Latest reviews

Chris Roberts reviewed: Patchwork and quilting week with Dawn Cameron Dick

"Dawn is very knowledgeable and imparts this clearly. She went through some very basic information about needles and thread that de-mystified issues that had bugged me for over 40 years. Although I was unable to stay for the whole week I feel confident that I can continue due to the clarity of the instruction. Delicious food and cake throughout. I highly recommend this course."

Lilac Barn responded:

"Thank you , I am so pleased that you enjoyed the course and sorry that you had to leave early. I hope to see you again gin the future. Cherry"

Clair reviewed: Weave a patterned scarf in a day - Harrogate

"A great day learning to weave a scarf and Anne was a super tutor. Looking at getting a loom ?"

Steph Hughes reviewed: English Round Baskets, 2 days with Phil Bradley in the Yorkshire Dales

"I attended a two day basket making course at Broadrake with my 13 year old - we had a great time. Phil was an excellent tutor - clear explanations, patient, helpful if we needed extra guidance and with an obvious love of his craft and material. Broadrake is a fabulous venue in the most amazing surroundings. The barn is warm and comfy, with space to work and Rachel and Mike are excellent hosts - the food is delicious. A lovely relaxed atmosphere and a very enjoyable two days…and we cane home with two baskets and a bundle of willow to feed our new addiction!"

Belinda Strachan reviewed: English Round Baskets, 2 days with Phil Bradley in the Yorkshire Dales

"I've just had a very enjoyable two days at Broadrake, learning to make an English round basket. Phil Bradley's tuition was excellent and Rachel Benson made us most welcome and provided delicious homemade lunches."

Mark Cartwright reviewed: Firebird Forge Blacksmithing School

"What a fantastic day! I'd certainly echo all the other reviews here - Mort is a great teacher, this is well suited to total beginners like me, there's a lot of value in watching someone who is clearly a master of their craft working (without at any time patronising us poor novices), he has a wealth of historical anecdotes to share, and his great patience (he was willing to run well over time without a hint of hurrying). The thing that really distinguishes this from other starter blacksmithing courses, though, is what you get to do. The ubiquitous Viking knife - the product of a whole day in most other places I've found - is just the morning's practice starter. Once you have learned a bit about how hot metal works, he will work with you on a personal project of course choice in the afternoon. I did a fancy leaf-blade spearhead, modelled on Iron Age exemplars, and even got to learn about (and try) fire welding hard and mild steels to extra authenticity. And when we'd finished personal projects, and Mort is polishing up the pieces, he let us play with forging other random bits of scrap, just to help consolidate technique. Many thanks, Mort. I won't forget this day in a hurry!"

Firebird Forge responded:

"Thanks Mark. It was great to have you in the forge for the day and well done on the brilliant spearhead. It’s not many students that fireweld that well on their first day! All the best, Mort."

James Castle reviewed: Firebird Forge Blacksmithing School

"What a way to celebrate my 50th ! Mort is an excellent teacher. Kind, patient and hugely knowledgeable. I learned so much. not just about blacksmithing, of which he is an alchemist, but his historical knowledge is awe inspiring. He took a complete novice and guided me through the processes to make a small hand knife and a pizza oven scraper that I am so proud of. The forge is an exiting and safe place to be where students are gently guided through to make life lasting pieces. I am sure that the memories will last a lifetime too, but I hope that I will get the opportunity to come back to the forge soon. I couldn't give Mort more praise! Thank you."

Firebird Forge responded:

"Hi James, many thanks for your review and for your enthusiasm on the day. It’s hugely appreciated, Mort."

Christine Yates reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"Really enjoyed the course. Would recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about working with resin."

Nicki Roberts reviewed: Art Yarns

"Cathy delivered an excellent course, she put me at ease and made the day fun and exciting. I learned many new skills from spinning art yarn and have taken the knowledge on board to practise at home. Highly recommended."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Nikki, It was great to share my enthusiasm for art yarns with you. Thanks for coming. best wishes Cath"

Gail reviewed: Free Motion Sewing/Applique - 1:1 course

"Brillian day with Caroline, she is a great teacher, very patient and gave clear instructions. We started with the basics and worked on more complex sewing by the afternoon. Cant wait to get started at home."

A girl in her shed responded:

"Hi Gail It was a great day. So pleased you enjoyed and learnt from it Caroline"

Betty reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Had an absolutely fab time today on the one to one course. It was something I always wanted to try . Bob had a fabulous personality, he was very matter of fact if I made a mistake and was very patient with me. I must have driven him nuts but he was so mild mannered and explained what I did wrong and how I could improve in such a gentle way. He went at my pace and didn't rush anything. Bob is a great teacher with decades of black-smithing experience. What a fabulous and informative day. I would highly recommend this course."

Christine @ Coco Gifts reviewed: Introduction to candle-making as a business

"I found this course to be exactly what I was looking for, a very professional insight into the nitty gritty of candle making for anyone wanting to sell to the public. Jo was very friendly, and the groups are extremely small, so you get to ask questions and chat as much as you want. It was a really enjoyable day, but very informative...not at all intimidating for anyone with no knowledge of candle making. I would recommend for anyone. Jo is very honest, answers all your questions, and has a wealth of credible knowledge. I searched for ages online looking for a proper candle making course that was not just a hen party style play around for a couple of hours, and have not come across anyone else who offers such a professional course for serious business start ups. I could not recommend more! And the sandwiches and cakes were super too... what more could you ask for!"

Mrs Elaine Fox reviewed: Mindful Embroidery for Beginners Lincolnshire

"Terrible service. Emails not answered. No contact phone number. Tried to cancel due to illness but was told no cancellations after 4 weeks... I only booked 3 weeks before! I was allowed to carry my money to another course but this was wrong because the course i had originally booked onto was cancelled anyway! I tried contacting to get my money back but as usual no reply! This is no way to run an organisation. Disgusted, disgruntled never to be again customer. Bet I lose my £36.00"

Beehive Wellbeing responded:

"Good Evening Elaine, We are very sorry you are disappointed with the service you think we offer. We try very hard to provide a really personal touch, good quality teaching and experiences on all our workshops. You will see on Craft Courses we have a gold rating and are very close to receiving a platinum level for our courses and the amount of 5 star reviews we receive. We have many happy and returning customers that attend and book further workshops. We do have a cancellation policy like many other businesses that does not allow you to cancel close to the workshop date. If we did not have this in place we would have people cancel on the day and lose money. As a small business this is not viable and would impact our ability to run further workshops."

Grace Cauldwell reviewed: Crochet workshops in Leeds City Centre

"Ann was friendly, knowledgeable and competent. My mum and I had a fabulous time learning to crochet. I went from having no idea how to do anything to being confident in basic stitches and able to follow a pattern. The venue is lovely, but Ann is the star, with intense support, because of the personalised learning and an easy to understand manner and clear explanations."

Leeds Central Faith and Light responded:

"Thank you Grace for your kind words. I am glad you and your mum enjoyed the workshop and that you felt that you had progressed whilst learning to crochet. You were both a pleasure to teach. I hope you have both found something to relax to."

Jake reviewed: Kitchen Knife Course

"Had a great day. Dave is clearly very passionate about his work and that rubs off onto you. Would reccomend to anyone who wants to challenge themselves. Seeing the final product once the handle and blade are oiled is a joy to behold. Learnt alot about how to manipulate patterns on high carbon steel aswell as the Rockwell chart."

Hand forged Yorkshire responded:

"Many thanks indeed for your kind review Jake, very much appreciated. It was great having you in the forge, really glad you enjoyed the day. Kindest regards Dave"

Lindsay reviewed: Throwing for beginners

"Both myself (Lindsay) and my wife (Francine) attended a tuition day, the course was excellent. Charles gave full explanations and support throughout the day, which meant we achieved our goal of throwing some half decent looking pots. The day was a great learning experience which we intend to continue / take further. Thanks Charlie for a great day, looking forward to glazing our pots once kilned. Hope to see you soon."

Charlie's Pots responded:

"Hello Lindsay & Francine Many thanks for your lovely feedback. It was a pleasure to meet you both and I look forward to seeing you again for the glazing. Best wishes Charlie"

Marie Segar reviewed: JJB Upholstery, one-off, unique, handmade footstool, border sheep tapestry/ boucle

"The foot still is lovely. Very beautifully made. Initially was damaged by carrier but repairs / replaced super fast with no hassle at all. Great communication at all times."

JJB Upholstery responded:

"Thank you for your custom and understanding :) We are glad you are pleased with your purchase."

nicola williams reviewed: Tuesday evening - Ten-week termly jewellery workshop at Sea & Solder

"Ive just finished my 10 week course with Jules and it was amazing something ive wanted to do for a long time. Jules is a wonderful knowledgable teacher who has helped me make some gorgeous jewellery! Ive signed up again for another course and hope to learn more from this very talented lady ?"

Sea & Solder responded:

"Thank you Nicola, you have made some incredible pieces this term and I can't wait to see what other lovely pieces you design and create next term. Thank you for signing up again for next term."

Paul Hewitt reviewed: Wood Carving Course

"Tutor's knowledge was excellent and the class size was good enabling us all to get some good time learning a new skill"

Stanwick Lakes Art and Craft Courses responded:

"Thanks so much for your review. We are really glad to hear you enjoyed learning a new skill at Stanwick Lakes."

Eva Stacey reviewed: Lino printing landscapes

"What a great day! Learnt so much about colours and how to mix them to get the desired nuance which was great fun. Lee was respectful and encouraging, giving just enough tuition to guide us in the right direction with expertise advice. I was astonished at the result at the end of the day, had such an enjoyable time with great company. Thank you!"

Lee Wright Artist responded:

"It was great to meet you Eva and glad you had such a good day. You should be very proud of the beautiful prints that you made. Lee"

Hannah reviewed: Beginners Ring Wax Carving Workshop

"I'd always wanted to create my own ring and this was the perfect way to start. I was given total creative freedom but so much guidance and knowledge from Emily. Such a fab teacher! I'm so excited to see the final result! Thank you so much for the experience, I really want to do more!"

The Metalsmith responded:

"Thank you so much for the lovely review, Hannah! I’m so pleased you had such a lovely time; it was lovely to meet you! Looking forward to seeing how your ring turns out too!"

Cosmin Dragu reviewed: Fused Glass Suncatcher

"It was a lovely morning session learing about glass and how to create beautifull pieces of art. Teresa was very helpful in aiding me to find my inspiration and showed me a lot of examples as well as answered my questions well. It was especially nice when I wanted to make a pattern that was new to both of us; there Teresa used her knowledge to guide me and offered me the tools to try and create what I had in mind. Overall the experience was a very good creative outlet."

Shirley Owen reviewed: Art Yarns

"Art Yarn Course. What a wonderful day. Cath made us very welcome and we enjoyed the whole experience. Cath shared her wealth of knowledge on Art Yarn and we learnt different techniques. It was clear that much preparation had gone into getting ready for the day. We achieved a lot learning from Cath and spinning different art yarn techniques. Cath demonstrates and describes very clearly. I would highly recommend this course. The location was easy to find and the craft room was very light and comfortable. A brilliant day and there was cake too? Looking forward to having a copy of Cath’s book when published."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Shirley, It was lovely to meet you and such fun to share my love of colour and spinning. best wishes Cath"

Annie reviewed: Tuesday evening - Ten-week termly jewellery workshop at Sea & Solder

"I did a 10 week course recently and it was fantastic. I really appreciated the small group as there was scope to get all the tutoring and advice I needed to do my pieces. The workshop is well equipped and a nice environment to work in. Tea and cakes/biscuits were supplied! In the time, I managed to make a ring set with my own glass plus three bangles held together with three rings and three discs dangling from it (a design I wanted to make to represent my three children). Jules is a calm and diligent teacher. She was great with me as a complete novice, but also with others who had done silversmithing before. I would highly recommend the course and I’ve already booked again."

Sea & Solder responded:

"Thank you Annie, it's been wonderful teaching you and seeing you enjoy your journey into silversmithing. Your work is lovely and I'm looking forward to seeing what you make next term. Thank you for joining us again."

Bert Rodgers reviewed: Potter's wheel pottery - half day course Siramik

"Top experience - learnt so much! Would definitely recommend it."

Siramik responded:

"Hello Bert, thank you for your kind words, you were both great students too. Your pots are nicely drying and just a bit longer before they are ready!"

Janette Gormley reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"Mathew is an excellent teacher and I learnt a huge amount in a short space of time. He is very informative, patient and encouraging; we all received individual tuition throughout the course with very clear group demonstrations. I highly recommend this course."

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Janette, thank you for taking the time to leave a review and I had a great day teaching you all the skills to throw great forms on the wheel. The pots that you produced look fantastic and they are now in the process of being fired ready to be used. Best wishes Mathew"