Latest reviews

Barry Kither reviewed: Introduction to Spoon Carving

"Very well organised.....Chris has thought the course through and the preparation was excellent Good balance of teaching and doing Very good lunch"

Alice reviewed: 2 day traditional upholstery workshop

"Fantastic course! A great way to spend a weekend, Karen was energetic and very knowledgeable, an excellent teacher. The atmosphere in the workshop was lovely and it was great working alongside other people creating something. As Karen keeps the classes small she's able to devote a lot of time to you. Even though I didn't finish my chair I'm amazed at how much I did get done and Karen was very supportive in helping me finish it after the weekend. I'm hooked on upholstery now and if I had the time and funds I''d probably be back every week! The food was great too!"

Mark Cox reviewed: Blacksmithing for Beginners - Full Day Forging for One

"I wasn't sure what to expect as this was a Birthday gift. I'd always wanted to try my hand at Smithing and this turned out to be an excellent way of being introduced to this craft. That we (my mate came along too) managed to produce something that was so special and well finished was really great and largely down to Chris' skill at guiding us through the many processes that were involved. As expected, it's so much more than just bashing a piece of hot metal and I now begin to understand more about this art. A really great day in a brilliant setting. If you're thinking about this, I'd certainly suggest you go for it. A wonderful Birthday present."

Annette Smyth reviewed: Needle felting workshop - Create your own woodland creature

"I have previously completed a course with Denise and she is a fantastic tutor, very calm and knowledgable. Her creations are amazing. Highly recommend this"

Crafty Gal responded:

"Thank you so much for your review, very much appreciated. Take care Denise Crafty Gal x"

Hilary Jappy reviewed: Free Motion Embroidery Landscapes in Buntingford, Hertfordshire

"A great course in a lovely cosy and inspiring environment. Sue is a good teacher, very encouraging and patient. I came away with a super framed embroidery and equiped with lots of knowledge to take this new craft further. I thoroughly recommend this course and Sue's work."

CathyLax reviewed: Willow Christmas reindeer

"Nice to meet other like minded crafters, the learning experience and workshop environment was the best I've attended. Keep it up Victoria. See you soon. Cathy"

Dave reviewed: Axe making courses learn to Forge weld Bladesmithing

"A good insight into the different techniques and ways of axe making. Taught me a lot about the process and lots of hands on experience. Cheers."

David Power reviewed: An introduction to wood turning with Gregory Moreton (2 Days)

"Gregory’s two day introduction gives an excellent introduction to the basics of wood turning. The course was highly informative and I left with two nice pieces which were much better than I expected from my first taste of wood turning. I certainly intend to return for a follow up course."

Heather Beaton reviewed: 2 Day felting course with naturally dyed fleece, Wild Rose Escapes, Highlands, Scotland

"An excellent course. Rosie is very friendly and is very good at delivering instructions and giving support. It was great to only have small group, as you were able to chat and receive the help. Everything was prepared and all equipment was available. It was good to see the processes involved to prepare the materials, I really appreciated the effort that went into setting up the course for us. Lunch was also particularly good. The B&B was also recommended by Rosie and worth staying at. I would highly recommend it to everyone. A very enjoyable weekend."

Lesa reviewed: Mosaic one day workshop for adults with Caroline Jariwala, Birmingham

"Great course. Caroline is fab, funny and very generous. Her mosaics are awesome, quirky and different. It was a lovely relaxed course. Learnt new techniques which was great. Great lunch too. Her homemade soup was delicious! Would definitely recommend this course, particularly if you want to learn mosaicing with crockery. Lovely day."

Andrew Shipman reviewed: Learn to Turn in the Dartmoor National Park

"Just attended the one day woodturning course with Chris. As a complete novice he was the perfect tutor, patient with detailed explanation and support throughout the day resulting in a beautiful bowl. His practical but thorough approach to the safe use of machinery and tools was spot on. His demonstration and explanation of techniques has inspired me to take up woodturning as a hobby."

Dave reviewed: Blacksmithing Experience Day

"Just done another great course with Colin learning even more about blacksmithing. Can't wait to do another course, brilliant day from a excellent teacher many thanks for all your help"

Carol reviewed: Willow Christmas reindeer

"Had a great day , well organised, very relaxed, lots of help and patience . Absolutely loved the craft and would encourage anyone to try ."

Ros Hoyle reviewed: Willow Christmas reindeer

"My husband and son are amazed that I’ve managed to make such a lovely willow reindeer and it’s all thanks to Victoria’s great teaching! From the welcome to the final group photo we had a great day with plentiful cuppas and friendly banter. I’d thoroughly recommend this course."

John reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Brilliant two days with Nigel. Learnt a lot and was surprised at how much I managed to do. Poker, pooper scooper and acorn on the first day. My partner wanted a bullrush and I made several on the second day. She is over the moon and is planning where to put them in the garden. Hope to return."

Laura reviewed: Silver clay 2 day course for beginners - Lori Ridgway

"Lori was a great teacher, very patient and knowledgeable. I had a great time and look forward to the next course!"

Jayne reviewed: Pottery Throwing (Group Discounts Available) Lessons in Worcester

"My Mum encouraged me to have a go as I don't have the patience for many creative pastimes. I really enjoyed it; Chris is very good, responsive to whatever you wish to achieve. I had such a good time, I booked 6 more lessons. I'm making Mum a Christmas present now - she might regret the initial suggestion!"

Hermione Macdonald-Thomson reviewed: Private contemporary encaustic wax workshop with Lyn

"I had a great time learning all things encaustic. Thank you for sharing your marvellous tips n tricks with me ! So generous of you , I only wish we had had more time to play ! MY colleagues were very impressed and want to also learn the technique too! So, again many thanks for such a welcoming and thoroughly enjoyable day ….you are fab!"

Victoria Curren reviewed: Bespoke candle making workshop - Edinburgh

"What a wonderful way to spend a sunny Sunday morning!! Lovely cosy and friendly atmosphere in Kerry's beautiful kitchen. Kerry taught us everything we need to know about candles including making our own and burning them too. The candle we took home is delightful!! Would highly recommend this course to others! Thanks again for having us, Kerry x"

Jane Guy reviewed: Free Motion Embroidery Pictures in Buntingford, Hertfordshire

"This was my fourth session with Sue and the opportunity to try something new. As always Sue's clear explanations and demonstrations gave me the confidence to tackle new materials and techniques. To come away with a completed wreath was a real sense of achievement and the fact that my friend and I chose completely different styles is a further tribute to Sue. If you want to escape for a few hours of creativity this is the course to try!"

Jean Sherrington reviewed: Friday mosaic making

"I really enjoyed my time at the mosaic workshop, Audrey and Morag were on hand all the time to assist and encourage you. I was pleased with my first attempt although I didn’t quite complete it but Audrey gave me enough materials to finish it at home. I would recommend the class to anyone. Jean Sherrington"

Pat reviewed: Upholstery and upcycling furniture and interiors

"Wonderful place for creative workshops set in the heart of Derbyshire. Lucy gives a very warm welcome and the whole day is punctuated by frequent hot drinks, home-made cakes and also a really tasty lunch. It was very interesting to see the various projects that students were involved in and glean snippets of useful information. Lucy is very generous with her advice, not just on how to make things, but where to find the best bargains or recycling centres. I needed some follow up advice from Lucy and she replied very promptly - all in all a very enjoyable workshop."

Amanda reviewed: Upholstery and upcycling furniture and interiors

"My friends and I had a fabulous day on the upholstery course. A beautiful setting at Lucy's home with home made cakes endless cups of tea and a hearty lunch. Lucy's knowledge, skill and patience helped us all. As beginners we did not know what to expect but found we quickly began to learn and we were all really pleased with our results. I am definitely going to book another course. Thank you Lucy x"

Anna reviewed: Beginners daytime 4 week sewing group with Sandy Loosley

"It was a most enjoyable session and Sandi was brilliant ! We are hoping that maybe she will run some other classes in the New Year."

Rob Huxley reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"When I retired from work my work colleagues knew I had taken up wood turning as a hobby and presented me with a voucher for a days wood turning tuition with Mark. I went onto Marks web site and checked out the gallery and read the reviews, they were all excellent with great feedback and compliments of Marks skill in passing on knowledge of wood turning in a friendly professional way. Having read all the reviews back to 2 years ago I spotted the review from Wolfgang and knew he was a member of our Club at West Midlands wood turners. At our next meeting I spoke to Wolfgang and told him I had a day booked with Mark. He said I was in for a very special day, His experience with Mark was fantastic. On arriving at Marks workshop I was met with a warm welcome and a cup of tea whilst mark asked me what I wanted to get from the day. I explained I had been turning for about 14 months and had been self taught with some assistance of our club members including Wolfgang (who is a very proficient turner now). We had discussed briefly on the phone my experience and the areas I felt I need to get more tuition on to develop my skills. He had asked me to take some work I had done and my tools. He looked at the work I had done and he explained the areas that he felt he could help me improve on. He looked at my tools and explained the different profiles and the reasons why he chose specific profiles and this became much clearer and we went on later in the day to re-profile some of my gouges which I have seen the benefit of since returning to my own workshop. Mark's teaching skills and friendly approach put you instantly at ease. He covers all the basic Health and safety and good working practice guidelines and has hand outs prepared for his students which he makes additional notes on as you go through the day. I could fill the page with a step by step appraisal of my day with Mark but if I had to sum it up in a few words it would be "Absolutely Brilliant from Start to Finish" Thank you Mark"