Latest reviews

Jayne Oldmeadow reviewed: Fused Glass Lanterns with Crafts in the Valley

"Really enjoyable workshop in Melanie’s cosy studio. I attended as a complete beginner and already have my next one planned. Really relaxing…lovely way to spend an afternoon. All the equipment you need is supplied, great instruction, lovely, fun atmosphere. Needless to say…I would highly recommend it."

Crafts in the Valley responded:

"Thank you for the lovely review Jayne! I'm looking forward to seeing you again for more Fused glass magic xx"

Paul O'Leary reviewed: Antiquarian book repair day

"This was a fantastic course. Stephen was extraordinarily generous with both his time and materials. Before I went, he called and talked through exactly what I wanted to accomplish and tailored the course accordingly. Stephen is a wonderful teacher and managed to cover an extensive subject in a day without feeling rushed. I was learning by doing, which suited me very well. I'll be returning!"

Jane reviewed: Scrap glass mosaic workshop (1 day) in Sheffield, South Yorkshire

"This was a fantastic course. Kate was informative, patient and supportive. She gave us lots of ideas but encouraged us to be creative and the results were amazing. I would thoroughly recommend this course. Finally, I have found a way to use up all the scrap glass I generate!"

Shona reviewed: Sterling Silver Stacker Ring Course (Merseyside)

"I attended the course with my daughter who bought me it as a birthday present. We had a really fun time spending a few hours together and made some lovely rings ? Thank you, Carol."

Michelle reviewed: Silversmithing Taster Day (Merseyside)

"Great value for money and I really had a great time and made some nice rings.."

Danielle reviewed: Needle felt workshop

"A relaxing morning creating two scenes from photos in felt. Great tuition, would highly recommend."

Needle Felt Art responded:

"Thank you Danielle, so glad that you enjoyed the workshop, and great results , you are a natural !"

Petrus Myburgh reviewed: Knife Making and Bladesmith Classes: Hand-Forged Viking Knife

"I had an amazing day at Anvil Forge. It's not every day you get the opportunity to make your own knife. Big thanks to Spencer our instructor for the day, his clear instructions on making the knife, help to create the sharpest knife in our home now. The fire poker we made to start the day was a great touch as I needed one for my new fireplace. There are so many stages in making a knife so the course is a must for anyone who want to forge a knife or do any metal work in future. Again thank to Spencer and John that made the day fantastic!!"

Pearl reviewed: Full Day Woodturning tuition from Registered Professional Turner in Dorset, South West

"Great time as always with Joe learned all about the process of turning hollow forms."

Joe Creed-Kaile responded:

"Great to meet you both again. Happy Turning"

Jennifer reviewed: Glass painting taster day

"Thank you for a really enjoyable, informative and relaxing day. I learned so much that I will be able to put into practice. I’ve already bought my rigger brushes!"

Derek Hunt Artist responded:

"Thank you Jennifer, so pleased you enjoyed the course and great to see you've now got your own rigger brushes too!"

claire Halsey reviewed: Blind Embossing: lino printing without inks, in Derbyshire

"Such a wonderful day of blind embossing at the Slipper Studio, Liz is a great teacher, patient and informative. The setting and facilities were excellent and I learnt (and made) a lot with Liz's help and instruction. The day was relaxed and very welcoming, we went at our own pace. The tea and coffee was excellent and flowed freely and overall the experience was relaxing, informative and very enjoyable. So much so I've booked again already for another workshop."

Liz Wellby - Artist, Teacher & Maker responded:

"Hi Claire, Lovely to hear your thoughts about your recent workshop. I am sat with a wide smile on my face! Looking forward to seeing you soon. Thank you Liz Wellby"

Kevin Woodhouse reviewed: Stained glass leading for beginners

"Recently took the 2 day leading course with Jamal. Really nice setup, just a couple of other students in his wonderful studio. We learned some interesting history and got to learn from a really enthusiastic, patient, professional and friendly working artist. The course is well paced and if you've never done any leading work before then this course is ideal. Jamal offered some fantastic tips and his seeing some of work is quite inspiring. Jamal is a fantastic find and I'd highly recommend him. Very talented artist and learned some great new techniques from a traditional stained glass artisan. The course was excellent value for money and you can just turn up as everything was included. Thanks Jamal."

Mandy Brown reviewed: Artisan Christmas wreath making workshops- Live online

"Jenni's wreath kits are amazing, the instructions on line and little notes on the box make making this wreath a pleasure, everything is included and they are such fun. My daughter and I had such a fun day together making the wreath I can’t recommend them enough. Thank you Jenni"

Jenni Wren Creative responded:

"Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, it is always lovely to receive a positive review, especially as I was in the middle of packing another wreath kit order when the notification came through. I also loved seeing the picture of the completed wreath you sent to me, hanging on the front door. Awesome! Your daughter should be very proud of herself, especially knowing that she made it from scratch. It is quite wonderful to take raw materials and create something that everyone can enjoy. (even passers-by). A wonderful way to spread Christmas Cheer. Well Done:)"

Jo Taylor reviewed: Natural Cold-Process Soap Making

"I attended this course with a friend who had booked it as a birthday treat for me (brilliant gift idea!). We both enjoyed our morning very much. Wendy's teaching style is relaxed and fun, while at the same time clear and informative with a focus on safety. We learned a lot about the fascinating science of soap making, and the choice of recipes on offer meant that we both came away with enough soap to make some very special Christmas gifts. Highly recommended."

Mon reviewed: Working with silver at The Old Kennels

"This course was my first time working with silver. The tutor, Julian Livingstone, is experienced and very patient giving individual help and advice where needed. Over the two days I produced a ring and a beautiful tea caddy spoon that I'll treasure. Our hostess, Tracey is always welcoming and attentive to everyone attending the courses."

The Old Kennels responded:

"Thank you for such a lovely review Mon, very much appreciated! I’m so pleased you enjoyed your course with Julian he really is a super tutor :)"

Nick reviewed: Kitchen Knife Course

"Great day making a knife with Dave. Good instruction and delivered with patience and enthusiasm. I ended up with a knife I am really happy with, that will serve me well for as long as I can be bothered to cook!"

Hand forged Yorkshire responded:

"Many thanks for your review Nick it was a great day in the forge, you did a cracking job well done"

John Peden reviewed: Woodturning for beginners

"My wife Mandy and I have just done a one-day course with Stuart and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. (Stuart says he normally only works one-to-one but he agreed to take the pair of us together as long as we promised not to fight!) It was a full-on day filled with wonderful insight from Stuart, covering a huge range of aspects of wood-turning, from wood selection, tool selection, sharpening and use, turning between centres and face work, essential (and non-essential) machines, fitting out your workshop and much much more. Once we've set up the lathe we have inherited, and spent some time developing the techniques Stuart has shown us, we'd love to have another day with him to take advantage of his encyclopaedic knowledge to get us to the next level. Stuart is a great teacher - knowledgeable, patient, attentive, tolerant of all our questions... Can't recommend him highly enough."

The Scottish Woodturner responded:

"Hi John & Mandy, Thanks for your review. Although it was some 45 years since you had both done any turning I could see it was all starting to come back to you. Hope you have lots of enjoyment from your lathe and It would be great to see you both back again whenever you want a top up. Stuart."

Jeremy Smith reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"What a great experience. Managed to book the two days for during the week as it was more convenient. Sebastian was very helpful as my wife and I had never done stone carving before and he was always on hand for advice. We both threw ourselves into it as that's the best way to approach an experience like this and we are very happy with what we produced. Our work is already located throughout our garden. Would definitely recommend this stone carving course to anyone. Many thanks Sebastian for making the 2days great fun!!"

Clare reviewed: Learn to paper cut live

"I was treated to this class last night as a birthday present and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Everything was provided in the kit and all the communication was very clear. Aimee was lovely, very friendly and had thought of everything. We were all put at ease and straight in to paper cutting. There were lots of hints and tips and I found looking at other paper cutting artists work very inspiring. The two hours flew by and I was really pleased with my finished paper cut. I think I’ve got the bug! Thank you Aimee!"

Tulin Quincey reviewed: 1 Day bag making course - 10 design options

"So enjoyable, I love every minute and can’t wait to return. Rebecca is a marvel; with an unending font of all knowledge and patience. I loved the bag I made (which my husband joked I must have bought), and it’s a testament to her skill, knowledge and experience that we all leave feeling proud with a stylish new item. She has given me the confidence to try projects at home and I can’t wait! I’ll certainly return to her classes to advance my skills and knowledge."

Amanda Yates reviewed: Working with silver at The Old Kennels

"Small class with excellent tutor. As a novice I came home with silver jewellery I can wear and look professionally made. Support though every stage of the process a good course for both the novice and those with experience of silver working The Old Kennels is set in a lovely environment with Tracey as a friendly welcoming hostess"

The Old Kennels responded:

"Thank you so much for your kind review Amanda! Glad you enjoyed your course and are still enjoying your jewellery too :)"

Ann Hunter reviewed: Silver Stacking Rings Workshop - with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic; Sedgefield

"Such a lovely simple workshop, perfect for beginners, I’ve caught the silversmithing bug."

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for the review Ann. I'm glad to have passed on the jewellery making bug, the rings you made were fab!"

Marika Szabo reviewed: Tapestry Weaving for Beginners

"As a total beginner weaver, this course has set me on the right path for successful weaving projects. The videos give very clear explanations and it has been so useful to be able to continually rewatch them to gain clarity as I am weaving. Lauren presents the techniques in a clear simple manner. My loom is different from the one shown in the videos, having precut slots. Because of this, I had some questions for Lauren that she has very helpfully answered. I would definitely recommend this course!"

Weaving a New Story responded:

"Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a kind review Marika! It brings me a lot of joy to know that you are enjoying the course and learning what you set out to. It's been lovely chatting with you over message and I'm excited to see your future tapestry pieces. If you have any further questions in the future, then please feel free to reach out- I'm very happy to help. All the best and happy weaving! Lauren"

Neil Hendriksen reviewed: Knife Making and Bladesmith Classes: Hand-Forged Viking Knife

"What a thoroughly enjoyable day. It’s a delight to learn new skills - and that whole process is enhanced when you’re lucky enough to have a great guide and instructor such as Spencer. He steered us through the techniques with just the right balance of demonstration, encouragement and letting us learn by doing. I’m so pleased my family gifted me the day. I wholeheartedly recommend the Anvil Forge."

Emily reviewed: Short evening course in Copper Foiling Technique

"Sharon is a brilliant teacher and such a warm friendly person. She really looked after us and responded to our questions and individual projects with perfect guidance and encouragement. I love the studio - atmospheric and a good working environment. This course is perfect for learning a new skill, developing one already begun and having a really great time in lovely company."

Sally Lewis reviewed: Hand Embroidery Workshop with Kate Barlow - 1930's Whitework

"Excellent course. Kate Barlow, the tutor, was very informative and provided a beautiful whitework kit to work on. I am fairly new to hand embroidery but Kate provided all the help I needed. The workroom was well lit and Paula was on hand with drinks and cake. A brilliant day and I look forward to attending future courses there."

Cambria Costume House responded:

"Thank you so much Sally, it was lovely to meet you and I'm so pleased you enjoyed Kate's class. I look forward to seeing you on a workshop here again. Paula"