Latest reviews

Alison & Elaine reviewed: Introduction to English Willow Basket Making- Weekend Course

"An enjoyable two days spent making our willow baskets. Good venue, friendly tutor, well demonstrated, nice size group. Made two baskets each with different techniques. The homemade cake was delicious on both days. Thank you Jonathan and Willow the dog. "

Catherine W reviewed: Ceramic tile making day

"Had a lovely day at the pottery. Fiona is friendly and knowledgeable and goes out of her way to help you put your own ideas into practice, teaching lots of interesting techniques, and solving any problems with patience and good humour. A really interesting and enjoyable day in very good company. I would love to attend another of Fiona’s courses."

Fiona Mazza Ceramics responded:

"Hi Catherine it was so lovely to meet you and I am really pleased you enjoyed your day. I will be in touch as soon as your tiles are ready. Thanks again Fiona "

Bob Russell reviewed: Woodcarving weekend with experienced teacher, all levels of experience welcome

"A really great course for learning all the fundamentals needed to undertake your own wood carving projects. Almut is a friendly and enthusiastic instructor with a huge amount of experience and knowledge in wood crafts and it has been great fun attending one of her courses."

Almut Woolard responded:

"Dear Bob, Thank you for coming to the two day carving course. I am very impressed how much you could achieve in the two days of carving. I could clearly see how your work on day two build on the practice of day one. I hope the weekend was a good foundation for your future carving projects. Almut "

Sue Renn reviewed: Copper Foil Technique Stained Glass

"We spent a day at Dragonfly Glass Art, making copper-foil glass sun catchers. Amanda was friendly and welcoming and checked what we already knew before starting. She gave a demonstration of glass cutting and then we had a chance to practice until confident before choosing the patterns for the pieces we’d make. Amanda has a good selection of patterns and, during the day we made three pieces each. Each technique was demonstrated clearly and then we were able to make our own pieces, with Amanda providing help when needed. I’m very pleased with what we made and would happily recommend this course. "

Dragonfly Glass Art responded:

"Hi Sue, Thanks so much for taking the time to write a review! It was lovely to meet you and Jas, and it was a pleasure to spend the day teaching you! All the best, Amanda "

Laura reviewed: One day salt or pepper mill woodturning course for two people

"My Dad and I had a fantastic day with Bill learning the basics of wood turning. Bill was incredibly knowledgeable, patient and kind in helping us both to succeed and create our fabulous pepper mills. Bill helped Dad to overcome his physical challenges and operate the lathe safely. I’d absolutely recommend spending a day wood turning with Bill creating lovely memories and very stylish pepper mills!"

Nicci reviewed: Willow 'sculpture of your choice' - one day workshops with Willowtwisters

"Wonderful day and great venue for the course. I was amazed at what I completed at the end of the day and Sarah made sure that everything was secure and helped when I was a bit baffled. She also moved us along and helped out when needed so we would finish our sculptures before bed time! Lovely lunch too and great company. Have booked again!"

Willowtwisters responded:

"Thank you for your lovely review Nicci. A lovely day in the coolness of the church rooms spent teaching a great bunch of students. Your sculptures were all amazing, Well done! "

Tom reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"Simon is a brilliant, friendly tutor and I learnt a lot from him. The set up he's got is perfect for what you're going to do and you'll have plenty of time and support to achieve great results with him. He is also an excellent host, he really welcomes you into his home. All in all a great crafting day. "

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Tom, Glad you enjoyed the experience and great to host you here. Any help or advice, please get in touch. -- Simon"

Liz C reviewed: Craft Bookbinding (1 day) in the Peak District

"I had a really enjoyable day and came away with a beautiful book. The purpose built studio is a great working environment and the lunch was excellent!"

Sarah & Alan reviewed: Basic blacksmithing course

"Brilliant day, Gary & Josh are great teachers with a lot of patience and knowledge. Very pleased with the items we made (with expert help). Josh took extra effort demonstrating how to do things with his non-dominant hand for the left hander :) "

Duncan reviewed: Green Wood Rustic Stick Chair

"We had a great day making our rustic chairs. Peter and Jacqui were great teachers and very patient. The workshop is in a lovely setting too. Very much recommended. "

Emma Sothcott reviewed: Pottery throwing sessions on the potter's wheel in Norfolk

"I had never done any pottery before, not even at school, so I was a little apprehensive, but I was immediately put at ease by Pat who is extremely friendly and personable. After having a go at working the clay to get the air bubbles out and a demonstration by Pat the wheel was mine! With expert guidance and advice you get ‘hands on’ with the clay. I found Pat’s tuition to be really informative, straightforward and, most importantly, patient! I would thoroughly recommend this session to anyone who wants to throw a pot or two and learn plenty about this incredible process. The 2 hours just flew by and I had some lovely pots to collect once they had been fired!"

Pat Southwood responded:

"Thank you for your lovely review, I am so glad you had fun! "

Amanda Brophy reviewed: Mindful Messy Mandalas Workshop

"I had a great time on this course held in Carrie's lovely studio with a friendly group. Carrie is an excellent teacher and explained the techniques thoroughly. All equipment was provided along with tasty refreshments. We all went home with a pretty mandala and mount, ready to frame our work. I hope to do more courses at Crafts for Wellbeing soon, and would thoroughly recommend it to others."

Crafts for Wellbeing responded:

"It was lovely to see you again Amanda, and I'm so pleased you enjoyed the workshop. Your mandala was beautiful. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it. Look forward to seeing you again soon."

Hazel Hanslip reviewed: Take raw fleece to finished fibre 2-day spinning workshop

"On my way home from the best course I’ve ever done (& I’m a serial craft courser!). I attended the course as I work on a farm and want to make better use of our fleeces by spinning them. I've learned so much from Elaine, my brain is overflowing with ideas and can’t wait to get stuck in to the fleeces at home. Thank you so much for teaching me spinning skills & sharing all of your advice. "

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thank you Hazel. I'm very happy to hear you got so much out of your weekend learning about fleece and spinning. All the best with your venture helping others."

Ali Pritchard reviewed: "2 Crafts in 1 Day!" 1-2-1 woodturning & pottery experience for 1 person

"I was gifted the 2 Crafts in 1 Day and I had a brilliant time. Simon was patient and a fantastic teacher. He was able to explain everything really clearly and I was working with the lathe very quickly. Understanding the different tools and techniques was fascinating. After a lovely lunch in the beautiful and quiet gardens it was time to play with clay. A great afternoon getting to grips with slab work, hand raising and the wheel work (I definitely contributed to the tower of shame, but it was such fun). Louise is also a wonderful teacher and it was a pleasure to spend the afternoon with her in the studio. I’d recommend this course in a heartbeat. It’s a fantastic introduction to wood turning and pottery. "

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Alison, it was lovely to have you in the woodturning workshop and ceramics studio, and we're so pleased that you enjoyed your 2 Crafts in 1 Day experience with us here at Blended Monkey :-). You took to both crafts with ease and created some lovely pieces. Well done!"

Lynne Mcilroy reviewed: Lake District Landscape Painting Workshops - Watercolour

"I attended this course with my husband. We both thoroughly enjoyed the day. Gary took care to make sure that everyone learned new skills, whatever their starting ability. We are driving home with our treasured artwork, full of ideas for using our new knowledge. "

Greg Howard Fine Art Studio responded:

"Very happy to hear you enjoyed the day and found it informative & useful. Thank you for taking the time to submit your review and hope to see you again at some point in the future! 😉👍"

Ella Trickett reviewed: Silver Clay Jewellery at Cowshed Creative in the Lake District near Windermere and Kendal

"A great course I really enjoyed it. I am a total beginner just wanting to give it a go and see if I was capable and I was! I made a lovely pair of heart earrings and a dragonfly pendant. George our tutor was fab, so welcoming and friendly and I felt as ease even though I was a total beginner. I would highly recommend this course. Thank you for a fab day."

Cowshed Creative responded:

"It was so lovely to meet you Ella. Thank you for such a lovely review and do get in touch if you need any help or advice. George"

Claire Steward reviewed: Silver jewellery making workshop for 2 people

"Myself and my friend really enjoyed our workshop yesterday. The studio is fantastic and we came away with some very professional looking rings. Julie was not phased by the slightly awkward design I wanted to make, and figured out how to do it perfectly! Lovely setting and worth every penny. Thank you Julie! (Lovely tea and cakes too!!)"

Jewellery By Julie responded:

"Thank you for the lovely review Claire. Delighted you had a good time, so did I And your rings are gorgeous. Well done. Hope to see you again."

Elaine Conway reviewed: Mindful Messy Mandalas Workshop

"I had a lovely time, despite being late because of traffic. Carrie created a calm productive atmosphere, very friendly and welcoming. I was encouraged to experiment and thoroughly enjoyed all the work we did. Great to meet new people, interesting chat with each other. I will definitely do more of her courses and recommend them to friends. "

Crafts for Wellbeing responded:

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Elaine, and I'm so pleased you enjoyed the workshop and experimenting with the materials and creating your beautiful mandala. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it. I hope to see you again soon."

Jenny reviewed: Basket making for beginners using traditional willow basketry techniques

"Fabulous workshop. Instructions really clear, great quality willow. Jonny and Becky are great teachers and really friendly. Lovely setting. Would definitely recommend."

Esther Partridge-Warner reviewed: Glass blowing course - taster

"I booked the course for my daughter’s 21st and she said it was the best present ever (better than feeding penguins aged 11!!) We created 3 beautiful pieces of glass and we were taken step by step by the 3 talented master craftspeople leading the course. They were so knowledgeable, friendly and made us feel confident with molten glass! Highly recommended- thank you !"

Chew Valley HandMade Glass responded:

"Thank you for your review Esther, our team are always pleased to hear that the course was enjoyed. Kind regards The team at chew valley handmade glass "

Colin reviewed: Bladesmithing Experience Day

"Having watched Forged in Fire I really wanted to give it a go. These guys were amazing, they helped you through the whole process, with good advice and great banter so everyone left with a great looking knife. I highly recommend this day. "

Ellis reviewed: Raku - learn the exciting art of rapid Japanese glaze firing

"I had a great time learning the process of Raku firing. Richard was very knowledgeable and carefully explained everything to us, sharing as much detail as possible. It was exciting to glaze and decorate the pots provided and see how they came out of the kiln, and we had a lot of fun setting up the buckets for the reduction process. At first I was hesitant about the price of the course, but after seeing the preparation, materials, teaching and kiln-time offered, I think it was great value for money. I would definitely recommend to a friend. "

Potterydayz responded:

"Thank you for the detailed review Ellis, it was a pleasure to see you here at Potterydayz. Glad to hear you enjoyed the experience and felt it was great value. I hope to see you again for another Raku adventure. "

Daniel reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"Wonderful day. I learned so much about the wood and the tools, and how not to lose a digit… I’ll definitely be using the skills I learnt. Magical setting in the gorgeous woods, too. Mark and Christina were very hospitable. "

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Daniel, Thank you for joining us and glad to hear you got so much from the day. All the best MArk and Cristina"

Ria reviewed: Beginners Stained Glass Day With Panoramic Sea Views

"From the second we walked through the door to the second we left, we had such an incredible experience. Aveen is an amazing teacher, who took us at our own speed and didn't try to rush us at any point, she explained everything extremely clearly, and was more than happy to show us as many times as needed! Both myself and my mum were able to create beautiful pieces of Stained Glass art, the choice of glass was more than we could have hoped for! I would fully recommend this course it was fun, creative and well thought out. With a sweet treat and absolute beautiful settings. "

Edith reviewed: Gem cutting - cabochon cutting and an introduction to faceting

"Great experience, really enjoyed the lesson! "

Treasureworks responded:

"Thank you Edith! It was lovely to meet you and I had a great time teaching you. Thank you. Regards James : )"