Latest reviews

Linda Cope reviewed: Bespoke Contemporary Fine Art Encaustic Wax Workshop.

"I had a super day with Lyn, who is great at sharing her considerable knowledge and skills. Workshop was ideal, being in a quaint courtyard setting with plenty of fresh air and `Covid safe. I will definitely go back for a follow up course once had chance to practice what I’ve learnt. Cannot recommend this lady highly enough! Just wish my strict diet didn't prevent me from sampling the home made cake on offer!"

Contemporary Encaustic Wax Workshop with Lyn Kirkland responded:

"It was lovely to meet you Linda, and share the delights of Encaustic wax. I feel sure that you will enjoy exploring this wonderful medium further, and of course are welcome back for a refresher day anytime. The cake went down very well with my family, who are always thrilled when my students are on diets!!!? Enjoy the rest of your holiday"

Howard Jones reviewed: Sculpture in stone for beginners - 3 day course

"Really enjoyed this course with Kate. Learnt a huge amount in just the three days."

Gwen Beadle reviewed: Expressive painting in oils or acrylics

"Have now completed two of Liz’s “expressive Landscapes” workshops. Liz holds a small, very relaxed and friendly workshop providing instruction, help and support suitable for both beginners and more experienced painters or, like me, people who are trying to find a more loose and expressive style. Liz is a brilliant teacher and will help you to find your own style; I thoroughly enjoyed the day and come away looking forward to the next time."

Katherine reviewed: Group Soap-making Workshop - Soapology Studio - Nottinghamshire

"I really enjoyed the day. Emma made the theory really interesting and easy to understand. After having a couple of goes at making soap on the day I feel confident enough to have a go at home myself. I would highly recommended this course."

Angela Haynes reviewed: Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving

"Such a lovely setting and Alice, a fabulous teacher. It was my first try at loom weaving and she gave her time generously at each stage of the process. Alice made each step easy to follow. I enjoyed using a variety of the resources she provided. I would suggest to any one who had thought about joining her workshops to do so. Excellent. Thank you Alice."

Alison Simms reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"Not a complete beginner but it was a 40 year gap since I last turned. Mark gave excellent communications beforehand even through Covid, deferring the course for a few months with no problem. Mark was very friendly, obviously highly talented and a very capable teacher, very patient even with my million questions. I emerged with a very respectable fruit bowl of which I did a large percentage of the work under his watchful eye. Highly recommended and he has given me a large amount of helpful blurb and has offered his knowledge on whatever I need him for in the future, thank you. An excellent day, hard work and enjoyable, 5 stars."

Mark Hancock responded:

"Hi Ross Bit confused at first by the name on the feedback response but soon realised it was you :-) Thank for taking the time to write your feedback and the comments made. All the best Mark"

Richard Brockman reviewed: Raku, Saggar, Barrel, Copper Matte & Horsehair Firing Weekend Workshops 2025

"Friendly and relaxed weekend amongst interesting people. Lots of different techniques explained and demonstrated. Lovely al fresco catering. We all went home happy ??"

Nicky Klein reviewed: One to One Ceramic Workshops - half day

"I really enjoyed the 1 to 1 session with Kate and was thrilled by what I created with Kate's help. Kate took time to understand what I wanted to get out of it and helpfully suggested a number of different options, which was great as I don't have much experience to draw on. Kate helped me to bring my ideas to life and made suggestions to try things that I wouldn't normally have attempted - such as drawing on one piece which turned out wonderfully. Kate is great to learn from and a pleasure to spend time with - relaxed productivity! I'd love to do it again and would highly recommend a one to one course to anyone who wants to learn and explore their creativity."

Kate Schuricht Ceramics responded:

"Hi Nicky. Thanks for taking the time to review your two days with me. It was great fun and really productive, with some beautiful pieces coming out of the kiln. Congratulations! I was very impressed with what you made and I hope you don't mind me using the photos of your lovely work to show other students."

Ayumi Palmer reviewed: Beginners paper cutting session at MAKE, Portsmouth in Hampshire

"I had a lovely afternoon with Aimee and the other ladies on the course with me. Aimee constantly makes sure everyone is comfortable and safe in their cutting. This was my first time paper cutting and I had no worries under Aimee’s tuition. There were many templates to work from. I would highly recommend to all and will definitely book again in the future."

Julia reviewed: Group Soap-making Workshop - Soapology Studio - Nottinghamshire

"I highly recommend the Soapology courses. I have done both the group soap-making course and the Business Legislation Module course with Emma. Emma is very friendly, welcoming and has a lovely workshop in a fantastic setting. The courses themselves are easy to follow, fun and informative with both practical and theory parts, along with Emma's additional hints and tips, it is a thoroughly enjoyable day. You are provided with extensive and detailed course notes to take away which are invaluable to refer back to once you have returned home. The 100% natural soaps I made smell and look amazing, thank you Emma! I will have no hesitation in returning to do another course with Emma from Soapology and no hesitation in recommending any of Emma's courses."

Nicki reviewed: Learn to Love your Sewing Machine

"The 'Learn to love your sewing machine' workshop is brilliant. Before the workshop I had a very basic knowledge of how to stitch a straight line, but no idea about any other functions. Jen's knowledge and patience knows no boundaries, and I learnt how to maintain the machine, how to fix the problems I was having with tension, as well as learning how (and why) you use all of my machines accessories. All of that and Jen showed us how to make a zip bag. I came away feeling inspired to use my machine, and with the confidence of knowing how to!! Jen is a brilliant teacher, and her workshop is a lovely place to learn. Oh, and there was homemade cake !!!! Fantastic value for money and fun too."

Sew Forest of Dean responded:

"Thank you Nicki, that's really kind of you. I'm so glad you enjoyed the day and you went away inspired. That's my main aim in life, to inspire people to sew and show them all the tips and tricks to sew with pleasure and accuracy! You did a great job, I'm glad you enjoyed the cake ? Good luck with all your sewing projects."

Hilary Laidler reviewed: One day silver clay course at Gallery in Heswall, Wirral

"Really enjoyed the day I arrived with some ideas and, although the course leader shared lots of ideas and techniques, the class was small enough for us to each develop our ideas. Our hands were held throughout the day in producing what we wanted and I left with 2 really stunning pieces of jewellery. Thank you so much x"

Perfectcharm responded:

"Thank you Hilary! Would just like to point out that no physical hand holding took place"

Floss reviewed: Furniture upcycling workshop - 1 day

"The day flew by and I came away feeling confident in my new skills to be able to up upcycle any furniture in the future! I’m really happy with what I produced but a word of warning - you don’t only need to be able to carry your item, you need to be able to carry it quite a way through an old mill and surrounding car park!"

Tread Softly responded:

"Hi Floss, thanks so much for coming. Your piece was beautiful <3 I'm sorry you knocked it trying to get it back in the car. You're right, it is a large mill. I'd have suggested leaving it in the loading area and driving the car around. Sorry, if I hadn't still been teaching I would have helped you carry it down. It always gets a little hectic towards the end. It was so lovely having you along and I do hope you go on to do more upcycling!"

Pam Rastall reviewed: Craft Workshop: Learn to make silver art clay jewellery in a day (beginner)

"Another fun creative day with Sally Evans. Absolutely no worries regarding Covid-19 as she had strictly ensured our safety and made sure we adhered to the guidelines as we should. I made some lovely earrings and a pendant, I learnt a lot and feel more confident as this was my second workshop for silver clay. Already planning my third visit. Thank you very much lovely Sally."

Craft Workshops responded:

"Thank you Pam, lovely to see you again! Really pleased you had a fun creative day - it was a fantastic day and I look forward to seeing you again soon :)"

Max Hoffman reviewed: Life sculpture in clay: 1 day course

"I received this course as a gift from family, who were looking to give me a unique experience. And what a wonderful experience it was! Poppy was passionate and kind, helping me understand both the theory and practice of sculpting. My final sculpture was even palatable enough to take home as a memento. I highly recommend that this course goes on everybody's bucket list!"

Elizabeth reviewed: ‘Sunset in wool painting' interactive online course with live tuition

"Dear Raya Thank you once again for a lovely course, I really enjoyed it and I am going to have a go at another sunset just for the fun. My husband was very impressed with the picture he could believe that it was just done in wool fibres. I hope to see you again soon and I will show my picture at the next SCCS meeting. Best wishes"

Melanie Dickinson reviewed: Blacksmithing Introduction courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"A great day at The Forge with Adrian, Andy and Debbie. This was my first experience with 'hammer and tongs' and was certainly a day to remember. A very warm welcome, and just the right amount of time spent on an introductory briefing and demonstration before we all set to work on our own pieces. Although the work was quite physically demanding, it was immensely satisfying and Adrian + Andy were always on hand to advise and guide, whilst allowing us to try different techniques. I'm really proud of the two garden flowers I created - a great reminder of an excellent day! Thanks to Adrian+ Andy for their tuition and to Debbie for the fantastic + plentiful food. I'll be back!"

Clare Downie reviewed: Bees for Development Sustainable Beekeeping Weekend Courses 2024

"I loved this course. It was a great combination of biology, conservation, beekeeping skills, and meeting like minded people in a group. It broadened my perspective on beekeeping, and it was very interesting to learn about the work and ethos of Bees for Development. Beekeeping for bees, with minimum intervention, kindness, and real attention to their natural behaviour. Thank you. I was very inspired. I have a beehive, and all I need now are some bees!"

Tamsen Flack reviewed: Jewellery making with Precious Metal Silver Clay - Full Day Workshop

"I had a lovely day and really enjoyed making the pieces of jewellery that I made under Charlotte's instruction. I was so pleased to come away with 4 unique jewellery pieces that were personal to me. Thank you Charlotte and thank you Warwickshire Artisans!"

Felix & Reuben Jewellery School responded:

"Thank you Tamsen. The pieces you made were beautiful - well done :)"

Fiona reviewed: Crafts in the Valley - Felted Pictures Workshop in Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire

"Great workshop and we were made very welcome. Lots of materials / books to inspire you. A great way to escape and relax! Highly recommend! We will definitely be returning for another workshop. Thanks Melanie."

Trisha Nicholson reviewed: Carving & sculpture workshops

"I attended the course with Gareth on a 1-1 basis. Having read the reviews, I was hoping that what I read was not over exaggerated but can honestly say that the course surpassed my expectations. Gareth's knowledge of carving is extraordinary and he is not at all a "showman" in his manor. What a wonderful course in a wonderful setting. Thank you Gareth for helping me to think outside the box, for guiding me on techniques and for helping me to re-ignite my dormant passion, but most of all, for making the day a truly memorable experience."

Lolly Haywood reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"If you're deliberating over booking this course, do it! It was bought for me as a surprise gift and I'd never have thought of knife making as something I'd be into - I've just come back from the most incredible weekend working with Arian. Every person on the course came away with a beautiful object they could be proud of - Arian guides and teaches with patience and skill, ensuring you create something you'll feel proud of and walk away happy with - but also that YOU created - he never takes over or hurries you along. Class sizes are kept really small and Arian is attentive and ever-present meaning you always have the help you need. He makes every effort to accommodate the designs and materials that you want so that you feel like you've made something truly yours, and you learn three different crafts in one weekend: metal work, wood work, and leatherwork. Pam is lovely and makes the organisation of the course ultra efficient. Don't think we ever waited more than 5 minutes for a reply email! And Gavin, who runs the workshop and other courses there popped in a few times too and was incredibly friendly and positive. I have come away really inspired - genuinely can't recommend highly enough."

Tara reviewed: Linocut printing workshop in Warwickshire at Bonds Lifestyle

"Really enjoyed my first dabble at Lino Printing! Alix was a great teacher - friendly, helpful and encouraging. She supplied everything we needed and was very knowledgeable. Would recommend her workshop to anyone thinking of trying this out."

Alix Almond Art responded:

"Thank you Tara, I'm really pleased that you enjoyed your workshop. I really liked your butterfly print and look forwards to seeing what you make next. Thank you for your kind words. Alix x"

Francine Meaden reviewed: Raku, Saggar, Barrel, Copper Matte & Horsehair Firing Weekend Workshops 2025

"Amazing course! My mum and I attend a weekly pottery class at a local college but wanted to explore the world of Raku firing. This course couldn't have been better! Abi and Alison are both amazing potters and have so much knowledge and experience to share. We explored a range of firing techniques using various materials to bring out beautiful colors, designs and textures. The course was held in beautiful Devon with lots of open space making it easy to distance from the other participants. We all wore masks and I felt very comfortable that everyone else was being 'COVID safe'. Highly recommend this course, I will certainly book on again soon!!"

Rachel Crookes reviewed: Lino Printing Day with Oxford Linocut Workshops

"A peaceful and inspiring session spent with Claire learning linocutting. Covid measures were in place and people were neatly set up in their own spaces so everyone felt safe and happy throughout. Claire is a really clear teacher, well organised, and gave advice throughout our carving and printing that made the all finished pieces really lovely, even those done by a complete beginner like me! Her handy reference guide to take home with tips and recommended suppliers has already had me sketching our ideas with new tools on the way! Many thanks Claire - a highly recommended course for personal use or as a gift"