Latest reviews

Daisy King reviewed: Couture 2 day Felt Hats Course

"I had a wicked 2 days with Elena learning how to make a fedora hat - she was really great at demonstrating how to do things and even went the extra to tell me about alternate ways to block/decorate the hats. She’s also really talented so you are in very very very good hands ?✨"

Lynn walshaw reviewed: Make a set of 3 silver stacking rings

"Had an amazing day with Rose's expert tuition in understanding the art of both design and crafting the rings in a relaxed environment. With group size allowing for expert guidance from Rose through all the stages of design and development of my 3 individual rings. I am thrilled with my unique stacking rings and have been recommending this course to friends and family as a lovely gift experience."

Alison reviewed: Silver clay jewellery course in Shaftesbury, Dorset

"I spent a wonderful morning with Fiona learning to use silver art clay. She covered all aspects of the process and I now feel confident to take this up as a new hobby. I am thrilled with the piece I made on the day. Fiona was friendly but professional and I would recommend her courses to others."

Lawrie reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Alan is a great teacher - showing us all the tools and techniques to safely start spoon carving. He made sure everyone was getting on well, understood everything and left with a spoon and the knowledge and confidence to carry on carving. Add to that the fantastic lunch and homemade cakes, and it was a brilliant day. Thanks!"

Janine Winfield reviewed: Silver jewellery workshop for beginners with Jude Karnon

"Wow! Anyone interested in making their own jewellery has to book this experience! Jude is a very warm and friendly person with a great sense of humour. We had a good laugh together. The working space was professional, she had everything available to make the items I requested and was very knowledgeable. I was kept topped up with brews and biscuits throughout the day and the lunch was delicious! I couldn’t stop eating. I made a beautiful wave ring that I thought would be quite difficult but the way Jude taught me made it very simple. I keep getting plenty of comments about how nice it looks. I also made a bangle and 2 pairs of earrings that I love. I will definitely return and make more items with Jude when I’m in the area."

Jude Karnon Jewellery responded:

"Hey Janine, Many many thanks for this wonderful review. It was an absolute pleasure working with you, and a lot of fun. I am glad you love your pieces and you were pretty talented at making jewellery. It would be awesome to see you again. Jude x"

Janet Beney reviewed: Lino cutting in Rye, East Sussex

"I really enjoyed this course. The venue is set in beautiful surroundings and Stephen is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic tutor. I learned a lot and have gained confidence to continue developing my skills at home. Thank you."

Mick Devlin reviewed: Knife Making and Bladesmith Classes: Hand-Forged Viking Knife

"I had a great day learning about the heating process hot, but not too hot colour to look for. Hammering, grinding, shaping, honing, hardening. Walked away with a very sharp knife and new skills. Very friendly, knowledgeable, and skilled people. Would recommend to anyone."

Anvil Forge responded:

"Hi Mick thanks for review , dont forget to go to our website to see the pictures taken on the day. look at our listing if you cant remember. I think everybody went away with a pretty damn sharp blade , which makes all the hard work worthwhile. I cant remember if your local but we have discount vouchers for the pub we use which will give you 20% off your meal cost as athankyou for attending the course. best wishes John"

Dorothy Lilico reviewed: Leather Bag Workshop - Two day Evancliffe Leathercraft Workshop

"Excellent tuition in a lovely setting. Clive and Wendy are tireless in their support, making sure you are comfortable with your work- very positive. I had no experience at all, but came away with something I feel proud of. I recommend this course wholeheartedly."

Evancliffe Leathercraft responded:

"Dorothy, Thank you for your review! It was great to see your new bag take shape over the weekend. We are really pleased that you enjoyed the workshop."

Margaret Everley reviewed: Scrap glass mosaic workshop (1 day) in Sheffield, South Yorkshire

"An inspiring full day which introduced me to another aspect of working with glass which I fully intend to pursue. Kate brought lots of ideas to the session and gave full explanations as we went along, was flexible and showed awareness of everyone's problems on an individual basis, I would thoroughly recommend this workshop."

Liz Williamson reviewed: Beginners silver clay jewellery class with Anna Campbell

"A well run enthusiastic workshop that taught me new skills that I hope to develop further. The welcome and hospitality was generous, a convivial lunch was well presented and the break fitted well into the day. I went on a Sunday when we were told the time was more limited, but we did get everything done within the time allocated so perhaps we needn't have been told this! I will certainly look at other courses at The Arenas Collective."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Liz. Thanks for your lovely feedback. We're so glad you enjoyed the course and working with the amazing material that is silver clay. You're right about the timing: I had actually got the finish time mixed up with another Sunday workshop which you might have noticed when Anna corrected me! We look forward to welcoming you back to The Arienas Collective soon. With best wishes, Lynn"

Sarah Holt reviewed: Fused Glass workshops at Bere Alston, near Tavistock, Devon

"I have been to the glass studio before. I enjoyed it so much I brought my Mum and 2 sisters back. Wendy is very patient. She listens to what you want to achieve and offers you ideas of how to achieve this. A thoroughly enjoyable day - would highly recommend."

W Scott reviewed: Fused Glass workshops at Bere Alston, near Tavistock, Devon

"Awesome day. Learnt so much, thank you Wendy. Feel really inspired to become involved with my art once again."

Teresa Horden reviewed: Beginners Soap Making Course

"A great morning / afternoon making soap with the very lovely Paula. Small group size giving us all enough attention and a wonderful afternoon tea too. Fabulous day and i will be coming back to make candles."

Old Bexley Soap & Candle Co. responded:

"Thank you Teresa, see you soon."

Irene Gasana reviewed: 1 day Leather craft course beg/int

"I met Slim's wife at first arrival and she was so welcoming, made me feel welcome and at home. Thanks Mr Slim, the course was hard but thanks to your support and attentiveness, I was able to craft a beautiful sunglasses case. I look forward to working with you again! Kind regards, Irene."

Ross Leather and Wood responded:

"Hi Irene Thanks for your lovely review, I really enjoyed working with you. I look forward to seeing you again soon. All the best Slim"

Ryan reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Such a fantastic course and you'll certainly come away with the knowledge to keep crafting other things (starting by adding the finishing touches to your spoon at home like me!) using the fundamentals you learn here. It's an intensive day but there's a lot to cover, and Alan does a good job of running through it in stages whilst keeping us fed and watered with coffee and homemade treats: his wife should be doing a craft course on baking! It is tricky at first, but listen to his advice and tips and you'll be carving easily in no time. He even offered a second piece of wood for us to start something new at home ourselves, which I've put the in the freezer to keep fresh (great advice!) whilst I finish my first spoon. So for anyone who wants to pick up a but of whittling but needs some guided lessons to build confidence, and who enjoys vegan bakes and soups, this course is certainly up your street. I hope I keep it up!"

Sarah Quince reviewed: Two day (consecutive) stained glass starter course at North Norfolk Stained Glass

"I had a great time doing this two day course in learning all the techniques needed to make a stained glass window. Paul was very knowledgeable and great at guiding me through the processes. I found a new hobby that I enjoy because of him :) It was lovely to do this course and also meet his lovely family. This course is well worth it!"

Sue Bloxham reviewed: Router day, how to safely use and maintain a router

"I ended up having this course on a one to one basis which was excellent as I was able to go at exactly the right pace and take into account what I already knew. Mark helped me use and assess my own router and the bits I had been given. We covered and practised all the various techniques and he shared lots of useful tips, waiting for me to make copious notes for later reference. I highly recommend it."

Pete Hopkins reviewed: 1 day Leather craft course beg/int

"What an excellent course. Everything is provided and I walked away with my own, handmade passport case (to be cherished.) Slim makes the work enjoyable and has so much patience (he needed it with me!) Coffee and biscuits were good too Thanks Slim......"

Ross Leather and Wood responded:

"Thanks Pete for you lovely comments. It was a pleasure working with you. You did an excellent job. Looking forward to working with you again soon. All the best Slim."

Karl reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"My wife surprised me with this course and it’s probably the best present I’ve ever had. Alex is a great teacher, very skilled and takes time to explain not only how to blacksmith but also theory behind metal working. On the one day course I made a fantastic garden lily sculpture which I will treasure in my garden. Fantastic experience and something really unique to take home. I hope to do another day soon!"

Chalk Pit Forge responded:

"Hi Karl, Thanks for the great review. Hope your Lily birdfeeder looks good in the garden. Alex"

Jo Woodley reviewed: Glass Fusing for beginners

"What a fabulous day! A treat to be in a creative environment with an awesome experienced and patient teacher. And to come home with 2 pieces finished that I don't mind giving house room to at all is a total bonus - brilliant value for money, interesting, stimulating, thoroughly enjoyable all round. Thanks Gigha!"

Robert Spinks reviewed: Everlasting pumpkins- 1 day sculpture workshop using Pal Tiya Premium

"A very informative and fun workshop. As a complete beginner when it comes to sculpting Joe and Bob were very helpful and friendly. I felt like I left the venue having made 2 new friends. I would definitely consider doing some more workshops with these 2. Can not recommend enough!"

Stuart Hughes reviewed: Bladesmithing experience day

"What a fantastic day! From the minute I arrived Steve was on hand to make me feel very welcome and enthused for the day ahead. With safety always at the forefront of his mind he was able to expertly guide me through the entire blade making process from picking the style of blade I wanted through to the finished article. At each stage I was provided with every opportunity to impress my own ideas on the design of the blade. Throughout, Steve was on hand with expert guidance to ensure that the end result would be something I was going to be extremely happy with. The day was also made all the more enjoyable with some engaging chat along the way, in fact I am already looking at when I can book my next course. A really enjoyable day and highly recommended. Thanks Steve."

White Tiger Knives responded:

"Hi Stuart I'm really pleased that you enjoyed your day so much. It was full on, but we tried some different techniques and a couple of design tweaks that really put your mark on the blade that you created. I'm glad that you're as happy with your finished man blade as I was. I'm sure when you present this to your son that he'll be honoured to call this custom blade his own. I look forward to our next excursion in the workshop. ATB Steve"

Nickey reviewed: Furniture upcycling workshop - 1 day

"Had a fantastic time on the upcycle course. Hannah is friendly, welcoming and a great teacher. She taught us thoroughly one stage at a time which I thought was great! Loved it, would definitely recommend ?☑️"

Tread Softly responded:

"So glad you enjoyed it Nickelle! Your bedside was so cute ? and very creative. Thanks for coming X"

Mark Sanders reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"My son and I have just finished this wonderful course. We were both complete novices to knife making and we started off with a certain degree of apprehension as to whether we would achieve anything vaguely resembling a knife! However this was soon put to rest by the very relaxed.and informal atmosphere in the workshop. Arian is an excellent (and very patient) tutor with a wealth of knowledge and skill which he used to guide us through all the stages of producing our knives. Our confidence soon rose and we became completely immersed in the whole process and enjoyed the plentiful supply of tea and biscuits! Special thanks to Arian for helping my son to incorporate a lambs horn from one of our own sheep into the handle of his knife- a real personal touch. Would have no hesitation in completely recommending this course to anyone no matter what your ability level. You will not be disappointed!!! Many thanks."

Sarah preston reviewed: Make a silver ring or bangle

"Had a brilliant day, comfortable and relaxed with a great teacher. Great taster day , I think I have the bug. Hope to attend soon again as Lucy managed the impossible and kept my attention all day!!!!!"