Latest reviews

pete reviewed: Blacksmithing for Beginners - Full Day Forging for One

"My wife bought me this course for a birthday present, and what a lovely day and great fun in a very nice easy to get to setting. Chris puts you quickly at ease and is exceptionally patient. When you mess something up, which as a complete newbie I inevitably did, Chris very calmly, patiently guides you back and somehow the part start to look as they should ish... Expect to be tired at the end of the day, it is quite physical - the process is also quite a mindful meditate experience with the level of concentration to "tap" the right spot. In summary, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the course or Chris, I already have to a colleague at work. fab day"

mark erwin reviewed: "2 Crafts in 1 Day!" 1-2-1 woodturning & pottery experience for 1 person

"Both SImon and Louise were patient thoughtful and caring teachers. Excellent tuition was given in each of their fields of expertise. They are very personable - any beginner's jitters are soon forgotten. Thanks to both for a truly enjoyable day!"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Mark, Thank you for your glowing review! Coming from a teacher it means a lot. We're glad you enjoyed your day and you're welcome back any time. -- Simon & Louise"

Carole reviewed: Paper Making - Hand Made Recycled Paper

"A great course to make handmade paper - my daughter and i came home with 7 sheets of paper each and lots of ideas to continue at home and make lots more pretty paper - many thanks"

B Elliman reviewed: Willow weaving for home and garden

"An excellent course hosted by Cathy, who is very knowledgeable and guided us quickly into making a Catalan tension tray. Cathy's enthusiasm is catching and I can't wait to attend some further courses to learn some of the other willow weaving techniques for producing garden furniture and other ornaments. Ten out of ten."

Richard Tingle reviewed: One day silver jewellery designing and making workshop

"We had a lovely day making silver rings with Bridget. Bridget was both knowledgeable and made the day fun. Bridget was able to find a way for us to make our designs (which before the day I worried were a bit unrealistic) which definitely speaks to her depth of experience. My partner made a wood effect ring (which I thought might be impossible but Bridget had just the right tool) and I made a rough textured ring with embossed hearts. All in all a great day."

sally reviewed: Landscape art 10-week interactive online course with live tuition

"Raya is a top-notch art teacher and her classes have a good blend of theory and practice. I am on my third online course with her and have made incredible progress, thanks to her teaching, encouragement and patience."

Marnie reviewed: Beginner's DIY Hand Sanitiser Natural Soap Course

"As a beginner I was really impressed by the amount of information in the course and I loved the demo videos. I am feeling confident and I can't wait to start making my own natural soaps. I fully recommend this course."

Steve Cooper reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"I attended Ben Willis’s ‘Welsh Stick Chair making course’ in July 2021. It was superb. The setting in Redwood Valley took you back hundreds of years and close to nature in an open sided wooden structure with an open fire continually burning providing both hot water for the continual coffee and tea ,Ben’s homemade soup for lunch and a gentle drift of smoke to give you the authentic smell of wood smoke! Eight of us were shown a pile of ash logs from which we were expected to produce a work of art. With Ben’s expert tuition over seven long days the results were remarkable with everybody finishing a chair (each slightly different) to be proud of. A big part of the overall enjoyment was getting to know the seven other participants and Ben. All from very different backgrounds but all with a passion for wood. I cannot recommend the experience highly enough with thanks to my wife for it as a birthday present."

Caroline Penn reviewed: Lino Printing Day with Oxford Linocut Workshops

"Really enjoyed Claire's well-paced, supportive workshop. Her advice and instruction gave me confidence and inspired me to try linocutting again. She is very friendly, and the day was most productive, without my feeling too pressured. We all produced amazing-looking cards even though half the class had never tried linocutting before! A lovely day in a beautiful setting - and with Covid-safe measures."

Bridget Thompson reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"What a fabulous week we had, all 8 of us finished our chairs under the excellent supervision of Ben. The setting is ideal, in the woods, the sound of birds along with our shaving and hammering. Ben's help when I wasn't quite strong enough was patient and kind, his knowledge and skill amazing. Having never worked with wood before, I learnt so much and every time I look at my wonderful chair I'll remember each shave, knock, hammer, saw stroke, sand and decision I made about how I wanted it to look. I would recommend this course to anyone, who loves the idea of working with wood and a chair that will last 100's of years. Go for it........"

Graham Harris reviewed: Traditional Leather Workshop (small leather goods)

"Great course, learnt a load & looking forward for the bag course. Kingsley is a great teacher & the group was small so always there to answer questions even for a novice. I made an awesome card/coin purse, which came out great. Well worth a go if you have any interest in leather work."

Louise reviewed: Enamelling on Copper for Jewellery (vitreous glass kiln enamelling)

"Really fun! It was great to be able to walk away with 3 finished pieces, I just wish I had time to try out even more techniques and styles as there were so many different possibilities :D A very well laid out day with good use of time and satisfying results"

Eleanor Designs responded:

"Thank you Louise, it was great to have you here for the day! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Do come back and we’ll work in more of your ideas and other techniques! the possibilities are endless! Hope to see you again soon! Eleanor"

Claire Bouwer reviewed: Pottery and decorating day for two

"This pottery day course was a birthday gift for my Mum and the two of us had a fantastic day together with Marina in her garden studio. We arrived and were walmly welcomed by Marina and given an intro to the day. Marina was an excellent teacher and we were amazed in one day that we were able to produce three lovely pieces each and decorate them too. It rained for most of the day so we helped dry the pots over lunch and chatted with Marina. I highly recommend this day course with Marina. Looking forward to collecting our pieces in a couple of weeks. Thank you to Marina for a memorable day!"

Marina Randall Ceramics responded:

"Thanks Claire for your lovely review. I'm so pleased you both enjoyed the day so much, and look forward to the moment I open the kiln to see those colourful slip swirls on you pieces. They are nearly dry and ready for the first firing this coming week. Have a lovely weekend, Marina"

Rhys Phillips reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"Simply the most pleasurable and satisfying way to spend a week. The setting is second to none but it’s Ben’s knowledge, expertise and patience that make all the difference in this course. It is appreciable the effort that goes into organising the course prior to arriving to ensure it’s smooth running meaning everyone goes home with a wonderful and unique chair. Would not hesitate to recommend this course to anyone interested in having a magnificent hand made centrepiece for their room!"

Kitty reviewed: One day stained glass workshop London for beginners and enthusiasts

"Very interesting course and good tutor. Handy location and full of stained glass decor. Highly recommend to whoever want a taste of making stained glass piece."

GlassSeasons responded:

"Thanks Kitty, keep smiling, enjoyed teaching you."

Graham & Tina Wright reviewed: Beginners 1-day pairs woodturning workshop

"We booked this course hoping to get a good insight into woodturning and we were not disappointed. Simon and Louise were great hosts and made us feel at ease as soon as we arrived. Simon spent time running through the basics of the lathe and the safety considerations and then we were soon producing our first piece of work, a honey twizzler. After the morning session, we were treated to a farmhouse lunch, which was fully gluten free, accommodating my dietary needs. In the afternoon we worked on making bowls and whilst we had to learn new skills, Simon was a great tutor and gave lots of encouragement. At the end of the day, we stood for a photo opportunity, proudly showing off the fruits of our labour. We would highly recommend this course if you are interested in taking up woodturning or just want to experience making something."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Graham & Tina, Thank you so much for a lovely review. It was fun having you visit for the day and we’re glad you enjoyed your workshop. Any queries, comments, questions, please reach out. - Simon & Louise"

Jude Wheeldon reviewed: Pewter Casting - Beginner - 3 Hours - One to One

"A lovely, enthusiastic tutor who couldn't have been more helpful. I really enjoyed the afternoon."

Gifted Crafts Company responded:

"Thank you Jude. It was lovely to meet you. Well done for your lovely pieces too. All the very best. Rach"

Jessica reviewed: 1 Day bag making course - 10 design options

"I love my leather messenger bag that I made on the one-day course - it was so interesting to see what goes into making the bag and I was able to customise it to look the way that I wanted!"

Claire Housley reviewed: Pewter Casting - Beginner - 3 Hours - One to One

"What a brilliant course! The 3 hours wizzed by and we all said we could have stayed all day. Rachel was lovely and helpful and gave great instructions making it accessible for a wide rage of ages to take part. My daughter overcame her fear of fire to use the blow torch and loved using all the tools. I would recommend it to anyone!"

Gifted Crafts Company responded:

"Thank you so much Claire. It was lovely to meet you all. Well done for all the lovely pieces you made. And your daughter did so well. All the very best. Rach"

Cath Padfield reviewed: Pattern Cutting and Drafting for Womenswear - Nottingham Trent University

"Fantastic tutor with such a range of experience - was able to provide quality advice to everyone from hobby dressmakers up to professionals & educators. Everything was step-by-step, very clear and well-paced. Would definitely recommend."

Nottingham Trent University responded:

"Thank you for your lovely review Cath, it's great to hear you enjoyed the course! You're right, our short course tutor Leann is vastly experienced in pattern cutting and drafting for dressmaking and will be very pleased to hear your comments, which I will pass on. We hope to see you again soon for the follow on course (Methods of Creating Fullness at Nottingham Trent University)!"

Barnaby Swayne reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - 2 Day Beginners/Intermediate Workshop

"A thoroughly enjoyable course, Ollie is professional, personable and patient, with the ability to teach in a clear and methodical manner. With Ollie's guidance, I managed to transform a small veneered chest of drawers, with pealing veneer, scratches, cup ring marks, and old wood worm holes, back to it's former glory, it was quite incredible. I would highly recommend."

Debbie Sadler reviewed: Beginners Candlemaking for Two - Anglesey, Wales

"My daughter and I had a truly wonderful beginners candle making day! Anita , our wonderful teacher who was so welcoming, informative and made the whole experience really enjoyable. I’m leaving to live in America very soon, so I wanted to make some precious memories with my daughter! We definitely both did that and went away with an assortment of wonderful candles that we had made! Would highly recommend this course! Thank you Anita! Xx"

Phil Wallace reviewed: Resin Art Experience

"Had an absorbing time creating something unusual under Eunices personable approach and guiding hand. The time went to quickly. Loved the result of my labours. The course was a 60th birthday present. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks!"

Eunice J. Friend responded:

"So glad you enjoyed the workshop. I loved that you came with some interesting ideas which turned out brilliantly Keep creating Phil you have a natural flair"

Christian Duck reviewed: Lino Printing Day with Oxford Linocut Workshops

"Thoroughly enjoyed this workshop - we had never done linocutting before, but Claire was a very good & friendly teacher, and we both came away with an end result we were really pleased with. The location is beautiful and it was a lovely way to spend a day."

Nikki reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"Great day spent learning about and practicing with the materials tools and techniques of carving. Mark was a great host and very patient. Lunch was fabulous and dietary needs catered for brilliantly. Would definitely recommend! Thank you"

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Hi Nikki Thank you for the review. Glad you enjoyed the day. ATB Mark and Cristina"