Lynne Friel reviews

Amy reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"I cannot recommend this course enough- to say it was perfect is an understatement. Lynne is not only extremely experienced, she is also incredibly hospitable. Lynne was very accommodating to the ideas I had in mind, and encouraged creativity with fantastic guidance to what was actually possible. Her leather options were beautiful, and she had a perfect array of lovely buttons, thread and elastic. Lynne is an absolute gem, and I hope more people discover this course! Thank you so much for your time Lynne, I couldn’t be more happy!"

Lynne Friel responded:

"Hi Amy, thank you so much for your very kind review. I loved the way you incorporated the collar of an old leather coat into the wraparound cover. I'm sure you'll be keeping your eyes open for discarded leather that you can recycle, the back and sides of worn out leather settees are a good source. It was a pleasure meeting you and your mother - what a thoughtful present. I hope I may see you both in the future and if you get stuck on anything do get in touch. Best wishes, Lynne"

Bernice O’Reilly reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"One of the best workshops I’ve ever done. Lynne is an excellent tutor, guiding you all the way with the practical information, skills and techniques but she also gives you space to be creative if you want. I came away with two fabulous notebooks which I’m very proud of and my family were very impressed. I’d definitely sign up for more courses by Lynne and have recommended this one to everyone I know. Five stars all the way! "

Lynne Friel responded:

"Thank you so much Bernice. Your books turned out so well and I'm sure you'll be able to make lots more at home. It would be lovely to see you again at one of my workshops. The first of the Intermediate book workshops start in June, although lots of people come two or even three times to the beginners' one - the results are always so different. Happy book making, best wishes, Lynne"

Sally Robinson reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"Lynn was welcoming and hospitable from the start. We were provided with a pre-prepared box of tools and a rainbow of colours of leather and threads with which to make our books. Lynn had a calm and encouraging manner which was very conducive to learning new skills. There was delicious home-made cake and plenty of tea and coffee to punctuate the day too! I am so pleased with my two beautiful books and I look forward to making some more! Lynn also gave us a set of very comprehensive notes to take away. A very enjoyable day! "

Lynne Friel responded:

"Hi Sally, thank you for your kind review. It was lovely to meet you and Angela on Saturday and I'm so glad you both enjoyed the workshop (and the cake). I really liked the closures you both devised, using a pencil to slide into a leather loop to make the books stay shut. If you have any queries when you're making the new books don't hesitate to get in touch. I'm going to put up an 'Intermediate' leather journal workshop soon and hope I might see you both again. Best wishes Lynne "

Llisa Preece reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"Thank you so much for this lovely course Lynne. I’m so pleased with my 2 journal books. Great environment for learning. Great value for money. "

Lynne Friel responded:

"Thanks Llisa, it was great to meet you and I'm really pleased you enjoyed the workshop, best wishes, Lynne"

A Moore reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"Lynne is an extremely hospitable host - we were treated to cherry cake and plenty of tea before the course while we waited for the third person to join us. Everything was provided to get us under way and Lynne proved a friendly, easygoing teacher with lots of experience and knowledge to share. We didn't realise we were going to do two books, so that was a bonus! Although there were lots of leathers to choose from, I'd have liked a few more colour choices. But that was the only missing ingredient. My friend and I had a wonderful time and were so hooked that we bought a kit to take away. We had no trouble finding a car parking space and the convenience for Chichester or surrounding areas like Bognor or Bosham is outstanding."

Lynne Friel responded:

"Hi Alison, thanks for coming and for your very kind and thoughtful review. I'm heading to the leather merchants soon and will make a note to pick up more brightly coloured leather options. Best wishes Lynne"

Sarah Seymour reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent course. Lynne really knew her stuff and was a generous, well prepared, kind, thorough and attentive teacher. Great to learn such a practical skill and her enthusiasm for helping me get ready for my exhibition was much appreciated. A really good and useful day."

Lynne Friel responded:

"Hi Sarah Thank you for your kind review, It's always exciting when an artist brings the bare bones of an exhibition. I really enjoyed teaching you to cut mounts and helping you prepare for Hampshire Open Studios next week. Good luck with the rest of your preparations and here's hoping for many sales.. Best wishes, Lynne"

Sue Enticott reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"A truly stimulating and fun day. Lynne is a hugely impressive and accessible teacher. Not only does she have huge talent and knowledge herself but she is a natural communicator. Her thorough preparation beforehand ensured that all the materials were ready in front of us, so not a moment of the day was wasted. I am not naturally gifted in the handicraft department but Lynne made sure I succeeded with very clear instructions and helpful notes, so I never felt out of my depth. We all finished the day with each of us having made two beautiful leather bound books - I was so chuffed and couldn't quite believe I'd actually made them. And neither could my daughter when I gave one of them to her."

Kim reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"Such an informative day, excellent teacher who structured the day to make sure we all achieved two books. Instructions were easy to follow and a nice relaxed atmosphere to work in. Looking forward to signing up for the intermediate course. Thank you Lynne"

Lisa C reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"I had a fantastic day, thank you Lynne for being so welcoming and kind. Your such a lovely teacher with lots of colour choices of leather, thread and elastic. It was such a calm and informative learning experience. I had so much fun. I can’t wait to make more books. Thank you. Lisa"

Mark reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"A very relaxed and enjoyable course, Lynne is an excellent tutor and presented the course at a good pace and made it fun throughout. Can't recommended this enough. My wife bought this for me as a Christmas present, so seemed only fair to give her one of the two journals I made! Huge thanks to Lynne for such a great course."

Chris Hägg reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"This one day course with Lynne was excellent, a good starting point about the intricacies about mount cutting. Everything was very well explained from start to finish and Lynne is a very experienced and patient teacher. And the homemade cake was yummy too."

Joaquin Trigueros reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"As a completely clueless newbie I felt Lynne gently guided me from zero to hero in a few hours. I feel confident now to go ahead and purchase what I need and get to work mounting all the photos I have been printing over the last few weeks. This course is precisely what I needed. I hope to take another course with Lynne in the future, now that my eyes are open to further mount cutting possibilities."

Celia Javan reviewed: Christmas workshop in Chichester, leather books, key ring purses, cards and tassels

"What a wonderful day I had with Lynne. The cake was delicious, the music soft and gentle, the venue perfect and the handouts really helpful. The star of the show was Lynne who is a brilliant teacher instructing with patience and enthusiasm so that we all left with well crafted items that will make beautiful gifts. I highly recommend her courses to anyone who wants to learn a new skill."

Jo Taylor reviewed: Christmas workshop in Chichester, leather books, key ring purses, cards and tassels

"A lovely day! Lynne is such an engaging teacher; her support and clear instruction ensures that you come away from this workshop not only with some unique hand made leather gifts ready for Christmas, but also with the confidence and skills to 'do it yourself' at home. Highly recommended, thank you again Lynne."

Vicky & Robin Jones reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"The day was full on but very well structured and there was a lot of information to take in but Lynne was very clear and willing to go over things when we struggled to understand. Lynne was very patient especially with the maths and working out of the sizes of apertures we were cutting. We were both complete novices but came away with several mounts and a wealth of really useful information on equipment and tools Lynne has a wealth of experience and went beyond what was described on the course helping me to cut a multi-aperture mount and advising me on mounting cross stitch We would highly recommend this course."

Hilary Kidd reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"The day of learning to cut mounts was very interesting and productive. It took some time to get used to using the cutter, as I am left handed and its design seemed to be biased towards right handed people! Lynne helped me to find out the best way to use it. I made mounts for a photo, a monoprint, and a drypoint etching, all completely different pieces of work. The day was very well structured, and although there was a lot to take in, we still had time to chat over coffee and lunch. Overall, Lynne was an excellent teacher, very knowledgable but also relaxed and approachable."

Christine Taylor reviewed: Christmas workshop in Chichester, leather books, key ring purses, cards and tassels

"This is the fourth workshop I have attended with Lynne. Once again Lynne was an excellent teacher, organised, patient and generous not least with the cake! We all left having made multiple items and the enthusiasm and skills to continue at home. I would highly recommend attending workshops led by Lynne and intend to do more."

Angie Hatchett reviewed: Japanese book making

"This is the third course I have done with Lynne - she is an excellent tutor, endlessly patient and it was quite an honour for me to be at her first Japanese book workshop with Jayne. I came home with three pretty little books, two softback and one hardback with a hinged cover and have already thought of so many uses for making more! I felt that the three of us overcame a couple of small technical difficulties by bouncing ideas off each other and it was a thoroughly enjoyable day which just whizzed by. I have already recommended Lynne's workshops to friends and hope to do another myself in the future."

Jayne Towndrow reviewed: Japanese book making

"So having previously completed a leather journal workshop with Lynne I have now done Japanese stab binding. This is endlessly fascinating to me. I came home with three completed, absolutely beautiful books. I find this an absolutely stunning result. Lynne is a great teacher, patience without limit, which frankly is a requirement with me in a classroom. I don't know how she does it. I learned exactly what I wanted to learn so it was terrific. Because she is as she is, one feels able to have another go, at home or another workshop. I felt I could be myself and ask questions. Over and over. And I met Angie who I just loved straight away. One of the most wonderful things was the range of choice for one's books. So many papers and colours and threads. It's like no two books need ever be the same."

Angie Hatchett reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"I had a very productive day on this course. Lynne is an excellent and patient tutor. I was new to cutting mounts, although I've done a fair amount of straightforward cutting, I have never before used a beveled cutter. I returned home with three mounted pieces, one of which was an etching I'd done many years ago which had been spoiled by being stuck with non archival tape to a board. I'm very happy to say that it has been rescued as best as it can be and is now safe for me to frame. I did get confused at one point, but Lynne was at hand to put me right. She is a very encouraging tutor and I would certainly recommend her courses."

Angie Hatchett reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"I had a most enjoyable day yesterday. Lynne is an excellent and patient tutor. I have come home with two lovely leather books - I had to go and give them a little pat this morning, just to make sure I'd not dreamed them up. It was an extremely hot day and Lynne did her utmost all day to make sure that myself and the other student were comfortable, with fans and drink etc. She also provided a delicious home-made cherry cake and we enjoyed a morning break and, having bought along our own lunch, we sat in her pretty secluded garden. I would recommend this course unreservedly."

Jeremy Wyman reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"Yet another excellent course from a Platinum Craft Course provider. We do lots of courses and this one is one of the best. We have the journals we made in pride of place in our hall for all to see and couldn’t have done it without Lynne’s careful help. Lots of interesting discussion, really good cake and excellent notes to take away if you want to continue. These notes have to be commended as they are clear complete and helpful. Downside is that we have now started looking at any leather item in a new light, wondering how many covers we could get out of a leather coat in the charity shop for example!"

B Stocks reviewed: Leather travel journal workshop

"Had a great few hours with Lynn and learned so much. She was a great tutor and willing to share lots of tips and tricks. Really pleased with the journals I brought home. Inspired to get on and make some more. The cake was yummy too!!"

M Abery reviewed: Leather travel journal workshop

"An excellent day - really enjoyable and thrilled with the journals I made. Lynne was a great teacher - explained everything well, provided well set out learning materials and ensured we practised during the day on our own so I’m confident I can make more of them to an equally high standard. She also generously provided delicious cake, which helped us along!"

Kamome reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"Due to an up-coming exhibition, I urgently needed to learn about mount cutting, but Lynne taught us mount cutting together with framing, which in fact one needs to learn for proper presentation of the work. Lynne pays absolute attention to the details, and even when I made a mistake, she showed me how to recover from it. Lynne also gave us plenty of practical and valuable information which cannot be found on the internet, based on her many years of experience. It was a workshop conducted in a warm and very friendly atmosphere, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day."