Latest reviews

S. A. Morton reviewed: Introduction to Glass Fusing with Enamels - Full Day Workshop

"This course was exceptional as it was well organised and as a participant it certainly brought out creativity and it was particularly productive. There were many and varied resources in the studio at our disposal, which is very generous of Steve, therefore we could make many items. Steve explained everything to do with glass fusing in a clear and communicative way that we could understand. He went over the names of the various resource and emphasised all the safety tips we needed to know . Steve is very friendly, encouraging and interacted well with his learners and was always around to help, bounce ideas off and get constructive feedback from. I learnt a lot from Steve's enthusiasm, his passion for his art and him being a great tutor. It was a really amazing course and I would highly recommend it to to anyone who is interested in any form of art and would like a day of creativity. My full day was amazing and very enjoyable, including the pub lunch, and I was surprised at all the items I produced. I am definitely going to return to do a two day course as I throughly enjoyed the whole day and experience."

Julie Caswell reviewed: Painting with beeswax & dyes - Batik Pictures

"Enjoyed a lovely creative day with Barbara today exploring batik techniques on both cotton and silk. Thank you for your hospitality and guidance."

Sanyia reviewed: Silver clay Warwickshire

"I had a fantastic time on this Jewellery making course. Kate was an excellent teacher and I would highly recommend this as it was a great way to spend my Saturday morning."

Gayle Baxter reviewed: Container candlemaking course and wax melts with afternoon tea

"Julie and team, thank you for an absolutley fantastic day, I learned so much, and laughed all day. Afternoon tea was amazing and nothing was too much trouble (endless pots of tea come to mind). I can't recommend this course highly enough, everybody was very relaxed and informal, Julie and Kay were amazing tutors. The price of the course was worth every penny and I can't wait to put what I learned into practice. xxx"

Mark Stowell reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Fantastic course delivered by a superb tutor! Really enjoyed the process and making something unique by hand. The Fan Bird already has pride of place hanging in my hallway!"

nigel vivian reviewed: Wood turning tuition, New Forest, Hampshire (1 day) (2 people)

"Had a very informative day. Graham made me very welcome. His way of teaching with hands on is excellent ."

Graham Turner reviewed: Glass Fusing & Slumping Weekend - 2 Days

"Great weekend messing about with bits of Glass. There were five of us in the class and Jude gave us lots of ideas and inspiration. Jude is very knowledgeable on both Fusion and Stained glass and has created some amazing large windows. I hope to come back one day for some more !!!! Graham"

Kirt Holmes reviewed: Celtic Pattern, Geometry and Imagination

"I'm writing to tell you how much I enjoyed the workshop, what a treat to be immersed in celtic geometry and cosmic measure for three whole days. The learning environment there is really special and SAOG Studios is a joy to work in. I'm very much looking forward to further workshops with you. I really enjoyed working with Adam, and the experience was very much enriched by his depth and breadth of knowledge on the subject. I enjoyed everybody's contributions ... and I'm confident to get going on my own now ...' Kirt Holmes Nov. 2018 Celtic Pattern, Geometry and Imagination course participant"

Amanda B reviewed: Candle making class & bubbly in Brighton & Hove

"This was a relaxing way to spend an afternoon. Charlie is a very patient teacher and explains everything thoroughly. The trickiest part is combining the oils to get a lovely aroma but Charlie is great at helping you to come up with a suitable combination and we all ended up making some beautiful smelling candles. The great thing about this is that you can continue at home as she sends you the step by step instructions and details of where to get the supplies. Guess what everyone is getting for Christmas!"

Sharon Parsons reviewed: Tapestry weaving workshop for beginners

"We had a wonderful day with Jane yesterday. It started by her collecting us from the station (we travelled up from the south coast) and we were catered for beautifully... lovely cakes, Jane. And after much patient encouragement I managed to produce a funky face... something I would never have thought I could have achieved. Would be very happy to spend another day weaving with Jane. xx"

Michele reviewed: Introduction to wet-felting: handbag, iPad case or something else!

"My Mum and I spent a simply wonderful day with Cathy at her studio. She and her family have created an idyllic, welcoming space for a wide range of crafts and activities. We tried our hands at wet felting which was great fun. We were delighted with the bags we created and got a good workout into the bargain! Although while it is quite an energetic activity it wasn’t too much, you don’t have to be super fit to enjoy it. Cathy cooked a delicious cake to welcome us and a superb lunch, and her family made us very welcome indeed. We are already looking forward to returning for another session!"

Sam reviewed: Creating a Viking knife an introduction to forging and knife making at Bearded Pig Forge

"Form Start to finish , I can say feel very humbled, an amazing talented Kind man with a wonderful mind , full of interesting and inspiring knowledge. This was a great Course to do, and put any worry’s at bay, explaining each stage and why. Was an absolute pleasure working with you today , I would recommend to anyone to give this course a go . Great teacher. As well as Supertalented . Thank you Spike I look forward to the next course adventures , keep going with all what you do."

Katrina Marshall reviewed: Silversmithing Jewellery One Day Tailored Workshop at Brightsmiths: One to One tuition

"I had a wonderful day with Rosie and came away with a silver ring I designed and made myself. Rosie took me through each process and explained everthing thoroughly, she was so generous with her amazing knowledge and her time. I learnt so much and hope to return in the future. I would recommend a day with Rosie she is an amazing lady."

Paul Martin reviewed: Blacksmithing course with Longdog Smithy

"I cannot sum up how great Tom at Longdog Smithy is. His knowledge and patience are endless: my wife and I had a blast, making a knife and a scrolled trellis. Can’t wait to book another session! Very highly recommended and excellent value for money"

Christine Dawson reviewed: Needle felt landscapes workshop on Orkney, including lunch

"I have just spent a lovely day needle felting with Catherine. Being a complete novice at this craft I was very surprised that I could go home with a wonderful picture. Catherine is such a pleasant and helpful teacher calm and patient, the time passed so quickly. I will certainly be framing my art work and showing to my friends. Christine Dawson"

Amy Papineau reviewed: ** SPECIAL OFFER ** 10% off - Bladesmithing Experience Day - Wiltshire

"We had a great day - Graham and Dave were great tutors who gently guided us as we got stuck in. It was a brilliant course (the forging was a real highlight for us) and we were so pleased by the knives we made in the end. We learned a fair bit and had a lot of fun - many thanks! Amy and Dom Papineau"

Amy Papineau reviewed: Bladesmithing Experience Day

"We had a great day - Graham and Dave were great tutors who gently guided us as we got stuck in. It was a brilliant course (the forging was a real highlight for us) and we were so pleased by the knives we made in the end. We learned a fair bit and had a lot of fun - many thanks! Amy and Dom Papineau"

Joanna Weir reviewed: One day silver jewellery making in Worcestershire.

"Had an absolutely brilliant day making a pair of silver earrings (and giving my tester bracelet as a present!) Excellent tuition for a complete novice like myself, the hours flew by. Would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone, was great fun and a fabulous 40th birthday present for me :) Thank you Jonathan (and the 2 ladies I met were lovely too!)"

Salt Way Silver responded:

"Well done with your making day - We all learned something from your soldering session! Many thanks for your kind words. Jonathan"

Sean and Lea Hackett reviewed: Hand forged rustic knife course

"Great experience. Very friendly and knowledgeable guys. They allowed you to complete the metalwork but were ready to help out if needed. We came away with some pretty decent knives and a great sense of achievement. My husband is addicted and will go back again for another project I'm sure."

Dee reviewed: Axe or bladesmithing weekend workshop – 2 days making your choice of a seax, bushcraft, bowie or chef knife

"I bought my partner the Seax forging weekend as a present as he loves Forged in Fire and he's been super busy this year so deserved a treat. From the start, Ali was fab at keeping in touch, asking about dietary requirements and even what cakes my hubby liked! He had the most amazing time on the course, absolutely full of it both days, and so proud to show off his frankly pretty impressive knife! He loved that Matt encouraged but allowed creative expression and encouraged both participants in the class to style their knives in a way they personally liked. He came home both days well fed and even with a slice of homemade apple cake for me (upvote right there!) He is dying to return to do another class. So I highly recommend it for anyone interested in forging. It sounded like the personal attention was ideal and a lot of fun was had!"

Hester Wain reviewed: Dragon Making: 2 Day Course

"This was just an absolutely brilliant course! We now have two (potentially fire-breathing) dragons: Esmeralda and Gytha. They are huge, about 2ft tall and just utterly magical. I cannot believe we managed to make these. This was a great Christmas present!"

Anvil Forge responded:

"Hi Hester Thanks for pictures , the dragons look great. best wishes John"

Bex Radford reviewed: Blacksmithing course - spend a day in the forge

"My husband and I both attended the one day Blacksmithing course in October and were blown away by the day. Set in a fabulous location, working with Richard -an amazing artist/ blacksmith, was an brilliant birthday present. The day was packed full of time to learn and time to experiment and develop our own skills. Accompanied by good coffee and a lovely lunch the day was perfect. Richard shared his wealth of skills and techniques, encouraging us to try and apply learnt techniques throughout the day. This really is a craft to be experienced and not to be missed. Thank you Richard."

Red Anvil School of Blacksmithing responded:

"Thank you Rebecca, your review is brilliant, what a lovely couple of days blacksmithing. I hope the pieces you both made have been much admired. It is a little early, but have a lovely Christmas break. Kind regards Richard"

Chris Smith reviewed: Pottery Throwing (Group Discounts Available) Lessons in Worcester

"I returned with my son to spend another satisfying morning with Chris trying to improve my throwing skills and learning how to work with clay . This time we produced some fairly decent mugs. Think I am beginning to get the hang of it ! Chris is a great teacher. Such an enjoyable time and great experience . Everyone should try it !"

Grace Williams reviewed: Creative Vibe - Glassblowing Sessions

"I did Ricky's beginner day in November 2018. It was an excellent, really memorable experience and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants to try glassblowing for the first time. There were three of us on the course and each of us produced three items - a paperweight, an ornament and a bauble or a decorative dish. We all got plenty of hands-on experience with 'gathering' molten glass from the furnace, shaping it, adding colour and blowing it. Ricky got us to help each other so we were kept involved and interested the whole time. I was particularly impressed with Ricky's calmness and patience. There are obviously risks using furnaces and hot glass, but Ricky kept everything really well controlled and totally safe. He created a relaxed and creative atmosphere which was great to experience. He also followed up with pictures of pur creations and 'action shots' from the workshop. I'm now really looking forward to picking up my items - they have to cool for a few days - and showing them to family and friends. I may even sign up for another workshop!"

Lorraine Marr reviewed: Embroidery Hanging-"Stitch for the Soul" with Julie Brand at Tigley Textiles in Worcester

"What a fabulous day! This step by step approach by Julie meant that everyone in the group had a successful and enjoyable day. Thank you so much- I will return!"