Latest reviews

Oliver reviewed: Spoon carving, 2 days with Steve Tomlin in the Yorkshire Dales

"An ideal beginner's course for someone interested in spoon carving. Steve is a very good teacher, very patient and will illustrate each step. Broadrake is an excellent location, Rachel and Mike have done a wonderful job with the bunkbarn which is stunning. Ribbleshead viaduct can be seen from the property with Whernside just behind the property. Mike and Rachel are very good cooks/bakers and you will be treated to their veggie lunch and sweet treats."

Rachel Collins reviewed: Copper Foil Technique Stained Glass

"I have just spent a fantastic day on a one to one with Amanda at her lovely home/studio. The sun was shining and the birds were singing all day. I learned how to cut class, chose different textured glass for the item I was going to make and how it would blend with other colours and textures. I had a go at grinding the glass to make it smooth, then I learned to attach the copper foil before soldering all pieces together. Amanda has much patience and helps when required. I came away with 3 pieces: a heart, bunny rabbit and a dragonfly. I took with me a broken butterfly of glass art I had bought in Canada in 1990 and Amanda very kindly repaired it. Amanda provided soup and warm baguette for lunch and drinks throughout our day, which started at 9am and finished at 5pm. Would I recommend? MOST CERTAINLY"

Adele Edgar reviewed: Mosaic day workshop on Orkney

"Tutor was wonderful, facilities great, classmates lovely. Will hopefully be back on an open day so I can buy some of the wonderful art I saw whilst there. Adele"

F Brown reviewed: Distressed painted furniture course with refreshments

"Very well taught course, and very knowledgeable about the industry of furniture selling."

Karen A Brook reviewed: Distressed painted furniture course with refreshments

"Completed this course a few months back and loved it, we all had a good giggle and it was in a very relaxed environment, with the add on of us all being able to buy more furniture whilst we we there."

Sarah Brindle reviewed: Distressed painted furniture course with refreshments

"Great course, learned loads of new tips and really enjoyed the day."

Cindy reviewed: Spoon carving, 2 days with Steve Tomlin in the Yorkshire Dales

"A very informative course with step by step tuition. Steve demonstrated each step and then allowed us to have a try, offering help and advice all along. He was able to answer any questions put to him and kept reminding us of good technique. We all came away with a spoon original to our own design. Broadrake as a venue is in a very scenic part of the Yorkshire Dales with the Ribblehead viaduct in the near distance and Whernside just behind. Ideal for a walk if you happen to stay a night or two. There was an excellent lunch and wonderful home baking. All in all a great day. Highly recommended."

Tyson reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"I had no idea what to expect from this course, which had been given to me as a surprise birthday gift. Creativity is not something people normally associate me with, and so I had concerns about how I'd manage to project an idea onto an object carved from stone. But my fears were immediately put aside by Sebastian's wonderful course. The beautiful location of his workshop is idyllic and incredibly peaceful - a perfect environment to create an intense bond with a piece of rock over the two-day course. We were fortunate enough to have superb weather, although Sebastian's home-made wood-burning stove and copious supply of hot drinks suggested any inclement weather wouldn't put a dampener on the need to work indoors. Sebastian's tutoring style is charmingly calm and relaxed; he flexes the way he gives advice for each course attendee, as needed, clearly demonstrating his passion and experience for stone carving. I would highly recommend this course to anyone, even to those only remotely interested in stone carving. It was a great, relaxing break and something I'd have no heTyssitation in doing again myself, especially now that I'm armed with a basic knowledge of tools and techniques."

RACHAEL TAYLOR reviewed: Etching with Liam Biswell

"Great course....the 2 days allowed enough time with Liam to master (!?) the different processes, one to one help when needed but left plenty of studio time to experiment and produce a folder of work that I was proud to take home (mostly!!) Would highly recommend, Liam's passion and knowledge about the subject is infectious and to be able to sit and soak up the ambience of the Phoenix Studios' idyllic surroundings is the cherry on top! x"

Anne Rowlandson reviewed: Table Loom Weaving Workshop - Dobby & Rose

"I had a smashing day and the time went very quickly. Rebecca know her stuff and made it all seem very easy. At the end of the session I had a sample of weaving, despite getting the pattern wrong in the beginning, Rebecca turned it around so it all looked lovely in the end. A great day and would love to do it again. Anne Rowlandson"

Duncan Goulder reviewed: Pole Lathe Bowl Turning - Your First Bowl

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course. Adrian is a great teacher with infinite patience and a very clear and logical delivery style that really helps in understanding the process from tree trunk to finished bowl. Adrian has a wealth of knowledge and an infectious passion for wood craft. I can't recommend this course highly enough."

Vanessa Santos reviewed: Bird sculpture - clay, paper, mixed media craft workshop

"Nikki was really lovely! She had so much patience..,especially when my birdy (peter I've called him!) wasn't playing ball! My fault as I had made him a bit too chunky ;). Really interesting course, beautiful surroundings; even got a delicious lunch! ? Look forward to seeing what other courses Nikki has to offer for the future. Thanks again Nikki!"

NIKKI SZABO responded:

"Thank you so much Vanessa. I had a lovely day too, and I hope Peter is settling into his new home! Hope you see you again soon. Nikki x"

Yvonne Jones reviewed: Upholstery and upcycling furniture and interiors

"Really enjoyed the day. It’s the 2nd upholstery day I’ve done with Lucy and I’m thrilled with results from both. Covered a tub chair this time and although I didn’t get it finished Lucy gave me all the info I needed to complete the project at home. Lucy is very patient, professional and has excellent skills. I would definitely recommend her courses."

Vicky Palmer reviewed: Stool making course at Sallerton Wood

"What a beautiful setting for a green woodwork course. I produced a great footstool under the thorough and patient tuition provided by Andy. I can't recommend highly enough the course and sitting alongside the stream with good food and lovely company was the icing on the cake. Andy and Jane are great hosts and I can't wait to book again.. Thank you ?"

Jayne Ferguson reviewed: Mosaic day workshop on Orkney

"Thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. Left with the skills to know how to do the basics. Met interesting people although all engrossed in our work so did not engage too much. Catherine was very knowledgeable, hands-on and explained things in an easy to understand way as well as demonstrating practically. Huge variety of material to work with. Definitely recommend this workshop to others."

Jill Hilton reviewed: A One Day (week-day) Upholstery Course for Improvers

"As a complete beginner I was amazed how much I achieved in a day. Of course there was far more to it than I imagined but all the stages were explained really well. I went home fully set up to work on my own towards the next step. Philip is a very friendly, hospitable teacher. It was most enjoyable."

Ralph reviewed: Firebird Forge Blacksmithing School

"Great day out last Thursday at Firebird forge tucked away in a remote part of the beautiful Sussex countryside. Mort not only quickly gets you introduced to the basics of working with a traditional open coal furnace and working metal by hand but also adds his extensive knowledge on the history of this ancient craft skill. There is considerable skill in this craft and learning how to manage the fire and heat in the metal, accurately using the hammer and other tools requires a lot of patience and practice but with Mort there to help its amazing to look back and see what you have learnt in just one day. The day was very relaxed and overran on time but Mort made sure we came away with a finished item, in my case a set of fire tongs, which impresses everyone I have shown."

Alison reviewed: Bring Your Own Upholstery Project - Block of 5 days

"I chose to do a day course with Sarah as she is registered with the AMUSF and having recently completed the AMUSF Diploma myself, I recognised the level of proficiency required by Sarah to be accredited with them. I went with the specific aim to practice traditional upholstery techniques and found her to be informative, attentive and highly professional. I enjoyed the experience so much I then booked and completed a traditional lampshade making course with her and would not hesitate in attending another course. Thanks so much."

Rob Barnes reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"A fabulous course, professionally run. The content was spot on starting with the most basic of skills and moving on. Aaron is a true master of his trade and a wonderful teacher. I gained so much from this and do plan on coming back. I can not recommend this enough. 5*."

melissa peck reviewed: Interior styling and decorating one to one day course

"Had a fabulous morning.. wish I'd booked for the day. Everyone was having so much fun. I learnt how to do loads of different styles of painting in just a few hours. They really are nice ladies too. totally recommended... I totally loved it."

Susan Green reviewed: Blacksmithing Beginners day courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"We had a great day, the course was very informative and fun. It was a nice sized group, not too many. The lunch and homebakes were delicious."

Jane Gregory reviewed: Felt art -(wet felting )with Debra Esterhuizen, Appleby , Cumbria

"I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop. I learnt so much about wool and felting as well as how colours work. Debra was so generous in the amount of different types of materials we used. We each made 2 large pieces of work, encouraging our individual creativity and interests, rather than trying to recreate a previous work. Debra demonstrated and guided us to explore and experiment. I can't wait to attend another session."

Liz Pickman reviewed: Hand spinning for Beginners Level 1 accredited course at All in a Spin

"I thoroughly enjoyed the course and am now beginning to work on my homework and samples. Dunja explains everything well and is very knowledgable on sheep and spinning. The location is stunning and the facilities are excellent. I highly recommend this course."

Barbara Chomos reviewed: Bespoke Contemporary Fine Art Encaustic Wax Workshop.

"While away on a holiday in the Pacific Northwest I stumbled across Encaustic Art and once I returned to Jersey I started searching for a workshop to help me get started. After combing the internet I found Lyn Kirkland who was available for a private two day workshop in Portland, Dorset. Once I made my way there, I had a wonderful time with Lyn learning so many techniques I would have been guessing at if I didn’t have this “hands on” experience. There is so much to know about encaustic painting and Lyn is inspirational and generous with her knowledge and her art supplies. In the end, I came home with two pieces I will treasure forever. Thank you so much for your patience and guiding me through a multitude of steps with your relaxed expertise. And, for putting me in touch with Pam DuVal so I could stay in her cosy Little Bee Cottage. Honestly, between the homemade cakes and and warm comraderie, I would love to come back and spend more time learning this way of artistic expression. I would highly recommend this course to anyone. Barbara Chomos - St. Brelade, Jersey"

Nirosha Sithirapathy reviewed: Half day glass fusing for beginners/intermediate

"A fantastic half day with Nicky! Came with three friends as a birthday celebration. Nicky taught us all about the different glasses, how to achieve different styles, taught us different glass cutting techniques and helped turn an ambitious vision of mine into a reality. Fantastic day with refreshments and a teacher who really knows her stuff. Highly recommended and would definitely come back again!"