Latest reviews

Peter venton reviewed: Wet Felt a beautiful neck warmer for Spring- in fine Merino wools and silks

"What a delightful way to spend a Sunday morning! With clear and careful guidance Judi showed us how to lay out the first two base layers of our scarf and then to add a third design layer of silk scraps, bamboo silks and silk mawatas in contrasting colours. The colours were amazing and we were encouraged to try out our own ideas. We'd definitely like to do this as again and my wife who has reduced mobility is now wearing her very own nuno felted scarf. Judi is an inspirational teacher and nothing is too much trouble for her. Highly recommend this workshop."

Felting in Devon responded:

"Dear Peter, I'm so glad you both enjoyed the workshop. It was lovely to meet you. Judi"

Craig reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Good paced and informative course. Fun day out. Lots of hands on carving time and advice from Alan. Good taster experience. Great food and snacks from Alan's wife during the day too. Would recommend ."

Jen reviewed: Create a ceramic animal sculpture with Twisted Earth Ceramics at Ilkley Manor Studio

"A very absorbing and enjoyable day making a wonky donkey following Richard’s step-by-step instructions. Materials and tools were plentiful, and after a short demo Richard patiently helped us all to complete our models. Highly recommended."

Ruth hanson reviewed: Bespoke candle making workshop - Edinburgh

"Lovely morning learning about candle making and fragrances. Kerry is a fantastic hostess, supplying us with personalised candle labels, lots of knowledge from her experience and a truly yummy homemade crumble. Feel quite inspired now to find out more. Thank you so much"

Audrey Ebrey reviewed: Wire Jewellery

"A most enjoyable day learning new skills, and leaving with a fantastic piece of bespoke jewellery. The course was brilliantly paced for individual needs. The day was friendly and lots of laughs, plus a very good lunch and cake! Can't recommend this day highly enough."

Michael Traher reviewed: Utter beginners - (Watercolour or Acrylic painting)

"Cat King is skilled artist in her own right, but is able to teach at a beginner level in a very effective way. The course starts with some basics about colour mixing and different basic water colour techniques. You get painting straight away and Cat makes it easy for everyone to succeed and feel pleased with their results. Cat has a friendly and encouraging style which makes the classes fun and relaxed. It was great to spend two hours, each session, on something completely different from my day job. I found the time went quickly and I was looking forward to the next lesson. I highly recommend this course."

CatKing Artwork responded:

"Thank you Michael - it was a pleasure to teach you , I'm glad you enjoyed the course and I look forward to seeing your next painting!"

Abby Casey reviewed: Lino Printing on Fabric Day with Oxford Linocut Workshops - Fabric Printing

"I had so much fun on this course! Claire has an infectious enthusiasm for lino and wood cutting, and was an excellent teacher. All equipment is provided and you dont need any prior experience. Claire's studio is lovely, and her pieces are really inspiring. There is enough time on the course to learn the basics, make several lino cuts and produce a printed fabric to take home. I was really pleased with what we were able to produce."

Alan Robertson reviewed: Lucy Churchill's Stone Carving Workshops

"This was my second stone carving course with Lucy. I wanted to attempt a more complex carving than the one I completed two years ago. Lucy patiently guided me through new techniques, explaining and demonstrating how to achieve the results I wanted. I would strongly recommend her courses and I might well be back for further advice."

Julie reviewed: Candle making class & bubbly in Brighton & Hove

"Charlie obviously knows her subject and gave as much information and guidance as each participant wanted. Charlie creates a calm, welcoming environment where it's a pleasure to laugh and learn."

Paolina reviewed: Stylish personalised keyring

"We had a great time making our key rings. Charlie is friendly and professional. The studio is lovely and the perfect setting. The activity was great for relaxing and experiencing something different. Highly recommend!"

Victoria reviewed: Make nipple tassels & bubbly in Brighton

"So much fun! Charlie was an excellent host and very good teacher: she gave enough direction that you didn't feel lost, but definitely encouraged you to do things yourself. She had lots of great ideas and tons of materials to choose from, and all in an adorable studio space. Highly recommended!"

Liz Gibney reviewed: Private or private group silver jewellery making / silversmithing workshop half-day at Silver Designed Personally

"A fantastic workshop with results that surpassed my expectations! Sara is knowledgeable, highly skilled and very patient (helpful in my case!) I would definitely recommend and hope to do another course soon Thanks for a great day"

Silver Designed Personally responded:

"Liz, thank you so much for taking the time to write me a review. I really enjoyed working with you all .... really nice results and glad we got your piece finished :-) Hoping to see you again! Sara"

Kelvin Ashby reviewed: Colourful stained glass panel making course

"My daughter and I did Jo's one day course in February 2020 and it was excellent. I have wanted to try making stained glass for for a number of years and it was so interesting that I am seriously thinking of taking it up as a hobby. The facilities in Jo's workshop are first class and with only three people on each course she is able to give each participant one to one tuition and allow each to work at their own speed. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed and it is surprising how much can be covered in depth during the day. If you have been thinking of giving this craft a try we would both highly recommend that you book this course. Thanks again Jo and for the advice you gave me on what tools and equipment I would need to take up stained glass making as a hobby at home."

Jo Snowdon Stained Glass responded:

"Hi Kelvin, Thank you for the lovely review ? I'm so pleased you enjoyed the day and found it informative. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me. Kind regards, Jo ??"

Sarah Phillips reviewed: Two Day Hand Spinning Workshop in Norfolk

"The course is well structured and thoroughly enjoyable. You start by meeting the sheep, then look at fleeces, talk about how to wash the wool, and then card and comb some before learning to spin. I had previously done the one-day course at The Spinning Barn, and found it really helpful to follow it with this one. This course goes into more detail, and I was able to absorb a lot more. Theresa and James were also really helpful getting my wheel (which I obtained second hand between the two courses) working properly. The barn you learn in is warm and cosy, Theresa is really patient, and also explains things very clearly. And on top of all that, a delicious lunch is provided each day! I can't recommend this course enough!"

The Spinning Barn responded:

"Thank you so much Sarah for your review and also for supporting The Spinning Barn by attending another workshop. It is really appreciated. I was so thrilled to see that you had not forgotten what you had learned initially and then continued to make fabulous progress. Your smiling face at the end really summed up why I do what I do. Thank you again and do let me know how things are going. Theresa x"

Claire Hawkins reviewed: Create a ceramic animal sculpture with Twisted Earth Ceramics at Ilkley Manor Studio

"The best course I've been on. Thoroughly enjoyed. Learnt loads in a really relaxed way and to come away with a fully finished wonkey donkey was brilliant. I genuinely didn't think I could make one but Richard talked us through every step. The sculptures are bigger than you think they're going to be. Already booked to do gazing hare. Can't wait!!"

Sue & Kate reviewed: Enamelling Taster Session

"Thank you for a wonderful afternoon. We learnt a lot and produced lovely pendants. Melissa was an excellent teacher."

Helen Thomas reviewed: Two day wood carving course at Chillington Hall

"I have never done woodcarving before but have always fancied doing it so my husband got me this course for my birthday. We were given the option of carving one of the existing projects or carving our own design, I chose the three rabbits design to carve in relief. initially I was frightening to carve the wood as I didn't want to wreck it, but it didn't take long to get my confidence up. Geraint the tutor was constantly on hand to to provide encouragement and help me correct all my mistakes!! I am so pleased with my finished wood carving and I am now thinking of buying some chisels and taking this up as a hobby. The venue itself is really beautiful and was easy to get to for me, I live in Birmingham and it was only a 30 minute journey. Thank you so much for a lovely weekend!!!"

Keith Hutchinson reviewed: Box making weekend in Cumbria

"What a fantastic weekend, excellent tutors and a friendly environment. Mark and Richard provided friendly advice and guidance at a pace that we could all absorb. Explaining and demonstrating the key points clearly and with patience. Four students all with various levels of ability all came away with hand made boxes that would not of been out of place in a shop window. Will definitely be looking at more courses with them. Thank you."

Chrissie Roberts reviewed: Glass painting taster day

"Wonderful introduction to glass painting and would thoroughly recommend anyone giving it a try. Derek was an excellent, immensely talented teacher and very patient - definitely finished the day feeling inspired. Hospitality was brilliant and the people on the course with me were really lovely which made for a very enjoyable day."

Derek Hunt Artist responded:

"Dear Chrissie, Thank you so much for your review and very happy to hear you enjoyed the day. Hope to see you again on some future courses. With best wishes, Derek"

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

"We had a wonderful day with Georgina last week making items from silver clay. I went with two friends and as promised the group size was tiny - 4 people! Georgina worked alongside us giving lots of one to one tuition, tips and advice, based on her wealth of experience and kindness in sharing it all. This was such a satisfying experience because we all came away with items which were genuinely lovely. We were infected with Georgina's enthusiasm and a large part of our conversations since our experience have been about how to take this forward. I would not hesitate to recommend the course. It was easy to park and easy to find somewhere pleasant for lunch. The venue was interesting, with lots of art around to inspire us. Thank you Georgina."

Galina Titova reviewed: Fabulous felt picture 2 day masterclass near York

"I would strongly recommend this course. Bridget is a great teacher, patient and attentive to every detail. Both novice and experienced makers produced an amazing pieces and an atmosphere was friendly and relaxing. It’s been very enjoyable experience and I learnt a lot."

Geoffrey Wilson reviewed: Two day wood carving course at Chillington Hall

"I am a complete beginner and was slightly nervous before the workshop as I hadn't done anything like it before. In short, I simply couldn't believe the quality of carving I produced after 2 days, my family didn't believe it was my work. I found craft skills that I didn't know I had. We were given step by step instructions following an initial demonstration, and then worked through the carving stage by stage using a range of chisels. We carved a type of wood called lime which was soft and easy to carve even for me!! I want to thank Geraint for his patience, help and a thoroughly enjoyable weekend."

Gemma reviewed: Create a ceramic animal sculpture with Twisted Earth Ceramics at Ilkley Manor Studio

"I’ll be honest, I wasn’t convinced I’d come away with anything that even resembled a Wonky Donkey but Richard’s step by step method meant that not only myself, but every member of the group left feeling quite pleased with ourselves and our Donkeys. The workshops are relaxed and Richard makes sure that everyone has the guidance they require. I was a complete beginner so questioned my every step but there was no need to. Trust in Richard and you will come away with a fantastic piece of art, lovingly made by you! The perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday."

Helen reviewed: Natural Skincare Workshop: Moisturisers and Creams

"Friendly well organised session. It was great fun and very interesting. Not only do you make moisturisers and creams for body and face but you learn so much about skin care and making the products. It was a fabulous morning. I would highly recommend it."

Boo Cottage Botanicals responded:

"Thanks Helen for a lovely review! It was great to have you and hope you are enjoying using your creams, Nic"

Jane stokes reviewed: Pottery throwing course, Aylesbury

"Thoroughly enjoyed the whole day, Charlie was an excellent tutor! Right balance of information and practical experience, want to do it again, the arts centre is an under used resource."

Charlie's Pots responded:

"Thank you very much for your feedback. It was a pleasure to meet you and look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks. Charlie"