pieces before
0:22:41 > 0:22:45and these three pieces work together, don't they?
0:22:45 > 0:22:47- They're actually part of a triptych.- Yes.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Can you describe to me how they work together?
0:22:50 > 0:22:53It describes the binman going along emptying the bins.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57This is actually in Carnaby Street so he was at this bin, here,
0:22:57 > 0:22:58and then he moved along.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02So, I'm just, sort of, depicting his journey throughout his day.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05You seem very inspired by the ordinary
0:23:05 > 0:23:07and making it into something extraordinary?
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Yeah, I like to look at the people that are around me
0:23:10 > 0:23:12because I know that when people go to London
0:23:12 > 0:23:14they go to Big Ben or the London Eye
0:23:14 > 0:23:17but actually, it's quite interesting to watch the real people
0:23:17 > 0:23:19that are around and that's what I like to highlight
0:23:19 > 0:23:23and make quite special because without them, obviously,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25it wouldn't be quite the same place.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Absolutely. And this really, sort of, gives them an important role.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33So, how do you go from the step of taking photographs
0:23:33 > 0:23:38and doing sketches to actually getting that engraved into the glass?
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Some of it is sandblasting. The pieces on the back are sandblasted.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44That's the frosted appearance on the glass?
0:23:44 > 0:23:45It creates the frosting
0:23:45 > 0:23:49and then these parts on the front are all drawn on by hand.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51And what about the gold leaf?
0:23:51 > 0:23:55That looks a very interesting part of your design as well.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57I fire that onto the glass.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Once it's been fired first time with the drawings on,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01then I put on the gold.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05And then that gets fired again, so it doesn't come off.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Are these techniques difficult to master?
0:24:07 > 0:24:09To me, the, sort of, etching
0:24:09 > 0:24:13and sandblasting glass feels like quite a leap.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14Did you find it hard to learn?
0:24:14 > 0:24:16It was quite difficult to learn
0:24:16 > 0:24:19because it's not a technique that a lot of people use.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23They do sandblasting, but not with the complex parts of the windows
0:24:23 > 0:24:25and things that I've drawn,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29as it's all digital processes as well as, like, hand techniques.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34So, you're really combining a craft that goes back centuries -
0:24:34 > 0:24:36etching, sandblasting -
0:24:36 > 0:24:39with something that is a very new technique.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Really trying to create something that's a signature,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44- very much YOUR signature. - Yeah, I think so.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47I think, obviously, glass is an old technique
0:24:47 > 0:24:49that people have used for a long time
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and I want to make it so it's contemporary
0:24:52 > 0:24:57and something that people don't just assume it's stained-glass all the time.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59We can see at the moment, Sarah,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01the light coming through the glass, here,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03it creates these beautiful effects.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06- Was that, obviously, a purposeful thing?- Yes, it was.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08It was to create the final dimension on the glasses.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10To put the shadow onto the wall behind
0:25:10 > 0:25:12to create the idea of movement in the piece.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14So, what would your dream be, Sarah?
0:25:14 > 0:25:17To do this full-time would be the dream, yeah.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21I imagine that's quite hard because you have a day job
0:25:21 > 0:25:23and you have to squeeze this work into your spare time.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27- Yeah, it's difficult to juggle at the moment.- How do you manage it?
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Getting up quite early, running to the studio before work
0:25:30 > 0:25:34and then go to work and go back in the evening,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37is what I do quite a lot, yeah.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39It's a real pleasure to see this work, Sarah.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- Thank you very much indeed for bringing it in.- Thank you.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46I agree with Mary Jane that those panels are something special.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50We reckon they could sell for up to £1,000.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I particularly like the fact that Sarah is taking an age-old craft -
0:25:53 > 0:25:56stained glass - and bringing it bang up-to-date.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01And, finally, up to face the judges, retired teacher Sue Prichard.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05She's 62 and an ardent proponent of another time-honoured tradition
0:26:05 > 0:26:07with a 21st-century twist.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Wow, such a traditional craft!
0:26:10 > 0:26:12What is it? It's American quilting or British?
0:26:12 > 0:26:16It's from the American tradition, using blocks.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19The British, we should call it European, really,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21is using paper templates.
0:26:21 > 0:26:27When the Europeans started colonising America,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30they were mostly poor people and these were made out of necessity.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33If they wanted something to keep them warm,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36then they'd need to make it up out of anything they could get hold of,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39which they stitched together.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43And then they would back it with old grain sacks, or something like that,
0:26:43 > 0:26:48and stuff it with anything, even paper, to keep them warm.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50So, what techniques are you using?
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Are you using hand sewing or is it machine quilting?
0:26:53 > 0:26:55No, this is all hand sewing
0:26:55 > 0:26:59and I've also stayed true to the tradition
0:26:59 > 0:27:03of using small pieces that can't be used for anything else
0:27:03 > 0:27:07and, in fact, these are recycled laundry aids
0:27:07 > 0:27:13that you can put into a mixed wash so that you can do your white wash
0:27:13 > 0:27:15and your dark colours at the same time
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and they attract any loose dyes.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22They come out in these colours quite randomly
0:27:22 > 0:27:24according to what's being washed
0:27:24 > 0:27:28and you get these lovely different, kind of, marbled effects sometimes
0:27:28 > 0:27:31and sometimes, if there is a lot of loose dye,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33they come out solid, like that one.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36And I have people save their colour catchers for me now,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39so I haven't produced all these colours,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42you know, from my own washing.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45So, is it a particular reason you're using this material?
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Yeah, because I feel really strongly
0:27:47 > 0:27:52that the traditional domestic crafts that this represents
0:27:52 > 0:27:54are having a resurgence at the moment
0:27:54 > 0:27:57and we're living in a time of economic
0:27:57 > 0:28:00and environmental uncertainty,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02and I would like people to think about that.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04So, all of my work
0:28:04 > 0:28:08I make out of stuff that would otherwise be thrown away.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10We live in a very beautiful place
0:28:10 > 0:28:14and we need to look after it, and we aren't.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18And so I want to try and make people understand that.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22So, I've got a series of little phrases
0:28:22 > 0:28:24that I have embroidered on here.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26"Refuse, re-use, recycle."
0:28:26 > 0:28:28This, "Waste not, want not,"
0:28:28 > 0:28:32was a motto that came out of the Second World War
0:28:32 > 0:28:34and similarly, "Make do and mend,"
0:28:34 > 0:28:37is another one from the Second World War.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40So, what would be the outcome that you'd like to see
0:28:40 > 0:28:41when people see your message?
0:28:41 > 0:28:47Well, I just want people to think about valuing the craftwork,
0:28:47 > 0:28:52- the handmade work... - Traditions, yes.- The traditions, yes.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54I really hope people get the message
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- which you are so strongly passionate about.- Thank you.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Quilting is very technically demanding
0:29:01 > 0:29:05and this one could sell for up to £600,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08and the environmental philosophy that Sue so fiercely promotes
0:29:08 > 0:29:11gives this piece an extra dimension.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13The thing that he really seemed to take on board
0:29:13 > 0:29:16was the fact that I'm not just doing it to fill in my time,
0:29:16 > 0:29:22but I'm doing it because of wanting to get across this idea
0:29:22 > 0:29:24that we need to take more care.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32Sometimes what seems like nothing
0:29:32 > 0:29:35can be transformed into something beautiful and special.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37After all, most pieces of fine porcelain
0:29:37 > 0:29:39start out life as a ball of clay.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46'I've travelled to St Ives in Cornwall.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48'With its beautiful light,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51'it's long been a place of pilgrimage for creative people.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54'The town is the birthplace of Studio Pottery,
0:29:54 > 0:29:56'whose founding father was Bernard Leach.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00'His influence still continues to inspire potters today.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05'On the site of the old prison are the Gaolyard Pottery Studios,
0:30:05 > 0:30:09'where Louise Thompson has been a resident potter for ten years.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13'Her work combines modern methods with traditional forms
0:30:13 > 0:30:17'and today, she's agreed to show us what it takes to make a start.'
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Louise, we're surrounded by your work here.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22It's absolutely wonderful as well.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24It's all in various stages of the process,
0:30:24 > 0:30:28there's a nice finished example and obviously...
0:30:28 > 0:30:29at the early stage.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33When did you get interested and fascinated with pottery? As a kid?
0:30:33 > 0:30:35- No.- No?- Later on.- Really?
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Yeah, later on, and I just discovered it on a foundation course
0:30:39 > 0:30:41and I was really excited to get back on the wheel.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44And you just thought working with clay is the way for you
0:30:44 > 0:30:46- rather than...?- Yes.
0:30:46 > 0:30:47When I look at this,
0:30:47 > 0:30:50I can see an impressionistic painting straight away.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54- That vibrant colour there, that's very, very clever.- Yes.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58- You sign all your work. - Yes. This is...
0:30:58 > 0:31:01- With a mark.- Gaolyard Studios. - Oh, that's what that is, is it?
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Yes, it is, and a lot of people that are collectors...
0:31:03 > 0:31:07- They will look for that mark eventually.- They will.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09And over a period of time, this will become
0:31:09 > 0:31:11a sought-after antique and a collectable.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13- I don't know about that. - Well, it will.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15You're going to give me a lesson.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18Can I watch to start with and pick your brains
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- and talk about technique and things like that?- OK.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25D'you know that feeling you get when you go to the dentist?
0:31:25 > 0:31:28- I've got that right now. - Have you? I don't believe you.
0:31:28 > 0:31:29I've got that right now.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36With my body weight, just...so,
0:31:36 > 0:31:40the first thing is to put the wheel on, get my hands really wet.
0:31:40 > 0:31:41And...
0:31:42 > 0:31:43..just squeeze it.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49Do you physically, with a lot of force,
0:31:49 > 0:31:52move that to get it into the centre of the wheel?
0:31:52 > 0:31:55The best way for a beginner and for me
0:31:55 > 0:31:58is to have a triangle here, so I've got my arm down there
0:31:58 > 0:32:02and my arm down there, so it makes a really strong triangle.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Your next process is to make a hole in the middle,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12and then you're just going to gently push down...
0:32:12 > 0:32:17This is where the real art of the potter comes into it.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20You can feel the tension of the clay against your skin, can't you,
0:32:20 > 0:32:21- in your hand?- Yes.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25It's not until you've come today when I've been more conscious
0:32:25 > 0:32:28of what I do because you do things automatically after a while.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35And I'm just going to pull that out again very slowly, steadily.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40- And then you've got a bowl shape there.- That's very clever, isn't it?
0:32:42 > 0:32:46- Got my hands right underneath there. - I can see what you're doing.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50And I'm just squeezing the clay. This is very calm,
0:32:50 > 0:32:54- you have to be very calm. - Gosh! That's so clever.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00- And that's it, really. - That is it, is it?
0:33:00 > 0:33:03That looked incredibly simple.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07You made that look so easy. I know it's not easy.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Well, my favourite teaching is, "If I can do it, you can do it."
0:33:10 > 0:33:14I'm about to find out if Louise is right.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Wet your hands first, then you're going to do the pedal.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21- I can do it for you... - I'd like to do that.- OK.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24And do that sort of triangular thing where you're really...that's it.
0:33:24 > 0:33:29- Yeah. Move my hands in steadily. - Yeah. That's it.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31- Now, I'm bringing it up?- Yes.
0:33:33 > 0:33:39- Lovely. Lovely.- Yeah? Gosh, I feel it wobbling now.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42I don't think this is going well.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45All I'm doing is making the collar.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47Let me just show you very briefly.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52So literally, you're using that and just...
0:33:53 > 0:33:56- ..use a lot of pressure. - How d'you do that?
0:33:56 > 0:34:00What I'm doing is using both my hands as one, gently.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02- OK.- And it's...
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Start from that and then squeeze upwards.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08It's a really alien thing but...
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Lovely! Fantastic!
0:34:11 > 0:34:14That's not bad for a first bowl, is it?
0:34:14 > 0:34:16- That's very good.- That's awful.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20That's not fair. That is what a first bowl looks like!
0:34:21 > 0:34:23'Well, I tried!
0:34:23 > 0:34:26'That bowl may not make it to the next stage,
0:34:26 > 0:34:30'but to turn a newly-thrown pot into something you can use at home,
0:34:30 > 0:34:32'there are several steps.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35'The first is to get rid of all the moisture
0:34:35 > 0:34:37'so that the glaze can be applied.'
0:34:37 > 0:34:40What colour are we going to use in the glaze today?
0:34:40 > 0:34:43My white base glaze and then do some decorating on top. OK.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46At this stage, the vessel is just biscuit fired,
0:34:46 > 0:34:47that's its first firing.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- That's right.- But this is going to soak up the glaze beautifully.
0:34:50 > 0:34:51It will do, yes.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Go on, then, take it away.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58I'm going to pour a little bit of glaze in the middle there.
0:34:58 > 0:34:59And I'm just going to swill it around.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03All the time I'm swilling it around, it's absorbing the glaze.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09'It's the glazing of the pot that gives it that special something,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13'and each potter typically develops his or her own signature recipe,
0:35:13 > 0:35:16'using a combination of different chemicals.'
0:35:16 > 0:35:19There's a close community of potters here in St Ives.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23You obviously all know each other and you inspire each other.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26- Do you end up buying each other's work?- Definitely.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30Yeah, I've got a piece of everyone's in the whole Gaolyard. I use them.
0:35:30 > 0:35:31You use them, which is great.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35They're practical things, they're made to be used.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37It's nice that you're all supporting each other financially,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40all buying off each other. That really does make sense.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Well, you know, sometimes you get a good deal.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50- So that's really soaked right into that, hasn't it?- It has, yes.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53Let's look about how you actually put the splashes
0:35:53 > 0:35:54of blues and greens on.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57I just put it straight onto the glaze.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59I might make an area like this.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- These are the waves lapping over... - Yes, they have to...
0:36:04 > 0:36:08How has St Ives or Cornwall in particular inspired you?
0:36:08 > 0:36:11I know it's a corny thing, but it is just the light and the colour,
0:36:11 > 0:36:15and it's the Celtic-ness down here as well, and it's different from...
0:36:15 > 0:36:18I grew up in Cornwall, I was very lucky.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22I was inspired exactly by what everybody says,
0:36:22 > 0:36:23but I was also inspired by
0:36:23 > 0:36:26the amount of creative talent there is down here.
0:36:26 > 0:36:27I know. It's amazing.
0:36:29 > 0:36:30That's nice.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32And...that's just enough, really.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35We don't have one little splash somewhere else?
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Probably could, yeah, just a dot. D'you want to put a dot on?
0:36:37 > 0:36:40- Yeah, can I have a little dot? Can I ruin it?- Yeah, go on.- OK.
0:36:42 > 0:36:43Fantastic.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46It's a bit of a bold splodge.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49- I like it.- Can I put a little line in?- Yeah.
0:36:49 > 0:36:50Yeah.
0:36:52 > 0:36:53Great.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Like it. Can I keep it?
0:36:55 > 0:36:57Of course you can!
0:36:57 > 0:36:58THEY LAUGH
0:36:58 > 0:37:01- This goes back into the kiln for its second firing?- Yes.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04- How long will that last? - Approximately ten hours.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08It's a long, slow process. I always get here early.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12- It comes out like that.- It does. - That's very clever.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Pottery has used the same techniques for centuries,
0:37:15 > 0:37:18although technology may have changed a little.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Taking a piece of this earth and fashioning it
0:37:21 > 0:37:24into something beautiful is so satisfying.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26I urge you to try it.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29Potters like Louise are eager to pass on their skills
0:37:29 > 0:37:31and carry on the studio tradition.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34They are true, handmade revolutionaries
0:37:34 > 0:37:36after the spirit of Bernard Leach
0:37:36 > 0:37:38and of St Ives itself.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40SEAGULLS CRY
0:37:46 > 0:37:49The masters of craft have so much to teach us,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52but I'm amazed at what amateur makers can achieve.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Hundreds of applications were whittled down to five finalists
0:37:56 > 0:37:59who ran the gauntlet of our judging panel.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02None of them knows that the person chosen
0:38:02 > 0:38:06as judges' favourite is on the cusp of a great opportunity,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08one that could change their life for ever.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12It's the moment of truth.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17- Piyush, perhaps you could start. - I will.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19This is Chris. He's a wood-turner.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23The concept is amazing and the technical skills are excellent.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26It would mean a lot to me. It would mean the recognition
0:38:26 > 0:38:28of people liking wood-turning
0:38:28 > 0:38:31and help wood-turning as a craft.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34David is there, who's a dry-stone waller.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38He started doing this for the past 18 months.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43I like the concept because it just takes me back to history.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48We don't applaud making stuff enough.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Making stuff is very healthy.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Making as much money as possible, as fast as possible,
0:38:54 > 0:38:58sat in front of a computer eight to ten hours a day is very unhealthy.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Sue is doing the quilting techniques.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05I'm fascinated by her concept because
0:39:05 > 0:39:08her message is upcycling and recycling
0:39:08 > 0:39:10and she sends a very strong message.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13If I was chosen as judges' favourite,
0:39:13 > 0:39:19It would be a way of validating what I've been going on about
0:39:19 > 0:39:20for years and years and years.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Although the messages that come across are a bit too strong -
0:39:24 > 0:39:26I wish she had not written those messages.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28OK.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30- Too strong for you?- I think so.- OK. Mary Jane?
0:39:30 > 0:39:37Ellen, who created the elephant, works very much from
0:39:37 > 0:39:41a naive, folk-art background so the pieces are made to look childlike.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44If I was chosen as the judges' favourite,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46I would be so honoured.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48I have seen some of the other crafts
0:39:48 > 0:39:51and the people that are here with their work.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52I would be over the moon.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55Sarah is a fairly young designer maker.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58She trained and then specialised in glass.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02This triptych takes people doing ordinary things
0:40:02 > 0:40:04and has made something beautiful out of it.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07When the light shines through the glass,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09it takes on another dimension.
0:40:09 > 0:40:10That's a special part of what she does.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14It would mean a lot to me being recognised,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17that the work I've put into it has really paid off.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20It's so difficult, seeing all these objects.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23It is difficult. It's striking that we have
0:40:23 > 0:40:27a strong contrast between historical objects like this hare,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29which looks like it could be 200 years old,
0:40:29 > 0:40:33and this inventive toy over here,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36the faux-naive elephant.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39But these other objects speak to contemporary life -
0:40:39 > 0:40:43binmen on the streets or this story of salvaging.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45Which way are you leaning?
0:40:45 > 0:40:48This is really difficult.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52For me, no, no, maybe, maybe and definitely no.
0:40:52 > 0:40:53OK!
0:41:00 > 0:41:03It's looking as though the judges are struggling to reach a verdict.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08It sounds like we may have a difference of opinion.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Perhaps we might need an opinion from Paul this time round.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Judges, have you made a decision?
0:41:17 > 0:41:20We have a split decision. We could use your help.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23I was frightened you might say something like this.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25- You've whittled it down to two? - We have.- Yes.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30We're thinking about marketability but also inventiveness,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32so in one case...
0:41:32 > 0:41:34INDISTINCT
0:41:34 > 0:41:36- Shall we go with that one? - Let's do it.- OK.
0:41:36 > 0:41:41We now have a decision. It's time we called in the finalists.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51You've all done remarkably well to have come so far.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56It's important that you know your skill, technique
0:41:56 > 0:41:59and passion for what you do is evident in all the things
0:41:59 > 0:42:01that you've made.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04I can now reveal the judges' favourite.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08Before I do that, let me tell you what is in store for that person -
0:42:08 > 0:42:13the chance to have your piece exhibited in the V&A Shop
0:42:13 > 0:42:15at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18the spiritual home of Arts and Crafts.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Good luck to all of you. Whatever the outcome,
0:42:21 > 0:42:25You're all fully-fledged members of the handmade revolution.
0:42:25 > 0:42:31We had a split decision, so the casting vote was down to me.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34That decision has been based on
0:42:34 > 0:42:37the message it sends out, the use of material
0:42:37 > 0:42:39and its inventiveness.
0:42:39 > 0:42:45I can reveal that today's judges' favourite is...
0:42:51 > 0:42:52..Sue.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56- Wow!- Well done, Sue! Congratulations!
0:43:05 > 0:43:07Each message may be unsubtle, but Sue's quilt
0:43:07 > 0:43:12combines use of recycled material with a strong philosophy -
0:43:12 > 0:43:15championing handmade.
0:43:15 > 0:43:16It surely deserves its place.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19INAUDIBLE
0:43:19 > 0:43:22I hope you've been inspired by what you saw on today's programme.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26I know I was. Just think, it could be you next time.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30Get making things! Join our handmade revolution!