Latest reviews

Iain reviewed: Log to tumbler with Gedwood

"Great course. Instructor Ged was patient and informative, as well as helpful when required. Highly recommend this day, especially for those with little or no woodworking experience like myself. Managed to knock up a couple of nice wee cups from the lump of wood I started with. Looking forward to using them when theyre dried out and treated in a month or so."

Gedwood responded:

"Thanks Iain, Enjoy a dram or two in your tumblers - slainte!"

Kate Brown reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"Good Morning Sebastian. I thoroughly enjoyed our 2 day sculpture course. I found it friendly, educational and comfortable. Lovely surroundings although we had nice weather not sure about a windy wet day! it must be difficult to judge who is a recreational attendee and someone who wants to learn a new skill and take it forward. You struck the right balance of tutoring and enjoyment. Thank you very much. Kate"

Steve Walkden reviewed: Woodturning in Devon with Colin Simpson

"I am new to woodturning and found this course excellent. The content and pace of the course was pitched just right for me. Colin is an excellent instructor who explains safe lathe and associated equipment use, correct use of tools and wood finishing in an easy to understand way. Given more experience I will certainly be contacting Colin again when I am ready to move forward in my woodturning skills."

Devon Wood Crafts responded:

"That you Steve, much appreciated. Happy and safe turning"

Janet Hammerton reviewed: Introduction to Table Loom Weaving Workshop (Two-Day), Fisherton Mill, Salisbury

"What a lovely way to spend the weekend with like minded ladies doing what we all enjoy, Ellie’s new premises are very welcoming and she has made it look so attractive, she was such a help guiding us all through each stage of our work. I went home very pleased with my sample piece of weaving and would recommend anyone to treat theirselves to one of Ellie’s weaving workshops."

Elka responded:

"Thank you so much for the lovely review Janet. It was a pleasure to spend the weekend with you! Very best wishes, Ellie X"

Corinne Roberts reviewed: Introduction to candle-making as a business

"Our two hour course was well organised, informative, professional and thoroughly enjoyable, we covered a lot in that time. Jo was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, generous and adaptable when asked to explore different ideas. I will definitely be recommending Jo to my friends!"

The White Candle Company responded:

"Thank you so much Corinne. It was lovely to meet both of you and hope we meet again. Good luck!"

Caroline Pitt reviewed: Celtic Knots - Beginners - Part One

"Clear instruction during live zoom session followed by pdf sheets. A very relaxed workshop, very satisfying."

Mandala Meadow responded:

"Thank you, Caroline. It was lovely to see you again for another class. And thank you for sigining up for my art club this month. Looking forward to introducing you to Arabic geometry. It's fascinating!"

Bronia Clarke reviewed: Glass blowing course - taster

"Glass blowing is something I have always wanted to try so when my friend gifted me a voucher I found this place and booked for the half day taster course for a few of us. I thought after training and demo we might make 2 pieces but I was pleasantly surprised to find that even with 4 of us it was so well organised that we got to make more and try far more techniques than I thought we would. We had the finished products sent to us. Booking, the day and receiving the items was all easy and seamless. Angie was very welcoming and Steve and Chris were very patient and made the day highly enjoyable. Would definitely recommend!"

Chew Valley HandMade Glass responded:

"Hi Bronia thank you so much for your kind review, it was a pleasure to meet you all. We are so glad you enjoyed your time with us, apparently you were all a pleasure to teach. Regards The team at chew valley glass"

Martin Stacey reviewed: Stained glass garden panel workshop - Hampshire

"A fun course with a fun tutor. I was never short of a drink and a biscuit! Perfect for total beginners and those, like me, who need a refresh. The colours and textures of glass available were terrific. When finished I walked away with some beautiful for the garden. In my opinion, the course was well worth the money."

Peter Dent reviewed: Silver Clay Jewellery - Beginner - 3 Hours - One to One

"Amazing After a scenic drive into Shropshire we were welcomed at Gifted Crafts. There was a blackboard welcoming us and informing us where to park; a lovely touch. Following a nice cup of coffee, we discussed our designs with Rachel and she showed us the techniques. We had our own work stations and equipment and felt Covid secure. Rachel was an excellent instructor sharing her expertise and knowledge to help us create our designs. She was patient, enthusiastic and supportive and we felt very proud of what we were able to produce in the workshop. It exceeded our expectations and we hope to return in the near future. Thank you Rachel."

Gifted Crafts Company responded:

"You are so kind. Thank you Peter. And I was so impressed with your ideas. Look forward to seeing you again. All the very best. Rach"

Jackie Chapman reviewed: Oval shallow basket for the garden at New barn at Usk Castle Chase,Monmouthshire

"Great day weaving, really enjoyed the course. Very happy with my first basket, and will definitely do another course with Amanda. Only downside, my confirmation email gave directions to Usk Castle and not to the actual venue which was a couple of miles away."

Chris Gould reviewed: Beginning spinning

"A small class meant Cath could give each of us the time and attention we needed."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Lovely to meet you Chris. best wishes Cath"

Debbie Foster reviewed: Raku - learn the exciting art of rapid Japanese glaze firing

"Fantastic day so many different types of Raku results brilliant Richard so knowledgeable thoroughly recommend to anyone wanting a great day"

Potterydayz responded:

"It was a pleasure doing Raku with you Debbie - many thanks for the review. See you again I hope."

Nicole Davids reviewed: Cyanotype Workshop

"We had a wonderful morning with Jane making our cyanotype prints. Jane was very knowledgable and it was really interesting to find out about the science and history of this technique. The process was great fun and really easy to get great effects. There was plenty of time to try out different textures and objects as well as make pieces that were more considered. A really enjoyable workshop!"

Woods Creative responded:

"Thank you so much for your review Nicole and I'm glad you enjoyed the workshop."

Erik Roszkowiak reviewed: Bladesmithing experience day

"The day was very enjoyable and informative. Steve is a brilliant teacher, patient and observant. His workshop is well equipped and all safety measures are in place. I was very pleased with my results.Thank you."

White Tiger Knives responded:

"Hi Eric Thank you for your review. I'm very pleased that you enjoyed your bladesmithing day with me so much. The day was a full on, hands on, steel hammering experience and to top it all off you created a lovely knife. Kind regards Steve"

Tom Edwards reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"Fantastic weekend making a Knife that I will cherish forever. Arian is a great teacher, his passion is contagious and made the course even better than I thought it would be. Would highly recommend to anyone looking at the course to do it, you won't regret it"

Mike Macdonald reviewed: Log to tumbler with Gedwood

"Great course - really enjoyed the day. I have almost no woodworking skills but that was not a problem, and the demonstrations were good and easy to understand. Ged was an excellent instructor and always there to sort out problems when your needed him. It is a fascinating process that is using the same techniques from hundreds of years ago. We all managed to get a couple of tumblers to take home and I am looking forward to being able to use mine, in a couple of months once the wood has seasoned."

Gedwood responded:

"Enjoy your dams soon Mike, Thanks Ged"

Kerry Smith reviewed: Recycled China Mosaic Workshop Full day /Half Day

"I thoroughly enjoyed the mosaic workshop. Adela has a lovely workroom and is incredibly talented with so many amazing pieces to look at. From start to finish, Adela was welcoming and carefully explained the process of forming mosaics. We even had a potted history of artists and their work. The time flew by and I could have stayed all day! Would recommend to anyone. Thank you for such a great morning."

Petronella Aloikin reviewed: One-to-one 3 day lampshade making masterclass including business startup guide for crafters

"Such a great course.moji is not only very knowledgeable but also goes far and beyond.l am looking forward to joining her again on other courses in the near future."

Moji Designs responded:

"Dear Petronella, Thank you very much for your kind words and I am so glad to hear you are keen to return to do another course with me at my Studio in Brighton. I am looking forward to seeing you again. Happy lampshade making and do get in touch if you have any questions. Moji x"

Catherine osborne reviewed: Make a Tiffany stained glass tea light

"I really enjoyed this workshop. Kate is a really good tutor & i learnt so many new skills. I was really happy with what i created too. I would do the course again in a heartbeat i enjoyed it so much."

Shelby reviewed: Lampworking Workshop: Half Day Beginners Workshop

"This was such a great day. me and my mum did the half day workshop and was really surprised in what we achieved. We have never done lampworking before and it was a complete surprise for my mum. After an impressive demonstration we were left to our lamps to have a go. Like all crafts, it needs practice, and we were left to grasp the feel of working with glass at our own pace. It was very refreshing to not have the tutor quickly take over the minute we go off kilter a little. We received our beads 2 days later and was incredibly proud of our achievements. Be warned it was mesmerising and I can totally see anyone getting hooked."

Suzanne Jewellery responded:

"Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely review. I am so pleased you and your mum enjoyed your Lampworking experience."

John Pinner reviewed: The complete basics of woodturning (2 days)

"I've been talking of starting woodturning for years. Finally got to start after I was bought a lathe and a set of chisels for my birthday, along with this 2 day course. Because of covid it was 6 months until i could get to Mark's course. So all my turning was done from you tube and trial and error. (Mostly error) After the initial excitement had worn off, I was getting increasingly frustrated, destroying more pieces than I was finishing. Loved my 2 days spent with Mark, a great teacher and very patient. We ran over on day 2, probably down to me asking so many questions, and even though we finished almost an hour and half late, i was never rushed into getting finished. Loved our chats over lunch, which were completely unrelated to woodturning. Spent all of sunday spinning bits of wood in my workshop, can't believe the difference its made. I can now make more than just firewood."

Mark Hancock responded:

"Thank you John. Hope you've got that bowl gouge ordered. All the best, Mark"

Chris Peters reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"I have done some woodturning for several years but am self-taught and never had 1-2-1 instruction, consequently my technique leaves a lot to be desired! I saw this 1-day course, a birthday present from my wife, as an ideal opportunity to do something about this. From the moment I arrived Simon and Louise made me most welcome and the whole day was delightful. Simon is an inspirational teacher and as well as helping me to improve my basic skills he suggested lots of ideas for extending the range of projects I could consider in the future. I also learnt a great deal about the way Simon has organised his workshop and enjoyed chatting about many different aspects of this fascinating craft. Louise provided frequent cups of tea and a lovely lunch which greatly added to the enjoyment of the day. I can thoroughly recommend spending a day with Simon whether you are an absolute beginner or more experienced."

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

"Chris, Thank you so much for your lovely comments. You were a model student - made one of the best beads I've seen! I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future and catching up when you next visit the Ely Crafts market. All the best, Simon"

Emma Beardsley reviewed: Introduction to Table Loom Weaving, Crawley Village Hall, Hampshire - Two Day Workshop

"I've never done a workshop like this before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ellie was fantastic.....really friendly and welcoming and explained everything as we went along, making it easy to understand and do the weaving. I was so pleased with my finished piece....the three hours went quickly! If you're thinking about having a go at weaving, and you've never done it before...do this workshop....it's brilliant!"

Elka responded:

"Thank you so much for the lovely review Emma! It was an absolute pleasure to meet you :)"

Roz reviewed: Come Frame With Me 2 - Bring a Friend or Relative

"Such a fabulous day learning the fundamentals of picture framing. Ady is an excellent tutor, working at the perfect pace to allow someone new to picture framing to take everything in and make notes, whilst maintaining a good momentum throughout the day. We came away with the confidence to have a go at home and enough enthusiasm to want to book further courses to hone our skills. Absolutely delighted with the frame I created on the day it gave new life to one of my Mother's paintings. I should also mention that the refreshments were top notch as well. So if you are hesitating about booking this course, don't, it's worth every penny. Thank you Ady and Cathy for a wonderful day."

Studio 93 Framing responded:

"That’s very kind, Roz; it was a pleasure to host you and Becky for the day. Thoroughly enjoyed the rapport and your enthusiasm. My best wishes for your future framing and please keep in touch."

Amelia Lambert reviewed: Beginner's Traditional Stained Glass 2 Day Course

"I was given this weekend stained glass course as a Christmas present, and I couldn't have asked for anything more wonderful! I was the only person booked onto this course, so benefitted from 1-1 tuition from the lovely Gill. I was given the option of creating one large A3 piece from leaded stained glass, or try a smaller leaded A4 stained glass piece on the first day and a copper-foil stained glass piece on the second. I chose the two separate pieces and am so glad I did- both techniques are really interesting, and Gill is a brilliant teacher! She made it so easy, from cutting the glass and stretching the lead to using the soldering iron. She explained everything clearly and made it an absolutely pleasure. It was so lovely to have someone so interesting and knowledgeable to chat to throughout the weekend, and the beautiful location also helped! As an added bonus, the lovely Santa and Michael from the farm shop on site made us the most delicious lunch. Worth visiting just for their white chocolate and raspberry brownies! I’ve come home with two beautiful pieces and am very much looking forward to returning in the future."

Gill Rogers responded:

"Many thanks Amelia for your wonderful review and kind comments, it was so lovely to meet you and I had such a fun time too! Hope your enjoy your beautiful stained glass leaded panel and bird suncatcher. Well done you, they looked absolutely stunning! Look forward to seeing you again sometime in the near future. All my very best wishes Gill x"