8703/21622
Spoilers incoming so watch the show first.
My main memory of this show is being frustrated and for the first time the show chose to highlight a tiny amount of that. Layton even calls me a misery guts, which made me laugh, but would be a lot more fair comment if you'd seen everything he had seen. The challenge in particular was really difficult. I think we got two demonstrations of three handle making techniques and were then expected to remember them all. It was a gruelling schedule and we were knackered and I really couldn't hack this one at all. It's so weird trying to do something for the first time, whilst being filmed and being asked how you think it's going when it's clearly going wrong.
I also had a terrible time (unseen) attempting to throw my flowerpot. I must have had about 12 goes at it before someone suggested I use more clay. Even then what I produced was awful and this was frustrating because I'd had a bit of a play off camera and really felt I was getting it now. The little pots the gnomes sit on were great though!
I had a lot more fun with the gnomes themselves, though they didn't really come alive until I painted them. I had realised the importance of making some alternate heads and other bits in case anything went wrong and this proved useful as I hadn't planned on giving the gnomes a bottom, but realised they'd look weird without an extra section. Luckily two bad heads made to serviceable bottoms.
Though I did feel the gnomes were the best thing I'd made thus far, I had assumed that my fifth place in (an admittedly close) challenge and my failed pot would keep me out of contention. So once again I was very surprised to be Potter of the Week for the third time out of four. It seems insane to me and to a few of the show's fans on Instagram, some of whom think I am smug (couldn't be more wrong - I am as confused and surprised as they are), but the judges are looking at a number of factors and I think the complexity of my builds and decoration is acting in my favour. And I am still not convinced that I am not being punk'd.
Luckily this is water off a duck's back as I have my own troll at home to disparage my work. Phoebe (who to be fair is without doubt the superior artist) does not think much of my efforts and lets me know. She was even critical of Rich and Keith's opening chat about this being the decider about who would leave the programme. ""Go big or go gnome" was right there," she proclaimed. It's tough being the fourth funniest person in the house.
I love my gnomes though. It's so lovely to have made something based on the work of my great-grandfather. Hopefully it will stand the test of time as well as Ally has and still be around next century and looked at by some confused great-grandkid of mine who will assume it was made by some troubled child.
And anyone who thinks the result if a foregone conclusion had better think again. Although I topped the leaderboard, those points are wiped out for the final and it's all on the last build and challenge. Things have been very close every week and everyone has now realised what kinds of embellishments will impress Rich and Keith. So hold on to your seats and see you next week to see who is the best potter out of six random people who have never done pottery before.
