Latest reviews

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

"Fantastic day so many different types of Raku results brilliant Richard so knowledgeable thoroughly recommend to anyone wanting a great day"

Potterydayz responded:

"It was a pleasure doing Raku with you Debbie - many thanks for the review. See you again I hope."

Nicole Davids reviewed: Cyanotype Workshop

"We had a wonderful morning with Jane making our cyanotype prints. Jane was very knowledgable and it was really interesting to find out about the science and history of this technique. The process was great fun and really easy to get great effects. There was plenty of time to try out different textures and objects as well as make pieces that were more considered. A really enjoyable workshop!"

Woods Creative responded:

"Thank you so much for your review Nicole and I'm glad you enjoyed the workshop."

Erik Roszkowiak reviewed: Bladesmithing experience day

"The day was very enjoyable and informative. Steve is a brilliant teacher, patient and observant. His workshop is well equipped and all safety measures are in place. I was very pleased with my results.Thank you."

White Tiger Knives responded:

"Hi Eric Thank you for your review. I'm very pleased that you enjoyed your bladesmithing day with me so much. The day was a full on, hands on, steel hammering experience and to top it all off you created a lovely knife. Kind regards Steve"

Tom Edwards reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"Fantastic weekend making a Knife that I will cherish forever. Arian is a great teacher, his passion is contagious and made the course even better than I thought it would be. Would highly recommend to anyone looking at the course to do it, you won't regret it"

Mike Macdonald reviewed: Log to tumbler with Gedwood

"Great course - really enjoyed the day. I have almost no woodworking skills but that was not a problem, and the demonstrations were good and easy to understand. Ged was an excellent instructor and always there to sort out problems when your needed him. It is a fascinating process that is using the same techniques from hundreds of years ago. We all managed to get a couple of tumblers to take home and I am looking forward to being able to use mine, in a couple of months once the wood has seasoned."

Gedwood responded:

"Enjoy your dams soon Mike, Thanks Ged"

Kerry Smith reviewed: Recycled China Mosaic Workshop Full day /Half Day

"I thoroughly enjoyed the mosaic workshop. Adela has a lovely workroom and is incredibly talented with so many amazing pieces to look at. From start to finish, Adela was welcoming and carefully explained the process of forming mosaics. We even had a potted history of artists and their work. The time flew by and I could have stayed all day! Would recommend to anyone. Thank you for such a great morning."

Petronella Aloikin reviewed: One-to-one 3 day lampshade making masterclass including business startup guide for crafters

"Such a great course.moji is not only very knowledgeable but also goes far and beyond.l am looking forward to joining her again on other courses in the near future."

Moji Designs responded:

"Dear Petronella, Thank you very much for your kind words and I am so glad to hear you are keen to return to do another course with me at my Studio in Brighton. I am looking forward to seeing you again. Happy lampshade making and do get in touch if you have any questions. Moji x"

Catherine osborne reviewed: Make a Tiffany stained glass tea light

"I really enjoyed this workshop. Kate is a really good tutor & i learnt so many new skills. I was really happy with what i created too. I would do the course again in a heartbeat i enjoyed it so much."

Shelby reviewed: Lampworking Workshop: Half Day Beginners Workshop

"This was such a great day. me and my mum did the half day workshop and was really surprised in what we achieved. We have never done lampworking before and it was a complete surprise for my mum. After an impressive demonstration we were left to our lamps to have a go. Like all crafts, it needs practice, and we were left to grasp the feel of working with glass at our own pace. It was very refreshing to not have the tutor quickly take over the minute we go off kilter a little. We received our beads 2 days later and was incredibly proud of our achievements. Be warned it was mesmerising and I can totally see anyone getting hooked."

Suzanne Jewellery responded:

"Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely review. I am so pleased you and your mum enjoyed your Lampworking experience."

John Pinner reviewed: The complete basics of woodturning (2 days)

"I've been talking of starting woodturning for years. Finally got to start after I was bought a lathe and a set of chisels for my birthday, along with this 2 day course. Because of covid it was 6 months until i could get to Mark's course. So all my turning was done from you tube and trial and error. (Mostly error) After the initial excitement had worn off, I was getting increasingly frustrated, destroying more pieces than I was finishing. Loved my 2 days spent with Mark, a great teacher and very patient. We ran over on day 2, probably down to me asking so many questions, and even though we finished almost an hour and half late, i was never rushed into getting finished. Loved our chats over lunch, which were completely unrelated to woodturning. Spent all of sunday spinning bits of wood in my workshop, can't believe the difference its made. I can now make more than just firewood."

Mark Hancock responded:

"Thank you John. Hope you've got that bowl gouge ordered. All the best, Mark"

Chris Peters reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"I have done some woodturning for several years but am self-taught and never had 1-2-1 instruction, consequently my technique leaves a lot to be desired! I saw this 1-day course, a birthday present from my wife, as an ideal opportunity to do something about this. From the moment I arrived Simon and Louise made me most welcome and the whole day was delightful. Simon is an inspirational teacher and as well as helping me to improve my basic skills he suggested lots of ideas for extending the range of projects I could consider in the future. I also learnt a great deal about the way Simon has organised his workshop and enjoyed chatting about many different aspects of this fascinating craft. Louise provided frequent cups of tea and a lovely lunch which greatly added to the enjoyment of the day. I can thoroughly recommend spending a day with Simon whether you are an absolute beginner or more experienced."

Blended Monkey responded:

"Chris, Thank you so much for your lovely comments. You were a model student - made one of the best beads I've seen! I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future and catching up when you next visit the Ely Crafts market. All the best, Simon"

Emma Beardsley reviewed: 3 Hour Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving at the Elka Studio, Upper Slackstead

"I've never done a workshop like this before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ellie was fantastic.....really friendly and welcoming and explained everything as we went along, making it easy to understand and do the weaving. I was so pleased with my finished piece....the three hours went quickly! If you're thinking about having a go at weaving, and you've never done it before...do this workshop....it's brilliant!"

Elka responded:

"Thank you so much for the lovely review Emma! It was an absolute pleasure to meet you :)"

Roz reviewed: Come Frame With Me 2 - Bring a Friend or Relative

"Such a fabulous day learning the fundamentals of picture framing. Ady is an excellent tutor, working at the perfect pace to allow someone new to picture framing to take everything in and make notes, whilst maintaining a good momentum throughout the day. We came away with the confidence to have a go at home and enough enthusiasm to want to book further courses to hone our skills. Absolutely delighted with the frame I created on the day it gave new life to one of my Mother's paintings. I should also mention that the refreshments were top notch as well. So if you are hesitating about booking this course, don't, it's worth every penny. Thank you Ady and Cathy for a wonderful day."

Studio 93 Framing responded:

"That’s very kind, Roz; it was a pleasure to host you and Becky for the day. Thoroughly enjoyed the rapport and your enthusiasm. My best wishes for your future framing and please keep in touch."

Amelia Lambert reviewed: Beginners Traditional Stained Glass 2 Day Course

"I was given this weekend stained glass course as a Christmas present, and I couldn't have asked for anything more wonderful! I was the only person booked onto this course, so benefitted from 1-1 tuition from the lovely Gill. I was given the option of creating one large A3 piece from leaded stained glass, or try a smaller leaded A4 stained glass piece on the first day and a copper-foil stained glass piece on the second. I chose the two separate pieces and am so glad I did- both techniques are really interesting, and Gill is a brilliant teacher! She made it so easy, from cutting the glass and stretching the lead to using the soldering iron. She explained everything clearly and made it an absolutely pleasure. It was so lovely to have someone so interesting and knowledgeable to chat to throughout the weekend, and the beautiful location also helped! As an added bonus, the lovely Santa and Michael from the farm shop on site made us the most delicious lunch. Worth visiting just for their white chocolate and raspberry brownies! I’ve come home with two beautiful pieces and am very much looking forward to returning in the future."

Gill Rogers responded:

"Many thanks Amelia for your wonderful review and kind comments, it was so lovely to meet you and I had such a fun time too! Hope your enjoy your beautiful stained glass leaded panel and bird suncatcher. Well done you, they looked absolutely stunning! Look forward to seeing you again sometime in the near future. All my very best wishes Gill x"

Michelle Bourne reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"I had this experience as a birthday present which I shared with my sister. We both had a wonderful time learning all about making a selection of pots and painting them. Matthew was a fantastic teacher and we absolutely had the best time. Highly recommended."

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Thank you Michelle, I had a great day teaching you both and the resulting pots produced were fantastic. Best wishes Mathew"

Andrew King reviewed: Log to tumbler with Gedwood

"I have done a couple of other green woodworking courses and enjoyed learning new skills. This course was a great day and a whole new set of skills to learn. Ged was patient and helpful throughout the day with some great tips and fixes for my mistakes. Amazing to get a couple of tumblers made when starting the day with a tree trunk! It's hard work, but very much worth the effort."

Gedwood responded:

"Thanks Andrew. Some fine tumblers made and soon be ready for a dram or two!"

Christine Russell reviewed: Asymmetrical basket making courses - two days with Joe Gregory at Creative with Nature Todmorden Yorkshire

"Thoroughly enjoyed the workshop, in fabulous new premises. Joe is a great teacher, I'm amazed that I was able to make a basket in two days. I wish I lived closer, would love to do more."

Creative with Nature Ltd responded:

"ah that's lovely christine thanks you! you did a lovely job and a particularly nice class: ) well done a lot of work went into your basket. joe. xx"

Jane Gentry reviewed: Introduction to Natural Dyeing, Mere, Wiltshire

"Thoroughly enjoyed the day! Lovely environment so friendly and welcoming. I learnt so much and it was so great to be introduced to a subject that I had previously very little knowledge about, but going forward will certainly be pursuing. Thank you Claudia for a very memorable day!"

Elka responded:

"Hi Jane, Thank you so much for the lovely review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the day and felt like you learnt a lot! It was great to meet you. Best wishes, Claudia"

Adrian reviewed: Two day (consecutive) stained glass starter course at North Norfolk Stained Glass

"I did the 2-day stained glass window course. There was just 2 on the course so got lots of one-on-one tuition. This course is excellent and I really enjoyed it. I was amazed that I was able to make a complete stained glass unit after just 2 days :)"

North Norfolk Stained Glass responded:

"Hi Adrian ? Thank you for your fab review! I hope both yours and Mandy’s panels are hanging pride of place in your window at home! :) Best wishes Natalie, Paul & Gracie xx"

Miranda Newbery reviewed: Woodcarving with Jason Thomson sculptural woodcarving with hand tools, eccentric whittling courses, Sheffield.

"Great course allowing you to do your own design. Thanks"

Jason Thomson - Sculptor responded:

"Thanks Miranda it was a great productive day and your little wren was lovely."

Becky Gulvin reviewed: Needle Felting Workshop - landscape pictures

"What a fantastic course and teacher Pip is, I had a wonderful morning making two beautiful pieces I would have happily bought if I'd seen them in a shop! I was a complete beginner. Pip was friendly and welcoming, ensuring there was tea and tasty pastries to keep me going. I would recommend this course in a heartbeat, excellent :)"

kate Titley reviewed: Block printing on Fabric

"Great day out - beautiful setting, patient and thoughtful teaching. Friendly group - wonderful way to share a day, learning a new skill in lovely company."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Kate, Thank you for your feedback, it was lovely to work with you. Happy printing ! Best wishes Alison"

Helen McCormack reviewed: Weekend BEGINNERS IN-DEPTH WORKSHOPS - Bobbin Lacemaking Workshops (Effingham, Surrey).

"I really enjoyed this course. Tina is an excellent teacher, and I learned so much more than I imagined I would. She has a great teaching style, and I feel confident that i will now be able to make a start independently!"

Tina's Bobbin Lacemaking responded:

"Hello Helen. It was a pleasure to teach you, and see your pleasure in understanding what you where making and the satisfaction that it gave you. I am looking forward to seeing the pieces that you make on your own. I hope to see you again in the near future too. Regards Tina"

Sarah Power reviewed: Make a Tiffany stained glass tea light

"This was a fantastic day! The workshop is very well equipped and Kate the tutor was excellent. I felt I learnt a lot and produced a nice piece of work that I am very pleased with."

Menli reviewed: Copper wire jewellery Workshop, Madeley, Cheshire

"The course was absolutely superb and I genuinely enjoyed each and every moment of it. Kami was very kind, patient and understanding. She showed the different methods to make wire jewellery. Made myself 3 different style rings. I totally enjoyed and learned a lot in a comfortable environment. Highly recommended!"

Mya Designs responded:

"Menli, You did a fantastic job with the rings you made and picked up new skills very quickly, you're a natural and have some great idea for ring making. I would love for you to continue with this craft at home and hope you will come and join me again soon. It was lovely to meet you and thanks so much for attending the workshop. Take care Kami :)"