Latest reviews

Victoria Mason reviewed: Christmas Wreath Making Masterclass

"I went to the Christmas wreath making with Sarah, my first time. It was fabulous. The group I was with were all lovely and friendly, sharing hints and tips and a bit of holly from the bottom of the garden, as a couple had been before. Sarah is super patient and explains everything step by step showing you each stage as you go at a nice steady pace. You couldn’t ask for the wrong colour or decorative thing to include on your own design. There were things and ribbons a plenty, and I left feeling especially chuffed with my first ever hand made door wreath. Thank you for a lovely morning, I’ll be back for more soon ;0)"

Sarah Morgan reviewed: Calligraphy lessons for beginners, Gothic Old English

"I’ve attended several beginners courses run by Northwest Calligraphers Association and have enjoyed all of them. Andrew is an excellent teacher and the classes are fun and friendly. NWCA is a great resource for learning and practising calligraphy."

Andrew Broadbent reviewed: Woodcarving for beginners - two day course in Suffolk

"As a total beginner to wood carving I felt Gerald's whole approach to the course was excellent. Relaxed atmosphere, good facilities plus very helpful and encouraging support. We went through a number of techniques learning from demonstrations and our own practical efforts. On the second day we moved onto our own project, again with excellent guidance. I was perhaps a little ambitious with the project I chose! A lot packed into 2 days but I came away with a desire to move on and finish my project then move onto more carving. Highly recommended."

Oonagh Keen reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"I had a wonderful experience today! I have been looking for somewhere to throw a pot for a while and I felt extremely at ease and encouraged to achieve things I never thought I could. Matt’s encouraging and calm approach gave me the confidence to realise what you can achieve in the right environment. Will definitely be returning!"

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Oonagh, It was a pleasure to have you on the course today and see you achieve with your natural affinity with the clay. It would be great to have you back on the course and develop your skills further. Best wishes Mathew"

Angie Woollard reviewed: Hare Sculpture workshop with Jo Garden Art in beautiful Norfolk/Suffolk

"Simply great day. Jo is a fantastic teacher. Nothing was too much trouble. The sense of achievement was very satisfying and I came away feeling thoroughly chuffed with my running hare that looks authentic and convincing. The studio is beautiful and well equipped. All in all a great inspiring experience."

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Angie! You chose the most fiddly pose to sculpt - the running hare - and created a wonderful result. Well done ;-)"

Kirsty Stevens reviewed: OLD Soldering silver clay jewellery at The Arienas Collective in Edinburgh's historic New Town

"Attended the silver clay soldering course with Anna on Sunday and had a blast. SO delighted with the pieces that I made- and that they actually look professional and good enough to give away as gifts. Anna was an extremely patient and attentive teacher and I was astonished at how willing she was to share her professional secrets with attendees- extremely generous. Lunch was fabulous- worth booking for that alone. Highly recommend this really chilled but incredibly creative day."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Kirsty. Thank you so much for your lovely review. Your silver clay pieces looked amazing...good enough to sell I'd say ;-) I'm so glad you enjoyed the workshop and your time with us. We do aim for you to leave chilled as well as inspired, and proud of what you made, and it makes Anna and I very happy to hear that you did! We hope to welcome you back soon. Best wishes, Lynn :-)"

Jodie reviewed: 1-to-1 Organic Skincare Workshop at Maid in the Meadow

"I had a wonderful day at the weekend with Allison. I enjoyed learning how to make my own skincare products. Allison is a lovely lady, who is happy to share her wealth of knowledge in this area. Its like science meets cooking! Great fun! I would recommend to anyone."

Brett Halliday reviewed: Glass fusing private class - fun taster class for beginners

"I had done a little glass work previously and was delighted that Sarah was able to take me up to another level and answer all of my questions. She was totally flexible with the lesson which suited me perfectly. Could not have been better!"

Sharon Hobson reviewed: Interior design and decor onsite 5 week course

"I did Nikki’s 5 week interior decor course in the summer - I really didn’t want the course to end & so much looked forward each week to my 3 hours with Nikki. I learned so much - measuring accurately, drawing to scale & my favourite, creating mood boards - in fact 5, I had a very big house project! Nikki is such a lovely lady & great tutor - she listens to your ideas & gives advice. It was great fun looking at beautiful rooms in magazines for inspiration & finding colour palettes. Now I’m putting everything I learnt into practice & can’t wait to see the results. So if you’re looking for a design course don’t hesitate to check out one of Nikki’s fab ones at Flock interiors."

Peter Hinchliffe reviewed: Green wood tables workshop at Lambside Farm - Week 1 (6 Days) Week 2 (3days)

"I cannot recommend Peter Lanyon highly enough. The table course was the second of Peter's courses that we had attended and my wife and I decided to jump straight in and construct a new 8'6" dining table. I think Peter was only a little less daunted then us as this was the largest table so far attempted on the course! However thanks to Peter's utterly professional and patient leadership we were able to learn all we needed to produce the table and enjoy the experience to the full. Ash was used for the legs, rails etc and the top was from some oak planks discovered on the course visit to a sawmill on Dartmoor. Completed in time for Christmas, the table took pride of place at lunch when it accommodated 10 family members without complaint! I am a convert to green woodworking and have already booked my next session - innovative seating of course!"

Fola reviewed: Virtual Creative Gift Wrapping Workshop via Zoom

"Great course. Very useful and practical. Trainer is very knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend it."

Zoliab Craft & Gift Wrapping Academy responded:

"Dear Fola, Thank you very much for your 5 star review. It was great working with you and I am glad you found the workshop useful. I hope to see you again on one of our upcoming courses."

Chris Walton reviewed: Weekend landscape painting in watercolours

"I have just come back from a fantastic weekend on one of Georgina's landscape watercolour courses. Myself and my Mum learnt so many new skills and Georgina was a fantastic, patient teacher. The studio was warm and cosy and the trip out to paint the seascape was a highlight. The course really has inspired me to do so much more painting and put the new techniques we learnt into practice. I would thoroughly recommend."

Janet Sumner reviewed: Take raw fleece to finished fibre 2-day spinning workshop

"Elaine was very welcoming and delivered the extensive information in a relaxed and consise way! I thoroughly enjoyed my time and would highly recommend the course to anyone who is new to spinning. Fantastic course set in beautiful surroundings with a lovely workshop."

Tina reviewed: Enamelling on silver - Cloisonne

"Really loved this course and went home with a lovely fine silver pendant, and lots of new knowledge . Definitely recommended ."

LCEnamels responded:

"Hi Tina thank you for the positive review. your work was lovely and hope you are able to continue to use the skills you gained."

CarolBris reviewed: Wet felting expressive landscapes in wools and silks

"Fantastic! The great thing about this wet felting workshop is that it’s a simple craft without lots of pricey equipment. Once Judi had carefully explained the basics of the technique, she encouraged us to use our imagination and cross-over skills to create our own unique landscapes. I found it delightful and took home a bag of goodies to carry on creating. The sky's the limit literally!!"

Debbie Usher reviewed: Basketry courses at SalixArts in Cambridgeshire

"Wow! A first rate course in the art of basketry. Couldn't be more thrilled with what I was able to achieve, with Debbie's expert tuition, in just two days! I'm not a particularly crafty person but Debbie was patient and ensured everyone in the class made good progress to achieve something they could be really happy with. Debbie also gave us inspiration to maintain our skills once leaving the course by showing us her own incredible creations and, as she grows her own willow in a variety of colours, we were able to take some home to continue using our new found skills. Debbie is a very welcoming host and provided us with a fantastic lunch too! A thoroughly enjoyable two days which I would heartily recommend to all."

Linda Harber reviewed: From fleece to yarn - a beginner's workshop.

"A very interesting day. Lots of help given. Would recommend it to anyone looking to take up spinning."

Woolly Workshop responded:

"Thank you Linda! Stay in touch and don't hesitate to get back to me if you need any further help with any aspect of fibre preparation and spinning. Best regards Gina"

Melanie Jest reviewed: Bring Your Own Upholstery Project - 1 day workshop - Week Days

"I went along for a Saturday course, the class was small and there were only 3 of us, Sarah's max is 4 so she has plenty of time to help each person. Sarah is very welcoming and warm and is a fab teacher. She is a very skilled lady and it was a pleasure to learn from the best. I am now looking forward to returning one Saturday to start on a new project."

Karen reviewed: Build your own bee hive with Dr Daf The Bee Doctor

"This was just what I needed to get me started with making my own hive kit. Dafydd showed us the handy tools that help, and where to get materials. He made it look very possible, even for beginner woodworkers like me. The lovely lunch was a bonus!"

Anglesey Bees responded:

"I am glad that the course was just what you needed and that you left feeling equipped and confident to buy materials, use tools and build your own hives. Your contribution to the course was invaluable. I look forward to seeing those new hives!"

Emma Ling reviewed: From fleece to yarn - a beginner's workshop.

"Gina created a lovely relaxed atmosphere which made for a great day. It was a great introduction to the various processes and we all got to try a variety of tools and wheels. I struggled with the wheel at first and Gina was very patient, watching and showing me where I was going wrong. We all left with yarn we’d made but even more importantly we left with enthusiasm to keep going."

Woolly Workshop responded:

"Hi Emma, Thank you so much for your lovely review. I'm really happy that you had a positive experience on your workshop and even happier that you're going to keep spinning! With all that lovely fleece you have too you should have hours and hours of fun. Stay in touch and feel free to get back to me if you have any questions about your spinning or fibre preparation as you are going along. Best regards Gina"

Emma reviewed: Amazing encaustic art day course

"I recently attended Phil's taster course with some girls from work and it was brilliant fun! You don't even need to be particularly artistic to get stuck in and get some great professional looking results. The course covered some very simple but highly effective techniques and certainly left us wanting to come back and explore the medium further with some different ideas and methods. Pub a few doors up was excellent too and the locals were all lovely & friendly. Can't wait to come back and try it again...The 2 hours just flies by, so go for the longer one if you are able! Thanks again for a brilliant time and for being such a great teacher who explained everything really well and had time to really work one to one with us all..."

Phil Madley responded:

"Wow Thanks Emma, you were a fun trio. As you know I don't normally teach three but you talked me into it. Look forward to seeing you all again. If you come for the day make sure you book the pub for lunch, it can get quite busy, unless you come in the summer when there are extra tables in the garden...unless of course it's raining."

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

"I've been wanting to try wood turning for years, and after the course with Andy it is something I am definitely going to continue doing! It was a very enjoyable and informative day and I came home with a bowl I'm very pleased with. I intend to book another day with Andy soon. Would recommend for anybody with a interest in woodturning."

Jane Ameghino reviewed: Photoshop - an artist's guide for beginners

"I took a 3 day course with Shelly last summer and I had no previous knowledge of Photoshop. The course was fantastic and was pitched at the right level, allowing me to progress at my own pace. Shelly was really welcoming and I couldn’t have asked for a more hospitable and caring tutor and host. Totally sold on digital art now and having a go myself. I am even confident enough to share my knowledge with my own pupils and colleagues."

Shelly Perkins Wildlife Artist responded:

"Thankyou for the lovely comments Jane! Lovely to have you on the course and Thankyou for the glowing review!"

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

"I spent two days at the Bearded Pig Forge with Spike as a course bought for me as a gift. It was one of the single most fun and interesting experiences I’ve had. Spike is incredibly patient and very easy to work with, offering help and guidance whenever you need or want it. Clearly a very good teacher! He is also very knowledgable and clearly passionate about his craft which adds even more to the experience. It is hard work but you definitely get as much out of it as you put in. I would recommend a course with Spike to anyone and everyone. Will definitely be looking at going back and working on another project."

Katherine reviewed: Stained Glass Course for Beginners - 2 Days - Sat 7th & Sat 14th February

"What a fabulous chance to make something that requires specialised tools and a great deal of skill. I loved making it from scratch and really appreciate the workmanship involved. Jude was excellent at explaining everything."