Latest reviews

2 Dec 14'

Litsa reviewed: The Natural Skin Care Workshop

"So simple to do, so good to use. Unbelievable."

2 Dec 14'

Litsa reviewed: One day introductory course to candle making

"An art that's being lost coming back to life. Excellent experience."

2 Dec 14'

Ali Russell reviewed: Hand-stitched leather tote, satchel or messenger bag course

"Thanks to Gaynor and her wonderful girls we gained the skills to make a beautiful bag in just two days. The studio is wonderful and very inspiring, we laughed, learnt, and ate cake as well as acquiring so many skills! I would recommend this course to anyone with good basic craft skills, Gaynor is excellent at letting each student work at there own pace with just the right amount of input to keep your confidence going. We are counting the months until we can come back for the next course."

1 Dec 14'

Gary Brown reviewed: Basket making in Norfolk

"A fantastic day - Julie is very knowledgable about her craft and is a superbly patient and attentive teacher. Limiting the numbers to six is an excellent idea as Julie was able to keep an eye on everyone and give help where and when needed. The pace was just right and the format very relaxed. Cake was good too! Thoroughly recommended! Would definitely do more courses with Julie."

1 Dec 14'

kerry vaughan reviewed: Introduction to green wood furniture making - two days

"I had an enjoyable weekend on this busy course,turning a tree trunk into a piece of furniture I love. The tuition was great .Peter and his able assistant were kind informative and exceptionally patient .I had no previous experience but would love to return for another course. It was a great way to spend the weekend .The group were a fun enthusiastic mix of people and it fascinating to see how we all managed to produce such different and delightful pieces of furniture . I would highly recommend this course"

1 Dec 14'

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

"First time mosaicing after being inspired by Caroline's superb work on display at Heartlands Hospital. Her workshop was great fun, well organised and it was great to be able to have a finished piece to take home on the day - a 'honey badger at night'. Caroline's got infectious enthusiasm and great selection of tiles and bits and bobs to work with. Her written notes to take home too were really helpful! A great day and so pleased to have finally produced my own piece as a result, due to well-structured workshop, with nice company. :-)"

30 Nov 14'

Jan Gerring reviewed: Introduction to Leather Craft

"If you are considering doing a course with Bill Blaikie, book it now! He is a fabulous craftsman with the added benefit of also being a superb teacher and a really nice person. I have been inspired by the 2 days I spent learning leather craft and am eager to get busy putting all of my new "skills" into practise."

30 Nov 14'

Malcolm Brown reviewed: Upholstery and cushion covers with Jo Walton

"2 day weekend upholstery workshop in York with Jo Walton. What a weekend! Lots of one to one tuition from Jo who is a very skilled craftswoman. I learned so much and got far more from the course than I ever expected to. I now have the confidence and some of the skills to start work on further projects. I would recommend this course to anyone thinking of renovating a piece of furniture. Thanks so much for your time skills and patience Jo."

30 Nov 14'

Maggie reviewed: Felt a landscape

"A really enjoyable day. Sarah`s passion for all things felt is infectious! She is a very patient teacher who provides support and encouragement every step of the way. Sarah brought a fantastic selection of wool and we were very much like children in a sweet shop trying to decide on our colours ! Everyone on the course was really friendly and it was great to see all of the finished articles. Some wonderful hats from the more experienced attendees and a fab selection of bags of many colours from the rest of us. I would thoroughly recommend Sarah`s workshops and will definitely be joining her again."

29 Nov 14'

Heather Anson reviewed: Bespoke candle making workshops with candle maker to Prince Charles

"I had a brilliant day, learnt a lot from Amanda. I made some amazing candles. It was worth travelling from London to Wales for this course. Will definitely be going there again in 2015. Thank you David for everything."

29 Nov 14'

Litsa reviewed: The Dip & Carve Candle Workshop

"Fantastic way of learning the way that it is taught. Enthusiastic experience all the way through. I traveled from Cyprus for this course."

29 Nov 14'

Jeni reviewed: One day introductory course to candle making

"It opened my mind and got the creative juices flowing. I can't wait to go off and do my own candles as presents and/or to sell. It was great that we did different types of candles so we could see the possibilities. Also enjoyed the small group."

29 Nov 14'

Vivian Law reviewed: One day introductory course to candle making

"It was fun, straight forward and enjoyable. Everything was exampled to detail. I really enjoyed how relaxed it was and learned so much in one lesson."

29 Nov 14'

Vivian Law reviewed: The Dip & Carve Candle Workshop

"The course definitely exceeded my expectations. Would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn to dip & carve. Sakeena is a great teacher."

28 Nov 14'

Nigel from Tyneside reviewed: Five day woodwork course - wood

"Course 2 has proved to be more challenging, as one would expect. Just like before Richard and Mark were excellent. They are undoubtedly excellent cabinet makers, but on these courses it is their ability to help you develop your skills which is invaluable. Their love of wood and what they do is infectious. From start to finish it was brilliant fun and after the second day I found myself phoning home to chat to my better half and realising that I had a grin like a cheshire cat. If you are interested in developing your cabinetmaking skills then this course is a must."

28 Nov 14'

Nigel from Tyneside reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Having recently attended the level 1 course I have to say that it was excellent. With classes of a maximum of 4, the course was not only informative, but incredible fun. Richard and Mark are incredibly knowledgeable which not only enabled them to teach the more experienced members of our group, but also patient enough to nurture the novices. If you are thinking of doing this course my advice would be...just do it, you won’t regret it."

28 Nov 14'

Margaret Seel reviewed: An Introduction to Glassblowing: Half-day Saturday courses

"Absolutely Brilliant! I had a great time. Very small classes so lots of personal attention. Adam and his staff are very knowledgeable and competent. I thoroughly recommend this course and hope to go back for more. Thanks very much for a great day."

28 Nov 14'

Gwenda Dinsdale reviewed: Hand-stitched leather tote, satchel or messenger bag course

"I really enjoyed the weekend. I had no prior experience of working with leather, although I have done dressmaking and a little upholstery, so I was a bit concerned that other students would have had more experience than me. But I thought that the standard of teaching was very good, with allowances being made for the differing standards of competance of the students. Gaynor was especially skilled in helping me find alternative ways of doing some of the work when I found it difficult due to arthritis in my hands. She was also very positive and encouraging, which made for a lovely atmosphere. I would love to do another course - Perhaps a one day "Make Another Bag" course?"

27 Nov 14'

tak reviewed: Powertex figure sculpture

"I was so thrilled that I found Allison's 1 day Canvas Workshop. As I don't consider myself 'crafty' I was worried that it may be too advanced for me. Allison was great though and provided great advice and assistance and I was able to produce a fantastic canvas that is in pride of place in my daughter's bedroom! Excellent and abundant resources to choose from. A great day - thoroughly recommend."

27 Nov 14'

Stuart King reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"I have just attended a 2-day course with Nigel and it was absolutely fantastic. I have a reasonably stressful job and I was able to completely switch off and think of nothing but what I was doing. Nigel is a top chap and I loved hearing his stories. I was very lucky as the first day was 1 on 1 with Nigel and then on the second day a couple joined. However, this did not detract from the attention Nigel gave me, he just moved around a bit faster! We made some great pieces and Nigel was very patient in explaining what to do. I stayed overnight in one of the shepherd huts in the grounds which was lovely and warm and cosy. When I left I was so relaxed and recharged ready to face the daily grind of work again. I thoroughly enjoy myself and will definitely be back. Thank you Nigel."

26 Nov 14'

Shaun McCabe reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"The 1 day blacksmithing course I did with Nigel was brilliant and he is an absolute character! His stories were hilarious and he was so welcoming. Me and my girlfriend stayed the night of the 7th November in one of Nigel's shepherds huts, despite the cold weather it was perfectly warm and cosy! The next morning we started, this being my first try at blacksmithing I was eager to learn but also a little worried about what I'd be able to achieve in 1 day. Nigel has a fantastic knowledge and I felt completely comfortable even as a beginner! He let me know it was totally up to me what I wanted to make and although I hadn't come along with any ideas his shop is full of plenty!! Spent a lot of time actually at the forge as it was 1 on 1, a lot more than I thought I would which was definitely a bonus, another bonus was using the power hammers! I enjoyed the day so much I'm going back to college to learn it as a profession. 10/10."

26 Nov 14'

Nick Solanki reviewed: Introduction to Leather Craft

"I recently spent two days on a course with Bill. I (some time ago), served an apprenticeship as a joiner so I knew I had some skill working with my hands. What Bill did was to renew my appreciation for the skill required to produce a quality product using traditional skills. His knowledge is supreme, his manner so affable, and at the end of the course I felt privileged to have learnt new skills, and a few trade secrets from someone who obviously loves his trade and is a master of it. highly recommended."

26 Nov 14'

Alison Whittaker reviewed: Handspinning workshop

"This course turned out to be everything I hoped it would be. Diane has a lovely, easy style of demonstating her craft and within minutes we were all beginning to have a go at spinning. A couple of group members had brought wheels with them, which they had already bought but not been able to get working properly. Diane's brother patiently analyed the problems and fixed them. Diane made spinning look effortless. Our laughable early efforts soon improved, because of her enthusiatic encouragement. By the end of the course we had all spun two bobins full of wool and plyed them together into a skein of wool to take home. A throughly enjoyable day which left all of us with a great sense of achievement. Brilliant!"

26 Nov 14'

Rob Hall reviewed: Wood turning courses

"A very interesting day spent with George turning this bowl, I enjoyed the learning process from start through to sanding / finishing. A very high standard of tuition and advice. I would highly recommend a course here to anyone. Many thanks George and Sue for a warm welcome. Regards Rob"

25 Nov 14'

Amy Lowson reviewed: Tapestry weaving workshop for beginners

"I had such a great time at the weaving course. My aim was to learn the basics so that i could attempt to try this at home myself (no doubt returning for another class to stop any bad habits!) and i have certainly achieved this. I managed to go home with a finished piece after a full day of teaching (and eating of lovely food). I fully intend on getting a frame for myself as a Christmas present. Great atmosphere and a patient teacher!"