Latest reviews

clare campbell reviewed: 3D pyrography with colour workshop in Lincolnshire

"I received the course as a birthday gift, I had been practicing pyrography for more than 6 months, so not a beginner but certainly no expert! Susan took this into account and tailored the course to fit my needs. The course was well structured and interesting, building on the skills I had. The course has opened my eyes to the diversity of pyrography, media, 3D and colour. I have more confidence and knowledge to be creative. Would highly recommend the course for those wanting to learn more."

Becky reviewed: Paint night, paint, sip, chat and take home your masterpiece

"A very enjoyable evening with Chrissie - who's great at creating a fun and relaxed environment. Creative and relaxing!"

Kirsty reviewed: Paint night, paint, sip, chat and take home your masterpiece

"Absolutely fantastic, thoroughly enjoyed the evening, like therapy! Calm, relaxing and fun!"

Sarah reviewed: Paint night, paint, sip, chat and take home your masterpiece

"It was a fun workshop and very relaxing, just what i needed for a good night out. I'd definitely come again."

Anne - Sophie reviewed: Paint night, paint, sip, chat and take home your masterpiece

"Great atmosphere, very good explanation with the freedom to decide what to do, i wouldn't change a thing. Thank you very much for the opportunity to try something new."

Attendee reviewed: Paint night, paint, sip, chat and take home your masterpiece

"A therapeutic way to destress and express yourself!"

Attendee reviewed: Paint night, paint, sip, chat and take home your masterpiece

"I am not an arty person but wanted to try something new. It was a fun evening and I managed to produce something that I'm happy to display!"

Attendee reviewed: Paint night, paint, sip, chat and take home your masterpiece

"It is a lovely way to socialise and meet new people and learn new skills! I have been here before and enjoyed it so wanted to come back! 5 stars!"

Attendee reviewed: Paint night, paint, sip, chat and take home your masterpiece

"Fabulous evening! Haven't painted before and I'm actually going to hang this up in my living room!"

David Lilly reviewed: Gem cutting - faceting basics - the step cut square facet

"Another amazing afternoon spent with James. This was a longer workshop (nearly 5 hours) than the previous one I booked but the time flew by. James began by explaining how and why I'd be working on the gemstone (a Citrine), and off we went. We stopped throughout the afternoon to disucsss how things were going and how I had to got to each stage and what was to come, and knocked back mugs of coffee as we went. I left the workshop having facetted an amazing little pale Citrine cut in a square (cant' remember the technical term for it's shape) and a smile across my face. As with the previous workshop I had to leave the gemstone with James so that it could be de-glued from the dop. I returned the next day to collect my gem which was presented a little case and I was absolutley delighted with the result. I would thoroughly recommend this workshop, and whether you do this and the cabochon one or not, they are both superb and worth every penny."

Nikki Davies reviewed: Silver Jewellery making class at Sandra Kerns Jewellery studio, Little Sampford

"I took my mum to this course as her 60th birthday present and we both absolutely loved it! Sandra is an amazing teacher, before we went I was worried that we wouldn't be able to get the hang of jewellery making but both myself and my mum came away with pieces of jewellery to be proud of. Sandra really went out of her way to help you create and is a very knowledgable and talented craftswoman. We were taught a number of different techniques and ways to create what we had in mind. I cannot stress enough how fun this day was! I would love to do it again. It's a perfect birthday present for anyone considering this as a gift."

Sandra Kerns Jewellery responded:

"Thank you for your lovely review. It was an absolute pleasure teaching you both and I look forward to seeing you again in the future. Sandra"

Jane McGregor reviewed: Macrame Pot Hanger Workshop

"What a Lovely way to spend 2 hours, not only learning a new craft but also enjoying the lovely friendly surroundings. I will definitely be back for more. Thank you Alice ?"

Peter reviewed: A Practical Dry Stone Walling Workshop Central London

"The teaching was very relaxed and clear. I felt confident right from the start and felt that I could easily ask questions. The venue was excellent with plenty of space to move around even with a large group. I can now go on to repair and rebuild my wall with skill and confidence. Thank you John. Highly recommended."

London School of Dry Stone Walling responded:

"Hello Peter - Thank you for your feedback. I am pleased you felt at ease during the workshop and you feel good to have a bash on your wall, there was a lot going on. It was interesting watching you 'juggling the stone' which is normal to find the right one to place one over two or two over one ! There is much to learn and you achieved completing a good section of the wall and the difficult 'Cheek End'. We next in France 10-25th Oct. steps and retaining walls - check it out on here or web page. Best Wishes - John"

Giuliano reviewed: A journey to the centre of the hive

"It was really nice! I definitely feel I walked out of the event knowing so much more about bees and their world! The whole event was delivered in a very engaging but professional way, striking that difficult balance between being accurate without overwhelming with information. The honey tasting part was also very interesting (and yummy!); while I was familiar with some of the possible types of honey, I had no idea there were THAT many."

Carol Ann Stent reviewed: Heritage teddy bear making - residential

"I attended the above Vintage Teddy Making course, held this weekend and it was wonderful. I've got a background of sewing having made my own clothes and my daughter's, plus I love doing Textile Taxidermy, Machine Embroidery and hand Embroidery, and I've also made Rag Doll's but never a Teddy Bear. So this Vintage Teddy Making Course intrigued me, and more or less on my doorstep too! as I live in Ravenglass, so to save me from driving each morning of the two-day course I stayed with Kathy and three other's ladies who were also attending the course at the Glenfield House B/B, I have to say Kathy is the most marvellous Hostess and Teacher, the venue is most fitting for such a course with plenty of natural light and space to work in, during the course we had plenty of refreshment break's, with lashing of coffee and biscuit's, lunch was a buffet-style meal accompanied with salads, and late afternoon scones served jam and lashing's of clotted cream, while on the subject of food for those of us who were staying at the Glenfield House enjoyed a wonderful 3 course meal with wine. The course itself was intensive, but all stages of the bear making were well explained, the Teddy kit was beautifully presented and everything needed to complete our vintaged bear's was provided plus the use of the tool's for the joints, Kathy also gave clear instructions and demonstrations along the way helped us if we got in a pickle as sometimes I did, I was able to complete my Vintage Teddy in the given time allotted with the kind help one or two of the younger ladies who stuffed my Teddy's leg's and arm's, and when we had all completed our bear's and named them, we all celebrated by having a Teddy Bear's picnic before we went our separate way's, I have to say I have really enjoyed myself this weekend, and felt that I've made some new friends too and certainly in Kathy I shall be attending more of her courses in the future."

Crafty Breaks in the Lakes responded:

"Hello Carol Thank you for your kind review. I am so glad you enjoyed the weekend. It was certainly a laugh, and I think we all regressed to childhood when we held our Teddies' Picnic!"

Damian Shiell reviewed: Woodturning courses in Norfolk

"Nick and his lovely wife Jane made me feel immediately comfortable and the day was well organised from start to finish. The course was completely bespoke and exceeded my expectations to be honest. Nick is simply an artist through and through and the passion and care he takes with his work is mirrored in the care of his students. We covered health and safety around the workshop & lathe, spindle turning techniques and then moved onto a bowl in the afternoon. The day was not rushed and we even ran over a little due to my poor technique but Nick ensured that I was never made to feel like a conveyor belt with another student through the door. I brought my tools along to the session and he covered all the sharpening techniques and reground my chisels - they now really perform and was good to learn using my tools alongside his ones to get a feel for the different tools available for turning. Technically the course was sound and covered all the basics in detail that I hadn't expected and I left feeling confident to try out what I learned on the day. Nick is a patient and able teacher and I will be booking another day shortly to extend on the topics covered and looking forward to another super day in the workshop (and very tasty lunch!) Excellent value for money and well worth it whatever your level in turning. Many thanks Nick and Jane, you are doing a super job! Damian"

Sally-Ann reviewed: Country House Crafting Retreats in rural Hertfordshire

"Excellent weekend. Took my sewing machine and had fun with everyone. Lots of laughter. I go four times a year and next year slipping another one in. Made fab friends and love that I can do a variety of crafts. Linda the host is fantastic and makes sure everyone is looked after at a fab venue."

Angela Gumbley reviewed: Whittling course

"Had a fantastic day. Have dabbled with whittling a bit in the past, but as a Guide leader, wanted to gain some additional skills to enable Guides to have a go more safely and to give them some further ideas. This course was perfect, teaching us about different knife options, a variety of skills and a good selection of projects to take home - a carefully selected choice of projects giving us the skills to apply to further projects. Martin was really helpful, and a small group of 4 enables us to get the most from his tuition. Course was perfectly pitched for my requirements. Lovely lunch and beautiful location and view across the Cherwell Valley made the day. Thank you Martin, can’t wait to get my knife out."

David Moxey reviewed: One Day Pottery Throwing Course, including lunch - Hampshire

"Loved the course, Jack was an exemplary host and teacher. He took his time to explain what we would be doing and gently guide us during the execution. Would absolutely recommend this course. Thank you Jack"

Alan Boyle reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Many thanks to George for an excellent day. He is an intuitive teacher and fills you with complete confidence. He is an expert in both the physics of wood and wood turning, as well as having the artistic flair you would expect in a master craftsman. Highly recommend anyone to take this course. Many thanks also to Sue for keeping us topped up with coffee and a lovely lunch."

Pauline Clarry reviewed: Country House Crafting Retreats in rural Hertfordshire

"Wonderful craft weekend as always making new friends and revisiting old friends, great mix of crafts and sharing of ideas. Thank you Linda for being such a great host and look forward to the next one."

HELEN reviewed: Upholstery course - bring your own project

"Well I decided to do an upholstery course, something for me, I have never done or even looked into it before. So I found Polly's course in Falmouth somewhere I had never been before, jumped on a plane and took a week in Polly's lovely light and airy studio, easy to find and parking right outside the door. Polly was very patient with a very slow learner! She is very knowledgeable with a down to earth approach, always on hand to explain or get you out of a tiny wee mistake! We had some lovely lunches with non stop teas and coffees all day, and my favourite biscuits to hand. I went into this course with very little understanding of upholstery, and came away with a beautiful little chair, which my mum and I are very proud of and the courage to have a go at tackling something else, albeit I have only touched the tip of the iceberg. Thank you Polly for a great week and to Janet and Sophie my fellow students for the diverse conversations and laughs."

Ian Burch reviewed: Weekend introductory blacksmithing course 'O' at Quinnell School of Blacksmithing

"Excellent value for money. I would recommend this course to anyone with the slightest interest in working with metal. I can't believe that I learned so much and produced three finished pieces of work to take home at the end of day three. The forge/workshop is very well equipped with plenty of tools and workstations for the number of students. Peat and Eamonn were fantastic teachers, giving advice and practical help in a friendly and professional way. The lunch provided was of a high quality. Attention to detail means that the whole setup is professional. This makes joining and preparing for the course easy. An example of this is that for health and safety reasons students need to have a pair of steel toe capped boots. Richard (Quinnell) suggests buying boots from Toolstation. I followed his advice and found that the pair he recommended were cheaper than a pair I'd seen at Shoezone, and on first wearing were more comfortable than an expensive pair of walking boots I've just purchased."

Sam Foames reviewed: Beginners candle making workshop - London

"Was a brilliant course, as a beginner I found it very informative. Highly recommend the course & am excited to continue my personal learning into candle making. Sarah is a wealth of knowledge & very patient with us novices."

Candle by Events responded:

"Thank you Sam, delighted you enjoyed the workshop, keep me posted on how you get on."

BARBARA A MASON-WALSHAW reviewed: Full day introduction to glass fusing course.

"My husband brought me this day as a birthday present and I consider it one of the best presents I have ever received. From the moment I arrived Amanda made me feel welcome and at ease. Luckily there were only 2 of us on the course, so we had her undivided attention all day. Not only was it informative but also incredible fun and at the end if it, I have 2 lovely (even though I say so myself) glass keepsakes, which are proudly displayed for everyone to see. I cannot recommend this course highly enough to anyone and I will definitely be going back. As a side note, the food that Amanda prepared for us was sublime. Thank you once again Amanda."