Latest reviews

Greg reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"It was my second trip to Mark and Cristina's in Walderchain Wood. Had another great day. A day in the woods with Mark and a handful of like-minded souls was just what I needed at what is hopefully the end of lockdown. If you have any interest in this kind of thing please just book and go. You'll have a great day. Great instruction and a lovely lunch from very kind lovely people."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Greg Nice to see you again and glad to hear you enjoyed the day. All the best Mark and Cristina"

carla piper reviewed: Taster pottery throwing lesson (various dates)

"Such a lovely afternoon! Jack is a wonderful teacher, he shows you the aim of the game first off and then with three opportunities to get your hands dirty, lets you loose on your wheel with lots of support and guidance. It was such a blast and would highly recommend Loam."

Abigail McMorrow reviewed: Beginners Candle Making Course with Afternoon Tea

"Hi thoroughly enjoyed the candle making course on Sunday with the lovely Paula. She was so informative and knowledgeable. Also really helpful and approachable. I went in to the course not knowing a huge amount and was surprised by just how much information I learned over the course of the day. It was such an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, especially just after coming out of lockdown restrictions. Thank you Paula. I hope to see you for a one to one in the future! X"

Old Bexley Soap & Candle Co. responded:

"Thank you Abigail, so glad you ejoyed, a well deserved after lockdown treat! Take care, Paula"

Laura Jackson reviewed: 2 day jewellery/silversmithing course - all materials provided

"This course was wonderful. Sue is a fantastic teacher, clear and patient, and I learnt so much. The jewellery-making skills that I gained on this course have enabled me to create pieces to sell, and has motivated me to practice and challenge myself further. I highly recommend this course!"

Sue O'Mara Art responded:

"So great to have had you here for the course, and really satisfying for me to see how your skills have just grown and grown and you now have a lovely business. Well done Laura! Best wishes, Sue"

Anu Kumar reviewed: Pottery wheel & glass fusing private course

"Attended the course recently in Apr after a long wait due to the lockdown. Thank you to both Sarah and Chris for making our day so relaxed, special and wonderful- it was an experience that both I and my daughter loved. You were great patient teachers and the buffet lunch a lovely, unexpected surprise. Thank you again Anu and Nupur"

Sarah Greening Glass responded:

"Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely review! Great to meet you both!"

michael reviewed: Learn the Potters' Wheel in a Weekend

"Expect a warm welcome from an gifted potter who only fires her pots using a traditional wood fired kiln. She also mines her own clay and sources her own glazes. At the end of an intense, but relaxing, weekend course you will know all you need to know about 'proper pottery' - using a wheel, turning a cylinder (OK a mug) adding a handle, turning a bowl and then turning, or finishing its foot, or base. If that's not enough you can add in wild Dartmoor scenery and gun powder ruins. I'm happy to recommend this course. Joss isn't just an enthusiastic potter, she's a torch bearing ambassador for all things pottery and you'll begin to catch the bug - its a bit compulsive . . . although she'll tell you its only playing with mud."

Powdermills Pottery responded:

"What a lovely review! Thank you Michael. Jx"

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

"An excellent day of woodturning. A chance to try something new with patient tuition and guidance. An excellent experience, great lunch and lovely people. Highly recommend."

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

"Thanks for a lovely review, Sam. Glad you had a fun experience; you were a joy to teach. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you take the plunge and need some help."

Jess reviewed: Silver Clay Jewellery - Beginner - 3 Hours - One to One

"I spent a wonderful morning on the Beginner Silver Clay Jewellery course with Rachel. I loved everything about it, from the setting and the sign at the entrance welcoming me, to the lovely conversations, Rachel's knowledge and passion for what she does, and her encouragement, help and support whilst creating lovely treasures and jewellery. I will definitely be back to learn more about the art of silver clay, I'm hooked! Thank you so much for such a lovely experience xx"

Gifted Crafts Company responded:

"Thank you Jessica. You are so kind. You really did impress me with the beautiful pieces you produced. Look forward to seeing you again! x"

Richard Mounstephen reviewed: Leather carving course

"Being a complete novice and having spent too much time slashing the h*ll out leather scraps with my basic swivel knife I thought it best to get some tutoring. Slim is patient, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and very encouraging. I went feeling this craft was probably beyond me, based on my afore mentioned slashing techniques and came away with a fresh perspective and fully enthused to put in the effort and practice. A great day, relaxing atmosphere a fun host/tutor. Definitely Recommend."

Claire reviewed: Taster pottery throwing lesson (various dates)

"A beautiful setting for a fantastic course! Jack is an excellent teacher and was well able to support all 6 of us with making our pots. He gave a clear demonstration of the full process which was then broken down in order for us to make our own pots. Really enjoyable and would happily do another course with Jack!"

mark shepherdson reviewed: Bladesmithing experience day

"Brilliant day and you walk away with a great knife! Steve, your guide, is a wealth of knowledge and experience, masterfully leads you to a completed blade. Definitely recommend to anyone."

White Tiger Knives responded:

"Hi Mark It was a pleasure to host you in the shop today. The time flew by which is always a sign that things have gone according to plan. I'm very pleased that you enjoyed yourself so much and that you're so happy with the knife you created with me. Kind regards Steve"

Bernard Wheeler reviewed: Two day wood carving course at Chillington Hall

"This was an excellent course held in a lovely setting with a superb teacher, Geraint. He described all the factors you need to know, checked on progress at the right times, gave help and advice when asked, and all with a warm and friendly manner. If you fancy giving this a go, no matter what your experience or expectations, I can highly recommend it. This was a gift to me by my lovely wife, and it ranks right up there!"

Amerton Arts Studio responded:

"Thank you so much for your review Bernard, glad you enjoyed it."

Nicole P reviewed: Beginners Candle Making Course with Afternoon Tea

"The candle making course was fantastic!!! Paula was open and honest and explained everything in great detail. She answered everyone's questions and shared her years of knowledge in the group. I came away with so much knowledge about candles and will not look at a candle in the same way again. I have recommended the course to my friends and work colleagues and will be attending the soap making course in the near future once i've crafted my candles."

Angie reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"Great day despite the cool weather. Nick was very generous in sharing his knowledge and the setting in his garden was lovely. I look forward to coming back for the advanced course in a few months."

Glemma reviewed: Beginners Candle Making Course with Afternoon Tea

"I was so excited to attend this candle making class and I can attest that it was fantastic. From the set-up, the hall, the course content, refreshments and last but not least, Paula herself. Paula is very, very knowledgeable and this really translated in how she taught and engaged with us. I feel really confident now in being able to make candles from now on. I'd highly recommend this course if you'd like to know the ins and outs of candle making. 10/10!!"

Sharon reviewed: Beginners Candle Making Course with Afternoon Tea

"I thoroughly enjoyed the Candle Making course with the Old Bexley Soap Co. Paula is an excellent teacher who is very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about her craft. I was very impressed with the candles I came away with and found the process of making them quite relaxing. Unfortunately due to Covid the initial course I was booked on had to be rescheduled, the communication from Paula throughout was excellent and I found the booking process really easy and straightforward."

Steph reviewed: Beginners Candle Making Course with Afternoon Tea

"Paula is simply fantastic. She has a natural gift for teaching and can explain candle making in a memorable and easy to digest way. I had the most fantastic time in her course. I am signing up for her soap making one too. I could not have wished more from this course. 10 out of 10!"

Sam Garrett and Shikha Sharma reviewed: Online Lino Printing Course with Oxford Linocut Workshops

"The workshop was fantastic - very well organised and Claire let everyone know in advance what we'd need for the day. Claire had lots of useful advice and tips, and was able to demonstrate various techniques live in the session, and by showing her own (brilliant) prints. Although the session was online, and there was a mix of experience in the group, Claire took the time to give feedback and advice on everyone's prints, and at the end we all had something to show. We really enjoyed ourselves, would really recommend Claire's workshops!"

Teresa Taylor reviewed: willow sculpture weaving workshop

"Went to the willow sculpture workshop with my brother and his 16 year old daughter, we all really enjoyed it, everyone was very friendly. Amanda did a great job instructing everyone on making their various items.. she had her work cut out as we were almost all making different things. I was surprised at what we all achieved in a day - tea/coffee and cake was provided and we had a short break for lunch.. I have already booked a basket weaving day with Amanda.. and my brother and his daughter also want to do another workshop with her .. so top marks from us ?"

Wyldwood Willow | 🧺 Learn Basketry, Coffin Making, Sculptures & More! responded:

"Thanks lovely! Amazing words from you and i thoroughly enjoyed it too- you were all so good! Look forward to spending more time with you. All the best Amanda Wyldwoodwillow"

Juliet reviewed: One day fused glass

"Melissa was fantastic at delivering the workshop. Everything was explained well and we had plenty of time to practice what we had learnt before creating the final products. Nothing we wanted to create was too ambitious and Melissa made us feel very welcome. We walked away with plenty of knowledge about glass; how to fuse and cut it. Her studio is perfect for one to one sessions, making it worth the money. I would absolutely recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to learn about glass skills!"

Melissa Wellby Glass responded:

"Thank you so much for your lovely review. I really enjoyed my day too."

Justin Taylor reviewed: Two day wood carving course at Chillington Hall

"Not being the most arty or crafty person, I approached this course with some trepidation. I am so pleased with what I created. The tutors were knowledgeable, kind and patient. The venue was in keeping with the corse and both peaceful and relaxing. An excellent course, well worth the money."

Amerton Arts Studio responded:

"Thank you so much for your review Justin, glad you enjoyed it"

Naomi Karslake reviewed: Online Lino Printing Course with Oxford Linocut Workshops

"It was really fun. So lovely to try something completely different and take me well out of my normal spheres. Claire helped me to find skills and confidence that to make a design which started off feeling much too difficult to tackle. I feel inspired to do lots more and would love to attend a course in person when can."

Jan Sharp reviewed: Make your own Sneakers

"Fabulous course, had our pick of lots of gorgeous colour leather, great tuition and produced a professional pair of sneakers in one day! Now my favourite shoes, so unique and comfortable."

Dan reviewed: Come Frame With Me - Making your own Picture Frame

"I had a fantastic day and learnt a lot, as well as coming away with a professional looking framed picture to hang on our wall. Ady created a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, and I would recommend this course to anybody interested in finding more out about how to frame your own art or thinking about about going into this as a business opportunity."

Studio 93 Framing responded:

"Thanks Dan! It was a pleasure hosting you for the day. All the best and I do hope you can take up framing for yourself in the future. Ady"

Brian Charlton reviewed: Rucksack in a day workshop

"My wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed our rucksack making day. Rosanna guided us carefully and patiently through every step of the process. It was great to work through the process and very satisfying by mid afternoon to see the rucksack taking shapes as stitched leather and canvas together and affixed the rivets. Very proud and totally pleased with the finished product."