Latest reviews

Teresa Chlapowski reviewed: Sand Casting in Glass with Jon Lewis and Ewa Wawrzyniak

"I first took the sand casting course with Ewa and Jon a few years ago and am now completely hooked! It's mesmerizing to see glass being poured (by Jon), honey like, into your sand moulds, made a few hours earlier by me in Ewa's studio. The excitement of seeing this alchemic medium transport your ideas into something so amazing is palpable. Both Ewa and Jon are extremely patient, helpful, happy to experiment with you but also able to guide you and your ideas to fruition. All you need to bring is some inspiration and a few things to press into the sand for your moulds, though Ewa has lots of shapes too so actually you can come with nothing but leave with something truly creative, and above all having had a lot of fun."

Bryony reviewed: Glass blowing for beginners with Jon Lewis

"My partner and I had a great day on this course, learning from Jon. I've wanted to try glass blowing for many years, so this was a fantastic opportunity. Jon was really welcoming, and we got stuck in to our projects early on in the day. It is clear that Jon has a good plan for the lesson, and knows what can be realistically produced by eager beginners (us!) without ever feeling rushed. Jon was also able to provide great guidance without taking over, so you really feel that what you have created is your own! Parndon Mill is a beautiful setting, and eating lunch in the sunshine outside the studio added to the experience. All in all, a really enjoyable day."

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

"I had an enjoyable and relaxing day creating a unique hare sculpture. I was made to feel very welcome and Jo is an excellent and helpful tutor. All materials were provided and it was great to come home with a finished hare at the end of the day. All stages were explained well and Jo was there to give advice and guidance when required. I enjoyed the day so much, I’ve booked to go on another of Jo’s workshops in a few weeks!"

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Bev ! Looking forward to working with you on your next sculpture! Jo ;-)"

Val Taylor reviewed: Silver jewellery stacking ring workshop with WyeMade

"Spent the morning making silver earrings. Ann is patient, friendly, knowledgeable and a skilful teacher. A fabulous experience. Thank you"

WyeMade responded:

"Thank you Val"

Rhian G reviewed: Leather Clutch Purse Workshop

"Thanks to Tracy for a thoroughly enjoyable experience! My sister bought me a half-day workshop as a Christmas present so I chose a clutch bag workshop. There were two of us on the day, plus Tracy. Her workshop is lovely and bright, in a converted dairy barn/shed and she'd emailed me the specific details a few days before so I could find the location easily. Tracy was really patient and broke down the task into manageable steps, meaning it wasn't as intimidating as I'd feared! The process itself was immensely satisfying and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed working with the different leathers. Tracy was also brilliant when I accidentally stabbed myself in the knuckle and bled all over her pristine floor - sorry Tracy! As well as coming away with a bespoke clutch bag in the leather of my choice, I got to personalise it by stamping my initials into the leather. Added to this was Tracy's homemade bara brith at tea break, which was very nearly as good as Mam's! This is a perfect gift for someone creative/practical, as well as for someone who maybe lacks confidence - it was such a buzz seeing the final product! I loved every minute. Thanks Tracy x"

Sarah reviewed: One day Mosaic workshop Moon Hare Studio, Devon

"I attended this course with my partner and we had the best time! Everything is provided, from materials to refreshments to Covid ppe. Adela is a great teacher and the whole thing was fun, informative and relaxed. My partner was so into it he barely even touched the refreshments on offer and had to be forcibly dragged to lunch - something that is basically unheard of! I cannot recommend this highly enough."

Jeanie reviewed: Needle felt a robin - live online workshop

"Amazing class! Gwen is so patient and her tuition is excellent. The kits arrived in plenty of time and you couldn’t buy better quality supplies. I loved this class and can’t wait to book another!"

Gwen’s Felted Paintings responded:

"Jeanie, thank you so much for your lovely review! It was lovely seeing you again ?"

Charlotte reviewed: Pot throwing on the wheel for a Half Day

"I booked a three hour pottery throwing class with my mum, and we had such an enjoyable time. Neither of us had ever thrown pots before, and we both created a couple of pieces! Richard was extremely helpful and has so much knowledge to share. Covid restrictions were considered, we both felt very safe. Don't hesitate, just book!"

Potterydayz responded:

"Great to see you both at Potterydayz, delighted you enjoyed the experience and many thanks for the review"

Sharon reviewed: Stained Glass Sun Catchers. One day class. Beginners welcome.

"Love it! Love it! What a fantastic day we had with Clare. She explained everything so well even I could follow! So happy with my hanging butterfly on a spinner. Can't wait to come again!!"

Woodland Crafts responded:

"Thank you for your kind review Sharon. So pleased you enjoyed your day with me and hope to see you again soon Clare x"

Susan reviewed: Needle felt a robin - live online workshop

"I had an amazing time at this workshop! I've never attempted needle felting before and was pleasantly surprised how much fun it was. The kit arrived promptly through the post and had everything needed. Gwen, who runs the workshop, is a wonderful teacher and was really cheerful. Her instructions were clear and worked fantastically well over zoom. Will definitely be booking again!"

Alison Smith reviewed: Blacksmithing Beginners day courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"This was a retirement gift from work, I thoroughly enjoyed it all, met some like minded folks and had fun. They took really good care of us, not only with the metal work, but also due to the lockdown restrictions. A really good group that presented and not to mention the lovely food and flapjacks, could not recommend enough. Thank you"

Greg Morgan reviewed: Beginner’s Soapmaking Workshop in Salisbury

"I attended a soap-making workshop in Catherine's little workshop in early September 2020 and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The whole day was well-paced, with plenty of time for questions and discussion and ample opportunity to put everything into practice when we set about making our first two batches of soap. A highly recommended and enjoyable experience!"

Louise O'Reilly reviewed: Needle felt a robin - live online workshop

"I did a felting course with Gwen on Zoom, it was brilliant, really good fun, easy to follow instructions and a great way to relax. I made a picture of a cactus plant in a pot and it looks really good. I have it on my wall in my home office and when I look at it I am reminded of that afternoon. Thanks Gwen, when I have time I will definitely do another!"

Gwen’s Felted Paintings responded:

"Thank you so much for your lovely review Louise. I’m delighted that you enjoyed it. Your cactus was lovely :)!"

Mal Hallard reviewed: Expressive painting in oils or acrylics

"I find Liz a great inspiration. She has a perfect balance of support and direction with helpful demos and constructive advice as your work progresses. She has helped me to loosen up my style and produce more expressive work. The studio and garden are inspirational and relaxing places with the added benefit of a great gallery attached. I thoroughly enjoyed her Expressive Gardens workshop and its such a treat to have all the materials you need provided on the day."

Christina reviewed: Furniture Painting Workshop (levels 1&2 techniques covered) in Warrington, Cheshire

"Attended the furniture painting and upcycling workshop a few days ago and it was excellent! The workshop was a perfect size, really chilled and informal and the location was perfect, surrounded by beautiful gardens and a fab little café. Jo was an excellent trainer and I picked up some great prepping and painting techniques and advice around the best paints and brushes to purchase. Will definitely be attending more of Jo's sessions! X"

The Boho Shed responded:

"So pleased you enjoyed the workshop Christina. It was a pleasure for me and your little chair looked really gorgeous. I look forward to seeing you again soon. X"

Anastasia reviewed: Needle felt a robin - live online workshop

"I have really enjoyed this course - the kit provided was excellent and Gwen was a great teacher in explaining everything! Both my sister and I managed to have a nice finished piece by the end of the workshop and we never done any felting before. We really enjoyed it and I would highly recommend this course to everyone !"

Rachel Beeston reviewed: Enamel Jewellery - Beginner - 3 Hours - One to One

"The enamelling course with Rach was absolutely brilliant. The workshop is in a beautiful setting. She is a great instructor, clearly very knowledgeable but explained the steps simply. She gave us plenty of freedom to choose what we would like to do and was always on hand to answer questions. A really friendly and relaxed approach which made for a wonderful morning. I couldn't recommend enough."

Gifted Crafts Company responded:

"Thank you so much. It really was a lovely morning. And well done for your beautiful pieces."

Natalie reviewed: Needle felt a robin - live online workshop

"I am not a particularly creative person but was persuaded to have a go at this by a friend. It was actually really good fun and I did much better than i thought i would. I've never really done much craft work before but Gwen was really good at explaining how to make the picture so in the end mine didn't look too bad for a beginner! It was a really relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Would definitely recommend this course. It was a great way to spend an afternoon and I now have a picture I made myself to put on my wall."

Andrew McQuillen reviewed: Leather Bag Workshop - Two day Evancliffe Leathercraft Workshop

"I had only made one thing with leather (a wallet) before going on this course I walked out of Clive and Wendy's home on Sunday night with a fantastic handbag my wife loves. Let's backtrack a bit though. The course should have been in July and was cancelled due to covid. But all through I was kept up to date from Clive or Wendy and never thought for one minute the course wasn't going to happen. From the moment you draw up outside their house their attention to covid requirements is fantastic. It also never dropped over both days. Enough on that. Safe to say you are well looked after. The course itself is very well structured and takes you step by step in bite sized chunks through the bag making process. From doing a test stitching piece (a purse for the bag) through cutting out dying leather, cutting straps, attaching straps, decorative sewing. The list goes on. This course is no picnic you work hard for two days, but with the good humour, dedication, great teaching and obvious love of leather making from both Clive and Wendy the weekend flies by, and you leave with a beautiful piece you can truly be proud to have made."

Evancliffe Leathercraft responded:

"Hi Andrew, Really pleased you enjoyed the workshop. Thanks for commenting on the Covid-19 measures. We have put a lot of thought into how we run the workshops with this issue in mind, including reducing the student numbers, our new demonstration area with screen etc. etc. We're also really pleased that your wife likes the bag. It's a new bag of our own design offered for the first time on last weekend's workshop so you're the first student to complete it. We're hoping to add some of the photos we took of your bag to the Craft Courses listing later today. Great to meet you and enjoy your future leatherwork."

Claire Boyle reviewed: Beginners Candle Making Course with Afternoon Tea

"I loved this course and its really inspired me to make an effort to do this as a hobby to learn & perfect this craft. I didn't think I'd absorb as much info as I did and I also had no appreciation for the theory behind making a great candle. Paula was friendly, informative, patient & so willing to share her passion. The day flowed very well, just enough to take in and it was a real treat to take time out for me! I'd highly recommend it :)"

Old Bexley Soap & Candle Co. responded:

"Hi Claire, really pleased to hear you will take candle making as a hobby and I wish you all the best. Paula"

Charlotte reviewed: Introduction to green woodworking with Gedwood

"A great introductory workshop. I had a really enjoyable day learning the basics and trying out various different tools and techniques including using the pole lathe. Ged is a great teacher, very knowledgable and patient and I enjoyed learning from him. Its a beautiful relaxing setting and I'd recommend the course, its definitely inspired me to learn more!"

Gedwood responded:

"Thanks for that Charlotte. I enjoyed the day too! See you on the log to stool course"

Fay Hallard reviewed: Expressive painting in oils or acrylics

"Spent a lovely relaxing day in the Secret Garden last week with Liz. The perfect antidote to these strange and unsettling times. Learning painting techniques and colour mixing tips to create an expressive garden painting in acrylic using the inspiring surroundings in the garden. Liz is very supportive and provides all of the inspiration and resources required to make this a thoroughly enjoyable day."

Cheryl Cox reviewed: One day Mosaic workshop Moon Hare Studio, Devon

"I had a brilliant time on the all day mosaic tiling course, the time flew by. Adela provided a warm welcome so I was immediately at ease. She is an excellent tutor giving lots of encouragement on our projects. She started by talking through a helpful worksheet, demonstrating how to cut tiles, providing helpful tips and then we were let loose on our projects. The main thing I discovered was that the mosaic tiling is very tricky! I will definitely be back to do one of her other courses."

Colin Wicks reviewed: Bladesmithing Weekend

"A birthday gift from my partner. And what a great day it was. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Came away with a knife I can use in a bit of bushcraft. Nothing fancy but function is more important. I've used it and am well happy. Definitely recommend."

Clarke Knives responded:

"Thanks Colin, I hope we'll see you again soon."

Jane Shaw reviewed: Bead and Wire jewellery: a Cowshed Creative workshop, in the Lake District National Park near Kendal and Windermere

"As an experienced silver smith just taking up making again after a long break I found this course a useful aid to help me re engage with the stages of making. I really enjoyed making the spinner ring and found the tutor Amanda to be very patient and helpful, showing how easy the whole process of making a spinning ring can be, and the endless design possibilities that there are. The Cowshed was was a really nice venue for the course and so tranquil and George was so accommodating with coffee and the food was superb! And the barn was so warm as the day was rather cool. I had a wonderful day and would definitely come on another course."

Cowshed Creative responded:

"Thanks for such lovely comments Jane. Great to meet you and hope to see you again."