As an INSANELY emotional person who sews and knits, Keith has helped me realise that it’s okay to have feelings when presented with art that has been constructed with heart.
i am also a RIDICULOUSLY emotional crafter, and I’m also trans and struggle a lot with not feeling “manly” enough, but watching that big burly man cry over coffee mugs has definitely helped me become with my emotions
My neighbour competed in this season and our whole village watched it because we are all so proud of her, she is so kind and lovely. She showed us how to make signs for our bedroom doors out of clay when I was little. Everyone on this show is so nice
Now is probably a great time to spotlight Keith's other programme called "our Welsh chapel dream" which is on all4/channel 4 for UK people. In which he and his wife/partner Marge are renovating an old Welsh Chapel to become both a home and a community pottery studio and arts hub. I love Keith.
Omg the subtitles told me that Rich Miller was the "kill man", it took me SO LONG to realise it was "kiln". That makes MUCH more sense. I was wondering where the unexpected violence and death was coming from.
Further comments: avoiding mentioning D&D may have been because this show (as Wikipedia has told me) was made by the BBC and then by Channel 4. Both are publicly owned, the BBC is also publicly funded, and there are strict rules about brand endorsements in their programming.
@@starboardia I watch with my mom and we would always talk about how it made us so happy that you could tell her cared about the contestants and stuff and we got SO excited when we watched season five!!!!
17:30 - doing a craft blindfolded sounded like a really cool idea until I remembered my craft is woodworking and I just got 3 stitches removed yesterday after a little incident with a saw for which I was fully sighted... I'll save the experiment for another craft, I think. 😂
I even appreciate that the judges actually do demonstrations with their crazy challenges. Usually they give crazy time constraints and stuff even to like junior baking show and stuff and then criticize them. So this is great
That always drives me crazy! My sister watches a baking show called Nailed It and I kind of hate it. The contestants are supposed to make these elaborate cakes in 2 hours. And I'm like: dude, you realise that cakes have to cool completely before putting icing on, right? And that layers of icing often have to dry before putting on the next layer? No matter how skilled you are, this is literally impossible. That's just setting people up for failure and makes me sad.
A Rhubarb forcer is a pot (or just a bucket) you put over growing rhubarb to make it grow faster and sweeter. It is a technique that was pinoneered in the "Rhubarb Triangle" in Yorkshire. My father is very proud of being from there, and now makes rhubarb treats with the rhubarb (unforced) that he grows in his garden. It makes the Rhubard grow so fast you can hear it squeaking as it grows. Crazy stuff.
I've been taught you can hear the rhubarb growing even when not forcing it, especially at night. I have no room for rhubarb sadly, but I love the giant leaves, and the rhubarb pie/cake my mother makes. (It's not an open pie or one with a lid with filling, it's a soft dough with rhubarb baked in, does that classify it as a pie or a cake... 🤔)
As someone who has taught many, many adult ed pottery classes, I can confirm the universal truth of the handle pulling innuendo. LOL. EVERY time. Every time. It never matters how innocent and nonchalantly I try to approach it, someone ALWAYS snickers, and it delvolves into naughty laughter.
previous pottery teacher here: I can vouch for this! I taught elders/pensioners and seeing a bunch or grandmas giggling while pulling handles is... quite a view. Also heard some "interesting" remarks of their spouses/ex partners that I would've covered my ears for if I had a heads up😅
Our plaster technician, Richard, at uni in our first year dropped the absolute best line during our plaster induction.... there were only 3 guys in our class, and only one in our group for this, and not one of us ladies were under 30. Anyway, Richard was showing us how to mix the plaster to bring and bubbles to the surface and avoid adding to them, and had us lulled into this demo, and then he just, in his calm, quiet voice, likened it to wanking in a bucket. There was a moment of stunned silence at this sneaky comment, then all of us except Miah, the guy, damn near fell off our stools we were laughing so hard. Miah, with his lovely dark skin, blushed so hard at such a blatant comment, while Richard just patted himself on the back. Our ceramics department was so much fun.
In middle school we were watching a video on mug pottery construction for an art class. The teacher litterally had to pause the video ahead of the handle segment and acknowledge that, it was very silly, and very funny, but a legitimate technique and we dont need to point out how it looks. We dont need to make a big deal of it and disrupte the class. We all laughed and joked and fully disrupted the class.
Let me tell you something, Emma, we british, we LOVE innuendo and bawdy jokes. We love it. Whenever Americans find out about "Squirty Cream" they imagine we don't know how it sounds, but we do, it's precisely why we call it that. There was a sign in Tesco that does the rounds on social media every now and again, and its above the strawberries, and it says (no word of a lie) "Plump, Juicy, and Begging for Cream". That was in a supermarket. Making lewd jokes is a british pastime, honestly.
I was really invested in season 5 because I know AJs aunty. Because of this I have seen some of AJs stuff pre throwdown and seeing how their family were involved in supporting AJ during the airing of the show was such an amazing experience
Forged in Fire is my dads favorite crafting competition :) i dont watch alot of competition show type things but i promise, if emma gets one i will be all over it!
This guy from my hometown won a season of Forged in Fire and he sells knives at the farmers market in the summer and I waaaaaaant one! They are so cool.
My brother actually got into forging because he and my dad watch that show! Now he’s more interested in fixing up/riding motorcycles… I really hope he get back into forging 😅
Kieth is such a softie. It's so wonderful to see this great big manly man who's just so sensitive and passionate about pottery. I think he's my favourite thing about the show.
Siobhan is a national icon I love the pottery throw down so much. I think it really conveys why potters love doing pottery better than any of the other craft competition shows
Things you need to know about British people: We love our innuendos, Punch and Judy puppet shows and any form of craft show! AJ and Anna were always my favourites on this season, I loved watching them both and it made me so happy ❤
This video taught me that all of my grandparents' tableware is from the 60s. It's not my favourite style either, but it is really interesting to know. And to realize that they haven't bought new tableware for 60 years. That's impressive!
Ooo ooo I know this one! Punch and Judy booths are booths for a puppet show, often at the seaside, various summer fetes. The cast of characters include Punch, who is a typically naughty, Judy, who often tells him off / hits him with a rolling pin, a crocodile who gets into various hijinks, a police officer, a string of sausages which have been stolen and, in the case of my own experience, Satan. Yes, satan. Usually he's having a go at Punch, who fools him to get out of hell and continue being naughty. The phrase "that's the way to do it!" Is often used as a call and response and is Punch's catchphrase!
I remember one where there was a baby and a female character as punch had turned the baby into the sausages... yeah it was the first time watching punch and judy and i bloody loved it
Yeah, they still exist in the Netherlands as well, both the traditional ones (though our puppets are called Jan-Klaassen and Katrijn) and newer ones with often handmade puppets of original characters. The traditional puppets are slowly becoming less popular, but the idea of puppet theatre is still very popular. You can book puppet shows from street performers, and I still see the theatres on many local fairs. I even live near a large playground based entirely on the Jan-Klaassen puppets. I also had a small one as a kid, basically just a small wooden box with a window and curtains. You can still buy so many hand puppets, from TV show characters, to animals, to fairy tale characters, even the traditional ones (with the creepy plastic faces), though those are becoming harder to find. It hadn't occurred to me that puppet theatre isn't common everywhere, I mean, I learned about wayang theatre from Java, Indonesia, both the shadow puppets and the 3d puppets for example, so I kind of assumed most cultures had some form of puppet theatre.
I'm from Stoke and I love that the show was actually filmed in Gladstone. This city has such a rich history and it's a shame that a lot of the pottery industry no longer exists. Thansk for talking about this show and giving Stoke a shoutout. If you ever visit, try some oatcakes and visit Emma Bridgewater, one of the last working potteries jn the city
A rhubarb “forcer” is a terracotta pot designed to go over rhubarb plants in order to blanch the stems and keep them warm thus allowing the stems(which are the bits you eat)to grow much more tender than those grown in the open.. The sea kale forcer is the same idea, just smaller.
I think you'd really really like School of Chocolate, its a Netflix original and its all about creating things out of chocolate. They always make a big show piece/sculpture in each episode. Its hosted by Amaury Guichon who you mightve seen on various social medias making a functional chocolate sculptures. All of the competitors are there through the whole season and if they come in last in an episode they spent the time the other are making the show piece getting extra help with some of the skills. Its truly such a wholesome show and they make some amazing pieces on it, and its so sad to me that they only got one season.
I have seen one series, I think there is only one a available in my region, but I didn’t like the (several of the) competitors. Very nasty to each other
@@wendyamsterdam8482 yeah it only got one. And I do agree that several of the competitors didn't quite understand the more easy going vibe of the show. And it really feels like to me it's a result of the way American cooking competition shows have been forced to have a much more intense and individualistic energy over all, very much making it about each person even when they're on teams, rather than fostering an attitude where cooperation and helping each other would thrive. As an American I've really been frustrated by producers trying to (most of the time successfully, unfortunately) force this even where it's not welcome. Like I remember growing up genuinely thinking Gordon Ramsay must genuinely be this huge asshole to everyone because of how American show have cast him in that role, and then being so deeply surprised and relieved and frustrated to learn that no, he isn't a giant ass, it's just America. Getting to watch him with kids or on other countries shows really was amazing how much of a change there was. So all that to say, it really felt to me like producers were kind of confused about the vibe of the show. Like most of it is a much more laid back style of competition like I'd get from a cooking competition show from out side the US, but there were little editing decisions, and things done that made it feel like they were still running with the idea it would be like most US shows. And I think for the competitors, especially because I found it was mostly the older ones who were more fiercely competitive and could be nasty to each other, that they varying levels of expecting it to be like other US cooking competitions that they'd watched before and perhaps producers even had them lean into that in their confusion about the vibe of the show. I think overall the show format and most of the competitors were really fun and worth giving a shot.
in my experience learning pottery over the last year and a half, I think this culture of helping each other out and the love of the craft is pretty universal!! In my studio, there's never a sense of gatekeeping or jealousy over skills, just love and support from everyone. I love so much that that feeling is captured in this show, it's so good!!
Gotta say, British competition shows, at least the ones I've watched, are hands down some of the best anywhere imo. They've just totally got the formula figured out so they're great fun to watch. No cut throat nastiness or fake niceness or nose up superiority airs. Thanks for posting about this one as I hadn't heard of it.
omg my mum and i went to see keith on stage (i’m not joking) and it was just such a delight and he’s just so sweet and he was talking about being in the punk band in his youth! and his partner was there and she was very cool and they were talking about how they bought an abandoned church in wales and they were renovating it to turn it into a community space !!! what a delightful man he is 🩷
being someone who has lived in stoke-on-trent and loved the history of pottery it’s so great to see such a wholesome and wonderful competition show appreciating these things💕
I love the great pottery throw down so much! Its so refreshing after so many cut throat competitive shows. If you want to review a bad competition show i recommend ink master, its whole structure is designed to ruin the clients and competitors friendships.
As a trans masculine person, having Keith bring up tears along with someone else saying acknowledging patriarchal standards and saying "Our poor darling men, our gorgeous men" while also having Rose on the show makes my heart soar and it makes me feel incredibly seen in such an awesome way. Made my week and though I normally don't feel like watching the shows you recommend, I really want to watch this one on my own. Thanks Emma for bringing this show to light!
I only watched one season, and I loved it! There's another one about floral arrangements, and it was just as wonderful. One season had an episode where all the other contestants were helping the duo that was really struggling with the challenge.
FLORIAN WAS ON THIS SHOW???????? gods I LOOOOOVE his youtube channel omg omg and of COURSE he was brought on for the handle pulling ep lmao edit: love a potter in a slutty little tank
I found your channel recently and have absolutely fallen in love despite not being a crocheter / active in craft communities online. The Hobby Lobby video made me fall down a rabbit hole. I am so happy to see somebody talking about this show! I love watching with my mom and grandma, and I’m happy you found joy in it as well!
A fun fact about Rose is that she originally applied to be a contestant on the show, but was rejected because she had previously worked in a pottery which by the show’s rules make her a professional. Clearly though the production team liked her vibe and contacted her again when Rich moved onto judging. Just really neat they cast a wide net and didn’t just hire from within the judges own professional circles. I hope they let her do one of the technical demos same day, the little medicine jars she makes are a traditional form and would make a great mid episode challenge.
That show got me and my parents into collecting blown glass pieces from local artists wherever we visit!!!!!! 🤩 It’s such a wonderful and meaningful little collection to have but SO STRESSFUL because I have these crazy intrusive thoughts that I’m somehow going to trip and fall six feet sideways and upward and smash them 😰 ANYWAY
If you have not seen the clips on TH-cam, Brad Pitt is also a great Fan of ‘Throw Down’. He has apparently seen and enjoyed all the seasons. He also thinks that it’s beautiful when Keith sheds a tear over some of the pottery creations.
Jumpscared by the British history lesson on the history of Stoke on Trent. I'm so used to making jokes about various towns hearing someone talk earnestly about the history was fascinating. I did not know about the abolitionist history! Pottery leads us to interesting places
Him dropping his gnome reminds me of when I was in 11th grade and I was making a Tigger bank for my brother's wife, and one of the mean kids bumped me on purpose on the way to the kiln, and Tigger went splat on the floor. I almost died. (hell I think the kid felt bad) Because it landed back down, I was able to actually fix most of it, lucky enough. She did like it, and I did end up with an A and a compliment from the teacher for keeping my head (I was in shock lmfao). I love the idea of this show, thanks for bringing it to my attention!)
During my 3rd year at uni (ceramics degreee), during our last few weeks making for our degree show, I was bringing a board loaded with work back from the kiln room to my desk. One of my pieces slid off the board and smashed on the floor. There was a collective gasp from the whole room. I twisted the board to see the floor, carefully stepped around the mess, (everyone sighed and got back to what they were doing), and put my work on my desk. Then I went and picked everything up and binned it. One of classmates asked me if I was OK, and said yup, we're making a body of work, not one piece, yeah? She laughed. Let's just say, there were far fewer tantrums in that class when things went wrong after that!
As someone who spent many years doing ceramics at the local community college, I love the vibe of this. I didn't throw for reasons, but I've long had admiration for those who can. I specialized in small sculptures, great deal of cat themed things. Raku was a ton of fun. We had a small kiln for it and I really loved doing the loading and unloading. Pit firing was rad too. I miss doing ceramics, but I do have the fun of doing multi layer cross stitch. And what's wrong with gnomes? Who's going to protect your garden?
not trying to shame you for not knowing him, but I think it's funny how you introduced florian at 23:40 because I watch his videos all the time!!! i wasn't expecting this collab to be happening
i am british so absolutely biased but i really feel like in the uk we cracked the code with wholesome tv competition shows. somehow every show like this (bake off, sewing bee etc.) just oozes kindness and friendship. when i’ve watched competition shows from other countries there always seems to be an almost unhealthy amount of competitiveness and a distinct lack of connection between contestants. i feel like a lot of this is due (at least in part) to editing: with shows like throwdown the stakes are always presented as much lower and it makes it more enjoyable to watch as a casual viewer because you feel involved, rather than just spectating people do stuff. i love a good competition show where there is a bit of stress and things at stake, however i genuinely love that with these shows you are basically just watching friends do creative things that they are genuinely passionate about, regardless of perceived talent. its just great vibes and pottery and it’s lovely!
Ellie Taylor continues the tradition of a comedian I know through raunchy standup and British panel shows to being a wholesome game show host. 😂 I love her bit as news anchor on the mash report and have a gif what she did at the end of a sketch on a message from woman bit. Highly recommend it. Also I would check out the Canadian version of this show, it is related a bit with Seth Rogen.
Amazing video, thank you so much for mentioning Stoke-on-Trent and it's wonderful history with pottery. I am from Stoke and pottery has been in my life from a young age, both my parents worked for Royal Dolton and Wedgwood and I also ended up working at Portmeirion pottery when I finished uni, thanks again 💗
blown away is really good and it's quite canadian. i'd start with season one. my favourite though is "portrait artist of the year" -- it's british and is extremely impressive/inspiring. people use a variety of techniques so while it's not technically craft i feel like it fits in somehow. it's definitely nerdy which i like. and a lot of it is on youtube. (there's also the original landscape one but it's just not as good.) i've also sampled "best in miniature" about people making miniature things but that one i didn't enjoy quite as much. same with the metalworking one. (yes i've trawled the world for nerdy reality shows.)
Lol, i didn't even realize that there was a non-Canadian version. Maybe Emma will do a comparison of some of the shows that exist in multiple countries 🤞
This show is amazing. I remember watching the first season years ago and loving it a lot. It's competitive but in a sweet and friendly way. The judges are there to also teach and help the contestants do their best. The fact that the constestants are of all ages and walks of life reminded me of my own experiences in mixed age art schools, the comradery of it all. It's one of the best things about arts and crafts communities - you get to have these connections with people you never imagined and they end up being very important because no one gets our passion for arts and crafts like other artists and crafters.
29:12 in pottery there are a lot of momments when thingss just break, sometimes its completely your fault and sometimes the kiln gods are mad and something explodes, so potters are very good at dealing with breakages.
LOVE this show! Hubs (half-a-Brit) and myself (American) did a family canal trip that took us along the Trent & Mersey Canal last June and got to visit the Gladstone pottery. It's a great museum - educational with context and the pieces on display are gorgeous. Rita Floyd was there making a set of bone china roses, so we got to chat with her a bit. They also have different art shows in the room where the Throwdown's filmed when they're off-season. Everyone is soooo lovely!! T.T
I remember this game show i watched on netflix called “school of chocolate” which had a really nice competition set up where no one left. (Idk if that is something you would like to cover perse, but it’s more artisy than like oowh good flavor) all the contestants stay and in the end 2 are chosen to head a big project along with teams made of the other contestants. The point was more to like learn stuff and have all these people get even more skilled. It’s kinda American tho so not a lot of love and “comradery” as far as i remember but it was a nice show.
I started watching this show several years ago and it's actually partially what inspired me to pick pottery back up for the first time since high school.
british craft competitions are so good for the soul.. pottery throwdown and sewing bee are my favourites so im happy to see you enjoyed the throwdown too!
So I haven’t watched this video yet, but the turtle toilet that someone once made on this show lives rent free in my head. Years and years and years after I watched this show, I still think about it sometimes 🤣
I started watching The Great Pottery Throwdown because of a TikTok of Keith crying over Caitlin's lamp in the 2023 season and I have been obsessed ever since. It is so wholesome and has even started my exploration into wheel pottery (among my thousands of other craft hyperfixations) 🏺
All the crafting reality adjacent competiton elimination shows please! I watch any I can find, and definitely love The Great Pottery Thrown Down / British Sewing Bee. Not that these are strictly craft, I've always really enjoyed Project Runway (particulaly the unconventional materials), and recently also gotten abit obsessed by Blown Away (Glass Blowing reality elimination competition).
Finally got Covid, luckily very mild, but recommending the giant pottery throw down, is terrific for cheerfully passing my sick days. I love everything you produce, but this was especially well timed for me!
I work with paper clay at home because I don't have access to a kiln. I don't want to work with polymer clay because it's plastic. Paper clay is difficult in a way, because it is different than actual clay, so it takes a little bit of time to learn how to deal with it. And you just have to be ok with imperfection. But it's cool because you can sand it when it's dry and make it look smoother, and it's nice and lightweight if you're making things like pins or earrings. Just wanted to chime in on that, in case someone rejects paper clay as being difficult after hearing the contestants. Give it a go anyway, it's inexpensive and there's so much you can do with it. Also, I have to say that the crying judge is my favorite judge ever, even without seeing the show.
Please tell me you do your sanding outside and with a particulate dust mask! The dust is so dangerous. It can cause emphysema, aka miner's lung. Just because it's paper clay, doesn't mean it's not dangerous.
I was in an awful fine arts class in high school. Teacher just put on movies. BUT one thing she showed us was i believe season 2? of THIS SHOW and i went and finished it at home i loved it! so glad youre talking about it :)
You should watch the Great Big Tiny Design Challenge!! It's a miniature making competition, and they furnish a room in a doll's house every week. They only did one season of it (i think just because it's a pretty niche hobby and it would be hard to find contestants for more seasons) but i thought it was so fun
Yay! I love this show so much, it’s been a comfort show for well over 5 years after stumbling upon a few episodes on TH-cam. I’m watching the current series right now since I found out it airs on Makeful in Canada☺️
This show is something id love to see as a former ceramics student seeing these pieces make me wanna try and find a pottery class and take some classes
My mom and I stumbled across this show yrs ago when there were only a couple seasons. I loved it but totally forgot about it so I'll have to go watch the rest of the seasons now! The main things I remembered about it were the wholesome vibes, Keith crying over the artwork, and all the inuendos! 😂
Keith and his partner have a new tv series out. Not quite the same vein as throwdown but I love the way they are together. Show’s called Our Welsh Chapel Dream. It’s a renovation show I suppose
Thanks for this, Emma! I absolutely love the series. The heartbreak of a piece bursting in the kiln is SO sad. Unlike mistakes in knitting & crochet, you can't just unravel to re-do it. It's next level achievement for these folks. And they're all winners. Strangely, my fave project was the bathroom sinks from an earlier season. Full-scale piping realness there!
Have you seen Making It? It's another wholesome competition show about making stuff, hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. All sorts of different crafting/construction techniques. I loved it.
im sorry roses jug with "the notorious H.R.T." on it is my FAVOURITE THING. i wish i could affort to buy one. i dont even know what i would put in it but i love it so much.
Here I am listening to this - my meds wearing off which makes me extra weepy so easily so I’m sitting here choking up and having a little cry over so much stuff XD
The downfall of all crafters: something we are mildly disinterested in
Ahahaha so true!
The fatal flaw
The truth!
This actually made me lol
aint that the truth x3
As an INSANELY emotional person who sews and knits, Keith has helped me realise that it’s okay to have feelings when presented with art that has been constructed with heart.
i am also a RIDICULOUSLY emotional crafter, and I’m also trans and struggle a lot with not feeling “manly” enough, but watching that big burly man cry over coffee mugs has definitely helped me become with my emotions
Me, a cancer survivor: yeah, I can handle her sculpture.
Me: starts BAWLING
congrats for surviving
honestly hearing about christine's story also made me sad, congrats to you
"They're in my pocket" said like a kid with pockets full of scary bugs and rocks being called out by mum. Absolutely iconic, instantly my favorite.
My neighbour competed in this season and our whole village watched it because we are all so proud of her, she is so kind and lovely. She showed us how to make signs for our bedroom doors out of clay when I was little. Everyone on this show is so nice
No because Kieth is like a less scary paul hollywood and i love him so much
yes EXACTLY
Now is probably a great time to spotlight Keith's other programme called "our Welsh chapel dream" which is on all4/channel 4 for UK people. In which he and his wife/partner Marge are renovating an old Welsh Chapel to become both a home and a community pottery studio and arts hub.
I love Keith.
Take that back. Keith would never dress up as a Nazi for Halloween or run around with 20yos to cheat on their spouse.
@@SunnyMorningPancakes now i NEED to watch
everytime keith cries about the beauty of pottery my soul heals a little bit more
Omg the subtitles told me that Rich Miller was the "kill man", it took me SO LONG to realise it was "kiln". That makes MUCH more sense. I was wondering where the unexpected violence and death was coming from.
Further comments: avoiding mentioning D&D may have been because this show (as Wikipedia has told me) was made by the BBC and then by Channel 4. Both are publicly owned, the BBC is also publicly funded, and there are strict rules about brand endorsements in their programming.
The fact that they "promoted" rich makes me incredibly happy because you can juat twll hes so so so passionate
I always loved rich’s little moments in early seasons so when they announced he’d be a judge I got so excited!!!!!
@@starboardia I watch with my mom and we would always talk about how it made us so happy that you could tell her cared about the contestants and stuff and we got SO excited when we watched season five!!!!
Agreed, he is in his quiet way just as much of a sweetheart about it as Keith, imo.
17:30 - doing a craft blindfolded sounded like a really cool idea until I remembered my craft is woodworking and I just got 3 stitches removed yesterday after a little incident with a saw for which I was fully sighted... I'll save the experiment for another craft, I think. 😂
Me with cosplaying. 1 way ticket to me hotgluing my fingers or running an exacto right into my hand
Might I suggest something closer to finger painting 🤣 glad you’re healing though!
@@rebeccatomlin3916 thanks ❤️
As a sewing I'm with you - that sounds very stabby 😬
Would any of you be interested in paper mâché ✨😂
I even appreciate that the judges actually do demonstrations with their crazy challenges. Usually they give crazy time constraints and stuff even to like junior baking show and stuff and then criticize them. So this is great
yes, they show that it is possible to do this, even if it's hard, but it's not completely unrealistic. Love this show.
That always drives me crazy! My sister watches a baking show called Nailed It and I kind of hate it. The contestants are supposed to make these elaborate cakes in 2 hours. And I'm like: dude, you realise that cakes have to cool completely before putting icing on, right? And that layers of icing often have to dry before putting on the next layer? No matter how skilled you are, this is literally impossible. That's just setting people up for failure and makes me sad.
A Rhubarb forcer is a pot (or just a bucket) you put over growing rhubarb to make it grow faster and sweeter. It is a technique that was pinoneered in the "Rhubarb Triangle" in Yorkshire. My father is very proud of being from there, and now makes rhubarb treats with the rhubarb (unforced) that he grows in his garden.
It makes the Rhubard grow so fast you can hear it squeaking as it grows. Crazy stuff.
That is fascinating! I'm going to have to look further into that, maybe plant some rhubarb.
I've been taught you can hear the rhubarb growing even when not forcing it, especially at night. I have no room for rhubarb sadly, but I love the giant leaves, and the rhubarb pie/cake my mother makes. (It's not an open pie or one with a lid with filling, it's a soft dough with rhubarb baked in, does that classify it as a pie or a cake... 🤔)
@@AnnekeOosterink cake, and it sounds delicious! I much prefer cake over pie.
I did not know any of this! Thanks for the explanation. I always thought of rhubarb as red celery….😋
As someone who has taught many, many adult ed pottery classes, I can confirm the universal truth of the handle pulling innuendo. LOL. EVERY time. Every time. It never matters how innocent and nonchalantly I try to approach it, someone ALWAYS snickers, and it delvolves into naughty laughter.
If you don't laugh, I don't think your human 😂
previous pottery teacher here: I can vouch for this! I taught elders/pensioners and seeing a bunch or grandmas giggling while pulling handles is... quite a view. Also heard some "interesting" remarks of their spouses/ex partners that I would've covered my ears for if I had a heads up😅
As a person who has taken too many pottery classes... yeah, it's all thinly veiled innuendo. Lol
Our plaster technician, Richard, at uni in our first year dropped the absolute best line during our plaster induction.... there were only 3 guys in our class, and only one in our group for this, and not one of us ladies were under 30.
Anyway, Richard was showing us how to mix the plaster to bring and bubbles to the surface and avoid adding to them, and had us lulled into this demo, and then he just, in his calm, quiet voice, likened it to wanking in a bucket. There was a moment of stunned silence at this sneaky comment, then all of us except Miah, the guy, damn near fell off our stools we were laughing so hard. Miah, with his lovely dark skin, blushed so hard at such a blatant comment, while Richard just patted himself on the back.
Our ceramics department was so much fun.
In middle school we were watching a video on mug pottery construction for an art class. The teacher litterally had to pause the video ahead of the handle segment and acknowledge that, it was very silly, and very funny, but a legitimate technique and we dont need to point out how it looks. We dont need to make a big deal of it and disrupte the class.
We all laughed and joked and fully disrupted the class.
Also, AJ’s knomes were 100% inspired by Gravity Falls :)
Let me tell you something, Emma, we british, we LOVE innuendo and bawdy jokes. We love it.
Whenever Americans find out about "Squirty Cream" they imagine we don't know how it sounds, but we do, it's precisely why we call it that. There was a sign in Tesco that does the rounds on social media every now and again, and its above the strawberries, and it says (no word of a lie) "Plump, Juicy, and Begging for Cream". That was in a supermarket.
Making lewd jokes is a british pastime, honestly.
Oh dear, I briefly forgot I was on the channel of someone called Emma and was slightly weirded out by a comment seemingly talking directly to me 😅
I was really invested in season 5 because I know AJs aunty. Because of this I have seen some of AJs stuff pre throwdown and seeing how their family were involved in supporting AJ during the airing of the show was such an amazing experience
Forged in Fire is my dads favorite crafting competition :) i dont watch alot of competition show type things but i promise, if emma gets one i will be all over it!
Tbh that's a good show too. My dad aspires to be just like David Baker. He was so excited to get his first vest to wear at my wedding 😂
This guy from my hometown won a season of Forged in Fire and he sells knives at the farmers market in the summer and I waaaaaaant one! They are so cool.
Forged in Fire is so fun!! It's scary how much skill people need for and of these shows really...
My brother actually got into forging because he and my dad watch that show! Now he’s more interested in fixing up/riding motorcycles… I really hope he get back into forging 😅
Keith is the type of friend every crafter/maker needs in their corner. He's so enthusiastic and supportive.
Kieth is such a softie. It's so wonderful to see this great big manly man who's just so sensitive and passionate about pottery. I think he's my favourite thing about the show.
Siobhan is a national icon
I love the pottery throw down so much. I think it really conveys why potters love doing pottery better than any of the other craft competition shows
I’m actually a proud owner of an AJ blob and can vouch that the blobs just as cute in real life 😍
Blown Away might be a good show to talk about - it’s about glass blowing!
I've just binged all four seasons of blown away in a week. It's fun but it doesn't pack the emotional punch of pottery throwdown.
Does Blown Away exist in different versions in different counties?
@toshabeans not yet I don't think. They have people from different countries on the US one
Things you need to know about British people: We love our innuendos, Punch and Judy puppet shows and any form of craft show! AJ and Anna were always my favourites on this season, I loved watching them both and it made me so happy ❤
I love Pottery Throwdown. Guessing which pieces are going to make Keith cry is definitely a highlight of the viewing experience!
This video taught me that all of my grandparents' tableware is from the 60s. It's not my favourite style either, but it is really interesting to know. And to realize that they haven't bought new tableware for 60 years. That's impressive!
Great Pottery Throw Down and Taskmaster are my two favourite feel good shows to rewatch 😊
Yes! Love TM ❤
The urinal/toilet thing is a fixture of the show, they do something similar every season and it is one of the best episodes.
Ooo ooo I know this one! Punch and Judy booths are booths for a puppet show, often at the seaside, various summer fetes. The cast of characters include Punch, who is a typically naughty, Judy, who often tells him off / hits him with a rolling pin, a crocodile who gets into various hijinks, a police officer, a string of sausages which have been stolen and, in the case of my own experience, Satan. Yes, satan. Usually he's having a go at Punch, who fools him to get out of hell and continue being naughty. The phrase "that's the way to do it!" Is often used as a call and response and is Punch's catchphrase!
I remember one where there was a baby and a female character as punch had turned the baby into the sausages... yeah it was the first time watching punch and judy and i bloody loved it
Yeah, they still exist in the Netherlands as well, both the traditional ones (though our puppets are called Jan-Klaassen and Katrijn) and newer ones with often handmade puppets of original characters. The traditional puppets are slowly becoming less popular, but the idea of puppet theatre is still very popular. You can book puppet shows from street performers, and I still see the theatres on many local fairs. I even live near a large playground based entirely on the Jan-Klaassen puppets.
I also had a small one as a kid, basically just a small wooden box with a window and curtains. You can still buy so many hand puppets, from TV show characters, to animals, to fairy tale characters, even the traditional ones (with the creepy plastic faces), though those are becoming harder to find.
It hadn't occurred to me that puppet theatre isn't common everywhere, I mean, I learned about wayang theatre from Java, Indonesia, both the shadow puppets and the 3d puppets for example, so I kind of assumed most cultures had some form of puppet theatre.
@@AnnekeOosterinkInteresting that the Netherlands has a similar tradition. Never knew that.
I'm from Stoke and I love that the show was actually filmed in Gladstone. This city has such a rich history and it's a shame that a lot of the pottery industry no longer exists. Thansk for talking about this show and giving Stoke a shoutout. If you ever visit, try some oatcakes and visit Emma Bridgewater, one of the last working potteries jn the city
as someone who moved to stoke, oatcakes are my life and it stresses me when i’m out of town and can’t get hold of any!!!
The soft ones? If you're ever in Harrogate you can get them in the big Sainsbury's.
also live in stoke! i'm not a fan of oatcakes though (blasphemous i know)
29:21 honestly having a smooshed garden gnome that fell on it’s ass is an art itself
A rhubarb “forcer” is a terracotta pot designed to go over rhubarb plants in order to blanch the stems and keep them warm thus allowing the stems(which are the bits you eat)to grow much more tender than those grown in the open.. The sea kale forcer is the same idea, just smaller.
You should watch the Repair Shop. It is also really cozy and nobody gets eliminated. lol
I think you'd really really like School of Chocolate, its a Netflix original and its all about creating things out of chocolate. They always make a big show piece/sculpture in each episode. Its hosted by Amaury Guichon who you mightve seen on various social medias making a functional chocolate sculptures. All of the competitors are there through the whole season and if they come in last in an episode they spent the time the other are making the show piece getting extra help with some of the skills. Its truly such a wholesome show and they make some amazing pieces on it, and its so sad to me that they only got one season.
I have seen one series, I think there is only one a available in my region, but I didn’t like the (several of the) competitors. Very nasty to each other
@@wendyamsterdam8482 yeah it only got one. And I do agree that several of the competitors didn't quite understand the more easy going vibe of the show. And it really feels like to me it's a result of the way American cooking competition shows have been forced to have a much more intense and individualistic energy over all, very much making it about each person even when they're on teams, rather than fostering an attitude where cooperation and helping each other would thrive.
As an American I've really been frustrated by producers trying to (most of the time successfully, unfortunately) force this even where it's not welcome. Like I remember growing up genuinely thinking Gordon Ramsay must genuinely be this huge asshole to everyone because of how American show have cast him in that role, and then being so deeply surprised and relieved and frustrated to learn that no, he isn't a giant ass, it's just America. Getting to watch him with kids or on other countries shows really was amazing how much of a change there was.
So all that to say, it really felt to me like producers were kind of confused about the vibe of the show. Like most of it is a much more laid back style of competition like I'd get from a cooking competition show from out side the US, but there were little editing decisions, and things done that made it feel like they were still running with the idea it would be like most US shows. And I think for the competitors, especially because I found it was mostly the older ones who were more fiercely competitive and could be nasty to each other, that they varying levels of expecting it to be like other US cooking competitions that they'd watched before and perhaps producers even had them lean into that in their confusion about the vibe of the show.
I think overall the show format and most of the competitors were really fun and worth giving a shot.
in my experience learning pottery over the last year and a half, I think this culture of helping each other out and the love of the craft is pretty universal!! In my studio, there's never a sense of gatekeeping or jealousy over skills, just love and support from everyone. I love so much that that feeling is captured in this show, it's so good!!
Gotta say, British competition shows, at least the ones I've watched, are hands down some of the best anywhere imo. They've just totally got the formula figured out so they're great fun to watch. No cut throat nastiness or fake niceness or nose up superiority airs. Thanks for posting about this one as I hadn't heard of it.
Except masterchef, lol. That was a bit cut throat, but not totally nasty.
I love how everyone in the show really seems to unapologetically be themselves!
"and she crochets!" i look up from my crochet in delight
omg my mum and i went to see keith on stage (i’m not joking) and it was just such a delight and he’s just so sweet and he was talking about being in the punk band in his youth! and his partner was there and she was very cool and they were talking about how they bought an abandoned church in wales and they were renovating it to turn it into a community space !!! what a delightful man he is 🩷
there's a tv show of the church renovation too!
I've been watching this show for years with my family. I never get over how sweet it is.
being someone who has lived in stoke-on-trent and loved the history of pottery it’s so great to see such a wholesome and wonderful competition show appreciating these things💕
I love the great pottery throw down so much! Its so refreshing after so many cut throat competitive shows. If you want to review a bad competition show i recommend ink master, its whole structure is designed to ruin the clients and competitors friendships.
As a trans masculine person, having Keith bring up tears along with someone else saying acknowledging patriarchal standards and saying "Our poor darling men, our gorgeous men" while also having Rose on the show makes my heart soar and it makes me feel incredibly seen in such an awesome way. Made my week and though I normally don't feel like watching the shows you recommend, I really want to watch this one on my own. Thanks Emma for bringing this show to light!
My kiddo and I watch GPT together and we called Miles "the sad fisherman" :( He was just so sad all the time. I was rooting for him so hard.
I only watched one season, and I loved it! There's another one about floral arrangements, and it was just as wonderful. One season had an episode where all the other contestants were helping the duo that was really struggling with the challenge.
The Glazes! I adore this show and would never hear a bad word against it. Keith has the biggest heart. he's the most precious person!
FLORIAN WAS ON THIS SHOW???????? gods I LOOOOOVE his youtube channel omg omg
and of COURSE he was brought on for the handle pulling ep lmao
edit: love a potter in a slutty little tank
haha YES !!! You should watch his episode, brief appearance but his demo was so cool to watch !!!
I didn't recognize him until you said!!!
I found your channel recently and have absolutely fallen in love despite not being a crocheter / active in craft communities online. The Hobby Lobby video made me fall down a rabbit hole. I am so happy to see somebody talking about this show! I love watching with my mom and grandma, and I’m happy you found joy in it as well!
Never heard of this show before now I’m definitely watching it! I love unproblematic competitions that give the feels Thanks for the recap!
It's SO lovely! Just the best comfort watch.
man you really weren't kidding about Keith crying at EVERYTHING 😂 thank you so much for putting this show on my radar
A fun fact about Rose is that she originally applied to be a contestant on the show, but was rejected because she had previously worked in a pottery which by the show’s rules make her a professional. Clearly though the production team liked her vibe and contacted her again when Rich moved onto judging. Just really neat they cast a wide net and didn’t just hire from within the judges own professional circles.
I hope they let her do one of the technical demos same day, the little medicine jars she makes are a traditional form and would make a great mid episode challenge.
Here I am, almost midnight, watching this…. Completely enthralled. Now I have to find the show and watch it. Well done, Emma.
Attended one of AJ's pottery classes and they were the kindest most patient teacher you could ever ask for.
I'd love to see your take on Blown Away too!
Oh I love blow away!!!
YES PLEEEEEEASE
omg okay adding to my list !!!
That show got me and my parents into collecting blown glass pieces from local artists wherever we visit!!!!!! 🤩 It’s such a wonderful and meaningful little collection to have but SO STRESSFUL because I have these crazy intrusive thoughts that I’m somehow going to trip and fall six feet sideways and upward and smash them 😰 ANYWAY
Yesss I love Blown Away
If you have not seen the clips on TH-cam, Brad Pitt is also a great Fan of ‘Throw Down’. He has apparently seen and enjoyed all the seasons. He also thinks that it’s beautiful when Keith sheds a tear over some of the pottery creations.
Jumpscared by the British history lesson on the history of Stoke on Trent. I'm so used to making jokes about various towns hearing someone talk earnestly about the history was fascinating. I did not know about the abolitionist history! Pottery leads us to interesting places
Him dropping his gnome reminds me of when I was in 11th grade and I was making a Tigger bank for my brother's wife, and one of the mean kids bumped me on purpose on the way to the kiln, and Tigger went splat on the floor. I almost died. (hell I think the kid felt bad) Because it landed back down, I was able to actually fix most of it, lucky enough. She did like it, and I did end up with an A and a compliment from the teacher for keeping my head (I was in shock lmfao). I love the idea of this show, thanks for bringing it to my attention!)
During my 3rd year at uni (ceramics degreee), during our last few weeks making for our degree show, I was bringing a board loaded with work back from the kiln room to my desk. One of my pieces slid off the board and smashed on the floor. There was a collective gasp from the whole room. I twisted the board to see the floor, carefully stepped around the mess, (everyone sighed and got back to what they were doing), and put my work on my desk. Then I went and picked everything up and binned it. One of classmates asked me if I was OK, and said yup, we're making a body of work, not one piece, yeah? She laughed.
Let's just say, there were far fewer tantrums in that class when things went wrong after that!
As someone who spent many years doing ceramics at the local community college, I love the vibe of this. I didn't throw for reasons, but I've long had admiration for those who can. I specialized in small sculptures, great deal of cat themed things. Raku was a ton of fun. We had a small kiln for it and I really loved doing the loading and unloading. Pit firing was rad too. I miss doing ceramics, but I do have the fun of doing multi layer cross stitch. And what's wrong with gnomes? Who's going to protect your garden?
My mom loves gnomes, and my dad HATES them. You can guess what mom gets every holiday as a gift😅
not trying to shame you for not knowing him, but I think it's funny how you introduced florian at 23:40 because I watch his videos all the time!!! i wasn't expecting this collab to be happening
My family loves this show! We always watch it when everyone is at my parents house.
i am british so absolutely biased but i really feel like in the uk we cracked the code with wholesome tv competition shows. somehow every show like this (bake off, sewing bee etc.) just oozes kindness and friendship. when i’ve watched competition shows from other countries there always seems to be an almost unhealthy amount of competitiveness and a distinct lack of connection between contestants. i feel like a lot of this is due (at least in part) to editing: with shows like throwdown the stakes are always presented as much lower and it makes it more enjoyable to watch as a casual viewer because you feel involved, rather than just spectating people do stuff. i love a good competition show where there is a bit of stress and things at stake, however i genuinely love that with these shows you are basically just watching friends do creative things that they are genuinely passionate about, regardless of perceived talent. its just great vibes and pottery and it’s lovely!
Ellie Taylor continues the tradition of a comedian I know through raunchy standup and British panel shows to being a wholesome game show host. 😂
I love her bit as news anchor on the mash report and have a gif what she did at the end of a sketch on a message from woman bit. Highly recommend it.
Also I would check out the Canadian version of this show, it is related a bit with Seth Rogen.
Just you explaining the ending with the totems and winner made me cry. I can’t imagine watching all this without crying omg ❤
Amazing video, thank you so much for mentioning Stoke-on-Trent and it's wonderful history with pottery. I am from Stoke and pottery has been in my life from a young age, both my parents worked for Royal Dolton and Wedgwood and I also ended up working at Portmeirion pottery when I finished uni, thanks again 💗
blown away is really good and it's quite canadian. i'd start with season one.
my favourite though is "portrait artist of the year" -- it's british and is extremely impressive/inspiring. people use a variety of techniques so while it's not technically craft i feel like it fits in somehow. it's definitely nerdy which i like. and a lot of it is on youtube. (there's also the original landscape one but it's just not as good.)
i've also sampled "best in miniature" about people making miniature things but that one i didn't enjoy quite as much. same with the metalworking one. (yes i've trawled the world for nerdy reality shows.)
You need to watch the Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown too.
legit one of my favorite shows, and definitely my favorite competition show of all time. Definitely watch all the seasons. SOOOOO GOOOOD
It took me way too long to realize you weren’t talking about the great Canadian pottery throwdown. I just thought I didn’t remember the presenters
Lol, i didn't even realize that there was a non-Canadian version. Maybe Emma will do a comparison of some of the shows that exist in multiple countries 🤞
I didn't even realise that there was a non-Canadian version lol
Maybe Emma will do a comparison of the shows that exist in different countries? 🤞
This show is amazing. I remember watching the first season years ago and loving it a lot. It's competitive but in a sweet and friendly way. The judges are there to also teach and help the contestants do their best. The fact that the constestants are of all ages and walks of life reminded me of my own experiences in mixed age art schools, the comradery of it all. It's one of the best things about arts and crafts communities - you get to have these connections with people you never imagined and they end up being very important because no one gets our passion for arts and crafts like other artists and crafters.
29:12 in pottery there are a lot of momments when thingss just break, sometimes its completely your fault and sometimes the kiln gods are mad and something explodes, so potters are very good at dealing with breakages.
I LOOOOVE ROSE! Didn’t known she was on this show!
LOVE this show! Hubs (half-a-Brit) and myself (American) did a family canal trip that took us along the Trent & Mersey Canal last June and got to visit the Gladstone pottery. It's a great museum - educational with context and the pieces on display are gorgeous. Rita Floyd was there making a set of bone china roses, so we got to chat with her a bit. They also have different art shows in the room where the Throwdown's filmed when they're off-season. Everyone is soooo lovely!! T.T
how is one "half a brit"? was his top half born in england or something?
@@gamechimp869 His dad's British and his mom's American. It's also a reference to Monty Python's Eric the Half-a-Bee. :D
I remember this game show i watched on netflix called “school of chocolate” which had a really nice competition set up where no one left. (Idk if that is something you would like to cover perse, but it’s more artisy than like oowh good flavor) all the contestants stay and in the end 2 are chosen to head a big project along with teams made of the other contestants. The point was more to like learn stuff and have all these people get even more skilled. It’s kinda American tho so not a lot of love and “comradery” as far as i remember but it was a nice show.
oh my god this is perfect i’ve been binge watching your videos while i crochet
A pottery show!!!! I recently discovered how much fun Im having sculpting stuff from clay, i'm definitely giving this show a go
I started watching this show several years ago and it's actually partially what inspired me to pick pottery back up for the first time since high school.
british craft competitions are so good for the soul.. pottery throwdown and sewing bee are my favourites so im happy to see you enjoyed the throwdown too!
oh i also recommend handmade: britains best woodworker, all that glitters: britains next jewellery star and the great big tiny design challenge!
I love these crafting reality show videos, they're like the cool and chill older cousin to Ashley Norton's unhinged Bachelor recaps
So I haven’t watched this video yet, but the turtle toilet that someone once made on this show lives rent free in my head. Years and years and years after I watched this show, I still think about it sometimes 🤣
I just remembered something about how someone once made a honey comb themed light thing? Gosh the flashbacks I’m having right now.
I started watching The Great Pottery Throwdown because of a TikTok of Keith crying over Caitlin's lamp in the 2023 season and I have been obsessed ever since. It is so wholesome and has even started my exploration into wheel pottery (among my thousands of other craft hyperfixations) 🏺
All the crafting reality adjacent competiton elimination shows please! I watch any I can find, and definitely love The Great Pottery Thrown Down / British Sewing Bee. Not that these are strictly craft, I've always really enjoyed Project Runway (particulaly the unconventional materials), and recently also gotten abit obsessed by Blown Away (Glass Blowing reality elimination competition).
Finally got Covid, luckily very mild, but recommending the giant pottery throw down, is terrific for cheerfully passing my sick days. I love everything you produce, but this was especially well timed for me!
Love, love, love this show and I love when Keith is so moved by the piece that he tears up
I work with paper clay at home because I don't have access to a kiln. I don't want to work with polymer clay because it's plastic. Paper clay is difficult in a way, because it is different than actual clay, so it takes a little bit of time to learn how to deal with it. And you just have to be ok with imperfection. But it's cool because you can sand it when it's dry and make it look smoother, and it's nice and lightweight if you're making things like pins or earrings. Just wanted to chime in on that, in case someone rejects paper clay as being difficult after hearing the contestants. Give it a go anyway, it's inexpensive and there's so much you can do with it. Also, I have to say that the crying judge is my favorite judge ever, even without seeing the show.
Please tell me you do your sanding outside and with a particulate dust mask!
The dust is so dangerous. It can cause emphysema, aka miner's lung.
Just because it's paper clay, doesn't mean it's not dangerous.
I was in an awful fine arts class in high school. Teacher just put on movies. BUT one thing she showed us was i believe season 2? of THIS SHOW and i went and finished it at home i loved it! so glad youre talking about it :)
You should watch the Great Big Tiny Design Challenge!! It's a miniature making competition, and they furnish a room in a doll's house every week. They only did one season of it (i think just because it's a pretty niche hobby and it would be hard to find contestants for more seasons) but i thought it was so fun
Yay! I love this show so much, it’s been a comfort show for well over 5 years after stumbling upon a few episodes on TH-cam. I’m watching the current series right now since I found out it airs on Makeful in Canada☺️
This show is something id love to see as a former ceramics student seeing these pieces make me wanna try and find a pottery class and take some classes
Emma, you HAVE to review "School of Chocolate"!!!
Noone gets sent home and the host demonstrates the skills.
And when we needed them the most, they returned 🙏🏽
My mom and I stumbled across this show yrs ago when there were only a couple seasons. I loved it but totally forgot about it so I'll have to go watch the rest of the seasons now! The main things I remembered about it were the wholesome vibes, Keith crying over the artwork, and all the inuendos! 😂
this show needs more eyes on it. its genuinely so delightful!!!!!
Keith and his partner have a new tv series out. Not quite the same vein as throwdown but I love the way they are together. Show’s called Our Welsh Chapel Dream. It’s a renovation show I suppose
Thanks for this, Emma! I absolutely love the series. The heartbreak of a piece bursting in the kiln is SO sad. Unlike mistakes in knitting & crochet, you can't just unravel to re-do it. It's next level achievement for these folks. And they're all winners. Strangely, my fave project was the bathroom sinks from an earlier season. Full-scale piping realness there!
The Wedgewood blue in the background during the history break was a nice touch!
Have you seen Making It? It's another wholesome competition show about making stuff, hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. All sorts of different crafting/construction techniques. I loved it.
Another feel-good show to add to my list alongside all the baking competitions I watch lol.
Greatly enjoyed your coverage of this program. It is something I would enjoy watching. I, too, would love a pottery shed and the talent to use it!
im sorry roses jug with "the notorious H.R.T." on it is my FAVOURITE THING. i wish i could affort to buy one. i dont even know what i would put in it but i love it so much.
Here I am listening to this - my meds wearing off which makes me extra weepy so easily so I’m sitting here choking up and having a little cry over so much stuff XD