Latest reviews

Pauline reviewed: Machine embroidery Christmas Cards

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course and Gemma was a great teacher! I couldn’t believe how creative you could be with a sewing machine. We made some great cards and were encouraged to do our own styles. It was great working with a small group too! I recommend this course and other courses run by Gemma. Thanks Gemma for inspiring me!"

Sewing at the Button Box responded:

"Thanks for your lovely review and I love the fact that you have been inspired to do more. Well done x"

Carrie Duncalf reviewed: Printing workshops with Sally

"As a newbie to the world of lino printing, I have found the two courses that I have attended with Sally to be extremely helpful and informative. Thank you Sally for inspiring me and giving me the confidence to take up such an enjoyable hobby. I shall be looking out for further courses that Sally runs in the future, to improve my skills."

Lesley Jordan reviewed: Introduction to creative acrylics with Jan Vallance

"A thoroughly enjoyable day with a superb teacher. I have hardly ever picked up a paintbrush except for home decorating since I left school nearly 50 years ago. This day with Jan taught me so much about how acrylic paint behaves, using all manner of things for mark making and generally having fun. To top it all I went home with paintings I was proud of. I absolutely recommend taking this course, excellent value."

Iliana Hristova reviewed: Introducing winter millinery - evenings - Newcastle NE1

"I have done 3 courses with Margaret. She is a great mentor and I am very very pleased with what I achieved within an year. During the last course we created a lovely button felt hat with dahlia flower. It was completely new adventure for me. Lots of new skills and funny moments. Thank you Margaret for your help and support."

Margaret Woodliff Wright Millinery responded:

"Thank you Iliana, you are a dedicated student, with great determination and tenaciousness, and are producing lovely pieces. See you very soon at our Millinery class meet up! Margaret."

Sally-Anne reviewed: Beginner’s Soapmaking Workshop in Salisbury

"We attended Catherines soap making workshop last week and had the most informative day, learning all about soap and the process of making it, followed by Catherine making a batch - and then it was our turn! We made two batches which will be ready for Christmas pressies. Which is very exciting. I would highly recommend this day, Catherine was ready to help and answer questions and has been fantastic at answering my email questions. Thank you."

Christine reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"I have just had a day's one to one tuition with Mark - and loved every minute of it :) I have never touched anything to do with wood turning before, but had always fancied having a go at it, but it always got put to one side. However, I needed a creative art project for something else I am doing in life and thought it might be nice to combine the two and go and have a go at wood turning. Mark is an excellent teacher; show / do, show / do, show / do. Get stuck, helps and then stands back whilst you try again. At no point does he take over from what you are trying to achieve, at no point does he make you feel inadequate, in fact, quite the opposite, encouragement all the way. I shall be going back for some further tuition when I have managed to set myself up with some gear. And that is the other thing Mark does, shows you simple ways of doing things and how to enjoy it rather than running on ego and making it all complicated. He also spent some considerable time with me explaining all the tools and what they do - and sorting out a potential 'shopping list' of things needed to get me going without wasting money on stuff I don't need. I'm female - any females out there fancying a go - go and do it. I really regret not having done it sooner. Its relaxing, engrossing, fun, and you leave with a great sense of having achieved something. And going home like a child with the 'look what I made' grin on your face."

Ben Dawson reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"What a great experience! The course exceeded my expectations and was a great blend of learning a new skill, which fused physical activity and mindfulness. Ian is a fantastic teacher and a great and very interesting bloke to spend the day with. I can't recommend this course highly enough and I'm very proud of my stool!!!"

Tracey Akehurst reviewed: The First Cut - lino cutting for beginners & rusty printmakers

"From start to finish this was just a brilliant day. Liz made us feel so welcome we felt instantly at home and relaxed. Liz is a excellent teacher, with oodles of patience and a great sense of humour. She also provided us with a steady supply of hot/cold drinks, chocolate biscuits and fruit! Her studio is a beautifully calm space with wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. Working in a small group (five of us) we learnt the different aspects of linocutting, practising with different surfaces and cutting tools, before going on to create our own linocut, after which we experimented with different coloured inks and papers to produce our own unique images. Liz continually guided us through the process with plenty of encouragment and suggestions. We returned home with slightly inky fingers, many prints and a huge sense of achievement. What a result! I would highly recommend coming along to this workshop. I can't wait to do some more. Many thanks for such a lovely day. I highly recommend Liz’s workshops, and I look forward to learning something new on another one."

Liz Wellby - Artist, Teacher & Maker responded:

"Hi Tracey, Thank you so much for your review; feeling slightly overwhelmed with your lovely comments! You both produced some lovely images and have nailed your Christmas cards; I hope Alain is planning a trip to the framers with his lino cut. It was lovely working with you both and would love to see you back at The Slipper Studio. Best wishes Liz Wellby."

Daniel Willimott reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"I did a 2 day course on wood-turning. I found Bills easy teaching style pleasant and very easy to follow. One thing is clear is that Bill is passionate about all aspects of woodworking and this comes through in his teaching and methodology. I would highly recommend the wood-turning course and any other for that matter."

Sara Coutts reviewed: Introduction to copper wire and bead jewellery 1 day course

"A truly lovely day spent aboard a warm and cosy narrowboat with a fabulous welcome by Sarah & Martin. The course was great fun and Sarah is a very patient and excellent teacher, who took us through the basics for creating necklaces, earrings and pendants, and as we progressed introduced us to more complex techniques. I thoroughly enjoyed my day, which was both productive and relaxing, and a truly lovely way to spend time with friends. I was amazed at how quickly the time went and what we managed to achieve in the time. I am looking forward to the next course making Christmas Decorations."

Crafty Boaters responded:

"Thank you, glad you enjoyed the day. Looking forward to seeing you on the next course."

Andrew Glennie reviewed: Raise your own silver whisky tumbler, three day course

"This is a brilliant course that has a perfect combination of professionalism and friendliness that made it a joy to be on. I learned so much in just 3 days and the end result has had a huge amount of admiration at home! The location is perfect for travelling and accommodation. I couldn’t fault any aspect of the course and strongly recommend it."

Chrissy reviewed: Architectural homage freehand machine embroidery or drawing with thread workshop

"I attended an 'Architectural Homage Workshop' with Stacey in September of his year at The Sands Hotel, Margate. This was with my sister as a birthday present to her. It was our first freehand machine embroidery workshop (beginners!) and definitely not our last. We are booked to go again in January of next year. It was an inspiring experience, as Stacey coached us through the day and gave us the confidence to explore what we could achieve and create much more than we thought possible. There were some amazing and unique results and very happy participants. Before the day we were asked to choose and send through a photo/picture of either a very personal, special building that resonated personally with us or a public building that we have always loved. This made each piece of work even more personal and meaningful … and also meant that Stacey had much preparation beforehand to have the right range of materials available for each person in the class. The amount of pre-event preparation that Stacey did for us was outstanding and made the day even more special as we were able to be very creative with the help of her pre-prepared instructions and with the amazing array of materials/ribbons/threads that were freely available for us to use. … and because everyone had chosen a different subject, then every single one of us was working on a unique piece, copying, transferring images, using the freehand embroidery machines, selecting fabrics and threads and needing individual support and instruction on the machines. Stacey was tireless in her enthusiasm and encouragement as well as passing on her great knowledge and expertise. What a very generous person .... and we loved it. Such a fun day ….. all helped by a great venue at The Sands and a fabulous view of the sea as we worked! I would definitely recommend anyone, beginners and experts, to join one of Stacey’s workshops."

Philippa Gallagher reviewed: Making a stained glass leaded panel

"I can highly recommend Caryl's stained glass window course, a very relaxing and absorbing day, learning a new skill and coming home with a piece of artwork. The group was small and informal which contributed to this excellent day, we all received individual tuition from Caryl who was patient, supportive and passionate about stained glass windowing. A perfect gift for someone or just enjoy treating yourself!"

Helen Thomas reviewed: Wood turning tuition, New Forest, Hampshire (1 day) (2 people)

"My 9 year old son and I really enjoyed our half day course with Graham and we will be back for more. Relaxed, friendly atmosphere and Graham has a wealth of knowledge that he shares with such enthusiasm."

Fiona Fung reviewed: Introduction to cabinet making

"I would highly recommmend the cabinet course! The class was small so you get a lot of attention and support from Stephen.  I learned a lot, but importantly I gained so much confidence to do more at home. Plus, I am super proud of the very useful cabinet I got to take home!"

tina godfrey reviewed: One day mosaic workshop - Lincolnshire

"Can't thank Caron enough, learnt so much, it was a really lovely day, looking forward to arranging another course date with Caron. My friend and I are definitely be going back for more. Highly recommend this course. If you want to learn Mosaics then Caron is the women you need to go to. Thank you Caron and Matt"

Mayfly Mosaics responded:

"Thank you Tina I’m so glad you enjoyed it, it was lovely to meet you both, looking forward to seeing you again in March ."

Hilary Butcher reviewed: Craft Retreat at Wild Rose Escapes, Highlands, Scotland

"I have just returned from wild rose craftcourse 26th October to 1st November 2019, it exceeded all expectations from Rosie's friendly welcome to her hugging me goodbye! Rosie is and excellent host and cook/chef. She catered for at least four different dietary requirements with ease serving imaginative meals which were healthly and delicious and there was plenty of homemade cakes, bread and fresh fruit everyday ! The accommodation was modern and spacious. Rosie is a fountain of knowledge and her ability and patience is boundless! She enabled everyone to achieve wonderful results when teaching craft skills to make an eco printed scarf, shabori, batik and wet and needle felting, sending them home with the results to show off to family and friends. Well done Rosie 5 STARS from me"

Wild Rose Escapes responded:

"Thank-you for your lovely review Hilary- I'm so glad you enjoyed your time with us, it was so nice to meet you. Yours Rosie"

Josie Aldridge reviewed: Needle Felting the Natural World for Complete Beginners

"I had another wonderful day at Sophie’s workshop and came home with a masterpiece! Sophie’s work is beautiful and really inspiring, and she is very keen to help everybody come away with something they are delighted with. I would definitely recommend Sophie’s workshops to anybody- beginner or not- and hope to attend another one myself!"

Ashley Kramer reviewed: Beginners Crochet Taster Day

"Before Faye taught me how to crochet, I knew basically nothing. With her help I am super confident with what I can do now and nothing makes me happier than going to my lessons each Monday :)"

Unravel & Unwind C.I.C. responded:

"And nothing makes me happier when you ask to print off patterns you've found. You are progressing well and I see a passion in you that I recognise. May you continue to grow."

Suzanne Vickers reviewed: Animal clay sculpture workshops one day

"A group of 4 of us had a great day with Connie who is very warm and welcoming. Although none of us had ever done this before, Connie’s guidance and patience helped us to achieve fantastic results. Would highly recommend and we have already booked another workshop."

Lucia reviewed: Women's woodwork retreat

"I had an awesome day doing pyrography with Nadine ? She is very knowledgeable about her products & where they come from & how she resources them ! Very interesting to listen to her knowledge on the woodlands & her passion to teach her skills . She was very patient understanding & helpful I will be saving up for my next visit with Nadine Thank you ? ."

Cheryl reviewed: Recycled China Mosaic Workshop Full day /Half Day

"Mum and I had an excellent morning of crafting with Adela. Adela was patient and supportive throughout and the hours just flew by. We both made a bee and a bird and were very pleased with our final result. Looking forward to grouting this weekend (all supplied and demonstrated). If we return to Devon for a holiday we will definitely complete another course. Thanks Adela."

Barbara Przybylek reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"Fantastic experience! Oliver is a great teacher with a professional and kind approach. You benefit from having your pice of furniture restored and the whole process of polishing is extremely satisfying. I recommend not only as the way to learn a new skill but also to have an unforgettable day of fun. The joy of restoring the beauty of wood furniture you will never forget."

Samira Druilhe reviewed: Renaissance bronze casting course with Jim Racine MA(RCA)

"A fabulous experience. Jim is a fantastic teacher and every day was full of discoveries. The studios are a fascinating place to spend a few days, in a beautiful setting. I was a little uncertain of what to expect, but Jim showed me each stage until I was confident to do the work myself. He was very insistent that I made something important for myself and I'm glad I did. I can't wait to go back."

Sue Appleby reviewed: Lampshade making - Gathered & Pleated shades - 2 day Weekend Workshop Retreat, Rydal Lodge, Ambleside

"I recently joined Jacqueline for a weekend get away and learnt how to make a pleated gathered lampshade it was fabulous! Jaqueline immediately put you at ease and was so patient teaching and sharing her knowledge . We had a lovely weekend away from it all and learning a new skill at the same time. I couldn’t believe I came away with a beautiful lampshade and all my own work and I’m now making a second one knowing Jaqueline is available to contact if I forget what I did . I would definitely recommend this course to have an enjoyable get away from it all weekend and learn a new skill among like minded people and new friends. Thanks Jacqueline"

JSInteriorsUK responded:

"Thank you Sue, I'm so glad to hear you are already making a second lampshade. I would love to see a pikkie when you're done and please get in touch if you have any queries :)"