Lynne Friel reviews

3 Jun 19'

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

"This is the second course I have attended with Lynne.I can’t recommend her courses highly enough. She is an excellent tutor and the day was well planned. The materials were first class, each of us was provided with all the tools and sundries we needed to complete two books and the cake and tea flowed. What more could you want. The knowledge I gained and the instruction sheet we came away with left me confident that I can pursue this craft at home."

30 May 19'

alix mercer-Rees reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"I have attended two courses with Lynne and would highly recommend them, both the journal making and mount cutting. Lynne is a experienced and calm teacher and willing to share her vast knowledgeable on the subjects she is teaching. Working in a small group setting meant no one was left out and understood clearly what was going on. Lynne bakes a lovely cake as well!"

21 May 19'

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

"As a photographer, there is the creative flow of taking, processing, cropping and printing a photograph, but attending Lynne's excellent course reinforced emphatically for me that mounting is another essential part of that creative flow, and one not to be neglected or handed over to a framing shop! Lynne is an excellent teacher, attentive and responsive to the needs of her students, and I was very pleased indeed to take home my mounted work at the end of the day to show off. The day was well structured, with good notes and demonstrations moving quickly on to preparing and cutting mounts ourselves, we were so engrossed and caught up in it we lost track of time! An excellent day, and very pleased indeed that I attended."

17 May 19'

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

"Really informative day and surprisingly satisfying! Learned more than expected and will definitely be booking the next level course"

16 May 19'

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

"An excellent course that Lynne has structured and organised down to the finest detail. Lynne is a brilliant, patient tutor attending to each student individually and inspiring us with confidence. Lynne has a wealth of knowledge and experience that she shares willingly. A thoroughly enjoyable day wherein I feel I have learnt so much about every aspect of the mount cutting process. The clear and comprehensive notes are excellent too. I would recommend this course most highly."

16 May 19'

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

"I can't imagine a better or more enjoyable introduction to mount cutting. Lynne got us hands on straight away and by the end of the well-organised day all three of us in the group had received individual attention as needed and produced two professionally mounted pictures. Lynne's very clear and methodical approach along with the very informative handout left me feeling confident that I would retain all I had learnt. I'm now raring to go!"

30 Apr 19'

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

"Lynn's workshop was such a blast! Really worth investing in the day. Resources were well prepared and the instructions incredibly clear. The raw materials were plentiful and I was able to make my own choices, and Lynn was there to teach and guide on how they could/should be used. Making two books meant I could keep one and give one away as a handmade gift. All in all a perfect day. Thank you. Ps. The cherry cake is superb!"

10 Apr 19'

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

"Very good and enjoyable course. Lynne is very organised (everything was laid out before our arrival) and a great teacher. The class was small and tuition was shared equally amongst the participants. Not only did we learn how to make professional looking mounts but also how to professionally position and secure artworks within the mounts for long term protection. There was discussion on choice of materials, mounting styles and we received a comprehensive set of notes to take away. Most importantly, I now feel confident to make my own professional looking mounts."

9 Apr 19'

Jo and Jayne Smith reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"Had a really fantastic day learning how to cut mounts from beginning to end. Lynne was an excellent tutor and was able to give a lot of one to one instruction and guidance. We were delighted with the end results, thoroughly enjoyed our day and would highly recommended this course to others. Lynne’s professional experience, attention to detail and friendly helpful approach makes this course one not to be missed by anyone wishing to mount their own work with confidence and to a very high standard. Thanks again Lynne"

29 Mar 19'

Sam Cole reviewed: Leather travel journal workshop

"This is the second course I have done with Lynn and as usual this was a great experience. I made 2 journals which I a very pleased with - many thanks Lynn, I had a lovely time - highly recommended."

29 Mar 19'

Linda Curwen reviewed: Leather travel journal workshop

"I thoroughly enjoyed my day, I learnt many new skills and came away with two fine journals. Lynn is a very good teacher, she is observant and made some good suggestions. Thanks to Lynn I will always have a pen attached to my journal."

25 Mar 19'

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

"Great course taught by a brilliant teacher. Clear instructions throughout with a set of own materials and tools supplied for use. Course moved at a good pace to fit everything in without feeling rushed. Good choice of materials so that your individuality could come through and all journals were different at the end of the day. Great handout given to take away and a follow up email with suppliers details etc. A really nice attentive tutor and good cake, what more could you ask for."

23 Mar 19'

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

"A really fun day with Lynne, making 2 books - a small book in the morning and a larger book in the afternoon. The pace of the course was just right and Lynne gave attention to the three of us as we needed it. As a complete novice, I liked the fact that all the materials, tools etc for the workshops are provided - I've seen some courses where the students are required to bring along various materials / tools, which as I beginner I do not own and don't know if I want to buy until I have completed the course. Lynne has a vast array of materials available, so it was enjoyable to see the three of us all struggle to choose the materials / colours. Lynne provided good notes which we took home with us and followed up with an email summarising the day with hints and tips on where to buy materials etc. If you want to try something new, I would certainly recommend this course with Lynne as an excellent tutor. Oh and the home-made cake was delicious ;-)"

7 Mar 19'

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

"A fabulous day with Lynne. Accessible to all, Lynne was patient, kind, enthusiastic and a talented teacher. Thank you"

6 Mar 19'

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

"A fabulous day spent with Lynn in her lovely home workshop. Lynn is enthusiastic and encouraging, just the right mix of advice with creative freedoms. I came home with two wonderful journals, plus the know how and confidence to make more! The cake was delicious too"

3 Mar 19'

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

"What an enjoyable day's crafting. Each of us had our own little tool kits to use and every stage was demonstrated and explained clearly. Lynne was great and was able to foresee our choice dilemmas, so kept us on track and plied with tea and cake. It was friendly and relaxed and challenging at the same time. We all managed to finish two beautiful leather bound books; each one was different and all of us were chuffed with the results. Thoroughly recommended!"

24 Feb 19'

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

"My mum and I went along to Lynne's lovely house in Chichester for the one-day course. Lynne is an excellent teacher, structuring the day perfectly so there is time for learning each skill, cutting and pressing the paper, choosing the leather (that part takes the longest!), and making two notebooks. We were both very proud of our finished books. Each looked very different, since Lynne had encouraged us to be creative with different colours, textures and buttons. Highly recommended!"

12 Feb 19'

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

"I had an inspiring day with Lynne and saw with my own eyes how adding or changing the mount can transform a picture. Mount cutting really is an essential skill for all artists and Lynne is an excellent teacher to learn with. She was well-prepared, always clear in her instructions, paid attention to necessary detail, and was altogether immensely generous with her time and input. And her homemade cake was second to none. Altogether an excellent workshop."

12 Feb 19'

Steve, amateur photographer reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"Excellent practical day learning techniques for mounting my photographs and putting it into practice with the support of Lynne and with a small group of other participants. I was very pleased with the four mounted photographs I completed and am well prepared to do more back home. Great day out to learn a useful and creative skill and meet others in a friendly workshop. As an amateur photographer just starting to mount photos for club competitions this session was first class. I travelled 50 miles to the event and it was worth the time. Highly recommended."

28 Nov 18'

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

"What a great course. I feel like I got such a good insight into a brilliant new skill. Lynne was very patient & had such knowledge. Highly recommended this course!"

25 Nov 18'

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

"This workshop is excellent. It is very well structured and takes the participants through the whole process of preparing a painting or photograph for an exhibition. Class sizes are a maximum of 4 which makes a very friendly learning environment. There are excellent course notes and Lynne demonstrates and explains very clearly how to measure up and cut mounts. She is very knowledgeable and flexible so that she can respond positively to all the various images that the participants provide."

14 Nov 18'

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

"A really lovely course and fantastic to be able to make and complete two journals in the day. Very pleased with the end results. Lynne is very patient and enthusiastic and all instructions are clear. A very relaxing day and new skills learnt! Would certainly recommend this course. Thank you Lynne."

17 Oct 18'

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

"Lynne is a fun and capable teacher - she very clearly demonstrates the basics, working at the students pace, as well as providing useful information for working outside the box in one's own time. I came away satisfied, not-too-overloaded, inspired by the success of the day, and keen to find leather to upcycle into Christmas presents. I also very much appreciated the welcome to her home studio, which was warm and inviting with the added bonus of fabulous cake! I would definitely recommend this course for beginners and those who want a fun weekend day getting creative in a new discipline or in company of others."

9 Oct 18'

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

"I spent the day with Lynne on saturday, and what a fab day it was! As soon as I walked in I felt at home and relaxed, Lynne is very welcoming and had all the lovely leathers out ready to choose from. I loved making my two journals (I was even able to select recycled paper and graph paper!) eating the gorgeous homemade cake, and spending time in her beautiful home. I am already planning on going back after christmas to make the travel journal too. A very informative, fun and productive day!"

22 Sep 18'

Jayne Towndrow reviewed: Leather journal workshop in Stockbridge, Hampshire

"I do quite a few workshops and this one is one of the very best I have ever done. I have come home with two books made - and of sufficient quality that I can give them as gifts. I was so impressed with my books, I felt as though I was brilliant. What more could one ask? A lovely, relaxed workshop with tea and cake. Both Lynne and Alison were there and both helped me to utilise a piece of enamelware I had made on a workshop elsewhere. I am so grateful that neither minded what a fusspot I was being. (I didn't mean to be, it just turned out that way.) I will be taking forward the things I have learned in this workshop and will try making some books at home. But, for today, the books - fabulous!"