Latest reviews

Marina reviewed: Willow Plant Supports (1 day) in the Peak District

"The days' course of willow weaving was excellent. Patiently instructed by Eddie, who explained techniques easily with practical demonstrations. I had a great time and learned the basics of a new skill, coming home with useful and decorative items. Thank you to Alison for providing a tasty lunch and homemade flapjacks and brownies! A brilliant day course."

Zantium Studios Ltd responded:

"Thankyou, Marina, for this glowing review. I seem to remember this course was given to you as a gift so I am delighted it lived up to expectations. Happy weaving! Alison x"

Victoria Pletzer reviewed: Wood turning tuition, New Forest, Hampshire (1 day, 1 person)

"Father and Son had a super day. My son learned so much, and was super excited to show us what he made. Highly recommended"

Chloe reviewed: Gelli Printmaking with No5workshops Group Booking

"I attended this class with my two nieces and nephew and we came away absolutely buzzing with excitement! It was a great class and Armi is a fantastic teacher. We learnt something really fun and new but also came away infused with confidence and full of ideas, plus handfuls of artwork to show off. Armi was incredibly welcoming and started off the lesson with a few drawing exorcises that got us going and gave us tonnes of confidence to start creating prints straight away. I've never done anything like this before and at the ripe old age of forty something discovered that I'm not actually so terrible at drawing after all! The young ones (teen's) had so much fun and declared it the 'best Christmas present ever'. My nephew showed his work to his art teacher at school who was most impressed and has been told that he can include it in his GCSE art portfolio. He has declared that printing his favourite medium. What more can I say? It was utterly brilliant, the setting was perfect and inspiring, Armi has the dream studio and it was an utter pleasure spending a few hours in there. Nothing compares to the generosity of those who share their knowledge and build confidence in other people; thank you Armi. :O)"

Alexa reviewed: Gelli Printmaking with No5workshops Group Booking

"A fantastic & inspiring workshop from Armi! We had a wonderful morning doing some initial drawing exercises followed by a well demonstrated lesson in creating mono prints. Armi showed us a small powerpoint & lots of samples to give us inspiration before we started creating! She has an extremely well stocked supply of exciting papers & ephemera that we were able to use in our designs. The studio is absolutely gorgeous, with generous space to work in. Combine all that with some amazing cake & coffee.....just a wonderful creative morning! Can't recommend it enough!"

no5workshops responded:

"thanks for your review on craft courses"

Peter Grundy reviewed: Glass Fusing with Enamels - Two Day Course

"I'd previously taken two one-day glass fusing courses with Steve at St David's and have just returned from a two-day course at his new studio near Totnes. There's definitely a huge advantage in the two-day course because you get to see the test pieces you made on the first day before you start to make the main piece / pieces on the second day. This enables you to make technical and design changes and gives you a better chance of making something much nearer the surprisingly-good than the mother-in-law-Christmas-present end of the spectrum. The courses cost money - although given Steve's expertise (is there anybody better at fused glass in UK?) and the cost of the materials they're also very good value - so it's a good idea to go with one or two ideas as to what you want to make that you've thought through quite carefully and then to follow Steve's advice. He knows how to strike just the right balance between encouraging you to follow your inclination and guiding you away from anything unrealistic or impractical. He's also endlessly kind and patient and has the knack of creating a really enabling and friendly working atmosphere. There's also a wider choice of pubs and restaurants in Totnes than in St David's and it's a fun place in the evening. And, unlike St David's, there's a railway station, although the train timetables last weekend were largely advisory. Would I go again? A week would be ideal of course, but the one-day course, or even two days if you have the time and can afford the cost, are both great learning experiences. Wonderful, in fact!"

Gill Sharpe reviewed: Clay Day Workshop

"Thoroughly enjoyed my day here at Fired Thoughts, the atmosphere was very relaxed, teaching very professional but not overwhelming, the demonstrations were splendid, and the management of the day given that there were six of us was superb. Lunch was an added bonus, provided by the farm shop, and coffee and biscuits throughout the day were most welcome. I was pleasantly surprised to end the day with four separate items to eventually bring home with me, and I’m sufficiently excited by it to want to do more. However, it seems I’m in the majority, as trying to find a regular spot on a course seems to be impossible! I would thoroughly recommend this day to any budding potters."

Sue Whelan responded:

"Thanks so much for the review, so pleased you enjoyed the day."

Chris reviewed: Introduction to candle-making as a business

"This was an excellent course! Jo is a wonderful teacher with a real infectious passion for her craft. Jo taught us that there is a lot more to candle making than sticking a bit of string in a blob of wax; this is more akin to chemistry and is highly involved. Did you know that that is more than one type and size of wick?!?! I can highly recommend this course, it was really good fun."

Charlotte reviewed: Introduction to candle-making as a business

"Myself and my husband spent a lovely time with Jo. As complete novices, Jo very patiently guided us through the candle making process and we came away with a selection of gorgeous smelling candles, melts, tealights and hangings. It was so hard to choose from the selection available, but I went with rock salt and driftwood , jasmine and honeysuckle and, my favourite, sweet orange and chili pepper, while my melts were green tea and lemon grass. We had a fantastic time and would highly recommend."

Pam Harrington reviewed: From fleece to fibre 2-day spinning workshop

"As a complete newcomer to spinning, this two-day course was a perfect opportunity to learn techniques and practice them. Elaine had lots of knowledge and advice to share, and also provided a delicious lunch. It was fascinating to learn how a raw fleece can be turned into beautiful yarns. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to spend a weekend learning how to spin in a fantastic Lakeland setting."

Laura Kelly reviewed: Paint The Tree of YOUR Life art & personal development

"Brilliant course! Learned so much from my painting and how what I painted reflected who I am and what I want for myself. Helped put me back in the correct direction for me. I never regarded myself as creative before but Kassi has shown me that I am. I am also no artist but that does NOT matter so don’t let this put you off if you are like me. This course is brilliant for just letting go and finding you, so go for it. ❤️"

Silvia reviewed: Sculptural Needle Felting in the beautiful Conwy Valley, North Wales

"I really enjoyed the course. The teacher was very helpful and friendly."

Janet Williams reviewed: Sugar flower making day with award winning artisan sugar artist

"Thank you Jill for a lovely day in your wonderful studio and for the excellent lunch. I had no great expectation of what I might produce by the end of the class, but thoroughly delighted and surprised with my beautiful, very professional looking, spray of yellow roses. I had not made a successful sugar flower before meeting Jill, despite many attempts following videos on YouTube. Having taken on the task of making my daughter’s wedding cake, I found Jill on this site and immediately booked my class, and I’m so glad I did. Jill is extremely talented (and patient!) and explained and demonstrated every step of the way. The whole day was so relaxed and passed in a flash. I can thoroughly recommend the taster day, and look forward to further classes."

Paul Zivtins reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"What Mark does not know about wood turning is not worth knowing! An excellent tutor. He went through all aspects of the tools and equipment teaching and demonstrating. Only moved on to the next item once I had understood and practised a procedure. Such patience is rare to find. The day after I received more notes and advice that had been discussed during the training day. Excellent support. Mark is a true credit to the craft of wood turning. Genius."

Keith Middle reviewed: Wood turning courses in Dorset

"My wife bought me a voucher for my 70th Birthday last year. I had intended to do a pottery course but there were not any which fitted in with my plans. So as a last minute decision I thought I would try wood turning. Although I watch a lot of craft programs not something I have experience of. I never got use the school lathe. I therefore approached this with some trepidation. What a pleasant surprise. Mark made me feel really welcome and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with him which flew by. I managed to make two pieces in the time available and I have been boring friends and relations with my experience and I am now seriously considering taking this further. The only thing holding me back is the likely cost of even setting up a basic workshop. Anyone taking this up would be well advised to take a course or two and I would recommend doing this with Mark."

Tracey Cowper reviewed: Needle felting workshop - Create your own woodland creature

"I'm not very artistic, and presumed I would end up making something which would have no resemblance to a hare, but found Denise guiding us wonderfully and I manage to create an amazing hare, that I can't stop admiring! Time flew by, Denise was a great teacher, lunch, tea, coffee cake were spot on. I would definitely recommend the course. We were sent home with a pack for us to create another master piece and information where to buy more supplies if needed. Thank you for a great day Denise."

Crafty Gal responded:

"It was such a fun day, and your enthusiasm was fantastic - as well as your needle felting! Well done you."

Margaret reviewed: Willow Plant Supports (1 day) in the Peak District

"I enjoyed this course enormously, I had no idea what to expect but was made to feel capable from the start. The structures we produced were unique, attractive and useful. Eddie was endlessly patient- very relaxed and encouraging throughout. Although the weather did everything it could to dampen our spirits, the course was wonderful. The setting is beautiful, the refreshments and lunch were delicious, and fellow participants were supportive and friendly."

Zantium Studios Ltd responded:

"Thankyou, Margaret, for such positive feedback. You were an excellent group, full of enthusiasm. I will pass on your kind words to Eddie. We are thrilled to have him as a visiting tutor as he does such a good job. Enjoy your garden...and your willow. Best wishes Alison"

Carrie Ford reviewed: Kookie Cats Needle Felting workshop

"Heidi was a fantastic workshop host, kind, funny and very engaging making the workshop easy to follow. At time when I became stuck she was on hand instantly to demonstrate again the techniques. Heidi made a felt hound during the workshop which made the visual link to the instructions given. Heidi was also very good at answering questions about the workshop and facilities as I was attending with my mother who suffers from a chronic illness. She was great it making sure mum was able to take part and also comfortable. This workshop was definitely worth the money as I successfully made something, had refreshments all day and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thanks Heidi!"

Heartfelt by Heidi responded:

"Thank you Carrie for your lovely detailed review, I am so glad you and your Mum enjoyed the workshop so much. My aim is to provide a relaxed, happy, fun atmosphere in which to learn, whilst making new friends and picking up new skills. I hope you and your Mum were inspired enough to carry on felting, both of your hounds were adorable! Your kind words have put a huge smile on my face! :) Heartfelt thanks Heidi"

Jane Lethbridge reviewed: Bespoke candle making workshop - Edinburgh

"Lovely house to have a course in and a relaxed atmosphere to go with it. Lots of useful information about the process of making candles and making the best use of them. Lovely tea, coffee and cake to top it all off."

Lynne Millington reviewed: Shabby Chic Mosaic Workshop

"I had a fantastic time learning a new skill. Anya had a huge range of materials to use and gave excellent tuition along with the freedom to create anything I liked. I would definitely recommend this course."

Carole reviewed: Chop & Stitch

"An enjoyable and girlie evening in a small group lead by the lovely Ange who shares her time and experience so conscientiously between a complete beginner, an improver and a "I need guidance" sewer. A relaxing, rewarding 2 hours being guided through the stages of making your very own tote bag, teddy bear or sewing "wot not" that will ultimately lead to greater things. No previous skill needed. Definitely worth a few evenings learning something new at the same time as having valuable "me" time. Love it."

Liz Pickman reviewed: Improvers Hand Spinning - Next Steps in Hand Spinning - at All in a Spin

"I did this day as a follow on to the beginners day. It was full of new information with lots of samples of different types of fibres and yarns. More preparation techniques and spinning practice too. A fabulous day - highly recommended."

Liz Pickman reviewed: Beginners Hand spinning - 'From fleece to fibre’ - at All in a Spin

"I came as a complete beginner and went home with a plied spun yarn! We learnt so much in the day with lots of practical exercises to do. Lots to practice and think about. Highly recommended."

Christine reviewed: Bespoke candle making workshop - Edinburgh

"A fabulous course. Kerrylyn was both a wonderful host and great teacher. I would highly recommend to anyone looking to learn a great new hobby."

Linda Scott reviewed: Create a mosaic in a day in Yorkshire with professional mosaic artist Sue Kershaw

"Just to say thank you so much for our very enjoyable and informative day yesterday. We both loved it and are very proud of our mosaic 'masterpieces'!. Kind regards. Linda and Heather x"

Bev Popplewell reviewed: Free-machine Embroidery Workshop with Dawn Ireland

"Dawn. Thank you for such and inspiring day. (Sat 21st April 2018) So well prepared, thoroughly equipped and calmly supervised throughout. Really enjoyed learning a bit about this new skill and can't wait to do more!"