Latest reviews

Rose reviewed: Festive Wreath - Felted Decoration at Dolphin House

"Thank you for such an enjoyable day and for the delicious lunch too! I am delighted with my Christmas wreath, which looks beautiful in my home now and has received lots of compliments."

Rosemary reviewed: Festive Wreath - Felted Decoration at Dolphin House

"Just wanted to say a huge thank you for a lovely day at our Christmas wreath-making workshop. I had never done any kind of felting activity before but you explained and demonstrated each step so clearly and I really enjoyed the needle felting. It was a lovely environment to work in and the wool and locks were such lovely materials to work with."

C Hewitt reviewed: Felt Making Paintings

"I really enjoyed this course. Josephine was a very good teacher. She explained and demonstrated the techniques very well and was very encouraging. I came home with a new skill and a lovely wet felted picture. "

Phinefibre responded:

"Thank you for your review. Very happy you had an enjoyable day and felt encouraged and supported in learning a new skill on this introduction to wet felting course. "

Margaret reviewed: Festive Wreath - Felted Decoration at Dolphin House

"Thanks for an enjoyable day, Emma. The wreath looked beyond my capabilities but, with your clear instructions and encouragement, proved to be attainable. I am delighted with the result and have added it to my festive display."

SJ reviewed: Tetra Pak Printing for 1 or 2

"As a novice to printmaking I was intrigued to learn how to recycle an everyday item for printmaking. Genny provided a really welcoming, well organised and enjoyable introduction to tetra pack intaglio printing. It was a great way to try something new without feeling any pressure or judgement. Thank you Genny."

Arty Genny responded:

"Thank you for this lovely review. Much appreciated. Xx"

Ryan reviewed: Kitchen Knife Course

"If you're looking for a fun and rewarding way to spend a day, I highly recommend this knife-making course. It started with a thorough safety briefing, and they provided all the necessary gear to keep us protected throughout. Our instructor, Dave, has been a knife maker for over eight years, and his passion and knowledge were evident. The course is designed for you to do most of the work, making the finished knife a true accomplishment. However, Dave was always there to offer guidance, build confidence, and lend a hand when needed. My brothers and I had a fantastic day – we truly enjoyed ourselves and haven't stopped talking about it since. I can't stress enough how much value this course offered – it was absolutely worth the money."

Gill reviewed: Spring Garden Hand Embroidery Workshop with Rachel Davies

"A lovely day. Rachel is so welcoming. Everything is really well organised. Rachel demonstrates and explains each stage but there is plenty of opportunity to be creative and individualise your work. I would highly recommend it."

Rachel Davies Studio responded:

"Hi Gill, thankyou so much for the review, I am very pleased you liked the chance to do it your way...makes things more interesting. Very best wishes, Rachel "

Harvey Franklin reviewed: Fused glass bowl and dichroic glass jewellery in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire

"We attended the half day glass bowl and dichroic jewellery course and thoroughly enjoyed it. Mel is very informative and a good teacher. We were amazed at the final bowls and would definitely look into another of Mel's courses. P.s. the cake and biscuits went down a treat as well! Harvey and Lyns"

Georgina reviewed: Learn To Crochet with Lamb In The Loft

"I attended Georgie's crochet for beginners workshop on Saturday 25th March 2024. I'd been looking around for a beginner's crochet workshop and have done a different workshop with Craft Courses before. The location wasn't too far from me, price was reasonable as it included wool and hook to take home and I liked the idea of a 2 hour workshop as I find I tend to lose concentration if it's any longer. There were 4 other ladies attending and it was a very friendly atmosphere. The course was held in a room above commercial premises in the heart of Silsden. Communications with Georgie before the workshop were very good, as I needed to ask about parking as I'm not from that local area. Georgie offered us all coffee or tea at the beginning which was a nice thing to do and there was a jar of biscuits on the table if required. We then started by learning about different wools and crochet hooks and how these can influence what you might make. I found this information very useful. We then progressed onto making the first chain and later on how to make a double chain. We were all given a useful handout which explained what we were doing with diagrams and also explained comparisons with UK & US terminology for crochet. Georgie is a very warm, friendly and exceptionally helpful teacher and has loads of patience which was great as most of seemed to be all fingers and thumbs to begin with which made us all laugh. But she encouraged perseverance and we all seemed to get the hang of those basic steps by the end of the workshop. I would recommend this workshop to anyone looking to learn how to crochet. Georgie clearly loves crochet and is very giving of her time, skills and knowledge. "

Hayley & James reviewed: Make a copper bowl

"Lizzie was absolutely fantastic both before and during the course. I had requested whether the 'Make a Copper Bowl' course ever took place on a Saturday instead of a Sunday to work around personal commitments, and she very kindly changed the date of the weekend I had in mind to a Saturday! Shortly before we were due to take the course, James broke his leg and was left unable to weight-bear, and we were concerned about whether this blacksmithing course would be at all possible given his condition, or whether it would be a case of rebooking or possibly even losing the money on the booking, given the short notice. Lizzie couldn't have been kinder, calling me to discuss arrangements for James, offering to either rebook to a later date or put a plan in place for the original date to make things easier for him. We were able to park much closer than normal to the venue, James was sat closest to the entrance/furthest away from the non-mobile blacksmithing tools so that he didn't represent a trip hazard to the other participants, and Lizzie even had some mobile blacksmithing tools so that James could take part fully whilst sitting down instead of having to stand at the different devices. We had a fantastic time, and are so grateful for all Lizzie did! Thank you so much, and we wish you all the best for the future! "

Dodie Rutherford reviewed: Stained glass weekly classes in Sheffield (South Yorkshire)

"I have been fortunate in being able to join Martin’s weekly course for the last two and a half years. He has taught me through introductory phase, mastering basic skills then on to more demanding work which have been really pleasing. He is great at helping through the tricky bits then recognising when you can cope and run with the piece. The day courses have been great at giving new experiences in glass work. Great all round. "

Martin McAssey Glass responded:

"Thank you for the lovely review."

Peter Salt-Berrymen reviewed: Introduction to small goods leather crafting

"Brilliant course, Paul is very knowledgeable and very willing to share his knowledge. He is easy to approach and very helpful. My wife and I had a great day, both learned a great deal and are very pleased with the note book holders that we made. WELL WORTH DOING"

Bardster's Crafts responded:

"Thank you, much appreciated. Was a pleasure to have your company. "

Jack reviewed: 2 day knife making course

"Can't recommend you take this course enough. Gary and Jos were both hugely knowledgeable and skilled at their craft, they provided just the right amount of assistance. The knife turned out absolutely perfectly, well exceeding my expectations and is now a piece that I will keep and use forever. "

Lois Buckley reviewed: Hare Sculpture workshop with Jo Garden Art in beautiful Norfolk/Suffolk

"My daughter and I had a wonderful day together making hare sculptures. We both felt that Jo was a marvellous tutor and nothing was too much trouble for her in explanations and hands on help where required. She was so generous in every way and nothing was missing. Her attention to detail in what was required was amazing even down to the little pots of paint to go home with. A really memorable day and the sun shone on the lovely grounds too. !! "

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Lois 😊 I enjoy the little details! It takes me several days to pull together everything for the workshops and filling the goodie bags is my last task 🤗. so glad you both enjoyed the day. Jo xx"

Paul Hinchliffe reviewed: Blacksmithing one-to-one North West UK

"This was a great course, really interesting and I learnt so much. Colin has a clear way of explaining, then showing and then giving the freedom to get on and have a go. A really enjoyable day as a blacksmith."

Nick Cliffe reviewed: Small leather crossbody bag workshop (1-day)

"I would wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone interested in trying out leather working. I'd been wanting to try for a while and watched a few videos online but I know that I learn best by direct instruction and Natasha is an excellent tutor. Having all the materials, tools and expert guidance on the day has made the difference and I now feel I know what I need to buy to get started and have confidence that I know how to do the basic cutting, stitching and finishing. First project at home will be a card wallet for me. Thank you Natasha!"

Ten Cloudy responded:

"Thank you, Nick! it was a pleasure to teach you! I sent you the list of tools on Thursday (check the spam box, if you don't see it) and good luck! Thank you!"

Paul Body reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"Arian is a brilliant teacher who patiently guided us through each step of the process of making our knives. I now have a one-of-a-kind knife for the rest of my life. Arian is a warm, clever and talented teacher. After all the years he’s been doing this there was not a whiff of complacency or staleness. He obviously still loves what he does and sharing it with people. It is a packed weekend, but filled with fun. Thank you Arian and everyone at the Nailsworth Community Workshop." "

Liz Collins reviewed: Flower Power - Exploring Colour

"My daughter and I joined the course and had a wonderful day learning how to apply 3 different techniques to drawing and painting flowers. Alison and Liz are excellent teachers who demonstrated first and then were very hands on offering advice throughout the day; I particularly appreciated the way they sat next to you and drew/painted with you. They created a warm and friendly atmosphere in a beautiful rural setting. Thank you. I would highly recommend spending a day at Long Barn. Liz "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Liz, Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your day with us . We are so pleased you enjoyed the day. You both produced some lovely work and it was great to see your confidence growing as the day progressed . We hope it has inspired you both to continue creating. Best wishes Alison "

Zoe reviewed: Blacksmithing taster days (half day)

"Bought a half day course as a gift for my partner who had a brilliant time - he's planning on going for a full day later this year. Great booking service, quick to answer questions and an excellent experience on the day."

Now Strike Archery Ltd responded:

"Thank you Zoe, I’m very pleased that Darren had a great time and enjoyed the course. See you again soon! Adam"

E Ineson reviewed: One day stained glass workshop London for beginners and enthusiasts

"A very enjoyable course with a highly skilled and knowlegeable teacher. "

Tony Nicholson reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"The knowledge and passion for walling from Paul, Chris and the other instructors was infectious- even when the weather wasn’t the best on the first day! They were more than helpful with all our questions and ensured we all had a fabulous weekend, learning the basics of walling in a beautiful environment. I would recommend this introductory course to anyone interested in starting out."

Karen reviewed: Stained glass weekly classes in Sheffield (South Yorkshire)

"I have just completed my third 10 week course and have enjoyed every single session. Martin is an amazing tutor. In the first course he guided me through all the steps in a very clear and concise way - spending a good amount of time demonstrating and checking up on progress. In the following courses Martin is always on hand to provide guidance and reminders of the steps, as needed. The workshop is well stocked and a great environment for working in. Really enjoying the craft - would highly recommend."

Martin McAssey Glass responded:

"Thank you for the great review."

Sarah Armitage reviewed: Introduction to leaded stained glass

"A wonderful day spent trying a new craft with the helpful and extremely patient and knowledgeable Gen. It was a full day from 9.30am until 5.30pm with a delicious lunch provided. The course was worth every penny and is a brilliant way to treat yourself or others. . Gen was so attentive to all four of us who all had a range of experience and worked at different paces - she was amazing. I came away with a lovely stained glass panel which I’m very proud of. Thank you Gen!"

Wicked Gen Crafts responded:

"I am so glad you had a lovely day and learned lots. You made a lovely individual piece to be proud of. Well done!"

Janette Kightley-Green reviewed: Glass Fusion - Holey Moley Bowl making

"Sally is a great teacher who has a lot of specialist knowledge in glass fusion. It is very interesting how small pieces of coloured glass can be put together to make such amazingly unique, colourful objects. Sally is very patient and friendly. She spends time with everyone allowing each person to be creative in 'their own way'. Would thoroughly recommend this course as it requires no previous knowledge and you end up with a beautiful object totally hand made by you and personal to you too. Sally teaches you all the skills you will need and provides all the materials too. The venue at Stanwick Lakes is just perfect for craft courses. Give it a try."

Stanwick Lakes Art and Craft Courses responded:

"Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review. We are very pleased you enjoyed the course and shall let Sally know too. We hope to see you here at Stanwick Lakes again soon. Best wishes, The Stanwick Lakes team."

Karolina Fitzpatrick reviewed: Introduction to English Willow Basket Making- Weekend Course

"Very informative, relaxed and friendly course."