Latest reviews

Anonymous reviewed: Make your own green woodworking 'Shave Horse' from Oak & Ash

"Ian fitted me in at short notice with a condensed day, which worked out well for both of us I think. Fantastic day of learning yet more new skills and came away with a great new device which I was very pleased with. The only small issue now, is finding some spare cash for all the new tools I want to buy. Well recommended and a good development from the rustic stool course for those wanting to learn a bit more."

Julie reviewed: Stained glass beginners workshop, Cardiff, Wales

"I was given a one day stained glass workshop voucher as a birthday present. It was a wonderful day learning a new skill with lunch thrown in as a bonus. I felt a great sense of achievement taking my finished piece home at the end of the day! Thoroughly recommend!"

Glass By Design responded:

"Thanks so much - A Birthday gift you will never forget!"

Alison Martin reviewed: Silver ring making - at your house!

"Loved this course! Tracey was really great, informative, professional and fun. She knows her stuff and will help you make a piece of jewellery you will love. We all came away with a silver ring we were very pleased with. Couldn’t fault it and would definitely recommend."

Tricia reviewed: Make a silver ring or bangle

"Another satisfying day making jewellery with Lucy’s expert and patient tuition. I didn’t know there was so much to know about stone setting! Trev and I are delighted with our pendants and looking forward to learning more skills in Lucy’s lovely workshop. The coffee also comes highly recommended! Lucy ensures that her students are enjoying their day and getting the best from it on all levels."

Pam reviewed: Table Loom Weaving Workshop - Dobby & Rose

"I received my weaving workshop as a Christmas present from my husband. It only took a few hints for him to get the idea! I'd seen Rebecca at Farnham Maltings and her enthusiasm for weaving fired my curiosity. I wasn't disappointed! I spent a delightful morning learning to weave at Rebecca's studio. I'm very happy with the fabric I created and plan to make it into a unique makeup bag as soon as time permits!"

Lyn Lawrence reviewed: Indigo & Arashi Shibori workshop

"Attended this course last Saturday in Norfolk. What a fantastic day! Lisa exudes enthusiasm for Shibori and we were soon confidently designing our own patterns. We all had excellent results proudly showing off our scarves, aprons, duvet cover, shirts etc. Don’t hesitate, sign yourself up for Lisa’s Shibori course."

Mike reviewed: Stained glass beginners workshop, Cardiff, Wales

"Had a fabulous day on the one day stained glass workshop for beginners with Angelina. She has so much patience and really made the day very enjoyable. I was amazed that I achieved so much in one day. The lunch at Foxy's Deli was also great. I will certainly do another course there soon."

Glass By Design responded:

"Many thanks. It is always lovely to see how proud everyone is when they finish the day."

Andrea Evans reviewed: Glass fusion workshop, Cardiff, Wales

"My husband bought me a one day glass fusion course as a birthday present. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and made two items to bring home with me. They have been much admired and when I look at them they are a lovely reminder of a day well spent. It is a small and intimate workshop where you are given as much support as you need. I can highly recommend."

Glass By Design responded:

"Many thanks indeed. I can think of nothing better than making your own present! A Birthday you will never forget!"

Joy Robertson reviewed: Glass fusion workshop, Cardiff, Wales

"I attended a course run by Kathy . The day exceeded all my expectations. I have previously been on a course where my finished project cracked in the kiln so I had my fingers crossed this wouldn’t happen again. I’m not the best when it comes to finding inspiration, Kathy was patient and knowledgeable enabling me to design something I’m very proud of. The finished dish sits on my dressing table; I look at it everyday and think, I made that!"

Glass By Design responded:

"Many thanks. Glad you are justly proud of what you made."

Katherine reviewed: Glass fusion workshop, Cardiff, Wales

"I had a wonderful day with Angelina learning how to make a fuse glass dish. Her tuition was excellent and I was delighted with my finished piece when I picked it up a few days later. Hoping to book another course at Glass by Design later in the year."

Glass By Design responded:

"Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed your time with us."

Barbara reviewed: Residential two day machine embroidery workshop

"I learned so much from Ruth about how to navigate my sewing machine to make it work for me on free motion techniques. The time went too quickly but I brought home with me 3 samples of things that I have never tried or completed before. My family were really complimentary about my work. Ruth made me feel right at home, her home is so lovely and vibrant with colour and her food is excellent. The bed was very comfy and the duvet luxuriously warm. I would definitely recommend."

christine stafford reviewed: Stained glass beginners workshop, Cardiff, Wales

"Had a thoroughly enjoyable day. Angelina made the day fun, but also made sure that we all went home with a piece of work to be proud of. I'd highly recommend trying ones of the courses. I'm looking forward to trying another course in the near future."

Glass By Design responded:

"Thanks so much. So glad you enjoyed your day with us."

Menna Lloyd reviewed: Glass fusion workshop, Cardiff, Wales

"Thoroughly enjoyable session. It was so satisfying the take home my beautiful completed piece of glass work. Brilliant tuition"

Glass By Design responded:

"Many thanks, so glad you enjoyed yourself."

Natalie reviewed: 2 day traditional upholstery workshop

"This is a fantastic course. Karen was amazing. She helped us all to make great progress with our projects. I’m so thankful for the help in giving my Gran’s old chair a new lease of life. Also a special thank you to Karen’s husband for the amazing lunches and daughter for the spectacular baked treats! Would highly recommend. Thank you Karen."

Sarah Williams reviewed: 2 day traditional upholstery workshop

"Karen is a great teacher who set our expectations from the start. I almost finished my chair but left with the skills and materials to finish the project at home. It was a great weekend, I learnt lots and ate even more of the delicious food and snacks provided! Will definitely be coming back to learn more and finish other projects. Thank you"

Margaret Popplewell reviewed: Table Loom Weaving Workshop - Dobby & Rose

"I was the lucky recipient of a Dobby and Rose Weaving gift voucher. The workshop was everything it promised to be and more - very relaxing and therapeutic but also exciting to learn a new skill and see the colours and textures develop on the loom. Rebecca is a fantastic tutor and very encouraging; I came away with a sample of my work, a great sense of achievement and a desire to learn more. I highly recommend the workshop - and it is a fabulous present!"

Princess Co Co Adams reviewed: Weekly precious jewellery / Silversmithing classes

"Love this place, it’s not just a jewellery learning experience it’s a place to make new friends drink tea and eat cake oh and jump off from the world for a few hours and get some much needed head space! (therapy), plus you even get to learn how to make some awesome jewellery! I started going to flux n flame about 8/9 years ago now and it’s been the best thing I ever did, even my doctor told me to keep going for the creative therapy I most definitely needed. From the sunset drive out in the country to the peaceful settings and surroundings you won’t be disappointed. Being a newbie can be scary but you team up, someone makes you a nice hot drink and you can think of anything you want to try and create when you get there. The teachers are crazy but super awesome and in the best way. Once you have decided what you want to make and done a simple sketch if needed, you are soon delving through the types of silver you can buy to make your first project and before you know it your have a jewellery saw in hand and creating! Scared of blow torches! Well don’t be the teachers are on hand to spot you and assist you through every step of the process! Come join the new family you never knew you had or wanted! I did and now I’ve been running my own jewellery business for the last 7 years and given up my day job. But you can just take it up as a hobby if you like! Birthday and Christmas gifts will never be a chore for friends and family, they will be your next project!!!"

Harriet Hunt reviewed: Contemporary bench making weekend course

"Outstanding course. I made a beautiful bench which I'm really proud of, and had a brilliant time doing it. Ambrose is a patient, understated and expert teacher who explains techniques and approaches clearly along with showing you the skills. The barn is a fantastic location, easy to reach from Ashburton and another beautiful example of Ambrose's skill. The delicious and wholesome food provided by Ambrose's sister is worth the trip in itself! I'm recommend to anyone of any ability with an interest in woodworking. You'll produce a work of art and learn a huge amount doing it."

Susanne Schneider reviewed: Watercolour painting day - Floral & botanical - with artist Laura Andrew

"A group of 3 friends had an excellent day doing water colours with Laura. We all wanted to 'loosen up' our painting style to learn to let go and explore. Laura achieved that and we all chose to paint a 'simple' iris on its own after having played with colours, mixes, ink, techniques, etc. We had coffee/tea on arrival and a very lovely afternoon tea for lunch. Cannot wait to be back for another sessions. Highly recommended."

Lorna Burrows reviewed: Bespoke candle making workshop - Edinburgh

"What a lovely morning! The setting is lovely, Kerry is a fabulous host and makes great crumble!! We learnt loads about candle making, and how to get the most out of your candles. We were able to choose a scent for our candles, a candle you’d usually spend about £20 on!! Then we made our own custom scent with Kerry’s help to use in future candle making or on oil burners. It was such a lovely and relaxing morning! I would definitely recommend!"

Jessie Carr reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"Very good introduction to stone sculpture, my 12 year old son absolutely loved it and definitely wants to do again! Sebastian gave him excellent guidance, but just as importantly allowed freedom to experiment in his own way. We are now acquiring tools! We both really enjoyed it and felt we had achieved something, and from my point of view as a complete beginner working 3D! I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to try sculpting for the first time."

Charlotte reviewed: Pallet upcycling - make a chair to take away

"I bought the pallet upcyling course as a birthday present for my boyfriend and we both had the most fab day with David building a chair. David was so helpful, and I really liked the fact the course felt unique to the team on the day, as we worked out the best way to take apart the particular pallets we had, and the best way to approach the design and build of the chair using what was salvaged (rather than following a set blueprint for a chair design, with no input from us). The course inspired us to do more pallet upcycling - we built ourselves a table to go with our chairs the next day! Would definitely recommend."

Kayley & Martin reviewed: Blacksmithing Experience Day

"We had a day to remember at Strawberry Steel with Colin. Set in a lovely field with views to the hills, Ox House Forge is a retreat away from the stresses of modern life. Colin welcomed us warmly and gave us a tour of the facilities. After talking through the health and safety essentials, we put on our tinted safety glasses (we looked like something out of men in black!) and leather aprons, and watched the master craftsman show us how it's done. Colin was a fantastic teacher, very knowledgeable, patient and attentive, giving space for us to try different techniques, and offering a helping hand where needed. There was no pressure, and if you made a mistake Colin would show you how to fix it, or give you another piece of steel to have another go! The beauty of this craft is being able to make unique pieces, that are perfectly imperfect, and that's the charm! A family dropped by while we were there and stopped to watch us for a while. Colin gave the little boy some safety glasses so he could look a little closer... I think it made his day! By the time we sat down for lunch together, hours had flown by and we hadn't even noticed. Colin's enthusiasm for the craft was infectious, and we really enjoyed every minute. We thought that we might get to make one thing each to take away, but by the end of the day we were astounded not only by what we had achieved, but Colin's generosity in letting us take everything home. We have really beautiful (and useful!) hand crafted pieces to treasure, including a fire poker, toasting forks and a LOT of coat hooks! Colin even gifted us one of the beautiful acorns he had been making for another project. We would love to go back again one day, and will be telling all our friends and family about it. We haven't laughed so much in a long time and would really recommend the day to couples looking for some quality time together doing something really magical. We'll be wearing our blistered fingers as a badge of honour for the next week!"

Sooky reviewed: Blacksmithing Experience Day

"We had a fantastic day with Colin on the 30 April. He was welcoming, informative and a very good teacher and the whole day was nicely paced. Having attended a blacksmithing day at another forge exactly a year ago, the day with Colin was much more enjoyable and instructive such that we came away with several useable (and attractive) hooks, toasting forks and plant supports!"

Alice reviewed: Beginners candle making workshop - London

"Had a lovely day with my family at Sarah's workshop. She was a great and informative teacher. I wasn't expecting to come away with so many candles. Everyone had fun and would recommend to anyone interested in candle making."

Candle by Events responded:

"Thank you, really pleased you enjoyed the workshop"