Latest reviews

Catherine Brampton reviewed: Basket making for beginners using traditional willow basketry techniques

"I had such a wonderful day and I am really proud of the basket I made. I would highly recommend this course as a beginner. Lovely food and great company also ?"

Basket Making Malvern responded:

"We are both really pleased to hear you enjoyed the day Catherine. It was great that you joined the group and your basket was brilliant. Thanks again Jonny and Becky"

JoJoRainbow reviewed: Chainmaille - Helmweave Bracelet

"Lovely studio to learn a new skill. Wendy is very patient and skilled in her tutoring. Will be booking another course soon!"

Sue Brown reviewed: Firebird Forge Blacksmithing School

"Oh Mort, he taught us how to forge and his biscuits were gorge. We went at it hammer and tongs, Mort was there to right our wrongs. Tap it gently ? no give it some welly, they make it look so easy on the telly. Bend it this way, then bend it back, tap it gently ? No ! Give it a whack. Stoke the fire don't let it die, a forge is no good if the heat's not high. Blacksmithing, would I recommend it ? Only with Mort there to help you comprehend it. We had a fab day, Mort was a most excellent tutor and a real bright spark ! My other half managed to make a tripod for a fire pit, I made a moose loo roll holder - every home needs one ? and a snake towel rail - every home one of them as well. Can't recommend him highly enough."

Firebird Forge responded:

"What can I say! Thats definitely the first and finest poem that has been written for a blacksmithing day. Thank you Sue, both for the wonderful review and the fun you both brought to my forge. It was a great day, again, many thanks, Mort."

Alexandre Diaz reviewed: Blacksmithing Introduction courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"This was an excellent course and was great fun. Delightfully hands on, and the required theory was brief yet highly engaging. I walked away with two handcrafted items with my own creative touch and a new set of skills that I look forwards applying again with confidence. The food was also topnotch."

Matt reviewed: Kitchen Knife Course

"What a truly excellent teacher Dave is! I couldnt recommend this course more. He's with you every step of the process but allows you room to get the most out of the day. He's a great bloke too. Very happy with the knife too, it looks fantastic"

Hand forged Yorkshire responded:

"Really appreciate your kind review Matt, many thanks indeed. Was awesome having you in the forge, you did a great job with your knife Kindest regards Dave"

Jayne and Claire reviewed: Fused glass workshop at The Butterfly Effect Studio near Halford

"My sister and I enjoyed the day so much it exceeded our expectations. Helen was exceptional and really made my sister's 50th birthday extra special. We had a warm welcome and a relaxing fun time learning new skills in a beautiful setting. Really recommend this day and we will definitely book another session with Helen"

Butterfly Effect Studio responded:

"Thank you both for such a positive review. I’m delighted you both enjoyed the day and so pleased to play a small part in Claire’s birthday celebrations. Your glass creations look amazing, so full of energy and vibrancy and your curved panels will be real ‘talking points’ in your home. I look forward to seeing you again during another day of creativity???"

Matthew Putt reviewed: Introduction to Green Wood Furniture Making - 2 Day Course in South Devon

"A fantastic weekend with Peter and Toby, great crowd of people, well taught, with just the right amount of input, help and advice. Came away very pleased and happy, would highly recommend."

Geraldine Wythe reviewed: Fibre Fusion /Wool painting Masterclasses

"I felt really welcome from the moment I arrived. Jane is a fantastic teacher with a fountain of knowledge. There is a plethora of materials to choose from and I was very pleased with my result. Oh and her husband makes a mean soup!"

Mariner's Studio responded:

"Thank you Geraldine for your feedback. I am delighted that you are pleased with your landscape and I look forward to seeing it when dry. Enjoy the rest of your vacation."

robin reviewed: Introduction To Creative Floorloom Weaving 1-5pm

"My 18 year old daughter and I had THE BEST TIME at this workshop. Janine got us started straight away and then worked in several thoughtful small moments…one to stop for tea and biscuits, and a few others to show us some amazing new techniques. But for the most part it was four straight hours of weaving and we are just head over heels in love with what we made. Heading back to NYC now and will find ways to continue this technique."

Sue S reviewed: Mosaic day workshop with Professional Artist Coralie Turpin- Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

"A great day to share with my grown up daughter. A good combination of instruction , guidance and freedom with support to follow your own ideas . I will continue with this art form at home"

Coralie Turpin Artist responded:

"That’s really great to hear Sue. You two are lots of fun, it was a lovely day and your work is beautiful. Xx"

Kat reviewed: Mosaic day workshop with Professional Artist Coralie Turpin- Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

"I wanted to try something new and did this workshop. I really like doing very precise detailed work and this was so much fun! The space was big and bright. The other participants very friendly and Coralie and her partner very caring, helpful and friendly. During the whole session, Coralie was very helpful, shaping the tiles, gave good advice and told us a lot about mosaics. It was really hard to choose my project as there were so many beautiful tiles to choose from. I had a really good time and I will continue with this really fun craft! Thanks Coralie and Jason"

Coralie Turpin Artist responded:

"Thank you Kat, you have got great skills already, I am sure you will continue and create some great pieces. Lovely to meet you x"

Fiona Beddis reviewed: Blacksmithing Introduction courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"Absolutely amazing course, what a blast! I arrived to a cheery welcome with mugs of tea/coffee and homemade treats and a chance to meet Debbie, Adrian and Andy - what a fab trio. The day was perfect - coffee and tea on tap and an incredible lunchtime spread of delicious homemade fare. Adrian is a superb teacher instilling a can-do attitude with well-paced instruction with boards showing the step by step construction stages for you to consult. Both Adrian and Andy were constantly on hand for support and advice and provided a relaxed and calm environment for learning and at no point did I feel out of my depth. I suggested the course should be prescribed on the NHS for mental health problems as the day fluctuated between periods of meditative contemplation, staring into the mesmerising glow of the furnace to complete hilarity at the non-stop banter between Adrian and Andy. I also recommend taking time out to chat to Adrian about his incredible metalwork creations, absolutely stunning! I can't wait for the Design and Make weekend................dreaming of being a blacksmith!"

Patrick Warren reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"Very enjoyable and informative and most of all a very patient teacher, will come back"

Chalk Pit Forge responded:

"Hi Patrick, Thank you for your kind words and great review. I'm happy you found it enjoyable and informative! All the best Alex"

Louise reviewed: Introduction to candlemaking course - Minehead, Somerset

"A great couple of hours candle making. Something I have never done before but with the support and guidance from Tammy and Mark I did ok. They were very knowledgeable and friendly making me feel comfortable from the start. A course I would recommend to others"

Twisted Flax Candles responded:

"Hi Louise, Thank you for your review. It was a pleasure having you on our course. We all really enjoyed it. Good luck with the candle making kit. Regards, Mark and Tammy"

Aisha reviewed: Wax Melt Workshop Online

"Fantastic class. Easy to follow steps. Sharon was great made the session enjoyable and was full of knowledge. I would highly recommend."

Sara reviewed: Wax Melt Workshop Online

"Loved the online workshop tonight. It was very informative and I feel like I learned alot. Sharon was so lovely and bubbly, she made everyone feel comfortable and made sure everyone knew what they were doing. I would definitely recommend this course. Lovely way to spend the evening.. Thanks so much. x"

Katharine reviewed: Silver Clay Beginners Workshop

"I had a fantastic day with Marianne, she was friendly, bubbly and supportive throughout the day. Based from her (crafters heaven) workshop, she calmly walked through every step of the process in detail encouraging my ideas to evolve and I left with three pieces of jewellery which I actually will (and have) worn! I've recommended the course to many of my friends and can't wait to get my hands on more silver clay. Thank you Marianne!"

Grey Clouds & Silver Linings responded:

"Thank you, Kat. It was a lovely day of making and you did so well, making some very beautiful pieces of jewellery. I'm so glad you're enjoying wearing them and I look forward to seeing where you go with silver clay journey."

Inês Munday reviewed: Introduction to Green Wood Furniture Making - 2 Day Course in South Devon

"Wow, what an amazing two days! Whether you have any experience with wood or none at all, you will have a great time! It is a great course and you learn alot but I also had alot of fun, in stunning surroundings and with lovely people also there to make it a great experience. Its a great sensory experience too with the smell of the wood and the feel of it too. We had sunny and rainy points but the course is so well set up, we were able to work and enjoy whatever the weather, which was geat and relaxing too. So I loved it. There is always help at hand so I felt able and confident. Really highly recommend it and cant praise Peter and his intern Toby enough."

Sue Brazier reviewed: Beginners silver art clay with Hampshire School of Jewellery

"I really enjoyed my Beginners Silver Clay course. Laura was excellent; very knowledgeable and supportive. She gave demonstrations and clear instructions and was on hand to help and advise if we needed it. The studio is well equipped and laid out and we all went away at the end of the course with lovely pieces of jewellery and a real sense of achievement. Thank you Laura."

Hampshire School of Jewellery responded:

"Thank you so much for your lovely review Sue. I am so pleased you enjoyed the class on Saturday and hope you enjoy wearing your new jewellery :-) Laura"

Hannah reviewed: Mosaic day workshop with Professional Artist Coralie Turpin- Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

"Purchased for my Dad’s 60th birthday present. Coralie was very accommodating when they had to re-schedule. My Dad & his partner had a fantastic day and said Coralie was lovely and a fantastic help. The tabletop they made looks amazing. Thank you very much!"

Coralie Turpin Artist responded:

"That’s great Hannah, it was so lovely to meet them. They were amazing and worked really hard. Yes the tabletop is gorgeous ?"

Tim reviewed: Introduction to Green Wood Furniture Making - 2 Day Course in South Devon

"Thoroughly enjoyable course led by Peter with support from Toby. Very good company and collaboration with other course participants. The pace was just right to end the second day with a piece of furniture to enjoy for years to come. Highly recommended. Thanks Peter and Toby."

Rebecca Upson reviewed: Soap Making for Beginners

"I wanted to do a soap making course in person so I could actually see the different stages. I'm so glad I did the course with Diane. She welcomed me with a cup of tea and we had a chat about what I wanted to achieve. Having discovered I was interested to learn as much as possible she spent some time explaining the process and had written notes ready for me to take home. It was very relaxed and I felt able to ask numerous questions which Diane answered with a great knowledge and understanding of the process. After lunch I was guided through making a batch of my own soap. The process involves caustic solutions and Diane provided excellent guidance and advice to ensure this was done safely. It was also helpful to have her expert eye at the trace stage, ensuring I got the mix to just the right point before adding scent and pouring into the mould. The day was very successful and I achieved all I wanted to. I will certainly be buying some ingredients to have a go myself at home and have some notes on things I might try. I would recommend this course to anyone interested in making soap or just wanting an enjoyable days activity in a friendly, relaxed and safe setting with the added bonus of creating your own unique soap"

Aroma Natural responded:

"Hi Rebecca Wow, what a lovely review, thank you so much, I really appreciate it. So pleased you enjoyed your day with me and learned as much as you needed to have the confidence to carry on making soap at home. Lovely to meet you and spend the day with you. Enjoy your soap when you receive it."

Clare reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"Just had an amazing 2 days of stone carving, ending up with two different pieces to put in my garden. It was so chilled. I really appreciated that I was completely free to create anything in my head, even if it eventually morphed into something completely different! And all with guidance, reassurance & encouragement from Sebastian. Highly recommended. I’m already thinking of what I could make next time…"

Ali reviewed: Introduction to Silkscreen Printing in Cambridgeshire

"A thoroughly informative, relaxing and enjoyable day. Judith made me feel totally welcome in her home as she shared her knowledge and creativity with us. For me, it was a perfect balance of being taught the basics of the technique with scope to experiment independently. Having completed the day, I’ve been inspired splash out on a ‘starter kit’ in order to do some more experimenting in the comfort of my own home. Highly recommended!"

Ewan reviewed: Spoon Carving with Touchwood Glasgow

"This is a fantastic course which has been thoughtfully and meticulously put together by Robert. My partner and I spent a fantastic day learning all the steps in the process of carving a spoon. Robert had laid out a selection of his spoons as well as his tools to help us imagine our own designs and the process we were about to learn about before we then set off on our own creative endeavours! Robert was an incredible teacher and explained every step of the process very clealry. His passion for wood carving was infectious and left me wanting to explore the subject in much greater detail. I will definitely be buying tools to begin exploring wood carving further and this is all thanks to having attended this brilliant workshop."