Latest reviews

Martin reviewed: Blacksmithing for Beginners - Full Day Forging for One

"What a wonderful birthday present. Chris is a great teacher. He goes through some theory, but most of the course is practical. Every step is demonstrated with explanation before attempted by the student. Chris keeps a watchful eye to make sure that the best technique is used. Result: a beautiful key ring as a permanent keepsake and reminder of the day. If you do this course you will start to get an idea of the skill of a true blacksmith. Chris makes it look to easy! But for us students it isn’t, and at the end of the day upper arm muscles are a little tired. Safety, both blacksmithing and CoVID, are well explained and managed. Felt very safe."

Liz Philpott reviewed: Introduction to fused glass (1 day) in Sheffield, South Yorkshire

"Really enjoyable day with an excellent teacher. We used a variety of glass techniques and it was like being in a sweet shop with many different colours & sizes of glass to use. Great value for money and suitable for all ages and abilities."

Stephen Leat reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"What a brilliant introduction to wood turning!! Simon and Louise at Blended Monkey made the whole experience, from the booking stage to the course day, extremely easy. Simon's enthusiasm for turning is infectious and his guidance, patience and knowledge added a different level to the day. Plenty of refreshments 'on tap' and lunch was great. I would recommend this course, without hesitation, to anyone who is interested in the art of wood turning."

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

"Thanks, Stephen. Great praise from a teacher! So glad you enjoyed the day and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need help once the workshop is sorted."

James Ramage reviewed: The Human Face Explored - One-day Creative Drawing Workshop in lovely Narberth

"I found this workshop to be very enjoyable and satisfying. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and the facilities were excellent. With Louise's tuition, demonstration, and encouragement I produced results that pleased and surprised me. I didn't hesitate to attend further workshops on creative drawing and life drawing, which again achieved better than expected results. I will certainly return once a new program of events becomes available."

Louise Burdett Artist responded:

"Thank you James. Always a pleasure to teach you - I look forward to seeing you back as soon as we can work safely in the studio. Louise x"

Hannah Horton reviewed: Outside Workshop: Get started with DSLR creative photography(Beginners level)

"Sally was ever so knowledgeable but explained everything so well that even a complete novice like me soon got to grips with the basics. I was made to feel very welcome and felt quite comfortable asking questions"

Clare reviewed: Book binding - Zoom Saturday Morning Workshop

"We organized a virtual event for a group of 10. Lorna assembled and packed a small kit with everything required for the session. The packages were shipped in good time to allow delivery ahead of the event. On the day Lorna's instruction over zoom was clear and easy to follow and her passion for and knowledge of bookbinding shone through. Feedback from our participants was unanimous - they loved the event and our handmade books. I highly recommend this event especially as a way of bringing folks together when we are all apart."

Crumps Barn Studio responded:

"Thank you so much for organising such an enjoyable session. This was an international event and it was very special to meet you all via zoom. I'm so glad you and your members loved making their hand bound notebooks. The results were gorgeous! ~ Crumps Barn Studio"

Sam Weldon reviewed: Woodturning for beginners

"I had an absolutely fantastic day on the one day course with Stuart and came away with some stunning pieces which I am chuffed to bits with. Stuart is an excellent teacher with an outstanding knowledge and skill base which he was more than willing to share with me in great detail which will be invaluable for me going forward. The course setting was the icing on the cake, a stunning location with plenty of opportunities to view and discuss Stuarts current pieces and the processes around them. If you are looking for an informative and accommodating tutor to further your skill set or try something new Stuart is your man. I could not recommend him more highly! Also if you are a complete beginner to the wood turning game like me he also has the patience of a saint."

The Scottish Woodturner responded:

"Thanks Sam. Always a pleasure teaching someone who is inspired by the craft as you are. Stuart."

Pete Halloran reviewed: Creating a Viking knife an introduction to forging and knife making at Bearded Pig Forge

"After doing the knife making day with Spike I can only highly recommend it! Spike was an awesome instructor, showing us what to do and offering advice as and when asked. He was also a fantastic source of knowledge over all areas of smithing as well as a teller of bad jokes :-) This was such a good experience taking a plain piece of steel and coming out with a fully useable knife at the end of the day. I'll definitely be looking to go back again to do the two day course to get experience of handle making."

Pauline reviewed: Traditional Leather Workshop (small leather goods)

"This is a really enjoyable course! Had a great day and Kingsley provided a really nice environment to learn in. Can’t believe how he managed to get me from little to no knowledge to making something great! I came away from the course feeling confident in. He also provided us with information on London Merchant to get supply if we want to consolidate our knowledge and make leather work a hobby or more. Such a great day! Highly recommend!"

Sandra Blake reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"I really enjoyed this course, Richard and his assistant were fantastic. I can't wait to put the learning into practice and I'm looking forward to the next course."

The River Shop responded:

"Thanks for your kind review and great to have you Sandra. We look forward to having you back! Best Richard"

Elizabeth Machan reviewed: Lampworking Workshop: Half Day Beginners Workshop

"We had a lovely morning making beads with Suzanne. She demonstrated lots of techniques clearly, to enable us to make a number of beads. I went with my 15 year old daughter who has some learning difficulties and Suzanne was very patient and encouraging, she didn't want to leave. Making the beads filled her with confidence. The studio was lovely, very well set out with lots of choice of materials to work with. A great course and tutor who I would highly recommend. We will have to come back to practise our skills and make some more!!"

Suzanne Jewellery responded:

"Thank you so much for your lovely review. It was so lovely to see your daughters confidence grow as the morning went on. Fab beads made by the both of you."

Kate Lord reviewed: Make your own Personalised Leather Dog Collar

"Review for leather workshop that took place on 18th April 2021 I found the workshop on a website as geographically nearish to New Quay in Wales, where I had planned our holiday. I found communicating with Tracy pleasant and understanding as it was not quite certain at the time, if our holiday to Wales could take place due to Covid. Luckily Covid permitted our holiday and my “special birthday” treat of attending the leather workshop with my husband. We made a new dog collar for our irregularly shaped Staffi-Whippet cross rescue dog and my husband made a belt for me. I found Tracy to be very patient with me and my neurodiverse ways and empowered me to do much of the collar for myself, after she had made a card template. She offered to help me out, time to time and encouraged me to just try it out and not worry about trying to be perfect. The end result was a collar that looks great and my sense of achievement of having made it. The leather is of an excellent quality and I think our dog finds it very comfortable. Tracy helped my husband to utilise a bit of my old belt ( that had been rendered useless by said dog via chewing) to bling the new collar further with colour and embossing her name and doggy bones. My husband found the process of making me a belt very rewarding too. Tracy was very knowledgeable about different types of leather and the tanning processes both traditional and more environmentally friendly. Furthermore, we now know why some leather is cheaper and so I am equipped to make more informed choices as to encouraging more environmentally friendly tanning processes. Tracy promotes environmentally sustainable leather. She uses leather waste from furniture making, thereby minimising carbon footprint. The workshop was done in Covid Secure way and we had a tea break with delicious cake freshly made by Tracy. I would thoroughly recommend making a leather product and Tracy’s Coterie Leather Bags workshop to do that. My only regret is that I forgot to ask to purchase some of her free range duck eggs as I left."

Jeanette reviewed: Green Man stone carving in Yorkshire

"Excellent facility, plenty of space, very friendly atmosphere. Excellent tuition from Helen, there when you need her but equally plenty of space to do your own work. Very rewarding (and surprising) when you see the end result. Very enjoyable two days, day one is tiring, but day two less strenuous but transformational. Already been back for an additional course."

The West Riding Stonecarving Association responded:

"Thank you for your positive review. I am glad you both had a great time. Helen"

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

"What a fantastic experience we had today! Wendy's lovely workshop is bright and airy and set in a beautiful location which can't help but inspire you. There is an amazing variety of coloured glass to choose from and Wendy explains and demonstrates each technique carefully. We had such fun and can't wait to come back for another day of creativity!"

Julie Burn reviewed: Copper Foil Technique Stained Glass

"I had an amazing day with Amanda. She is a great teacher who explains each step of the process clearly and patiently. I chose my designs from a large selection of her patterns and made three beautiful pieces, which I’m incredibly proud of. Very highly recommended."

Corrie Oliver reviewed: Green Wood Chair Making - 6 Day Woodworking Course in South Devon

"I feel very fortunate to have spent 6 days in the company of such lovely people, willing to give their support and expertise enabling me to make a very cute chair. In spite of being a novice I learnt so many new skills and was enthralled by the whole experience.... a retreat from the everyday, totally inspiring and balm for the soul! Thoroughly recommend it to anyone and feel enthusiastic to try another course."

Peter Lanyon Furniture responded:

"Thanks Corrie, for taking the time to write a review, and for being great company for the week. I look forward to meeting you again one day. If you need any help or advice on your green woodworking journey do let me know."

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

"Had a fab day doing this course. Wendy was so helpful and patient and helped all she could to enable us to achieve the item we had chosen to design. Nice rural setting and great choice of glass options to work with."

Carol Ryder reviewed: Let's Paint "Thriving Thistles" - Online Art Class

"Had another great time, and with the guidance of Caroline produced another painting to hang on my wall .... thank you so much really looking for to the next course."

Let's Paint Pompey responded:

"Thank you Carol, it was a pleasure to paint with you again. Another great artwork to add to your home decoration indeed! Hope to see you again soon. Caroline."

Maggie Bouchier reviewed: Painting Masterclass - Tenby South Beach - all welcome in lovely Lawrenny

"The course was well run and we were very Covid safety conscious. Louis had made sure we all had a safe workspace to work in. We all produced an exceptable painting of South Beach Tenby and I for one learnt about using different colours for different effects. It was good value for money and interesting to see that although we all worked from the same painting the results were quite different"

Louise Burdett Artist responded:

"Thanks so much Maggie - glad you enjoyed the colour work and the workshop in general. Hope to see you again soon. x"

Lorraine Parkes reviewed: Shabby chic and upcycling

"I really enjoyed this course. Michelle is really friendly and explains all the techniques really well. As it is a one to one course I was able to get an overview of all the different techniques and then focus on the one I wanted to use on my piece of furniture. I’m looking forward to using what I’ve learnt. Thank you Michelle for a lovely day and fabulous coffee! Highly recommended."

Tina Smith reviewed: Painting Masterclass - Tenby South Beach - all welcome in lovely Lawrenny

"Louise had gone to great lengths to ensure a safe environment with ample space and fresh air. The course itself was very well run; with small class numbers I felt that we all had the attention that we needed, and it was great to see so many people produce complete paintings under Louise's tuition. Although we used her original painting to work from, each one had it's subtle differences. Highly recommended."

Louise Burdett Artist responded:

"Thanks so much Tina - it was a pleasure to spend the day with you. Hope to see you again. x"

Chris Botterell reviewed: Silver Clay Jewellery making class at Sandra Kerns Jewellery studio, Little Sampford

"We had. Fantastic time on Sandra’s silver clay course , lovely lady full of knowledge and a great teacher. We were over the moon with our pendants that we made, I’m so pleased with the little heart I made for my granddaughter for her first birthday and my friend made a beautiful flower. It was a great day and we felt completely safe in these COVID times . Can not recommend it enough . Chris Botterell."

Sandra Kerns Jewellery responded:

"Thank you Chris, it was a pleasure having you both at the studio and your pieces were beautiful."

Sarah-Jane O'Shea reviewed: Full day leather craft workshop

"I was given this course as a Xmas present and had a wonderful time. Rosanna studio is full of interesting tools and leather pieces and set in a lovely location. She was a great teacher, providing everything I needed to make some fun starter leather work. I have to admit to being slightly addicted following my session and am determined to return to continue my learning journey."

Fran reviewed: Needle Felted 'Blossom Eggs' online workshop + Kit

"This online workshop was absolutely fantastic and I strongly recommend it to all. Fantastic value and inspiring content."

Felt Wildly responded:

"Thank you Fran it was my pleasure! Cx"

Simon Beer reviewed: Intro to Green Woodwork

"Thoroughly enjoyed Mike’s Introduction to Green Woodworking Course. A very pleasant day with some nice people, in a lovely place. I learnt a lot about using traditional tools and techniques and now feel confident carving. Mike has a wealth of knowledge and experience and a very laid back teaching style. I would thoroughly recommend this course - a really informative and enjoyable way to spend a day."