06x02 - Keepsake Box and Blindfold Challenge

[bunniefuu]

It's week two and we've already lost
a potter, leaving us with just 11.

Now it's all about secrets this week
and I have a few secrets of my own,

but I keep them pretty well hidden.
Shh.

This is good telly, isn't it?

Wait till you see.

Has anyone seen my last
custard cream?

Welcome to The Great Pottery
Throw Down. Shh.

No!

Last time, the gates of Gladstone

welcomed a brand new
batch of potters...

Ooh. ..all eager to hit the wheel...
I'm starting to panic now.

...and to throw a birthday tea set.

Jesus Christ.

And while Lois' cake stand, cups
and cream pot...

It's quite a big ask, isn't it?
..secured her Potter of the Week...

It's absolutely wonderful.
..Caitlin struggled.

Oh, no! Definitely feeling like
I'm under pressure.

But in the end, it was Vithu...
It's gonna be really, really tight.

...who became the first potter
to leave the competition. It's OK.

This week... Argh!

Ooh. ..the potters have their
engineering skills put to the test.

This is a nightmare, isn't it?
As they slab build keepsake boxes

with a hidden secret.
So I'm just trying to listen.

Is that too much?

And face a blindfolded
throw down challenge.

t*rture, pottery t*rture.

Who will engineer a victory?

Yes! It worked. And who... I'm
really shaking. ..will fall apart?

Don't mind me. No, I won't.
I'm just judging you.

It's week two
and our potters are back.

Potter of the Week last week,
oh, my God.

Yeah, it's given me
a little boost for today.

I'm quite looking forward to getting in
there and cracking on with the next thing.

First we go slab building. I've slab
built one box in the last eight years,

so I'm not the biggest fan
of slab building.

Slab building is very precise.

I'm not the best mathematician,
but I've got a good eye.

I'm feeling a little bit more
confident than last week.

I love my pottery family already.

I know it's really cringe,
but it's true.

Welcome back, potters.

For this week's main make challenge,

the judges would like you to slab
build a personal keepsake box

that has a smaller, hidden,
secret box inside.

Now we want the boxes
to reflect a passion of yours,

so if you're really into '70s glam rock,
then this should be your chosen passion.

We're really looking for a statement piece,
so think about how you can bring your passion

into that form and decoration
of your keepsake boxes.

But your smaller box needs to fit
securely inside the larger box,

and your outer lid needs to be disguised,
we don't want to see where it is.

OK then, potters, you have been
given

six hours to make and refine
your personal keepsake boxes

and your time starts...now.

The potters' boxes, along with their
smaller secret siblings

and concealed lids, must be made
using the slab building method.

No, I don't slab build.
I've never slab built,

well, I made a little butter dish
before but it's not my thing.

So that means task number one
is rolling out their slabs.

It's hard to get a ball of clay

and make it as flat as possible.

Slab building's, like, very serious.

I think if I was really good at it,
I would love it, but I'm not.

So hand-building challenge.

A keepsake box with a disguised lid

with another little
secret box inside.

Yeah, I mean, we're gonna learn
more about our potters' passions,

but we're also gonna find out
whether they can slab build.

Ancl people often think slab building
is quite an easy process,

but it's really not. There's loads our
potters are gonna have to get right

to make sure their lidded boxes
are well constructed.

It's a civil engineering project,
isn't it?

It is. I mean, our potters
have to be super accurate

with all of those measurements

but they also need to be aware that
that clay is gonna warp and move.

If they've got a complex mechanism

or a complex way in which that lid
is fitting into the box,

that warping could cause
real issues.

What I love about some
of our examples here

is that the whole form and the
structure

is incorporated into the lid. Yeah. I
mean, this parrot here, for example,

you wouldn't know that it was a box,

but you lift the head, it's a box.
I think that integration of the lid,

with the rest of the box, is going to be key
to success in this challenge. Dun-dun-dun-dun.

Hello, Fabiola. Oh, hi there.
Hi, Fabiola. How are you?

I'm all right, how are you?
Well, I'm very happy here.

Made it through the first week.
I did it and I'm here

and I'm going to fight for it.
Absolutely.

Tell us about your passions.
OK, I'm going to make a box

that symbolises dancing.

Dancing? Ah. Because dancing
is just a language of the world.

Anywhere you go, you just move
your body and dance

and everyone will understand you.

Wherever Fabiola goes, she brings
the Colombian carnival vibes.

Whoo! But she has never happier than
when dancing with husband, Mauricio.

I love you. I love you more.

Her keepsake box will feature her
daughters, Mariana and Daniela,

dancing at either end,
and for extra movement,

she's aiming for a cylindrical base
that will rock back and forth.

So, you don't have a flat bottom?
It's all...curved?

Yeah. Right, OK. It's all...
Believe me, it's all curved.

I love a curvy bottom. My husband
asked too, "Ooh, is that too much?"

Also embracing a curvier design
is Flies.

Sol am making a wave box

and it's going to be coming over like
this. Wow. just like this actually. OK.

And it's going to be representing
my passion for the ocean.

When she's not down at the beach,
carving up the waves,

Flies loves to spend her weekends
doing a spot of figurative sculpture.

This is an abstract hand.

She's hoping to use her sculpting
skills to create a wave,

inside which will sit a treasure
chest, beneath a lid,

topped with a very special dolphin.

So dolphins actually ride waves,
and my sister found out

she was pregnant when she saw
dolphins flying off waves so... Wow. Yeah.

Cute. Did the dolphin tell her? Yeah,
the dolphin told her. "You're pregnant."

We both tried to do the noise,
we can do it.

So you want another cup of tea,
Siobhan? Yeah.

Also on the hunt for tea is Helen.

I go mudlarking on the Thames,

near the Cutty Sark,
cos it's a tea clipper,

my story was that a tea caddy
had fallen over the side

and sunk to the depths
of the Thames

and had ended up with all the, sort of, detritus
and everything from the Thames all over it.

Mudlarking might be
a relatively new hobby,

but Helen has already built up quite
the collection of knick-knacks.

Look at the soldier. I'm going to
try and put that in one of my pots.

Covered in seaweed, shells
and mudlarking finds,

the lid of Helen's tea caddy
will be completely disguised.

Hidden inside, a chest which contains
Helen's first souvenir from the Thames.

It is amazing,
the things that you find.

Nothing precious, nothing valuable,
but it's still fun.

Helen may have had to dig through the
mud of the Thames to find her treasures,

but Lois found hers
a little closer to home.

So my design is, kind of, inspired
by my gran.

I'd look around her house and really enjoyed seeing
all her things she'd collected over the years. Yeah.

I, kind of, got into antiques, so
I've brought this Chinese fu dog.

That's, kind of,
like my main inspiration.

OK. I made mine a French bulldog
because I just think they're cute.

Lois' boys, Jacob and Samuel, love playing
with their grandparents' dog, Oscar. Up.

Hooray.

An allergy to pets means
they can't have a dog at home,

so Lois is making an allergen-free
pooch today.

Her French bulldog box will be a
culture clash of design inspiration,

with its antique, ceramic style
body and its concealed lid,

which can only be opened
with a secret key

disguised as a Peruvian style rug.

The rug itself is quite a good way
of concealing a lid. Yeah.

With the tassels.
No, no, no, absolutely.

But to have that added element,
it's ambitious.

You've got a lot to do.
Lots of technical elements. Yeah.

So we're gonna leave you to it.
Yeah.

But with over 30 slabs making up
his keepsake box...

I'm not panicking yet.
I'll save that for later.

"Jon's ambitious design
is out of this world.

My thing is science fiction.
I love science fiction.

I've been reading science fiction
for 30 years or so,

so it's a science fiction spaceship.

Used to designing bridges
and buildings,

Jon's structural engineering
background

should come in handy today

as there is no room for error with
his precisely-engineered spacecraft,

which will be transporting
a smaller box

carved to look like
an alien artefact

in its hold,
at the stern of the ship.

There's lots of engineering in this,
lots of measurements and accuracy,

I've got a former to form it all in, so
it's all very, very methodical and planned,

as long as all the dimensions are right, if
I start going wrong, it's gonna be obvious

cos it's gonna look all warped and bent and I'll
have to pretend it's a crashed spaceship then, so...

As well as getting their
calculations spot-on...

26 and a half, how did that happen?

That one's 26.
This is a nightmare, isn't it?

...the potters need to handle
their slabs with caution.

I'm really shaking, honestly.

And this is the main part of my box,
so hopefully, I won't break it.

I'm trying to be really careful.
If it's too wet and you move

and you cut it, and you whatever,
you start distorting the clay,

and it's no longer going to be as
lovely and precise as you hoped.

Just trying to minimise
how much we move the slabs,

just trying to keep them
completely flat,

so they don't bend
and warp later on.

Yeah, I will be in...

I mean, whoops. Ooh.

Shalll help? Can I help?

It's all right, I'll do it. I'll be responsible
for any bends in it. Let's move it quickly.

I feel like the less time
it's bending...

I might do that one again.

Thanks.

Oh, I knew that was gonna happen.

Potters, that's one hour gone.

Your first hour gone.

Ooh.
Whether shaped over a former...

It's important to have a former,
for this to dry properly,

in the position you want to have it.
..or laid out like flat-pack furniture...

A lot of template pieces to do,
a lot.

...the potters have
a multitude of slabs to dry

before they can start to construct,
not one, but two boxes.

I'm really worried about time,
really.

I mean, I have so many things to do.

Butjon has an even
bigger to-do list.

I just dropped quite a few
of the pieces on the floor,

I've rescued some of them,
but some of them have gone,

so I'm just trying to make sure I know what
I've broken and what I've got to make new,

so I don't miss anything out
for the next stage.

As jon tries to resurrect
his spaceship...

I seem to have broken more
than I thought I had.

...Derek is hoping to bring a
childhood relic back to life.

So I am making
a 1970s portable telly.

It's really about childhood
memories... Right.

...and my passion for watching telly.

It doesn't get enough credit
as a leisure activity.

In the days before the Internet, television
was a window to the world for young Derek.

He will be attempting
to recreate the sharp angles

of his retro television
and transistor radio,

which will be revealed
by removing the TV screen.

There's a lot of construction,
obviously. There is.

But there's a lot of elements that
really need not to warp. Yeah.

Right.

I'm looking at you, Derek. I know
you are. I'm looking. Yeah. Yeah.

It's a risk doing something that
isn't organic in form. Yes.

But there is something very organic
growing over on Chris top he's bench.

I have a passion for plants.

My house is a jungle.

I think I just counted out
over 70 plants at my place.

When he's not watering
his plethora of plants...

Here it is.

...Chris top he and boyfriend, Seb,
love feeding their friends.

That's yoghurt.

Today the only thing Chris top he
will be feeding

will be his carnivorous
pitcher plant.

Its brightly coloured leaves
will form a concealed lid

under which will sit his secret box,
which has been ingested,

along with a few unlucky flies.

And it seems the pitcher plant

is already attracting
another potential victim.

Talking about fly, and she's already
interested about it.

Sorry, goodbye.

George, however, is making a much
more insect-friendly habitat.

I keep bees, so it's going to be
a beehive with honeycomb in.

Wow. Hives come flat-packed, which
is perfect for slab building. Ahh.

Well, your bench does look like a
hive of industry.

It looks like a mess. Nicely done. See what
I did? Nicely done. I'll give him that one.

George caught the beekeeping bug
aged eight, after his mum, Clarissa,

took up the hobby.
They're lovely and quiet.

So far. Famous last words, isn't it?

His beehive will be constructed
from flat, clay slats

and to continue the theme, his smaller box
will be imprinted with a honeycomb effect.

If the Pottery was a hive,
who's the queen bee?

Oh, queen bee?
I think Keith might be queen bee.

You can be queen, Siobhan.

Potters, I've got a secret for you.
You're halfway through.

We're halfway, that's fine.
Keeping my cool.

As Jon's replacement spaceship
panels hit the drying room...

A bit of scoring and slipping.

...attention turns to the smaller
keepsake boxes...

The little box is decorated with
beeswax, you get a honeycomb pattern.

...which should complement the
overall theme of their design.

This is the radio.
Telly finished at midnight,

so after telly went off,
then radio was your friend.

Now is also the opportune time...
I'm gonna quickly make a dolphin.

...for the potters to make any sculptured
or moulded decorative elements.

So these are sprigs of things
that I've found in the Thames.

It's gonna be the dog's head.
He's got his ears here.

But Lois' Frenchie isn't the only
furry friend in the Pottery today.

My design is about snoozing in bed
with my animals.

I had a lot of health problems,
in the last few years,

so I found comfort in having my bed
and just chilling

and having the pets with me and
they, kind of, take over the bed.

Billy the cat,
and Heidi the jack Russell

also like to snuggle up
on the sofa with Rebecca.

Although sometimes three's a crowd.

The duvet on Rebecca's bed
will lift up to reveal wooden slats,

beneath which her alarm-clock shaped
box will hide.

It's a bit disgusting really, innit?
Having animals on your bed.

I didn't think of that.

Rebecca and her pets
might enjoy a duvet day...

I mean,
I just love my animals so much.

...butjames prefers
to pound the pavements.

In my spare time, I like to go
running. You really like running though?

Yeah, I don't like to do it very
often... Because it's awful?

I can see why people wouldn't like
it. If evolution wanted us to run,

they wouldn't have given us the
brain capacity to invent Uber.

James also likes to share
his passion for kickboxing

with daughters, Poppy and jasmine.
Do I get a go, jasmine?

From the cushion soles
to the intricate stitching,

James is aiming to make his box

in the shape of his favourite
running shoes.

I've gotta get it made so then I can
actually do all the embellishments

and that, hopefully, will make it
stand out. That's the idea.

Whilejames is keen to keep up
his step count,

Caitlin is collecting air miles.
I'm inspired by, kind of,

my love for travelling. Oh, OK.

The thing that I always have,
no matter what, is my backpack

with all my belongings in it,
so it's inspired by my backpack.

Ancl how are you constructing the lid? Is that
the top section where you'd open the backpack?

Well, that's what it would normally
be like. ALL: Ahhh.

But...

But no, the lid is somewhere else.

From the French Alps
to South East Asia,

Caitlin's trusty backpack has
travel led over 12,000 miles with her.

With its textured canvas
surface design

and threadbare pockets, Caitlin's
hoping to capture the essence

of her battered, old backpack.

Her concealed lid will be the front pocket,
behind which her globe-inspired small box

will be locked securely away.

I've got this key, which is attached
to my water bottle on the outside,

it's gonna slot into the side
of the bag,

then when I try and take it out, I won't be able
to take it out without removing the water bottle

and then I'll be able
to take the lid off.

And Lois is taking
the same approach.

This is my key type
locking mechanism thing.

We have spoken about it... Yeah.
..and we're egging each other on

and hoping that our pieces
are successful.

With their larger slabs dried
to leather hard...

It's a nice consistency now.

Like, it holds its shape still
and you can refine it quite nicely

without it, like, slumping.

...the potters can start to bring
their boxes to life.

I've got these 3-D printed rollers
to add some texture to the surface.

It's quick progress that,
it feels like you've suddenly made

a big step with very little effort,
I like doing that bit.

It's really difficult
to make fabric out of clay,

so I used this hessian when I was
rolling out the clay, so hopefully,

it'll have more of a textured look.

But while retaining texture
is important...

Hopefully with the wood texture, it
will add a little bit more character.

...it's crucial their intricately
engineered jigsaw of slabs

fit together flawlessly.

What are you most worried about
with this build?

Oh, gosh. I'm not a very good
engineer, unlike some very good...

mathematicians in the room. Like
some actual engineers here. Yeah.

I don't know,
this looks pretty impressive.

Oh, gosh, it's the first thing I've
ever made that's so structured.

Really?
I'm just making supports inside,

so that it's a lot more stable.

If the slabs aren't
supported adequately

during the construction stage...

This is the internal structure of the
plants, it has to be something solid enough

to be sure that it's going to stand.

...or the joints are not
strong enough...

Adding quite a few coils just to
strengthen it further on the inside.

It's like sealant for a bathroom
basically, but for clay.

Holding my breath.

...the slabs could start moving,
causing structural issues.

And I've got some gaps here
that I'm going to have to fill in.

We'll get there, we'll get there.

With a very wonky telly.
Don't mind me.

No, I won't. I'm just judging you.

Oh, for keepsake!

You've an hour left.
Did you roll your eyes?

No. Did you roll you eyes?
Definitely didn't, Miss.

That was a top quality pun
going on there. It was.

As the boxes take shape...

I am now putting in texture
to represent some of the fabric.

...the potters can start to work
on their concealed lids.

So this is the screen of the TV,
which is also the lid,

so I'm just making these devices,
which will stop it falling off.

But for some, this means
the nerve-racking task

of cutting into their structure.

I'm really shaking.

This is a crucial moment, yeah.

Cutting blind through
the external walls...

...runs the risk of damaging any
internal support structures.

I'm just trying to listen...

So there's a bit of clay...

Oh, good.

Get off, get off, get off.

HE SIGHS
That's good.

Yeah, pleased with that.

SHE SIGHS

Yeah, that was a big moment for me.

Potters, you've half an hour left.
No, no, no, no, no. Half an hour left.

As well as concealing their lids...
It's great to see it coming together.

I'll have lots of coral and seaweed
going over the join,

so you won't see that join.

...Lois and Caitlin have
key mechanisms to disguise.

Does it fit?

Whoo!

Phew.

And all the potters have to use
every unforgiving minute...

I've got to get a move on.
..to ensure their boxes...

The shape is TV-esque.
..don't look like boxes.

Does it look like a backpack?

This is the aged beehive. It's been
out in the elements a long time.

How are you getting on?
Almost there.

I don't want you to tell us that we have ten
minutes left because I need more than that.

I'm not going to say
that you've ten minutes left.

OK, I lie, I would say that you have
ten minutes left, potters.

SHE SIGHS

If it's not in the drying room,
it ain't getting fired.

My lid is hidden.
The dolphin will be hiding it.

Ooh, look at these,
look at all the creatures.

Made a bit of a mess. You've made a wonderful
mess. It's fabulous. Thank you. I love it.

One minute left, potters,
one minute left.

If it's not in the drying room...

It ain't getting fired!
That's it. That's it.

I think this is going to have some
bits coming off in the kiln.

I think I'm finished.

Ooh, we've got a fly-eating plant
heading into the drying room.

That looks amazing, Chris top he.

Five, four, three,

two...

You did it.

That was insane!

I can't believe I've just clone that,
to be honest.

The pin fit the hole
and if it survives the firing,

I will be so relieved.

I found that really fun because I
actually turned the slab building

into sculpture.

The two dancers, one is Daniela
and one is Mariana,

which are my lovely daughters,
so I just pray

that everything goes well
in the kiln for my box.

The wheels are out,
the wheels are out.

The potters' second challenge is, as
ever, a mystery wrapped in hessian.

You look scared. Good.

Your second challenge this week
is a throw down

and the judges would like you to
make three stacking mixing bowls.

And, of course, to show us the way
is our master, Keith Brymerjones,

please take the wheel. OK.

So you've got three different sizes,
small, medium and large,

so we're really looking
for that difference in sizes.

Hold on a second, Keith. Yeah.
No!

This does all look
a bit straightforward,

it's almost like you could just do
it with your eyes closed. Oh, no.

My kids are gonna love this.
OK, so... That is cruel.

The moment that clay goes on the
wheel, you'll have to have this down,

so before you start, really think
about where everything is.

It's just incredible how your hands
become far more sensitive

to the clay.
I hope you're all still there.

I'm gonna do quite a generous rim
on there cos it's a mixing bowl.

In with my knuckle
and I'm just picking up that clay,

and I'm just stopping underneath the
rim, well, I hope I am anyway.

Ancl I'm using my fingers to really
sense the contour of the pot.

I suppose this is the hardest part
because you're literally trying

to rib up the side to make it
nice and neat,

but the hand on the inside can feel
whether you've made that bowl shape

and then, just tip that off.

Oh, no.

OK. Then feel for the next one.

What we're trying to, sort of,
explore with you

is what your sense and feel
and pressure and touch are like.

It's actually quite relaxing.

They don't look that relaxed. No.

Ancl just wire it through.

Last but not least, the big lump.

In you go with your finger,
making that base.

Collar up that clay,
make a nice, generous rim,

don't forget to breathe
and hey presto.

Wow.

So we're after a nice, defined rim

and we want that nice curve
of a mixing bowl.

Ancl they've got to look as though
they can stack inside each other.

Small, medium and large.

OK, potters, back to your benches.

The judges have given you
25 minutes. Oh!

And your time starts...now!

God!

Right, blindfolds on now.
I have no idea what's going on.

Ooh, my God.
Make sure that day's centred,

that's the most important thing. Oh!

I don't even know how deep I'm going.
That's looking really good, Rebecca.

Thank you, I needed that.

How are you getting on? I'm just trying
to think about what a bowl looks like.

They sort of look like this.

Oh, thank you, Siobhan.
Does that help? That's perfect.

Well, it's definitely a bowl
but what shape, is another thing.

Oh, God, what happened there?

Oh, nice, Helen. Got
your first one off, that's great.

James, you won't be able
to find your wheel again.

I'm going to do the medium one now.

Ooh!

That's it, Chris top he. Don't wire
through your pot, for God's sake.

Don't tell me that. That's it.

Lovely. Have a feel
for the next size, great.

Oh, my gosh, do you know
you're on your second one?

And it's looking good. Are you
happy? Oh, yeah, it looked beautiful.

James is on his second one. Actually,
it's not as bad as I thought it'd be,

well, for all I know.

I'm not really feeling the curve of
the bowl. What are you feeling?

I'm feeling a lot of lumps.
Bowls have lumps. We all have lumps.

Yeah. Can you just stay here cos
you're making me feel more calm?

Oh, do I? Nobody has ever
said that before.

t*rture, pottery t*rture.

I'm just following what my body
and muscle memory

is telling me to do.

It is a really good skill,

to be aware of your hands
and where they are

and what the clay should feel like,

and you should respond
to how the clay feels, I think.

You're halfway through, potters.
Oh! OK.

Oh, my word!
Lois, how many have you made?

One. Fabiola? Two.

James? On to three, third.
Whoa! He's on his third.

Nice one, James. Should be
all right, as long as I can find it.

Here it is. Derek,
careful when you put it down. Oh.

Your guardian angel. Oh, thank you.

Do you know where
your third ball is, Flies? No.

Flies has walked out of the Pottery.

I've had enough.

So tell me what you're doing
there now.

So I'm gonna endeavour to find
where my finger isn't moving.

This is somewhere close to centre.

Oh, it isn't, it's miles off.
It's miles off.

Right, third, we're on to the third one. We have
to make this one big. This is the hardest one.

Oh, no. This is embarrassing.

I'm gonna have to rush
the third one, I imagine.

How long have they got, Siobhan?
Potters, you have five minutes left.

Where? What?

Right, come on, we can do this.
I think we can. What can I do?

Just go away.

Speed of the wheel, Lois,
think about it.

It's such a big lump.

It would help if I could see.
It would help, wouldn't it?

I messed it up, the third one.
I cut it with a nail,

hoping to pull up a new lip.

Lois, last couple of seconds.

Great! It's fat and then thin.

Five, four, three, two, one!

Down tools, well done.
Well well done.

Blindfolds off.

Oh, my God.

Phew. I mean, that's terrible.

Mine's just full of water.

I've thrown three cylinders.

Keith and Rich are looking for
three stack able mixing bowls,

with smooth, flared sides,
beautifully defined rims

and a consistency of form
across a set.

I can tell what you've been
trying to do here. Make bowls.

How long have you been doing this?

But, you know, we can see here that you were
really trying to go for that bulbous kind of shape.

You were almost there. Yeah,
they look like they would stack...

Yeah, absolutely.
"effectively, inside each other.

Ancl it's, kind of, minor tweaks,
to be spot-on. Yeah.

I was convinced, in my head,

I was flaring these bowls
out like that. Yeah. Massive.

Bizarre, isn't it?
And then you take the blindfold off

and it's a utensil holder.
Yeah, you've made a flower pot.

Yeah. On a positive note,
they're consistently cylindrical,

so it is just a matter of...
They're great cylinders, Derek.

You've thrown them well, it's just about
readjusting that perception in your head. Yeah.

Let's just do that, shall we? I was
hoping you'd spend a bit longer,

so it would have evaporated. just
dried out! Yeah. Let's just do that.

These two are not too bad at all.
This one's lovely. Yeah.

They're just a little bit narrow.

Well... Well... Well.

They're really, really good.

You've really managed
to get that bowl shape.

Ancl actually, all of the rims
are beautifully matching.

Ancl I would say, they would stack
really rather beautifully.

Really wonderful effort.

They're really well thrown.

They're just not quite
that bowl shape.

But they are very consistent. I mean,
all of the rims are the same width.

Well clone, Flies.
Thank you so much.

What I can tell from these is that
you made them exactly the same way.

You can tell by the marks and there's a
certain style running all the way through them.

I mean, they're definitely
three different sizes,

just slightly different forms.

The impressive thing is you haven't
gone through the base.

I usually go through if I've not...

They're not quite the shape
we were after.

But I actually rather like the
energy that that one's got.

Obviously completely
the wrong form so...

The bases look quite thin.
I mean, you know,

first time you've ever clone it. Yeah.
And there's three, kind of, bowls.

We can see what you've tried to do
there. I was learning to do it on this one.

Right, on that one. Did a bit
better. Pressure on that one.

I know what I'm capable of and I think I could have
done better than that. Don't beat yourself up. OK.

I won't. Really. But I might.
No, don't!

The judges will now order
the potters from worst to first.

In 11th place...Lois.

It's just that last one. OK.
just a bit unhinged.

In 10th place...Derek.

In ninth place...George.

Eighth isjon, seventh is Fabiola,

Rebecca is sixth, Helen is fifth,

and Flies is fourth.

In third place...Chris top he.

Really lovely effort.

So in second place...

"Caitlin. Well clone, Caitlin.

So that leaves first place, James.
Fantastic, James.

Well done. Thank you.

It is comforting,
really comforting actually,

to think, "Oh, actually,
yes I can do this."

It was all right, wasn't it?

That should be my new icebreaker.
"Hi, I'm Caitlin,

I can make three bowls blindfolded."

That didn't go too great. I like...

I like to challenge myself

so when I get given challenges,

I just wanna do the best I can

and it's just my personality
to be a little bit hard on myself.

It's decoration day
for the keepsake boxes

and after a 24-hour bisque-firing,
kiln technician, Rose,

is laying out the potters' boxes,

ready for glazing.

I am very nervous. I actually
had a nightmare last night

that it exploded so...

I think anything's better
than what I dreamt last night.

I'm hoping that there hasn't been
too much warping

in the kiln because mine has
a lot of straight sides,

so if those are warped a bit,
then that could be a problem.

As long as it doesn't
come in pieces,

Oh, there is utterly no confidence
in my build whatsoever.

The hand building was
a challenge for me.

I think I just want to rip off the
hessian like ripping off a Band-Aid,

so I can just get it over
and clone with.

Welcome back, potters.

Your keepsake boxes
have been bisque-fired

and are ready for decorating.

We really want to see you using
those glazes and colours

to really enhance your theme.

Now, clever decoration at this point
will really help you

to disguise those lids.

When you remove the hessian, you will see if
your keepsake boxes have survived the kiln.

Don't worry if it's not exactly
as you expected,

anything can happen in pottery,
so just keep going.

OK, potters, you have a range
of glazes and oxides

and three hours with which to
decorate your keepsake boxes.

And your time starts...now!

Potters, get decorating.

Oh, my God, I don't want to look.

Oh, no.

There is a few cracks, yeah,
going up my wave.

It worked.

Oh, yeah. But his head's massive.

But the bit that I was worried
about was my pin,

so that comes out which,
in my eyes, is a success.

No, no, no, no, no.

What's the problem?
The box doesn't quite fit.

There's a piece I meant to cut out, so I just
need to gently persuade it with a rolling pin.

Yes! It worked!

Pretty good. That should
hopefully work now.

But not everybody is quite so happy.

Lost the two heads

and a pair of arms.

But...it's rocking.

I mean, I cannot be disappointed.
I just carry on. I will work hard.

The potters have an array of glazes and
oxides to help bring their boxes to life.

So I'm just doing a very,
very light pink

on the duvet. I think my signature
style is quite child-like.

So it will be
quite...illustratative.

And while some are enjoying the
predictability of underglazes...

Underglazes are a bit like paints, they
do vary a bit as they go through the fire,

but they come out quite close
to the colour you put them in.

...others are gambling with
the volatility of oxides.

The oxides are good. These dark bits
where it's thicker, it goes really dark.

It might even go quite black, but I,
kind of, like that sort of organic,

the way it looks afterwards,
so it will be a bit of a surprise

how it comes out.

But Flies' broken wave will need
more than just decoration.

Glaze, like, melts
and it fuses together,

so I think I'm just going to go
for it with the glazes

so that it seals really perfectly.

Flies may have a plan to glaze
her wave but Derek has a problem

no amount of decoration can fix.

So my lid is the screen,
so it's a bit wibbly-wobbly,

but it's bowed out a bit, so it
slides on and pops on there,

and then...

And then does that and doesn't
fall forward at all, honest.

Potters, you're halfway through,
halfway through. Ahhh.

Time's really creeping up,
so I need to get a wriggle on.

I just want the instruments to pop,

but I'm shaking so much.

While all the potters are aiming to
enhance their boxes with bold colours,

for some, it's an opportunity to
further camouflage their lid.

So I'm hoping that the bits
and pieces that I'm painting,

so they'll pop, I'm hoping that
that will detract the eye,

so that the lid will be
a little bit of a secret.

But as the layers build up, it's crucial
they don't trample on their texture.

So we can see the texture
on the clay,

and that's the fabric texture
I want to have,

so if I sponge it, then I'm hoping
it'll make it lighter

and it'll leave a more
textured feel.

So you've done a lot
of grey painting.

Are you going to...? Like, this will
be, like, a flat grey-black colour?

I'm hoping. I've put some wash on
the end and some manganese,

which might, hopefully,
darken all of the detail. Oh.

Oh, you've made such, you know,
intricate details... Yes, yes.

I want those to come out darker,
so they stand out.

How did you do that again, you had a special
little...? A little 3-D printed roller. Yeah,yeah.

I think it's my saviour really.

If this doesn't work, could you just, like,
3-D print a new one? I did think about it.

Potters, that's half an hour left,
half an hour left.

Yeah.

I'm using copper carbonate and white
underglaze on my little dolphin.

They should, hopefully, come out
like a metallically bluey-grey.

Yeah, I'm just trying to get
all the extra glaze

from the slats, it's really important
you get all those little details in.

I'm just making sure I don't forget
about this wee box.

I know, I'm not a square earther
but I only have flat sides,

so I'll try to wrap a world
around it.

It's hard to know when to stop.

We don't want him to turn
just completely black.

It's probably best just to stop where
I am and get clear glaze on properly.

Transparent glaze gives the potters
the option to add

a high-gloss sheen to their colours.
Oh, God.

In it goes.

But not everyone is going
for the full dunk.

So I'm putting transparent glaze
in patches.

Yeah, I don't want the wood grain
to have that glossy feel.

Five minutes left, potters.

These are the last little bits,
just the last finishing touches.

OK. Three, two, one, dunk.

Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God.

One minute left.

I've glazed the inside, I've waxed
that, waxed that, let's just go.

...seven, six, five, four,
three, two, one!

Tools down. Well done, potters.

Mine is so messy.

The potters must now take their
keepsake boxes to Rose

for one final firing.

Oh, wow.

How did it go?
Well...it's all right.

When they next see them,
it'll be judgement time.

I think it went all right. I don't
know what it's going to look like.

We'll see if everything comes out
in one piece.

Aye, this one's been a good time.

I think there is the stress that it
will just look like a blue brick,

to be honest, which we don't want.

But, yeah, it'll be exciting
to see it and it's not long now.

It's judgement day

and after a 24-hour gloss firing,

the potters' keepsake boxes
are ready to come out of the kiln.

I think I'm prepared a lot more
for what's about to happen.

There we go. It's gorgeous.
Oh, my gosh.

After the trouble I had making it,

I was really happy with the way
decoration went,

so I'm just really looking forward
to seeing it.

It's in one piece, well,
it's in the pieces it should be in.

Here we go. It never enters my mind
that I would be Potter of the Week,

I just want to be average,
sail through in the middle,

and just get to enjoy the experience

and enjoy everyone else's
achievements at the same time.

11 keepsake boxes now face the
judgement of Keith and Rich.

Potters, I make no secret
of the fact

that I think your keepsake
boxes are beautiful,

but I'm not the one judging,
these two are

so let's get on with it.
Lois, would you please bring

your keepsake box up to the judges?

Here he is.

On first, sort of, approach,
you wouldn't know it's a box

and that's what's
so lovely about it.

It's just so sensible to use that
Peruvian blanket to disguise the lid.

I've got to say as well, the application of
copper is incredible. Had you not used the oxide,

it wouldn't have enhanced
that detail,

it's just a really well
thought out approach.

Well, look, Lois, I know you really
got upset in the second challenge,

didn't you? Mm.
Ancl you came 11th, right? Mm-hm.

Come on. You know, don't...

Don't give yourself such
a hard time all the time,

because this is fantastic.

It just really works really well.

The thing actually
that strikes me most

is that you've managed to use the
key, if you like, to the lid,

in such a, sort of, decorative way

and you, literally, can't tell
whether that would come off or not.

You've just thought about every aspect. Yeah. I
love the way you've got those four little lugs,

just to retain the keepsake box.
What's your keepsake?

It's my late grandma's ring.
Well, I'm already spoken for, so...

Oh, I know. I'm not. Siobhan, yeah.

Well clone, Lois. Thank you.

The moment you started walking
towards the bench,

you could tell what it was. It seems
to have worked really, really well.

I'm just really impressed
with that lid and the way it fits.

I love the fact that you haven't
gone with a glossy glaze.

You've, kind of, retained so much
texture, right down to the stitching

and the fact that you've put black underglaze
into those, it's just really lovely.

You've got your keepsake box.

What is in there? When I did
do a few local runs,

my daughters gave me
some little medals.

Those objects that your children
make for you because they care so much

are the most beautiful keepsakes.

Well, it's wonderful, I'm just really
impressed with that lid. It's really good.

It's an amazing structure

and I don't think there's a crack in sight.
I see, you've got the mechanism there

to get your lid off.

Yeah, the quality of the
construction is outstanding.

Ancl these edges are so nice
and sharp.

So just tell us a little bit
about the box itself.

Yes, the box is supposed to be an
alien artefact. And what's in the scroll?

The scroll is just a list of science fiction
books that I've enjoyed reading, so... Oh, lovely.

That's it. It has clocked.

If there was any slight
comment about it,

it would have been just pare some
of the colour back on this. Yeah.

You could have enhanced the texture
of the surface of the spaceship

a little bit more.

It's great.
Really, really wonderful.

Ancl there's something about
the use of colour, that pink,

it's so subtle and yet with the
animals on the bedspread,

absolutely fantastic.

I love the fact that the whole top
section lifts off

and, I mean, the slats,
they're beautiful.

The fact that you haven't glazed the
slats, you've really thought about

the texture of the material
that you're trying to emulate.

Ancl then we've got
your little box here,

I mean, that is so crisp, you've
just got that absolutely spot-on.

And what's your keepsake?

That's my aquamarine engagement ring

and I just love it. Yeah.

Last but not least, does it fit?

There we go.

Fantastic. Well clone, Rebecca.
Thank you. Thank you.

Well, I think it tells
your story beautifully.

It really feels like
it's just an object

that's fallen to the bottom
of a river

and it's got all of that detritus
and growth.

Ancl the fact that you've overlaid
all these different objects

to really conceal that lid
works really, really well.

Ancl then, of course,
you've got your little box

and there's...
So, what's that in there then?

That was my first find,

it's just a little clay pipe.
Works really, really well.

Well clone, Helen. It's great,
thank you. Thank you. Well done.

Ooh. I mean, talk about
an engineered lid.

And it's well concealed. Crikey, I mean,
you wouldn't know that that was a lid.

For me, the decoration
is a bit on the garish side.

I'm really drawn to the small box.
I know, I know.

Because that is just exquisite.

Ancl who's this little fellow
in here then?

So when I was a kid,
I'd been fostered

and this woman came to see me in
the hospital when I was at the age of four,

and she alerted social services

about the urgency for me
to be fostered. Right.

So she basically saved my life, she
offered me this little teddy bear,

so since then I still have it.

Isn't it amazing how, you know,
just a simple object like that

can carry so much meaning
and emotion?

A really brave move.
A really brave construction.

So well clone, Chris top he.
Well done. Thank you.

Thank you. Well clone. OK.

I was really concerned
about you trying to emulate,

kind of, man-made materials... Yes.

So was I. ..something quite organic.
Right.

But actually, overall,
it's a beautiful quality of finish.

And obviously we can see here, your screen is a
bit warped. It has warped the wrong way. Yeah.

But I love that. Oh, thank you.
The lines,

absolutely wonderfully ex*cuted.

Is there anything in it? Yeah,
there is. It's a tie, my dad's.

He was on telly quite a bit in the
'70s and '80s as a political analyst

and they gave him that tie
from the local station.

Does the box fit in?

Ah, yes. It does fit.

On the whole,
it's worked quite well,

but, yeah, love that.

What's wonderful,
to start off with,

is that you've chosen a structure

that literally lends itself
to having that secret lid.

You know, I love this texture of the
honeycomb on the small box.

Ancl then, of course, you've got
all your bees in there. Wow.

I think I would want it to remain a secret, I'm
not sure I'd want to take it out any time soon.

I don't think we will.

Ancl then we've got another little
secret, underneath here. Ah.

So where does your box fit within?
Wow.

So squidge her up, I don't think
it's... Ooh, there she is.

Great idea, though,
to conceal it within the lid.

Well clone, George. Thanks so much.

It dances. It dances.

Yeah. Yes. Headless dancers
but it dances. Exactly, yeah.

It's a real shame that you had
these breakages...

Yes. ..but I just admire your
ambitious approach to form.

In ceramics, it's always a bit
of a daunting process

when you're creating something
that moves around.

I particularly like those.
My two daughters. Beautiful.

I'm curious, what's your keepsake?

My bag was stolen so my music
and my phone disappeared

and my girls, they bought
that little box for me to say,

"Mummy, don't worry, you will have
a little bit of music on the bus."

Music wherever you go. Yeah.

I think it's Fire starter
by The Prodigy.

I believe it is.

Well, on first observation,
you've got a few stress cracks,

here, there and everywhere.
That's a bit of a shame.

But what I'm really liking is this.

That colour, it looks fantastic,
really, really lovely.

Is it a concealed lid?
Erm...maybe not as concealed

as we would have hoped.
What do you think, Rich?

I mean, I always think it's really difficult
when you're emulating something as organic

as a wave, and I think,
in your construction,

the one saving grace
is this white area of foam

because it, kind of, makes it feel
much more stylised.

Let's have a look at your box.
What's the keepsake? Oh, sorry,

he's a little tortoise who's been
handed down, generation by generation.

Aww, lovely.
Wow, what a lovely thing. Yeah.

It's a backpack,

and, you know, it's travelling around
the world, it works really, really well.

Not only has the clay taken on
the impression of canvas,

you've got a softness
to construction.

You've, kind of, softened the edges,
so it feels like a backpack should feel.

Ancl then we've got
the concealed lid.

Wow. You would so obviously think
that this would be the lid

and the fact that you've disguised
it there, it's fantastic.

I love the fact that you've got that little
water bottle in a pocket. This is wonderful.

It's just a really great idea.
Really, the more I look at it,

the more I think it's a really
wonderful object.

What's the red clot all about there?

They're the places that I would like
to go, in future, if I can. Right.

Ancl I'm loving the little bell.
Where's that from then?

Anywhere I go, you will always find me at
a craft market and this was one in Munich,

I decided to buy it as a memento.

You know, at the end of the clay,
it's all about what's in your head,

and how you interpret that
with the clay,

and you've clone it in such
an incredible way.

Really well clone. Thank you.

I'm happy they liked it,
I'm really proud,

as the one I wanted
was attention to detail

and I got that out, but I don't
think I'll be Potter of the Week, no.

I don't know if they're going
to take into account the heads.

That's my only worry, but I don't
know what is going to happen.

A part of me obviously
wants to stay,

but then, if I have to leave,
I will leave happy

because I met so many people
and I learned so much.

I definitely feel like
I'm potentially one of the people

who might be going home,
I don't know.

Er, yeah.

I've really enjoyed this week

with lots of secret passions
and blindfold throw downs,

but I get the impression that it's
actually quite a tough week to judge.

Yeah, I mean, the overall quality of
the making has been outstanding.

It really has. And I think it's
made all the more difficult

because all of the stories attached
to them are that personal.

So let's go right, then, to the top,

who do you think is in contention
for Potter of the Week?

Well, Lois has to be in contention.
Yes.

My word. It is amazing.

The problem we have, with Lois, is that she
came last in the second challenge. Ah, I see.

Another one up there for us
is Caitlin.

That stylised, cartoon version
of a backpack,

and that attention to detail,
with that flask on the side,

acting as a key, was just fantastic.

And... She came second
in the second challenge,

so, all in all, she's had
a very, very good week.

Who do you think is in danger
of going home this week?

One of them has got to be Flies. There was
quite a lot of cracks in the construction.

Was the lid disguised?
I don't really think it was.

Fabiola had an interesting week
as well.

I mean, it's an ambitious form, to
make something that rocks... Yeah.

...it's no mean feat,
but it's heartbreaking

when something so personal... Yeah.
..kind of, goes wrong.

Well, as usual, I don't envy you.
I will be away drinking tea

and having custard creams,
so good luck.

Potters, the judges have made
their decision.

This is the bit I hate the most.

You have the sweet joy
of announcing a winner,

coupled with the bitter fact that we
have to say goodbye to one of you.

This week's Potter of the Week
goes to...

...Caitlin. Well done!

Smile.

It's a good thing.
Yeah, you look shocked.

Well done. OK.

Now the bit without the smiles.

This week, the person
who is leaving the Pottery is...

...Flies.

Oh, wow.

Thanks, guys. I'm so sorry.

So gutted. I think everyone here is
so incredible

and the standards are just beyond
me, I just couldn't keep up.

Thank you. You're just a star.
Oh, I love you.

I am very proud of myself, yeah,

and I really understand clay
a lot more.

See you, Fabs.

A little bit sad. She is, like,
the same age as my daughter...

...so, you know,
I wanted her to do good.

But she's amazing and she does beautiful
things and I'm sure I'm not going to...

This is not the last time
that I'm going to see her

and I wish her the best.

So as Flies leaves the Pottery,

Caitlin's keepsake box takes second
spot in the Throw Down Gallery.

Caitlin's design was incredible.

She'd put texture, a really
beautiful, subtle texture

into every slab. I loved the way
that concealed the lid

and her little keepsake box that
slid inside was so well put together,

just really simple, really beautiful
and effectively built.

I don't know what to say. Ah, man.

What...? Wow. Yeah.
What has happened?

Well clone. Thank you very much.
It's fantastic.

Maybe it's just I need to have
more confidence in myself,

and being Potter of the Week,

it's just chipping away at that,
sort of, self-doubt.

I think that's what I feel
right now.

I'm here and I'm, sort of, meant
to be here, which is really nice.

Next time, Retro Week sees the
potters take on a trio of birds...

I'm soaring, I'm flying,
I'm winging it.

...and get thrown by an old-school
hot water bottle.

Who has their knob off? I've got
a knob off, but I'm doing it again.

I'm picky about my knobs.
Whose feathers will be ruffled?

Don't drop it.

And who will reach new heights?

What's the difference between
lorikeets and parakeets?

There's a "Lorra" lorikeets.
A "Lorra" lorikeets.