Latest reviews

12 Jun 17'

Rhiannon reviewed: Mini Felt Floral Wreath Kit

"This was one of the nicest courses I've ever been on. Lyndsey was so welcoming, and really receptive to my crafting needs, she was also kind enough not to cancel the course when only I booked onto it, which was fantastic, and we had a nice chat as we crafted. The ABBA and homemade brownies were the icing on the cake for me, and I've told several of my friends about the workshop and they all want to come with me another time. It was also excellent value for money, and so thank you so much for such a great workshop...I'm really excited to put my new skills into place for my wedding :-)"

12 Jun 17'

Ed Hollis reviewed: Wood turning courses

"I had a fantastic time on a one-day course with George. I arrived having had some limited experience on a lathe, although my efforts to date left much to be desired, which George will vouch for! George and Susan were very welcoming from the outset, and we spent a little while chatting before cracking on with it! Immediately, I was learning all sorts of tips which would make my future woodturning better, beginning with the origins of the timber and sourcing and treating timber blanks. We then spent the morning running through the series of tooling and finishing processes, to form the bottom of the bowl. After lunch, we flipped the bowl and played around with some decorative techniques before finishing the top of the bowl. George was a great teacher and made the whole process clear and memorable, giving brief demonstrations before letting me develop the techniques myself. I left with a big smile on my face and my wife was very pleased with her bowl! Obviously you can only learn so much in a day. However I have come a long way from where I was and am eager to get practising my newly learned skills."

12 Jun 17'

Bridget reviewed: Creating shadows and light in your collagraph prints, course in artists studio near York

"This is as an excellent introduction to collograph, ideal for beginners. As I had not used this technique before I learnt a lot and enjoyed experimenting, producing a variety of outcomes. Emily is very well organised and her studio set up to make it easy for a number of different users. There is also opportunity to pick Emily's brains about materials and suppliers which was helpful."

12 Jun 17'

Jean McCluskie reviewed: Bespoke candle making workshop - Edinburgh

"A really interesting and enjoyable workshop. Really enjoyed my morning and Kerry a lovely lady and very easy to get along with. Nice to meet other participants as well. Would thoroughly recommend it to everyone"

12 Jun 17'

Gill Lee reviewed: Kate Morrell willow sculpture courses

"I had a brilliant day. It is really inspiring to create a sculpture from willow wands. With Kate's excellent tuition it was amazing to see my heron develop. Kate was very helpful and on hand for some of the trickier bits. The 6 or so hours sped by with a break for a lovely buffet lunch provided by Kate. We were also kept well watered with tea and coffee all day; willow weaving is thirsty work! This is a great way to spend a day and to have something creative to show for it at the end. Highly recommended for a really enjoyable day! Thanks Kate"

12 Jun 17'

Michelle Kinniment reviewed: Nuno felted scarf with lace online class

"I enjoyed this workshop very much. Leana is very knowledgeable on the subject, and I felt I acquired the skill to allow me to take it further. I was pleased with the samples I made and the opportunity to try several different techniques."

12 Jun 17'

Geoff Solomon-Sims reviewed: Bookbinding using leather and marbled paper, Frome - Somerset. Private Tuition

"I approached Stephen with a sentimental favourite book to rebind and he suggested it might be a nice project to rebind it myself. Stephen has a great way of encouraging creativity in the process and has a great eye for what will work best with the document. I enjoyed every moment of working with him in his studio and watching his own work was incredibly inspiring. The whole process felt less like learning a process and more like exploring a sea of options and possibilities, with an able navigator at the helm. What began as a single book has grown to a small library of 15 and I look forward to binding some more in the near future."

12 Jun 17'

RooNovak reviewed: Table Loom Weaving Workshop - Dobby & Rose

"I had a fantastic morning of weaving on this course. I felt slightly overwhelmed when I first looked into the loom but before I knew it Rebecca had explained the main technical bits and I was weaving. As soon as Rebecca saw that I needed some help or a tip that would help she was there…I also enjoyed asking her a myriad of other weaving questions which she was more than happy to answer. I have booked my next lesson already!"

12 Jun 17'

Hilary and Ian reviewed: A stool making day

"Really enjoyed the day, many thanks for all the help, patient teaching and encouragement, very satisfying making a useful piece of furniture from scratch."

12 Jun 17'

Emma Collins reviewed: Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving

"What a wonderful day spent in Alice's studio! I highly recommend Alice as a teacher, patience, skill, knowledge, enthusiasm and gentle encouragement were all in plentiful supply. I was really impressed with the quality and abundance of materials and delighted with the beautiful wall hanging I was able to produce in such a short time and with no previous experience. Thank you Alice and I look forward to learning more from you in the future."

12 Jun 17'

Kelvin reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"In order to review it is very hard to come up with words that haven’t already been used by other reviewers! My course was a birthday present from my partner who has given me many very lovely and thoughtful gifts........this was simply the best ever! As soon as we met Nigel the night before (we stayed in a Shepherd’s hut on site) it was clear this was going to be a fun and informative experience. He had stayed on after hours to wait for our arrival and took us on a tour of the forge and grounds which are an excellent showcase for some of his work. Nigel is a man with great talent, boundless energy and a very generous nature, clearly putting back a lot into society. After a great night’s sleep in the shepherds hut the day began with safety information (but presented in a non boring way) followed by a little chat on history, some advice on anvil height, choice of hammer and how to hold it. Nigel then demonstrated some technique then we were immediately able to try it out on our own anvils. If anyone had any fear of “failure” that would have been immediately dispelled by Nigel making comments such as “there are no mistakes, only design changes”. If the work didn’t go as planned Nigel was always on hand to help correct it. Once we had experienced hand forging we were introduced to the use of the power hammer (of which there are many in the forge)........I had been worried that my arm would be aching by the end of the day but a combination of being taught the right technique and use of the power hammers meant that my arm was fine.......but I went home with aching ribs as a result of laughing more in a day than I normally do in a month! Nigel has a seemingly endless fund of stories and anecdotes from his rich and varied life, they just keep coming during the course of the day. I came home with several items I am proud of and it won’t be long before I book for another course. If you are still reading this, don’t spend too much time thinking about booking yourself on a course, just do it, right now!"

12 Jun 17'

Nereida reviewed: Bookbinding using leather and marbled paper, Frome - Somerset. Private Tuition

"My colleagues and I booked Stephen to come and do a book binding workshop for us at out school, so that we could get together and spend some quality time learning something new, purposeful and artistic. This opened our eyes to the beauty o book binding, such a traditional craft that can sometimes be given for granted. It was very nice to connect to the process of making a book from beginning to end, and I really enjoyed each one of the processes. Stephen held the space in a patient, professional, gentle way, giving clear instructions and individual support when needed. He had a great selection of different materials that could be used, and allowed us to explore different methods including Marbelling the paper, Stamping with an old press, Hand stitching the paper together... all of which was great fun! We all left with a stunning, unique, artistic and useful book that holds many beautiful memories. What I love about this course, is that it gave me the skills to be able to carry on at home. Stephen is also able to take you further, and help you to restore really old books. What an art! Thank you Stephen for this wonderful opportunity to learn to book bind. Many Thanks. Nereida"

11 Jun 17'

Geoff Mitchell reviewed: Willow Piglet workshop

"An interesting workshop, lots of work making my piglet. Victoria was on hand whenever I needed help, she was great."

11 Jun 17'

Lynn Mitchell reviewed: Willow Dragonfly Workshop

"Had a great day. Victoria is a really enthusiastic tutor and very helpful. Came home with a wonderful dragonfly."

11 Jun 17'

Lesa reviewed: One day silver pendant and earring workshop

"Such a great day!!!! Jolene is excellent. So knowledgeable, experienced and was on hand to help throughout the day. I loved this course and came out with a lovely pair of silver earrings and two fantastic silver pendants, all handmade!!!! Jolene showed how to treat the silver to get different effects which was excellent and helped with those challenging bits that novices struggle with. Her studio is a creative haven and inspires. Jolene is a lovely person and I will most definitely go back. She does a course on recrafting old jewellery into new pieces which sounds great. Thanks Jolene for such an enjoyable day!!!!! X"

11 Jun 17'

Joy Griffiths reviewed: Sgraffito Printed Fused Glass (1.30pm)

"I attended Chrissy's glass mosaic afternoon at Barton Grange Garden Centre today. It was an absolutely great course. Chrissy took the time to explain and show us various techniques when cutting glass, she supported us with designs, cutting difficult pieces and she was very encouraging and inspiring. I brought home an A4 glass mosaic of a butterfly and flower, and I'm not artistically creative! With Chrissy's tuition, her people skills and the variety of glass and beads available, I thoroughly recommend this course ... also, it was only £28 for the three hours and no extra charges for resources, excellent value for money."

11 Jun 17'

Ellie reviewed: Two day needle felting a wired armature animal

"What a fantastic way to spend a weekend! The workshops were great fun but also really informative and very well supplied with quality materials and tools. Karin made sure everyone got to create their own character and took special care to ensure we all felt supported with our ideas. The workshops are well structured so you quickly build your confidence. This was my first foray into felting but I'm looking forward to doing another workshop weekend."

11 Jun 17'

Karen Corfield reviewed: Two day needle felting a wired armature animal

"Just been on another course with Karin. I feel like I learn something new every time and once again I have come away with something I am truly proud of. Karin is able to pitch the course just right for all students so it doesn't matter if you have not been before or you have been a few times. She is so encouraging it makes you want to keep going after the course is done."

11 Jun 17'

Helen reviewed: Learn To Knit On The Norfolk/Cambs Border

"I attended a beginners crochet course and found it excellent. As a left hander I booked a one to one course, and found that more beneficial. The tuition was just the right level and speed. The highlight was visiting the alpacas and learning about them. You can also see them from the craft cabin!"

11 Jun 17'

Malcolm Allison reviewed: A Dry Stone Walling Workshop Bedfordshire

"A very satisfying day that has Inspired me to build my own dry stone wall. John balanced gentle guidance with huge enthusiasm. A lot of practical advice and encouragement. I left exhausted but with a great sense of achievement."

11 Jun 17'

Lewis reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Did one day course with Nigel yesterday and loved it,one of the funniest blokes I've ever met!! Will be going again for sure because I'm now in love with power hammers!! Get it booked people you won't regret it!!!!"

11 Jun 17'

Flavian reviewed: Blacksmithing one-to-one North West UK

"Second Round - Great again! Visited Colin for another 2-day class of basic blacksmithing a few weeks ago - This time for a specific toolmaking class. I went home finally with a big bundle of new tools based and made on my personal wishes in cooperative work with Colin. Of course including a lot of really helpful advises and tricks for realising my further tool ideas. Thanks Colin!"

11 Jun 17'

Beverley k. reviewed: Beginners sewing classes on one to one basis

"This is a really laid back and friendly group. The tutors Karen and Bridget are so helpful and friendly, and whether your a complete beginner or dabbled with sewing a litttle, you will come out of each session amazed by your creations. I love attending when I can."

11 Jun 17'

Flavian reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Second Round - Great again! Visited Bob for another 2-day class of basic blacksmithing a few weeks ago. Among a lot of things and thoughts for the purpose of a freshen up the first course experience , a tremendous amount of new helpful advises to learn and gain further basic knowledge of ” how to do blacksmithing” properly. Thanks Bob!"

11 Jun 17'

Diane reviewed: Beginners sewing classes on one to one basis

"Great class. Lovely teachers, lovely crowd of people go. Made some beautiful things"