Latest reviews

Cheryl Dennis reviewed: Creative Vibe - Glassblowing Sessions

"What can I say, as a collector of glass and having visited glassworks all over the country my ambition was to 'have a go' myself. I can't express strongly enough what a wonderful experience I had under the guidance of Ricky. His instruction was clear and easy to understand, at no time did I feel unsafe while handling the hot glass, something I had been a bit nervous about. I progressed through the various techniques and produced a few items that I am quite proud of. This was something on my bucket list and as an 'old' dear in her 70s the experience was very satisfying , I would reccommend it to anyone. It's never to late to try something new."

Julian reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"Fantastic time with Simon who is a great tutor. Really please with the bowl I made. I never felt rushed and he took time to make sure I produced something to be proud of. Lunch was really good and complimented the feel good day. Just what I needed. Wishing Simon and Louise all the best. The follow up notes and photos of the day were a great reminder to share with friends and family."

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

"Hi Julian, We're really pleased you enjoyed your 1-2-1 woodturning workshop with us here at Blended Monkey. You made a fabulous bowl! Hopefully the notes will be useful if you decide to take up the craft. Don't hesitate to contact us if you need any help with equipment, setting up etc.."

Irene Holbourn-Lloyd reviewed: Wet Felted Flowers

"After all the restrictions of the last year was wonderful to finally get to make some wet felted flowers. My first attempts were not too bad, thank you Wendy for your patience, and I have come away inspired to do more."

The Little Craftery responded:

"Thanks Irene! Your flowers were beautiful (and I fully intend to copy your colour choices next time)! I look forward to seeing you again at your candle making class in June. :)"

Alison White reviewed: Two day leather bag making workshop

"2 fascinating days absorbing a totally new craft activity - I think I'm hooked! Thank you Rosanna for so generously sharing your skills and experience, the volume of information imparted (and I hope a good amount imported) over the 2 days was immense. Your skills and experience as a 'teacher', keeping us going at pace so that we successfully completed our desired finished project was equally matched with you making us feel comfortable and welcome in your workshop - a jewel of a place bursting with creative influence and intriguing tools and equipment. Clearly you are a talented designer and maker but you're also a skilled problem solver, quick to find a solution when my measuring skills fell sort (more than once) and you're a hunter, able to find missing tools that constantly found their way to my magnetic end of the bench!"

Alison reviewed: Piped Cushion with zip

"Judi And absolutely brilliant teacher. My cushion making skills have definitely moved on hugely following her session. I now feel I have the confidence to sell my cushions and feel that they are professionally made"

Araba reviewed: Creative Fused Glass for beginners and improvers

"Nadine was friendly and chatty and created a fantastic relaxing experience for my class"

Nadine Mahoney responded:

"Glad you enjoyed it."

Pippa reviewed: Creative Fused Glass for beginners and improvers

"I had a wonderful morning with you and was really excited when my parcel arrived and was very pleased with the end result. You were patient and kind during the workshop and very helpful. Would def want to do another in the future"

Nadine Mahoney responded:

"Thank you for taking the time to review the workshop."

Adam reviewed: Creative Fused Glass for beginners and improvers

"This was a fantastic workshop! Purchased two places as gift for my mum and we had a wonderful time creating together. I will be back."

Nadine Mahoney responded:

"Thank you for taking the time to review the workshop. Glad you had a great time."

Seb reviewed: Needle felt workshop

"Very relaxing and informal. Friendly atmosphere, still we came away with a beautiful seal that I am proud of. Give it a go, you won't be disappointed. Yvonne got the balance just right of giving you space and helping when needed.. I will be back!"

Needle Felt Art responded:

"Thank you Sebastian for your glowing review. I am really pleased you enjoyed making the seal, he was quite a triumph, look forward to felting with you again. Best wishes Yvonne."

chris marriott reviewed: One day stained glass classes by Le Breton Traditional

"I bought this course as a present for my wife (and myself!) and we attended on 16th May 2021. It was held in an excellent purpose-built facility in beautiful mid-Devon countryside and we spent the day there happily tinkering with 3 other students, oblivious to the pouring rain outside. Matt is an excellent teacher and is wasn't long, with his guidance, before he turned our rough sketches into something that we could make in a day. Although we both had some experience of glass fusing, this technique of using copper strip and solder was new to us and we were totally absorbed. The day flew by and we not only learned a lot but also managed to actually produce something we were proud of. Thanks again Matt!"

Marie reviewed: Introduction to candle-making as a business

"This is quite simply a brilliant course. Jo is a very welcoming and warm lady. Her enthusiasm, knowledge, generosity of advice and experiences is just so refreshing. There were two other participants - both with different knowledge and experience from myself, which made it even better as a broad range of questions were covered expertly by Jo. Jo dispelled concerns I had about starting up and I came away buzzing with renewed enthusiasm - as well as a generous bag of candles and melts we'd made that day. Great day and lovely company. Thank you so much Jo x Marie"

The White Candle Company responded:

"Thank you for such a lovely review Marie. Wishing you lots of luck going forward - I'm sure you'll do brilliantly. x"

Sue reviewed: Half day glass fusing for beginners/intermediate

"Nicky was very friendly and helped us turn our visions into lovely pieces of glass work. We made 2 pieces each in a morning session. She also completed a lovely commission piece to our requirements. Her well equipped studio had everything we needed and Nicky let us do what we wanted while always giving helpful tips. There were just 2 of us and we felt very safe with distancing rules and covid restrictions. We used a gift voucher that we had for Christmas. I will certainly be asking for another and going back."

Pamela Curran reviewed: "2 Crafts in 1 Day!" pairs - woodturning & pottery experience

"We really enjoyed the day (2 crafts in 1 day) and had a lot of fun with wood turning in the morning followed by pottery in the afternoon. Simon and Louise were knowledgable and talented hosts who provided a relaxing creative atmosphere. Their teaching style was excellent and allowed us both to develop our new-found skills into creating some freestyle pieces. Thank you very much for a very enjoyable day"

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

"Guys, thank you for the lovely review. It was a pleasure having you in the studios. We're also pleased that you found the experience to be relaxing and creative. After teaching the basics, we do try to give our students the space to add their own personalities to their work whilst ensuring we're always ready to step in when you need us. Again, thanks for the lovely review :-)."

Rick & Nancy Adams reviewed: 2 Day Linocut and Mixed Media Printmaking Course Using Fabric and Paper: for two people

"We enjoyed a very informative two days in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Having previously done a short course elsewhere, we just wanted to enhance the skills, but we learned techniques that we had never heard of and produced finished pieces that we were really proud of. It showed us that there is far more to linocut than we had previously thought. Would highly recommend and we hope to return again when we find time."

Annette Rolston responded:

"Thankyou Nancy and Rick, do come back again to continue your knowledge and expertise. A really enjoyable two days. Regards from Annette"

Pamela Clarke reviewed: Lit Paper Mache Angel Wings Wall Art Workshop

"I loved this course it had so many things to take into consideration when creating the wings, Sarah allows you to use your own skills but is on hand on a one to one basis with ideas if you don’t have any of your own. I really experimented with colours which is brave for me but loved the outcome and of course Sarah,s encouragement along the way."

ReVamp Boutique responded:

"It was lovely to have you back again with us Pam. Thank you so much for reviewing us! You did amazingly! Can't wait to see them hanging in your home ( or studio!) I know they will make the perfect wall feature and ambient light. Looking forward to seeing you again on future workshops. Best wishes Sarah"

Liz reviewed: Hand spinning Day Course

"I did this day course 7 years ago and hopefully Juliet has improved facilities since. The course was comprehensive and I was pleased to come away with a skein of spun wool. Because it was so intensive I would have appreciated some written notes, for instance I had forgotten how to wash the wool by the time I reached home. Juliet was very hospitable but I would have appreciated a short break on my own during the day. The conservatory was uncomfortably hot and I was aghast at the toilet facilities- the wash hand basin was filthy; it’s the only way I can describe it."

Mina Kasano reviewed: Creative Fused Glass for beginners and improvers

"OMG, I had so much fun in the class and Nadine was lovely and very helpful. Also other people's works are so inspiring and fun. I am so happy to found out about this class I would highly recommend to anyone."

Nadine Mahoney responded:

"Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it."

Sophie Cotmore reviewed: Introduction to spooncarving at Hill End

"A great introduction to green wood carving at a beautiful outdoor venue (with an indoor option and roaring fire to warm up if need be !). The day was friendly and relaxed, but packed full of demonstrations, instruction, advice and tips, history of the craft, inspiration, and of course, lots of hands on practice on a piece of wood we could select ourselves from hazel, apple or birch (amongst others). The tutors were attentive, friendly, and clearly very skilled and passionate about their craft. The tools we used were really in fabulous condition, and beautiful in themselves. I was very impressed and am keen to get my own set of tools. The group was small enough to get plenty of 121 time with the tutors, who clearly have a vast knowledge of working with wood. This day is a great experience, and great value for money. Highly recommend it!"

David Knight Woodland Crafts responded:

"Hi Sophie Thank you so much for your thoughtful and considered review! I’m so pleased you enjoyed your day and are ready for a journey into woodcarving and spoon making. Teaching is such a reciprocal activity so thanks also for being such an attentive and engaged student. Keep making shavings."

Mariana Botero reviewed: Two day leather bag making workshop

"Rosanna is a fantastic teacher. She was able to take my ideas and help me translate them into an actual project. She is extremely patient and passionate; she creates a very fun learning environment. I learned so much from her and I would definitely recommend her courses to anyone, even if you have no previous knowledge of sewing or leather working."

Simone Kirwan reviewed: Mid Century Modern Refinishing & Restoration Workshop - All levels - 5 days

"Ollie's course is excellent. I went in there with little knowledge of furniture restoration and came away feeling confident and surprised at the skills I had acquired during the week I was there. From stripping, sanding, fixing and french polishing to the finished product Ollie offered guidance and support throughout. I would highly recommend this course! Thanks so much Ollie!!!!"

Judith G (UK) reviewed: Creating Dala Art with Chris Carter

"This is a 10-week course which is released on-line week by week so you can do it as slowly as you wish. I'm going very slowly and have downloaded and studied 7 of the 10 weeks. It is very interesting, and exceptionally good value. It's about using a circle and a line to form the basis of a watercolour painting that represents the day, an object, a piece of architecture, a dream, an idea, and so on. A new framework for the work is presented each week (for example the colour wheel, colour temperature, greyscale equivalence, finding patterns in objects) and there are experiments that you can do as well as the paintings. There's a blog on which you can post your work so you don't have to feel alone unless you want to. Others attending the course are free to interact with you and your work through the blog. The tutor is very generous with her time: she responds quickly, either via the blog, or via email for more personal comments. It all works very smoothly ... and I really don't want to come to the end!"

Chris Carter Artist responded:

"Judith, Thank you for such a positive and detailed review of the Creating Dala Art online course. Your dala creations continue to delight me. I’m so pleased that you are not only enjoying the class, you are asking excellent questions and clearly learning from your experiments. Thank you for sharing your projects on the group page. We all (including me) have been learning from your posts. I look forward to seeing more of your Dala art, as well as seeing how you apply what you’re learning to your other art work. Chris Carter"

Jane De Silva reviewed: 1 Day bag making course - 10 design options

"Oh my goodness what a fantastic course, my husband and I loved it. Bex is a great teacher who instantly put us at ease. The result at the end of the day was 2 very professional looking bags - how amazing. We are already planning our next course."

Mo Perkins reviewed: Introduction to candle making workshop

"I had a fantastic afternoon on Part 1 of Intro to Candle Making. I can't believe how professional my achievements look and there was so much to take home it made the course great value for money. My home and therapy room smell wonderful. I've already booked for part 2!"

Bonita Candles responded:

"Hi Mo. Yes your candles did look very professional indeed! Well done top you. Thanks for your lovely comments. xx"

Gill JOLLY reviewed: Book binding - Zoom Saturday Morning Workshop

"Very enjoyable and interesting course, a lovely way to pass 2 hours. Lorna's instructions are very clear and I am delighted with my notebook."

Crumps Barn Studio responded:

"Thank you very much for joining us - so glad you enjoyed the workshop! ~ Crumps Barn Studio"

Sandy Fullerton reviewed: Silver jewellery making class for beginners

"A great way to spend the day - creating your designs and jewellery. Jonathan being a very attentive and patient craftsman!"

Salt Way Silver responded:

"Hi Sandy Lovely to meet you. It sounds like you really enjoyed your silver jewellery making day. Well done with your new making skills and I hope you enjoy showing off your hand made bangle. Jonathan"