Latest reviews

Alan McDowell reviewed: One day stained glass classes by Le Breton Traditional

"Excellent day I learned a lot. Mathew knew his stuff, in all areas. health and safety was good, He kept me interested all day, letting me do as much as i was able without interference, but as soon as i started to struggle he was there to help. I will be looking to return to practice what i have learned and moor."

Susie reviewed: Fused Glass workshops at Bere Alston, near Tavistock, Devon

"Had a most enjoyable day with Wendy learning how to fuse glass. As a complete novice Wendy clearly explained all the necessary techniques and we had plenty of time to practice before we designed our own pieces. Lots of beautiful colours to choose from. Can't wait to see my finished item once it has been fired."

Paul Foster reviewed: Bandsaw box making day

"A excellent one-on-one 1-day course, at the end of which (much to my surprise) I created a box of far better quality than I thought myself capable of. Tom is a very knowledgeable and convivial host, for which nothing was too much trouble. I left with a useful insight into some of the tools (bandsaw and sanders) and techniques I am interested in pursuing at home. Highly recommended."

Teds Woodworking/ instrument making Courses responded:

"Well done to a fine craftsman. I think Paul had great hand skills at the outset and his control of the bandsaw was second to none! With very little help from me Paul has created a little box to last him into old age. Please come again on another course Paul, you know your welcome indeed? Kind regards Ted"

ruth moreland reviewed: Weekly pottery/ceramics classes

"It was my first time today and I absolutely loved it . What an amazing teacher Alison is and the studio is charming . I know I am going to learn so much and that Alison and the other potters will help me on my journey. I can’t wait for next week !"

Dana reviewed: Gem cutting - faceting basics - the step cut square facet

"This is such a good course - I did the cabochon class in the morning and then managed to squeeze in the step cut lesson in the afternoon. James is a great teacher who explained everything very clearly, and there was plenty of opportunity throughout the day for me to get hands on with the faceting machine. I was blown away by how my stones turned out - I honestly didn't expect such great results on my very first go, but under James' instruction I was able to come away with some genuinely lovely gems (once they'd been unstuck from the dop!)"

Treasureworks responded:

"Thanks again! I was impressed at how quickly you took to faceting, if I remember correctly I only showed you the final polishing technique on two facets on the pavillion of the topaz, you took every single other facet to mirror finish under your own steam. Great work! ??"

Dana reviewed: Gem cutting - cabochon cutting and an introduction to faceting

"This is such a good course - I did the cabochon class in the morning and then managed to squeeze in the emerald cut lesson in the afternoon. James is a great teacher who explained everything very clearly, and there was plenty of opportunity throughout the day for me to get hands on with the faceting machine. I was blown away by how my stones turned out - I honestly didn't expect such great results on my very first go, but under James' instruction I was able to come away with some genuinely lovely gems."

Treasureworks responded:

"Thank you Dana! It was lovely to meet you and you were a pleasure to instruct.?"

Louise Wardle reviewed: "2 Crafts in 1 Day!" pairs - woodturning & pottery experience

"I attended a two day pottery class with a friend... without doubt the mostly relaxing activity i have ever participated in, I left feeling completely relaxed. Louise pitched the class perfectly, a great mix of activity and pace; leaving us time to really enjoy getting to grips with the clay. I am seriously thinking of attending a class on a frequent basis... i honestly feel the activity helped eliminate stress (you can't play with clay and read emails! :)."

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

"Hi Louise, So glad you enjoyed your 2-day pottery workshop :-). It was great having you and Charlotte in the studio and I'm soooo pleased you found it relaxing. You both made some really beautiful pieces - and your big coil pot has caught the eye of other students too! Anything these days to get us off our mobile phones and get our brains focused on creativity is a good thing :-). Looking forward to you returning to do your glazing."

Dan & Charlie reviewed: Letter Carving in stone - Do you love letters? Learn to carve lettering in stone. A two day creative stone carving course with Zoe Singleton.

"Honestly, a truly wonderfully enjoyable two days in a lovely environment with a superb teacher. We didn't want to leave and would go back in a heartbeat. Zoe really is the perfect teacher - she encourages just enough, but makes you do the work so that you learn. Thank you Zoe so much for being so patient and generous."

Linda reviewed: Advanced level Portrait 10-week interactive online zoom Art course with live tuition

"Raya is an inspiring tutor. Great group dynamics and looking forward to the follow on. I can't wait! Thank you Raya for your enthusiasm and teaching. Linda"

Stewart Campbell reviewed: Woodturning for beginners

"This was a great introduction to woodturning. I'm amazed at how professional my two pieces of turning looked at the end of the day, but a lot of the professional finish came from Stuart's guiding hands. Stuart's tutoring and hospitality set just the right tone for an interesting day. Although I've been interested in turning for years and have had expert friends, its only when you do a day like this that you begin to realise the skills and techniques involved and also how you can begin to master them. I'm a volunteer with a local woodland Friends group so I was also interested in how to manage felled wood and the drying process, and I got great help from Stuart on all of these aspects. I was surprised at the extent to which wood continues to "live" after being felled. It's made me a lot more confident about what we can do with our wood. And I also enjoyed my mini-tutorial on the engineering aspects of swift nest boxes."

The Scottish Woodturner responded:

"Hi Stewart, Good to hear you were happy with the pieces you made. You did all the turning with just a little "assist" from me. You're lucky to have access to timber through the good voluntary work you do. (The swift box adjustments are at the Mark 4 Prototype stage but I understand progress is being made). Stuart."

Phyllis Katon reviewed: 1 Day bag making course - 10 design options

"Excellent class with an excellent bag to take home thanks to Help and patience from Rebecca."

Tobi reviewed: Beginners Soap Making Course

"It was a great day, Paula was a great teacher, I learnt a lot and can’t wait to try out making soap at home"

Old Bexley Soap & Candle Co. responded:

"Hi Tobi, so glad to hear you had a great day. Enjoy your soaps and I hope you make many many more!. Paula"

Victoria Robinson reviewed: Copper Foil Technique Stained Glass

"I had a fantastic day with Mandy, the course was so hands on which I loved. I have long wanted to try copper foil stained glass but never had the chance. This course provided everything I expected and more. I highly recommend this course with Mandy as she is an excellent teacher, thank you for an amazing day."

Angela Robinson reviewed: Resin Art Experience

"Such a great introduction into resin art. Highly recommended"

Eunice J. Friend responded:

"Thank you Angela it was a pleasure to meet you and Hannah Kind regards Eunice"

Susie Harries reviewed: Create with a Gel Printing Plate - Mono Printing Without a Press

"This was an excellent session. It was very clear that our teacher, Liz Wellby has come from a teaching background. Everything was extremely well organised and she stretched everyone to achieve their best, whether they were complete novices or experienced artists. A thoroughly enjoyable day in which I achieved lots of exciting work and I can’t wait to develop the skills I have learnt further. Thanks Liz."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Susie, Lovely to see you again and really appreciate you taking the time to do a review. You produced some great work and we hope that you continue to explore this exciting process. Best wishes Alison and Liz"

Peter Booth reviewed: Woodturning for beginners

"Hi Stuart, Sorry about the late review! Thank you for a great 2 days of turning wood. I've thought that I would enjoy it for years and now I know for sure. For anyone who is thinking about it for themselves, or for a friend, you won't be disappointed. The 2 day course is great because you learn a lot on day one. You can then go away and think about it, then practice more the next day or whenever you book day 2. There's a lot to it but Stuart will answer any questions and give advice from his 30 odd years experience. I will definitely be back for more and will be in touch when I start thinking about getting some equipment! Cheers"

The Scottish Woodturner responded:

"Hi Peter, Glad you enjoyed your course and happy to help again whenever you are ready. Stuart."

Julie De-Rozario reviewed: SOLD OUT - Frenchic Furniture Painting

"Very enjoyable course, knowledgable tutor and excellent venue."

Steve Bacon reviewed: One day welding course: an introduction

"Just finished a 1 day welding course with Julian, who is not only very patient and explains and demonstrates things very clearly; he is flexible and happy to modify things to deal with me being left handed and also coping with my varifocal glasses issues. He's also pretty good at making proper tea on a mug too! Thoroughly recommended!"

Rob Herbert reviewed: Pot throwing on the wheel for a Half Day

"We decided to take a pottery class as a last minute thought… Came across Richards Facebook page and thought we would give it a try. From the first point of contact to leaving after our session I have to say it was nothing other than truly superb. Richard is amazing and incredibly patient. We only opted for the half day session which in reality, if we had time, I would definitely go for the full day. We highly recommend Richard and will definitely be back. Thanks again Richard, you really made our day."

Potterydayz responded:

"Lovely to meet you both, delighted you enjoyed the morning. than you very much for the generous review. See you again I hope."

Liz reviewed: Creative Fused Glass for beginners and improvers

"A really enjoyable workshop - highly recommended. Nadine explains how to work with glass clearly and has a relaxed, very friendly manner. While there are many examples that could be used as templates for your own work, Nadine encourages everyone to experiment and develop their own ideas for colour and design, and is always on hand to offer advice and help on how to realise these objectives, moving easily between all of the participants in the workshop individually. It was really interesting seeing how differently each person used the various kinds of glass available, and the very different designs that we all produced. I was very happy indeed with the coasters that I created that morning."

Nadine Mahoney responded:

"Hi Liz, Thank you for taking the time to review the workshop. With all the Covid cancellations I am so happy I got to finally run the session for you! Glad you enjoy the coasters."

annabel reviewed: Create with a Gel Printing Plate - Mono Printing Without a Press

"What a lovely day at the barn. Very well organised with hands on (socially distanced of course) instruction , encouragement and advice. The structure was well planned and we were supplied with everything we needed. I forgot my acrylic paint and was able to use theirs which was helpful. We all went away at the end of the day with a huge amount of prints that we had created."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Annabel, Lovely to meet and work with you and hope that you can continue developing your printmaking skills. We really appreciate you taking the time to review your day and we look forward to seeing you again in the future. Best wishes Alison & Liz"

Isobel Houston reviewed: One day silver clay course at Gallery in Heswall, Wirral

"A really wondeful day out and a great gift for my mum. We made several gorgeous pieces of silver jewelry and had such a wonderful time doing it. Georgina, who runs the course, was so kind and a great teacher. I would highly recommend this course if you or someone you know enjoys crafting."

Perfectcharm responded:

"Thank you It was lovely to have you both along and you made some beautiful pieces, well done"

Ekaterina Chetkova reviewed: 'Make a silver ring' jewellery taster workshop - Somerset

"I liked the workshop very much. It was my second silversmithing course in Somerset and I must say that Mr Vere is an excellent teacher. I liked not only showing the techniques, but giving some tips and also explaining how this or that process works. Don't know if it works, but we were wearing the masks during the whole workshop and were using hand gel. Very positive atmosphere. Thank you."

Roderick Vere responded:

"Thanks for such a lovely Ekaterina - so pleased you enjoyed yourself and that you learned some new tips and tricks! Stay in touch and look forward to seeing more creations on your jewellery making journey. Best wishes, Rod"

Sophie reviewed: Silver ring making, Newcastle upon Tyne (am)

"Me and my friends did the ring making class with Emine and had the best day! Emine was lovely, we had a really fun day and left with beautiful rings! I look forward to doing more of Emine’s workshops!"

Silverkupe Jewellery responded:

"Thank you so much taking time to write review Sophie. It was lovely to have you guys in the studio. I am so glad you liked the workshop and enjoyed yourselves. Best Wishes Emine."

Mark reviewed: Axe making course

"Excellent course, With Andys' brilliant tuition I am not sure you can fail. Each step clearly explained and demonstrated. Ended up with a really good axe, not perfect, but I am a beginner."