Latest reviews

15 Oct 16'

Gill D reviewed: Artisan bread making day: a 'Quirky Workshop' at Greystoke Craft Garden & Barns near Penrith and Ullswater

"Spent a wonderful day at the Cycle Cafe learning how to make Artisan bread. A thoroughly enjoyable day, excellent teacher and lovely lunch. I'll be back soon."

15 Oct 16'

Ken Bagnall reviewed: Firebird Forge Blacksmithing School

"I was really looking forward to my day with Mort as it was over 50 years since I had used a forge while at school! I was not disappointed as he proved to be an excellent instructor and his professionalism was evident from the outset. He showed such great patience with my sometimes pathetic attempts at the forge and explained everything in much detail and at the same time was amusing held me rapt with his knowledge of many subjects. Thank you Mort, certainly a day to remember."

15 Oct 16'

Lucy Atkinson reviewed: Mosaic day workshop on Orkney

"I would highly recommend Catherine's 1day mosaic workshop. Catherine was wonderful, creative & extremely knowledgeable. This workshop exceeded my expectations. I now feel that I have the knowledge needed to begin to create my own mosaics at home. I particularly enjoyed working with the vast array of materials that Catherine supplied on the workshop. A truly fabulous creative day!"

15 Oct 16'

Ray sheppard reviewed: Woodturning courses in Hampshire - Beginners and improvers wood turning courses - Turn British, all British lathes!!

"Great time learning new skills, Andy is a great teacher spending time exsplaning all the tricks of the trade. I will be recommending this course to friends"

15 Oct 16'

Kym Hindle reviewed: Container candlemaking course and wax melts with afternoon tea

"I booked this course for my daughters family hen party and it was a fantastic choice! Julie and Kay were really welcoming and warm as well as being great teachers with lots of patience !! Our ages ranged from twenty something to seventy something yet it proved to be a brilliant experience and a lot of fun for everyone! We were taught how to make a range of different candles and were able to bring our own finished products home with us. Julie and Kay were very accommodating with our different dietary needs for the afternoon tea too. A great day had by all, my daughter the bride to be said her day was 'perfect'- thank you!xxxx"

15 Oct 16'

Seren Stacey reviewed: Make a textured, shaped and personalised silver brooch, pendant or pair of earrings

"The all day silver jewellery workshop was fantastic. There was enough time to be creative and to realise my ideas, with excellent guidance by Rose Wood. The environment was really lovely, with a beautifully designed studio space in a lovely place whith all the tools you could need. I learned a lot of silver working skills to make a pendant for the first time. The whole experience was great but mostly it was all down to excellent tutoring by Rose Wood."

15 Oct 16'

Luke G reviewed: Furniture making course: Fundamentals of Furniture Making Part 1 (beginner)

"I recently completed the 2 day course and echo the views of all the other reviews; the course is excellent and well worth doing for anyone who holds an interest in woodworking (or fancies trying something new). Aidan has clearly put a lot of thought into structuring the course to ensure that it covers key skills and so that participants leave with the practical knowledge to enable them to undertake projects of their own. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the work I was able to produce with Aidan's guidance and will certainly be planning to take further classes with Aidan in the future, as well as pursuing my own projects. There is a good balance of practical 'learning by doing' with explanations of important considerations when undertaking your own projects. A highly recommended course."

14 Oct 16'

Val R reviewed: Reduction linocut printing with Janet Dickson : a 'Quirky Workshop' at Greystoke Craft Garden & Barns near Penrith and Ullswater

"Thank you so much for this excellent day Janet and Annie. I was amazed at the quality of work that everyone produced in such a short time, which reflected totally the quality of and style of teaching from Janet that we could produce such diverse pieces of art that we could all be proud of. I am now busy sourcing materials now for my next project... Thank you everybody!- we both had a really relaxed but productive day amongst a lovely group of people with Annie's hospitality, good food and of course cuddly chickens- who could ask for more?"

14 Oct 16'

Ellie reviewed: Silver Clay Jewellery - Textures in Nature' with Jo Dix: a 'Quirky Workshop'

"Silver clay workshop today. Fantastic, delighted with the results. Food & hospitality wonderful, as ever! Xx"

14 Oct 16'

Linda Stovell reviewed: Basket weaving for beginners - make a round basket

"Fantastic day! We were complete beginners... 5 friends together. We all made brilliant and different baskets. You can choose your colour willow.. white, green, buff. Loved it so much, 3 of us have re-booked for November... I am making a log basket. Taking the opportunity of booking a cottage by the sea for 2 nights and we can explore! Emma is a lovely lady, really looked after us all and even spoilt us with homemade cakes!!! Thanks. C u in November!"

14 Oct 16'

Linda (Loo) reviewed: Pembrokeshire Maddie Janes Mosaic

"Had a fantastic day. Complete beginner - made a fantastic creation. Maddie explained everything I needed to know... really inspiring to think of next project. To cap it all my fellow Worksop student (another Linda) showed me the beautiful coast. I adored this too! Thank you Linda xx Now sat in pub, pleased as punch awaiting my supper! Super, super day! Thanks both!"

14 Oct 16'

Georgina Aitken reviewed: One day mosaic workshop - Lincolnshire

"Caron's passion and knowledge of mosaic and anything glass surrounds you like a warm blanket, encouraging you to succeed in your chosen project. The ability to impart her knowledge clearly, whilst knowing when standing back and let you unleash your own creativity is a rare skill, which she posesses in abundance. That with the tea, cake and humour makes for a day well spent. I would encourage anybody to give it a go, I don't think you will regret it."

14 Oct 16'

Linda reviewed: M

"What a wonderful way to spend a day! I was an absolute beginner and Maddie provided an excellent introduction to the techniques needed- I came away with a piece I was proud of ! The studio is beautiful and the works on display are an inspiration. Maddie is an excellent teacher- explaining and offering advice whilst assuring you that each piece is as individual as the person creating it. I will certainly be going back for another project!"

14 Oct 16'

Laura reviewed: Mixed Media Made Easy

"I've attended a few workshops with Jo to create various sculptures using the Powertex medium over the last year! She is a very patient teacher and ensures you are comfortable throughout the entire creative process. I never thought i could create such wonderful items as I have within these workshops. The workshop was held in her amazing Craft shop and I always leave with no money but lots of ideas and stuff to do!! love love love it!!"

14 Oct 16'

M Hewitt reviewed: Bud Vases & Tea Lights in Porcelain with Gwen Bainbridge: a 'Quirky Workshop' at Greystoke Craft Garden & Barns near Penrith and Ullswater- Cumbria

"I had a wonderful day at the Quirky Workshop. I'd never worked with porcelain before but Gwen explained everything really well, was very helpful when I struggled with delicate pieces. I managed to produce four items, plus a few trinkets, which I'm very proud of! The venue was a very relaxing place to be, food was excellent and kept me going. I'd recommend this course to anyone, and a voucher for a Quirky Workshop is on my Christmas wish list!"

14 Oct 16'

Christine Dodd reviewed: 4-week online flower arranging class with Julie Davies Flower Workshops

"This is a perfect course for people who are time strapped and cannot attend a weekly class. I can't believe how much I was able to learn online and with Julie's support. The great thing for me was the video step by step guides, followed up by one to one tuition to know how to improve for next time. I am a keen gardener, so plants are in my blood anyway, but this has really reignited my passion for flowers and encouraged me to bring them indoors! I find myself going round the garden and thinking 'that would look good in a vase'. Also, my vase collection has expanded massively as I cannot pass a charity shop without picking up another!"

14 Oct 16'

Aayushi JP reviewed: Crochet for Beginners (Adults) in Putney

"What a wonderful 4 hours we had with Sowmya! She is an excellent teacher, very patient and encouraging. I didn't think I'd be able to pick up crocheting again so quickly and she made it so easy. Thank you for the individual books and patterns- the attention to detail was great! I definitely feel more confident about making my headband. Might have to come to the intermediate course!"

14 Oct 16'

Mark Ricketts reviewed: 1 day introduction to silver jewellery making

"I really enjoyed this excellent course. I did the Saturday 1 day Intro to Jewellery Making with no previous experience. The day was well organised, relaxed, friendly and very informative. Jonathan was very knowledgeable and capable, but things didn't get over complicated. We had plenty of time making things and trying the different techniques and stages involved in jewellery making. I made a cuff for my wife, she loves it and wears it proudly, and I came away inspired to do more. I recommend the course and feel sure that I will be booking some more time to work with Jonathan in the future."

13 Oct 16'

Kate reviewed: Free-machine Embroidery Workshop with Dawn Ireland

"I really enjoyed Dawn's course on free machine embroidery. Dawn was a great help throughout and I came away knowing I'd learnt a new technique that I can practise and develop over time. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process right from the set up of the machine to the finished piece. I have a much better understanding now of my machine and how it works which I've struggled to master on my own. Dawn was also a fantastic host keeping us topped up with teas, coffees and cake! I'd definitely recommend anyone to give the course a try even if you are a complete beginner like myself. Thanks again!"

13 Oct 16'

Robert Hillyer reviewed: Woodturning courses in Hampshire - Beginners and improvers wood turning courses - Turn British, all British lathes!!

"My son recently bought me a days wood turning course with Andy as a birthday present. Like my son I have always had a strong desire to be able to work with wood and design my own creations. At long last I had the opportunity to spend the day with a wood turning expert. Andy's wood turning skills are quite staggering. His very own turned creations are simply amazing. I even turned a small bowl myself with Andy's help which I could never have done before the course. Andy is a great teacher and has such a relaxed manner you will really enjoy the experience. A top birthday present! Many thanks Andy!"

13 Oct 16'

Philip D reviewed: Furniture making course: Fundamentals of Furniture Making Part 1 (beginner)

"I attended Aiden's 2 day course in October and it is first class. You do not have to have any prior experience to do this course. All you need is the interest. Aiden explains everything carefully, is a good teacher, demonstrates well, is patient and you will get hands on experience very early on the first day. He spends time with each person on the course and keeps an eye on each person's progress. He is also generous with his time. As another reviewer has said he really is a lovely guy. He clearly is very skilled and has an infectious enthusiasm for his subject. I was amazed that with his teaching I could produce a smooth square piece of work to very fine tolerances. I was also amazed that I could do all this using only a hand plane and be given the confidence in using this tool to produce a beautiful finish. I learned a massive amount over the two days; not only about the techniques of using a hand plane, dismantling and reassembling it, sharpening the blade and adjusting it, but also about the differences of different timbers, how it is cut, and moisture levels. If you want a useful introduction to this craft, this is the course to go on."

13 Oct 16'

Phil reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Just wanted to let you know that I had a great day on Tuesday. It was very informative and has given me lots of ideas on where to go with my equipment and methods of turning. Having started my wood turning path without any experience it was good to meet with a master turner. My wife loved the bowl and xmas tree decoration. I would certainly recommend anyone who is just starting out or wishes to further their expertise to go for a day."

13 Oct 16'

Daniel Eaton reviewed: Furniture making course: Fundamentals of Furniture Making Part 1 (beginner)

"The fundamentals course really covers the basics of working with a hand plane and other hand tools. Aidan teaches the techniques required to make a piece of wood flat, square and straight. This is all achieved only using hand tools and it is brilliant for anyone hoping to make furniture who doesn't have the knowledge or an extensive workshop. I've finished the course with the confidence and basic skills to be able to attempt more complicated projects. The thorough use, sharpening and application of the plane really leaves you feeling comfortable with it Aidan's knowledge is extensive and he is happy to share everything he knows. We picked his brain throughout the course. You leave with a smart chopping board that tests and demonstrates all the skills you have learnt. A great course and thoroughly recommended!"

13 Oct 16'

L. Jordan-Kay reviewed: Ceramic Studio Experience - Sunday Clay Day - Full Day Tutor Interactive Workshop

"Sue and Geri are fabulous. My husband and I first went to fired thoughts to make ceramic tiles for our new house I was soon addicted and wanted to learn to throw. I went back to fired thoughts and cannot express how brilliant they both are. The course became like a little sanctuary for my week. The studio is lovely and well thought out with lots of resources to help you learn. Both Geri and Sue are very knowledgeable and amazing artists in their own right, who strive to continue learning in their own field and that obviously extends into thier teaching. They are patient teachers who nurture and encourage you even if your bowl looks like a plate!"

13 Oct 16'

Brian Duffy reviewed: Creative Vibe - Glassblowing Sessions

"What a fantastic experience. I took my wife for her 30th birthday as she had wanted to try glass blowing since she was really young. Ricky was a great teacher and took us through the whole process at a good pace. We learned lots of new skills and ended up with four pieces of work each to take away . They will look great in our new home. I would recommend the course to anyone who wants to try something different and to share an experience with someone close to them."