Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn reviews

9 Nov 25'

Sarah edwards reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Paper and Fabric

"Wonderful course lead by the lovely Alison, who couldn’t have been more welcoming and helpful and knowledgable. I loved it and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Sarah, Thank you for your lovely feedback. It was great to meet you and work with you . I hope to see you again! Best wishes Alison"

25 Oct 25'

Irene reviewed: 1 and 2 Colour Lino cutting and printing - (Art in the Barn)

"Great course. Well organised and fun to try a new activity with tutors on hand. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Irene , it was lovely to meet you and thank you for taking the time to tell us about the day . I am glad you enjoyed the day, learning the art of Lino cutting and printing and I hope it has inspired you to continue exploring this process at home . Best wishes Alison "

23 Oct 25'

Susan reviewed: 1 and 2 Colour Lino cutting and printing - (Art in the Barn)

"What a brilliant day - excellent teaching and we were just totally spoilt with beautiful coffee, cakes, support, high quality materials in abundance to work with. It was just simply a joyous and enriching experience. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Susan, Thank you for your lovely feedback, I am so pleased you enjoyed the day and the coffee and cakes ! You mastered the technique of lino cutting quickly and produced a very successful first print so well done . We hope to see you again. Best wishes Alison"

22 Oct 25'

Barbara Gray reviewed: 1 and 2 Colour Lino cutting and printing - (Art in the Barn)

"Very enjoyable to learn a new skill, So much so I will do another lino cutting course when available. Great setting, relaxed atmosphere. Highly recommend a visit."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Barbara, It was lovely to see you again for the lino cutting workshop. There is much to learn with lino so we would definitely recommend a return visit to consolidate what you have learned ! It was great to see your work develop throughout the day and your final print was really effective so well done for a successful first piece . Best wishes Alison "

22 Oct 25'

Paula Chuter-Baker reviewed: Still Life through a Window - inspired by Mary Fedden and Winifred Nicholson.

"The day went so quickly as it was great fun painting still life but with a different perspectives lovely venue and great hospitality. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Paula, Thank you for your feedback, so pleased that you enjoyed your day with us. All the best Alison "

21 Oct 25'

Barbara Gray reviewed: Create Heirloom Angels and Flying Cats and Dogs in Hampshire.

"Great way to spend an afternoon learning new skills. Gorgious setting. Great tutors Great value. Can't wait for my next adventure lino cutting "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Barbara, It was great to see you again for another creative day. So pleased you had a good day with us and we look forward to seeing you again soon. Best wishes Alison and Liz"

21 Oct 25'

Dawn Morgan reviewed: Create Heirloom Angels and Flying Cats and Dogs in Hampshire.

"Well run course with very supportive, knowledgeable Tutor. Lovely setting in an old barn. Hot drinks and refreshments supplied throughout the day. All materials and equipment needed are provided"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Dawn, It was lovely to meet you and thank you for taking the time to review the day. We are pleased that you enjoyed your time with us in the barn. We hope to see you again. Best wishes Alison and Liz"

21 Oct 25'

Lynne Macready reviewed: Drawing for Absolute Beginners in Hampshire.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the day. Having not really drawn since my school days it was lovely to be guided by Liz and given the confidence that I needed to encourage me to continue with drawing/painting. I particularly enjoyed drawing with ink. Excellent flapjacks too Alison!"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Lynne, We are so pleased that you enjoyed the day, and the flapjacks! Hopefully the day has inspired you to continue your creative journey. Happy drawing ! Best wishes Alison "

19 Oct 25'

Lizzie Hope reviewed: Drawing for Absolute Beginners in Hampshire.

"It was an amazing day. Liz the tutor was brilliant and I feel I have learnt so much. Thank you."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Lizzie, Good to hear from you and thank you for your kind words - it's much appreciated. It was lovely to meet and work with you and we're so pleased that you enjoyed your time in the barn. You made such good progress during the workshop and now have the skills and enthusiasm to continue. Keep it up! Best wishes Alison and Liz"

19 Oct 25'

Peter Taylor reviewed: Drawing for Absolute Beginners in Hampshire.

"Very enjoyable experience in inspiring countryside. Felt welcome and listened to. The content was exactly what I needed as a beginner and looking forward to applying the tips and techniques."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Pete, Good to hear from you and thank you for taking the time to let us know about your day in the barn. It was a pleasure working with you. You clearly have a passion for drawing and we hope that your new skills and ideas serve you well. Remember, it's all about the fun and passion for the process. Best wishes Alison and Liz"

19 Oct 25'

Gaye Spencer reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Paper and Fabric - Sunflowers and Seedbeds

"My friend and I have done a few courses at Long Barn and always have a very enjoyable time. We were made to feel very welcome, each stage of batik was carefully explained and our efforts were encouraged. The other participants were friendly and helpful and so the whole day was delightful. We'll come again!"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Gaye, It was lovely to see you both again and thank you for your kind feedback . We are so pleased you enjoyed the day and you produced some great work . We look forward to seeing you both again in the barn soon! Best wishes Alison and Liz 😊"

18 Oct 25'

James. reviewed: Drawing for Absolute Beginners in Hampshire.

"Having never been particularly confident with drawing, I was amazed at how the tutor broke the tasks into manageable chunks and I was very pleased with the pieces I created. Liz was a great tutor - calm, encouraging and approachable. The venue is great, so all in all, I was very pleased with my creative day with Liz and Alison."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi James, Good to hear from you and thank you for your kind words. It was lovely to meet and work with you, seeing your understanding and skills develop. It’s always great to work with someone with such a positive approach to tasks. Best wishes Alison"

18 Oct 25'

Cveta Pavlin reviewed: Drawing for Absolute Beginners in Hampshire.

"A really enjoyable and inspiring day. The time flew by and the company was great. Highly recommend to anyone looking to start creating their own artwork."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Cveta, Thank you for taking the time to feedback on your day. We are so pleased you enjoyed the day and are inspired to take what you have learnt and continue creating at home . Happy drawing ! Best wishes Alison "

18 Oct 25'

Diana Knight reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Paper and Fabric - Sunflowers and Seedbeds

"A thoroughly enjoyable day in a beautiful spacious venue which is Blooming Designs, set within beautiful, rural countryside. A day spent exploring and experimenting with the art of Batik. Alison and Liz are both welcoming, friendly, knowledgeable and approachable. This particular session was led by Alison who has many years experience in this art form. During the day Alison gave talks, demonstrations on the art of batik and then we were given plenty of time to explore and play and produce our own works with guidance and encouragement from both Alison and Liz. Plenty of materials and inspiration available from Blooming Designs as well as from other course participants. Although I attended this course on my own I was made to feel at ease in what is a very friendly environment. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Diana, Thank you for your kind feedback, it was great to meet you and I am so pleased you enjoyed your day with us. You made great progress with the technique throughout the day and produced some lovely work. We look forward to seeing you again. Best wishes Alison"

17 Oct 25'

Paula Miskimmin reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Paper and Fabric - Sunflowers and Seedbeds

"A very enjoyable course which was delivered by Alison and Liz in the beautiful Long Barn surrounded by peaceful Hampshire countryside. The course was well taught, very interesting, well equipped, encouraging and friendly. What more could you ask of a craft day? "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Paula , It was lovely to meet you yesterday and thank you for taking the time to review the day . You produced some great work , impressively intricate work considering the technique, with some successful pieces . Well done 👏👏 I look forward to working with you again . Best wishes "

16 Oct 25'

Pamela Bell reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Paper and Fabric - Sunflowers and Seedbeds

"I really enjoyed all of today & will definitely pursue batik back at home when the tools needed become available. Thank you both so much 🙂"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Pamela , Thank you for your review. I am so pleased that you enjoyed the day and it has inspired you to continue with this process at home . You have made a great start with the technique and produced some lovely pieces with lots of scope to develop your work . If you need any advice please feel free to get in touch . All the best Alison "

1 Oct 25'

Marion reviewed: Block printing on Fabric

"A stimulating environment where techniques were explained carefully and help was at hand if needed. The Block Print workshop was very enjoyable and it produced some quite stunning results. Aany thanks Alison"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Marion, Thank you for taking the time to review the day. I am so pleased you enjoyed the day, it was certainly a busy one and everyone produced some stunning print designs , I was very impressed ! We hope to see you again . Best wishes Alison "

29 Sep 25'

Suzanne reviewed: Create with a Gel Printing Plate - Mono Printing Without a Press

"This was a really fun day course! We learnt the art of using gel plates to create art with acrylic paint. Alison is a great teacher, She methodically taught us the various techniques. It was relaxing, fun and sometimes surprising ! I am now back home putting the newly learned techniques into practice. There are a myriad of possibilities, once you learn the basics, and some of these new techniques give great depth and atmosphere when added to more traditional paintings. Focusing on art for a whole day was a great relaxation, in a beautiful and very friendly environment deep in the country. I recommend this class to anyone who likes to be creative. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Suzanne, Thank you so much for your lovely feedback, I am so pleased you enjoyed the day and are putting what you have learned into practice at home. Gel plate printing has so many possibilities and is such a fun technique so I am really pleased you have embraced it so well - enjoy ! Best wishes Alison"

29 Sep 25'

JMS reviewed: Block printing on Fabric

"Fabulous day out and what marvelous things I created even with my limited skill!"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Jane, Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your day block printing. You produced a lovely block print design, learned how to repeat it and produced a beautiful block printed cushion. I hope that this has given you the confidence to continue exploring this process some more at home . Happy printing ! Best wishes Alison "

24 Sep 25'

Jane Masterman reviewed: Create with a Gel Printing Plate - Mono Printing Without a Press

"I thoroughly enjoined my gel plate printing course and my head is now buzzing with ideas of what I can print next. Well done for the facilities and the running of the course."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Jane, Thank you for taking the time to review the day , it was lovely to see you again . it was great to see your work progress throughout the day, its such an addictive process, I am sure you will enjoy exploring it some more at home. All the best Alison "

7 Aug 25'

Terese and Ann Virk reviewed: Block Printing on Fabric

"I bought this couse for my mother as a birthday gift. It was a brillant day course, we learn loads, got inspired and got to take lots of samples of our designs home. It was set in a beautiful farm. Alison was a great teacher and gave us lots of time to experiment. Would definitely do this again. Alison cakes were delicious too. Thank you Alison."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Terese and Ann, Thank you for taking the time to review your day, it was lovely to meet you both and spend the day teaching you to block print. It was great to see your work progress throughout the day and I hope that it will encourage you to continue with this process at home now you have more time . Wishing you both all the best and I hope to see you again. Alison"

22 May 25'

Hilary reviewed: Explore drawing, print and collage

"I recently attended the Explore drawing, print and Collage course and would thoroughly recommend it. Alison is a very skilled artist and designer and went through a range of techniques during the day. We made a collection of different patterns and images and then used these to build up different collages. The studio was a beautiful light and creative space- a perfect setting for Alison’s warm and generous teaching style. I stayed in one of the Shepherd’s Hut on the farm so only had a short walk to the barn for the course. My partner had a lovely day locally while I did the course. I know we will be back. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Thank you very much for the lovely feedback, it was great to meet you and work with you for the day. So pleased that you had a lovely stay in the huts and we look forward to seeing you again ! Best wishes Alison "

15 May 25'

Sue Broadest reviewed: Explore drawing, print and collage

"Beautiful location and work space on a working farm. Alison had provided a wide range of materials and resources completely appropriate for the mixed media and collage themed course. We worked at a good pace learning new skills whilst combining and creating some finished pieces by the end of the day. It was very relaxed and I highly recommend this gem of a craft centre. A great place to escape the everyday stresses. Alison primed us with cups of tea and delicious cakes throughout the day. I’ll be back again !!!"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Sue, Thank you for your kind feedback. It was a pleasure to work with you again and so pleased that you enjoyed the workshop. You produced some great work and hopefully you get the chance to explore this process at home when things are a bit less busy! I look forward to seeing you again. Best wishes Alison"

7 May 25'

Roger Chapman reviewed: From the garden- still life with a mixed media approach

"As a newcomer to practical art, in my 7th decade, this day was a delight, informative and confidence builder from start to finish. Loosening up was the phrase of the day and it helped me to do that and build confidence to try new things, develop and hone my skills and create art that made me feel happy (if no one else!) Alison is an accomplished artist and teacher in her own right and passes her knowledge on in an easy and supportive manner, Time well spent."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Roger, Thank you for your kind feedback .It was lovely to meet you and work with you. You approached the day with a really positive attitude and were not afraid to explore new techniques and processes with great results ! You should be really pleased with the work that you produced and I hope it has inspired you to keep experimenting . Good luck ! Best wishes Alison"

7 May 25'

Alison Snelgsr reviewed: From the garden- still life with a mixed media approach

"I had a fabulous creative day imersing myself in colour and floral design! Thank you Alison, I’ll be back again for more! Alison"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Alison, Thank you for taking the time to review your day. So pleased that you enjoyed the day, it was great to see how your work evolve and developed as the day progressed, you should be pleased with the outcomes ! I hope that it inspires you to carry on painting at home . See you again . Best wishes Alison"