Thanks you Kristine for another interesting and extremely meaningful piece of work. I'll look forward to hearing more about the crafts of Southeast Asia.

I'm very interested in traditional crafts and think it's so important to preserve the knowledge.

I've been watching a tv programme hosted by Bill Bailey - a true modern day Renaissance Man if ever there was one - called Master Crafters. Which is essentially aimed at raising interest and helping some young craftspeople improve upon their skills by taking part in a master class with an expert in a particular area.

I always prefer the handmade, there's usually something uniquely beautiful and tactile about a well crafted item. Unfortunately, they're usually also out of my price range, though I do buy gifts and special items when I can.