Latest reviews

Sarah reviewed: Corset making: Victorian / Beginners

"Just been to the Victorian corset course. Lisa was amazing. A patient and inspiring teacher, she helped dispel the myth that corsets are too difficult to make. Will definitely do another course as soon as I can."

Kate reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"I was an absolute beginner. Wonderful venue and setting, perfect weather. A real treat to be introduced to stone carving. Really surprised and pleased with what I was able to create over the weekend. Well worth a try."

Caroline reviewed: Introduction to screen printing

"My friend and I spent the day with Ria learning how to do screen printing. We both had an idea of what design we wanted to print onto a cushion cover and with Ria's relaxed, comprehensive and informative instructions, we also managed to print some additional tote bags. With Ria's enthusiasm and inspiration, we have now discovered a passion for a new hobby. We had a fabulous day with her in the studio and thoroughly enjoyed every moment and would recommend to anyone. Parking was easy and the on-site café was well worth a visit. A day out to remember, thank you!"

Mike Perry reviewed: Throwing taster session

"Really enjoyed it. I'm seriously thinking of going back for a longer session later in the year, or trying one of the evening sessions. Deiniol was very helpful, supportive and an excellent teacher. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try throwing pots and as a complete beginner, definitely in the "senior" age range, I managed to produce three fairly different bowls in the two-hour session, including one I thought was quite good!"

Deiniol Williams Ceramics responded:

"Thank you very much for your review Mike! I shall look forward to meeting you again on one of my longer courses :)"

Gillian Pearson reviewed: Realistic and Adorable Needle Felt Animals & Pets

"Had a fantastic day at this beautiful venue. Sophie was calm, informative and helpful. I made a super model of my spaniel having never needle felted before. I am now a convert. I highly recommend anyone to attend this day."

Jo and Jayne Smith reviewed: Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"Had a really fantastic day learning how to cut mounts from beginning to end. Lynne was an excellent tutor and was able to give a lot of one to one instruction and guidance. We were delighted with the end results, thoroughly enjoyed our day and would highly recommended this course to others. Lynne’s professional experience, attention to detail and friendly helpful approach makes this course one not to be missed by anyone wishing to mount their own work with confidence and to a very high standard. Thanks again Lynne"

Fiona reviewed: New for 2025 - Explore Tetra Pak Printing in Derbyshire

"Really enjoyable day with Liz - she explains things really well and her enthusiasm is infectious! A thoroughly inspiring day - thank you!"

Liz Wellby - Artist, Teacher & Maker responded:

"Thank you for your positivity and I’m really pleased you enjoyed your day. I hope your lovely prints have pride of place at home. Best wishes Liz Wellby"

Brigitte Soltau reviewed: Spoon carving for beginners with Green Fox Wild Crafts

"After thinking about doing a spoon carving course for years - I finally signed up to this one-day course with Nadine. Very glad I did - it was excellent! Nadine is an enthusiastic and motivating teacher and throughout the day she shared her extensive knowledge of wood, spoon-carving, techniques and tools. The practical demonstrations were clear and frequent, as were her explanations of handling and using the tools, with a strong focus on safety - spoon-carving tools are extremely sharp! The day was well paced, with plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion. The balance between being taught, and getting on with it yourself felt just right. Overall, a brilliant start to learning a new craft."

Yvonne Mansell reviewed: Corset making: Victorian / Beginners

"I've just attended my first course with Lisa and can thoroughly recommend. Lisa is a lovely lady, great teacher, so helpful, nothing is too much trouble. I now have a very professional looking corset that fits me beautifully. I will definitely be attending more of her courses. She is very inspiring!"

Mia reviewed: Silver Clay Workshop - Taster & Intermediate - Exeter Jewellery Studio

"I did the beginners course some time ago and then followed it up with the intermediate course with my friend. It was so much fun, everything was well explained and demonstrated and Becky was a marvel. The best thing is that you walk home with some marvellous “actually made by me” jewellery. I highly recommend Monty’s course."

Kate Rogers reviewed: Pottery wheel throwing and hand building full day

"What a treat! A beautiful spring day spent with my daughter (26) and son (24) at Potterydayz. We had a very creative, relaxing, fun day together. Richard was a great teacher - patient and calm! The vegan soup was an added kindness. Would highly recommend this course!"

Lib J reviewed: Whittling course

"Spent a great day learning the basics of whittling. The course is well paced and very informative. We learnt about wood selection which was really helpful, as was the lesson on sharpening. The group was small - only 4 of us, which meant Martin could correct our technique as we went along and he was always on hand to help. An added bonus was a delicious homemade lunch! All in all, we were made to feel very welcome and Martin teaches in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. We learnt a lot during the day and will hopefully be returning at some point for the spoon carving lessons."

Victoria Whittell reviewed: Carving & sculpture workshops

"I must say I was filled with fear and trepidation at the thought of attempting an art form that has long intrigued and fascinated me. I always assumed carving and sculpture required great strength, and as a petite woman I was slightly nervous to say the least. Fortunately, all my fears were allayed upon meeting Gareth, who has a relaxed, quirky personality and immediately made me feel very welcome. Gareth first taught me the principles of relief carving, and how this is always the precursor to sculpture in the round. Before long (with the help of Gareth) I was carving my first relief and although I broke my first leaf, Gareth taught me how to reform the shape by going deeper into the block. By the end of the day I felt so proud of having carved my first relief in wood. The tuition was intense, as you would expect with one to one, but at the same time enjoyable and inspiring. The sculpture studio is set in a beautiful, tranquil location and my abiding memory was being taught the six keys to release creativity whilst listening to the sweet melodious sounds of a song thrush. A truly wonderful day, and I will definitely be returning for more sculpture tuition."

Nobby reviewed: 2 day traditional upholstery workshop

"What a brilliant two days! I was given this course as a present, and as such accepted the generous gift at face value and did little research into the course. I emailed Karen with my project, asking for her thoughts and from then on the experience was fantastic. As a wood and metal worker I have many years experience in workshops but had never considered upholstery, a now obvious extension to my practice. Karen led us all through our individual projects whilst keeping a great group dynamic in the room, each stage was patiently covered (sic) and then reviewed when complete. At no time did one feel lost, or helpless. I completed my project with a couple of hours to spare and without a moment to consider, was started on another one to make a cushion to complement my upholstered chair. I made new friends within the group, the communal lunches were delicious and full of conversation. I am now looking at options for my next project, I might test Karen a little harder next time, she certainly has the skills and experience."

Anne@pittsmill, reviewed: Needle felting course with FURZIE at Trumpet Corner Tea Rooms, Ledbury, Herefordshire

"A brilliant day in a lovely place! Michelle is a wonderful teacher. I hadn’t done anything like this before and I felt it was probably a bit ambitious to try to make a sculpture of my labradoodle. However, she turned out really well and I fell in love with her about half way through the day. When I got home the family couldn’t believe I hadn’t bought her! I can’t wait to make another dog."

Lou Whitman reviewed: Corset making: Victorian / Beginners

"Lisa is an amazing teacher for any learner from beginner upwards. She is patient and passionate and able to juggle the needs of ten individuals with ranging skills. The expertise and materials provided are both top notch. Also met a great bunch of creative people and it was exciting to learn a new skill."

Lindsey jeffcock reviewed: Two day blacksmithing course

"Totally blown away by the whole experience with everything exceeding my expectations. So, what did I expect? I thought I’d have the opportunity to make perhaps a poker, a toasting fork or perhaps candlestick holder, following instruction and guidance from the tutor. I would have been pretty pleased with that, regardless of the fact that I don’t have a real fire to poke or a passion for candlelit toasted dinners. Julian was great, tremendously passionate and knowledgeable. The workshop was really interesting and we had the opportunity to see some of Julian’s incredible work. After a good brew and chat Julian gave us pretty much free reign on what we would like to create, with a steer toward achievable goals within the two days. Julian gave us the space to consider our original concepts and shared his own creative knowledge to enhance our pieces. His fantastic and patient instruction, from measuring out, creating test pieces to working the metal was brilliant, managing to support two of us with totally different projects in such a way that we always felt both engaged and supported. I swear he must have eyes in the back of his head! He was generous with his time, encouragement and creativity. All of this ensured we spent most of the two days grinning and we’re incredibly proud of our projects. Personally I love getting stuck in and having a go but it has to be said, just watching Julian work on test pieces was mesmerising in itself. I’d recommend this course to anyone with an interest in Blacksmithing and wanting excellent personal instruction."

Julie Simmonds reviewed: Paint your own piece - furniture workshop - North Wales

"Really enjoyed the time spent on the course with Charlotte. I felt comfortable within minutes of arriving and felt able to ask questions throughout the day. There is no doubt that Charlotte is an expert and very knowledgeable in her field. She is full of ideas and suggestions that inspired me to think about other projects I can do at home. I really had my eyes opened to various different techniques and finishes that can be used when upcycling. I would definitely recommend anyone who wants to learn from a professional how to upcycle - I enjoyed it so much I intend to come again with another project. Thanks again Charlotte, brilliant educational and fun day! Julie Simmonds Many thanks Julie :) x"

Charlotte's Country Commissions responded:

"Thanks Julie for your fantastic review, you did an amazing job on your mirror, what a transformation you made! Can't wait to see it on the wall in situ. Hope to see you again with another project this year. Thanks Charlotte x"

Wendy Mackay reviewed: Zarzo Flower Basket

"A wonderful half day weaving tipis in Nicki's woodland glade. Friendly, welcoming, positive and encouraging - it was amazing that we all could produce solidly built attractive tipis. Highly recommended!"

Laura Watson reviewed: Mould making for ceramic production

"I loved every minute of my two day course. David was a great teacher and has a wealth of knowledge, so I learnt loads. I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to achieve and David was very patient in helping me try and translate this into workable model making techniques. I left with a clearer idea of how to develop it further and I know I’ll be continuing to pick David’s brain. The food and drink provided was delicious and David and his wife Katy were fabulous hosts."

CP Ceramics responded:

"Hello Laura, Thank you very much for your kind review of the model making course at CP Ceramics last week. The great thing about teaching talented students is that they make you look at aspects of your craft in a different way. I'm really looking forward to seeing how your pottery projects develop in the future. Regards David"

Amanda Evans reviewed: Group Soap-making Workshop - Soapology Studio - Nottinghamshire

"Really enjoyed it. I learnt a lot and loved the day making soap. Will carry on with it at home."

Lesley reviewed: Learn to Crochet! 3 relaxed & fun crochet sessions with our tutor Pam Barnell

"Pam Barnell is a great crochet tutor. She definitely got me ‘hooked’!"

Nicky Sheppard reviewed: Wheel thrown mug workshop

"This 2.5 hours pottery throwing taster workshop was a wonderful Mother’s Day gift to me. The beautiful drive out to the studio was the start of a relaxing and rewarding afternoon. Jack patiently guided me through the basics of pottery throwing. I managed to produce three pots that I am very proud of! I now have the bug and am ready to sign up for a course. Great value for money."

Catriona Foote reviewed: Kiln fired glass painting taster courses

"Had a fantastic weekend learning new skills. Wonderful company, tasty soup and coffee. Relaxed atmosphere, perfect for creating lovely things. Would definitely recommend."

Izzy Thompson reviewed: 2 day traditional upholstery workshop

"I absolutely loved this course. Karen is a patient teacher who is clearly passionate about upholstery. I wanted to sign up for another course straight away. I’ll definitely be back for more!"