Latest reviews

sue lintern reviewed: Introduction to Silkscreen Printing in Cambridgeshire

"I highly recommend Judith's screen printing course. We learnt how to print onto paper and fabric, tried several different techniques and finally produced a piece of artwork to take home. The class is small so you can have plenty of one-on-one time and Judith is very patient answering endless questions and explaining options for how you might want to do your masterpiece. This was an excellent and fun day."

Fred Blackford reviewed: Glass Fusing for beginners

"I would highly recommend this course. Great teacher. Learnt loads. Great fun and educational day out."

Karen Almond reviewed: Weave a scarf in a day - handloom weaving

"Anne is a very good tutor enabling everyone to work at their own pace. It was a very enjoyable day. As advertised, I wove a scarf in a day."

Simone Webb reviewed: A Practical Dry Stone Walling Workshop Central London

"My partner booked me this course as a birthday present. I spent the day with John and others at Stepney City Farm building a wall around a duck pond. It was a really fantastic day: dry-stone walling is such an absorbing activity that the six hours I spent there really flew by. John's got a great style of teaching; we were just thrown in at the beginning and told to give it a go, and then as the day went on we learned more and more - both by what John was saying and from watching him work himself. He's really responsive to any questions, and very supportive as a teacher. It was very satisfying at the end of the day to see how the wall had just sprung up, and to know that I'd contributed to making it happen. I'd really love to do more dry-stone walling, although I don't know where I'd do it! Also worth saying that although I was the only woman on this particular course, I wasn't ever made to feel out of place or patronised (which certainly can happen as a woman doing any sort of manual work). Can't recommend enough if you're interested in dry-stone walling!"

London School of Dry Stone Walling responded:

"Hello Simone - thank you for your review and i am happy you enjoyed the day. A great day, great people and project. You juggled with a variety of stone shapes and sizes to find the face edge, a final chip with the hammer developed the right shape, one over two, two over one. You used the shims on inside, heartings and developed the curve with your natural eye. A good job well done. Good luck with future studies, best wishes John"

Louise reviewed: Basic to advanced knitting workshops in Leeds City Centre

"I had a great first class with Ann on Saturday. I had never knitted before and she was very patient with me and went through various techniques. Don't be afraid to book on if you have no experience as Ann is a great teacher."

Leeds Central Faith and Light responded:

"Good morning Louise, Thank you for taking the time to write your lovely review. I'm pleased you found your session helpful. As I said on Saturday, you were very quick at picking up the process. I hope you get lots of pleasure from your new hobby. Kind regards Ann"

Yvette reviewed: Pottery / ceramics / wheel throwing full day

"I attended the six week evening pottery course and have enjoyed it immensely! Over these weeks I have had the opportunity to wedge, throw and decorate/glaze a number of various items. Lorraine has been very patient, extremely informative and knowledgeable about all aspects of the craft and I look forward to the next course so I can do it all over again! Thank you Lorraine for helping me to realise my inner potter!"

Paul Freeman reviewed: Two person 'Have a Bash' at Blacksmithing course in Shropshire

"Simply brilliant. An excellent day for me and my 15 year old son Harrison, each of us making two knives. After making one under close supervision, after lunch we each made our second pretty much on our own, which was really satisfying. I wished I could have made a third and a fourth. At home later I used one to prepare our tea, and we used them all for eating! A great experience, thanks Jake!"

Rowena Joseph reviewed: Painting and Drawing one day workshop for adults with Penny Mason, Birmingham (NO CLASSES UNTIL MARCH 2021)

"I had an amazing day going through the processes of mark making, drawing & painting. Welcomed into their home Penny and Dan made the whole experience a pleasure. The studio is cosy and light, a perfect creative environment. Penny is a wonderful teacher, always encouraging and ready to help at any moment. The groups are small so there is always help when needed. Dan provided us with teas and coffees throughout the day and a delicious lunch. There was homemade cake too!"

Val.peets reviewed: Introduction to creative acrylics with Jan Vallance

"Enjoyed the day, very informative. It was nice to take home a painting to show what we’d achieved."

Hannah reviewed: Jewellery from reclaimed copper

"This course is a really enjoyable experience. Lesley is so patient, helpful and encouraging and I now have some lovely self made jewellery. Lesley showed us how she preps all the materials we were using and explained why as well as giving us useful information if we wanted to try and make stuff ourselves in future."

Tamsyn reviewed: Hand sewn mohair teddy bear making course in Cumbria

"Brilliant weekend. We made a real bear, jointed, hand sewn and full of character. Lynn welcomed us into her home, plied us with tea and biscuits and a lovely lunch and somehow, managed to coach us all to be our creative best and achieve on day 2, what seemed unlikely at 09.30 on day 1. The format was very easy going, relaxed and supportive, no question was a daft question type vibe and we were helped every step of the way. You need to be able to hold your own with a needle and thread, other than that, you soon pick up what you don’t know. ( Or Lynn does it for you ? ) It was a great feeling to be able to say the ‘F’ word and we were all super proud of our bears. Thanks Lynn, we had a great time and am sure will be back!"

Boo Bears Cumbria responded:

"Tamsyn thank you for the review, I am filled with joy every time someone says the "F word" aka "finished", to wake their bear up, lol. Looking forward to seeing you again in Nov to make a Robin Bauble."

Fiona reviewed: Childrens Doll making course with Dalston Dolls (ONLINE)

"Mopsa was wonderful, so helpful and knowledgeable on the making of the dolls, very patient with all of us ladies asking her questions at the same time. I had a fabulous time, met five other lovely ladies making a doll. All of our dolls are excellent thanks to us and Mopsa. The course, I feel, is very reasonably priced, worth every penny. Here's to my next doll."

Fiona Whitfield reviewed: Make your very own crossbody/messenger bag

"This was a fantastic day introducing leather work. Richard was patient, informative and happy to answer queries about the task in hand and general questions. I highly recommend this day, you'll end it with a great bag that will last for years to come."

Martin reviewed: Learn to Turn in the Dartmoor National Park

"I attended this course a few weeks ago after being given a gift voucher for my birthday. I have never done any wood turning before and found the day to be very enjoyable and I learnt a lot throughout. Chris was approachable and very patient, he allowed me to do as much wood turning as possible. He teaches by explaining a concept and how and why it works and gets you straight on to practicing it. Giving tips and pointers throughout, it's evident he enjoys what he does and enjoys teaching. He also takes health and safety very seriously. It was constantly spoke about, and explained why things are done in certain ways to keep you safe. I would strongly recommend this course, after doing this course it is something that I definitely want to do again."

Glyn Barnes reviewed: Blacksmith for a day in the Yorkshire Dales

"The last time I got hands on was back in the seventies, CSE metalwork class at school, thank you for an interesting and excellent day, good company, hospitality , food, oh and the memories of youth!"

Annika reviewed: Experimental Printmaking inspired by Mid Century Design in Derbyshire

"We had a brilliant day at the Experimental Printmaking course. Everything was so well thought out and organised. I really enjoyed getting stuck in trying the various printing methods. I picked up some great tips. Liz’s enthusiasm and knowledge made it even more enjoyable. I would highly recommend this course."

Liz Wellby - Artist, Teacher & Maker responded:

"Hi Annika, Thanks for your feedback - it’s really appreciated. It was great fun working with you all and you produced some lovely pieces. Hope you can continue to explore different print techniques. Best wishes Liz Wellby"

Mags reviewed: Bring Your Own Upholstery Project - Block of 5 days

"Thank you, Thank you - Sarah you are an amazing teacher!!! As you know I was a little nervous about taking my chair apart, the transformation is brilliant and so professional. My husband loves it and he’s the only one allowed to sit in it. This is the second time I’ve booked a course with Sarah and I can’t recommend her classes enough. She explains the processes to suit your learning style. I’ve been on a number of courses, this is the only one where I’m leaving with the confidence to embark on a upholstery project at home. The training room is a great learning space equipped with everything you need. Sarah provides refreshments throughout the day and a lovely lunch. If you’re looking to learn upholstery, Sarah’s your girl!!!"

Anna reviewed: Enamelling Taster Session

"Amazing session learning enamelling. I’d never done it before , but Melissa was a great teacher and made it very easy to do. It was so much fun and I was so pleased with the result! Thank you!"

Gwen Nicholas reviewed: Hand spinning for beginners at Cartmel Handspun

"I have had a brilliant day today learning the basics of hand spinning. Elaine was very patient and knowledgeable as well as extremely enthusiastic about all aspects of wool. Lunch was very pleasant and relaxed and a time to chat and get to know each other a little better. It was great to be able to take away the wool we had spun and to feel that this would be the start of a new craft journey. I would recommend this course wholeheartedly."

Maggs reviewed: Two day stained glass workshop - lead panels or garden sculpture

"It was such a wonderful way to spend the weekend - I created a colourful, and professional looking panel to hang in my home. I am so pleased with my panel and it has already gained several compliments from friends and family. Gigha is so helpful and patient. She explains each step as you go along until you master the different processes. It was excellent value for money and I would recommend the course."

Roger reviewed: Blacksmith for a day in the Yorkshire Dales

"Brilliant day. Great instruction and instructors. Superb lunch. Thoroughly recommend the day."

Natasha Winter reviewed: Drawing classes. Bringing drama and life with charcoal- all levels welcome!

"Really excellent teacher with a sympathetic, can do, hands on approach. Lovely location, beautiful materials. Generous sharing of knowledge and expertise. Cannot recommend highly enough."

Sarah Stokes responded:

"Aw thanks Natasha. It’s been a joy to see your work develop to a fantastic standard! You’ve created some really beautiful artwork. Thank you for the lovely review and see you very soon! ?"

Justin Smith reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Nigel is a great teacher. Everything is demonstrated in a relaxed manner with hilarious stories from his wide ranging experience. I did two days as a complete novice and ended up being hooked! Worth the travel if you are not local. I would find it hard to believe there is a better atmosphere anywhere else in which to start to learn this craft."

CAIN LEWIS reviewed: Wood turning courses

"I had a great day yesterday with George teaching me the art of Wood Turning. It was a very good day, I learned a lot, he has a lot of knowledge and is happy to share it with you. Went home with a lovely ash bowl. I would just like to thank George and Sue for the hospitality. Hopefully will be going back again in the future."

Helen Weaver reviewed: Weave a Scarf Workshop

"Cathy set a perfect balance between support and letting us get on with it! Her wools are beautiful and I think everyone was really proud of our weaving projects today. Thank you Cathy"

Lazykate Textiles responded:

"Thank you Helen, this is very kind of you. Your enthusiasm was infectious, it was a lovely day"