Latest reviews

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

"Came along with my 19 year old daughter as a gift from my husband for my birthday and we really enjoyed our day with Jo. Jo is so relaxed and easy to get on with, so enthusiastic and very organised. She does not sit down all day! The day is well paced and Jo makes sure everyone understands each step and offers her advice and help along the way. As complete novices we were amazed with the end result. Our leaping and moon-gazing hares have been receiving many compliments. Can totally recommend this craft course , the perfect day out. Thanks again Jo."

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Alison! Really pleased you both enjoyed your day together. Family creative time together is a privilege to facilitate. My legs always ache at the end of a workshop day - but nothing a deep bath and cold glass of wine cannot resolve ;-) Jo x"

Kathy reviewed: 💜 The Suffolk Silk Scarf Painting Workshops 💜 at The Arty Silkworm, Green Farm, Suffolk ~Fabulously Creative

"I went to the Silk Scarf Painting Workshop a few days ago with a few friends to celebrate a friend’s special birthday. It was absolutely wonderful - we all had a great time, had a lot of fun and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We were of quite mixed ability in terms of craft work, but even the person who was slightly anxious about her lack of skills, enjoyed the whole experience. And quite importantly, we were all very pleased with the final results! Ruth was a brilliant teacher with the right level of support, encouragement and inspiration. Thanks Ruth."

The Arty Silkworm responded:

"Hi Kathy I am so glad that you had a great day. Your scarf was absolutely beautiful! Thank you for your lovely review, I hope to see you again soon Warm wishes Ruth ?"

Perry Ward reviewed: Throwing for beginners

"A great day and a fantastic course, Charlie is a great source of pottery knowledge and is a patient and engaging teacher. I'm looking forward to seeing everything fired and trying out glazing."

Charlie's Pots responded:

"Hello Perry & Sid Many thanks for your lovely feedback. It was a pleasure to meet you both. Hope to see you back here soon for the glazing. Best wishes Charlie"

Tom Alexis reviewed: Sword Making Workshop in Grassington for 2 People

"Got a sword making workshop for a birthday gift. We went in not anything about blacksmithing. Richard is clearly very good at what he does and is great at explaining how to do it. We thought he stepped in to help just the right amount as well but let us get on with the bits we could do. Great experience and would definitely recommend!"

Veronique reviewed: Flamework/Lampwork - 3.5 hr beads taster for 2 people inclusive of everything

"What a wonderful afternoon spent with Kim making an array of beads. Being an absolute beginner, Kim was an excellent teacher and very attentive and patient. She was very welcoming and friendly and the set up was excellent. Such a wide range of colours and accessories, I ended up making 7 lovely stoking fillers for Christmas that i am overjoyed with. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to try something new and spend a relaxing afternoon in lovely company."

Bethyboobeads responded:

"Many thanks for leaving such a lovely review, you were ace students and really did grasp it very quickly and as you say you should be proud of the lovely items you made…. Hope all the family love them xx"

Dennis Schelling reviewed: Introduction to candle making workshop

"Hi Pauline Thank you very much for a great class. It was more than what I expected. My wife and I had so much fun and learned a lot about candle. I enjoyed it so much that I signed up for two more of your classes. Thank you again for a great time. Dennis"

Bonita Candles responded:

"Thank you Dennis. It was truly a pleasure to meet you both. You were both such great fun. I'm looking forward to seeing you again soon. x"

Marian Dugdale reviewed: Machine knitting bite-size, one to one tuition with Claire Newberry-ask me anything!

"I found this zoom call so good. It was so good to talk to someone who knew the answers to my questions. It’s been 25 years since my machines saw light of day but looking forward to getting started. Would highly recommend anyone who wants to know about knitting machines."

Claire Newberry's Knitting School responded:

"Hello Marian, Thank you so much for your kind words. It was a pleasure to teach you & happy knitting! Best wishes, Claire."

Louise Elflain reviewed: Throwing for beginners

"Absolutely fabulous day. Charlie was brilliant, he explained everything in detail, was very patient and encouraging. The small class meant that he was able to really spend time with each student offering advice and help throughout the day. Had a wonderful day! Cracking fella! Thank you! Will be back as soon as I can!!"

Charlie's Pots responded:

"Hello Lou Thank you very much for your review. It's very kind of you. I am glad you had a nice time and look forward to seeing you again soon. Charlie"

Dagmara Ginter reviewed: Morning One to One Photography Workshop for Beginners no longer available

"Thank you so much, Helen, for giving me confidence to start shooting in the Manual mode. I've got now a much better understanding of the Exposure Triangle and focus points. I also know which buttons to use to quickly change aperture and shutter speed settings. Two hours packed with useful tips and information. The course notes are an excellent addition to the tuition. And thank you for getting the swans to pose for my pictures!"

Helen Tisbury Photography responded:

"Thank you for taking the time to review my workshop, I am thrilled to learn that you enjoyed the course and now feel confident enough to now shoot fully manual. With practice changing your settings will become 2nd nature. I am glad the swans got the memo, its a shame we didn't get a little more sun on the day. Helen"

Lester king reviewed: Basket making for beginners using traditional willow basketry techniques

"Jonny and Becky gave expect advice and were very attentive and supportive during the day. They were very friendly and warm hosts. We would highly recommend this course. Great day out."

Veronica reviewed: One Day Stained Glass Workshop - 121 OR for 2 (with a friend)

"I totally recommend this course as a wonderful way in which to explore using copper foil and creating a beautiful piece under the guidance of Ruth. From the start to finish of the day Ruth was patient, helpful and guided me through making a beautiful dragonfly. I was guided through the steps of cutting glass, to grinding, foiling and then soldering and found each process fascinating in its own right. Ruth was happy to help me solve any problems I encountered. It was a pleasure to spend the day in her workshop and even more so to go home with a beautiful piece of work to remind me of my day. As a result of the day and Ruth's encouragement got the 'bug' and will carry on learning more about the art of working with stained glass. Thank you Ruth for the best day I have had in a long time."

Blue Skies Glass Studio responded:

"Hi Veronica, Thank you so much for your lovely review and for such an enjoyable day at our workshop together. It’s so wonderful that you have now got the stained glass bug and you’ll soon be making more beautiful creations! It was lovely to have you here. Many thanks Ruth"

Adam Howes reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"I had the pleasure of spending a day at the forge with Alex, who is very welcoming and friendly. The training is very well structured with an insight into how metal behaves at different temperatures, and how to work with the material to end up with a finished piece, that I can’t believe I have made. Certainly nobody I’ve shown it to can believe that I’ve made it, all testament to the expert guidance from master craftsman Alex. I will be going back for sure!"

Chalk Pit Forge responded:

"Hi Adam, Thank you for the great review. I'm very happy you have achieved more than what you believed possible! Cracking job! Alex"

Jacob reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"Attended the course with my girlfriend. Great couples activity. Feeling inspired to try a bigger river table in the future. Thanks for teaching me the basics"

Jemima reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"Amazing course. Gave us the foundations and confidence to experiment with resin in the future. Great to be around like minded people! Came away with a list of do’s & don’ts - things I didn’t pick up from YouTube. Thanks so much"

Michael reviewed: Introduction to Epoxy Resin Block Casting

"Great course. Easy to follow. Every step clearly explained. Had a good afternoon learning how to cast resin. Really informative- look forward to doing another course with you soon."

Hand forged Yorkshire responded:

"So glad to hear you enjoyed the course, many thanks indeed for your kind comments Michael, its massively appreciated. Would be great to see you back in the workshop"

Iain reviewed: Letter carving in wood

"A group of us spent the day letter carving with Andy. The tools used and how to sharpen them were demonstrated whilst we honed our skills. The first task was carving a variety of letters; some more difficult than others, with plenty of support along the way. He has a well equipped workshop nestled in the beautiful county of Wiltshire. Andy has a wealth of knowledge and many useful techniques. Such a welcoming place and genuine people. No shortage of tea and bakes. Thank you again."

Susan Mary Byrne reviewed: Rag rug/rag wreath making day in North Herefordshire

"I'd thoroughly recommend Jenni's rag rugging course. It was a perfect mix of inspiration and instruction. Lovely, informal atmosphere, with a delicious lunch and lots of tea and coffee to keep the chat flowing. I don't consider myself creative but, under Jenni's tuition, I was really happy with the seat pad I produced. It's such an accessible and addictive craft! Thank you Jenni."

Jenni's Rag Rugs responded:

"So glad we were able to go ahead with the workshop and I enjoyed meeting you and sharing some techniques. I hope to see your seat mat and that you are inspired to make more. Happy progging!"

Alison Hoffman reviewed: Beginners half-day pairs pottery / ceramics workshop

"Booked a ‘pairs’ workshop as a gift for my husband (which I could enjoy as well). Whole experience exceeded my expectations from start to finish - gift voucher came with a lovely ceramic heart which added to the present giving experience and the afternoon we spent with Louise was just amazing! Workshop was at just the right pace and we covered much more than we thought possible, making lots of items and having informative tuition in a relaxed environment. Our Sunday afternoons are usually fairly low-key but this weekend we ended it on a total high all thanks to our Blended Monkey experience. We can’t wait to try wood-turning now with Simon (and to pick up our masterpiece creations of course). Totally recommend booking this course - you won’t be disappointed!!"

Blended Monkey responded:

"It was lovely to have you guys in the studio! You both created some fantastic pieces and we're really pleased you enjoyed your ceramics experience - amazing what you can achieve in an afternoon isn't it? :-). You're more than welcome to return to try your hand at woodturning or more pottery."

Alison Hoffman reviewed: Beginners half-day 1-2-1 pottery / ceramics workshop for 1 person

"Booked a ‘pairs’ workshop as a gift for my husband (which I could enjoy as well). Whole experience exceeded my expectations from start to finish - gift voucher came with a lovely ceramic heart which added to the present giving experience and the afternoon we spent with Louise was just amazing! Workshop was at just the right pace and we covered much more than we thought possible, making lots of items and having informative tuition in a relaxed environment. Our Sunday afternoons are usually fairly low-key but this weekend we ended it on a total high all thanks to our Blended Monkey experience. We can’t wait to try wood-turning now with Simon (and to pick up our masterpiece creations of course). Totally recommend booking this course - you won’t be disappointed!!"

Blended Monkey responded:

"It was lovely to have you guys in the studio! You both created some fantastic pieces and we're really pleased you enjoyed your ceramics experience - amazing what you can achieve in an afternoon isn't it? :-). You're more than welcome to return to try your hand at woodturning or more pottery."

Suzanne reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"As a total novice to any sort of furniture restoration or care this was the ideal day for me! Oliver was increasingly patient and reassuring throughout the day as he shared his knowledge and skills. His workshop is fascinating, and a really relaxed environment to enjoy a day of creativity and learning."

Asron reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"Brilliant course, very well organized and good fun."

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

"I had a great day. The place was easy to find and Louise and Simon are very welcoming. They are also very good instructors. Lunch was excellent too! Would definitely recommend for beginners and more advanced potters/wood-turners."

Blended Monkey responded:

"Hi David, Thanks for giving us a review - most welcome! We're glad you enjoyed the day and hope that you may go on to develop your craft skills. -- Simon & Louise"

Gerda reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"Thanks, we really enjoyed this informative and short course introduction."

Wendy Wilson Goddard reviewed: Rag rug/rag wreath making day in North Herefordshire

"Really great workshop day with Jenni. Thoroughly enjoyed making a rag rug and intend to keep doing this at home as a new crafting hobby. Jenni explained all the techniques clearly and showed us examples and ideas and we were able to make progress really quickly. Really delicious lunch provided and cups of tea too. Lots of happy working chat. A lovely day. Thank you."

Jenni's Rag Rugs responded:

"I enjoyed sharing techniques and chatting with you. I have made quite a few friends on workshops. Looking forward to seeing your seat mat."

Katherine reviewed: Spoon carving taster session

"A lovely afternoon spent with woodwyrm Dave learning spoon carving basics. Dave is knowledgeable and insightful giving quiet, engaging guidance. The duration was spot on as I had time to make a spoon but if whizzed by enough to take me by surprise that the session was over! I'll be booking in for another session soon. Can't wait"