Latest reviews

Susan Pearson reviewed: Beginner's spinning

"Thank you Cathy and Jean for a great day of spinning at one of Black Sheep Wools workshops. I had a great time yesterday and learned a lot. Cathy and her mum (Jean), are very patient, and certainly knowledgeable about their craft, and I would recommend them to anybody. I am now a lot more confident about my spinning after only a few hours with Cathy and Jean, and I actually took a skein of usable yarn home, which I spun myself at the workshop."

Lazykate Textiles responded:

"Thanks Susan, It was a lovely to spend the day with you, thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely review."

Heather Miller reviewed: Experimental Monoprinting (includes gelli printing)

"Very inspired and excited after a wonderful day mono printing with Ruth. What a lovely environment to work in. Ruth explained the techniques really well and we had a great time exploring them. Plenty of space and materials to use. The day went so quickly! Ruth was a great host, lunch, cake and tea was delicious. I thoroughly recommend this! Looking forward to booking another course in the near future."

Tina Etheridge reviewed: Mosaic art day course at Ruby Button Studio Norfolk

"As a complete beginner I had a very enjoyable day with Lynn and Sophie at Ruby Button Studio. I was made very welcome and the whole experience was a perfect introduction to mosaic making. Lynn and Sophie explained things very clearly and were patient and encouraging. The cake and lunch were delicious too! I came away feeling enthusiastic and keen to have a go at making more mosaics. Brilliant!"

Brett Sharpe reviewed: Timber framing courses

"Coming on to this course I only had a little timber framing experience. This course was absolutely amazing and reached all of my expectations. I flew in from Canada for 2 weeks of the course and learned many important things about how to properly build a timber frame. Alan and the family were delightful to be with and made me feel right at home. I can't wait to go back to Canada and build some timber frames of my own using the skills I have gained on this course! Cheers, Brett Sharpe"

Amanda Abbott reviewed: ‘Seaside Cottage Sculpture’ workshop, using driftwood and recycled materials, North Yorkshire.

"Fantastic day, relaxed and informal. Well organised with lots of choice of materials and beautiful driftwood. The organisers were obviously very knowledgable and creative, and had a genuine passion for using reclaimed resources. It was the perfect mix of demonstrations and handy tips whilst letting us experiment and get completely submerged in our individual pieces. I would recommend this course to anyone looking for a unique experience in a quaint and relaxed surrounding."

The Seals Whiskers responded:

"Thank you for your review, Amanda, we are so pleased you had a great day and enjoyed creating your works of art."

Sue Whitehead reviewed: ‘Seaside Cottage Sculpture’ workshop, using driftwood and recycled materials, North Yorkshire.

"Thoroughly enjoyed the coastal cottages workshop today. Mel and Debbie created a lovely relaxed atmosphere, with clear instruction and tuition. There was an abundance of hand made individual cottages and buildings to choose from and paint with lots of bits and bobs to bring your coastal scene to life. Kept us thoroughly absorbed all day with beautiful scenes to take home. Would definitely recommend this workshop."

The Seals Whiskers responded:

"It was lovely to meet you, Sue, We are so pleased you enjoyed your day and created such a beautiful sculpture."

Melanie Boocock reviewed: ‘Seaside Cottage Sculpture’ workshop, using driftwood and recycled materials, North Yorkshire.

"Thank you Debra and Melanie for a fantastic day. Everything was perfect. I am really inspired to make lots more. If the sun had been shining at the end of the course, I would have been tempted to drive straight to the sea to add to my already extensive collection of beach finds."

The Seals Whiskers responded:

"We are so pleased you enjoyed your birthday present and created such a lovely driftwood scene. Thank you for taking the time to review the course, happy driftwood hunting!"

simon ford reviewed: Clay Day Workshop

"Sue was fantastic! I attended the course having no previous experience. I was able to throw and hand form bowls and small vases after completion and feel as though I have gained insight into the whole process of producing ceramics. Apart from the practical skills I was also taken through in great detail the theory of pottery from mining your own clay and recycling to firing and glazing. If you want to learn the art of ceramic production you could not do better than a course at Fired Thoughts."

Yolanda reviewed: Felt art and meditation holiday / Retreat on the Isle of Coll.

"A joyful week in restful surroundings, which allowed for creative thinking, doing & being! Debra has a friendly approach & natural ability to share her felting skills at a pace to meet the needs of individual participants. The wild abandon out of the box thinking activity was an interesting experience that I enjoyed. The meals were wholesome & a lovely introduction to the local regional cuisine. My achievement of the week was leaving with a beautiful felted silk scarf and connecting with some inspiring & talented women. ??"

Louise Kitchin reviewed: Seasonal hand tied bouquet

"Well worth it! Mary chose such beautiful materials for us to work with and has a lovely gentle and relaxed teaching style. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommended this workshop. The bouquet I came home with is absolutely gorgeous, can't wait to see the peonies open up, and it's already settling into itself now it's back in water at home and looking even better !!"

Mary Hill Studio responded:

"Hi Louise, Thank you so much for this lovely review. So glad you enjoyed the workshop and your beautiful flowers!"

Greta Willett reviewed: Silver clay jewellery making

"Yolanda and John instantly provide a very warm and friendly atmosphere. Yolanda is an excellent teacher giving clear explanations, expert help and advice when needed and with full encouragement and support to try everything yourself. Everything was included, even the superb lunch and tea - and I went home with beautiful, unique silver pieces, hand crafted by me! A magical day!"

Verity Wake reviewed: Introduction to summer millinery - 1 day - Newcastle NE1

"I took part in this course with no previous experience. Margaret was really friendly and helpful, the course was very enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone! I came away learning so much about millinery and appreciate all the skill and work that goes into each headpiece! Thanks Margaret x"

Margaret Woodliff Wright Millinery responded:

"Thank you Verity - it was a pleasure teaching you my “Introduction to Millinery” course, and your tonal headpiece with soft ivory & pale blush lillies and peach leaves is very pretty. I can’t wait to see the images of you wearing it later in the summer! I am so pleased you enjoyed our sessions and look forward to seeing you in the winter when we will move onto felt for a winter headpiece."

Toni Pincott reviewed: Conscious Interior Decor; For holistic living

"An excellent day of learning how to properly set out both floor and elevation plans and build them flexibly to test out ideas and layouts. Tuition was very hands on. I also benefited from working alongside other class attendees, hearing and seeing their ideas on both mine and their own layouts."

Lizzy Whitehead reviewed: Stained glass leading for beginners

"My 11 year old daughter and I had an amazing day with Jamal. He is an amazing artist and craftsman and was skilled in showing us the steps needed to create leaded glass. We were amazed at what we could create in one day. Huge thanks."

Melinda Smith reviewed: Modern calligraphy (full day workshop) - Hampshire

"Well structured course, great teacher, well resourced - really enjoyable day."

Gloryletteringstudio responded:

"Thanks Melinda, glad it was a good day!"

Bobbie Rummery reviewed: Firebird Forge Blacksmithing School

"Back for another awesome day, had a brilliant time and learnt how to accomplish really unusual patterns on square bar and also ended up with a very nice poker along with a few patterned items. This is the second day of training with Mort and learnt even more than the first time. The training gives a good insight to the skill these guys have. To come away with hand forged items is amazing. Would not hesitate to recommend firebird forge and Mort to anyone who wants to start a great new hobby or profession, beware it’s addictive, you will want to go back time and again."

Karen Francis reviewed: Realistic and Adorable Needle Felt Animals & Pets

"It was an excellent workshop. Every stage of my creation was perfectly explained and Sophie was a very patient and informative tutor. She even sent out an emailed PDF to help on our felting journey. I will definitely be signing up for the two day dog course as soon as I have some free time. I highly recommend this workshop to everybody."

Polly reviewed: Felt art and meditation holiday / Retreat on the Isle of Coll.

"What a wonderful week we had in the Alps, Debra is very friendly and easy to get along with, the course is well structured with lots of felting, meditation if you wish, a couple of hours free time in the afternoon and delicious meals. We had a day out at the local market and surrounding area and we went out for a meal one night. The Nordic tub at sunrise and sunset was popular too!! A lovely holiday."

Jo Chilton reviewed: Conscious Interior Decor; For holistic living

"This is the second workshop I have attended run by Lucy. It was another interesting day during which I learnt a lot as well as picking up extra hints and tips from Lucy. I enjoyed the day and will put into practice what I learnt as I redecorate my home. Lucy is really helpful and puts you at ease so you feel able to ask questions and seek advice. Well worth attending."

Sue reviewed: Felt art and meditation holiday / Retreat on the Isle of Coll.

"A lovely venue high up in the Alps, good food, excellent tutor, and learned many new techniques. Debra had moved the contents of her studio to France for the holiday and we had a very good choice of wool, sari silk and other items to make unique items. The pace over the week was good with some free time every afternoon and trips out to see the surrounding countryside. The mindfulness sessions led by Debra for those who wished to attend each morning before breakfast were an added bonus."

Carolyne Miller reviewed: Modern calligraphy (full day workshop) - Hampshire

"Had a lovely day with Sunita. The day was well thought out and easy to understand. Whilst modern calligraphy wasn't so easy for me to master, Sunita was always on hand to offer encouragement and advice. Would thoroughly recommend."

Gloryletteringstudio responded:

"Carolyne, lovely to meet you last week, thanks for the review"

Caroline Arthur reviewed: Paper craft and card making workshop

"A thoroughly enjoyable crafting workshop for everyone. I am a complete beginner to arts and crafts but was able to follow all the steps with guidance and support from Debbie in this small, friendly, local group. There was plenty of opportunity to explore my own ideas and to use those suggested by Debbie too. The various techniques were clearly demonstrated and the variety of materials and resources were easily accessible. The opportunity to make with others, at my own pace, was a real pleasure and I left with two beautiful, individually crafted cards. What a great sense of achievement and boost to my self-esteem!"

Anisha Christison reviewed: Beginners crochet workshop

"The course was brilliant and tailored to beginners. Jenny the tutor was very knowledgeable and patient and happy to answer all our questions. The course was a good pace. The lunch was lovely."

Mary Lister reviewed: Making a stained glass leaded panel

"We’d booked this course as a group of friends for a good day out together and it was fab. We were all absolutely new to stained glass work but Caryl is a great teacher, giving us just the right amount of instruction and support to produce our own piece of stained glass at the end of the day. It was fun and relaxing and we had a lovely lunch thrown in too. Couldn’t have been better!"

Elaine Bent reviewed: Clay life modelling weekend with Karin Ort

"My daughter persuaded me to sign up for this course and I loved it. Last time I did anything arty was at school which was a long time ago. So feeling a bit anxious I turned up to a lovely group and a great teacher. Karin is so patient and encouraging. After not knowing if I would be able to create something iI wanted to take home, I am now waiting on it coming out of the kiln with great anticipation. A great way of taking your mind of everything apart from the clay and model. More fun than a meditation weekend."

The Phoenix Studio responded:

"Thanks for the lovely review Elaine! You're right, sculpting is like meditation, only more fun! I am so glad you enjoyed your time here and we hope to see you again soon!"