- 13 hours ago
I Made It at Market S01E06 Metal Artwork and Keepsake Jewellery
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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.
01:03All kinds of makers from all walks of life have been to my boot camp.
01:07And today, we'll be catching up with two who have put the lessons they learn into practice
01:12and reaped big rewards.
01:15Later, mentor Sonny will be checking in with Andy from Devon, who wanted to build a career as a keepsake
01:21jewellery artist.
01:23It's absolutely crazy how things have worked out.
01:27It is a full-time, seven-day-a-week business.
01:31First, though, I'm going to drop in on metal artist Lyndon in Essex.
01:35This is not far, actually, from where I grew up.
01:38Grew up in Southend.
01:40Nice to be coming home.
01:41But this time, I'm going to see Lyndon.
01:45When I first met Lyndon at my boot camp in the summer of 2023,
01:50he was hoping we could help him give up his job as a welder and fabricator
01:54to create a new business and dream life.
01:57If I can be at home with my family more often, down the workshop,
02:01that's definitely where it is for me, and especially my son,
02:04I could possibly employ him in the future.
02:06I think he's going to be a manual worker, very hands-on,
02:09so if I can guide him into something that...
02:11He struggles with academic stuff, does he?
02:12Academics, a little bit of ADHD,
02:14and I think if he can put his efforts into something like this, brilliant.
02:20To help Lyndon get the sales he needed to build a successful family business,
02:25I set him three challenges.
02:28First was making a volume piece,
02:30something he could make quickly and sell affordably.
02:34He decided to make a single metal rose, mounted on a base.
02:38Priced at £50, it was crafted from mild steel
02:42and stood 15 centimetres tall with eye-catching bronze highlights,
02:46which added stunning decorative details to the leaves and petals.
02:52He began using pre-cut steel shapes.
02:56The first stage is to prepare the metal for the petals
02:59and take the oxide off.
03:05It makes it look nice and shiny,
03:07otherwise it'd look very rusty.
03:11With the petals prepared, Lyndon applied the bronze details using a TIG welder,
03:17a machine that is especially suited to the intricate cosmetic detail
03:21often required on sculptural pieces.
03:25It's using the heat to melt the bronze, so it just lays on top.
03:29I think the contrast between the bronze and the mild steel,
03:32I think it looks really pretty.
03:35So the bronze has been laid on now to the outside of the petals.
03:38I'm just now to use the wire brush to remove the heat marks.
03:50There's a difference with the four and the after.
03:55You can see we're all nice and shiny,
03:56catches the light when you look at it at different angles.
03:59With the petals taking shape,
04:02Lyndon cut an added texture to the rose's stem.
04:07He then attached a bolt to hold the petals in place.
04:13As Lyndon worked to build his metalworking business,
04:17he was guided by professional blacksmith, Adrian Wood,
04:20who runs a successful forge in the Tees Valley,
04:23combining contemporary sculpture with traditional blacksmithing techniques.
04:28When you're making these,
04:30are you looking at doing these onto social media?
04:33Would you consider making a reel, for instance,
04:36of how you make these things and putting them as a sort of a process together?
04:39I've never really thought about it at the moment,
04:42but now you've said it, absolutely.
04:44Is the social media side something you find quite daunting at the minute?
04:47Yeah, I'm not really,
04:49for social media, I don't really understand it much at the moment,
04:52and it's hard for me to think that what I'm doing is good enough
04:56to get out there,
04:57and yeah, that's where my worries are, really.
04:59I'm sure we can sort that out.
05:01Whilst Lyndon cracked on making his volume piece,
05:05I sat down with Adrian to talk about his second challenge.
05:09Before he arrived at my boot camp,
05:11I asked Lyndon to make a high-end piece,
05:14an item that carries a much more expensive price tag.
05:18He brought along a spectacular steel dragon.
05:22Standing 90 centimetres tall,
05:24it took him 100 hours to create
05:26and was priced at £2,200.
05:30Where do we start with Lyndon's high-end piece?
05:33Goodness me, that dragon!
05:35It's unbelievable.
05:37The amount of work that he's put into that head,
05:39he's really got some lovely textures going on in there.
05:42He's finished it beautifully, really has.
05:45The size, the proportions, the horns, everything.
05:47I would say my main criticism of the head and the neck,
05:51there's a real disconnect between the two.
05:53The texture and the...
05:54Yeah, yeah.
05:55And if he just brought maybe some of that texture
05:57and some of that technique down
06:00into the back of it a little bit, it would fit.
06:04Lyndon's hoping to get £2,200 for it.
06:06For the amount of work that he's put into it now,
06:08I think it's where it is.
06:11Would somebody buy it?
06:13Maybe not.
06:14You need that cohesion between the two pieces
06:16to make it more saleable.
06:20Back in the forge,
06:21Lyndon was working away on his volume piece,
06:24hand-shaping the petals on his metal rose.
06:28I'll just go round in a circle,
06:30just giving them a little twist,
06:32just to get them started.
06:35And then I'll do the rest by hand.
06:37If I get it started,
06:38it makes it a lot easier for my hands to work.
06:41And then I'll give them a little crush.
06:47Starts to bring it into shape.
06:49Now I'll just get the needle-nose pliers
06:51and just roll these round.
06:53That's the main part of the rose head done.
06:56With the petals shaped,
06:58Lyndon put the finishing touches to his metal rose
07:02by welding three leaves to a metal stem,
07:06cleaning them with a wire brush,
07:09and shaping them.
07:12I'll just pop the leaf into there.
07:13It's usually just one hit.
07:16That's so.
07:17Put it in the corner.
07:19Giving it a tap.
07:22There you go.
07:23Just adds that little bit of shape
07:25to the leaves.
07:27And then, because it's only thin rod,
07:29you can then manipulate them
07:31to whatever shape I want them.
07:33I want them bending down.
07:35That can be done.
07:36And there we go.
07:37They're now ready to be welded to the main stem.
07:42Lyndon's steel rose with bronze-detailed petals and leaves
07:45took him just under an hour to make.
07:48And with material costs of around £10,
07:50he gave it a price tag of 50.
07:53I love it.
07:54I love the colour that is put into the top of the leaves.
07:57I think it's a really nice, unique, saleable thing.
07:59It really makes it.
08:00It really does.
08:01What do you think about an asking price of £50?
08:03£50 is around the right price for a rose.
08:06There's a few elements that I would potentially look at changing.
08:10Potentially even look at machinery or tooling
08:12that could make those leaves pop a little bit more.
08:15It's just those little things,
08:16those little attentions to detail
08:18that will elevate the piece of work
08:20to make it definitely worth that £50.
08:23I would love to see at least the petals
08:25or something made of copper.
08:26So you'll be able to sort of braise, essentially,
08:29the copper to the steel and mix them together.
08:32I'll give it a go.
08:33Add a new dimension to it.
08:34Oh, there's so much potential.
08:35I know.
08:36This is good.
08:37It's fantastic.
08:38Thank you very much.
08:39I hope so.
08:40We'll find out shortly
08:42how Lyndon's roses are selling now.
08:44But for his final challenge at the boot camp,
08:46I asked him to make his favourite piece
08:49to find out if the thing he loved making the most
08:52could also be a bestseller.
08:54He chose to craft a 55cm tall metal owl
08:58featuring feathers with a delicate bronze detail
09:02standing proudly on a 25cm steel branch.
09:07How are you doing?
09:07Sorry to interrupt you.
09:09No, no.
09:09I just wanted to see how you're getting on.
09:11Really well, I think.
09:11I'm just starting to make a batch of feathers.
09:14You say it's a feather, but...
09:15At the moment, yeah.
09:17So hopefully it will look like that.
09:19There's lots more detail.
09:20So I put some little slits in there.
09:22Yeah, how are you doing the gold stripes?
09:23I use a slitting disc to cut like a groove
09:26and then I use a TIG welder
09:27to put bronze inside the groove
09:29and then you just use a flap disc,
09:32flatten it off.
09:32So it's not going all the way through.
09:34You're just scoring the surface
09:35and then filling it with the bronze.
09:36That's a really nice little detail.
09:40I was interested in how Lyndon made his metal out,
09:43but mentor Adrian wanted to know
09:46how he planned to make money from it.
09:48Where are you looking to sort of sell?
09:50It'd be nice to sell at galleries.
09:52Have you identified any galleries in your local area?
09:54There's a couple in my immediate local area.
09:57I've contacted them.
09:58Yeah.
09:58I haven't received anything back yet.
10:00It might be worth just taking one or two
10:01of the things down with you.
10:03You can kind of sell yourself
10:04and the product while you're there.
10:05Okay.
10:06If they can buy into it,
10:07they'll then look at their potential customers
10:10that are going to come along and buy it
10:12and they can sell you.
10:14Lyndon's metal owl had a make time of 100 hours.
10:18So in order to show Adrian a finished piece,
10:21he brought one along that was closer to completion.
10:25I have some blanks here,
10:27which I use for the face.
10:29I've already cut out the holes
10:31and some bigger holes here.
10:33So I will weld some ball bearings
10:35into these holes to make the eyes.
10:39And also I'll cut with a grinder
10:41and I'll put in some feather detailing.
10:44And I'll do that now before I weld them together,
10:47otherwise you can't separate them.
10:49After completing and attaching the owl's face to the body,
10:55Lyndon moved on to finalising the piece.
10:59Just a quick look to make sure he's not wonky.
11:02Yeah, that's fantastic.
11:04So I'll just reinforce now,
11:05do a few more tacks to make sure he's nice and secure.
11:08And then the final stage is building around the back of the head.
11:12Nice small feathers so it looks in keeping with the head.
11:15Then it's off to lacquer.
11:20Lyndon's owl was absolutely stunning
11:22and was packed with personality and detail in its characterful face.
11:27He painted it with a clear coat of lacquer
11:29to protect the metal and add a shine.
11:32It was priced at £1,800
11:34and Adrian and I were both impressed with its finish.
11:38It's an incredibly busy piece.
11:40There's so much going on within it.
11:42It's lovely little details.
11:44And this has got an asking price of £1,800,
11:46which I kind of get.
11:48Yeah, absolutely.
11:49The level of work that you've put into it,
11:51the detail, the amount of sort of steel
11:52and the decorations that you've got on there
11:54with the bronze TIG welding.
11:56Yeah, I can see it.
11:58I can definitely see that price.
12:01It was fantastic sharing Lyndon's passion for metal work.
12:05As he headed home to Essex,
12:07we drew up an action plan to help turn his pieces
12:10into the business he'd one day hoped to share with his son.
12:14First, we challenged him to promote himself more on social media,
12:18doing reels of his making.
12:21Next, Adrian wanted Lyndon to approach galleries
12:24with his work in person.
12:26Finally, we both wanted him to consider new tooling
12:29and have a go at new blacksmithing techniques
12:32to help improve his pieces.
12:36With Adrian's support,
12:38Lyndon had two months to put his action plan into practice
12:41and start building his business.
12:44And job one was investing in new equipment.
12:47I've got my fly press delivered.
12:48Adrian advised me to buy one of these
12:50so I can make my leaves quicker and more uniform.
12:54So, yeah, hopefully this will change everything about my roses
12:57and any other future part which I can make quickly
12:59using this big kit.
13:01So, hopefully, let's get it unwrapped.
13:03It didn't take Lyndon long to put the fly press to good use
13:07and the new tool wasn't the only thing helping out in the workshop.
13:11I've got my little boy, Sam, working with me today.
13:15He's doing a good job.
13:15He's doing a very good job.
13:17Another bit of good news is a commission.
13:20Two commissions have come in for some animals.
13:23They're coming in via email, which is excellent.
13:26He also knuckled down to getting himself out more on social media.
13:30I'm going to try and make some clips and some pictures,
13:33try and boost my social media presence.
13:35At the moment, I've got a very, very low presence.
13:38I think I'll need to just go for it
13:40and put some videos out there and see what happens.
13:43As he tried to kick-start his business,
13:46Lyndon did everything we asked of him
13:48and after two months of hard graft,
13:51he reported back to us with brilliant news.
13:54I've made £2,700 since leaving me.
13:57£2,700?
13:58I'm very happy with that.
14:00Ecstatic, so...
14:01Yeah.
14:01Certainly looking forward to making this into a business.
14:04This is where I want to be.
14:05This is what I want to do.
14:07Lyndon needed to deduct his costs
14:09from his fantastic sales figures,
14:12but he was definitely on the right track
14:14to creating a brilliant business.
14:19Two and a half years later,
14:20I'm on my way to his workshop in Essex
14:22to hear all about how he's done just that
14:25and how much money he's making now.
14:29Hello?
14:30Lyndon?
14:33Hello.
14:34There he is.
14:35Hello, mate.
14:35Oh, it's so good to see you.
14:38It's nice to see you again.
14:39I've got so much to show you.
14:40Lead the way.
14:41Come with me, come with me.
14:42Look at this place.
14:44There we go.
14:47From the outside,
14:48I had high hopes for Lyndon's workshop
14:50and now I'm inside,
14:52it doesn't disappoint.
14:55I'm blown away.
14:56I didn't know what to expect.
14:57I knew it was going to be good,
14:58but you've got a good set up here.
15:00I build pretty much everything on here.
15:02I use the shear over there to cut my rod.
15:04I've got the drill press,
15:07my vices.
15:07And I've got the room next door,
15:10which is where all my parts are kept.
15:11And I've got my nice new bead roller there.
15:14Beautiful.
15:15This is a proper running organisation now, isn't it?
15:18Yeah.
15:19Considering from two years ago,
15:21there was nothing,
15:22I'm really, really proud.
15:24Yeah.
15:24When I first met Lyndon,
15:26he'd only sold one item.
15:28Now he's got a brilliant workshop
15:30and an amazing new business.
15:33This is dispatch.
15:34This is dispatch area.
15:36Yeah?
15:36Yeah, so parts,
15:39completed items,
15:40wrapped up on here,
15:41out they go.
15:42You're kidding me.
15:43All these tubs behind you,
15:44this is all...
15:45Parts.
15:45Your organisation.
15:46You've got this sorted.
15:48It's got to be perfect to make it work.
15:50It's been two and a half years
15:52since you were last at our business,
15:54Bootcamp.
15:55Yes.
15:55How has the business developed over that time?
15:58It's kept me very busy.
16:00I'd only sold one rose
16:02when I last met you at the Bootcamp.
16:04Yeah.
16:04And from then,
16:05it's up into the very,
16:07very high hundreds now.
16:08Hundreds?
16:10Just short of a thousand orders
16:12now in that time.
16:15Wow.
16:16It blows me away.
16:16What products in particular
16:17have helped grow the business?
16:19Well, I must say,
16:20it's the one that you actually asked me to...
16:23You'd like to see the copper rose.
16:25This was your volume piece,
16:27wasn't it?
16:27Yes.
16:27This was the one I built
16:28at the Bootcamp last time.
16:31You'd like to see copper rose.
16:32I made copper rose
16:33and I must admit,
16:34thank you so much
16:35because that has been
16:36the most popular item.
16:37With material costs
16:38of up to £25,
16:40Lyndon's new copper rose
16:42has a price tag of £60.
16:44Along with the other versions
16:46he's developed,
16:47he's sold a whopping 500 roses
16:49since he was at the Bootcamp,
16:51as well as other flowers
16:53priced at £45 to £130.
16:56But it's not just the volume pieces
16:58that are bringing in the money.
17:00How about the high-end pieces?
17:02Are they selling?
17:03Yes.
17:03Yeah, I'm pleased to say that.
17:04They sell as well.
17:06Yeah, very pleased.
17:07Very pleased.
17:08I love Lyndon's larger,
17:11more sculptural pieces.
17:12So it's good to hear
17:13they're selling too,
17:15with his bonsai trees
17:16going for £525 to £800
17:19depending on their size.
17:21It's the volume pieces
17:22that are driving the growth
17:24of his business though.
17:25And he's going to show me
17:26how he makes
17:27his best-selling copper rose.
17:30He starts by cutting
17:31a piece of stainless steel
17:32to length
17:33and shaping it
17:34in the vice
17:35with a hammer.
17:39Then it's time
17:40to make the leaves
17:41and Lyndon's son Sam
17:42is lending a hand.
17:44So Sam,
17:45how are you going to turn that
17:46into a lifelike leaf?
17:48So this is the tool
17:49that my dad made
17:51and so basically
17:53you put it under...
17:54Go on, show us.
17:55So you...
17:55Yeah.
17:55You put it under...
17:58like that.
17:59You line it up
18:00and you just smack it
18:04and it just makes
18:05the detail in the leaf.
18:06Yeah, but this is
18:07the beauty of organic
18:08things like plants.
18:09They're all a bit different.
18:10Yeah.
18:11None of them
18:11are all the same.
18:12And then you could do
18:13the sides.
18:17And that's how
18:18I make a leaf.
18:19With the leaves shaped
18:20and the leaf stem cut,
18:22Lyndon welds them together
18:26and cleans them
18:27with a wire brush.
18:30Next, he welds a bolt
18:32onto a pre-made flower stem
18:34that will hold
18:34the copper leaves in place.
18:37Then it's time
18:38to weld the flower
18:39and leaf stems together.
18:41So I made
18:42a dummy flower head.
18:43Okay.
18:44What I do,
18:44that will be screwed
18:45onto there
18:47and that is going
18:48to give a representation
18:49of where
18:50that copper will be.
18:52So you can eye up
18:53where the leaves go.
18:53Exactly.
18:54Because if I put
18:55the copper on there now,
18:56the welding might
18:57damage the copper
18:58which is already on there.
18:59Yeah.
18:59It's a painted flower.
19:00It could get damaged.
19:01So I use a dummy rose
19:03and then I use this
19:04and I just eye it up
19:05and start to form.
19:06So this is where
19:07your creative,
19:08artistic eye comes in
19:09and you're kind of
19:09eyeing,
19:10deciding whether the leaves
19:11go on the left
19:12or the right.
19:12The shape of it.
19:13The shape.
19:14This is, yeah.
19:15And then I can use
19:16that as a guide,
19:17hold the leaves together,
19:19give it a weld,
19:20and then move on.
19:22It's brilliant
19:22to watch Linden work again
19:24and after welding
19:25the flower and leaf stems
19:26of the rose together,
19:28he places and secures
19:29the petals
19:30and is letting me
19:32have a go
19:32at shaping them.
19:34bending this up.
19:35And you can pull that
19:36all the way up
19:36to start off with
19:37and then you've got
19:38lots of squash.
19:41It is quite nerve-wracking,
19:43That's it.
19:43Hold it with one hand
19:44and then just use...
19:47Oh, you've got a little bend
19:48that way.
19:49A little bend.
19:50And that's it.
19:50And back.
19:51A little bend there.
19:51There we go.
19:52Oh, yeah.
19:53Do it so how you want to do it.
19:55Make it your own.
19:56No, I want to make it.
19:58I just want you to be happy,
20:00Linden.
20:00I don't know.
20:02I'm happy.
20:02I'm not the artist here.
20:04Keep squeezing,
20:05keep squeezing
20:06and that will just...
20:06I'm trying, Linden.
20:09Helping Linden
20:10shape the rose petals
20:11has made it even clearer
20:13to me
20:13what a talented maker he is.
20:16Don't be afraid
20:17to get some pressure
20:17on that with your left hand.
20:20I'm not sure
20:21I'm looking forward
20:22to getting his verdict
20:23on my efforts.
20:25Linden, I think...
20:26I know your critical eye
20:27has been watching over me.
20:28I've never been so nervous,
20:29but...
20:30Look.
20:31For a beginner,
20:32come on.
20:32I don't think that's too bad.
20:34I think that's pretty good.
20:36Linden's new copper rose
20:38comes with a price tag
20:39of £60.
20:41I'm delighted
20:42he acted on my suggestion
20:43to create it,
20:44along with promoting himself
20:46on social media
20:46where he now has
20:47almost 2,000 followers
20:49watching his fab
20:50how-to videos.
20:53But have the other pointers
20:54Adrian and I gave him
20:56helped him to build
20:57his business
20:57over the past
20:58two and a half years?
20:59Linden, whilst you were
21:00last at the boot camp,
21:01we did send you away
21:02with a bit of an action plan,
21:04some key points to work on.
21:05One of those
21:06being to try
21:07and sell your work
21:08in galleries,
21:09trying to approach
21:09some galleries
21:10to see if they'll take it on.
21:11Yes.
21:11How'd you get on?
21:12Very well.
21:13I was very lucky
21:13to put three of my items
21:14into a sculpture park,
21:16two of which
21:17have sold
21:18and have moved on.
21:19Wow.
21:19Yep.
21:20Congratulations.
21:21My owl,
21:21which was my favourite
21:22from the boot camp,
21:23that's been sold
21:24and another sculpture park
21:26is going to be taking
21:27pieces in the future.
21:29Wow.
21:30My volume pieces
21:30and larger pieces,
21:32so very happy.
21:33Mate,
21:33that is absolutely brilliant.
21:35Linden sold his owl
21:37for the £1,800 price tag
21:39he put on it
21:39at the boot camp.
21:41It's a fantastic achievement
21:43and forming good relationships
21:45with sculpture parks
21:46is a great way
21:47of helping to sell
21:48his high-end pieces
21:49in the future.
21:51Another thing Adrian
21:52wanted you to work on
21:53was your tooling
21:54to try and speed up efficiency
21:55and make things
21:56more efficiently.
21:57Yeah,
21:57I've made three sets
21:58of tooling
21:59specifically for my bonsai trees.
22:01This is so clever.
22:03So it's basically,
22:04this is the male and female
22:05sort of two-part dyes.
22:07Am I right in thinking
22:08then you can get
22:08a laser cut
22:09flat blank
22:10of the leaves?
22:11Yes.
22:11Put that in the fly,
22:12have this tooling
22:13in the fly press.
22:14Yes.
22:15Drop that in,
22:16crank that
22:16and you'll get
22:17all of this texture
22:18embossed in.
22:19Every time.
22:20I can completely appreciate
22:22the amount of work
22:24in designing
22:25and thinking
22:26and developing
22:26and making these.
22:28It must have taken you
22:28a long time.
22:30Really did.
22:31Yeah.
22:31Yeah,
22:31each one,
22:32there's been a three,
22:33four throwaway versions
22:35because they never
22:36come out perfect.
22:37These ones
22:38are working.
22:39The rest are in a bit.
22:42Lyndon's taken on board
22:44all the advice
22:45we gave him
22:46and two and a half years
22:47after coming to my boot camp,
22:48I'm looking forward
22:49to finding out
22:50what impact that's had
22:52on his job
22:52as a fabricator
22:53and his finances.
22:56The last time
22:57we were together,
22:57your job was a fabricator
22:58and this was
22:59the hobby,
23:00maybe.
23:01Has that changed
23:02now at all?
23:03I'm now doing
23:04three days a week
23:05fabrication
23:05and the rest of the week
23:07is my time
23:08for my business.
23:09For whatever work
23:10I've done in my life,
23:11I've always been away
23:12and to have the chance
23:13to be at home,
23:14not a lot of people
23:15get that chance
23:15to work with family
23:16in the way
23:17that I'd like to do.
23:18Do you mind
23:19if we talk about
23:20numbers now?
23:20Is it fair to say
23:21this craft
23:22or this skill
23:23that you've now got
23:23is earning an income
23:24for you?
23:25Yes,
23:26I've been very proud
23:27to say it's on average
23:28about £25,000 a year.
23:31£25,000 a year?
23:33Which I'm blown away by.
23:34Wow.
23:34It's incredible.
23:36My business plan
23:37is to completely
23:38reinvest,
23:39improve techniques,
23:41improve my tooling.
23:42And you've created
23:43such a unique environment
23:45here where your son
23:46can come and get stuck
23:47in and have fun
23:48and learn amazing skills,
23:50learn from you
23:50and just be in
23:52this environment
23:52and I think it's
23:53a beautiful thing.
23:54It's really lovely
23:55what you've created
23:56and I wish you
23:57the best of luck.
23:58Thank you very much, sir.
23:58Going from a hobby
24:00that earned nothing
24:01to making a profit
24:02of £25,000 a year
24:04after taking off
24:06his costs
24:06is a truly
24:07amazing achievement.
24:09The fact that
24:10Lyndon's only working
24:11on his business
24:12two to three days a week
24:13makes it even more
24:15spectacular
24:15and is a real testament
24:17to his talent
24:18and determination.
24:20What I've been through
24:21for the last couple of years
24:22has showed really
24:22it is working.
24:24Not many fathers
24:24get a chance
24:25to spend time
24:26at work
24:27with their children
24:28so I'm very privileged
24:30in that respect.
24:31The amount of orders
24:32I've taken
24:32I'm very grateful for
24:34and I can see
24:34it's going to keep going
24:36it's going to keep growing
24:37I'm very proud.
24:38It's working.
24:40It's working.
24:46The second maker
24:48we're catching up with today
24:49is keepsake jeweller
24:50Andy from Devon.
24:52She came to my boot camp
24:54in the summer of 2020
24:5524
24:55after taking
24:56the very big decision
24:58to give up her job
24:59as a furniture sales assistant
25:00to pursue her passion
25:02for keepsake jewellery.
25:04I'm a keepsake artist.
25:06I encapsulate things
25:07like cremation ashes
25:09pet fur
25:10hair
25:11I just love the idea
25:12of sort of
25:13capturing a memory
25:14and creating something
25:15really precious from it.
25:17Like Lyndon
25:19I set Andy
25:20three challenges
25:21and for her volume piece
25:23she decided
25:23decided to create
25:24a keepsake channel ring
25:25which she hoped to sell
25:27for £114.
25:29Made from a pre-bought
25:31tungsten carbide ring
25:32opals
25:33and an inclusion
25:34of hair from a loved one
25:35were sandwiched
25:36between layers
25:37of UV resin
25:38mixed with coloured pigment.
25:41I'm going to fill the channel
25:43of the ring
25:45with the resin
25:46just trying to make sure
25:47that it's not pouring
25:48over the edges
25:49just because it just gives us
25:50a lot more work
25:52to do later on
25:53if it goes everywhere.
25:55After filling the channel
25:57of the ring
25:57with two layers
25:58of coloured resin
25:59Andy began
26:00adding the opals
26:02Just making sure
26:03that the opals
26:05don't actually
26:07go any higher
26:09than sort of
26:09the level setting
26:10of the ring
26:10because if it does
26:12then once I put
26:13the top layer of resin
26:14on and cure it
26:14and I sand it down
26:15and polish it
26:16there are going to be
26:17little patches
26:17where the opals
26:18are sticking out.
26:19I am just going to
26:20cure this under
26:20the UV lamp.
26:23I'll just rotate it
26:24very slowly
26:25as I go
26:26I'm using
26:27a UV based resin
26:29which means
26:30that with a UV light
26:32the resin liquid
26:33will turn into a solid
26:34after curing under
26:35the light
26:36for a few seconds.
26:38To help her
26:39make money
26:39from her work
26:40Andy was mentored
26:42by professional jeweller
26:43Sunny Bailey-Aird
26:44and whilst she focused
26:46on making her channel ring
26:47I sat down with Sunny
26:49to talk about
26:49her second challenge.
26:51I asked her
26:52to bring her favourite piece
26:53to the boot camp
26:54to see if what she loved
26:55making the most
26:56could be a big seller.
26:58She decided
26:59to showcase a pendant
27:00encapsulating fur
27:02from her pet cat
27:03Jerry
27:03who had recently
27:04passed away.
27:08Excluding curing time
27:09it took her
27:10around an hour
27:10to make
27:11and with material
27:12costs of £35
27:13she gave it
27:15a price tag
27:15of £61.50.
27:18What are your thoughts
27:19on Andy's favourite piece?
27:21It's crispy clean
27:22it looks nice and tidy
27:24the only thing
27:25I would like Andy
27:26to try
27:27and change
27:28is to
27:29instead of
27:30buying in components
27:31I'd love to see Andy
27:33dip her toe
27:34into the actual
27:35making of
27:36the mount.
27:37She needs to do
27:38these stories
27:38as much justice
27:39as possible
27:40and the stories
27:41deserve nothing less
27:42than handmade.
27:42How can we help Andy
27:43at the moment?
27:44Any key points for her?
27:45Her main market
27:46is where she's from
27:48so we want to try
27:49to expand that.
27:50Obviously
27:50the first port of call
27:51here is social media.
27:53Sharing the story online
27:54is going to do nothing
27:55but draw more eyes
27:56to her work
27:56and that's the most
27:57important part.
28:02Back on the jewellery station
28:04Andy was adding hair
28:05to her keepsake channel ring.
28:07I like having the responsibility
28:09of working with things
28:10that are so precious
28:11to people.
28:11You can really tell
28:13how much somebody
28:14meant to somebody.
28:15This is a final
28:16layer of resin
28:18making sure that it
28:19isn't the channel part
28:20because anything that
28:22does come over the sides
28:23accidentally
28:23it is going to be
28:24sanded and polished back.
28:27When she arrived
28:28at my boot camp
28:29Andy had been making
28:30keepsake jewellery
28:31for three years.
28:32It was something
28:33she started following
28:35a day out
28:35with a former partner.
28:37Around 2021
28:38I was really fortunate
28:40enough to kind of
28:40attend this really nice
28:42beach day
28:43and I thought
28:43do you know
28:44I really wanted to
28:44capture this memory
28:45so I'd like to
28:46sort of like a handful
28:47of shells.
28:48I made some
28:50resin jewellery
28:51and from there
28:52it's gone from
28:53shells to fur
28:54to ashes
28:55and I just love
28:56making it.
29:00After hardening
29:01the top layer
29:02of resin
29:02in her ring
29:03under a UV light
29:04Andy moved on
29:05to applying
29:06the finishing touches.
29:07I'm just making sure
29:08that the surface
29:09of the ring
29:10doesn't have deep
29:11scratches.
29:12The next step
29:13would just be
29:14to polish
29:14and then
29:15we're pretty
29:15much done.
29:17With material
29:18costs of around
29:19£30
29:20and a make time
29:21of 90 minutes
29:22Andy's channel ring
29:23was beautifully made.
29:25With kiln
29:26and workshop
29:27costs to consider
29:28as well
29:29she gave it
29:30a price tag
29:30of £114.
29:33I think there's
29:34so much potential
29:35for this design.
29:37The really simple
29:38way that we can
29:39elevate this
29:39is essentially
29:40take a mould
29:42of the base
29:43ring
29:43without the resin
29:45get it cast
29:46up into silver
29:47and we can
29:47outsource that
29:48and then that
29:49essentially just
29:49increases the
29:50preciousness
29:51and the customer's
29:52perceived value
29:52of the piece
29:53is instantly higher.
29:54At the moment
29:55this is priced
29:55at £114.
29:57Do you think
29:57you'll still be able
29:58to make that
29:58for the same price
29:59out of silver?
30:00We might have
30:00to increase it
30:01a touch
30:01because mould
30:03making
30:03getting the cast
30:04and obviously
30:04the precious metal
30:05itself is going
30:06to come at a
30:06slightly higher price
30:07but it's not
30:08going to be
30:08earth shaking.
30:10For both
30:11of her first
30:11two pieces
30:12Sonny wanted
30:13Andy to raise
30:14the level
30:14of her work
30:15by using
30:16higher quality
30:16materials
30:18and for her
30:19third task
30:20he gave her
30:21a special
30:21mentor's challenge
30:22that was designed
30:24to make her
30:24do just that.
30:26I picked
30:27this challenge
30:27for Andy
30:28because using
30:29nicer materials
30:30is going to
30:31in turn
30:31elevate her designs
30:32and it's also
30:33going to command
30:33a higher price
30:34point.
30:35We have to
30:35make sure
30:36that she's
30:36doing the
30:37stories justice.
30:38To try
30:39and create
30:39a higher
30:40end piece
30:40Andy decided
30:41to make
30:42a domed
30:42glass
30:43keepsake
30:43pendant.
30:45Ground
30:45fragrance
30:46of glass
30:47known as
30:47frit
30:47and ashes
30:48were mixed
30:49and fused
30:50together
30:50inside a
30:51glass cap
30:52and set
30:53in a
30:53pre-bought
30:53silver mount.
30:56After
30:57cutting
30:57the glass
30:57caps
30:58Andy
30:58assembled
30:59the frit
31:00and ashes
31:00mix.
31:01These ashes
31:02are actually
31:03donated to me
31:04they are
31:05horse ashes
31:06so I've got
31:07a tiny
31:07tiny bit
31:08of ashes
31:09I'm just
31:09going to
31:10very gently
31:10tap inside.
31:14I don't want
31:15it to get
31:16anywhere else.
31:20It's okay.
31:22The frit
31:22and ashes
31:23mix needed
31:24topping off
31:24with a glass
31:25cap which
31:26would form
31:26a glass
31:27stone after
31:28being fired
31:28in the kiln.
31:30As she
31:30was experimenting
31:31with the
31:31process
31:32Andy
31:33made a
31:33number of
31:33them
31:34to make
31:34sure she
31:35had one
31:35that fit
31:36inside a
31:36pre-bought
31:37silver mount.
31:38I'm just
31:39going to make
31:39a few more
31:40and then
31:40it's going
31:41to be
31:41ready to
31:42go inside
31:42the kiln.
31:43Right Andy
31:45I'm seeing
31:45lots of
31:46activity on
31:46over I
31:47couldn't
31:47contain
31:47myself
31:48what are
31:48you working
31:48on at
31:48the minute?
31:49I'm
31:49pretty much
31:50just
31:50sandwiching
31:51the
31:52horse's
31:52ashes
31:53between
31:53two
31:54bits
31:55of frit
31:55just hoping
31:56that
31:56when it's
31:57fusing
31:57in the
31:58kiln
31:58it really
31:58fuses
31:59a sort
31:59of
31:59one
32:00hole
32:00that's
32:01what I'm
32:01really
32:01hoping
32:02for.
32:03The stones
32:04took four
32:04hours to
32:05form and
32:06then needed
32:06to be left
32:06to cool
32:07for several
32:07more
32:08before being
32:09ready to
32:10be glued
32:10in to
32:11pre-bought
32:11silver mounts.
32:13With such
32:14a long
32:14prep time
32:15Andy brought
32:16along a
32:16finished
32:17pendant to
32:17be able to
32:18show
32:18Sonny and
32:19I a
32:19completed
32:19piece.
32:21It was
32:22priced at
32:22£120
32:23to £140.
32:27The thing
32:27that jumps
32:28out to me
32:28is the
32:29contrast of
32:29colours
32:29you've got
32:30in there
32:30you've got
32:30that crispy
32:31almost crystal
32:32ball-like glass
32:33and then you've
32:34got that deep
32:34greeny blues
32:35and you can
32:36see the ashes
32:37super clearly
32:37and you've
32:38actually smashed
32:39the actual
32:39making of the
32:40glass too.
32:41Memorials mean a lot
32:41to you but
32:42there's another
32:42side to
32:43encapsulating
32:44these memories.
32:45Have you ever
32:45thought about
32:46celebrations?
32:47You could go
32:47into newborn
32:49babies,
32:50you can go
32:50into honeymoons,
32:52commemorating any
32:53journey or part
32:55of life if you will.
32:57Andy's skill and
32:58passion for
32:59keepsake jewellery
33:00was clear to
33:01see and as she
33:02headed back to
33:03Devon, Sonny drew
33:04up an action plan
33:05to help her start
33:07getting the sales
33:07she needed.
33:09First, he asked
33:10her to make her
33:11own mounts and
33:12rings by hand
33:13and also use glass
33:14instead of resin
33:15to make her pieces
33:16more high-end.
33:19Next, Sonny wanted
33:20Andy to share what
33:21she does online
33:22to reach out to
33:23customers beyond
33:24her local area.
33:26Finally, she
33:27needed to think
33:28about developing
33:29collections of
33:30keepsake jewellery
33:30for celebratory
33:31events.
33:34With Sonny's
33:35support, we gave
33:37Andy two months
33:38to work on our
33:38advice and get
33:39the sales coming
33:40in.
33:41She started by
33:42making her pieces
33:43more high-end.
33:44I've ordered
33:45powder, glass,
33:46I've ordered
33:46fine and medium
33:48frets and I'm
33:49going to experiment
33:50with getting the
33:51colour right and
33:52then I'm going to
33:52start incorporating
33:53the ashes again
33:54into that and
33:56instead of trying
33:56to make the stone
33:57to fit the setting,
33:58I'm going to make
33:59my own settings
34:00that are going
34:00to fit the stone.
34:02I'll go through
34:02the whole process
34:03of what a typical
34:05jeweller or silversmith
34:07would do.
34:08Andy also worked
34:10on creating a
34:10collection of pieces
34:11to celebrate other
34:12life events like
34:13babies and
34:14birthdays as well
34:15as promoting herself
34:16on social media.
34:18Last night,
34:20I scheduled a post
34:22to be released
34:22this morning and
34:24I have seen my
34:25face and my work
34:27all over social
34:28media.
34:29In the eight
34:30weeks after my
34:31boot camp,
34:31Andy worked around
34:32the clock following
34:33our advice and
34:35when she came back
34:35to fill us in on
34:36her latest achievements,
34:38she'd done herself
34:39proud.
34:39Do you mind if I
34:40ask how much you've
34:41made over the last
34:42eight weeks?
34:42I've made just
34:44shy of £1,800.
34:46Really?
34:47Literally just the
34:48action points alone
34:49has allowed me to
34:51sort of go down
34:53that path.
34:54This is just the
34:54start, so look at
34:55this eight weeks as
34:56just the beginning.
34:57You can take it
34:58wherever you want.
35:00Andy had to take
35:01off her costs from
35:02her fabulous sales
35:03figures, but Sunny
35:05was bang on.
35:06She'd created a
35:07business with huge
35:08potential.
35:1218 months after she
35:14first came to the
35:15boot camp, I've
35:16asked him to head
35:16down to Devon to
35:17visit her at her
35:18new workshop and
35:20find out how she's
35:21fulfilled it.
35:25Andy, hello, mate.
35:26Hi, how are you?
35:27Good to you?
35:27I'm OK, thank you.
35:28Good.
35:29Come on in, come on in.
35:32When she came to
35:33the boot camp, Andy
35:34was making her pieces
35:35in the spare room in
35:36her house.
35:37Now, as well as
35:38this brilliant new
35:39workshop, she's also
35:41got a consultation
35:42room next door, where
35:44clients can come in
35:45and tell her their
35:46stories.
35:47Andy, your space is
35:48incredible, but am I
35:50right in saying that
35:51the business is moving
35:51alongside that?
35:52Yeah, it's absolutely
35:55crazy how things have
35:57worked out.
35:58People are searching
35:58my name online and
36:00finding my pieces, and
36:02also I'm hiring people
36:03and I'm paying people
36:04a commission to help
36:05me with my own
36:05designs and my own
36:06collections.
36:07So, yeah, it really
36:08is working out
36:09absolutely great.
36:10It is a business.
36:11It's a full-time,
36:13seven-day-a-week
36:13business.
36:14So, which pieces
36:15since the boot camp
36:15have been your
36:16bestsellers?
36:17We wanted to make
36:18a higher-end product,
36:19so one of the things
36:20that we wanted to
36:21work on was fabricating
36:23things from start to
36:24finish and not buying
36:24pre-made stuff and
36:26working with glass.
36:27So, I've kind of put
36:28them both together and
36:29started making my own
36:30glass rings and
36:31pendants, which has
36:32been a bestseller.
36:35Andy's new glass
36:36rings are priced from
36:37£130 and her
36:39pendants from
36:40£140.
36:41It's great to see her
36:42embracing Sunny's
36:43advice, and she's
36:45also created a new
36:46personalised ashes and
36:48gemstone dust pendant.
36:49It has a price tag of
36:51£250, and she's going
36:53to show Sunny how she
36:54makes it.
36:56This is basically going
36:57to be the start of a
36:58pendant, so what we
37:00tend to do, or at
37:01least the concept of
37:02this one, is to put
37:03ashes and sort of
37:04crushed-up gemstones
37:05inside.
37:06The middle bit is going
37:07to be the thing that
37:08resonates with the
37:08customer, so it might
37:09be a shape for heart,
37:10it might be a paw print,
37:11it might be a smiley
37:12face if they really
37:13wanted, but once we
37:15file it down, we'll be
37:17able to see, obviously,
37:18the contrast between
37:18the gemstones and also
37:20the silver.
37:22The customer's shape
37:24in the silver square is
37:25created using CAD, or
37:27computer-aided design
37:28technology, from which
37:30the piece is then cast
37:31from a wax model.
37:34After soldering the
37:35pendant and ring that
37:36will hold the chain in
37:37place together, Andy
37:39moves on to filing and
37:40sanding to remove any
37:41scratches and
37:42imperfections from the
37:43casting process.
37:45But rather than holding
37:46the piece in her hand,
37:48Sunny wants her to brace
37:49it against her bench peg
37:50to speed up the
37:51process.
37:52If you're loose, you
37:54can't apply enough
37:55pressure.
37:55Yeah.
37:56Whereas if you brace
37:57it, now you can get
37:59stuck in there.
38:04So you brace it
38:05against there, and you
38:07come in with a fourth.
38:11Oh, yeah, I can see.
38:13Yeah.
38:14So much better.
38:15So I've been spending
38:17so much time trying to
38:19figure it out because it
38:21was just taking me so
38:22long.
38:22Yeah, man, get stuck in
38:23there.
38:24Don't be shy.
38:26That's a great tip from
38:28Sunny.
38:29To fill the spaces around
38:30the silver heart in her
38:31pendant, Andy mixes crushed
38:34gemstones and ashes.
38:36One spoon of the obsidian.
38:42I'm going to do a scoop of
38:45this in there like that.
38:49So I'm going to give it a
38:49shake just to make sure I'm
38:51happy with the colour
38:51itself.
38:55Quite like that.
38:57I think that's nice.
38:58Yeah, it's nice.
39:01After carefully placing the
39:02mix around the heart...
39:04I'm going to use a really
39:05fine brush just to push all
39:07of the excess into the gaps.
39:11Andy secures it in place
39:12with three layers of an
39:13adhesive which is more
39:15durable than resin.
39:17You can see it filling the
39:19channel.
39:21I'll wait until it cures and
39:22then we're ready to polish.
39:24After filing, sanding and
39:26polishing the pendant, Andy
39:28moves on to creating an
39:30inscription on the back.
39:31Using an engraver, she's
39:33been able to buy from the
39:34profits of her business.
39:36Just for the purpose of
39:37this, I'm going to put mum.
39:40So start it.
39:50It's going to be a little
39:51bit hot.
39:54It's actually come out
39:54really, really well.
39:55I personally like really
39:57squiggly font and I think it
39:58just looks like really gentle
39:59and nice and the fact that
40:01this is on the back of a
40:02pendant that would contain,
40:03for example, potentially
40:04someone's mum's ashes.
40:06It just gives that extra
40:07sentimental element to it.
40:09So, yeah, I'm really happy.
40:10With material costs of £130
40:13and a make time of up to five
40:15hours, Andy's new
40:17personalised pendants are
40:18priced at £250.
40:20It's great to see her
40:22throwing herself into making
40:23new designs and higher-end
40:25jewellery.
40:26She's also made some pieces
40:28for celebratory events, but
40:30I'm keen to know if she's
40:32been promoting herself on
40:33social media and find out
40:35how much money she's now
40:36making.
40:37So, Andy, we set you quite a
40:38lot to do after bootcamp and
40:40one of those challenges was
40:41to essentially try and get
40:42your work out there online,
40:44show some of the process to
40:45social media followers, etc.
40:47How have you been getting
40:47on with that?
40:49So, I think one of the
40:50things you said to me before
40:51was to make reels and to
40:53share stories and stuff
40:54online a little bit more,
40:55which I have done, but I'm
40:57still in that process of
40:58learning, you know, like
41:01learning the actual skill.
41:02And I think when I know a
41:04product very, very well and
41:05I can do it from start to
41:06finish very quickly, I'm
41:08happily able to sort of
41:09record and make social media
41:11content and that's been
41:12proven really successful.
41:14I'm getting thousands of
41:15engagements, which is great.
41:17And they're translating into
41:19orders and visits to the
41:20website, which I can track
41:21through, um, analytics.
41:23Amazing.
41:25It's clear that Andy has
41:27been working hard for the
41:28past year and a half.
41:29And I'm looking forward to
41:31hearing exactly what that's
41:32meant for her bank balance.
41:34From what I can see, you're
41:35absolutely smashing it.
41:36And it seems that you're,
41:38well, you can see you're
41:39glowing from sort of the
41:40enjoyment and all the
41:41work that you've been
41:41putting into it.
41:43But with a business, there
41:45also needs to be a pound
41:45note involved as well.
41:47Have you been making some
41:48money for yourself?
41:49So, currently at the
41:51moment I'm making around
41:52£35,000.
41:54Proper money, well, it's a
41:55business.
41:55Yeah, it's a full business.
41:57I can finally say I've made
41:58it.
41:59So, I am happy.
42:01To go from almost nothing
42:03to having an income of
42:05£35,000 a year after
42:07costs in just 18 months is
42:09a phenomenal achievement.
42:11And it's proof of Andy's
42:13drive and can-do attitude.
42:15Oh, these have been the most
42:17stressful, but intense, but
42:20rewarding 18 months of my
42:21life.
42:22It's turned what was a hobby
42:24into a full business and it's
42:26put me in exactly the position
42:27that I wanted to be in.
42:29I'm really looking forward to
42:30every single day that comes
42:32because I get so many
42:33opportunities to do so many
42:34amazing things and I'm
42:35forever grateful.
42:38Andy and Lyndon's success is
42:40well-deserved.
42:41They've taken the advice from
42:43their mentors and with an
42:45enormous amount of hard work
42:47turned it into businesses they
42:49can be very proud of.
42:51Inspired by I Made It At
42:52Market?
42:53Go behind the scenes with The
42:54Open University to discover
42:56bonus interviews exploring new
42:58insights into how makers have
43:00sustained and grown their
43:01businesses.
43:02Scan the QR code on screen or go
43:05to connect.open.ac.uk
43:08forward slash I Made It At
43:10Market.
43:35See you next time.
43:37See you next time.
43:41Bye.
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