Latest reviews

Fred reviewed: 2 day axe making course

"This course is definitely worth your time and money, for reasons you might not think... Gary and his team were attentive, enthusiastic and positive throughout the pandemic. Our booking was kept and moved, never was it suggested we cancel. As soon as it was possible, we (group of 10) had been fit in. I felt I knew him well before even meeting him. The course is absolutely brilliant value. The feeling of learning anything new is a lovely one. The feeling of learning something totally new whilst creating a beautiful, practical tool is the best. You are paying less than £20 an hour for direct coaching and tuition to achieve a goal with instant, tangible results. Machines that at first seem alien, dangerous and intimidating will soon become familiar, dangerous and intimidating. You will take a piece of metal about the size of a snickers and turn it into a beautiful axe over two days. The result will be a unique representation of two days of hard work and learning. Whilst you concentrate on how to step down, fuller, flatten, fire weld, power hammer, temper, grind and hang your axe, the most amazing thing happens - you think about NOTHING else. I forgot about covid, the state of the world, my dog, my son, my partner, my family, work, possessions, obligations etc. You focus 100% on a glowing, growing orange piece of metal that turns into a glistening axe for 2 days. In doing so, you focus on yourself. It is almost meditative. You make a sharp thing to play with when you get home but the process was, for me at least, really valuable and special. Gary and his team are clearly very close, almost telepathic. They know what needs doing next, they have a sense of who needs help next. In a place that looks like a hot, dirty, intimidating torture chamber, there is an organised harmony that is a pleasure to see. Better still, is that you instantly feel a welcomed, valued and important member of this team. The instruction is clear, very clear: "I'll stop drawing and hit stuff with a hammer; I'm better at that!" The combination of theory, demonstration, coaching, humour, seriousness and letting you loose is perfect. At no point did I feel like I would be allowed to ruin my axe yet I also felt I had a good amount of unsupervised autonomy. Odd though it is to say, even if I had ruined my axe, the weekend would still have been completely worthwhile to spend time with Gary and his team - they are that good! The course was part of a stag weekend. I can highly recommend it. If you are fed up of liver damage and being banned from whichever country you visit, try this. Once the noise and the heat of the day abate, nobody really has time, energy or ego to want to get drunk and stupid. You'll want to eat, rehydrate and process what you've been doing. Despite being hot and tired, you probably won't even want to leave. Whether for a stag, a treat, a mega corporate weekend or your mental health, this weekend will be some of the best money you ever spend. Do it."

Michelle and Tamsin reviewed: Silver jewellery class for beginners

"We all had a very lovely day. It was very enjoyable to learn some new jewellery skills. As four beginners we were expertly guided in a safe and fun environment. The pieces we created are stunning and the level of detail we were able to achieve was amazing. Would absolutely recommend!"

Salt Way Silver responded:

"Thank you for your kind words. It was lovely to meet you and help you with your jewellery making. Impressive determination from you Tamsin! Jonathan"

Heather and Chloe reviewed: Silver jewellery class for beginners

"Fantastic day creating our own key rings and earrings. We were total beginners but learnt so much under Jonathan's expert tuition. A great and patient teacher! Highly recommended course. Thank you."

Salt Way Silver responded:

"Thank you Heather and Chloe - Lovely to meet you and well done with sticking to your chosen designs! Jonathan"

lorna reviewed: Fun with Paints One (PDF)

"Whilst I realise this “course” is called fun with paints I was expecting at least some actual instruction. This “course” needs to express strongly that it is people who have never even held a brush before, absolute total novices. having done a small amount of painting with acrylics this was a waste of £5."

Aztec Kreative Studio responded:

"Appreciate your feed back, however was sorry to hear you where dissapointed. Have taken note and will change some of the wording. Many Thanks Karen"

Max Hogg reviewed: Creative metalwork and welding, scrap metal sculpture.

"Izzy and Felix ran a brilliant course for us today, thank you! The course was put together so well - catering for absolute beginners, but giving us real freedom and trust to use proper machinery (plasma cutters, MIG welders etc). The small course numbers meant we got one-to-one tuition on every machine. I was a bit concerned that I had been a bit overambitious in my project (a fire pit) but Izzy and Felix both jumped in to help where needed (but encouraged me to solve the more interesting challenges, like trying to weld closed a larger-than-planned hole!) I would wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone, and will be telling everyone about it. Thank you both."

WTF Workshops responded:

"Ah Max, thank you for such a lovely review. It was great having you and Abbie with us, you both did really lovely projects and were both SO good at welding! Like, are you secretly both part time fabricators??! You're obviously very good learners...! I hope your fire pit and candle holder light up your home and bring you both lots of happiness :)"

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

"Husband and I treated ourselves to a 2 in 1 day with Blended Monkey as belated birthday presents. We had a super full day. Simon and Louise are both excellent as teachers, giving you plenty of advice and encouragement and a soupçon of constructive criticism. Neither of us had done any wood turning before and I could have happily turned my piece of wood all day but by lunchtime we had made honey dippers. The workshop is a comfortable place to work and has high quality equipment and a range of safety features. At the end of the morning we had a chance to explore the garden and meet the resident cats, fish and dog. I did pottery with Louise after lunch. Louise started off with pinch pots and we moved on through slab pots to throwing on the wheel. There was plenty of clay and lots of advice. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished pots after firing. A very full day, well worth the money just don’t wear your best clothes and cut your nails!"

Blended Monkey responded:

"Thank you for your lovely review Valerie. We're really glad you enjoyed your woodturning and pottery experience and it was a pleasure to have you in the studios. It was nice to see that you'd not forgotten some of the throwing techniques you'd previously learnt, even if it had been a while since you'd thrown. Well done!"

Ieva reviewed: Beginners Soap Making Course with Afternoon Tea

"Excellent course. Full of useful information and practice. I left the course very confident and excited to make more soap bar batches. I had a wonderful time and home baked food! Paula was a great presenter and host. Thank you so much!"

Old Bexley Soap & Candle Co. responded:

"Hi Leva, good luck in your soap making journey. A real honour to have you in my course. Take care. Paula"

Rebecca Coutts reviewed: Introduction to welded metal sculpture

"We spent 2 days with Alan in June and had a great time. As a complete beginner, he taught each technique and process in detail to quickly be able to work alone, and the equipment available to use is vast. Alan is an excellent teacher stepping in to help when needed and stepping back to watch us learn. We will definitely be returning later in the year with our son"

John Hollyoak reviewed: Electric guitar (6 String) Building day course

"Great course. Very interesting to see guitar being put together stage by stage. Ted explained everything clearly and paid great attention to detail. I found the day very enjoyable and can recommend the course to anyone who has an interest in electric guitars. Ted is also an excellent player and shows you what can be achieved on your creation. He is also an all round good bloke!"

Teds Woodworking/ instrument making Courses responded:

"John was a very practical 5and has some good skills. I hope to see him again soon as he has time on his hands now. Well done John"

Angela reviewed: Introduction to Candlemaking

"Really lovely evening candle making … great teacher , encouraging and friendly ."

Linda Heggie reviewed: One day bangle/ring workshop

"Jolene gave us a warm welcome to her lovely studio from the very start. Going in as a complete beginner I found learning the skills fascinating. Jolene demonstrated everything very clearly and supported us through the process of making 2 copper and 1 silver bangle, giving guidance as needed. Jolene is so positive, encouraging and fun so we laughed our way through the day as well. And yes her chocolate brownies are every bit as good as people say!! I would highly recommend Jolene’s courses and am certainly considering returning for another. Thank you Jolene for a lovely day ?"

Jolene Smith responded:

"I really enjoyed the day and thank you for a lovely day x"

Gail reviewed: Introduction to candle-making as a business

"This was a great day and great value, I learnt so much about candle making Jo was so friendly and welcoming. Jo is so knowledgeable and passionate about candle making and was happy to share her knowledge with us. Her studio had such a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The best thing was we got to take home all we made. Thank you so much Jo for a really lovely day."

The White Candle Company responded:

"Thank you so much Gail. I wish you lots of luck in your "new life". Be brave, you can do it! x"

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

"Thank you so much Becky and Jonny. I thoroughly enjoyed this course and I am delighted with my oval basket. In addition - I would very much like to acknowledge Becky's and Jonny's kindness and generosity. Rather than a workshop attendee - I really felt more like a guest. Since the workshop - I think I have managed to refer to my basket making in every conversation I've had..... Great People - Great Workshop - Great Location - Great Lunch - Great Cake - Great Basket Xx"

Basket Making Malvern responded:

"Thank you so much Susan. We loved your gorgeous card you sent and it was lovely to meet you and spend the day weaving with you."

Chloe Ely reviewed: 'Big bucket' leather bag making workshop

"I had such a great time making my bag with Eli, she was so lovely and accommodating, and I have learnt so many great skills. Not only that but I have come away with my new favourite handbag - AND I MADE IT!! I love her ethos and to know everything is reclaimed is even better! If you've ever wanted to try something new, and make something super special, this is such a great idea! Thanks again, I have been using my bag everyday since!!"

Peter Roberts reviewed: Introduction to green woodwork course at Sallerton Wood

"The course was a Christmas present from two good friends. Gosh, was I lucky! I was initially reticent about going, but within moments of arrival, I was enjoying the forrest location under cover of a relatively open, but protected shed. Andy was an excellent tutor who was fully hands on giving group and individual guidance without "taking over". Even the least practical of those attending found they could manage to produce some great products to take home and show off to family members. Being a pretty hands on DIY'er I learnt a whole bunch of new things that I could do. It was huge fun! Thanks, Andy!"

Sallerton Wood responded:

"Thanks, Peter, for your enthusiastic review. We are delighted that you enjoyed the course, and we'd love to welcome you back to Sallerton Wood if you choose to do another course sometime in the future."

Kate Daly reviewed: Basic automata and mechanical toy making

"A lifelong wish to build an automaton was brilliantly delivered by Stef. Great location, workshop, tools, advice, help and tuition. All proper wood, so the final toy is beautiful, and the personal achievement immense. You have to choose one of the standard designs, but perfectly possible to have dancing elephants if you prefer to dancing sheep…. Just ask Stef. I wanted something complicated - and we did it. I had a lovely time."

Penlan Crafts responded:

"Dear Kate Thank you for your kind review. I am glad you had a lovely time, I really enjoyed working with you! Your enthusiasm and commitment paid off, your automaton is beautifully made (although I’m still debating within myself the right position of the black sheep!). All the best"

Debbie reviewed: Introduction to candle-making as a business

"I had such a great day on this fun, informative course. Who knew that there was so much to learn about candle making! Jo is a lovely bubbly person and great teacher with SO much knowledge in her craft. I would highly recommend this course, whether you just want to learn how to make your own beautiful candles for yourself, family & friends or are considering candle making as a business. Take the course – you won’t be disappointed!"

The White Candle Company responded:

"Thank you Debbie...glad you had fun. Ill be popping your candle in the post tomorrow!! ?? ive managed to get rid of the Sweet Orange and Chilli Pepper from my body...eventually!!"

Ben Davenport reviewed: Watercolour Techniques for All - Taster Session Online Course Monday Morning Via Zoom

"Thanks Purnima, I really enjoyed the course. You were very insightful about materials, medium and technique and created a relaxed and informal environment to work in. Great fun for experienced artists or beginners. The demonstrations and examples were clear and well shot and you provided some great information of how to make great art, at home and on a budget. Thanks again, it was a great evening for me and the other learners."

Carla Harris reviewed: Silver jewellery class for beginners

"Had a wonderful day at Salt Way Silver. Having had no experience at jewellery making, we left with beautiful rings that will hold a very special in my heart and jewellery box forever!"

Salt Way Silver responded:

"Hey Carla! Some great ideas today and some very interesting questions! You did well and it was a fun day teaching you both. Thank you for choosing Salt Way Silver : ) Jonathan"

Judi Harris reviewed: Silver jewellery class for beginners

"A completely inspirational day! So many tricks of the trade learnt. I definitely will be following up with experimenting myself with jewellery making. Thank you Jonathan!"

Salt Way Silver responded:

"Well done with your silver jewellery making and thank you for your kind words. It was a good, fun day and I enjoyed helping you with your silver jewellery. Jonathan"

gillian marriott reviewed: One day bangle/ring workshop

"Amazing day, ? Definitely worth doing, Jolene has a wealth of knowledge, but makes it so easy to understand what you are achieving, in an extremely friendly atmosphere, we had two copper and one silver wire to work with, and she is there to guide you every step of the way, yet letting your own creativity produce the final product. This is a must do course for anyone!!!! Not least because of the yummy homemade brownies ??"

Jade Brown reviewed: Design a room in your home with weekly one to one consultations

"I signed up to Nikki’s 5 week interiors course as I wanted to pull interior schemes together in a coherent, organised way. The course modules are easy to understand and full of insight. Each week Nikki spends time going through your ideas, colours, images and gets you to really think about why you have chosen these things and how they work together. Nikki is so kind and easy to chat with. Also full of industry knowledge, Nikki was able to offer ideas to add to my design that I never would have thought of. I now have the modules to go back over time and time again so I will never forget the skills I have learnt."

Georgina reviewed: Botanical Eco Printing in Lake District

"Excellent day. The tutor was delightful and knowledgeable and the venue is great. I’d definitely book there again."

Hare Hill Barn responded:

"It was so nice to meet you both and I am glad you enjoyed the day. I was so impressed by all the beautiful pieces that were created. Thank you for your review and we hope to see you again."

Vik Shuker reviewed: Introduction to candle-making as a business

"A fantastic course. Jo was a great teacher full of information and helpful tips and I’ve come away with a large bag of beautifully scented things from the day. I will definitely be recommending it to all my friends and family."

The White Candle Company responded:

"Thank you so much Vik. Glad you had fun! Take care and keep in touch. x"

Ann reviewed: Introduction to candle-making as a business

"Wow! What a fantastic course. I’ve done candle making courses before and left feeling that there was still so much to learn. This one was by far the most informative and confidence boosting course I’ve been on. Jo is friendly and fun and made the day so very enjoyable. I left having learned so much and can’t wait to get my business started. Thanks Jo"

The White Candle Company responded:

"Thank you so much for this Ann. It was lovely to meet you and Im ezcited to see where your journey takes you. Do keep in touch! X"