Latest reviews

Gill Membery reviewed: Beginners Weaving with the Rigid Heddle Loom - at All in a Spin

"Myself and my husband did this course with Dunja. It's set on a beautiful farm, she was very patient with us, we where thrilled to come away understanding so much more. We couldn't wait to get home to set up our loom. We will definately return to do follow on courses, such a lovely day, and so pleased with the results. Thank you Dunja."

Laura reviewed: Pottery throwing workshop Saturdays or Sundays

"My husband and I attended a pottery workshop as a birthday present to him. He had done a little throwing before, I'd not done much. Nadia was very welcoming and an excellent teacher. She gave us tips and spotted the various (numerous) mistakes, and helped correct them. The workshop is great: beautiful setting and we'll equipped. We made a few pieces and are waiting with anticipation to see how they fare in the kiln. It was a wonderful, relaxing and inspiring afternoon and I hope we'll be back another time."

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

"Forged In Lincolnshire! After watching a fair few 'forged in fire'episodes we started to get a little intrgued about making our own! Booked a 2 day course to make a seax with Matt at his forge for a Birthday Gift and what an experience! Matts friendly, calm, down to earth and clearly loves passing on his knowledge whilst also letting you make your own decisions on how you want your knife to look! Ali's hospitality can't be faulted, going the extra mile to make sure youre kept fed and watered! We had seen other courses described as classes and group sessions but this is just 2 of you with Matt and Ali at there home hammering, grinding and sweating in the forge, meaning you get Matts full attention and not sharing it with a group of strangers! Beware, you will get hot, you will get tired, youll get covered in sawdust as you create your piece, but after two days of fun you will get something you can call your own and be proud of! Located in a beautiful rural setting, cannot recommend enough!"

Eldrum and Redwolf responded:

"Thank you for such a lovely review! It was a pleasure to host you both, and Matt thoroughly enjoyed teaching you! :)"

Fiona Julian reviewed: Beginner's Papercutting at Swallows & Artisans, Lake District

"Well what an amazing day I have had at Lanehead, learning a new skill of paper cutting. I had never been on a course before and what a lovely place for my first course. Such a peaceful relaxing place with amazing views of the Lake District. The craft room was decorated to a high standard, you could tell a lot of thought had gone into it. I was made to feel very welcome by Karen (the host) as soon as I arrived and until I left, there was plenty of drinks and home made cakes!! What can I say about the course itself, Melissa the course tutor was so enthusiastic it rubbed off onto me. She was very patient and gave one on one time if needed to make sure you could master the new skill. It was lovely to achieve a cutting by the end of the day and to take home templates to be able to continue paper cutting. I will definitely be going back to learn more."

Swallows & Artisans responded:

"Thank you very much for the review. I'm pleased you had a great time - hopefully I will see you again soon!"

Lax reviewed: Wood turning courses

"I am very proud of the bowl I made and it’s attracted many compliments from anyone who has seen it I found the day a really great balance of theory and practice - hard work for the uninitiated but we had a lot of laughs too .. George's teaching style is based on his own experience which I personally always benefit from What most enthused me is that I discovered that I too could have the talent if I was prepared to listen and apply what I heard"

Carole H reviewed: Make a silver ring or bangle

"My second visit in May was focused on making a fine silver mount for a peridot stone (for later fixing to my ongoing project). It was a fresh challenge and a very intricate task of shaping and soldering, requiring accurate measuring and repeated checking to get a good fit. Now I am ready for the next stage of my project. Lucy has kindly given me the names of some wonderful suppliers of cords and silk threads. She has acquired for me stones and fine-guage sanding paper. She even gave me salts for a soak for my bruised foot! Thank you Lucy for your kind support."

Mathieu reviewed: Make a spindle-back chair

"It was a wonderful experience to learn how to make a chair with a few branches of ash, some hand tools, my own hands and Peter's guidance. For me green wood work was new and I feel I made a great discovery; It suspended the time for 5 days, opening a place for letting go. Peter's way of teaching is in harmony with this idea of letting go: pressureless, enjoyable and safe! ... Going with the grain. Thank you Peter."

Sharon Gibson reviewed: Mosaic one day workshop for adults with Caroline Jariwala, Birmingham

"What fabulous day! Caroline’s enthusiasm is infectious and her teaching style puts you totally at ease. Her home is a treasure trove of her own work and collections and is and inspiring place to work. I was amazed at what we all produced and I will definitely be going back for more marvellous mosaic makery. Thanks Caroline."

RahatAboobaker reviewed: Non-residential 2-day patchwork & quilting workshops in Watford with Green Man Quilts

"Thoroughly enjoyed the two day course supported by Sheena's patience and inspiration."

Karen Barlow reviewed: Candle making with afternoon tea

"What a fabulous workshop. Tracy was an excellent tutor, very informative and friendly. I came away on such a high I wanted to do my review straight away! Also came away with two lovely candles and lots of melts. Afternoon tea was a treat too. Thank you Tracy and I wish you all the very best with your ventures. Karen"

Heidi and family reviewed: Beginners 2 sterling silver stacking rings jewellery course

"We (mum dad and daughter) had a wonderful day making stacking rings with Sarah. It was for our daughter's birthday and was a great success. Sarah was very relaxed and helpful letting us make it our own work and at the same time giving us enough help to make sure we had a finished product that we were happy with. Myself and my daughter get to wear the rings and love them,. We found it was an activity that was enjoyed equally by us all - Great for men and women and any adult age. Sarah and her husband also looked after us so well through out the day with refreshments and a really thoughtful touch with a home made birthday cake!"

Ann reviewed: A complete introduction to wet felting

"Excellent course run by the lovely Olga, what a knowledgable lady! As a beginner in wet felting I had researched courses and decided to go with Olga as the photographs of what is achievable far exceeded my beginners expectations. Olga's knowledge of wet felting, and her patience with all my questions made for a really great day. I came away with more than I had anticipated, and will be able to begin exploring the many ways to use the fabric I can hopefully produce. Many thanks to Olga and her husband Michael for making me feel welcomed."

Lynette Williams reviewed: Try Enamel workshop - suitable for all abilities

"Teresa is a fabulous teacher loved my day Enamelling. Thank you"

Janie Scott reviewed: Fused glass day course - beginners/intermediate

"I had a brilliant day in the workshop at Creative Glass Fusion. The setting is lovely being in the peaceful Berkshire countryside yet close to Theale and M4 etc. The craft day was given to me as a present, the perfect type of gift for me! Nicky showed us examples and also gave us pictures to look at to get our ideas started and then just let us go with them. Her tuition, help and guidance was pitched at just the right level, allowing us all to go with the flow of our chosen projects for the day. The choices of glass materials was extensive. We were shown and encouraged to use a few techniques to achieve what we wanted. I made a square, curved plate that has pride of place on my coffee table, along with two pretty coasters that I had thought of giving away as gifts..! I had a lovely day and would thoroughly recommend it."

Angela Akroyd reviewed: Blacksmith experience day in Tilford, Surrey

"I had seen a working blacksmith with my kids and knew I wanted to try... I found Hot Metal Works via an internet search and got in touch with Neil to arrange my one day course. The day was truly amazing. I learnt so many skills hammering, tapering and quenching the metal. I managed to produce two items under Neil's instructions. He was a great teacher and so knowledgable. The day was well structured and informative. Making something out of metal from scratch was an absolute joy. I recommend this course to all!"

Jenny reviewed: Making a stained glass art hanging

"I did the stained glass light catcher course. It was an excellent day. Caryl is a good teacher, spent plenty of time with everyone, and explained things really well. She made sure we could all do the each step of the process and went out of her way to help us do what we wanted to do. And the lunch was lovely too."

Claire Shore reviewed: 4 day course in upholstery, soft furnishings or loose covers

"This weekend course is an absolute delight. Angie is a fabulous hostess, aided brilliantly in the background by her husband. The workshop is very well equipped and Angie has a vast amount of experience to help with any project. She is particularly enthusiastic about traditional techniques - used to great effect on old pieces of furniture. lunch is included on this course and was absolutely delicious and different every day. Angie will also tempt you with smashing home made cakes and coffee or tea in between times! I’ve been on 3 courses so far and I’m going back very soon! Thorough recommend this course- you’ll love it!"

Angela Steatham reviewed: Blacksmithing for Beginners - Full Day Forging for One

"As an avid viewer of the series Forged In Fire, I yearned to make my own knife and was fortunate enough to receive a day with Chris for a Christmas gift. The whole day surpassed my expectations! Chris put me at ease immediately and explained each part of the process clearly and patiently. I was beyond thrilled to end the day with a fully-hardened knife, which is not only beautiful, but also fully functional. Like others who have submitted reviews, I would like to keep Chris's workshops a secret as I can't wait to book for another, but that would be mean....if you or a friend have any interest in spending a day as a blacksmith, then book soon - you will have a day to remember!"

Jill Bell reviewed: Introduction to Soft Pastels 10-week face-to-face art course in Kidderminster West Midlands

"What a treat last Sunday's workshop was. I am so happy with what I achieved! My wool painting of poppy fields looks so professional. I am taking it to my daughter who lives in California to remind her of home. I know she will love it. I have already ordered some wool tops so I can continue this beautiful art form. Thank you for your inspiration, Raya"

Peter F reviewed: Two day leather work course - bag making

"My wife and I enrolled on the Diamond Awl 2 day course, with a view to learn some new skills, and spend the weekend doing something out of the ordinary. The whole experience felt like a real privilege! The course is run by Jason, who has his own high-end leather goods company. He is such a nice guy, and extremely knowledgable and passionate about his craft. His studio is in a beautiful mill building in a very lovely part of the world. The studio is very cool, with an amazing collection of unusual artefacts. It was very relaxed and an enjoyable atmosphere. The course is only for limited numbers. It was just the 2 of us for the weekend, which was great. The bags that we made with Jasons guidance are beautiful, of absolutely superb quality, and something to be truly proud of. All-in-all, a highly enjoyable and rewarding experience that I would recommend to anyone without hesitation."

lyn reviewed: Enamelling on copper

"excellent course"

LCEnamels responded:

"Thank you for your positive feedback"

Sarah Fleming reviewed: Making a stained glass art hanging

"Just spent a (birthday present) day making a stained glass panel with Caryl & absolutely loved it! A brilliant teacher, beautiful glass, delicious lunch- a wonderful wonderful day! Highly recommended!"

Demi reviewed: Machine made lined curtains

"I attended the machine Roman Blind making course and absolutely loved it. Janet was very attentive and concise in her teaching. Everything was broken down to simple instructions as well as brilliant work sheets which will be invaluable to making roman blinds in the future. I now feel confident to make my own blinds professionally after just one day. Very hospitable and a lovely lady. I would highly recommend!"

Jenny Lawrence reviewed: Needle felting course with FURZIE at Trumpet Corner Tea Rooms, Ledbury, Herefordshire

"Thoroughly enjoyed my day at Trumpet Tea Rooms. Michelle is an excellent teacher, with a very enabling attitude. Plenty of materials available freely for you to work with. Being only a small group it is fun to make what you want and still have ample help from Michelle. The work room is light and spacious and the food supplied was delicious."

Marc Jordan reviewed: A Dry Stone Walling Workshop Bedfordshire

"Clear, practical and friendly. Pleasing to have contributed to an enduring project rather than a sample wall that would be dismantled."

London School of Dry Stone Walling responded:

"Hello Marc – Thank you for your feedback. I valued your input and your contribution will stay put, that was no sample !! As you said at the time, the workshop experience sheds more insight and understanding into the skill and craft heritage of previous generations."