BBC’s Make it at Market helps former Diss sweet shop owner with new business
A former town sweet shop owner turned stained glass artist will be appearing on a hit BBC show.
Claire Webb, who ran The Sweetie Shop and Claire’s Sugarcraft in Norfolk House Courtyard, Diss, from 2003, will be appearing on the third series of Make it at Market on BBC One at 3.45pm on Thursday.
The show, hosted by Dominic Chinea, helps a group of budding entrepreneurs make a living from their crafting hobby.
Claire said she first took up wildlife-inspired stained glass art in November 2020, just before her shop closed in February 2021.
The 58-year-old from Roydon said: “I have always been fascinated by it, but I never had the time to go anywhere near it due to the shop.
“It was not until I realised the shop was going that I thought I would dabble a bit with it.
“Being very creative with my sugarcraft background, I fell in love with the heavy metal painting side of it, using the likes of porcupine quills to bring out the details and the firing of the pieces.”
The artist said she dipped in and out of doing pieces just after she closed the shop, as she said she lost her routine and structure.
But settling down to it last year, perfecting her art, she then decided to contact the show.
“I felt I was struggling to sell pieces I had made as the market is difficult, so I had seen the first two series and thought it made sense to apply,” she said.
“I thought absolutely nothing would happen and did not even give it a second look, but then in May last year I got a call which said I had a telephone interview, much to my amazement.”
After passing that process, two parts of filming the show took place, with the last shoot in September.
Claire said: “You work up to a certain point with the first set of filming and then have an eight-week gap so you can everything sorted in between, with the second bit being the big reveal.”
During the show, the artist was mentored and guided in her chosen art form by renowned glass artist Derek Hunt, even going up to his Leicestershire studio for three days to see how he did it.
Claire was also helped to construct a website for the business and taught how to promote it on social media.
“The whole show was a just real adventure for me, putting me in the deep end of business and showing me a whole new side to it,” said Claire.
“The whole team behind the show and Derek were so supportive, kind and encouraging and started to make me believe a bit more in myself.
“I do believe in my heart of hearts that I will be successful with this. I am not quite sure in what form, but I believe I can make a business out of this.”
As well as watching Claire’s appearance on Make it at Market on Thursday, you can see her stained glass work at Diss Antiques and Interiors and No. 8 Marketplace as well as CRAFTCO in Southwold and on her website at clairewebbstainedglass.com.
