Latest reviews

Helen Wadsworth reviewed: A relaxing day of clay making

"Thank you Tisha for a wonderful day spent in your studio. The atmosphere was both convivial and creative. You provided expert tuition and guidance, oh and lunch was fabulous too! I came away pleased by what I had experienced. A throughly enjoyable day was had."

Barbara Harvey reviewed: Felt picture making workshop in Rugby!

"Last Saturday, April 27th I attended a felting workshop with Karen. What an enjoyable few hours. So informative and relaxing. I am totally hooked and as I bought one of Karen's starter packs I have done another picture at home. We all went home with a lovely piece of work encouraged along the process. Nice coffee and yummy cake. I shall definitely book another workshop to learn more. Thank you again Karen Barbara"

Karen Wyeth Contemporary Felt Artist responded:

"Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Barbara, its much appreciated! Hope to see you at another workshop sometime soon! x"

Glennis Hunt reviewed: Powertex Owl Wall Art

"Had a lovely day with Annette, it was great. I had never done anything like Powertex before and it was explained in every detail. I would recommend this course to anyone and I can assure them that they won’t be disappointed; and I will be doing it again. Thanks a million Annette"

Annette Smyth responded:

"Thank you for your lovely review. I’m so glad you enjoyed your workshop and have been inspired to continue creating. Axx"

SIWAN HILL reviewed: Silver Clay Beginners Workshop

"This was an excellent day of learning so many things about this innovative material, I made a pendant and earrings during the day which I am very happy with. They will be a gift for my daughter in law. Marianne was very patient but taught us so much during the day. We were given plenty of information about the tools and equipment needed to continue using silver clay in the future and information about where to purchase silver clay. We were also taught how to work with the clay and make different items, how to fire the clay with 3 different methods, how to polish and finish our items. It was a long and tiring day but extremely fulfilling. Thanks so much Marianne."

Grey Clouds & Silver Linings responded:

"Thank you Siwan, I’m glad you enjoyed your day, you made a lovely set of jewellery. I hope you have been inspired to carry on with your silver clay journey and I look forward to seeing where it takes you."

Helen Petrie reviewed: Silver Clay Beginners Workshop

"Fab! Fab! Fab! I really cannot rate this course any higher. I was so excited to have a go at making silver clay jewellery and was hoping to be pleased with my first attempt, but I have come away with pieces of jewellery that I am so proud of and would be happy to purchase from a shop. Marianne is extremely knowledgeable and helpful, encouraging and patient. She is such a lovely lady, nothing was too much trouble and she was able to give each of us the attention we needed. Her studio is a craft heaven! a very calm environment, I had such a lovely day and can't wait to do more at home. Thank you Marianne"

Grey Clouds & Silver Linings responded:

"Thank you Helen, I'm pleased you enjoyed your day, you made some fantastic jewellery. I loved your bunny charm. I look forward to seeing what you make in the future."

julie parry reviewed: Machine embroidery - stitch doodling with Julie Brand at Tigley Textiles in Worcester

"Thank you for a wonderful, creative and totally inspiring day. Ive come home with a lovely piece and enthusiasm to have another go over the Easter break. The cake was amazing and thank you for the refreshments too. I know it's a new avenue I'll be working on within textile and thread, paint and a little bling! I love patching but this is a whole new area. Hope to be with you again soon for either the garden borders or the hares and dragonfly workshop."

Hare scultpture reviewed: Willow Hare Sculpture course with Joe Gregory at Creative with Nature Todmorden Yorkshire

"Really enjoyed the course and it was great to learn a new skill under expert knowledgeable guidance. Lovely to chat to others too."

Creative with Nature Ltd responded:

"Really happy you enjoyed the day. Thanks for leaving a review!! Joe. xx"

One Day Knife Making Course reviewed: Creating a Viking knife an introduction to forging and knife making at Bearded Pig Forge

"Absolutely loved my knife making course - Spike is so knowledgeable and passionate about blacksmithing and both myself and my husband who came along as a guest learnt so much. It's a great laid back atmosphere and don't worry if you've never made anything out of metal before, Spike is on hand to give you tips and direct you on how to turn a lump of metal into something more interesting! We will be returning to do some of the longer courses soon. Thanks Spike for a great day!"

Lindsay Fulton reviewed: Lino cutting course - Laura Andrew Art Studio, Lincoln - Linocut lino printing

"My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our linoprinting workshop with Laura. She is a knowledgable and patient teacher and is very encouraging and helpful. The atmosphere was relaxed and unhurried and we enjoyed a lovely lunch in her light-filled room overlooking the park. It was a very pleasant day and at the end of it we came away with some amazing prints which look much better than I could have imagined. I am definitely going to carry on doing linoprinting and Laura's expert information about the products to use will be very helpful. This was not just a one-day workshop for me, it was (hopefully) the start of a new and absorbing hobby. The next day at work I felt more relaxed than I have done for ages, and I really believe it was an after effect of the wonderful creative day we'd had. Highly recommended!"

Barbara Welby reviewed: Basic woodworking and DIY course

"My daughter and I went along to this course with an open mind. David immediately made us feel welcome with his enthusiasm as he guided us through many new skills. Any questions we had he answered by plain explanation and also demonstrated various possibilities or solutions. We had use of the ample supply of tools in David’s workshop and he gave clear and concise advice and demonstrated which tool to use for which job. David is an excellent teacher and both of us came away more confident with the knowledge we gained of DIY."

Christine reviewed: Weave a scarf in a day - handloom weaving

"Fantastic workshop for anyone looking for an introduction to weaving. I am visually impaired which made it a daunting thought, but Anne and the venue were nothing but helpful and supportive throughout. The workshop went at a good pace matched to the group and I came away with the basic principles and a scarf."

Lesley Tyreman reviewed: Group Soap-making Workshop - Soapology Studio - Nottinghamshire

"I thoroughly enjoyed my Soap Making day with Emma. She is a great teacher, imparting the theory in an easy to understand manner, and the take away pack is a comprehensive resource to refer to later. A lovely lunch was followed by a well prepared session in the workshop - what a great room! Emma moved from demonstrating to guiding to careful watching while I made my own batches of soap, enabling me to gain confidence in the process. Can’t wait to use the soaps (they have to cure for a bit first), but my house smells lovely while I plan my future soaps! The kit is well worth buying as well, giving me a chance to try again with familiar ingredients. A very highly recommended course!"

Fi? reviewed: Outdoor mosaic workshops - 1 day with Rachel Hyde at Creative with Nature studio Todmorden West Yorkshire

"This was my second mosaic course at CWN and I loved it. Laura is friendly, approachable and knowledgeable in her Craft. In a nutshell, splendid ."

Creative with Nature Ltd responded:

"Thanks for the review Fi! And great to see your progress!! joe. xx"

Christine Edmonds reviewed: Asymmetrical basket making courses - two days with Joe Gregory at Creative with Nature Todmorden Yorkshire

"I've been on three willow weaving courses run by Joe Gregory, of Creative with Nature, and I would thoroughly recommend all of them. The foraged basket course was a joy - from learning about the different natural materials and their properties, to being taught the weaving process with expert advice, to bringing home the wonderful finished product (incorporating willow, hazel, holly, birch, dogwood and ivy). The hare sculpture course was also fantastic - looking at Joe's sample sculptures, at the start of the day, I thought "I'll never to be able to complete something like that that in a day"- but under Joe's careful guidance, I ended up with a willow leaping hare that is a much-admired wall feature in my home. I then booked onto the bird sculpture course, and loved making the willow heron, which stands next to the pond on my allotment. Joe is a true expert in her field - I feel lucky to have been able to learn from her."

Creative with Nature Ltd responded:

"That's a lovely review!! Thank you so much Christine: ) Joe. xxx"

Fi? reviewed: Outdoor mosaic workshops - 1 day with Rachel Hyde at Creative with Nature studio Todmorden West Yorkshire

"This was my second mosaic course at CWN and I loved it. Laura is friendly, approachable and knowledgeable in her Craft. In a nutshell, splendid ."

Creative with Nature Ltd responded:

"Thank you again lovely! xx"

Miranda reviewed: Training course in upcycling with pallets. An introduction to making furniture with pallets for beginners

"Such a fantastic course. I went with my son. Scott is a truly great teacher, explaining everything really clearly, really succinctly and then gives you the freedom and confidence to just get on with it and experiment. Undoubtedly 5 stars from both me and my teenage son who loved every minute of it."

Sharon Corden reviewed: Pottery throwing taster on The Potters Wheel (temporarily suspended due to social distancing restrictions)

"I can’t believe that I, a complete beginner, used wet clay on a pottery wheel and made some bowls - a bit wonky but recognisable bowls. Thrilled! Thank you to Sharon for the warm welcome and the friendly guidance for the pottery taster session. Highly recommend."

Sharon Pottery Classes responded:

"Thanks Sharon for your review. It was great to see how quickly the beginners fears dissolved with enjoyment taking over! Glad it was a positive experience and met with your expectations for your husbands surprise birthday treat!"

Tracey Whittam reviewed: Realistic and Adorable Needle Felt Animals & Pets

"Sophie's workshops are full of fun, laughter and inspiration to create your favourite felted friend. One to one coaching but all my own work, definitely going to book again, fab variety of wool and lots of tips along the way. A super fun day with a lovely bunch of ladies :)"

Kate Needham reviewed: Full day introduction to glass fusing course.

"I went on this course with my sister as part of her birthday present. What an amazingly lovely day we had. Amanda, who runs the course is simply lovely. We came away with lots of knowledge, 2 amazing pieces each, very full tummies (as Amanda also happens to be an amazing cook!) and a huge desire to do more and more glass work. Thank you very much. Highly recommended and great value?"

Sheila reviewed: Soy wax container candle making workshop - morning

"Brilliant, relaxing, non-stressful introduction to making candles. Lovely supportive participants, and a gentle wonderful morning, with lots of yummy refreshments and heaps of encouragement to keep us going. Amazingly, my three very own candles are lovely, and I bought kits for myself and a friend to continue our adventure. Thank you, Lyndsey, enjoyed every minute."

Jane Slowe reviewed: Weekly precious jewellery / Silversmithing classes

"Al and Jesa are brilliant and inspiring teachers and I absolutely love my time at Flux’n’ Flame (more than 5 years now). A wide range of jewellery and silversmithing techniques are taught according to the individual’s wishes, and all with fun, warmth and masses of encouragement and support. You will be able to design and create beautiful, unique jewellery from the start (I have also been making a silver box and bowls) - addictive! I highly recommend Flux ‘n’Flame."

Samantha Chapman reviewed: Silver ring workshop - morning

"I did a three hour stacking rings course with Jewellery Moves at Loam Ceramics and absolutely loved it. Fiona was patient and helpful, showed us how to make beautiful rings and I am so proud of the result. I would thoroughly recommend this workshop - it's great value for money, a really lovely relaxing venue and you get a top quality piece of jewellery at the end of it."

Kate Toch reviewed: Asymmetrical basket making courses - two days with Joe Gregory at Creative with Nature Todmorden Yorkshire

"A wonderful two days of making & crafting & company. Joe is an inspirational teacher and guide. I'm always amazed by the quality of the willow baskets woven in the workshops and the proud faces of us beginners as we show our basketry off for the end-of-class photo. I'm starting to 'get' the process of making a round basket with a 'slath' base and how this differs from a frame basket. I'm remembering the terminology and the processes: waling, French rand, butts & tips, chasing and pairing. Joe knows her willows, from planting, harvesting, drying, soaking and mellowing, and all of this is done for us so that we can concentrate on the weaving. And concentrate and weaving we did. Looking forward to building on these budding skills. Thanks Joe."

Creative with Nature Ltd responded:

"A lovely and detailed review!! thank you Kate for taking the time: ) Joe. xx"

Carole H reviewed: Free-machine embroidery classes with Dawn Ireland

"I always look forward to the two hours on Wednesday morning spent with Dawn and her happy class of sewers at the Dronfield Hall Barn. It’s great to have someone so talented sharing their expertise so freely, and inspiring the class with the materials and techniques she introduces each week. Dawn is a very kind and generous teacher, who always has words of encouragement. When I started the class just weeks ago, I hadn't sewn for about 15 years. Thanks to Dawn, I’ve gained the confidence to tackle all types of adventurous projects. And Dawn’s stimulating help each Wednesday spurs me on. Dawn's teaching, coupled with the large range of materials she provides make this class excellent value for money."

Dawn Ireland Textile Artist responded:

"Thank you Carole for a really lovely review."

Lesli and Sue reviewed: Willow plant support and fat ball feeder

"Thank you Karen, we both enjoyed a very happy morning making our willow plant supports and the brewery buildings are a fantastic setting to learn in. Great fun and so lovely to come home with a much admired addition to our gardens. We just need a pretty clematis to grow up them now. Lesli and Sue"