Latest reviews

Claire Laverack reviewed: Blacksmithing Introduction courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"We bought the experience for our son’s Christmas gift. The booking process was so easy from start to finish. Debbie was a great help with choosing the right course, and gave advice on the local area for Mum & Dad. The food was fantastic and there was plenty of it. Ben had a fantastic time and was made to feel very welcome. Andy and Adrian were brilliant. They gave clear instruction and encouragement but didn’t micromanage. Ben would love to go back so we are looking at a course to do as a family. A highly recommended experience."

Ross Beasley reviewed: Blacksmithing Introduction courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"Brilliant day. I’ve been interested in blacksmithing since seeing a display in a historical museum in the US. There was only me and my other half there so the blacksmith talked us through everything he was doing in meticulous detail, and then gave us the hook he made to show us. I thought ‘I want to do that’ Then my other half bought me this course for Christmas. And it was excellent. Very good instruction, you realise quickly you have zero muscle memory for this sort of activity, but as you get through your first project and start getting the hang of things, you find enormous enjoyment from it. And you leave the course with a few bits of metal work that YOU produced. Top tip: wear a hat. Bits of dust from the fires gets everywhere and lands all over your hair, drink, clothes etc. Not an issue but I didn’t think about that at all. You will be breathing it in all day as well, so consider that. Great food is served home made by Debbie. More cakes than you’ll know what to do with too! Great day. Already booked on my next one."

Audrey Caine reviewed: Container candlemaking course and wax melts with afternoon tea

"I had yet another lovely day in the company of Julie and co. Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge yet again candle making. Thoroughly recommend a fun Saturday learning fun things with Julie and co. in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone wanting to start a business or new hobby. Thank you Julie and co."

Jean Hunter reviewed: stained glass 'your own project' workshop

"Knowledgeable and enthusiastic tuition throughout the day teaching cutting, grozing, and grinding techniques plus advice on designs, progressing to working with lead, copper foil and soldering. All in a cheerful atmosphere of camaraderie and fun whilst giving particular attention to precision and the importance of careful measurements as well as advising on a realistic timescale for creating a complex panel which you can be proud of."

Swanwick Studio responded:

"Thank you so much, that's a lovely review & I appreciate your thoughts and time taken :-) Looking forward to our next workshop where we'll work on the next stage of your project"

Jan Carter reviewed: Stained glass sun-catcher workshop: Hampshire

"I booked a one day open workshop at Swanwick Studio to learn how to copper foil, having only a small amount of previous experience at glass cutting. Rachel is an enthusiastic teacher with so much experience that you can’t fail to learn from her. The studio atmosphere is relaxed and friendly and learning is at your own pace. Thank you Rachel for a great day, I’m truly inspired!"

Swanwick Studio responded:

"Thank you so much, that's a lovely review & I appreciate your thoughts and time taken :-) I'm so please the passion has been passed on - it's such a fantastic medium to work with, with so many possibilities - onwards & upwards :-)"

Carly Grandini-Williams reviewed: Paint a Zentangle Platter

"I attended this course recently and it was amazing! Saz explained everything in easy to follow steps, and I felt completely at ease. I had an idea of what sort of patterns I wanted to try, but if you weren’t sure what to do straight away, Saz has plenty of ideas and suggestions to make your piece look fabulous! Saz is so patient and encouraging - I would recommend this to anyone! My finished plate is just beautiful!"

Alison Snook reviewed: 'Sandrine' shawl CAL (crochet along)

"Excellent course"

Mark Shackleton reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Had a great day yesterday - thank you. George took an excellent approach to help me learn the basics. He also assessed my self-critical approach very quickly and helped me relax with his calm reassuring guidance as I gradually improved my use of his high quality tools. Attention to H&S was also a real feature - I will keep my thumb down eventually and try to stop blowing into my face visor! Thank you Susan for the tasty lunch, hot drinks and company while we took breaks in your conservatory. I am very happy with my first bowl"

Paul reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"I just want to start by saying sorry for taking so long to leave a review, I attended the hammer skills course on the 10th of jan and was absolutely blown away. I had the absolute pleasure of working with Bob that day and all I can say is what a guy. He is he had moving metal straight away, I was expecting it to be so much harder than it was with Bobs years of experence guiding me I had made some shelf brackets for my sons bed room and a fire poker for my log burner by the end of the day. All in all what a fab day, I am looking forward to going back for my birthday around May so to wrap up, if you are interested in the course then don’t even hesitate best day ever."

Marion Slade reviewed: Stained glass sun-catcher workshop: Hampshire

"Rachel was most welcoming and I had a really interesting day. I had already acquired an elementary certificate in Stained glass work about 10 years before, but although I did complete a number of projects at the time, I had not had time in recent years, so I felt lacking in confidence at the start of the day. Rachel soon put me at ease, and gave me excellent advice, revising the skills I needed to get going on my stained glass panel for our front door. I felt happy with what I achieved during the day, and can now proceed at home. All students who attended were each working at individual projects, and it was great to see their work and to talk about it. I enjoyed the course so much that I hope to attend another day when I reach the leading stage for my panel."

Swanwick Studio responded:

"Thank you so much, that's a lovely review & I appreciate your thoughts and time taken :-) Looking forward to seeing the progression made in your beautifully designed panel. It shall be a beautiful addiction to your home :-)"

Sarah reviewed: Christmas Pudding - needle felting workshop with The Lady Moth

"Thank you for a lovely afternoon. This was my first experience of needle felting and Zenia made me feel very welcome. The afternoon of making bunnies flew by. Zenia was great at explaining what to do and was very helpful and patient."

The Lady Moth responded:

"Thank you:)"

Cheryl Ace reviewed: Pembrokeshire Maddie Janes Mosaic

"I had the pleasure of attending Maddie’s mosaic course and had a brilliant time. Maddie is an excellent teacher who guided us through different techniques and encouraged our creativity. Not only informative but lots of fun! Highly recommend!!"

Nicki and Ant reviewed: Blacksmithing one-to-one North West UK

"We both spent a wonderful,productive day yesterday with Colin, on his 1 day Blacksmith course! It was a great taster to this creative skill and Colin was a very patient teacher - as I am not used to working with tools- and taught and helped me make a fire poker, pendant and key ring. Ant who was much more of 'a natural' made a fantastic toasting fork with Colin's guidance and has made Ant definitely want to make his own furnace to develop his skills. Thank you Colin for a day to remember and souvenirs that are not only useful but will last forever!"

K Phillips reviewed: 'Art of Stained Glass' - Oldbury, Birmingham

"I had an excellent day learning to make my first stained glass piece of art. He was extremely knowledgeable and informative of the history of stained glass making, He was generous with his support and materials. I thoroughly enjoyed my day."

Elaine Fishwick reviewed: Landscape painting in oil & cold wax medium in the Yorkshire Dales

"An excellent day. Penny had prepared well for the class and we were able to experiment with a wide range of materials with help and support to develop and explore our individual style. The catering was good and we were made to feel welcome. I would recommend this course to anyone, complete beginners such as me as well as more proficient artists, as the tuition was geared to us individually."

Maureen Page reviewed: Beginner hand weaving workshop - one-to-one instruction

"I spent the day with Paivi whilst she patiently showed me how to set up my new loom to use. She showed me how to set up the warp threads and encouraged me to get started. I was able to work on a piece to completion and came home with a finished article! Paivi also gave me lots of advice and suggestions. I started with no real idea of how to get started and left feeling much more confident and with lots of ideas and a finished piece. Thank you Paivi for a great day."

Carolyn Wray reviewed: Two-day Silkscreen Printing Course: Design and Print Your Own Fabric £170.00

"Thank you for a fantastic two days creating my first silkscreen design and print. As a complete beginner I was quite nervous before I arrived and didn’t know what to expect. The studio space together with your lovely way of teaching created just the right creative atmosphere. I had such a great time and thanks to Iain for the delicious lunches."

Robert reviewed: Sculpture, ceramics, painting at Lucky Studio - London

"Lucky is a kind and patient teacher who always has a solution for every student pottery problem. Her equipment is wide ranging and comprehensive and she has an excellent library of craft books Highly recommended"

Lynne Buckland reviewed: Silver Jewellery - Ring Making

"I really enjoyed Jenny's ring making class and would highly recommend it. Jenny taught well & inspired confidence in us all. I will certainly do another course with Jenny."

Helen Collins reviewed: Beginners crochet course - in Trowbridge, Wiltshire

"Excellent value! Thoroughly enjoyed myself and fear I am becoming addicted already! Lynn is a fantastic teacher!"

Get Hooked with Lynn responded:

"We had a great afternoon, and you were the star pupil! Well Done!"

Laura Pett Richards reviewed: Silver Jewellery - Ring Making

"Really enjoyable day with knowledgable teacher, and I got to take a beautiful ring home! I would really be interested in other days like this, perhaps stone setting? Thanks!"

Diane Downer reviewed: 1 day introduction to silver jewellery making - Ely

"I've wanted to make Silver jewellery for a long time, so have been buying tools here and there, but I have never actually used a tool. My partner treated me to the one day silver jewellery course and for someone that doubted and despite the fire in the belly asked myself could I actually do this or am I just dreaming, well all my questions were answered on this course. Yes I can. Jonathan is an excellent tutor. You are immediately put at ease and by the end of the course you are armed with useful knowledge, taught skills with tips on how to and I won't spoil it for you, but a great tip was the sharpie pen tip, yes sharpie pen. Jonathan also follows up the course with an email with useful links and information, as well as on the day. As a tutor I doubt very much you would learn more in a day with anyone else, all your questions are addressed and the day was fun filled with lots of humour. A pay it forward man and you will understand that statement when you hear his story over a lovely lunch. I would recommend Jonathan everything."

Suchi reviewed: Knitting workshops in Leeds City Centre

"Ann is a lovely and kind lady - giving her time to a good cause while at the same time teaching others new skills. Being new to crochet, Ann took me through (very patiently) many of the stitches that I would require to complete a range of projects and provided me with written instructions for future use. The information Ann gave was very informative - in particular pointing out where American patterns use the same terminology to mean different things! Ann then helped me start on my larger project - without her I would not have been able to complete it. I've definitely got the bug and am two blankets in within 3 months. I'll definitely be back for further 1-1 tuition as I explore different knitting and crochet projects, and would highly recommend Ann to others."

Leeds Central Faith and Light responded:

"Hi Suchi, Thank you for your review and kind words. I am glad you enjoyed your workshop and that you are continuing with your crocheting. Your blanket looks fabulous. Thank you for sending me a picture of your work. Well done."

Keith Gibson reviewed: Wood turning tuition, New Forest, Hampshire (1 day) (2 people)

"Bought a one day course as a present for my 16 year old's Birthday, and decided to to do it myself also... We both had a lovely day! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new experience. The whole day is very relaxed and enjoyable. Graham and Chris do every thing they can to make you feel welcome, plenty of cups of tea and a lovely lunch. We came away with some items we were very proud of, and with knowledge and confidence gained to go and turn wood back home. I'm sure we book a more advanced course with Graham some time in the future..."

Julie Johnson reviewed: Necklaces, handmade beads, ancient fresco-style, papiermache recipe

"Eleanor was an excellent host and so knowledgeable and enthusiastic with the art of making necklaces. I could not believe that I would also be able to make ancient looking beads and make my own necklace. But with Eleanor's guidance I managed to produce a lovely piece of jewellry to be proud of."