Latest reviews

Stevie Harman reviewed: Embossed letter and bookmark

"My friends and I had a brilliant time with Mel on her Embossed Letter course. We started quite nervous but Mel put us at our ease, explained everything repeatedly (!) and with great patience. Mel gave us a fantastic introduction to this craft both through her knowledge and teaching but also through the many and varied examples of her work to be seen in her studio. We all came away with a piece we could be proud of - what more could anyone want? A brilliant day!"

Dot Hubbard reviewed: Embossed letter and bookmark

"A very instructive and interesting course. Mel was very helpful and friendly. I thoroughly enjoyed it."

Sue Flynn reviewed: Gem cutting - cabochon cutting and an introduction to faceting

"James is a very patient teacher, who demonstrates and explains each step. I enjoyed learning how to cut and polish a cabuchon amethyst. I am thinking about faceting lessons with James now.... Watch this space!"

Mark reviewed: Two leather long stitch journals in a day

"A very relaxed and enjoyable course, Lynne is an excellent tutor and presented the course at a good pace and made it fun throughout. Can't recommended this enough. My wife bought this for me as a Christmas present, so seemed only fair to give her one of the two journals I made! Huge thanks to Lynne for such a great course."

wendy Burns reviewed: Photoshop or illustrator skills - group booking

"After working within the Fashion & textile industry for many years I needed a new direction. With the support of the fabulous Mary Jones design team they kindly looked through my portfolio, they were positive, directional and very inspiring. It's difficult changing direction after many years but with the wealth of knowledge and experience that they have I felt very supported. I can't thank them enough."

Mary Jones Design responded:

"Thank you so much Wendy!"

Vera reviewed: Blacksmith experience day in Tilford, Surrey

"All day hands on, fantastic day. Neil has chosen two objects to make that perfectly cover the basic techniques of blacksmithing, like how and where to target the heat, where to hammer, what extra tools to use, how to undo a wrong bend, etc etc. Great fun! I can highly recommend this course, and you can be assured you'll go home with some amazing self-crafted metalwork."

Nicki Page reviewed: One day leather bag making workshop

"I had a wonderful day learning how to work with leather. Rosanna made the process easy and was an excellent teacher. I made a lovely fold over clutch bag which I'm very proud of. I also purchased her book, which is full of useful tips and patterns. I can't wait to start making my own leather items at home."

Stuart Jackson reviewed: Leather Possibles Pouch Workshop

"I would like to thank Wendy and Clive for the pouch making course I attended recently, it was a great introduction as a beginner to leatherwork with a lot of processes and techniques covered, saddle stitching, dyeing, riveting etc , and good practice with a variety of tools. I learned a lot in a short space of time, and feel more confident to continue with my own leatherwork projects, and would recommend the course to anyone that's looking to get into working with leather"

Evancliffe Leathercraft responded:

"Thank you for this excellent review. We are really pleased to hear that you enjoyed the workshop."

Kate Andrews reviewed: Loose & Expressive Watercolour - Birds & Animals

"Great course. I do have some experience but I think he set it a good level for both beginners and people with some experience. Content was great and he was very clear and supportive. I would recommend the course and Tom to anyone. Great day."

Tom Shepherd Art responded:

"Thanks so much Kate. A pleasure to have you onboard and gald you enjoyed it!! T"

Ann fernie reviewed: ColourWheel art classes for adults - Godalming

"A very instructive and enjoyable experience for me. I have particularly liked the variety of medium as I am a beginner in most of them. Shivana and Emily are very approachable and helpful"

Cal reviewed: 1 day introduction to silver jewellery making

"My friends and I had had a really entertaining and informative workshop making jewellery with Jonathan. It was a very relaxed atmosphere and he made everyone feel welcome and at ease. We got to learn about the processes of making jewellery, about the different components and interesting facts about metals and stones plus we got to make our own jewellery! I would highly recommend learning with Jonathan as he is highly knowledgeable and has a great way of sharing his skills with his students."

Lucy Walker reviewed: Fascinator making Birmingham millinery workshop

"Me and my mum attended one of Rachel’s Fascinator workshop, and it was amazing! Rachel’s knowledge, skill, creativity and patience is second to none. First half of the day was learning lots of different techniques and the afternoon creating our fascinators! There was such a great array of material and choice and Rachel was extremely helpful with everything. Highly recommend and a huge thank you for such a lovely day x"

Terri Cansell reviewed: ColourWheel art classes for adults - Godalming

"I'm on my third term and loving the time I set aside for me. The classes are excellent, giving the student a chance to explore with mediums you may not have considered using before. There are lots of little tricks to learn from the fabulous tutors and usage of some household products you'd never think of applying to art. I have made friends on this course and have found everyone to be so supportive and such fun to be around. Most highly recommended!"

Jenny Parsons reviewed: Pottery experience day at The Ceramic Studio

"Located in beautiful countryside, the studio is bright and cheerful, as are the tutors. We were made welcome and whenever we had a difficulty while working someone was close at hand to help. The lunch was much more/better than I was expecting and because there weren't too many of us we were pretty much able to get to know everyone."

Joy Heap reviewed: Jewellery making with Precious Metal Silver Clay - Full Day Workshop

"A really fantastic day. Charlotte was very welcoming and made the whole experience very relaxed and pleasurable. Charlotte was very knowledgeable about the subject and provided an extensive range of possibilities to explore. I would recommend the experience and hope to continue this fascinating subject."

Felix & Reuben Jewellery School responded:

"Thank you Joy for your lovely review. It was a pleasure to teach you all about silver clay :)"

Simon Seligman reviewed: Beginners Silver Jewellery Course

"We booked on one of Mark's beginners courses as a family of four and had a truly fantastic day. We each (age range 13-53) got the chance to make a silver ring from scratch and then in the afternoon we had the opportunity to branch out, and made pendants and more rings. Mark was patient, helpful, fun and creative throughout, explaining the science of what we were doing, and ensuring that we tried all the techniques involved in making some lovely things. It was a really fun day and we would recommend it without hesitation."

Dandelion Silver responded:

"Thank you for your review Simon. I really enjoyed my day with you and your family, I have to say the creativity, imagination and skill demonstrated by your two daughters was amazing (you and Sophie didn't do too bad either). If you have any pictures of the hedgehog and the moon pendant I would love to feature them on my website. Mark"

Katrina Shearlaw reviewed: Half day beginner soap making workshop with Keri at The Soap Coach

"Such a lovely way to spend a day, i can't recommend it enough. Keri is so informative and nothing is too much trouble. The aromas floating around the room are amazing and the whole process is fascinating. There's a lot more to soap making than you think, yet not so much that puts you off from wanting to carry on making your own when you get home. Keri makes this all possible should you want to. I've never known any other course to provide such a fantastic after care policy. If you've got a question, Keri is there to answer it and supports you through your soap making adventure. She's incredibly hard working and passionate about her business ethics. A transparent, honest exciting course that's good value for money and you come away with an end product you'll truly be proud of. Dorset is around 3½/4 hrs away for us, but that doesn't put us off, we simply make a weekend of it and incorporate lots of other lovely experiences into it while we're there! Highly recommend"

The Soap Coach Limited responded:

"I am so glad you enjoyed it Katrina, I love seeing you both. Thank you so much for taking the time to review the day - it really is appreciated and you know you are always welcome when you fancy another weekend away in sunny Dorset!"

Stephen Welch reviewed: Woodturning courses in Hampshire - Beginners and improvers wood turning courses - Turn British, all British lathes!!

"This review follows a couple of days reflection having spent a day with Andy in his workshop learning the basics of bowl turning. Andy has a very relaxed and engaging approach to teaching and pitched his tuition at a level I could absorb. His approach introduced the workshop, preparing tools, safety equipment and getting started. A practical demo got me on to the lathe in short order and with a bit of leading the feel of tools helped me to create my first bowl. Some great tips about using oil to aid finishing was a revelation and with his expert help provided me a well finished bowl I was very pleased with. I was keen to get a taste of what I could produce with practice and that was exactly where I left off. I have wish to return to do some spindle turning when I have some bowl turning practice under my belt and have acquired some sharpening technique. One great tip was, don't go buying tools and gadgets before you have had a taster with Andy; his advice has saved my wallet from myself and helped me from buying twice by investing right the first time. Thanks Andy for your instruction, guidance and a thoroughly enjoyable day; I shall return for more. Steve."

Gill Beadon reviewed: Mosaic mirror course

"Thoroughly enjoyed my day learning about mosaics and making my first piece which was a circular mirror. All supplies were included so all I needed to bring was an apron and lunch! All supplies and techniques were well explained by Kate throughout the day. This course has certainly inspired me to make more mosaics. Accompanying notes were also very helpful."

Jan Thomas reviewed: Candle Making Workshop | The Golden Ball, Longton

"Andrea and I had the most wonderful time. A friendly, informative and enjoyable experience. Highly recommended."

Cottonwick Candle Co responded:

"It was so delightful seeing you back for another workshop! xXx"

Gill Nichols reviewed: Beginners Silver Jewellery Course

"Fantastic day with Mark making 3 pieces of jewellery. Mark is very generous with his time and resources and is an excellent tutor tailoring the day to suit my preferences. He has a spacious workshop kitted out with all the equipment for making professional pieces of jewellery. I can’t praise him or the workshop highly enough, and can’t wait to return for another day.- and thanks to Terry for drinks and home cooked lunch. Not only a fab day but a brilliant price considering I came away with some beautiful jewellery"

Dandelion Silver responded:

"Thank you for your review Gill, it was lovely to meet you and I'm so pleased you enjoyed your day with us. I hope to see you again in the near future so we can push your jewellery making skills a little further you definitely have a talent for it. Mark"

Gill Griffith reviewed: Watercolour on canvas

"A great weekend. Such a lovely venue. I’m a bit of a novice at watercolours but Liz eased us into it with a progression of exercises and paintings. I’m thrilled with the results and have learnt so much. Brilliant teacher. I just wish I could show you what I’ve achieved!!"

Liz Chaderton Artist responded:

"Thanks for such a lovely review Gill! I really want to see your finished landscape with it’s perfect piece of watercolour?!"

Ann Robertson reviewed: Bookbinding and sketching workshop at The Arienas Collective in central Edinburgh

"A fantastic workshop with very high quality tuition. A lovely environment and tasty lunch. Enjoyed the mix of making a sketchbook and then getting out and about in the afternoon. Learnt loads with excellent follow up notes. Looking forward to exploring their other workshops."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Ann Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review, and Cass, Mark and I are delighted to hear you enjoyed it so much. I hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective soon. Meantime keep filling up that lovely sketch book you made! With best wishes Lynn :-)"

Rosie Bond reviewed: Introduction to screen printing

"My sister and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at this workshop. Ria guided us through the process right from the start to finish ensuring we got the results we wanted. Was a great day with a small group of lovely ladies, cups of tea and lots of creativity in a lovely setting! Would definitely recommend! Thanks! ☺️"

Gillian Chamberlain reviewed: Botanical Contact [“Eco”] Printing: An Introduction

"This was a fabulous day with Maggie. All the processes were clearly explained and questions expertly answered. The workshop was delivered in a relaxed and encouraging way and was an ideal introduction to “Eco” printing. The results given by the onion skins on the silk scarves were lovely. Would like to book another to develop my knowledge of the subject. Highly recommended"

By Maggie .. Naturally responded:

"Thank you, Gillian, for your very positive review. I'm really glad that you got so much out of the day. I hope that you'll book onto one of my follow-up courses.. I'll keep you updated about them as promised. Enjoy experimenting.. I'm sure you will! Best wishes, Maggie"