Latest reviews

Lesley Chalwin reviewed: 1 to 1 Beginners Crochet and beyond - East Grinstead

"I had not crocheted for many years and could remember the basics but that was about it. Nicole is a fantastic teacher. Patience of a saint! There were about 8 of us, all needing help along the way. Nicole is very knowledgeable and gives you back your confidence and understanding about the stitches. Nicole also sells a variety of wool too which is very helpful. This class is done in her home and there is a warm and friendly welcome of tea and biscuits ? I highly recommend her if like me you are in need of a brush up!"

Liz Hannam reviewed: Wet felting workshop: introduction to 3D construction for Bowls, Pods and Bags in Henstridge near Stalbridge, Somerset and Dorset

"Earlier this year I attended one of Sally’s needle felting courses and loved it! Last Saturday a friend and I did the wet felting course and loved it equally as much! Sally is a wonderful teacher, very patient and encouraging, with a really good sense of humour! We all went home with a picture, a small pot and a bowl ( mine not really a bowl but a nice piece of felt!!) I would definitely recommend Sally’s courses and will be booking more in the future. Thank you Sally."

Vanessa Gordon reviewed: ColourWheel art classes for adults - Maidenhead - Thursday

"This class is a great start, I have felt encouraged and have learned a lot. Ideal for beginners as well as returners, lovely atmosphere, and you come away with a sense of achievement every time."

Jude Freeman reviewed: Tap into tapestry: 2 day course - suitable for beginners and experienced weavers alike

"This two day course was exciting and innovative whilst covering basic techniques for a beginner. Alana is a highly skilful and inspiring tutor who was sensitive to our individual learning styles and interests. She is generous with her knowledge and introduced us to the work of several practitioners that she realised would be of interest. The weaving studio is a pleasant environment and the atmosphere was focused but also informal. We were made to feel very welcome. Thoroughly recommended !"

Lesley Jean Wootton reviewed: Relaxed introduction to soft pastels. Includes £55 worth of unison pastels to take home

"What brilliant days these are with Heather. I love going and will be booking again soon. She is extremely patient and I have learnt so much. I didn't know I could do so much with pastels. I am really enjoying experimenting by myself as Heather really knows how to pass on her knowledge in ways that can be understood easily. It's a fun day from start to finish and in a beautiful location. Laughter and learning go very well together in Heather's workshop."

Judith Foster reviewed: Introduction to silk painting - workshop at The Mulberry Shed

"A lovely peaceful and stress free day in the quiet of Sheila’s lovely studio and home. Sheila is knowledgable about her subject and teaches the subject well. This is a relaxed class not necessarily needing any artistic skills to produce a lovely piece of work to be proud of and remember the day by. Classes are small so attention is plentiful should you need the help and guidance. Very enjoyable and unhesitatingly I would recommend. Thankyou Sheila."

Tracey Spivey reviewed: Amazing encaustic art day course

"Phil is fantastic, he explains everything really well and demonstrates what you are going to do. He is full of inspiration and offers hands on help. Really enjoyed the taster session and am hooked now. Will most definitely book another course and would recommend everyone to have a go"

Phil Madley responded:

"Thank you Tracey, too kind. I am so glad you enjoyed yourselves. It means a lot to me. Cheers Phil."

Merilyn Taplin reviewed: Watercolour 2 day Art & Spa full board learn to paint @ The Flackley Ash Hotel Rye Sussex

"I booked this course as I’d become dispirited with my painting. The course is run by two lovely people, in a comfortable hotel with good food and friendly, but efficient personnel. Vicki’s enthusiasm and teaching has reignited my enthusiasm for watercolour painting. It was fun, but very informative and I have no hesitation in recommending this course to all abilities, including beginners. I’ll be returning."

Manjari reviewed: Stylish personalised keyring

"I had a really good class with Charlie. She’s patient, friendly and such a positive person. She gave lots of pointers to make the craft enjoyable while creating it and directed me to make it as perfect as possible. I’d definitely recommend it if you want to spend an hour or two creating something simple and feeling relaxed while doing it. Her place is also a very short walk from the beach, so you can continue relaxing by the seaside after!"

Fiona Moosavi reviewed: Make a silver ring: one-to-one workshop

"I highly recommend this course it is fun, value for money, exciting and very creative. Ange's passion for silver smithing/jewellery making shines through. She is very knowledgeable and is keen to share her knowledge of the process. She gives you some guidance but allows you to express your artistic flair during the process of making the rings. Ange patiently and clearly explained each step and then it was over to me to have a go, which I loved. Where extra support and help was needed she gladly helped out and the help was gratefully received. I love the fact I made three silver rings and wear them with pride. The 'she cave' is an amazing and comfortable space and I was warmly welcomed into it. I hope Ange expands her offerings as I would love to do another course. Very inspirational, thanks so much for the course. Fiona x"

Jeanette Wright reviewed: Glove making workshop

"Had 3 tremendous days! So much concentration. I had not realised how many pieces go in to one glove. The venue was great, it just a pity it is so far from home. Vajira is very knowledgable about her craft. I could perhaps have done with one or two more days tuition."

Peiris Designs responded:

"Hi Jeanette, THanks you very much for coming a long way to do the workshop. I'm glad you enjoyed. Your gloves are beautiful. The intricate stitching is amazing. I'd love to see you make more and please send me some pictures. We can definitely do few more days if you like in X'mas gift workshop, in November. Looking forward to hear what Elise think about them. Many thanks!"

Gill Dunn reviewed: Love your loom tapestry weaving 1 day course for beginners - Devon

"Spent a lovely day enjoying the art of tapestry loom weaving with Alana, who guided me through all the techniques. I came away with my own completed picture. Thank you so much."

Ruth Jones reviewed: Beginners 2 Day Traditional Stained Glass Course

"What a brilliant course, had such a fabulous weekend!!! Craft Renaissance is such a beautiful place and so many talented artists onsite, got to view the exhibition and saw so many beautiful handmade crafts I wanted to buy and take home. Lunch was absolutely delicious, they have amazing cakes too!!! Thanks Gill for all your help and encouragement, so proud of my panel and can't believe how much I learnt. I'll definitely be back to do the evening classes!!! Many thanks Ruth"

Mandy Benton reviewed: Ecodyeing - a full day introduction to leaves, rust, heat and fabric alchemy!

"I really enjoyed this course - Judy is knowledgeable and passionate about the processes involved. As a complete novice, I was not sure what to expect from my finished pieces, but was absolutely delighted with the results!"

Marion Eley reviewed: Block printed Lampshades Thursday 15th May 2025

"Creating a printed fabric product What a lovely setting to work in. After a cup of coffee we began our journey to produce some printed fabric products. Liz gave us an overview of the processes involved, then guided us first to create a stamp block and then to practise with inks on card and material. Tips were given at each stage as to how best achieve our objective. Liz and Alison were on hand to advise and encourage throughout the day. In the afternoon we then applied what we had learned printing on tea towels, cushion cover and bags. It was totally absorbing and it was a very enjoyable experience."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Marion , Thank you for your feedback I’m glad you enjoyed the course and I look forward to seeing you again , Best wishes Alison Butler"

Anne Breese reviewed: Vintage pots

"This was a fabulous course, every thing explained and it looked stunning when I had finished it. I can recommend this course to anyone, especially when at this bargain price."

Erika Steinvorth reviewed: Ecodyeing - a full day introduction to leaves, rust, heat and fabric alchemy!

"I highly recommend this course. Judy has a great way of sharing her knowledge and still gives you the space to explore your own ideas. The end results are excellent!"

Christine reviewed: Paper Marbling Class Full Day at Portsmouth Museum

"I thoroughly enjoyed my one to one session and was more than pleasantly surprised with the results. It was the start of a journey with Ebru ; a learning experience which was : challenging, rewarding and therapeutic. I can't wait to start experimenting with my new hobby kit."

James Mouland Ebru Studio responded:

"We had fun didn't we Christine and surprised your partner with your progress, can't wait to see what you produce at home with your new kit!"

Dianne Goacher reviewed: Two day leather work course - bag making

"This 2 day course was excellent. Jason was friendly, helpful, funny and a great teacher with plenty of patience. You get to choose everything from materials to design and I love my bag - just what I wanted. Hopefully be back in Sept for embossing/carving course. Thanks Jason"

Lee reviewed: Pottery throwing sessions on the potter's wheel in Norfolk

"I purchased a two hour taster session (for two people) for my daughters 16th birthday. I wasn’t expecting my daughter to take me along with her but I’m so glad she did, we had a wonderful time. Pat was so welcoming, knowledgable and clearly passionate about pottery. She was a fantastic tutor, patient and tailored her assistance to our individual needs. I thoroughly recommend this experience and expect we will look to do it again soon. We are looking forward to collecting our fired and glazed pots to see how they came out. Her studio is perfectly placed for a visit to Salhouse Broad too, so we did that afterwards and bought ice cream!"

Geeske reviewed: Glove making workshop

"Dear Vajira, I am so glad that you've collected all the knowledge that I wanted and now I can start using :) Thank you so much for that! It was worth the 14 hours (back and forth) journey on the cold boat we travelled on from Holland. It's nice that you have all the samples, even with quirks, and that you are interested to develop your skills during the workshop yourself. We've learned a whole lot in 3 days, and now I feel like I want to experiment at home, and I'll send it to you when I've finished them! Hopefully you'll hear a lot from me. And then when I'm stuck with a problem, I'm sorry but I'm going to bother you ;) and take the next workshop next year and year after. It's quite exciting to go on from here. Thank you so much! Geeske"

Peiris Designs responded:

"Hi Valka and Geeske, You are welcome!! and thank you both for your lovely, long and detailed feedback. It's my pleasure to teach you two enthusiastic students. I was so happy to see how enthusiastic you both were at the workshop and the beautiful gloves you made were amazing. I"m also glad that you've learnt about construction. I'm more than happy to answer any question you have re glove making in future- just drop a message or call me. It's interesting to see how you develop new ideas and overcome difficult construction problems of glove making- it's very challenging. You are welcome to learn again in advance glove making workshop. Also it's a pleasure spreading this rare technique and glad it is learnt and used by others. Thank you both for participating! Vajira x"

Valka reviewed: Glove making workshop

"Valka came all the way from Holland to learn glove making with Vajira ******** Thank you for your support. When I ruined my pattern you kept smiling and silently glued and fixed my glove :) Thank you for sharing your experience and all the little hacks that make the glove special. ***** ***Valka***"

Peiris Designs responded:

"Hi Valka, It was my pleasure to teach you. You've come a long way to learn and I'm glad that you've got everything you need to make beautiful gloves. Yes those little tricks makes your whole journey different. They are just amazing. I love sharing it all with you! Your gloves are so neat and beautiful. I really enjoy seeing them become 3D with your beautiful stitching. Looking forward to see some beautiful gloves. Many thanks! Vajira"

Jane finnimore reviewed: Explore your Creativity in Enamels - an introductory morning of enamelling for 2 people

"We thoroughly enjoyed the session with Christine. We learnt a lot about enamelling and, with guidance, we made a pendant and a brooch. It was a relaxing, fun morning and we left with our jewellery and a great sense of achievement. Thank you Christine."

Nadine Tabberer reviewed: Ecodyeing - a full day introduction to leaves, rust, heat and fabric alchemy!

"Judy is a great teacher. She is extremely knowledgeable and I learnt a lot. I loved the final results. It was really exciting when we unwrapped our fabrics to see what we’d produced. Our samples were gorgeous."

Eleanor Rogerson reviewed: Blacksmith experience day in Sheffield

"Thoroughly enjoyed my day. David is an excellent tutor - he has the impressive ability to make genuine positive comments when you do something well, plus he's very patient and explains everything so you learn why as well as how. At first I was nervous and so couldn't hit anything with a hammer, but he was understanding and in the end I came away with a bottle opener and a hook (very proud of them). I would recommend this course to anyone wanting a good taster in blacksmithing (though remember to take plenty of clothing, it is not warm in there!)"