Latest reviews

F. Frances reviewed: Walking stick making - Friday mornings, come and make a stick with Bill at Dukeries Community Workshop, Ollerton

"I felt quite anxious coming to a class in an unfamiliar setting but the group couldn’t have been more welcoming. I learnt new skills and I’m proud of the walking stick I’ve made with the help and guidance of this group."

Dukeries Community Workshop responded:

"We very much appreciate your review and I will pass onto Bill. We try to make everyone very welcome and its wonderful you have found a new talent Thank you so much Regards Alan "

Sue Wood reviewed: It’s only Natural - create decorative wire sculptures in Hampshire, Thursday 16th March

"Excellent day, good fun and great tuition. I loved that Liz came round all the time, to check how we were doing and to help if needed. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Sue, Thanks for letting us know about your time with us. It was lovely to work with you and share your day. Fine wire is such a lovely material to work with and great when you have a creative urge. We hope you’re order is in for tools and wire. Happy making. Best wishes Alison & Liz"

Beverley Wood reviewed: Beginners DIY & Home Maintenance Workshop in Preston, Lancashire (1 Day)

"Fancy DIY? Have a few hours spare, bit of me time and you will also learn new skills! Change a plug, use a drill, skills to use around the home. Look out Bob the builder! Today I attended the DIY workshop and home maintenance course, I would say have a go you never know where it will lead you. Thanks Jo "

Beth reviewed: Paint pouring with tea & cake

"Such a great course! Dina and her mum showed us a range of different techniques. They were both very helpful in assisting me to make 3 beautiful canvases. I'd definitely come back for another course. Great cake too!"

Sarah Grooby reviewed: "Find Your Inner Potter" ceramics and pottery day with Geraldine Francis

"Fantastic Learning Day! Geri was a wonderful craft teacher and Steve and I had a lovely day creating clay pottery from four different techniques. My personal favorite was the clay throwing and loved the decoration with paints. Steve enjoyed the coil work best and we are planning on more classes with Geri."

Geraldine Francis Ceramics responded:

"Thank you for your review, I am so pleased you enjoyed the day, I did too. I will be in touch as soon as your pots have been fired. Geri"

Yvonne Abdul reviewed: Explore 1 & 2 colour lino cutting and printing in Derbyshire

"I had an enjoyable day at The Slipper Studio, a lovely space to learn and create. I can highly recommend Liz as a caring, informative and attentive tutor. I was new to Lino cutting and printing and learned a lot on the day. Liz was a great host and kept us refreshed with lots of tea and biscuits and was always on hand for help and advice. I came away with several prints that I was very happy with. Thanks Liz. "

Liz Wellby - Artist, Teacher & Maker responded:

"Hi Yvonne, Lovely to hear from you and thank you for telling me about your experience lino cutting and printing. It was good to meet and work with you and share your interest and positivity for the process. I hope you’ve managed to buy some materials and equipment and you’re onto at least your 3rd or 4th print! Happy cutting and printing. Best wishes Liz Wellby"

Maralyn Azzopardi reviewed: Fused Glass Sun Catcher Workshop with Natalie Bullock

"Excellent course and thoroughly recommend it. Natalie provided us with all the materials we needed and plenty of examples to inspire us with our own creations. We were spoilt for choice with the amount of different colours and types of glass that we were able to choose from. I am looking forward to seeing my work once it has been fired and returned to me. It was a brilliant workshop and I would love to do another very soon."

Natalie Bullock Art responded:

"Hello Maralyn :) Thank you for the lovely review! I’ll be posting your finished piece back to you very soon :) Best wishes Natalie x"

Wendy reviewed: Introduction to crocheting

"Very enjoyable and as a complete beginner I learnt to make a granny square and have managed to continue at home thanks to the tutors teaching us skillfully and patiently - learnt a lot - thank you"

Stanwick Lakes Art and Craft Courses responded:

"Thank you for leaving us a review. We are pleased that you enjoyed the Crochet workshop and shall pass your feedback onto the Tutor. Best wishes, The Stanwick Lakes team. "

Helen reviewed: Willow weaving workshops with Pippa Tee - structures

"I had a really lovely day with Pippa, she made me feel very welcome in her house and barn. She has a lot of patience and made me feel as though I was doing a really good job with my weaving. I would definitely recommend Pippa and her willow weaving course "

Pippas plants responded:

"Thankyou very much Helen! Very glad you had a good day despite my having an off day...! It was a pleasure to meet you, love that you've bought into the sustainable side of life - including willow knots not nasty plastic baler string! - and you Did do really well (pics on fbook). Best wishes, Pippa"

Alida Bayliss reviewed: Colourful Aluminium Jewellery online video

"Excellent, clear online course. I had been on an aluminium course recently and this really helped remind me of the details involved. Really good quality and close up details."

Lucinda reviewed: Crafty Basketry's Willow Basket Making for Beginners - Day Course at Penhurst Retreat Centre, East Sussex

"A fantastic day basket making with the wonderful Marianne, her teaching style is so relaxed, but informative. The day flew by and I came home with a beautiful willow basket. Cannot wait to take part in the course. Thank you Marianne x p.s Penshurst Place is stunning & my course buddies were a hoot too "

Crafty Basketry responded:

"I'm so delighted to hear that you had such a fantastic day, Lucinda. Thank you very much for that. If the day flew by, then we need to do it again and make sure it won't whiz by so quickly, ha, ha! I'm looking at new dates for Penhurst Retreat Centre. Will be in touch soon. All the very best!"

Richard Denby reviewed: Marbling & Book Binding at Kirkstall Forge

"Fantastic course, wonderful instructor and you get to take home whatever you make. "

Darn It! Workshops responded:

"Thank you so much Richard! Your review much appreciated."

Jeffrey reviewed: Rustic thumb walking stick

"Excellent course, Dave (leader) very knowledgable and down to earth takes the necessary time to make sure you are on the right track with everything. Fabulous surroundings and a very relaxing and rewarding experience all around. Highly recommended (and I made a stick !)"

Jan reviewed: Monthly Acrylic Painting classes

"Excellent all round. Very friendly and easy to talk to and ask questions. Clear explanation at each stage of the course and constant support. I booked this immediately after attending for the watercolour course. The teacher is the same person so you can build your confidence by knowing the teacher who will be instructing. "

Stanwick Lakes Art and Craft Courses responded:

"Thank you for leaving us a lovely review. We are so pleased that you are enjoying the course and look forward to seeing you again soon at Stanwick Lakes. Best wishes, The Stanwick Lakes team."

Sarah Robins reviewed: Pottery throwing sessions on the potter's wheel in Norfolk

"I bought my husband (and me) a two hour course on the potters wheel with Pat as part of a birthday present. The last time my husband had done any throwing was over 50 years ago. Pat met us at the door of her studio and we were immediately put at ease and very welcome. The studio had a lovely woodburner and was warm and inviting. Pat took us through wedging the clay before we were given a demo of how to centre the clay on the wheel and make a simple pot. All Pat's instructions were clear and targeted to us as learners. One tutor to two makers has to be the perfect scenario to get the most from the expert. We were guided carefully and supported when necessary. During the making conversation flowed easily and Pat was great company. After two very fulfilling hours we chose our best efforts and selected glazes that would be added by Pat once biscuit fired. We are very excited to pick them up in a few weeks time. We even bought one of Pat's own pots that were displayed in the studio as they were so beautiful. We would both wholeheartedly recommend a session with Pat as she is a great teacher and a very skilled potter in her own right. The set up is perfect for people of all ages and abilities to get creative. Just be prepared to get messy! A huge thank you from us both."

Pat Southwood responded:

"Thank you so much for your lovely review! It was great to meet you both, your pots are drying nicely and I look forward to welcoming you back to see them. Pat. "

Mikey Newboult reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 pottery / ceramics workshop for 1 person

"I was gifted the one-day 1-2-1 pottery class for Christmas after being glued to watching The Great Pottery Throwdown. My expectations for the day were high, and I'm happy to say they were exceeded! Louise was a lovely, patient, and friendly instructor... and laid on a great lunch too! I got to try slab building and throwing. Louise created with me, demonstrating skills and techniques that were easy to follow. The day flew by and was such fun. I'm very excited to see what my fired creations look like. I would highly recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to give a pottery a try. You'll be in great hands with Louise."

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

"Thank you for your lovely review Mike! I'm so pleased you enjoyed your ceramics session here at Blended Monkey. It was fab having you in the studio, and nice to see a student get so absorbed with slab building :-). Quite often, the wheel is the star of the show as that's what everyone pictures when they think of pottery, but you soon grasped that you can get very creative with slab building - as you have shown brilliantly with your pieces! See you soon :-). "

Samantha reviewed: Crafty Basketry's Willow Basket Making for Beginners - Day Course at Penhurst Retreat Centre, East Sussex

"This was the third course we have taken with Marianne of Crafty Basketry. - that should speak for itself, but this was another magical day! Amazing, tranquil setting, great company, and fantastic Basketry at the end of the day. The time went so quickly we forgot about lunch until after 2pm! Marianne is an amazing teacher, patient, very knowledgeable and full of encouragement. Cannot recommend these days enough, being able to switch off from daily life and just enjoy being creative. We'll be back again for more! Thank you Marianne 😊 "

Crafty Basketry responded:

"It's always such a delight and pure fun to have you both on board, Samantha. So great to hear that you had a fab time again. It's starting to get tricky, thinking of new, original projects for you, but I love a challenge. Thanks so much for your recommendation and taking part and believing in me! Means the world to me. See you again soon. Mxx"

Beverley Bannister reviewed: It’s only Natural - create decorative wire sculptures in Hampshire, Thursday 16th March

"A great day learning how to work with wire in a lovely place with nice people. Would highly recommend."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Beverley, Thanks for telling us about your day in the barn - it’s much appreciated. It was lovely meeting and working with you, seeing your skills develop throughout the day. We hope you have the time to carry on working with wire and lose yourself in some making. Best wishes Alison & Liz "

Emily reviewed: SAORI Weaving Discovery Session

"Really loved my afternoon with Nicola and the Saori loom. Playful, slow and rhythmic, and Nicola's guidance was very gentle and encouraging. I'm hoping to go again!"

Wayward Weaves responded:

"Many thanks Emily. It was great to have you in the studio and really hope to see you again soon! "

Bob Antonio reviewed: Guitar making course

"Learning how to make guitars with Alex is fantastic. He brings the same patience, thoughtfulness and care to teaching as he does to crafting his guitars. He has a real passion and wealth of knowledge in guitar making, and it's always a pleasure spending time in his workshop"

Martina Hardy reviewed: Woodturning tuition in Wiltshire

"I bought this course as a present for my husband. He had a great day with Andy, thoroughly enjoyed working with lots of different tools and came back inspired and full of ideas. The bowl they made together on the day is just beautiful . Highly recommend Andy and will no doubt book another day in the future. "

Andys woodworking responded:

"Thanks for your kind words Martina , ian and I had a great day !"

Simon reviewed: Simon welding

"I found Roger's course educational and enjoyable. Roger was very helpful and showed me how to use the equipment for the first time. I learnt a lot about welding and the right equipment to buy. Also no shortage of coffee!"

Derek reviewed: Hurdle Making (Split Hazel)

"This was a fantastic course! Mark's teaching was calm and thorough, explaining and demonstrating every stage of the construction of a traditional hurdle. Mark's enthusiasm to teach his craft and huge knowledge made this a great hands on learning experience. Money well spent!"

Angela Smith reviewed: Bentwood chair workshop with lunch & wine included at Hanwell Wine Estate

"Two wonderful days making a chair for my garden. Instruction was given in manageable stages and help was on hand if needed. Lunch was lovely and tea and cakes flowed during the day. All in all a very satisfying weekend."

Rural Antics, Hanwell Wine Estate responded:

"Thank you for such fantastic feedback, so pleased you enjoyed the workshop. Warm regards Amanda - Events Host"

Henriette reviewed: It’s only Natural - create decorative wire sculptures in Hampshire, Thursday 16th March

"Wonderful, fun , friendly course in a beautiful setting in the rolling hills of Hampshire "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Henriette , Thanks for telling us about your day. It was lovely to work with you again , always good fun 🤩! You created some beautiful pieces, so hopefully you have an order for materials sorted and time to continue making. Best wishes Alison & Liz"