Latest reviews

Helen Gill reviewed: Knife Making and Bladesmith Classes: Hand-Forged Viking Knife

"I purchased this course as a 50th birthday present for my husband and also as an early birthday gift for our 14 year old son. They both returned today absoutely buzzing! They had an absolutely fantastic day and learned a huge amount in such a short space of time. They were both full of praise for the instructors who were always there when they were needed, but also allowed them both sufficient independence. It is so rare to find something that makes a 50 year old and a 14 year old smile from ear to ear! The pokers and knives they both made are brilliant. THANK YOU!"

Anvil Forge responded:

"Hi Helen thanks for the review , I could tell that the Boys had fun , they really were engrossed and only needed telling once and seemed to take everything in quickly which meant they were a joy to teach. I am looking forward to them coming back for another session. best wishes John"

Charles Dunleavey reviewed: Blacksmithing Experience in Grassington (3 hours)

"Excellent day with Richard forging a Damascus blade. Great teacher and went through each step well and at the pace I needed. Result was a lovely blade and the knowledge I had done it. Highly recommend his workshop."

Emily Mcelroy reviewed: Introduction to candle making workshop

"Me and my best friend enjoyed this wonderful course. Came home with some beautiful smelling candles. Made some new friends too. Pauline was an amazing teacher as well. Hopefully we will get to take part in the next one very soon xx"

Bonita Candles responded:

"Thank you Emily. I could see you and Brett were having so much fun! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. xx"

Ann Greaves reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"This was the first time I had done any stone carving. The setting for the course was very peaceful and Sebastian was very informative about stone and the tools needed to work it as well as how to translate my chosen design onto the stone. Altogether it was a relaxing weekend course with to my surprise a pleasing piece of sculpture. Thank you Sebastian."

Chris Davidson reviewed: 2 day intensive making and carving leather workshop

"I've just completed a 2 day intensive carving and making course with Slim. He took a novice with a few self-taught skills to someone with the confidence to call himself a leather worker. I made a wallet with a Viking ship image and am "well chuffed" with the result. Slim is a great judge of when to offer advice and when to leave you to it. He and his family are so friendly and hospitable. I can't believe how much my skills improved in just 2 days! Many thanks, Slim. A great experience."

Ross Leather and Wood responded:

"Thanks Chris, it was a pleasure working with you. I'm so glad you have the confidence now to persue leather work further. You did a really beautiful job. Well done ?"

Terry McCarthy reviewed: Stool making courses

"Brilliant. Could not have enjoyed it more. Ended up with a stool that was much better than I expected and that was due to the great (and patient) teaching by Danny and his team. There were nine of us on the course ranging in age from teenagers to over 60's. Everybody was happy to help each other out. Eating lunch and drinking tea around the fire was very pleasant, weather a bit cold and a bit wet but it didn't matter at all. I would thoroughly recommend this course. I am planning to go on one of the longer chair making course in the future."

Karen reviewed: Bronze hare kit using air-drying clay - including on-line video with Jo Garden Art

"Morning Jo, Just wanted to let you know that the parcel arrived safely this weekend. Thank you for your help and I’m really looking forward to seeing my friends creations. I thought you might like to see Herbie the hare which Leo my partners father created. We all just love those massive cute ears! Your kits are just fabulous, this was the perfect unique gift for me to send Leo this Christmas. It seemed a fun way to spend a few hours during lockdown and create an individual piece. We’re really looking forward to visiting the family in Ireland as soon as we can safely travel again but in the meantime we have all been doing little “creative challenges” then via video call having a catch up & sharing our work. Karen x"

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Hi Karen - thank you so much for sending a photo of the fabulous Herbie, which I've just popped onto the Craft Course page of the Clay Hare Sculpture Kit. He is such fun and I'm still smiling. Thank Leo again for letting me use the photo - I'm so glad it's reignited his love of art and sculpture. Keep up the 'creative challenges'! Jo ;-)"

Nadia Moussa reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"Fantastic beginners resin course! If you want to learn some of the basics in a fun and easy-going environment, this course is perfect. Looking forward to part 2!"

The River Shop responded:

"Great having you Nadia. So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your kind review! Look forward to seeing you for part 2. Richard"

Jan McWhinnie reviewed: Intro to Green Woodwork

"Husband and I had a great day with Mike and one other couple on the Chevin. The sun shone whilst Mike gave us the full benefit of his years of experience. Light hearted but comprehensive instruction on how to get from log to spatula or spreader using a variety of tools, none of which we had ever used before. We each finished the day in full possession of all our fingers and toes, plus our utensil of choice! We really enjoyed our day and can thoroughly recommend Mike’s courses - a great day in the great outdoors - go on, try one, you won’t regret it!"

MC Woodcrafts responded:

"Thanks for your review Jan, it was lovely to meet you both and I'm so glad that you enjoyed your day of green woodwork"

Kathryn Alderman reviewed: Book binding - Zoom Saturday Morning Workshop

"My daughter and I also did this workshop yesterday and we’re thrilled with the results. Lorna is such a lovely, positive and encouraging presence and a wonderful tutor. All the steps were very carefully explained and she was very willing to repeat or retrace a step of anyone needed it. It wasn’t t too difficult to achieve and the results were absolutely beautiful. Great fun and highly recommended!"

Crumps Barn Studio responded:

"Thank you very much for your lovely comments - so glad you enjoyed the workshop! ~ Crumps Barn Studio"

Cathy Gordon reviewed: Resin art course for beginners

"Absolutely worth every penny just for the tips that you pick up and great company as well, brilliant, booking another course straight away."

Reson-8 responded:

"Many Thanks Cathy for your kind review, very much appreciated. Best Regards Norman"

Jess Hesketh reviewed: Book binding - Zoom Saturday Morning Workshop

"I took part in this workshop yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. I would never have believed I could make such a gorgeous finished product in such a short 2 hour period, or that I could have learned so much in the process! Lorna was lovely and so helpful, and the atmosphere of the workshop was so warm and welcoming. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone with a crafty side!"

Crumps Barn Studio responded:

"Thank you so much for taking part - so glad you enjoyed the workshop! ~ Crumps Barn Studio"

Aileen reviewed: Soap Making Made Easy eBook

"Thank you - as a beginner this was a good and clear read and instructions. Looking forward to making delicious soaps ?"

The Soap Coach Limited responded:

"Thank you so much Aileen. Here's to a fantastic new hobby :) Keri"

Pauline Bailey reviewed: Deep Buttoned Stool - One Day Workshop

"Having seen the wonderful craftsmanship of Emma and her dad I was really keen to 'have a go' and learn a new skills from such talented people. The day did not disappoint in any way. From the preparation and help to choose my fabric, to the clear support and guidance during the day; everything was fantastic AND I got the take home a wonderful, useful piece of furniture. I highly recommend this course and am even thinking of doing it again so I have another one for my next grandchild (Emma made one for my granddaughter)"

Semper Hopkins Interiors responded:

"Thank you for the kind words Pauline. It was amazing to have you on the workshop. You had a natural gift for it and took to the craft brilliantly. You especially set yourself a challenge when you chose a patterned check fabric, keeping the right tension so the the lines remained straight. Your creation turned out brilliantly. We look forward to welcoming you back soon."

Pauline Williams reviewed: Introduction to candle making workshop

"Attended this course on 3.4.21. It was fun, informative, educational and therapeutic and by the end of the course we had learned to make 4 different styles of candles. An excellent afternoon's introduction to candle making hosted by Pauline and her team."

Bonita Candles responded:

"Thank you Pauline. You were a pleasure! I loved how you worked so well with the other lady on your table. A real team! Keep up the candle making! xx"

Kate Buckle reviewed: Online courses in sculpture

"I enjoyed my first lesson with Danae so much I booked a second one. She is enthusiatic about what is possible, is always well prepared and encouraging. I've attempted projects with her I didnt think I was capable of! She has given me confidence to try challenging projects on my own too. I would certainly recommend working with her."

Danae's Art Lessons responded:

"It always takes two Kate and I found working with you inspiring too! Thank you for your kind comments."

William Jones reviewed: Wood Carving Kit delivered to your door (Level 1 Plus Tools)

"Really great set, my dad loves it as a birthday present! Tom was really good at keeping in contact and letting me know when it had been despatched and answering questions Thanks Tom"

Wooden Tom responded:

"Glad your dad loves his kit. He can sip a cup of tea in the Spring sun from it when finished ?"

Lee-Sara reviewed: Deep Buttoned Stool - One Day Workshop

"As somebody who sits behind a desk all week, the only creativity I get is using spreadsheets! So the day I spent in the beautiful workshop with Emma was awesome - then I got to take home my gorgeous crate too! Highly recommend!"

Semper Hopkins Interiors responded:

"It was a pleasure to have you Lee-Sara. It was such a fab day seeing the buzz you got from learning the new skills and making your own piece of furniture. I am pleased to see it has been useful storage for all of your university books and files."

Yolanda Garcia de la Rosa reviewed: 10- week Introduction to Soft Pastels online zoom art course with live tuition. Suitable for complete beginners and people with some experience in Art.

"This is the second course I have done with Raya and I am already enrolled for the third! I did one-day wool painting which I loved and went home with a beautiful wool paint a couple of years ago. Raya was really good, telling us how to work with wool and making sure that we created our own picture. Now, I have just finished doing Fundamental art skills level one and I can already see how much this is helping all my other crafts. I wanted so much to learn about light, perspective, shapes, tones, etc. all the basics that I did not know properly and make a huge difference in my work. I can highly recommend Raya, she is brilliant! and her courses very well designed, rich in content and joyful to do!"

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

"This was a brilliant day, I enjoyed it so much. Due to covid guidelines, it was only Tejal and I and she made it very comfortable. We had interesting chats and it was easy-going. It is clear that Tejal is truly passionate about her craft; she made stained glass feel really easy and boosted my confidence a lot. I also met her lovely, bright son who gave me a brief colour consultation on the colours I chose for my piece :) I was impressed! I was so pleased with what I produced, even having time to produce 2 pieces, and will definitely be coming back. Thank you, Tejal!"

GlassSeasons responded:

"Thanks Ruby, it was my pleasure to teach you. Loved meeting you and I enjoyed your company. Take care."

Raymond Hill reviewed: Master of Sourdough Special Offer Bundle 2 extraordinary events on Zoom

"For a sourdough starter novice like me the course contained a wealth of information and practical steps to take the fear and mystery out of the process of producing an authentic sourdough starter. A good mix of kitchen science and practical advice, together with the friendly atmosphere created by Sharon made this a excellent introduction to tart of real bread making. My own journey starts tonight!"

Learn Sourdough responded:

"Thank you Ray for your kind review. It was a pleasure meeting you. You're now a 'Master of Sourdough Starters'. Congratulations! Kindest regards, Sharon"

VALTER MATOS reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"Great course, looking forward to the next one ! Sorry for arriving late and Thank you for your time and your assistant Agnieszka for guiding us through."

The River Shop responded:

"Thanks for coming Valter. Hope you got as much out of it as you wanted! Glad you had a good time. See you next time! Richard and Agnieszka"

Michelle reviewed: 10-week online watercolour for beginners course with live tuition via zoom

"I attended Raya's excellent Introduction to Portrait Course online. While I had done some painting, I didn't have a lot of drawing experience. Raya patiently & expertly taught us to use pencils, charcoal, pastels and more. I learnt so much about drawing, proportions, capturing expression and tonality. A fantastic course with a great teacher, would happily recommend it and I've signed up for the intermediate course now. Can't wait!"

Hayley reviewed: " The Arthur" Leather Zipped Clutch with tassel - KIT

"I won the clutch bag kit in an Instagram giveaway and I was amazed at the attention to detail, as it even included a Teflon foot for my sewing machine and all the pieces came pre cut. I made the bag in an afternoon as the instructions were really straightforward to follow. This would be a great gift to give someone who sews."

Margaret Anne Brook reviewed: Let's Paint "Parallel Universe" - Online Art Class

"I really enjoyed painting along with the tutor and learnt several new techniques. It was my first zoom class so I was nervous at accessing the technology and struggled to get my lighting right but it was worth the hassle and I had a very enjoyable evening."

Let's Paint Pompey responded:

"Thank you for your positive review Margaret. I know that using a technology for the first time can be a hassle, but I'm glad you made it and look forward to painting with you again soon! Caroline"