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I Made It at Market S01E08 Ceramic Sculpture and Glassblowing
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00:00Our country is full of incredible makers
00:03dreaming of turning their talent into money-making careers.
00:07It would mean everything to be able to do this full-time.
00:10So, with a team of fantastic professional mentors...
00:14I know your talent, and I know what you're capable of doing.
00:16I run a one-of-a-kind boot camp, showing them how to do just that.
00:21Perfect.
00:21My proudest moment, I'll just show that.
00:23Yes!
00:24Now I'm on my way to catch up with those who have made their dreams come true.
00:28Hello!
00:29There he is.
00:29Hello, mate.
00:31I'll be hearing about their amazing achievements.
00:34I've been able to put down a deposit on a house.
00:36This is my full-time job.
00:37And finding out how much money they're making.
00:40A little bit under £40,000.
00:42Around £50,000.
00:43£50,000?
00:44Yeah.
00:44So, join me and meet the fabulous makers
00:47who have transformed their lives and made it at market.
00:50You can kind of say I am living the dream.
00:53I think that's fair to say.
01:02Whether they're trying to grow an existing business or turn a part-time passion into a full-time career,
01:08the makers that come to my boot camp all want to make money from their talents.
01:13Today, we'll be catching up with two in their own studios who have done just that.
01:18Later, mentor Alistair will be heading to Devon to check in on glass artist Emi, who's found worldwide success.
01:26I've got a touring gallery that's taken my work internationally.
01:30It's taken my work to Singapore, Texas, New York, where I had a sell-out show.
01:35Before that, I'll be visiting wildlife lover Sarah in Yorkshire.
01:40I first met her at my boot camp in spring 2022,
01:44when she came looking for help to make a career change
01:47just a few months after she'd started working with clay.
01:49When the pandemic hit, I was a professional photographer
01:53and obviously everything just stopped.
01:57Birds were singing and the sun was shining
01:59and I just realised that that was what life was about.
02:01I got my hands on ceramics, some clay.
02:04There's nothing between you and the material
02:06and it just feels so raw and so natural.
02:09It's like you're working with the earth.
02:12To help Sarah make the switch from photography to sculpting,
02:16I teamed her up with Belfast-based ceramicist Derek Wilson.
02:21Sarah is really, really interesting
02:23because within such a short period of time,
02:25her work is already at a certain standard.
02:28And I think already, you know,
02:29you can kind of see the potential in her practice.
02:33To work out how Sarah could best make money from her ceramics,
02:37I set her three challenges.
02:39First up, I wanted to see what she could produce in volume.
02:43And as a nature lover,
02:44she decided to make a collection of small bird sculptures
02:47priced at £20 to £40.
02:50Each one hand-shaped and decorated
02:53with a variety of different coloured glazes.
02:56The first step is to take two bowls of clay
02:58and then what we'll do is create like a little pinch pot.
03:02So you put your thumb in the middle
03:04and then just carefully going round,
03:08create a little bowl.
03:11Then you make two of those
03:12and then create some score lines
03:16on each of them,
03:18like a crosshatch.
03:20And we do this because
03:21it'll help them stick together
03:24so it doesn't come apart.
03:27And then I use a little bit of water
03:29just to wet the edges a little bit
03:32and then carefully pop them together.
03:36Once that's set,
03:37the next step is to shape it into the bird form.
03:41Sarah's birds seemed relatively quick to make,
03:44but Derek wanted to talk to her
03:45about making their production even faster.
03:48What's quite important about these pieces
03:50is that they all are individual,
03:51individual and they all have their own kind of characters.
03:54Definitely, definitely.
03:55When it comes to producing them,
03:57is there easier ways to kind of speed up
03:59the kind of production range?
04:00I did think about throwing them as like little balls,
04:04but by the time I figured out
04:05how to throw them and create spheres
04:08and do it consistently to make them look like spheres,
04:12it's probably just easier and quicker for me
04:14to make them by hand.
04:16They're just nice and easy to form.
04:18It's definitely something to look into.
04:21Whilst Sarah continued making her small birds,
04:24I asked Derek to join me in my marquee
04:26to discuss her second item.
04:29Before she came to my boot camp,
04:31I asked her to make a more expensive high-end piece
04:33and she decided to showcase a sculpture
04:36of a family of hares decorated with a metallic glaze.
04:40As there were multiple pieces
04:42involving a lengthier production time
04:44along with extra material and firing costs,
04:46she priced them at £1,200.
04:50They're really lovely.
04:51They've got a good energy
04:51and they've got a real kind of presence.
04:53You know, she's reflecting this kind of character
04:55of these kind of animals, you know.
04:57It would be quite nice to see Sarah maybe scale up
04:59and to kind of push it
05:00to keep that freedom in her sculpting.
05:02To make a big, massive one.
05:03Yeah, yeah, definitely.
05:04Yeah, I like that.
05:05To kind of challenge herself a little bit.
05:07Sarah's hoping to get £1,200
05:08for the hair with the two babies.
05:10It's probably just a bit expensive
05:12for somebody that's just kind of like
05:13kind of the early stages of their career.
05:16Obviously, she doesn't want to be underselling herself,
05:18but she doesn't want to be overselling her work
05:19at the moment as well.
05:22Down by the Bluebell Woods,
05:23Sarah was working away on her volume piece.
05:26And having finished the wet work
05:28on her collection of small birds,
05:30she brought along some kiln-fired ones
05:32so she could move on to the next step.
05:35He's now ready to underglaze.
05:38Underglazing is designed
05:40so that the colour you paint it on
05:42is more closely
05:44what it's going to turn out like.
05:46And there's other things you can do.
05:47You can combine underglaze
05:49with glaze and overglaze
05:51and lustres
05:53and the world's your oyster, basically,
05:55when it comes to ceramics.
05:57Despite liking the idea of Sarah's birds,
06:00Derek was concerned
06:01that making each one by hand
06:02was too time-consuming
06:04for them to be commercially successful.
06:06But he was a man with a plan.
06:08I just wanted to talk about
06:10some other production methods.
06:12And one idea was to introduce
06:14some press moulds,
06:15some simple press moulds.
06:17So I've brought, actually,
06:18an example here
06:19from a recent project.
06:21So this was actually
06:22just to reproduce a ceramic spoon.
06:25So for yourself,
06:26we would be actually looking
06:26at taking one of your pieces
06:28and making a very simple press mould.
06:31I like handmade
06:31because it's personal.
06:33Would this press moulding technique
06:36do you think it would detract
06:37from it a little bit?
06:37You can still add character
06:39to these pieces.
06:40You know, they're still
06:41one-off pieces.
06:42The smaller pieces,
06:43it would make sense
06:45to have them quite similar.
06:47Yeah.
06:47And then I can spend my time
06:49giving them the character
06:50and the different...
06:51Exactly, exactly.
06:52They're still handmade pieces
06:54and individual pieces
06:55and they still have that,
06:57the kind of qualities
06:57that you're kind of looking for,
06:59which is really, really important.
07:00It is important to me, yeah.
07:02So the moulds,
07:03if I can keep the individuality
07:04of each piece,
07:06then that would make sense to use
07:08because it makes the quality
07:11more consistent
07:13and people will know more
07:15about what they're getting
07:16and, yeah,
07:18I think it's got legs.
07:19I'll look into it.
07:21Back at her workstation,
07:23Sarah applied the finishing touches
07:25to her small bird sculptures.
07:27One of the reasons
07:28why I love ceramics so much
07:30is because you can get
07:31lots of different colours,
07:34lots of different effects.
07:37It's just getting really creative.
07:40Sarah's joyful ceramic birds
07:41took her about half an hour each
07:43to sculpt and glaze
07:44and she priced them
07:46at £20 to £40.
07:49Derek, what do you think?
07:50I think they look really good, Sarah.
07:52I think they have a lot
07:52of commercial potential.
07:54The one thing that I would kind of say
07:55is that there's kind of a lot
07:56of variation in them.
07:58You know,
07:58it might be quite nice
07:59to see runs of each one
08:01to kind of like streamline it.
08:03Very simple press moulds.
08:04It will speed up production
08:05and bring some consistency
08:07to your practice as well.
08:08Yeah, to help make high volume.
08:10About the price,
08:11what do you think?
08:12I kind of feel like
08:12some of the larger pieces
08:13you could probably go up
08:14a little bit more.
08:15Fantastic.
08:19Sarah gave her first two items
08:21her best shot
08:22and for her final task
08:23I asked her to make
08:25her favourite piece
08:26to see if it could become
08:27a business building product.
08:29She chose to create
08:30a head study
08:31of a long-tailed tit
08:32priced at £600 to £800
08:35which she decorated
08:36with a metallic glaze.
08:39What I'm going to do
08:40is I'm going to build
08:41the layers up
08:42to start the form
08:43of the shape.
08:44So if we've got
08:45a solid foundation
08:47because the clay
08:47is still quite wet
08:49it just makes it easier
08:51when we go higher up
08:52if it's all compressed
08:53and quite compact
08:54and you just smush
08:56that together
08:56to form a join.
09:00OK.
09:06Like so.
09:08And then if we
09:09press it down
09:10again just like we did
09:11with the first
09:12to compress the clay
09:13what we need to do
09:14is just remove this gap.
09:17Over the next
09:18two to three hours
09:19Sarah built up
09:20her sculpture
09:21one layer at a time
09:22carefully blending
09:23them together
09:24to avoid trapping
09:25any air in the piece.
09:27When I'm building
09:28the coil
09:29you see the shape
09:30that's the shape
09:31that I follow
09:32so it starts off wide
09:33and then we go in
09:34out a little bit
09:35and then in across the top
09:36and then I can do things
09:38like create the little beak
09:40and then I attach it
09:41and on it goes
09:42and then I'll put
09:44the eyes in last
09:45and it just gives it
09:46that character.
09:50That'll go in there.
09:50I will leave it
09:52to dry for quite a lot
09:53longer
09:54then I would
09:55apply a glaze
09:56and then pop it
09:58in the kiln
09:58and fire it
09:59to 1240 degrees
10:00hopefully no disasters
10:02overnight
10:02and the kiln gods
10:04have been kind
10:05and that's the
10:06finished piece.
10:09Sarah finished
10:10off her head study
10:11with an eye-catching
10:12metallic glaze
10:13and she gave it
10:14an asking price
10:14of 600 to 800 pounds.
10:17What do you think Derek?
10:18What's really interesting
10:20is kind of the concept
10:21and the story
10:22and your kind of
10:22passion about wildlife.
10:24There's huge commercial
10:25kind of viability.
10:26There's also room
10:27for development.
10:28I know that you're
10:29kind of saying
10:29that they're head studies
10:30but I kind of feel
10:31like if they're going
10:32into kind of gallery pieces
10:33for kind of collectors
10:34that you need to think
10:35about the way
10:36that they're presented
10:37so whether that's
10:39kind of like using
10:39a plinth
10:40or something that
10:40kind of lifts them
10:41and there could be elements
10:42where you're kind of
10:43carrying on parts
10:44so you're kind of leaving
10:45something for the imagination
10:46I like that.
10:47I can imagine
10:47if it's up a little bit higher
10:48and it kind of
10:49carries on a little bit.
10:50Yeah.
10:51How about the price
10:51set fit
10:52would you think?
10:53I feel like starting off
10:54lower, a bit lower
10:55until you see how they sell
10:57and then you can gradually
10:58kind of develop
10:59and kind of work
11:00your price up a little bit.
11:01Brilliant.
11:02Amazing.
11:02Well well done you.
11:04Lots of work ahead.
11:06To help Sarah
11:07achieve her dream
11:08of becoming a full-time sculptor
11:09we drew up an action plan
11:11for her to take back
11:12to South Yorkshire.
11:13First she needed
11:14to use moulds
11:15to speed up
11:16the production
11:16of her small birds.
11:18Next we wanted her
11:20to scale up
11:20her large pieces
11:21even more.
11:23Finally
11:23she needed
11:24to price her work
11:25to sell.
11:30For the next two months
11:31Derek continued
11:32to guide Sarah
11:33as she worked
11:34on her action plan.
11:36She began
11:37by scaling up
11:38her larger pieces
11:39and was keen
11:39to show him
11:40how she'd got on.
11:41I've got
11:42a rather large
11:44something to show you.
11:48Oh.
11:48Oh wow.
11:50My goodness.
11:51So this is hair
11:51part two.
11:53Okay cool.
11:55And what?
11:55The age looks great.
11:57I've not finished
11:57his head off yet.
11:58Yeah.
11:59It's definitely
11:59a nice size.
12:03She also travelled
12:04to Oxfordshire
12:05to try and sell
12:06some of her work
12:07at a high-end
12:08craft festival
12:08including the
12:10scaled up hair
12:10which was priced
12:11at £600.
12:13It's all my big hair.
12:17Goodbye Luna.
12:19She's off
12:19to a new home.
12:20I'm very pleased.
12:21I'm going to be sad
12:22because I'm going to miss it.
12:24But yeah
12:25I'm so pleased
12:26that somebody
12:27like my work
12:28enough to take it home
12:29and I was in shock.
12:32I'll be honest
12:32with you.
12:32I don't think
12:33it's still quite sunk in.
12:37For eight weeks
12:38Sarah worked hard
12:39to build her business
12:40and when she came
12:42back to the boot camp
12:42to report on her progress
12:44she had some exciting news.
12:46I did make £870
12:49which I was thrilled with.
12:52It was just so nice
12:53to be able to sell
12:54my pieces
12:54to people
12:55that wanted to buy
12:57my pieces.
12:58It's just an incredible feeling.
13:00It's great.
13:01It's all very good
13:02and very positive.
13:03Well done.
13:04To go from being
13:05a novice sculptor
13:06to making hundreds
13:07of pounds
13:08even after deducting
13:09costs in just a few months
13:11was a brilliant
13:12achievement for Sarah
13:13and a sign
13:14of things to come.
13:18Three and a half years later
13:20I've come to an
13:21ever so slightly damp
13:22Yorkshire
13:22to find out
13:23about the success
13:24she's had
13:25since I last saw her.
13:27John, how are you?
13:29Here she is.
13:29How are you doing?
13:30I'm doing well.
13:31Are you?
13:31I'd love to see you.
13:33Come on in.
13:34The weather
13:35might not be too inviting
13:36but Sarah's studio
13:38at the end of her garden
13:39with its views
13:40of open countryside
13:41certainly is.
13:43Can you believe
13:43it's been three and a half years?
13:45Oh, I can't.
13:46It feels like
13:46it's just gone
13:47in the blink of an eye.
13:47You know what?
13:48I cannot think
13:49of a better place
13:50for somebody
13:51that loves nature
13:52to work.
13:53I mean,
13:53standing here
13:54looking out
13:54at that view
13:55it must be amazing.
13:57It really is
13:58and all the birds singing.
13:59Surrounded by nature.
14:00I am.
14:01It's amazing.
14:02Yeah.
14:02I'm in my happy place.
14:04Yeah.
14:04Yeah.
14:05Sarah's studio
14:06is a fabulous place to work.
14:08It's where she does her sculpting
14:10but she has another workshop
14:11in her converted garage
14:13where she does her glazing
14:14and kiln firing.
14:16This is the place
14:17where I've got the kilns going.
14:18It's all the big kilns now.
14:20Yes.
14:20Not just a kiln.
14:22Kilns.
14:22Things are getting serious.
14:24Things have got very serious.
14:25This one is huge.
14:26Has that opened up
14:27sort of avenues
14:28for making bigger sculptures?
14:29Well, I started making
14:30some bigger sculptures
14:31but I found that
14:32they didn't sell
14:33as well as the little ones
14:35so I've actually
14:37started doing
14:37bigger batches
14:38of the small ones
14:40and filling the kiln
14:41and doing it that way instead.
14:43That must help costs
14:43because you're able to get
14:44each time you're firing
14:45this thing up
14:46you can actually get more in there.
14:47Well, it's more environmentally
14:48friendly as well
14:49because I don't really
14:50want to be running
14:51a kiln on half
14:52because I want to make sure
14:53that everything I do
14:53has as little impact
14:55on the environment
14:55as I can.
14:56And having the bigger kiln
14:57and filling it
14:58and making more use
14:58of the space
14:59makes complete sense.
15:01Absolutely.
15:01They're so well and good
15:02making so many things
15:03but are they selling?
15:05They are
15:05so I've been really
15:06enjoying myself.
15:07They're going everywhere
15:08up and down the country
15:09they're going to America
15:10and Australia
15:11all over the world.
15:13Yeah, so international.
15:14Critters international.
15:17It's great to hear
15:18that Sarah's joyful birds
15:19are selling so well
15:21and expanding the range
15:22is a brilliant idea.
15:24She's also broadened out
15:26the material she's working with
15:27and now makes bronze sculptures
15:29as well.
15:30With make times
15:31of several months
15:32including sculpting,
15:34casting and finishing
15:35the large pieces
15:36are priced at
15:37£3,000 to £4,000
15:38and they're also
15:40bringing in
15:41international sales.
15:43One of my big hairs
15:44she's gone to live in America
15:45and I've just sold
15:46a set of three puffins.
15:47Where are all
15:48of these sales coming from?
15:49I've actually managed
15:50to build up a collection
15:52of people that
15:53like to hear from me.
15:55A subscriber list
15:56I suppose you could call on.
15:57Like a mailing list?
15:57Yeah, like a mailing list.
15:58OK.
15:59I've got nearly about
15:593,000 people on that list
16:01and I've actually had
16:02the best month to date.
16:04I took £20,000.
16:06What, in one month?
16:07In one month.
16:08It was brilliant.
16:09That is a huge number.
16:11By any standard
16:12selling £20,000 worth
16:14of pieces in just one month
16:16is a massive success.
16:19From her small
16:20ceramic sculptures
16:21to the big bronze works
16:22Sarah's business
16:23is firing on all cylinders
16:25and she's going to show me
16:27how she makes
16:27one of the bronze puffins
16:28she sold recently.
16:31Step one
16:32is to make a clay puffin
16:33that will be used
16:34to create a wax model
16:35the piece will be cast from.
16:38We start
16:38by rolling out sausages.
16:40What kind of sausage
16:41are we going for?
16:42Is it a chipolata
16:43or a hot dog?
16:43I think it's probably
16:44more like a Cumberland
16:45by the time we're doing
16:46because we're going to swirl it.
16:47OK.
16:47I've got my sausage.
16:48What we want to do
16:49is form a circle
16:52and join the two ends together
16:55and that forms the base
16:57and then we're going
16:57to take your sausage
16:59and layer it on top.
17:00OK.
17:00You want it?
17:01OK.
17:02Looking good.
17:03That's it.
17:05Wold those two together.
17:06That's the one.
17:08Just like the bird's head sculpture
17:09Sarah created at the boot camp
17:11we build up the top half
17:13of our puffin
17:13one layer at a time.
17:16I'm getting a hang of this now.
17:18It's stringy sausage.
17:19And when she thinks
17:20the piece is sturdy enough
17:21it's time for me
17:23to get hands on.
17:24If you imagine
17:25the shoulders
17:26of the puffin
17:27are coming in
17:27and then he'll have
17:28a little neck
17:29and then his head.
17:31Oh.
17:31Oh.
17:32I think I'm a bit
17:32heavy handed for this.
17:35There you go.
17:36What do you reckon?
17:37That looks good to me.
17:39After creating
17:39the basic shape
17:40of the top half
17:41of the puffin
17:42it needs to dry
17:43before we can go any further.
17:45So Sarah's prepared another
17:46along with a bottom half
17:48and feet
17:49that are ready
17:49for us to assemble.
17:51So we're going to cross hatch.
17:54It creates a surface
17:56for them to stick together.
17:58It's like sanding it down
17:59keeping a rough surface
18:00for a key.
18:01Yeah, rough surface.
18:01That's it.
18:02Right.
18:04Swap over.
18:05Give it a couple of squirts.
18:07That's it.
18:08And then I'll do this side as well.
18:12Just going to
18:13put Don was here
18:15on the inside.
18:16Yep.
18:16There you go.
18:17Love it.
18:18That's it.
18:18So the tail at the back.
18:20There we go.
18:21Hold on to that.
18:22I've got his tail.
18:23Yep.
18:24You've got his tail.
18:24Squish him together.
18:26To secure the two halves
18:28of the puffin together
18:29we use another clay sausage.
18:31And then
18:32And then smoosh it.
18:34Another technical term.
18:35Gently, gently.
18:40Yes.
18:41That's it.
18:41Perfect.
18:43Nicely done.
18:45With the body
18:46of the puffin complete
18:47Sarah adds the feet.
18:49It's a good start
18:50to a puffin.
18:51It certainly is.
18:52Definitely puffin shape
18:53isn't it?
18:53Yeah.
18:54After adding the wings
18:55and finer details
18:57the puffin is sent
18:58to a bronze casting company
18:59in Lancashire.
19:01There
19:01they separate the wings
19:02from the bird's body
19:03to make it easier
19:04to make silicon moulds
19:06which they then
19:07pour wax into
19:08and after leaving
19:09everything to harden
19:10join the pieces
19:11back together.
19:13The wax puffin
19:14is then given
19:14a ceramic coating
19:15before being placed
19:17in a furnace
19:17where the wax melts
19:18creating a hollow
19:19ceramic mould.
19:21Hot liquid bronze
19:23is then poured
19:23into the mould
19:24and when it's set
19:25the bronze is freed
19:27from its casing
19:28tied it up
19:29and sent back
19:30to Sarah
19:30who uses a chemical
19:32called ferric nitrate
19:33and a blowtorch
19:34to create a dark
19:35reddish brown patina
19:37on the piece.
19:39Can you see
19:40it's starting
19:40to get darker?
19:41Nice.
19:42There it goes.
19:42Look.
19:43There it goes.
19:44Yeah.
19:44It's getting there.
19:45Yeah, that's brilliant.
19:46To finish the puffin
19:48Sarah sands it
19:49and waxes it
19:50to give it
19:50a lovely shine.
19:52Well thank you
19:52for introducing me
19:53to a new technique.
19:54It's good fun.
19:55You'll be going home
19:55and trying that.
19:56I will be, yeah.
19:58With a make time
19:59of around a week
20:00plus a three-month
20:01casting process
20:02Sarah sells
20:03her large bronze puffins
20:05for £2,950.
20:09It's fantastic
20:10to see that
20:10she's scaled up
20:11her work
20:12as Derek suggested
20:13and I want to know
20:14if any of the other tips
20:15we gave her
20:16three and a half years ago
20:17have contributed
20:18to her success.
20:20When you left
20:21the boot camp
20:22we gave you
20:23an action plan
20:24to try and help you
20:25to build your business.
20:26One of the things
20:27was having a look
20:27at moulds
20:28to try and speed up
20:29your work
20:30and hope
20:30to make things
20:31more efficient.
20:32Did you try?
20:33I did try them
20:34but when they came
20:35out of the moulds
20:36they just felt
20:36really fragile
20:37and quite lightweight
20:39so that's why
20:40I've stuck
20:41with the hand making.
20:42Yeah.
20:42I feel like
20:43you're so attached
20:44and so you've got
20:45such a personal
20:46connection to your work
20:47by making one
20:49from a mould
20:50I guess you've lost
20:52a bit of that connection.
20:53At least now you know
20:54you've tried
20:54it's not for you
20:55move on
20:56to the next thing.
20:58Exactly.
20:58Another thing
20:59was to work
21:00on your pricing.
21:01Firstly pricing
21:02your work to sell
21:03and then trying
21:04to work on increasing it.
21:05With all of that
21:06in mind
21:06have you come
21:07to a new price
21:07for these little characters
21:08now?
21:08I have yes.
21:10They're roughly
21:10about the £70 mark now.
21:12Are they selling well?
21:13They are yes.
21:15Yes.
21:15So it sounds like
21:16you've found
21:16that sweet spot.
21:17Yes.
21:18At the boot camp
21:19Sarah's small birds
21:20were £20 to £40
21:21but they're now
21:23more refined
21:24and with material
21:25and workshop costs
21:26of £24 each
21:27she's raised
21:28their price.
21:30She's also spent
21:31that time
21:31developing
21:32and expanding
21:33her product range
21:34and investing
21:34in equipment
21:35like her kilns
21:36and it's time
21:37to find out
21:38what impact
21:38it's all had
21:39on her bank balance.
21:41Come on then
21:42let's talk figures
21:42if you don't mind.
21:43How's this year's
21:44accounts looking
21:45so far?
21:46There's been a lot
21:46of investment involved
21:47but I've paid myself
21:49£20,000 this year.
21:51£20,000?
21:53Yeah.
21:53And that is
21:54purely paying you
21:55taking up all
21:56of the costs
21:57and everything else
21:57out
21:58that pure profit.
21:59Yep.
22:00So that pays my bills
22:01and puts food
22:01on the table
22:02and means I can
22:04go on a holiday.
22:05I am so pleased.
22:06It's something
22:07that I always wanted
22:07as a kid
22:09and now I'm doing it.
22:11I am living
22:12the dream.
22:13And you know what?
22:14It is thanks to
22:15the hard work
22:16that you've put in.
22:17Clearly very talented
22:18but you've really
22:19worked for it.
22:20Well done.
22:21Come here.
22:22Well done.
22:24Starting a new career
22:26from scratch
22:27is a daunting prospect
22:28but thanks to
22:30a lot of hard work
22:31Sarah now has
22:32a successful
22:33and rapidly
22:34growing business.
22:35When I look back
22:37at how I first started
22:39to what I've been doing
22:41sometimes I have to
22:42like pinch myself
22:43because it's like
22:44did I really do that?
22:46It's been hard work
22:48but it's also
22:49been a lot of fun.
22:54The second maker
22:56we're catching up
22:56with today
22:57is Emmy from Devon.
22:59In the spring of 2022
23:02she'd recently returned
23:03to glassblowing
23:04after taking time off
23:05to focus on being a mum.
23:08I used to think
23:09of myself as more
23:09of an artist in glass
23:11whereas I'd like
23:13to build the skills
23:13to be a maker
23:14as well as an artist
23:16to combine the two
23:18and could really do
23:19with some guidance
23:20on where my target
23:21audience is
23:22and what I'm making.
23:25To help Emmy
23:26kickstart her business
23:28I teamed her up
23:29with professional
23:29glassblower
23:30Alistair Malcolm.
23:32Based in the
23:33National Glassblowing Museum
23:35in Stourbridge
23:36in the West Midlands
23:37Alistair sells his pieces
23:38in galleries and museums
23:40in the UK, Europe
23:41and America.
23:45I really think
23:46I can help Emmy.
23:47She comes across
23:47a little bit timid
23:49and not too confident.
23:50We need to kind of
23:50inject a bit of more confidence
23:52so that she can
23:53you know
23:54stand there proud
23:55with her shoulders back
23:56and just say
23:57here I am.
23:59Like Sarah
23:59I set Emmy
24:00three tasks
24:01and for her volume piece
24:03she chose
24:03to make a glass pit.
24:05It was something
24:06she created
24:07in the hot shop
24:08and once cooled
24:09cut the top off
24:10with a diamond saw
24:11and then polished
24:12to create
24:13a beautiful ornament
24:14which she planned
24:15to sell
24:16for £60.
24:18I'm picking up
24:19a little bit
24:19of rod colour
24:20which is cobalt blue
24:22and I'm going
24:23to go quickly
24:25into the
24:27furnace
24:28to warm it in.
24:29So I want
24:30to melt that
24:31so yeah
24:31that's getting
24:32nice and molten
24:33better now.
24:34With Alistair's
24:35guidance
24:36Emmy was hoping
24:37to launch
24:37her own business
24:38but it wasn't
24:40going to be easy
24:40after only recently
24:42returning to the craft
24:43she loved
24:43following an
24:44eight year break.
24:45I had two little girls
24:47Lily and Daisy
24:48really close together
24:49which was a
24:50marvellous plan
24:52but unfortunately
24:54Daisy got
24:55really poorly
24:56really quickly
24:57and she was
24:59diagnosed with
24:59a mitochondrial disease
25:02which was a
25:03deteriorative disease
25:04and I had to
25:06become a main carer.
25:07She became
25:08really medically
25:09complex
25:09and in
25:112019
25:12Daisy passed away
25:15and
25:17yeah so then
25:18I've been
25:19slowly
25:19as a family
25:20we've been
25:21building our lives
25:22together.
25:23It was so important
25:24to get back
25:25into glassblowing
25:26to do something
25:27for myself
25:28to be able
25:29to build
25:30a work life
25:31again.
25:32I'm going to use
25:33the marver
25:33just to point it
25:34up a little bit
25:35I'm going to get
25:35that nice and warm
25:36and then I'm going
25:37to blow it
25:37and thumb it
25:38so I get a little
25:38bubble in the
25:39middle of it.
25:43I'm going to just
25:43let that cool down
25:44a little bit
25:45before I gather
25:45over the top of it.
25:49Gathering is
25:49the process of
25:50collecting molten
25:51glass from the
25:52furnace on top
25:53of the colour
25:53on the end
25:54of the blowing
25:54iron.
25:56Whilst it was
25:56hot,
25:57Emmy shaped it
25:58and then gathered
25:58more molten glass
25:59to build up her
26:00pit.
26:01These are good
26:02for the speed
26:02challenge because
26:03I can make them
26:04quite quickly
26:09and then neat
26:10little things
26:12that doesn't take
26:12a lot of time
26:13to make
26:13and then it's
26:14got a nice
26:14shiny rim
26:16and it's just
26:16cute.
26:17With Emmy
26:18making good
26:19progress with her
26:20glass pit
26:20I sat down
26:21with Alistair
26:22to talk about
26:23her high-end
26:23item.
26:25She brought
26:25along a piece
26:26she called
26:27Copo
26:27or Knit
26:28One,
26:28Pearl One.
26:30Decorated with
26:31a knitted
26:31design which
26:32she sandblasted
26:33off to leave
26:34a delicate
26:34white enamel
26:35pattern,
26:36it was priced
26:37at £225.
26:39It wasn't
26:40cheap but
26:41with a 3-hour
26:42plus make time
26:43along with
26:43the material
26:44and energy
26:45costs involved
26:45I was concerned
26:47that Emmy
26:47wasn't going
26:48to be able
26:48to make
26:48any money
26:49from it.
26:50If we're
26:51going to make
26:51a success
26:51of this
26:52we really
26:53want to
26:53make sure
26:53that she's
26:54got the
26:54prices right
26:55because
26:55if she's
26:56looking at
26:57£225
26:58in a gallery
26:59and then
26:59they're going
26:59to take
27:00a cut
27:00then it's
27:01not even
27:01going to
27:01cover her
27:02costs
27:02and at
27:02the end
27:02of the
27:03day
27:03we're
27:03trying
27:03to set
27:03Emmy
27:04up
27:04to have
27:05a
27:05successful
27:05business
27:05and so
27:06she needs
27:07to price
27:07her work
27:08accordingly.
27:08Yeah.
27:10Back in
27:11the hot
27:11shop
27:12Emmy's
27:12glass
27:13pip
27:13was
27:13quickly
27:14taking
27:14shape.
27:15Blown
27:15the bottom
27:15out
27:15a little
27:16bit
27:16more
27:16than I
27:16would
27:17usually
27:21It's
27:22always
27:22tricky
27:22in a
27:23new
27:23studio
27:23though
27:23things are
27:25a little
27:25bit
27:25out of
27:26place
27:26and
27:26temperatures
27:27look
27:27different
27:28particularly
27:29outdoors
27:29If you're
27:30looking at
27:30producing
27:30these
27:31in
27:31volume
27:31what sort
27:32of
27:32palette
27:32of
27:32colours
27:33do you
27:33like to
27:34go for?
27:34I can
27:34see you're
27:34not
27:35afraid
27:35of
27:35colour
27:35Yes.
27:37So I
27:37love a
27:37good
27:37rainbow
27:38one
27:39from each
27:39kind
27:39of turn
27:40of the
27:40colour
27:40wheel
27:41I like
27:43having a
27:44combination
27:44of two
27:45different
27:45tones
27:45of blues
27:47pinks
27:48yellows
27:49reds
27:49greens
27:50Yeah
27:51Just
27:51paper in
27:52the bottom
27:52to cool
27:52the bottom
27:53so it
27:53doesn't blow
27:53out too
27:54much
27:54on the
27:54bottom
27:54end
27:56and I'm
27:56going to
27:57neck it
27:57in to
27:58create a
27:58weak point
27:58where I
27:59can break
27:59it off
27:59from
28:01using the
28:02jacks
28:02I'm going
28:03to pull
28:03out the
28:04point
28:04I'm going
28:05to use
28:05my tweezers
28:05to create
28:06the shape
28:06of the
28:06pip
28:17After
28:17being cooled
28:18in a
28:18special
28:19annealing
28:19oven
28:20emmy's
28:20pips
28:20were cut
28:21with a
28:21diamond
28:22saw
28:22and then
28:22polished
28:23each
28:24one
28:24took
28:24her
28:25around
28:2550
28:25minutes
28:25to
28:26make
28:26and
28:26had
28:27a
28:27price
28:27tag
28:27of
28:27£60
28:30Emmy
28:30these
28:31look
28:31absolutely
28:31beautiful
28:32I love
28:32that you've
28:33brought
28:33down
28:33some
28:33other
28:33examples
28:34of
28:34different
28:34potential
28:35colours
28:35what do you
28:35think
28:36Alistair
28:36well
28:37what a
28:38brilliant
28:38approach
28:39to a
28:39volume
28:40challenge
28:40really
28:40it's
28:40perfect
28:41she's
28:42proven
28:42that
28:42she can
28:43produce
28:44numerous
28:44in the
28:45same
28:46style
28:46there's
28:47a very
28:47minute
28:48variation
28:48in shape
28:49size
28:49but that's
28:50the beauty
28:50of a
28:50handmade
28:50object
28:51and they're
28:51perfectly
28:52within
28:53everybody's
28:54tolerance
28:54levels
28:55you could
28:55easily
28:55market
28:56this
28:56as
28:56a
28:56set
28:58it's
28:58perfect
28:58how about
29:00the price
29:00point
29:00it's
29:01a
29:01good
29:01price
29:01in
29:02terms
29:02of
29:02protecting
29:03you
29:03for
29:03the
29:03future
29:04it
29:04may
29:04be
29:04that
29:04we
29:05need
29:05to
29:05look
29:05at
29:05those
29:06costings
29:07and make
29:07sure
29:07that we
29:08future
29:08proof
29:09them a
29:09little
29:09bit
29:09get
29:10them
29:10out
29:10there
29:10get
29:10them
29:10in
29:11galleries
29:11shops
29:12I
29:12think
29:12they'd sell
29:13really
29:13well
29:13thank
29:14you
29:15both
29:16Alistair
29:16and I
29:17were
29:17impressed
29:17with
29:18Emmy's
29:18first
29:18two
29:18items
29:19and
29:19for
29:20her
29:20third
29:20challenge
29:21her
29:21favourite
29:21piece
29:22she
29:22made
29:23what
29:23she
29:23called
29:23her
29:23del
29:24mar
29:24or
29:25of
29:25the
29:25sea
29:25creation
29:26inspired
29:27by
29:28her
29:28coastal
29:28home
29:28in
29:29Plymouth
29:29it
29:30featured
29:30knitted
29:31copper
29:31wire
29:31representing
29:32fishing
29:32nets
29:33encased
29:34between
29:34two
29:34layers
29:35of
29:35glass
29:35which
29:36were
29:36then
29:36cooled
29:37cut
29:37and
29:38polished
29:38and
29:39priced
29:39at
29:39150
29:40pounds
29:41how
29:41long
29:42does
29:42it
29:42take
29:42you
29:42to
29:43actually
29:43knit
29:43the
29:44object
29:44you're
29:44going
29:44to
29:44pick
29:44up
29:45half
29:45an
29:45hour
29:45it's
29:46a
29:46lovely
29:46thing
29:46in
29:47itself
29:50so
29:51you
29:51have
29:51to
29:51squeeze
29:53to
29:54bites
29:54into
29:54the
29:54surface
29:55yeah
29:57there must
29:57have been
29:57a lot
29:58of trial
29:58and error
29:58with this
29:59to begin
29:59with
30:00so what
30:00can go
30:01wrong
30:02large
30:02trapped
30:03bubbles
30:04that
30:04big
30:05pockets
30:05are there
30:06in the
30:06glass
30:07where
30:08they're
30:08not quite
30:08adhered
30:09to the
30:09glass
30:10actually
30:11melting
30:11slightly
30:12back
30:12just
30:12waiting
30:13for it
30:14to cool
30:14down
30:15I
30:15don't
30:15want
30:15to
30:15gather
30:15over
30:15it
30:16while
30:16it's
30:16too
30:16hot
30:16so
30:17it's
30:17unstable
30:18once
30:18it
30:19had
30:19cooled
30:19Emmy
30:20gathered
30:20her
30:20second
30:21layer
30:21of
30:21molten
30:22glass
30:22and
30:22encased
30:23the
30:23knitted
30:23copper
30:24wire
30:24mesh
30:26after
30:27being
30:27cut
30:27and
30:28polished
30:28Emmy's
30:29Del Mar
30:29piece
30:30had
30:30a
30:30price
30:30tag
30:30of
30:31£150
30:33I
30:33love it
30:33it's
30:34certainly
30:34a
30:34desirable
30:35object
30:35I
30:36think
30:36really
30:36we
30:37could
30:37do
30:37with
30:37some
30:37exquisite
30:38photos
30:38so
30:39that
30:39we
30:39can
30:39kind
30:40of
30:40then
30:40start
30:40to
30:40showcase
30:41what
30:41you're
30:41doing
30:42online
30:42what
30:43about
30:43the
30:43price
30:43point
30:43I
30:44think
30:44the
30:44price
30:44could
30:45be
30:45a
30:45little
30:45bit
30:45higher
30:45particularly
30:46if
30:46we're
30:46going
30:47to
30:47be
30:47retailing
30:47these
30:47through
30:48a
30:48gallery
30:48if
30:49they
30:49take
30:49a
30:49cut
30:50we've
30:50got
30:50to
30:50think
30:50about
30:51how
30:51much
30:51is
30:51left
30:51over
30:52and
30:52whether
30:52that's
30:53something
30:53we need
30:54to think
30:54about
30:54increasing
30:55the price
30:55on them
30:55as a
30:56result
30:56is that
30:57where you
30:57think
30:57Emmy
30:57has
30:57the
30:57best
30:57chance
30:58in
30:58selling
30:58you
30:59can
30:59run
30:59around
30:59trying
31:00to do
31:00a lot
31:00of
31:00retail
31:01shows
31:01and
31:01try
31:01and
31:02sell
31:02direct
31:02we
31:03can
31:03attempt
31:03to
31:04try
31:04and
31:04set
31:04up
31:04an
31:04online
31:18it's
31:18going
31:18to
31:18free
31:19up
31:19a
31:19little
31:19bit
31:19of
31:19time
31:19to
31:20spend
31:20time
31:20with
31:20your
31:20family
31:21and
31:22get
31:22in
31:22the
31:22workshop
31:24because
31:24that's
31:24the
31:24love
31:25isn't
31:25it
31:25that's
31:25why
31:25you
31:25do
31:26this
31:26we
31:27can
31:27maybe
31:27look
31:28at
31:28boxes
31:29with
31:29branding
31:29so
31:30that
31:30the
31:30whole
31:30marketing
31:31looks
31:31like
31:31it's
31:32a
31:32very
31:32special
31:32package
31:33I've
31:34got
31:34ambitions
31:34that
31:35we're
31:35going
31:35to
31:35be
31:35aiming
31:35for
31:35some
31:36very
31:36high
31:36end
31:37retailers
31:37for
31:38you
31:38so
31:39that
31:39you
31:39really
31:40do
31:40shine
31:43after
31:44an
31:44eight
31:44year
31:44break
31:45from
31:45glass
31:45blowing
31:45Emmy
31:46excelled
31:47in
31:47every
31:47challenge
31:48she
31:48was
31:48given
31:49and
31:49it
31:49was
31:49time
31:50for
31:50her
31:50to
31:50build
31:50a
31:50business
31:51from
31:51her
31:51work
31:52to
31:52help
31:53her
31:53do
31:53that
31:53we
31:53gave
31:54her
31:54an
31:54action
31:54plan
31:54to
31:55take
31:55back
31:55to
31:55Devon
31:56first
31:57she
31:57needed
31:58to
31:58get
31:58some
31:58top
31:58notch
31:59photos
31:59taken
32:00to
32:00show
32:00off
32:00her
32:00work
32:01next
32:02we
32:02wanted
32:02Emmy
32:03to
32:03get
32:03some
32:03luxury
32:04packaging
32:04for
32:04her
32:05pieces
32:06finally
32:06she
32:07needed
32:07to
32:07find
32:07some
32:07galleries
32:08to
32:08sell
32:08her
32:09work
32:09in
32:12for
32:13the
32:13next
32:13two
32:14months
32:14Alistair
32:15continued
32:15to
32:15support
32:16Emmy
32:16as
32:16she
32:17worked
32:17on
32:17the
32:17advice
32:18we'd
32:18given
32:18her
32:18starting
32:19with
32:20sorting
32:20out
32:20her
32:20packaging
32:22so
32:22I
32:22just
32:22started
32:23doing
32:23a
32:23video
32:23and
32:24the
32:24doorbell
32:24rang
32:25and
32:26my
32:26box
32:26has
32:26arrived
32:29this
32:30is
32:30my
32:30recycled
32:31tissue
32:31paper
32:34which
32:34is
32:34pink
32:39and
32:39these
32:40are
32:40my
32:40boxes
32:40I'm
32:41going
32:41to
32:41be
32:41wrapping
32:41my
32:41picks
32:42and
32:42my
32:42del
32:42mar
32:42in
32:43I
32:44got
32:45beautiful
32:46black
32:48sturdy
32:48gift
32:49boxes
32:51that
32:52are
32:52going
32:52to
32:52have
32:53the
32:53pink
32:53tissue
32:53paper
32:54inside
32:54and
32:55then
32:55I
32:56have
32:56some
32:56logo
32:57branded
32:57stickers
32:58so
32:59you
32:59know
32:59who
32:59it's
32:59from
33:00having
33:01sorted
33:01her
33:01packaging
33:02Emmy
33:02found
33:03some
33:03galleries
33:03to
33:04stock
33:04her
33:04work
33:04she
33:05also
33:05took
33:06her
33:06pieces
33:06to
33:06a
33:06makers
33:07fair
33:07which
33:08helped
33:08her
33:08make
33:08a
33:08decision
33:09about
33:09the
33:09shape
33:10of
33:10her
33:10business
33:10Alistair
33:11was
33:11right
33:12it was
33:13really
33:13hard
33:13to
33:14find
33:14balance
33:14with
33:15my
33:15girls
33:16and
33:17my
33:17husband
33:19to
33:19be
33:19away
33:19for
33:20that
33:20amount
33:20of
33:20time
33:21on
33:21a
33:21regular
33:22basis
33:23doesn't
33:24make
33:24sense
33:25when
33:25I
33:25could
33:26be
33:26putting
33:26my
33:26work
33:27in
33:27a
33:27gallery
33:27where
33:28it
33:28sits
33:28well
33:29and
33:30those
33:30people
33:30can
33:31do
33:32that
33:32for
33:32me
33:33so
33:33that
33:33I'm
33:33not
33:34spending
33:34lots
33:34of
33:34time
33:35away
33:35from
33:35home
33:38in
33:38the
33:39eight
33:39weeks
33:39after
33:40bootcamp
33:40Emmy
33:41threw
33:41herself
33:41into
33:42building
33:42the
33:42foundations
33:43of
33:43her
33:43business
33:44and
33:44when
33:44she
33:45came
33:45back
33:45to
33:45give
33:45us
33:45an
33:46update
33:46she
33:46had
33:47encouraging
33:47news
33:49I
33:49sold
33:511255
33:51pounds
33:52worth
33:52of
33:52my
33:52work
33:53really
33:53really
33:54you
33:54should
33:55feel
33:55really
33:55confident
33:55about
33:56making
33:56some
33:56more
33:57approaches
33:57to
33:57getting
33:57more
33:58galleries
33:58you know
33:58and I
33:59can
33:59see
33:59for
33:59instance
33:59you
34:00get
34:00yourself
34:00in
34:00another
34:0010
34:01galleries
34:01and
34:01all
34:01of
34:02a
34:02sudden
34:02you're
34:02reporting
34:02to
34:03Dom
34:03and I
34:03you
34:03made
34:03£10,000
34:04of
34:04sales
34:05because
34:05you're
34:06more
34:06than
34:06capable
34:07I
34:08love
34:08Alistair's
34:09optimism
34:09and he
34:10was
34:10spot on
34:10about
34:11Emmy
34:11even
34:12after
34:12deducting
34:23fast
34:24forward
34:24three
34:25and a
34:25half
34:25years
34:25and
34:26I've
34:26asked
34:27Alistair
34:27to
34:27visit
34:27her
34:28on
34:28a
34:28farm
34:28on
34:28a
34:29slightly
34:29grey
34:29and
34:30drizzly
34:30day
34:30in
34:31the
34:31Dartmoor
34:31National
34:31Park
34:32in
34:32Devon
34:32to
34:33find
34:33out
34:34what
34:34she's
34:34up
34:34to
34:34now
34:35and
34:35how
34:35much
34:36she's
34:36making
34:36Hi
34:37Hello
34:38lovely
34:38to see
34:39you
34:39again
34:40Come on
34:40in
34:41This
34:41place
34:42isn't
34:42her
34:42usual
34:43workshop
34:43It's
34:44the
34:44home
34:44of
34:44a
34:45pioneering
34:45community
34:46project
34:46aiming
34:47to
34:47reuse
34:48waste
34:48glass
34:48by
34:49combining
34:49cutting
34:50edge
34:50technology
34:50with
34:51traditional
34:52methods
34:54So tell
34:55me about
34:56this
34:56Ian
34:57Hankey
34:57master
34:58glassmaker
34:59locally
34:59is retiring
35:00and he's
35:01given me
35:01this
35:02sustainable
35:03glass
35:03studio
35:04to
35:04manage
35:05Wow
35:05wow
35:06I mean
35:07I follow
35:07Ian
35:07and so
35:08I know
35:08this is
35:09groundbreaking
35:10stuff
35:10Yeah
35:11absolutely
35:11It's
35:12groundbreaking
35:12research
35:13into
35:14melting
35:15down
35:16waste
35:16glass
35:16to make
35:17it a
35:18usable
35:19product
35:19At the
35:20moment
35:20it's
35:20running
35:21on
35:21propane
35:21and I'm
35:22working in
35:23association
35:23with the
35:24farmer
35:24Andy
35:24to transfer
35:25over to
35:26methane
35:26gas
35:27produced by
35:28the cows
35:29on the
35:30local
35:30farms
35:30Wow
35:31So the
35:31ultimate goal
35:31is to
35:32produce
35:32carbon
35:33neutral
35:34glass
35:34Yes
35:35Taking
35:36over this
35:37established
35:37business
35:38will provide
35:38Emmy
35:39with an
35:39extra
35:39income
35:40stream
35:40but I
35:41want to
35:42know how
35:42she's getting
35:42on with
35:43her own
35:43work
35:45How's
35:45your existing
35:46business
35:46going since
35:47bootcamp?
35:47It's going
35:48really well
35:48It's grown
35:49ridiculously
35:50We've got
35:50some nice
35:51repeat
35:51customers
35:51that keep
35:52coming back
35:52which is
35:53lovely
35:53It's a
35:53real compliment
35:54Yeah
35:55I've got a
35:56taurine gallery
35:57that's done
35:58fantastic for me
35:59It's taken my
36:00work internationally
36:00It's taken my
36:01work to
36:02Singapore
36:03Texas
36:03New York
36:04where I had
36:05a sellout show
36:06Of all the pieces
36:07that you produce
36:07which are the
36:08best sellers?
36:09So I think
36:10my pips
36:10and my
36:11Del Mar
36:11are the
36:12best sellers
36:12You've made
36:13them in the
36:13hundreds now
36:14do you think?
36:15I think so
36:16Wow
36:16Okay
36:18It's fantastic
36:19to hear that
36:20Emmy's pips
36:20and Del Mar
36:21pieces are
36:22selling well
36:22and driving
36:23her business
36:24forwards
36:25Since I last
36:26saw her
36:26she's raised
36:27the prices
36:28of her
36:28Del Mar
36:28pieces from
36:29£150
36:30to £160
36:31plus
36:32depending on
36:32size
36:34and her
36:34glass pips
36:35from £60
36:36to £80
36:37She's also
36:38developed
36:38a new product
36:41Over this year
36:42I've done
36:42a lot of
36:43side quests
36:43that have
36:44led to
36:44new ideas
36:45which have
36:45been fantastic
36:46I did
36:46fisherman knitting
36:47with a project
36:49with the local
36:49museum
36:50and I started
36:51knitting sea creatures
36:53and encasing them
36:54in the glass
36:54and I'm in the same
36:55method as I used
36:56for my Del Mar
36:57but just
36:57slight development
36:58Wow
37:00Emmy sells her
37:01new knitted
37:02sea creatures
37:02for £280
37:03and back at her
37:05regular hot shop
37:06half an hour away
37:07she's going to
37:08show Alistair
37:08how she makes
37:09one
37:11Having collected
37:12clear glass
37:13on a blowing
37:14iron
37:14she starts
37:15building up
37:15the colour
37:17I've just
37:18put a little
37:19bit of
37:20shard colour
37:21on there
37:22and I'm having
37:23to use the
37:23marble just
37:24to smooth it
37:25back in
37:25so I've heated
37:26it in
37:26in the
37:27reheating chamber
37:27and I'm just
37:29smoothing
37:29that colour
37:30back in
37:34I'm getting
37:34it to a nice
37:35shape
37:35because in a
37:36moment I'm
37:36going to put
37:37some trails
37:38on it
37:38which will
37:39look a bit
37:39like seaweed
37:40Emmy's friend
37:41and assistant
37:42Holly drizzles
37:43on trails
37:44of colour
37:47Yeah
37:47go on
37:48if we click
37:48enough
37:50It's so nice
37:51watching other
37:52people work
37:57Next she puts
37:59the piece
37:59back into
38:00the reheating
38:00chamber
38:01then repeats
38:02the process
38:02and rolls
38:03it over
38:03her knitted
38:04copper octopus
38:05to incorporate
38:06it into
38:07the glass
38:08Just making
38:08sure that all
38:09that is
38:10stuck on there
38:11properly
38:11Yeah
38:11because we
38:12want it to
38:12adhere to it
38:14and I want to
38:15kind of even it
38:15up a little bit
38:16because it does
38:16end up distorted
38:18as long as I
38:19haven't got any
38:20massive indents
38:20I shouldn't get
38:21any massive
38:21bubbles
38:23I've just got to
38:23let that cool down
38:24a little bit
38:25before I gather
38:25over the top
38:26of them
38:27I think it's
38:28good to go
38:29After collecting
38:30more molten glass
38:31from the furnace
38:32over the top
38:33of her knitted
38:34octopus
38:34Emmy shapes
38:36the piece again
38:36and then blows
38:37it to make it
38:38bigger
38:38Right now that
38:39moved
38:41It's at this
38:42point that this
38:43process gets
38:44really tricky
38:44because the
38:45colours are all
38:45pulling in
38:46different directions
38:47while the copper
38:49is absorbing the
38:49heat at different
38:50rates so it's
38:52quite tricky to
38:53then get a nice
38:53round object
38:54And as I blow
38:55it further into
38:56the piece the
38:57copper distorts
38:58the bubble as
38:58well so I have to
39:00go gently to start
39:01off with because I
39:02don't want to blow
39:02too hard into the
39:05end before I'm
39:08ready
39:08To get her piece
39:10to the right
39:10shape and size
39:11Emmy continually
39:12reheats shapes and
39:14blows it
39:15I see your
39:16octopus in there
39:16now
39:17Here's the end
39:18He looks quite
39:19well spaced actually
39:20Doesn't look too
39:21bad
39:21He does stretch
39:23out with the
39:23glass but I
39:24don't want to
39:25blow it out so
39:25far that it
39:26distorts too much
39:27because I don't
39:28want the wire to
39:28start to pull
39:29apart
39:30Once Emmy's
39:31happy with the
39:32finish she cracks
39:33the neck off with
39:34the help of a
39:34diamond saw
39:39and heats the
39:40end so she can
39:40mould and smooth
39:41it into a rounded
39:42rim
39:43There you go
39:44Yeah I love it
39:45I love the fact
39:47that you've pushed
39:47your glass making
39:48skills as well as
39:49developing a new
39:50concept so it's
39:51it seems like
39:52the right way
39:53forward
39:55To finish
39:56Emmy knocks the
39:57piece off the
39:57rod and leaves it
39:58to cool in an
39:59annealing oven for
40:00a few days before
40:01polishing it
40:03With material and
40:04hot shop costs of
40:05just under £135
40:07and a make time of
40:09around four hours
40:10the knitted sea
40:11creature is priced
40:12at £280
40:15It's clear
40:16Emmy has come a
40:17long way since we
40:18last saw her
40:19and in addition to
40:20sorting out her
40:21packaging I'm keen
40:22to know what role
40:23the advice we gave
40:24her three and a half
40:25years ago has played
40:26in that
40:27Emmy when you came
40:28to bootcamp we gave
40:30you an action plan
40:31one of the things we
40:32asked you to do was
40:33to get some
40:33professional photographs
40:34done and I know you
40:35did that but did you
40:36find that useful?
40:37I think they were
40:38fundamental really to
40:39my success and I
40:41think having those
40:42photos on my website
40:43really made a
40:44difference to my
40:46marketing.
40:46Another thing we
40:47wanted you to do was
40:48to contact some
40:49galleries and
40:50retailers so that
40:51they could represent
40:52you allowing you to
40:54get on with the
40:54creative stuff and
40:55free up your time.
40:56Did that work out
40:57okay as well?
40:58Yeah it went really
40:58well actually and you
41:00know it's fantastic
41:01having those galleries
41:02representing you because
41:03people who wouldn't
41:05necessarily see your
41:06work go to those
41:06galleries and it's
41:08fantastic to have that
41:09money coming in on a
41:10regular basis.
41:12Emmy couldn't have
41:13worked any harder over
41:14the past three and a
41:15half years building her
41:17business and taking on
41:18a second one but what
41:20does it all mean for her
41:21bottom line?
41:22I know we were aiming
41:23to turn a passion into
41:25a sustainable business
41:26but are you actually
41:28making enough money to
41:29survive as a glass
41:30artist?
41:31So I'm definitely able
41:32to make a living I'm
41:33earning about £25,000
41:35a year.
41:36I know that this process
41:37had the ability to
41:39give you a leg up and
41:40you just needed that
41:43help so to hear that
41:44this process has
41:46elevated you to the
41:48point that you're
41:48selling at that level
41:50is just some magic to
41:51my ears.
41:52Prior to boot camp I
41:53was selling in a few
41:55places and glass was
41:57just about paying for
41:57glass and the boot
41:59camp made the world a
42:01difference to my
42:02business.
42:03Every maker dreams of
42:05being able to sell
42:06their work but to make
42:07an income of £25,000 a
42:10year after costs is
42:11life-changing and with a
42:13new second business on
42:14top things are only going
42:16to get bigger and better
42:17for Emmy.
42:18The past three and a
42:20half years have been
42:20wonderfully overwhelming
42:21and just beyond what I
42:24thought I could achieve.
42:26Now I have an
42:27established business and
42:28I'm making money doing
42:29something that I love and
42:30want to continue doing
42:32forever.
42:32When they came to my
42:34boot camp both Emmy and
42:36Sarah weren't selling
42:37their pieces.
42:38Thanks to a few key
42:40suggestions and an awful
42:42lot of hard work they've
42:43now got brilliant growing
42:45businesses and very bright
42:47futures indeed.
42:50Inspired by I Made It at
42:52Market?
42:52Go behind the scenes with
42:54The Open University to
42:55discover bonus interviews
42:57exploring new insights into
42:59how makers have sustained and
43:00grown their businesses.
43:02Scan the QR code on screen or
43:04go to connect.open.ac.uk
43:08forward slash I Made It at
43:10Market.
43:32I Made It at Market.
43:34I Made It at Market.
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