Latest reviews

Val. Boycott reviewed: Fabric Collage and Free-motion Machine Embroidery - FLORALS - DRIFFIELD

"Loved it Holly! Now I’m going to try on my own sewing machine as you’ve inspired me. Also going to paint on my piece of work many thanks."

Ali Lamour reviewed: 'Design & Planting Tips for a small Garden' with Shelagh Todd - lecturer, garden designer & plantswoman.

"Had the BEST time on Shelagh's course today ☺️ thank you for having us and your wonderful hospitality… What a fabulous place you have, full of soul, happiness and joy! So glad I found you and the Quirky workshops - can’t wait to come back! Hope you get some rest and peace this weekend too that you give to everyone else ☺️ "

Quirky Workshops at Greystoke Craft Garden and Barns responded:

"Thank you, Ali, for this lovely review. As someone who has been teaching professionally in Cumbria for well over 30 years, quite a few from Cumbria and beyond already know what a gently inspiring gardener and teacher Shelagh truly is. We’re so fortunate to have her running courses here. Thanks too for you kind comments re our venue - it was lovely to meet you and also a joy to share the garden with such enthusiastic people, both fellow gardeners and those eager to learn. The very best of luck with your own escape to nature! "

Anna Lamb reviewed: Design & Plan your own Garden - 2 days with Shelagh Todd - lecturer, garden designer & plantswoman

"Please also pass on my thanks to Shelagh too! She was so lovely, inspiring to listen to and learn from, so knowledgeable and has definitely made me less terrified of gardening! "

Quirky Workshops at Greystoke Craft Garden and Barns responded:

"Hello Anna, You are so welcome and i certainly will. I I myself attended her courses myself some 25+ years ago and know well that she 's one of the most inspiring tutors of 'all things gardening' that I've ever met. Its so lovely to have her on the programme at Greystoke :) Good luck with everything you do and all your plans! "

Jakki reviewed: Wild flower and copper foiling workshop

"Do it! 2.5 hours melted away and I ended up with a beautiful peice, thanks to Ffions amazing guidance and expertise. So pleased I booked!"

Karen Gould reviewed: Hare Sculpture workshop with Jo Garden Art in beautiful Norfolk/Suffolk

"Had the most amazing time at Jo's workshop. Made to feel very welcome and the day was well constructed from start to finish. Each stage of the process was explained and demonstrated clearly and Jo came round to offer individual advice to help us make the most of our sculptures. Very pleased with my sculpture and hope to return for further workshops. Thank you Jo and Andy xx"

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Karen. It was a good workshop with many laughs! Hope to see you back in the studio next year, Jo x"

Clare reviewed: Hare Sculpture workshop with Jo Garden Art in beautiful Norfolk/Suffolk

"I thoroughly enjoyed making my hare with Jo, and am very proud of the final result. The class was well paced, and the process was talked through in a way we could all understand. The class size was perfect, ensuring Jo could come round and help with the different steps as needed, and we all came out at the end with a finished hare! The pre-class info and directions were also really helpful and clear, which was invaluable."

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Clare! I sometimes think I'm overboard with the pre-class info 🥴. So glad you enjoyed the day and went home with a fabulous hare sculpture. Jo xx"

Richard Bunn reviewed: Welding with confidence

"Went today not knowing what to expect. But what a day Nigel is a master craftsman and a good teacher. With story’s tips and tricks the day was a success. Need to practice but I definitely feel more confident than before I went. Shame the day went so fast. Be good too do a 2 day one as you’d learn even more."

Hannah reviewed: Half Day Introductory Woodturning Course for 1 or 2 people near Salisbury Wiltshire

"George was very welcoming, relaxed and friendly from the outset. He went above and beyond with his treatment of my 12 year old son and me. We found him to be a patient, generous, expert and calm teacher and his workshop was brilliant space to learn in. Thank you George!"

Tracey & Rob reviewed: Introduction to Soap Making Workshop with Afternoon Tea in Lincolnshire

"We attended the soap making course with Louise . It was wonderful! All the details of making soap were covered with ample choice in the fragrance, colours and textures;both natural & man made. Plenty of chance to experiment to your own taste. Lovely home made afternoon tea whilst the soap was hardening. Scones were impressive! Able to buy soap kits to take away too which was a great idea. We bought one each. Brilliant experience. "

Steve Worsnip reviewed: One day welding course: an introduction

"I believe offers an outstanding welding course. Very knowledgeable and patient, two vital qualities. Exceptionally capable in both welding and teaching. I really enjoyed it. Thank you "

Julian Wadsworth - Artist Blacksmith responded:

"Thank you Steve for your review. I think you took to welding really well and I am sure welding will be a very handy skill for you now. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you need some help or advice . Good meeting you, and thanks for your chat and perspective ,regards, Julian"

Laura reviewed: A night (or morning/afternoon!) on the tiles: a 2.5 hour taster mosaic course

"Such an enjoyable morning in peaceful surroundings with a lovely tutor who was very helpful with my mum who suffers with Dementia. So many different options of colours to work with, I highly recommend this for a treat day out!"

Angela reviewed: Silver Clay Taster Class – Alice Holt Forest

"Fabulous fun! I really enjoyed this class, Sian was just lovely and I managed to make some earrings and a few other bits that I was very pleased with for a first attempt. I would definitely recommend it to others and it seemed good value for money compared to similar classes too."

Hamilton Jewellery responded:

"Thank you Angela, it was a pleasure to have you in class! You picked up the making process quickly and created lovely pieces. I hope you enjoy wearing them. "

Selena reviewed: Beginner's Quilting Day "Wonky Donkey" with Sew Forest of Dean

"LOVED IT! Confess I was having a wobble by the time I turned up - I haven't done much machine sewing at all, and nothing for quite a long time. A little refresher on how to thread the machine the day before the workshop was all that I needed though - it's as simple as sewing simple straight lines. The instructions were clear and the workshop runs at a lovely steady pace - getting the hang of one thing before moving on to the next. It was great for those that were both fast and slow - those that can sew better just have less to do when they get home but each step can be practised with only a few pieces sewn together. To be clear, you won't come away with a completed quilt, but you will have practised the patchworking to make the patterned top, have made your binding for the edge of the quilt, and been shown how the rest of it comes together including really clear demonstrations and printed instructions and guidance. I am hopeful (and reasonably confident) that I will have a lovely squishy quilt in the next few weeks and that it will be the first of lots!"

Sew Forest of Dean responded:

"Thank you so much Selena, I'm so glad you had a good day and that you are now back up and running with your sewing skills. You made a really lovely job of all the tasks and you will have that gorgeous quilt finished in no time at all. Quilting is very addictive, here's to many years of happy sewing! Thanks again, Jen "

Beverley reviewed: Leaf Droplets. Mosaic Art for the Garden

"My friend and I had a wonderful morning workshop session each creating a mosaic leaf droplet in Michele’s lovely studio in her garden. We were both new to the craft of mosaics and absolutely loved it all. We were there with 3 others which we very much enjoyed as it is lovely to swap ideas. Michele was so very welcoming, providing expert tuition, guidance and encouragement. We had a lot of fun and were made to feel very at ease. Michele is also a very talented baker, homemade cake and refreshments were greatly appreciated. Thank you so much Michele. "

Someflower Studio responded:

"Beverley, the pleasure was all mine! Thank you for your kind words and lovely review What a great group you all were. I so enjoyed getting to know you all. I am so pleased to hear you loved your session with us. Your gorgeous droplet is on its way this week Enjoy your beautiful piece of art M x"

Albert reviewed: Robin: Wet Felting

"My partner and I spent a really interesting afternoon with Svetlana at Wool and Silk Art Studio in Neath making a “robin” each by “wet felting”. I’d never even heard of the process before, let alone tried it, but with very useful and encouraging tuition from Svetlana we both produced a perfectly acceptable robin. A most enjoyable afternoon. We’re looking forward to arranging a return visit soon to try one of her other courses."

Wool & Silk Art Studio responded:

"Thank you for choosing my classes. It was a pleasure to meet you both. You are very talented people and made an excellent results for first time felting and it was a 3D object.😮 not so easy to do for beginners . But you nailed it 😉🤩 Well done!!! 👏 I am looking forward to seeing you again sometime soon. Best wishes, Svetlana "

George Rankin reviewed: Axe making

"Rich was a pleasant and respectful tutor who kindly guided us through the process. Besides some hiccups with the forge itself (which were quickly resolved in the timeframe), my Dad and I had a great time and walked away with two personally made axes."

Debs reviewed: Tiffany stained glass wild flowers workshop

"A fabulous day. Kate provided just the right balance of support, tuition and freedom to beginners and improvers alike. Highly recommended!!"

Martin McAssey Glass responded:

"We hope to see you again, thank you for the review. "

JULIE HIGGINS reviewed: Mosaic workshop

"Viv hosted a brilliant mosaic workshop at her lovely home. She made everyone feel so welcome, and the refreshments she provided was wonderful, friendly atmosphere. The session was both fun and inspiring - I left feeling creative and motivated. I created a beautiful mosaic butterfly, which I am very proud of. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a hands-on, enjoyable craft experience."

Kamila reviewed: Small woodland management and hand felling

"Well organised. Very informative. Learnt some new skills. A nice day outside overall. "

Amanda Cowlard reviewed: Mosaic workshop

"My friends and I had an afternoon with Viv last week. It was absolutely brilliant! We all produced a lovely mosaic to take home, she gave us all a choice of which template we would like to use before we got there. She was very friendly, helpful and encouraged us all. She had an enormous choice of glass we could use and we all learned how to cut small pieces safely. Would highly recommend 👍"

Angela Van Gelder reviewed: Make a copper bowl

"I bought the copper bowl making experience for me and my hubby to try something different, having always been interested in arts and crafts I thought this would be the next step up. I wasn't disappointed, Lizzie is a great teacher, very clear instructions and demonstrations and lots of hints on how to get the best bowl despite having weakness in my arms and hands. I thoroughly enjoyed the half day session and our bowls are already being put to good use :)"

Janet Scowcroft reviewed: Willow Deer Workshop at Mello View 6th Dec

"Had a great day making my willow deer with Jo, who is an excellent teacher, and came home with a sculpture I could be proud of! Everyone was welcoming and helpful and the time flew by - we were all amazed at what we had accomplished in the corse of the day. A very positive experience which I would thoroughly recommend😊"

Jo Sadler Willow responded:

"Thank you, Janet! It was a beautiful herd of deer woven yesterday and so lovely at Mello View with the warmth from the fire on a rainy day! I enjoyed your company very much. Look out for the photos on my Instagram!"

Linda Cooper reviewed: Beaded Jewellery Making Classes

"Excellent course for beginners. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and came away with 5 items that I made. Renata explained things clearly and was on hand to help in the trickier parts. "

Stephen reviewed: Introduction to Greenwood Spoon Carving- Beginners Cooking Spoon

"Would recommend. Rachel is great teacher, and feel I can confidently continue spoon carving at home after her instruction. In addition the craft centre is a lovely location."

Anne Bruerton reviewed: Introductory pottery wheel throwing taster sessions

"We all really enjoyed the experience. Excellent tutor and support. We all came away with pots of different shapes and sizes. Most of all we had fun. Thanks to Lorraine for her professionalism and knowledge."

Woodsetton Art Pottery responded:

"Thank you for your excellant company on what is essentially a lovely day off from pot making for me!"